The latest Associated Press (AP) and Yahoo Poll found out about too many white and Republican voters have misgivings about Democratic President Barack Obama's color of skin (race). How shocking about the American society in 2008!
I already thought that the majority of American people were past the racial misgivings of other ethnic and racial people. I was totally wrong!
Of course, I keep seeing many white and black deaf people still have the racial attitudes toward black people or white people in general.
I must admit that I have some deaf friends, who are genteel racists themselves. I usually dismiss their racist or prejudiced views of different people. Those friends are really great people, but happen to have the mischaracterized view of the society from time to time. My personal viewpoints are more liberal and progressive than most people I know of.
I seldom use "N" to test deaf people's reaction as part of my own informal sociological study. At the first glance, deaf people would get little uncomfortable and look around, then show their real-self and openly used "N" with me.
Most deaf people I encounter or socialize with, are likely to have a progressive views of ethnic and racial minorities. Deaf white people in DC area, usually have negative views of African Africans whose happened to be living on the street or being the panhandlers or thugs lurking on the street.
Are those deaf white people being racist or look down on the downtrodden society?
Kinda troubling about the handful of American people have such a skeptical views of Barack Obama, because of his color of skin.
Nothing new about the deaf America being racially formed due to their own color of skin. Is that part of the comfort zone or purely a societal prejudice?
The past sociological studies about the deaf America and racial attitudes shown that there were many deaf clubs of the past tend to have the segregated cliques.
From the past observance of deaf social gatherings like the Deaf Professional Happy Hour (DPHH) or deaf gay (GLBT) social gatherings in DC, there were still kinda a racial cliques.
Deaf DC GLBT social gatherings hardly have seen deaf African Americans on the scene. Why??
I told several deaf African American gay guys about the monthly deaf GLBT coffeehouse or social events. They ever don't know about the events at all. Deaf African Americans were kinda reluctant of coming down to the predominately white social gatherings. Who would blame them?
I was seldom accused of being a racist from time to time, because I never expressed any interests in African American guys or other ethnic guys. I was confronted by one hearing African American last spring 2008 that I was not interested in him due to his color of skin. That African American was really a nice-looking, but I frequently seen him at particular places. I was totally shocked that I was being accused of racism. I told that hearing African American guy that I came down to this place to enjoy myself with a drink and had a conversations with patrons. Nothing more than that! Of course, this hearing guy was a sexoholic.
One friend of mine during the Gallaudet years- late 1980s. We often talked about the issue of racism. That friend hitched from the Deep South. He often harmlessly said about African Americans. I returned with progressive views of people in general. That friend turned to me with a simple question - "Have you been with any black people in bed?" I replied nope! My friend said "See that! I already had sex with several black women. Their pubic hairs were like steel wool pad. I replied 'Come on!"
After frequent discussions with my friend about racial issues got me really think of who and what I was. I found some African American, Latino and Asian guys to be truly attractive, but I was kinda reluctant of those ethnic and racial guys. I still kept on the straight course what attracted me to gay guys - their intelligence, social courtesy, behaviors and appearance of how they took care of themselves. That was it!!
I personally find male foreskin to be much unappealing (ugly). That's why I hardly expressed any interests in any ethnic and racial guys due to their cultural upbringings for not having the circumcised male genitals. Yes, white guys do have foreskin genitals. I still am not interested in any white guys with foreskin genital. Of course, I was often called "prejudiced" by some deaf guys for finckling toward male foreskin genital. I could not help it at all!
I do not find Barack Obama to be any handsome or appealling. I also am not really impressed with his thin resume and debate skills and leadership issues. I either do not like McCain and Palin at all. Nothing to do with racism and ageism!
I am much aware of many deaf people being discriminated and prejudiced because of us being deaf. We, deaf people have to get the college Bachelor of Arts degree to obtain the entry job to prove ourselves to be worthy to the audistic society or PhD degree for B.A. employment position.
Should we give Barack Obama a chance to lead our country or what? John McCain is surely a "bipolar" person due to his often changing positions. Obama is not really perfect at all.
My deaf friend often emailed me that he worried about Barack Obama would have a revenge on white Americans for the past racist practices. I don't think so!
I noticed about many deaf Christians have such a prejudices toward Muslim people in general. They often emailed me about Barack Obama in Muslim attires. I tried to explain that was not accurate about Obama being a Muslim. Obama just wore the Muslim clothing while he conducted the Senate business trip to the host country. He had to wear the customary attire not to offend the host for the reception, etc.
I am no "bleeding heart" liberal myself. I hardly bother to give any changes or $$ to the African American beggars on DC-area street, because I always am annoyed of their misassumption of us, white people have more money than well-off black people.
What about you??
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
