Discussion Questions #4

1. Is the healthcare reform discourse revealing a racist undertone present in the United States?

I believe that this bill is now truly showcasing the unfortunate situation of racism and discrimination in the United States. As the only western country without comprehensive healthcare, it boggles my mind that all of these TEA party activists are incited to violence over a bill designed to make their lives better. However, like many have seen, poor white citizens have been tricked into believing that they have the same interests as the rich whites. In reality, blacks and other minority groups have more in common with the poor whites than they believe, but the inherent racist nature of the institutions in this country have fooled these white people into becoming the adversaries of poor blacks. Like in Detroit, when those hillbillies said that 'race is done over there', showcases that these similar groups with common goals are actually adversaries, if only in a constructed manner.

2. What is a 'black agenda'?

This question for me appeared very obvious, but upon further thought and contemplation, this is another talking point used to prevent progressive activity. An agenda focused on improving the lives of black people would naturally improve the lives of the rest of the nation as well. By uplifting the black population, naturally other groups would benefit too because this idea could re-generate the middle class in America, which is disappearing every day. By calling the agenda 'black' it becomes marked as something negative and exclusionary to other people, but in reality the only people who would not enjoy the affects of this agenda are the very powerful elites that run the country and benefit from the institutions that perpetuate the inequality.