From: peewee@infoserv.com (Philip Stromer)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: Spike Lee
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 92 08:55:01 PST
Distribution: world

	>Stromer,
	>You have criticized every Black leader mentioned on this net.  
	>In fact, you have more than criticized their positions, you 
	>have attacked their personalities. 
	
The Black leader that I most admire and revere is Rev. Martin Luther        
King.  You won't see me criticize him, because he preached love and
never hate.  The fact that he lost his popularity with the Black
population during the last years of his life shouldn't make him
any less of a hero today, especially in retrospect.  I'm very happy
that his birthday is now a holiday in all 50 states, with the passage
the other day in Arizona.
	
	>Yet you never have one word of criticism for the social forces 
	>that keep depressing the American Black population.

Baloney.  I've been criticizing the War on Drugs from day one.  I've
said all along that it's being used as a war on blacks.  This is the
most serious problem blacks face today, IMO.  Too high a percentage
of blacks get busted for drugs, then they lose their voting rights
upon a felony conviction.  If neither force nor fraud is used, consenting 
adults should be able to do whatever they want to.  I thought that's
what "pro-choice" is all about.  It's much, much more than abortion.

	>Are your writings on this service a way of getting back at the 
	>Black community for not accepting your marriage to a Black woman?  
	
Absolutely not.  Old people tend not to accept it, regardless of skin        
color.  Younger people tend to accept it, regardless of skin color.
I see race as less and less of a factor with the passing of each year.
WRT Affirmative Action, what happens when whites become the minority?
We're getting close to that in California right now?  When whites start
getting preferential treatment due to being white, maybe the laws will
(FINALLY!) become colorblind.  Affirmative action was a noble idea, but
its time has come and gone.  Just like labor unions, AA has worn out its
usefulness.

	>Did you go into your marriage expecting a welcome response from 
	>the Black community

Actually, I didn't give it much thought.  I knew that we'd take some
flak from both sides, but neither of us even care(d).

	>(as, in my opinion and personal experience Whites tend to do in
	>interracial marriages) and have a rude awakening to the extreme 
	>bias against White mates in the Black community?  
	 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^        
I'm hoping to do my small part to change this.  Maybe I'll succeed, and         
maybe not, but I shall try.  Bias against anyone based on skin color is
as wrong today as it was in 1850.
	
	>Do you feel unjustly condemned by the Black community for the 
	>wrongs heaped upon the Black community? 
	
Yes, because I never did anything to harm any black (or non-black)
individual.  Progressive thought focuses on today and the future, not 
on yesteryear.

	>And does this hurt all the more because you are married to a 
	>member of the Black community?

No, because when I hear Dianne called "sellout", or someone yells 
"nigger lover" at me, we run like hell in the opposite direction.  
We seek confrontation about as much as Mahatma Ghandi did.  No need
to stick around and find out WHY the person(s) said what they did.

	>It just seems to me that you are having a very hard time dealing 
	>with the community reaction to your marriage.  You know - "well I
	>did so MUCH (sic) for the Black community by marrying one of 
	>them..."  
	
I didn't marry a black woman to do any favors to the Black community.  I        
married her because I love her.  It's as simple as Jack & Jill, really.
It is indeed disappointing that we take flak, but it's not from the Black
community.  It's from the elderly community mostly, regardless of skin
color.  Young people tend not to bother us (except on this newsgroup). :)
	
	>Black community response: "Don't do US any favors!"  Your 
	>response - "F___k you!"

Now, now...you're putting words into my mouth.  I don't talk like that
to anyone unless they start the profanity.  But hey, I'm no javelin
catcher, either.  I can dish it out with the best of 'em.

	>I have no IDEA how your marriage was received and how it shapes 
	>your response to the Black community, if at all.  I mean no insult, 
	>I'm just trying to figure out why your responses are so one-sided, 
	>and why you never play (or even understand) both sides of the field.

I'm sorry you think my opinions are so one-sided.  I've always considered
myself a strong advocate of individual rights.  But individual rights are
going down the tube, and not many from either the right or the left are
doing much to stop this loss.  I feel like a lone voice in the wind.

One of my black friends today was busted (felony) for cultivation of three
marijuana plants, in his back yard.  The cop didn't even have a warrant,
but my friend let him in to look around, because he was afraid that the cops
would harrass his wife and kids (bad move).  But the fact still remains...
In one's own back yard, he should be able to shoot heroin in peace, as
long as he doesn't leave his own house.  For the life of me, I'll never
understand WHY drugs are a crime if you're in your own house.  Individual
rights...
					   
	>It's just a question - no insult meant.

None taken.  *Really*.  I'm trying to learn.  This forum is very helpful
to me.  I get a persepctive I don't get elsewhere, because I can ask and
learn without fear of anything worse than nasty e-mail.  :)  
		
	>Peace.

Peace be with you too.

	--Philip

P,S. -- If anyone's wondering why I have so much time to write to this
	newsgroup, it's because I'm unemployed.  Anyone need a fast,
	accurate typist?  :)