Don Lemon asks 'how can you not be racist' if you grew up in America?

[mystery-ak]

Don Lemon asks 'how can you not be racist' if you grew up in America?
By Sam Dorman | Fox News

    CNN anchor Don Lemon mused Friday whether it's possible for people raised in America to not be racist, or at least have "blindspots" -- likening U.S. citizens to flowers planted in tainted soil.

"Every year, I have hydrangeas in my yard and they come back a different color, or a tulip or an orchid. And it’s not because they’re different, it’s because the soil is different, right?" Lemon said on "New Day."

"It depends on the nutrients in the soil. So if you grew up in America, you came out of American soil. Considering the history of this country ... how can you not be racist? How can you not have racial blindspots, how can you not see that the factory reset in America is whiteness?"

He seemed to be trying to help calm white people's fears about speaking out about racism during nationwide protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by a white cop in Minneapolis.

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https://www.foxnews.com/media/don-lemon-racist-born-us

[FeelNoPain]

He should ask his husband.

[sneakypete]

Awful bold of him to admit he is a racist.

[PeteS in CA]

I was raised not to be, you racist!

[Cyber Liberty]

I assume Lemon-Head is including himself in the "we."

[mountaineer]

It's really not that difficult. My parents didn't raise me to hate people.

[Applewood]

My parents were racist and Mom, the good Catholic, was also anti-Semitic.  To Dad's credit though he became less of a racist toward the end of his life.  It started with him surfing the tv when he stumbled upon a live telecast of services from a local black Baptist Church.  At first he was amused by the spontaneity of the "Amens" coming from the parishioners whenever the pastor said something that particularly moved them.  That sort of thing was just not done in Catholic masses.  But as Dad watched and listened more closely to the pastor's words -- admonishing his flock to obey the commandments and to love and do good for others -- he realized there was little difference between the Christian faiths and, by extension, between white and black.  There are good and bad in both. 

Mom, however, never changed.  She would say something and when I would tell her she was racist or anti-Semitic, she would deny it.  I was fortunate to have gone to school with and worked alongside people of varying ethnicities and faiths, so any of my parents' racism or anti-Semitism, if it did rub off on me, was gone once I became an adult.

[SZonian]

Well chucklehead, this American white boy didn't grow up in America, but I'm sure you and your ilk wouldn't hesitate to label me a racist anyway.  Am I right?

I grew up in the Canal Zone.  A melting pot of American, Caribbean, Central American, South American, Chinese, Asian, etc.  I played and went to school with kids of various backgrounds and ethnicities. I worked with and was supervised by Panamanians, black and "white" ones.

I moved to the mainland and served in the US Armed Forces for 20 years alongside blacks, hispanics, asians, etc.

The one thing I learned in my 55+ years is that jerks come in all shapes, sizes and especially colors.

You "sir", are a jerk.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Imagine if we could rid ourselves of the incessant drumbeat of "systemic racism". 

Our instincts are so good I think we'd figure it out one soul at a time.     


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[corbe]

   I was raised in southern Louisiana in the 50's, damn right I was a wacist and that stink permeated me for about 25 years till I learned to Love all my Fellow Men.  We are being played, again.

[aligncare]

Many of the people who were inspirational in my life I met during my military service in Vietnam and stateside, and they were black. Others who weren’t so inspirational, actually criminal, were white. Go figure.

Why are we even having to have this stupid conversation. Oh, yeah. Don Lemon. He’s in a category all his own: large salary, small IQ.

[Smokin Joe]

Oops. I just noticed, I'm white. Ranging, actually from light ruddy brown in places to fishbelly white, to blindingly glare filled white, but overall, white.

As I have been informed, that makes me racist, y'know, the check your privilege, shut the f*** up cracker,  etc. sort of racist.

(I guess QED would have been cultural appropriation. )

[PeteS in CA]

My parents were racist and Mom, the good Catholic, was also anti-Semitic.  To Dad's credit though he became less of a racist toward the end of his life.  It started with him surfing the tv when he stumbled upon a live telecast of services from a local black Baptist Church.  At first he was amused by the spontaneity of the "Amens" coming from the parishioners whenever the pastor said something that particularly moved them.  That sort of thing was just not done in Catholic masses.  But as Dad watched and listened more closely to the pastor's words -- admonishing his flock to obey the commandments and to love and do good for others -- he realized there was little difference between the Christian faiths and, by extension, between white and black.  There are good and bad in both. 

Mom, however, never changed.  She would say something and when I would tell her she was racist or anti-Semitic, she would deny it.  I was fortunate to have gone to school with and worked alongside people of varying ethnicities and faiths, so any of my parents' racism or anti-Semitism, if it did rub off on me, was gone once I became an adult.

Wow, that's a lot of junk to un-learn, !

The one place in my upbringing that was "all-white" was our church. That I was born less than 20 years after the congregation switched from German to English for its services (and probably even more recently for socializing time) probably had a lot to do with that. It wasn't racism, though, as soon after I graduated from high school several Hispanic people came into the congregation and its leadership.

What formed my thinking-context was seeing the variety of people my Dad did business with and my parents' chatting about their former high school classmates. I learned from their "normal".

[sneakypete]

   I was raised in southern Louisiana in the 50's, damn right I was a wacist and that stink permeated me for about 25 years till I learned to Love all my Fellow Men.  We are being played, again.

@corbe
 
I was raised in Virginia starting in the early 50's,and was always told that racism is a bad thing. Then again,both of my parents came from rural areas where a family in need due to something like a death or illness in the family was helped by all their neighbors,regardless of color.

