White People’s Day: Chris Rock Jul 4 Tweet Sparks Debate, Outrage

[Jazzy]

In wishing people the Happy White People’s Day Jul 4, Chris Rock influenced up discuss as well as sparked debate as most indicted the outspoken stand up comic of racism.



On Independence Day, the star dismissed off the following tweet: “Happy white peoples autonomy day the slaves weren’t giveaway though I’m certain they enjoyed fireworks.”



Predictably, the small people went positively ballistic.



Wrote the single non-fan: “Chris Rock says ‘happy white people’s independence day.’ Racist lefties keep throwing gas upon the glow to keep the hatred alive. #tcot #loser”.



Question:



What do you think of Chris Rock’s Tweet?

 

[DrLeftover]

You Hater.... Everybody knows only white male conservatives are racist.

 

[Fatal Dawn]

This statement is not one which surprises me coming from Chris Rock. His comedy routines often involves this sort of social commentary. However, I can understand the negative reception. I think it is quite crass to deliver that kind of statement in such close proximity to a holiday emblazoned by intense feelings of patriotism.



Forgoing his delivery, I don't disagree with the statement. Indeed it has always been hypocrisy for a nation to celebrate freedom and independence when slavery was still a part of life.

What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanks-givings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy -- a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.



~ Frederick Douglas

 

[Evil Eye]

I think it is quite crass to deliver that kind of statement in such close proximity to a holiday emblazoned by intense feelings of patriotism.

Good way to get some attention though.

 

[DrLeftover]

But Mr. Douglass (who was born a slave) did not say: God Damn the USA.



He did say



To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.



So I have to wonder, what would he think of Political Correctness?

 

[Temerit]

Political correctness is not a violation of free speech. Not until the day it is codified into law.

 

[Fatal Dawn]

Political correctness is not a violation of free speech. Not until the day it is codified into law.

This is not necessarily true. In a cultural context, the damage would have already been done.

 

[DrLeftover]

Political correctness is not a violation of free speech. Not until the day it is codified into law.

They call it 'regulating hate speech'.

[font=Arial,Helvetica][size=-1]In 1942, the Supreme Court sustained the conviction of a Jehovah's witness who addressed a police officer as a God dammed racketeer and a damned facist (Chaplinksy v. New Hampshire). The Court's opinion in the case stated that there was a category of face-to-face epithets, or fighting words, that was wholly outside of the protection of the First Amendment: those words which by their very utterance inflict injury and which are no essential part of any exposition of ideas.[/size]

http://law2.umkc.edu.../hatespeech.htm