With (Black) Friends Like These......ah you know the rest

I really wanted to discuss the links showcased in the previous entry but I need to expound on this story first. Do you guys remember this chorus?:

Friends
How many of us have them?
Friends
Ones we can depend on
Friends
How many of us have them?
Friends
Before we go any further, lets be
Friends

If you are a true hiphop afficionado, the lyrics are from the song, Friends by the legendary rap group, Whodini. The meaning of the song definitely resonates today as it relates to the above clip. Despite my conservative leanings, I do not have any problems critiquing other folk whose views lean toward the right. Just as I do believe that there is a liberal bias in the media (sometimes resulting in the coddling of Black folk), I am equally vigilant when I see discrepancies with right wing media outlets. Talk about making much to do about nothing. Notice how Biden's comment about Obama has morphed into a referendum on the validity of interracial friendships. Actually I have two clips, featuring Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly confessing that they do not (or can not) have Black friends because of alleged Black sensitivity.

To be fair, I do think that many people of color can be overly sensitive regarding certain issues, but this is not an absolute supposition. It seems that these two gentlemen, just do not associate or run in the same circles as people of color (allegedly), and now have found a reason that justifies it-in case they come under public scrutiny. It appears that Beck and O'Reilly literally believe that the entire Black populace is some sort of team that just doesn't understand them. Last time I checked, people of color are not like the Yankees. And don't these guys speak for a living? Does becoming relaxed amongst friends mean that one is likely to slip up and say something racist? Well, maybe for Mel Gibson (or heck, Isaiah Washington).

The bottom line is...friendship is a tenuous experience to begin with-as long as you don't make gross generalizations and see folks as individuals, having friends cross-racially or intraracially should be no big deal. I guess Beck and O’Reilly never received that memo. Take a gander at the O’Reilly clip in question-and then sigh. With friends like these.....




We’re ‘Afraid’ To Have ‘A Lot Of African-American Friends’