Fighting the New Racism

We have to stop this blatant, mean spirited mentality we have in this country, an ugliness primarily geared towards the poorest and neediest of our citizens.

But first, let me get one fact out of the way.  If you combine all of the programs geared to helping the poor and needy in this country, it's only a tiny percentage of the country's tax burden.  It really is!

There's a term I've used, the New Racism.  The New Racism refers to people who can't stand others who are poorer than themselves.  It might be intermingled with some traditional racism, but it can exist on its own.  I know people who have no problem being around minorities, but can't stand the thought of being near poor people.  It's not exclusive to Republicans, but most of the people I've met who display New Racism support the far right/libertarian/tea bagger/Ayn Rand elements which seem to be making up a larger and larger portion of the Republican voting base.

If that's where the New Racism ended, it'd still be disturbing but limited to a individual's warped opinion.  Unfortunately, there's a festering sore growing under the skin of American culture.  The hatred of the poor has fueled a revenge mindset which causes people to go out of their way to hurt people of lower means.  It's not enough to despise these lower class individuals, you have to mock and punish them.  It's like an 1980's movie villain, only instead of their actions being labeled bad, they're viewed as a road map.  Some examples:

What is with the people who relish in making starving people even hungrier?  They gleefully slash and cut programs geared to ensure Americans get a meal, all while throwing out insults like lazy, slacker and moocher.  They get giddy with excitement as they think of new and more humiliating hoops for the neediest to jump through, just to get basic sustenance.  They, like the Minnesota GOP lead legislature did three years ago, high five with excitement as they cut basic needs services like Meals on Wheels.  And then these same individuals go to church and insist they are good Christians, ignoring one of the main tenants of Christianity, taking care of the hungry.

I've talked extensively about the horrible, racially tinged #pointergate, where KSTP insisted Mayor of Minneapolis Betsy Hodges, posing with a volunteer and pointing at each other, was actually promoting gang culture because...well I'm still not sure why, outside of the strong implication it was gang related because she is standing next to an African American male.  As we talked about it this morning, we were informed that KSTP's news tip hotline as an interesting category.  The only specific crime called out in their automated phone menu is "welfare fraud."  Nothing about abuse, theft, ponzi schemes, domestic violence.  Nope, the only crime to get special recognition from KSTP is welfare fraud.  "They're watching, you lazy moochers!"

Then there's the story I brought up on Monday, of the guy I met from Chaska who loves his guns and hates when the neighborhood he lives in has its annual garage sale, because it brings in "those people."  This jackass thinks it's funny to take his trash, disguise it and mark it 'free' just to watch a needy family take it away.  As he bragged and laughed about poor people taking away his garbage, he clearly had become oblivious to the filthy, revolting monster he'd become.

They cut off the water to citizens in Detroit, they try to redraw school district borders to minimize the amount of poor and/or minority students their kids have to co-mingle with and they scream "let 'em die" when we talk about healthcare for the sickest individuals.

Dear Lord, Potter from It's a Wonderful Life thinks this has gone way too far.

We have to stop this cruelty.  Is our compassion and love only an ad campaign?  Do we only care when we suffer an environmental disaster or massive economic collapse?  We shouldn't create a voting record, bank account, and ethnic litmus test to determine if we aid a certain group of people.  We always should try to take care of our neediest people, not humiliate them or persecute them.  This goes to the spirit and essence of who we are as humans.

This is a fight for America's soul.  Whose side are you on?