My little editorial: Where is all the diversity at the GOP convention?
The fact is there is little diversity. The article I attached is spot on to say that it is a convention of homogenity personified. I could not bear to watch Palin's speech last night. It wasn't like looking away while I get a shot, but more like refusing to watch a horror movie to avoid nightmares. I did watch some of the analysis afterwords.
I don't know what I thought the speech was going to be. I think I expected Palin to wear a cape, to dance with a baton on fire. I expected her to read from the teleprompter some canned speech that we know someone else had written that would show she had some extraordinary awareness on national security, domestic issues, the economy, all the state capitals--anything. Something. Instead, the clips that I could stand to hear seemed as if she were answering questions in a pageant. As a matter of a fact, pagentry is a wonderful image to describe the whole of the convention. It was begun with some beauty queen singing the National Anthem in a tiara. It continues with an air of: "There may be something deeper here, but you will never see it through the glitter, makeup and sweat."
Ultimately, the GOP convention is not slightly interested in diversity. Chills ran down my back as I read some of the signage: America first. Anyone who is on the bottom of society, anyone who is aware of the dance of privilege and poverty, oppression and opulence can see through this phrase. It is not about America first, but about "us" first. They are all just one big family, so the cameras at the convention say. Cindy McCain holds Sarah Palin's baby, since they are old friends of 5 days. It's not about America at all, but about entitlement, and who feels they can define who is in control. It's about white, privileged males, and the group they decide are the "chosen". It's about us and them, an old theme in this country, a country whose heritage is largely defined by its inability and disregard of otherness. They cannot attract real diversity because you would have to see and recognize the value of others in order to welcome them.
The Democratic convention was a gathering of energized, hopeful people who are ready to see this country represent and uphold the values of a vastly diverse and heterogenous nation, which will in turn heal our relationship to the world. The convention was about us. It was about me. It was about my child, and the child in foster care in Tennessee, and the disabled veteran protesting by the gates of the White House. It made many of us cry because it touched a deep and meaningful place that is authentic and resonates across the American spectrum. The Republican convention is a fragile and empty attempt to portray, "See! See! We are hopeful too! We are changers! And we have energy too!" So what it feels and looks like a clan meeting? So what they attempted to use tropical storm Gustav as a screen to hide the low attendance at their convention? The analyses of conservative strategists and commentators were telling: Everything was exciting and larger-than-life! I don't care how scared we are, we will never let you know that there is a man behind the curtain. We are going to respond in unison and without any inflection: "McCain is ready on day one, and Palin has more executive experience than Obama--" which means even if we choose shaved monkeys as our candidates, so be it. It's our story and we are sticking to it--because we can. It is not unlike a concert where the Earth, Wind and Fire is the opening act to Milli Vanilli, the headliner. Everyone knows that Milli Vanilli can't hold a candle to Earth, Wind and Fire, so they lip sync's EWF's songs to compensate--poorly. It's sad.
Perhaps there is little diversity there because for people of color and other people who are not of the dominant culture, we are tired of this scene. We spend too much energy living in the space between acceptance from others and authenticity to who we are that we cannot stand another contrived Kodak moment of integration. Even if you are well paid to be the "diversity", folk get tired of being the token. The GOP convention puppeteers may also be grateful to know that everyone with melanin ain't of color; therefore, even including the brief appearances of people of color, the line-up was still homogeneous. In the end, we are left with Obama a-Biden, and McCain just Palin in comparison--pun intended.
Continuing the conversation,
The fact is there is little diversity. The article I attached is spot on to say that it is a convention of homogenity personified. I could not bear to watch Palin's speech last night. It wasn't like looking away while I get a shot, but more like refusing to watch a horror movie to avoid nightmares. I did watch some of the analysis afterwords.
I don't know what I thought the speech was going to be. I think I expected Palin to wear a cape, to dance with a baton on fire. I expected her to read from the teleprompter some canned speech that we know someone else had written that would show she had some extraordinary awareness on national security, domestic issues, the economy, all the state capitals--anything. Something. Instead, the clips that I could stand to hear seemed as if she were answering questions in a pageant. As a matter of a fact, pagentry is a wonderful image to describe the whole of the convention. It was begun with some beauty queen singing the National Anthem in a tiara. It continues with an air of: "There may be something deeper here, but you will never see it through the glitter, makeup and sweat."
Ultimately, the GOP convention is not slightly interested in diversity. Chills ran down my back as I read some of the signage: America first. Anyone who is on the bottom of society, anyone who is aware of the dance of privilege and poverty, oppression and opulence can see through this phrase. It is not about America first, but about "us" first. They are all just one big family, so the cameras at the convention say. Cindy McCain holds Sarah Palin's baby, since they are old friends of 5 days. It's not about America at all, but about entitlement, and who feels they can define who is in control. It's about white, privileged males, and the group they decide are the "chosen". It's about us and them, an old theme in this country, a country whose heritage is largely defined by its inability and disregard of otherness. They cannot attract real diversity because you would have to see and recognize the value of others in order to welcome them.
The Democratic convention was a gathering of energized, hopeful people who are ready to see this country represent and uphold the values of a vastly diverse and heterogenous nation, which will in turn heal our relationship to the world. The convention was about us. It was about me. It was about my child, and the child in foster care in Tennessee, and the disabled veteran protesting by the gates of the White House. It made many of us cry because it touched a deep and meaningful place that is authentic and resonates across the American spectrum. The Republican convention is a fragile and empty attempt to portray, "See! See! We are hopeful too! We are changers! And we have energy too!" So what it feels and looks like a clan meeting? So what they attempted to use tropical storm Gustav as a screen to hide the low attendance at their convention? The analyses of conservative strategists and commentators were telling: Everything was exciting and larger-than-life! I don't care how scared we are, we will never let you know that there is a man behind the curtain. We are going to respond in unison and without any inflection: "McCain is ready on day one, and Palin has more executive experience than Obama--" which means even if we choose shaved monkeys as our candidates, so be it. It's our story and we are sticking to it--because we can. It is not unlike a concert where the Earth, Wind and Fire is the opening act to Milli Vanilli, the headliner. Everyone knows that Milli Vanilli can't hold a candle to Earth, Wind and Fire, so they lip sync's EWF's songs to compensate--poorly. It's sad.
Perhaps there is little diversity there because for people of color and other people who are not of the dominant culture, we are tired of this scene. We spend too much energy living in the space between acceptance from others and authenticity to who we are that we cannot stand another contrived Kodak moment of integration. Even if you are well paid to be the "diversity", folk get tired of being the token. The GOP convention puppeteers may also be grateful to know that everyone with melanin ain't of color; therefore, even including the brief appearances of people of color, the line-up was still homogeneous. In the end, we are left with Obama a-Biden, and McCain just Palin in comparison--pun intended.
Continuing the conversation,
