Henry Rollins: White America Couldn't Handle What Black America Deals With Every Day

[G_j]

http://www.laweekly.com/music/henry-rollins-white-america-couldnt-handle-what-black-america-deals-with-every-day-7134994

Henry Rollins

-
In light of the recent police shootings in Texas and the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, both killed by members of law enforcement — just the latest three of the many examples of obscene, needless deaths in America — one could conclude that all hell has broken loose and things are falling apart. I do not agree.

Things are bad, but I would posit that they have been this way for as far back into American history as you want to go. What has changed is the amount of information available to the average citizen. Thanks to cellphones and people employing social networking to spread news quickly, what goes on minute to minute has crossed the line into overload.

Now that you can watch people die on Facebook, your evaluation of the facts and the sheer amount of information you want to deal with is up to you. But you can no longer say you don’t know what’s going on.

The despicable litanies of willfully ignorant denial and misinformation I have heard spouted in the last several days by pieces of shit like Rudy Giuliani all but ensure that things will get worse. The mainstream media outlets allow this utter crap to slide by unchallenged and, by doing so, legitimize falsehoods that could get people killed. Ratings-based, 24/7, for-profit media is the complete death of true journalism and a catapult for propaganda.

If white America experienced a fraction of what black America deals with regarding law enforcement, incarceration, the court system, employment and countless other facts of life, they would immediately and collectively lose their minds.

..more..

[Siwsan]

2. Welcome to DU!

[Orrex]

5. I miss them already.

[tblue37]

3. K&R for visibility! nt

[Deuce]

4. Yep...kick.

[Igel]

6. Except that white American doesn't perceive there as being a separate "white America."

So all the killings of unarmed whites and the way that poor whites are treated don't provoke the same outcry either from whites, poor or not.

There's a killing of a young African-American male, it distresses young AAs in the area and they do less well on standardized tests for a week or so than they would have. (I suspect it wouldn't have the same effect blacks that were immigrants and not part of "the community&quot . There's a killing of a young white male, and it has no effect on test scores. The one perceives it as an assault on a community, and an assault on the community is an assault on their identity; the other generally perceives it as an assault on an individual, and unless they knew the guy it's not their problem. To even for a white to refer to whites as "the community" seems anomalous unless it's referring to some actual community , but I routinely hear black and Latino leaders refer to "the community" (meaning specifically their own).

It's hard for a collective to view itself as a collective and single entity then turn around and insist that outsiders view it as individuals. The AA population of the US was viewed by outsiders as a single collective with all common attributes and a common, collective identity for a long time, and it was a bad thing. It should be made easy for the vestiges of that kind of thinking to die, but instead it's made harder. At the core of all ethnic/race/religious hatred is a sharpening of the distinctions between group identities; it's hard to hate somebody like you and on "your team," it's hard to not dislike those who are ostentatiously not like you and pride themselves on not being on "your team." (Sex can't be denied; skin color distinctions can be, and they're easy to dispose of when you change the context.)

9/11 was perceived as an assault on the US community by outsiders. And you found the same kind of in-group/out-group thinking from top to bottom for a while. It really irritated a lot of DUers. It made sense to me even if I didn't always agree with it because many DUers already had that basic attitude, they just didn't like it when it didn't serve them per se.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. "they would immediately and collectively lose their minds."

-OR- they would do something about it, and have the power to do it. You already see the issue with the heroin and meth epidemics among whites...

Suddenly, a front-and-center focus on the problem has happened, with all manner of attempts at rehab assistance to stave off the problem, and sympathetic ears all around... Whereas when the same thing happened to blacks in the '70s, '80s & '90s (and at that point, the narcotic included crack), it became a "war on drugs", 3 strikes you're out, victim-blaming, and all manner of "lock 'em up" versus expanding drug treatment and trying to alleviate the living conditions that lead folks to going this route.

You know it is bad when you have "cries for help" in the form of something like this -

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/10/ohio-police-heroin-overdose-photos

because why? Because it is being "hidden" and they can't "hide it" any longer... because "only POC are rampant criminals and drug addicts" and...well... "how embarrassing".

The major media outlets are all located in big cities so they lazily focus on what is outside their front doors, which highlights legitimate problems but also magnifies them with respect to the non-urban areas. Meanwhile in the small towns and rural areas, they gloss over it or if they attempt to report on it, they are run out of town. So you usually see the one or two "reports" a year about those areas and that's it, which falsely makes it seem that everything is honky dory there and it's not.

