PRO-LIFE Catholic made racist remarks about too many Hispanic babies

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What is the point of these claims? :confused: Yes there are racist people in America. People who express racist attitudes should be called out and not allowed to promote violence against those of other races. I suspect we all agree on that. In reality this country is quite tolerant of races, ethnic groups and up until recently religious practice. I am a lot more concerned about the Democrat war on babies and the Obama administration 's war on Christianity (particularly against Catholicism) than about a few individuals here and there who are ignorant bigots. The former can destroy lives and our country. The latter are basically an irritation.

Lisa
That’s an awfully glib assessment of modern American racism which operates on a far more subliminal level than a beligerent few.
 
You say that bigots are a mere annoyance. You really don’t get to decide what impact bigotry and discrimination have in the lives of others.
You didn’t read it very well did you? I said the occasional bigot is to be called out and is an irritation. I did not refer to any sort of systematic or pervasive bigotry. If you live in such an area, that is unfortunate. But that doesn’t mean everyone who encounters the occasional bigot should be traumatized to excess. Men (nor women) are not angels and if that is what you expect from everyone you are going to be sadly disappointed. One of my friends who is an Hispanic woman owner of a construction business said “There are mean people everywhere. Just because someone is mean to you doesn’t require you to internalize it.”

Also you are sadly way off topic here. The issue is racial bigotry with respect to another parishioner who is “pro life” but unhappy about so many Hispanic babies being born. Her talk is vile but unlike Planned Parenthood and other abortuaries, bigots do not place their clinics in minority areas and prey upon vulnerable women who are desperate. All babies of all colors should be welcomed with open arms. Our task as Catholics is to spread that welcome and let women of all colors know there are options beyond abortion.

Lisa
 
That’s an awfully glib assessment of modern American racism which operates on a far more subliminal level than a beligerent few.
Yes, unfortunately. The prevailing wisdom is that racism is no longer an issue because when idiots start verbalizing their bigotry we shout them out. Unfortunately, many of our institutions (the criminal justice system, as a huge example) still operate in very damaging and insidious ways when it comes to minorities. Then of course there are the issues with education, housing, city development, policing, etc that all have very strong racial elements.
 
You didn’t read it very well did you? I said the occasional bigot is to be called out and is an irritation. I did not refer to any sort of systematic or pervasive bigotry. If you live in such an area, that is unfortunate. But that doesn’t mean everyone who encounters the occasional bigot should be traumatized to excess. Men (nor women) are not angels and if that is what you expect from everyone you are going to be sadly disappointed. One of my friends who is an Hispanic woman owner of a construction business said “There are mean people everywhere. Just because someone is mean to you doesn’t require you to internalize it.”

Also you are sadly way off topic here. The issue is racial bigotry with respect to another parishioner who is “pro life” but unhappy about so many Hispanic babies being born. Her talk is vile but unlike Planned Parenthood and other abortuaries, bigots do not place their clinics in minority areas and prey upon vulnerable women who are desperate. All babies of all colors should be welcomed with open arms. Our task as Catholics is to spread that welcome and let women of all colors know there are options beyond abortion.

Lisa
🤷 Cool man, whatever.
 
Yes, unfortunately. The prevailing wisdom is that racism is no longer an issue because when idiots start verbalizing their bigotry we shout them out. Unfortunately, many of our institutions (the criminal justice system, as a huge example) still operate in very damaging and insidious ways when it comes to minorities. Then of course there are the issues with education, housing, city development, policing, etc that all have very strong racial elements.
Another srawman. No one says racism is “no longer” an issue but having lived through a time when racism and sexism were simply the way things were, I assure you things have vastly improved. As to spouting statistics about racism in prison and such, remember that the higher minority population in prison is a function of a higher minority population who are VICTIMS, not perpetrators. Minorities prey upon their own for the most part, hence the “stop and frisk” laws that DeBlasio is gutting. Further I am a strong proponent of school choice but it’s the DEMOCRATS whom the minorities support that prevent minority children from leaving failing schools. This is due to the strength of teachers’ unions FWIW.

But again back to the thread…

Lisa
 
Another srawman. No one says racism is “no longer” an issue but having lived through a time when racism and sexism were simply the way things were, I assure you things have vastly improved. As to spouting statistics about racism in prison and such, remember that the higher minority population in prison is a function of a higher minority population who are VICTIMS, not perpetrators. Minorities prey upon their own for the most part, hence the “stop and frisk” laws that DeBlasio is gutting. Further I am a strong proponent of school choice but it’s the DEMOCRATS whom the minorities support that prevent minority children from leaving failing schools. This is due to the strength of teachers’ unions FWIW.

But again back to the thread…

Lisa
🤷 Cool.
 
Yes, unfortunately. The prevailing wisdom is that racism is no longer an issue because when idiots start verbalizing their bigotry we shout them out. Unfortunately, many of our institutions (the criminal justice system, as a huge example) still operate in very damaging and insidious ways when it comes to minorities. Then of course there are the issues with education, housing, city development, policing, etc that all have very strong racial elements.
Agreed, and very true on our side of the pond as well. In fact, Martin Luther King, Jr. himself condemned indifference to racial injustice as more evil than violent white supremacy because the first permits the second.
 
