I grew up as a not-exactly-white girl in Oklahoma, so naturally it was always assumed I must be Native American. No seriously, I had to explain to my second grade teacher** that Filipino* is, in fact, not a tribe. Still, I was assigned to wear the feathers in the school plays. They were very authentic, you know. Dark hair, olive complexion, kinda slanted eyes, no nose bridge-totally pass for one of them Red Men that call this state home. *eye roll*

The only thing worse than terrible stereotypes is being incorrectly cast as a pawn for someone else’s terrible stereotype. Close enough, right? Terrible stereotypes aside, they were at least making some effort at paying respect to the culture. I suppose it’s the thought that counts.

Don’t feel sorry for me here. I got to be on stage***. I wasn’t feeling especially ‘discriminated against’ at the time. The attention! It’s Mine! Precious….

Where was I going again?

Oh right! I was meandering around to find a tie into LabRat’s excellent piece on the brouhaha over some sportball team and their lamentable name and mascot. (And I got an excuse to work ‘brouhaha’ into a blog post.) She’s absolutely right, and I agree with every word. You’re going to have to go over there to read them for yourself.

No, there is no ‘white guilt’ at play here. Just an expectation that although people should have every right to be assholes, more would choose not to be.

*Yes, I do have a very little Native American heritage mixed into my proudly mutt pedigree, but it is far less than my red-haired, pale-skinned hubby has in his.

**She gave me a packet for my parents to fill out so I could ‘get on the rolls’ . 

***I also once played a squirrel with a speaking part. I said, “Look! Here come the ducks!” I lacked shame from an early age.

So the internet is all a flutter with the news of Arizona’s right to refuse service law being vetoed. Oklahoma has one in the works to which is being re-worked in light of the activities in Arizona.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am just going to go ahead and tell you that I’ve not read either bill. All I have seen is the reaction to it on both sides. And really, I sympathize with those celebrating the veto. I have no tolerance for bigotry*. Sympathize, but don’t agree.

For the record, I’m using the Merriam-Webster definition of bigot

:  a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially:  one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

So now the Christian screen-printer has to print up flyers for the gay rally. Their money is good, right? It’s a business offering a service for hire to the public. Don’t hate. Don’t discriminate. So what if the screen-printers happen to be black? Do they also have to print flyers for next week’s Klan rally? Their money spends the same, right? They are participating in a completely legal activity even if you do find them reprehensible.

The Christian bakery has to make big gay wedding cakes. And they’ll be fabulous, I’m sure. Going to have the Halal deli cater the reception? Huh. That’s funny. That wasn’t the conflict that sent anyone running to the ACLU.

Let me introduce you to Gary James, proprietor of Gary’s Chicaro’s in Enid, Ok.

Charming, isn’t he?

Love the shirt, by the way. I wish all the bigoted assholes in the world would label themselves so obviously. It should be absolutely legal for them to do so.

Just as legal as making sure that Gary’s Chicaro’s gains the reputation of being the best little gay bar in Oklahoma. Or setting up on the public street out front with a camera**. I do so love the idea of handling bigots with the ridicule and shame they deserve. Let the market do its justice.

The freedom of speech is not there to protect pretty speech. It is specifically designed to protect speech that makes people uncomfortable. The kind of thing that starts revolutions. Freedom of association has no clause stating as long as your associating with the ‘right’ people. It also allows you not to associate with those you choose not to associate with. It’s set up that way on purpose.

Think long and hard before deciding ‘there outta be a law.’ They all have consequences, and one day, it won’t be your side deciding how to enforce it.

*I suppose that means I am bigoted against bigots

**From a reasonable distance, wouldn’t want to be harassing anyone. Know your rights as a photographer. Not that I’m suggesting anything. Wouldn’t want to give anyone any ideas.

“I’m not a racist. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way,” Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. “I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.”

And yet this Justice of the Peace will not sign the marriage license of mixed race couples.  And it’s for the children.  Those poor mixed race children never grown up to be anything significant.  Why they’ll be forced to spend their lives reading other people’s words off of teleprompters and accepting meaningless medals from Norwegians.  How terrible for them.

This must be another example of the horrible right wing Republican racists right?  Indeed, he is listed as a Republican in the Louisiana Parish Elected Officials listing.  But something interesting happens when you click on the link to see his office incumbent history.

That’s unpossible!  What possibly could have happened in 2008 that made him change parties?  You don’t think it’s because of racism do ya?  Of course not.  Democrats are all so very enlightened and accepting!  His denial of this marriage application was certainly due to the evil influence of his new party affiliation. Or, maybe not.

Evidently, Bardwell has long had a policy of not marrying interracial couples, and admitted that Louisiana’s attorney general had warned him years ago that he could “get into trouble” because of it.

“I told him if I do, I’ll resign,” Bardwell told the Daily Star. “I have rights too. I’m not obligated to do that just because I’m a justice of the peace.”

Or maybe the party of Robert Byrd, former Exalted Cyclops of the KKK, is a little less enlightened than they would like us to believe.  At least they are equal opportunity haters.  They say vile, childish things about women too.  But what do you expect from someone that thinks Twitter is a person.  Guess he’s really using that “ivy league” education.

Just look at all these mean racist doctors demonstrating against Dear Reader’s brilliant plan to take over the world every aspect of your life health-care. Yeah, 2/3rds of practicing physicians are opposed to Obamacare racist.  45% would consider quitting if Obamacare passed because they really hate black people that much.

Waiving that finger.

Of course they don’t really care about patients.  They’re just racist according to Jimmah Carter.  You remember him right?  Nice peanut farmer guy that was in way over his head as president.  Then decided to get all buddy buddy with people that want us dead.  I think he realized that his place in history as the worst president evah may not be so secure.  Now he’s got to be the worst ex-president evah.

Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller is opposed to the bill on the basis of it raising taxes on the middle class because he’s racist.  The CEO of Coca-Cola is racist too.  And not just because he didn’t redesign the company logo in honor of Dear Reader like some other soft drink companies we know.  Nope.  It’s because he is opposed to turning the US into the old Soviet Union.

Coca-Cola Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent said the idea of a federal tax on soft drinks, under consideration by the U.S. Congress and President Barack Obama, is “outrageous.”

“I have never seen it work where a government tells people what to eat and what to drink,” Kent said today, responding to an audience question at the Rotary Club of Atlanta. “If it worked, the Soviet Union would still be around.”

Yep.  The word racist has no officially taken on a new meaning.  It is no longer hateful discrimination based on a person’s race.  It is now any and all disagreement with Dear Reader.

You knew it was coming, if you oppose the president addressing your children without you, you’re racist.  You know, it would have nothing to due with the fact you might have a problem with who he considers great mentors.  Or maybe it’s because he hangs out with Truthers.

Fine.  Make that accusation.  I’ve actually come to welcome it.  Why?  Because I know that when you sink to just calling those that oppose you racists, you don’t really have an argument.  You may as well be doing the I’m rubber, you’re glue playground chant.

Racism was once thought of like a cardinal sin.  Now the word is thrown around so much that its meaning has been cheapened and lost.  It is nothing more that a political tool.  When the left can no longer answer logical opposition, they must sink to character assassination.

Cries of racism have become the default setting.  I’d hate to take that away from them.  Really, it’s all they’ve got.