The fact that a major effort is "suddenly" being carried out to have LEO and other first responders stocked with, and trained on the use of an opiod-OD reversal drug that had been approved for this use since 1971, is remarkable.

[Mary Mac]

9. they werent too happy when the national guard shot them in the sixties

Nt

[whathehell]

93. People are rarely happy when getting shot.

That would seem self-evident.

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

8. Henry Rollins has always been a righteous dude.

It must be my lucky day to use my first post to say this.

[malaise]

15. Welcome to DU

[nolabels]

66. I think they got your post count wrong, it says 146,394

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

127. Thank you

feels great.

I have been lurking for a long time, but Hank deserves props.

[melman]

10. I would suggest that

a multi-millionaire like Henry Rollins really has no clue how much of 'white America' lives.

[Glassunion]

11. Oh.. well then. Since the dude has money it suddenly makes everything he said untrue?

What exactly is his net worth, and exactly how does that translate into cluelessness?

Is it a sliding scale?
Like:
(P)erspective=((I)ncome*-1)

I'd love to hear, without any speculation, what exactly his perspective is from you.

I make decent money, do I suddenly have no clue what life is like for the average black American? Does my income level define my perspective? Does money magically remove empathy, sympathy, and perspective?

[melman]

76. Are you going to tell me

a wealthy celebrity doesn't live a different life than average people?

lol

[Act_of_Reparation]

115. Some wealthy celebrities aren't born wealthy celebrities.

Sounds crazy, I know. But true.

[melman]

117. No kidding

[Codeine]

13. If you read how he lived back in the time

he was in Black Flag you'd realize the foolishness of that statement. "Get In the Van" is worth a read.

[oberliner]

32. He was born wealthy and went to an elite private high school

With a tuition of $35K a year.

His Black Flag lifestyle was his choice.

Most white people are not born into the type of privilege he was.

His current net worth is estimated at $12 million.

[melman]

77. I know all about Black Flag

But that was 35 years ago.

[malaise]

14. And yet you have no problem with King Con speaking on behalf of

African-Americans

[melman]

80. This post makes no sense at all

[malaise]

12. MUST READ

Rec

[oberliner]

16. This is idiotic

To say that "white America" would "immediately and collectively lose their minds" is preposterous.

[HipChick]

17. Disagree...there is enough even posted at DU

that supports otherwise

[oberliner]

18. The white author of this article generalizes about what "white America" would do

Not acknowledging the extreme amount of diversity among white Americans.

Some, undoubtedly, would "lose their minds", others would not.

[pinboy3niner]

19. "Not acknowledging the extreme amount of diversity among white Americans."

That is unintentionally hilarious!

[MrScorpio]

21. I'm glad that I wasn't drinking anything at the time. nt

[pinboy3niner]

23. You and me both, brother

What a revealing wtf moment!

[melman]

83. So you're saying

all white people are the same and live identical lives? That's a revealing wtf moment all right.

[oberliner]

26. It seems self-evident that there is incredible diversity among white Americans

We are talking about around 200 million people.

[Marr]

29. I don't see the joke.

You're saying white people are a monolith, and they all think the same way?

[MrScorpio]

33. Do you mean outside of anything that whites have appropriated from non-whites?

That's a good question.

[oberliner]

39. White people in America trace their roots back to a myriad of different countries

Each with different cultures, traditions, etc.

Even regions with those countries have significant cultural distinctions.

White Americans are an extremely diverse group in innumerable respects.

[pinboy3niner]

41. Your defense is all the more laughable because you can say the same for blacks or any other group

I don't think you understand the meaning of 'diversity.'

[oberliner]

43. Defense of what?

I'm saying that there is great diversity among whites, just like there is among blacks or any other group.

How is this even controversial?

[pinboy3niner]

46. I give up. There is only one conclusion: you're hopeless. nt

[oberliner]

48. OK

It seems hard to fathom that anyone could possibly not acknowledge that white people in America are extremely diverse.

[melman]

82. The problem is

some people base their entire worldview on the idea that that's not true. They can't handle having that view challenged.

[oberliner]

87. That is a problem

But, in theory, the purpose of a discussion board is to have at least some of one's viewpoints challenged. I wish people would be more willing to be engaged in that manner.

[MrScorpio]

45. I regard the fact that this entire continent was stolen by force from non-whites

Not to mention the fact that practically every major religion today is derived from the Middle East, Africa and East Asia. Plus the fact that most of our cultural existence can be traced to non-white origins... Take rock and roll for example. I love Led Zeppelin, but they would have never existed had they not stolen the vast majority of their sound from black Delta blues artists.

