Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop
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Just stop with your slandering of well-intentioned people in your absurdist attempt to argue that everyone is racist. My uncle is a conservative who was what you might consider a tax conservative. Voted his pocketbook. I'm sure he voted for Trump, but not because he hates black people. Maybe he is indifferent to their plight, but that's not racist. As I'm sure he would tell you, he is the
least racist person. He can probably cite a number of black acquaintances. It is true that, when his daughter married a black man, he refused to ever speak to her again. In fact, he has never even seen his grandchildren, one of whom is now in college. But not because he is racist. He had to worry about his business reputation and his reputation among his peers, some of whom might have been racist. I mean the black guy his daughter married was not exactly a crackhead or anything -- he was an AUSA at the time -- but still I think you have to admit his concerns were legitimate. He didn't disown his daughter because he is against black people, but because his own rational reputational concerns
forced him to do so. It's not like he lynched somebody. And even if he did, it would be reckless, even dangerous, of us to presume racism based on that fact alone.
What if it were an accidental lynching??? Anyhoo, I'm not here to participate in the endless discussion of Sebastian's defense of racism. Because that shit is straight up sad. A new low. No, I am here for a much happier reason. A friend recently sent me a Spotify playlist containing almost every song discussed in The Beastie Boys Book, which I have been listening to quite a bit. And which helped me discover a little gem of a song by Minnie Riperton called "Les Fleurs." How I have never heard this song before baffles me. The weird soprano harmonies and counterpoint vocals are exquisite and worth a listen in their own right. But the lyrics? Oh, the lyrics. I feel like they are an affirmation of all I have been struggling for (and against) these many years. Accordingly, I am here to announce a new signature line for 2019. You're welcome.
"Ring all the bells sing and tell the people everywhere that the flower has come.
Light up the sky with your prayers of gladness and rejoice for the darkness is gone.
Throw off your fears let your heart beat freely at the sign that a new time is born."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1kDd6yBQZ4