I was raised in a city,but my parents weren't,and they "brought their beliefs to town with them when they came".

There was even a black woman that came to our house occasionally to visit with my mother,and I just accepted this as normal,and so did our white neighbors because nothing was ever said to me about it by any of the other kids,and you can be sure if their parents had said something,they would have said the same things to me.

To this day I have no idea who that woman was,where she came from,or how she and my mother knew each other. The rules in my mothers house was for children to be polite to adult guests on their way out the door. You did NOT stay and make a nuisance out of yourself,and you did not come back into the house until the "company" was gone.

[sneakypete]

Many of the people who were inspirational in my life I met during my military service in Vietnam and stateside, and they were black. Others who weren’t so inspirational, actually criminal, were white. Go figure.


@aligncare

I have no way of figuring that because it makes no sense. You are telling us ALL the thugs and criminals you met in the army were white,and all the good guys were black?

That makes no sense at all,and I am calling you on it.  I spent 7 years in the army,and I met both good and bad in all races.
 

[Bigun]

   I was raised in southern Louisiana in the 50's, damn right I was a wacist and that stink permeated me for about 25 years till I learned to Love all my Fellow Men.  We are being played, again.

I was raised in a farming community in SE Texas in that same period and I can tell you that there was only one dipper in the water bucket at the end of the row out here. If we wanted to see any of that racist BS we had to go to town to do so.

[sneakypete]

I was raised in a farming community in SE Texas in that same period and I can tell you that there was only one dipper in the water bucket at the end of the row out here. If we wanted to see any of that racist BS we had to go to town to do so.

@Bigun

Yup! Rural folks understood they needed each other in times of crisis as well as when it was time to work the fields. The blacks and whites may not have socialized with each other much,but they were damn sure friends that helped each other when help was needed. Since everybody in rural areas knew each other as well as each others "business",there wasn't even any need to ask for help. Your neighbors all knew you needed help,and they just provided it without asking,and without caring what color your skin was.

Truth to tell,this is still true in rural areas. The only time there is any trouble is when one of "the children" moved to the city,and then came back home a few years later to hide from the police. They would bring their city attitudes back home with them until somebody jerked a knot in their heads to calm them down. That "someone" could just as easily been one of their black relatives as a white neighbor. I am guessing a lot of times it was their own mothers that slapped them back in line. If there is one person you don't mess with in a rural area if you want to continue living,it is a mother. Hurt her and die. It really is that simple. Chances are if you live long enough to be arrested,the jury will just say "Uh,huh,hang his ass!" as they nod in unison and come to a decision in seconds.
 

[aligncare]

Reread what I said. I included the words “...and state side.” I lived off base and had a neighbor, a friend who was a nice guy, who was busted for burglary. Came as a surprise to me. Understand now?

Addendum: I also had inspirational black friends stateside. Understand? Sorry for the confusion.

[sneakypete]

Reread what I said. I included the words “...and state side.” I lived off base and had a neighbor, a friend who was a nice guy, who was busted for burglary. Came as a surprise to me. Understand now?

Addendum: I also had inspirational black friends stateside. Understand? Sorry for the confusion.

@aligncare

I understand everything except for the implication that "all the blacks I met were good,and all the whites I met were bad."

Maybe/probably you didn't mean it to come out that way,but it did.

[aligncare]

@aligncare

I understand everything except for the implication that "all the blacks I met were good,and all the whites I met were bad."

Maybe/probably you didn't mean it to come out that way,but it did.

Okay, now you’re forcing me to go back and reread what I wrote...

[aligncare]

Okay, now you’re forcing me to go back and reread what I wrote...

Nope, you’re wrong. I began the paragraph with the word “Many..”

Would it satisfy you (and get you off my back) if I had started my thought with “Some of...”?

[Bigun]

@Bigun

Yup! Rural folks understood they needed each other in times of crisis as well as when it was time to work the fields. The blacks and whites may not have socialized with each other much,but they were damn sure friends that helped each other when help was needed. Since everybody in rural areas knew each other as well as each others "business",there wasn't even any need to ask for help. Your neighbors all knew you needed help,and they just provided it without asking,and without caring what color your skin was.

Truth to tell,this is still true in rural areas. The only time there is any trouble is when one of "the children" moved to the city,and then came back home a few years later to hide from the police. They would bring their city attitudes back home with them until somebody jerked a knot in their heads to calm them down. That "someone" could just as easily been one of their black relatives as a white neighbor. I am guessing a lot of times it was their own mothers that slapped them back in line. If there is one person you don't mess with in a rural area if you want to continue living,it is a mother. Hurt her and die. It really is that simple. Chances are if you live long enough to be arrested,the jury will just say "Uh,huh,hang his ass!" as they nod in unison and come to a decision in seconds.

I happen to know this to be true @sneakypete because I live today in that same community I grew up in.  I have seen this with my own two eyes.

[sneakypete]

Nope, you’re wrong. I began the paragraph with the word “Many..”

Would it satisfy you (and get you off my back) if I had started my thought with “Some of...”?

@aligncare

Of course it would. My best guess is that is the way you meant it to start with.

[aligncare]

@aligncare

Of course it would. My best guess is that is the way you meant it to start with.

Jeez. Picky, picky, picky....

[sneakypete]

Jeez. Picky, picky, picky....

@aligncare
u
HEY! Cut me some slack on this. Remember,this is a public message board,and not everybody reading your posts will understand you didn't mean it the way it looks.