Even artists like Madonna have stolen their identity from Gay, Black and Latino club culture. And speaking of that, going back to the Stonewall movement, which began when black and Latino Gays rioted, Hollywood chose to whitewash them out of existence. Just as it whitewashes so much of non-whiteness out of existence to the point where white people are centrally focused and identified in our present culture and that it's virtually impossible to tell where white cultural distinctions begin and end.

All I have to say about that is check your diversity, it may not be exactly as you think it is.

[oberliner]

47. OK

I don't think any of what you have written is related to the fact that white people in American are extremely diverse.

I'm not sure what your last sentence means.

[Marr]

54. omg! Those Blues musicians STOLE the guitar from the Spanish!! :o

I'm sorry, but what you describe is an asinine and, frankly, racist line of thinking.

We're all human, and humans adopt the things they encounter and enjoy. That's how every human culture has been since the paleolithic era-- yes, even those populated by people with skin colors you like.

[MrScorpio]

71. Sounds like the reasoning of the "All lives matter" crowd...

It's not that hasn't been defended around here.

[Marr]

74. I'll take that as a concession. /nt

[pinboy3niner]

75. When resoundingly defeated, declare victory

Yeah, that's the ticket.

[Marr]

95. Please.

"Defeated"? Neither of you have been able to muster an argument in this thread.

[JustAnotherGen]

101. I'm going to leave this here

This Rollins guy 'stole' it from Ice-T!


No joke MrS - for real.

Body Count.

Listen to it - back in what? 88? 80? The OG album.

[oberliner]

24. How so?

White America is extremely diverse in a wide variety of different ways. I'm not sure what is hilarious about such a statement.

[pinboy3niner]

30. "White America" exists only in the minds of white supremacists

'Diversity' has a meaning, and even if you're referring only to the white demographic, the term does not apply in any way. At all.

[Egnever]

78. That is silly

the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization

[whathehell]

42. Yeah, ' cause we white folks all look the same, right?

Talk about "unintentionally hilarious"..

[uponit7771]

22. You're not serious are you? Blacks are looked at as blacks not "diverse" blacks and same thing with.

... whites in America

[oberliner]

25. People should not generalize about blacks, whites, or any other group

It seems ridiculous to do so in this or any other context.

[shenmue]

27. Both sides both sides zzzzzzzzzzz

[oberliner]

28. Huh?

I don't understand your response.

My only point is that one ought to not make sweeping generalizations about entire groups of people as the author of this piece does.

White America is not a monolith and it is preposterous to claim otherwise as Henry Rollins seems to do in this piece.

[whathehell]

40. No, no...Only the ONE side, the White side, is weak, bad, inferior, etc.

Didn't you get the message?

[pinboy3niner]

53. You have a seriously fucked-up point of view

Seriously fucked-up, just like the stormfront troops.

[whathehell]

57. You have a seriously stupid one..

Or maybe I should just say you seem unable to intelligently address opposition.

[pinboy3niner]

59. You're perfectly free to ally yourself with white supremacists and alt-right

And I'm perfectly free to call you on it.

I'll leave it to others here to decide which one of us is stupid.

[Starry Messenger]

62. +1

[jack_krass]

67. Yep, loud and clear. DU is in one of its "introspective white guys

come to the startling {but wrong} conclusion that their own "race" is to blame for everything wrong in this world" phase.

[whathehell]

44. Yes, and that's wrong too..

Two wrongs not making a right and all that...

[pinboy3niner]

69. Not seeing whites as "diverse" is wrong?

What alt-right planet are you living on?

[whathehell]

86. You're funny

At first you compared me to."stormfront troopers", now I'm "alt right"?

It's been real, but I'm afraid I've got to leave it there...Have a nice day and welcome to my ignore list.

[Act_of_Reparation]

121. It's called hyperbole.

[whathehell]

38. Quicker than you can

NOT say "reverse racism" there it is, looking you in the face.

[whathehell]

35. Of course..It's just the same old, same old

Putting one group down to make one's own seem "better" by comparison...Transparent, puerile.

[Skittles]

55. it is getting more ridiculous by the day

hard to take people seriously who think in, er, terms of black and white

[killbotfactory]

70. Yep. The experience of black and white people in the USA is totally the same. nt

[oberliner]

72. That's definitely not true

The experience of black and white people in the USA is totally different.

