The Gospel, Social Justice, and T4G

Another related article:

Replacing the Skin Color Approach, with the Character Content Approach

http://sbctoday.wpengine.com/two-racial-reconciliation-philosophies/

David R. Brumbelow

Thanks, David, for posting this excellent article. Well said.

The article mentions “cotton pickin”. It amazes me how quickly ill intentions are assumed. My dad used to use the phrase “cotton pickin” quite a bit. Often he used it in reference to some inanimate object that was giving him trouble. We were on the farm, did not raise any cotton, but I knew that a cotton picker was kind of like a combine, so I assumed it was the sort of equipment that would break down a lot and cause some aggravation. I was not thinking of people of any color when I heard that phrase- I wasn’t thinking of people at all. If I thought of any color it was John Deere green. We did not have the internet back then, so I did not have a way to look up the origins of the saying either. Thus, this is the sort of thing I thought of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AkyWY9WCow

I recognize now that I was not woke in this area, but does that mean I had been sinful for not knowing that “cotten pickin” meant something else? Does that mean that my kids have to repent of the fact that their grandpa used that phrase a lot? Of course the answer is in Ezekiel:

Eze 18:19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness, and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.
20 “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
(NASB)

Growing up in Texas, I never viewed the term “cotton-picking” as a racist term. Black people hand-picked cotton; White people hand-picked cotton; mainly before my time. My dad did a little cotton picking.

Calling someone a cotton-picker was just a country expression like “good ole boy,” “pea-picker,” “red-neck.”

But, you can make anything racist if you want. Some are way too sensitive about race.

Some have even proclaimed a decoration of cotton bolls is racist.

“The word ‘racism’ is like ketchup. It can be put on practically anything - and demanding evidence makes you a ‘racist.’” -Thomas Sowell

David R. Brumbelow

Hoeing Cotton When He Comes

http://gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com/2011/02/cotton-picking-when-he-comes.html

David R. Brumbelow

[JD Miller]

The article mentions “cotton pickin”. It amazes me how quickly ill intentions are assumed. My dad used to use the phrase “cotton pickin” quite a bit. Often he used it in reference to some inanimate object that was giving him trouble. We were on the farm, did not raise any cotton, but I knew that a cotton picker was kind of like a combine, so I assumed it was the sort of equipment that would break down a lot and cause some aggravation. I was not thinking of people of any color when I heard that phrase- I wasn’t thinking of people at all. If I thought of any color it was John Deere green. We did not have the internet back then, so I did not have a way to look up the origins of the saying either. Thus, this is the sort of thing I thought of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AkyWY9WCow

I recognize now that I was not woke in this area, but does that mean I had been sinful for not knowing that “cotten pickin” meant something else? Does that mean that my kids have to repent of the fact that their grandpa used that phrase a lot? Of course the answer is in Ezekiel:

Eze 18:19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness, and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.
20 “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
(NASB)

Reading this thread and seeing Tyler’s picture reminded me how several of the original Looney Tunes / Merrie Melodies cartoons released by Warner Brothers have been banned for offensive racial content. Maybe that is the right call for some of those, I don’t know because I haven’t seen them—they are banned. But even the ones not banned, but were released on DVD were issued with warnings about offensive content and unfair racial or ethnic stereotypes.

Of course they are most concerned about the portrayal of Mexicans in the Speedy Gonzales episodes, and the way African Americans or Native Americans are sometimes portrayed. It was apparent that the concern was from the top down, rather than an uprising from those who were supposed to be offended. For instance, this from wiki: “In 1999, all Speedy Gonzales cartoons were removed from airing on Cartoon Network because of their alleged stereotyping of Mexicans. Many Hispanics protested that they were not offended, and fondly remembered Speedy Gonzales cartoons as a representation of their youth and nation’s individuality; these shorts were made available for broadcast again in 2002.”

Also from wiki, here is the statement from Warner Brothers printed on each DVD set: “The cartoons you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in the U.S society. These depictions were wrong then and they are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today’s society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming that these prejudices never existed.”

However, I could not find a place where the offense police were concerned about the way Yosemite Sam caricatures loud, angry white males who feel entitled to dominate everything and everyone around them.

[Darrell Post]

However, I could not find a place where the offense police were concerned about the way Yosemite Sam caricatures loud, angry white males who feel entitled to dominate everything and everyone around them.

He’s a redhead (“ginger”): the last present-day genetic minority relatively safe to stereotype for laughs in the media.

[TylerR]

I’m Riff-Raff Sam, the riffiest riff that ever riffed a raft! I also just remembered my avatar is Yosemite Sam, too …

Learned something new! Here I thought your avatar was … a squashed ladybug!

Andrew wrote:

You’re using the old communication model, JD. As are most of us here.

You see, there’s been a switch and we haven’t really been up to speed on it: analogous to “reader-response” literary criticism, your intentions are no longer the sole arbiter of meaning over your communications. That is, if offense is taken by someone higher up on the chain of grievance than you (which I hate to tell you, but as a white, male, evangelical, that’s absolutely everyone), then you are guilty, regardless of your intent.

The only thing left to do is to apologize for your insensitivity. But even that’s not really enough for genuine “redemption” anymore. You have to throw yourself into Leftist causes.

I think that this was a bit harsh, however I must admit that I have had similar feelings even though I decided it may be hurtful to express them in such blunt terms. My wife does not understand completely how I feel because she is not a white male. Having said that, we as white males must also realize that this gives us a taste of what a black man or women in general may be feeling when they hear derogatory statements about them.

The point I keep reiterating is that we as Christians should not accept ungodly statements about anyone regardless of whether they are privileged or not. What frustrates me is when I get pushback from some Christians who justify attacking certain groups of people. What makes it difficult is that the pushback comes from a wide range- some want to justify attacking minorities, some want to justify attacking women, some want to justify attacking white men, etc etc. We need to remember to love our neighbor and love God regardless of where they are on the social scale.

I was watching a cable food/restaurant show today where the Popeye’s TV commercial was criticized as stereo-typical and 2 white men were criticized for having a restaurant that specialized in fried chicken.

….I can see why the descendants of those who picked the vast majority of cotton prior to mechanical pickers might assume that the phrase “cotton-picking” or word “cotton-picker” might refer to them, and take some exception as they remember the economic and political conditions that compelled their ancestors to develop the aching backs and gnarled hands developed by that task. To refer to an african-american as such is more or less to say their rightful place is back there, and the reason people object now, but didn’t back then, is because the rhetoric used back then was far and away more nasty. So for today, using these phrases is a somewhat more polite rendition of this drug store display.

And sure, there were poor whites who picked cotton as well, but I’m guessing if you called one of their descendants a “cotton-picker”, you would be effectively calling them “poor white trash”. I would urge refraining.

There are certainly places where political correctness has gotten out of hand, but I’m thinking that the furor over cotton-picking is not among them.

Interesting fact; cotton combines are made by Case-New Holland in Benson, MN. Proximity to the Great Northern Line for easy shipment worldwide trumps proximity to the South for them. I did phone interviews with them a few years back.