Rehab for Racists
12 Steps May Not Be Enough?
Gaffes aren't just confined to the Tea Party wing of the GOP, though Mel Gibson's rant directed at his ex may be well beyond a gaffe and crossed the line to psychotic.
The threats were bad enough, but the hateful comments he made towards Blacks and Latinos was what really got myself and a lot of people. I've heard the suggestion that Mel go into rehab, I think what these people actually mean is therapy.
Why do I say this? To me rehab is for things like addictions, behaviors that have a physical component to them. For a chemical addiction, it's the chemicals themselves that provide a direct effect on the addict. For behavorial addictions; food,sex, gambling, etc, it's the effects that the behaviors have on the body.
Racism, to me, is something that is more learned. It can be taught by culture, see the American South before the Civil War, and during the age of Jim Crow, by family, or even the a government, South Africa under apartheit may be the best example of this, but Australia's policy towards the aboriginies could apply as well.
If Mel Gibson does decide, or is forced, to seek counseling for this hatred that seems to exist in him. After he decides where he learned this is why he chose to learn it. The choice to adopt a racist attitude, while it may be difficult to resist, is a choice that a person freely makes. The forces that drive this choice are many; a sense of superiority, or the idea that one is superior to "those people", feelings of anger or rage, this could be the case with Mel, or a notion that minorities get breaks or preferential treatment.
A potential new reason for racist ideas has come up as well, especially in America. The idea that the majority is losing it's hold on the political process. We have an African-American president who was elected with sizable support from younger people. This generation has seen lines of color become blurred like none before, and perhaps the older generation sees that notions of White superiority may be outdated.
Can Mel Gibson change? Does he want to may be a better question.
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Not certain whether this is factual, I was born in Black Africa in a very homogenous region that is 99% of the people I grew up with look like me, dark skin black Africans, I never recall having had any negative experiences with racism of any sort, my siblings as well as my younger brother are very open-minded without any signs whatsoever of intolerance, racism toward other races, including but not limited to the site of inter-racial couples, or marriage, yet for unknown reasons I am deeply intolerant – have great revulsion for non-native African , people of interracial background, interracial dating or people of other races or ethnicity. I truly hate having these sentiments, and always regret overreacting toward them!!!!, I was well broad up with no sign of intolerance , in fact racial issues were never mentioned in our home, well since historically no such negative past existed , every one looked the same , and were practically the same culture and values.
So I am rather puzzled as to the racial feelings-, which clearly upset me after the fact. I know deep down that is wrong but somehow I cannot help my self. I have tried to read books and articles to rehab my self to no avail. I am truly ashamed to go see a professional and talk about these feelings. Somehow I have this feeling of superiority toward others, which is in part ingrain in all of us growing up . I hate it now ..
Good hub. Good content.
Mel Gibson is just getting worse as the years go by. Watch him and Lindsay Lohan slide down into disastor at about the same rate. Racism is so tricky- politics tricky too. Combining Mel, politics, and racism- whew! that's a tall order. Thought provoking hub though.
Well on the topic of racism is the Tea Party racist? I think many factions are. I call it subtle racism. When you do not call yourself a racist, however deep at your core being are a racist. Racism can come out in all kinds of ways, you may not even believe it as being racist. This is what we are seeing right now in the Tea Party. The thing about subtle racism, is it can very easily lead to blatant racism. As well when called out on it the people get defensive. Like I say I am a social worker, and we have to take a class on Cultural Competence. As all of our politicians should have to as well! We study the Tea Party, and we all mostly agree there is "A Lot" of subtle racism. As well a decent amount of plain racism. I wrote a hub on it. https://hubpages.com/politics/Racist-Tea-Party-Mov... I am still running a vote for "Is the Tea Party Racist?"
As for Mel Gibson, I think Mel is a bad alcoholic. So he acts very compulsively. When acting compulsive this "subtle" racism, gets magnified intensely. As he worked with all sorts of racist just fine. Never a complaint. However subtle racism has a way of becoming full fledged hatred. That is the problem right now in America, we could be in big trouble here. These are the facts in regards to a Social Sciences perspective. Keep up the good work, I continue to link your great insights to my latest hubs on the subject.
Hey TPC: I'm old, I'm white and I am NOT a racist. I don't give a damn what your race, color, religion, or sexual preference is. My generation is responsible for those young voters NOT being prejudice either. Just ask my grandchildren or your neighbor for that matter. Racist talk is just a smokescreen to cover up hidden agendas. Let's get real and move on.
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred, hatred leads to suffering - Master Yoda (not master in the bad way, he wuz green ;)
Good Hub
- AUTHOR
K:
I did mention that Australia has it's own history of institutional racism.
And what of the "outgroups" that the GOP seems to need to get people to support corporation and CEO backed candidates?
What's sad is you clearly want to politicize Mel Gibson's rants. The man is sick, his words are foul, and they make me physically cringe with horror, not only the racism in the them but the violence that comes through toward his gold-digging new woman. Oh, and he was reared in Australia I think, can't blame it on America.
And your closing paragraph about this current generation that has most definitely seen lines of color become blurred -- what's sad is that very blurring is being clarified anew for this generation with the blatant racism being practiced and preached by the far left elements of the Democratic party -- apparently, they don't want those lines blurred anymore.
- AUTHOR
vrajavala:
"Jim Crow" laws were created when the Democrats were the party of reactionaries.
And I'll agree that Mel needs help, but as I asked, does he want to be helped?
It was the Democrats who created the Jim Crow laws.
Mel, obviously, is/was an alcoholic who left his wife of 28 years by a tricky gold-digger. it happens all the time. I feel sorry for Mel, his soon to be- ex-wife, his seven kids and his grandkids.
I just hope he gets counseling and doesn't do anything bad to himself
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