[killbotfactory]

79. What you quoted from the article is essentially Rollins saying that exact thing.

I don't know why you or anyone else objected to it. It's baffling to me.

[oberliner]

88. Rollins said that "white America" would "immediately and collectively lose their minds"

That's the characterization that I think is preposterous.

"White America" is very diverse. Some might lose their minds, others would deal with those circumstances calmly.

It is baffling to me that anyone could think of "white America" as a singular group in that way.

[kwassa]

106. White America is not particularly diverse

The cultures in Europe that they are descended from are not terribly different from each other. They are virtually all Christian, at least culturally, either Catholic or Protestant. The dominant cultural style of white America is derived from the culture of Britain, as Britain dominated the early colonies and set the tone for everything to follow. Most white European immigrants were accepted as white within a generation or two of arriving, most were absorbed into the general populations as white Americans with all the privileges attending to being a white American.

Rollins is exaggerating, of course, saying something for effect. I think you miss his point.

[oberliner]

109. White America is extremely diverse

You really have no idea what you are talking about.

The entire premise of what Henry Rollins is saying is ludicrous.

It is based on preposterous generalizations about white people that are simply not true.

There are ways to write thoughtful articles about racial disparity without making such inaccurate generalizations.

[kwassa]

114. I have every idea what I am talking about.

Everything I just said to you is historically true. If you have a problem with it, you had better be able to disprove it.

[oberliner]

116. Not with respect to the diversity of white America

Nothing you wrote is true, historically or otherwise.

White Americans are diverse in ways too innumerable to list here.

If you just want to focus on cultural diversity, you will find folks whose ancestors come from Germany, Ireland, England, Italy, France, Poland, Scotland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and countless other countries each with their own cultural traditions.

There is great diversity across regions of the United States as well, with those from the south east having demonstrably different cultural traditions to those who grew up in the cities of the northeast for instance.

To say nothing of the myriad of other ways that this group of nearly 200 million people are dramatically different from one another.

[kwassa]

118. Everything I wrote is true.

Most cultural traditions from immigrants are gone within a couple of generations. Everyone Americanizes. People marry out of their white European ethnic group and identify only as white Americans. Many European foods and traditions, etc. become part of the larger American culture. Culture is dynamic, by the way, not static.

Regional diversity is becoming more homogenized, too, due to the influence of tv and other mass media. You can find people in all parts of the country with the same generalized American accent. They all listen to the same music and watch the same shows at the same time, regardless of where they live.

And all these white people, regardless of their country of origin of their ancestors, have a privilege that minorities don't have. This can make them unconscious of the plights of those that don't share their white privilege. That is what Henry Rollins is talking about.

[oberliner]

123. It is absolutely not

I have to wonder at what kind of people you have encountered in your life that would lead you to conclude that there is no diversity among white people in America. It is unimaginable that someone who has interacted with any white people could possibly think this way. It defies all reason.

Henry Rollins is a white person with privilege born to wealthy parents who went to an elite private high school. His generalizations about white people are nonsensical, which is somewhat understandable considering he is a multimillionaire.

[kwassa]

124. I am white, a WASP, to be exact.

Both sides of my family came across in 1636.

I grew up in entirely white and segregated environment. I did not meet any black people until I was in middle school.

As an adult, I've lived all over the US in urban and suburban environments. As a teen, I lived in a rural environment. Most of these places were entirely white. What do you think I don't now about white Americans?

What is your connection to Oberlin? Want to talk about the demographics there? My high school years were spent there.

I am now married to a black woman and living in the most diverse city in the US. I encounter real diversity every day.

[killbotfactory]

110. It's called hyperbole. nt

[oberliner]

111. Like when Trump says US cities are more dangerous than Afghanistan?

Or that blacks get shot when they walk down the street?

That kind of hyperbole?

[kwassa]

119. No.

[MrScorpio]

20. Henry is exactly correct... We see it even right here, in DU nt

[whathehell]

37. That's right..It's a demonstrated fact that only White people get upset about things here..

[VulgarPoet]

96. If there were a specific "Caucasian" sub-forum, I guarantee you it wouldn't be invaded w/ bullshit

like the people with hurt feelings tend to swarm the AA sub-forum; and by proxy, some of the more insightful posters there.

[whathehell]

102. We don't have a Caucasian sub-forum, and it's.really not needed..

because the bullshit is spread all over the site.

[VulgarPoet]

103. Preach that shit

[whathehell]

105. Yup.

I believe I will.

