Only way I figured it out was because I got no mail today, because, well, apparently that's how we celebrate Perfect Token Negro Day in America. We certainly don't get the day off from work, that's for sure, 'cause PTN Day is one of them there token holidays, to be ignored by everybody except white folks who claim that it means there's no longer racial discrimination in America.
Since it's Perfect Token Negro Day, the day we celebrate the perfect wise gray Uncle Tom who, like, was non-threatening and civil and shit like that, I guess I'll instead let a black man who wasn't a Perfect Token Negro speak about courage, civil disobedience, protesting, and the hypocrisy of those who claim to be defending "the American Way" while violating every word they profess to believe in with their words, actions, and laws:
In case you're wondering what the first part is about -- the black sanitation workers in Memphis were paid less than the white sanitation workers and were relegated to the dirtiest jobs with no chance of advancement to the cushier jobs such as driver of the garbage trucks (all of whom were white). The city refused to give equal pay and equal working conditions to the black workers. The workers went on strike for better working conditions and recognition of their union. The city got an injunction prohibiting the strike and threatened to arrest anybody who picketed and fire anybody who didn't show up for work. And MLK was saying, "Ignore that injunction, ignore the threat to fire all of you, ignore the fact that the racist white cops are going to be out there with their dogs and clubs to beat you down, stand up for your rights or be thought cowards by history." And pointing out that *his* butt was on the line there too, and he was likely to not live as long as them given the state of things but he wasn't going to turn away just because of fear for his own life, so if they let themselves be turned away because of fear of not getting a city paycheck, well. He shamed them. There was no more talk of ending the strike. The strike continued on the next day -- and MLK Jr. was killed that next day.
A rabble rouser, a union organizer, someone who advocated disrespecting the law... clearly this MKL Jr. person was *NOT* the Perfect Token Negro that white America celebrates (well, mostly ignores, actually) today... but what the hey. If MLK Jr. was around today, he'd probably be in Gitmo for daring suggest that standing up for our liberties and ideals was more important than safety, so I guess we couldn't celebrate his actual life... that'd be too, well, scarey, yo!
-- Badtux the Snarky Penguin
How long will it take before there's a Perfect Token Muslim Day, eh? Or Mexican? And who/how many will have to die to make that happen?
ReplyDeleteOf course, the garbage workers' strike would have no effect like that today. An angry majority would be screaming about "how dare those overpaid government workers risk spreading disease with their pro-union activities? TAZE them!" And Meskins supplied by a private-enterprise labor contractor ("We in the government didn't know they were illegal immigrants. The labor contractor told us they had valid Social Security numbers!") would be brought in to replace the striking blacks. Life goes on. End of story.
You snarked yourself right outta the ballpark Tux.
ReplyDeleteBukko, you bring up the main reason for outsourcing services like trash collection to people like Waste Management or BFI. With government bodies, they have to abide by this thing called "due process" before firing folks and bringing in the Mexicans to replace them. But BFI would just fire the strikers and import new workers from Mexico, and if the strikers complained, just said "well, you're at-will employees, and we don't will."
ReplyDeleteOf course, BFI would also charge more money than what the city paid those uppity Negros, and the city would be poorer for it, but gosh darn it the city wouldn't have to put up with Negros demanding equal treatment, yessiree! Progress, yo!
- Badtux the Snarky Penguin