[Warren DeMontague]

31. Rollins is insightful, as always.

[Solly Mack]

34. K&R

[napkinz]

36. K&R!

[Initech]

49. Henry Rollins could easily make a good case for the most interesting man in the world.

[whathehell]

50. Yes..He's a first class Generalizer

"White people can/can't...Black people can/can't"

It's just the same old Broadbrushing. There's nothing even remotely "original" about it.

[oberliner]

51. Glad someone else is making this point as well

Completely agree.

[whathehell]

61. Yeah, this one's a no brainer, really.

Transparent, hardly worth the time.

[pinboy3niner]

73. Calling it 'transparent' is projection on your part

You guys really are transparent.

[whathehell]

85. Lol..

That might bother me if I thought you knew what the word means. Back at you.

[B2G]

52. Here's your box..

Make yourself at home.

[whathehell]

58. Here's your hole.

You do the same.

[B2G]

60. I was being sarcastic. I agree with you.

[whathehell]

63. Ok

Sorry I misunderstood.. It's hard to know where people are coming from sometimes.

[B2G]

64. For sure

Sorry I wasn't clearer.

[etherealtruth]

56. Not sure why all the hate for Henry Rollins ... he has maintained a clear and progressive voice

The despicable litanies of willfully ignorant denial and misinformation I have heard spouted in the last several days by pieces of shit like Rudy Giuliani all but ensure that things will get worse. The mainstream media outlets allow this utter crap to slide by unchallenged and, by doing so, legitimize falsehoods that could get people killed. Ratings-based, 24/7, for-profit media is the complete death of true journalism and a catapult for propaganda.

[pinboy3niner]

65. Have you read this thread?

May be worth a peruse...

[etherealtruth]

98. Yes, I did ... I found it interesting that what people objected to were his statements on race

... and the framing of those objections.

[nolabels]

68. The challenge to anglo male establishment ghouls has many up in arms

Colin Kaepernick’s Birth Mother ‘Scolds’ Him on Twitter Over National Anthem
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi56pLE_KvPAhVBWmMKHZxXCDoQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theroot.com%2Fblog%2Fthe-grapevine%2Fcolin-kaepernicks-birth-mother-scolds-him-on-twitter-over-national-anthem%2F&usg=AFQjCNFZSKQobg_69keyjBuCzYLUM8_JTg&sig2=Q9yPi5ldmSDUluMVedYZhg

Somehow it seems after your mother gives you for adoption, that not much use for you anymore thinking might kick in

[Lucerne]

84. What is an "anglo" male?

[whathehell]

92. Not sure why you would imagine that disagreement equals "hate"

Silly, really.

[etherealtruth]

97. Guess that's just me ... silly

The disagreement was very telling.

Thank you for responding

[whathehell]

99. Yes, I'm afraid it just might be

[etherealtruth]

100. Thank you for your pleasant and heartfelt responses. I am grateful

Hoping you have a positively lovely day!

[whathehell]

104. Oh, bless your heart.

You're most welcome...A good one to you too.

[JNelson6563]

81. I can say that in all white areas

(where I live is so very white it isn't funny) we don't need dark skinned folks to oppress, we've got poor people! Yers, in a pinch poor whites will do just fine!

I live in the poor part of my somewhat affluent (but very snobby) town. My son (honor student, 4.0, all AP classes) can't walk down the street at night without getting hassled by the cops.

Every community needs it's scapegoats. Sometimes there aren't any dark skinned folks available. In those situations the poor get at least a small taste of what is being addressed here.

It is wrong on every level, in every case.

[oberliner]

89. What town is that?

Just curious.

[JNelson6563]

90. Many towns in northern Michigan.

It's much like Vermont only not liberal.

[oberliner]

91. Gotcha

Lots of places similar to what you describe in the north east as well.

[MrScorpio]

122. Which is why I'd rather stay down here in the south east part of the state.

This is the place that keeps Michigan blue.

[JNelson6563]

125. We've made progress up here.

Its mighty hard work though!

[Nye Bevan]

94. Yep, those Chardonnay-sipping white people just don't have a clue.

Rollins just nails it.

[kwassa]

107. He does nail it, doesn't he?

Good commentary.

[GOLGO 13]

108. Black Flag forever.

[Iggo]

112. "Hello? I don't get it. Where do I line up to demonstrate that fact? Right here? Thanks!"

[G_j]

113. Duzy..

[Quantess]

120. ...except for Henry Rollins, of course, since he claims to not be part of "white America".

Calling white America "they".

[stonecutter357]

126. K&R!