No one says racism is “no longer” an issue but having lived through a time when racism and sexism were simply the way things were, I assure you things have vastly improved.
Then you should know once you consider the extent to which the US government ignored, sanctioned, or actively participated in grave offenses against its own citizens, setting the record straight generations later can’t be accurately described as an “improvement.”

It’s called “catching up” to where one should be.
 
Yes, unfortunately. The prevailing wisdom is that racism is no longer an issue because when idiots start verbalizing their bigotry we shout them out. Unfortunately, many of our institutions (the criminal justice system, as a huge example) still operate in very damaging and insidious ways when it comes to minorities. Then of course there are the issues with education, housing, city development, policing, etc that all have very strong racial elements.
Agreed, and very true of our side of the pond as well. In fact, Martin Luther King, Jr. himself condemned indifference to racial injustice as more evil than violent white supremacy because the first permits the second.
 
I am usually the last person to blame something on racism. A lot of time that others see something as a racist remark I usually see it as something else entirely. That does not mean that racism isn’t alive and well in the US. I’ve seen it multiple times, directed at my husband and a few times at my kids, and even more often to complete strangers. Just because some one isn’t aware that it occurs doesn’t make it uncommon.

I remember last year when I was told by a lady that the reason inflation was so bad is because of all the “illegal Mexican farm workers that come in from the fields smelling like filthy pigs and go shop lifting at Walmart.” When I told her my husband was Mexican of course she tried back pedaling and trying to say it wasn’t racist, just the truth, and she was only speaking of some of them, but how can that not be racist? Another time when I mentioned to a fellow shopper at kroger that I thought it was terrible that people were opening packages of food and leaving it on the shelves at the store. I said something to the effect if, “who does that? Is it teenagers or what?” she said very boisterously, “Oh no! It’s the mexicans and blacks!” or how about when my husband in his pre army days, when he was working at a factory, got promoted to line supervisor, and no one would work on his line? He ran the line on his own for half the shift before the shift supervisor stepped in. And now, even though his English is perfect, if he is not in uniform and asks for assistance at a store, people will tell him, “I don’t speak Spanish. I don’t have any idea what you just said,” but if he is in uniform no one struggles to understand what he says? And what about someone asking me if it is possible to truly love my kids since they are a different race than me? Or when one of my sons was not allowed to play with a kid on the playground because the kid’s mom didn’t want him learning to “speak Mexican?” I can go on and on and on, about how Army units are still segregated even when they say it’s not so and tons of more examples, but I need to go cook dinner. Maybe later
 
I have my own stories, too (like when I was subject to a racist rant by someone I was trying to send a requested campaign sign to - me and the partner I was assigned with, as well as the racist, were all members of the same center right party, but I am Asian and my coworker was Latino). It’s un-Christian, and pointless to boot.
 
Hmmm…
I’ll say this much, I didn’t think this thread was going to take off like it has. I just feel bad that so much dust has been kicked up in regards to the major political parties. I would never assume that just because some one is of a certain party that they would indulge in stereotyping others from opposing parties. Sadly I think it goes deeper than that. Most racist stereotyping is learned behavior going back generations. It becomes part of ones identity and is a part of how one would define themselves and is not very easy to change. There are also self imposed standards that people adopt that serve as a kind of “bar” that they raise and lower at will so that they don’t feel guilt that might force them to moderate there behavior towards people in the “out group”. Someone directed a comment towards me yesterday morning a few pages back on this thread which pretty much said [paraphrasing here] :

“If no one was spitting in your face than you can’t consider her attitude towards you racist and caring about the sign of peace is just wanting to socialize. quit your dang whining.”

Nice to see those well honed defense mechanisms working overtime. To say that I had no right to perceive something as racist because it did not contain ‘spitting’ or ‘lynching’ or ‘cross burning’ is in my opinion a sentiment from the kind of person who would have no problem trivializing or devaluing the experiences and feelings of others so as not to accidentally feel a touch of empathy for a group of people who they find impossible to respect.

I image they probably think ,“If I say something insensitive to you don’t be all offended or over dramatic about it, I’m just expressing my opinion-its a free country-but if you do the same to ME; you definitely crossed a line!”

Funny how that same person if on the receiving end of comments they find offensive or discriminatory would automatically demand better treatment for themselves while treating others as they see fit. Wanting to be treated with the same respect and courtesy that I extend to others is not selfish, maybe unrealistic, but not selfish. Furthermore the sign of peace is not “socializing”. Its the quick acknowledgment that we are all as one family in christ about to take part in the reception of our savior’s body and blood. Socializing is something different entirely!
Love and Blessings Mary
 
I finally got a response back from Fr. My daughter (who was there when it happened) shook her head and “You are never right and no one else is ever wrong.” Here’s the response if anyones interested in reading it. I replied that it was ok and that maybe I overstayed my welcome and that was that. ‘shaking the dust off…’
God Blessings and love, Mary

Dear Mary,

Please forgive my delayed response. Please know that it’s not because I don’t value and have concerns about what you’ve written. I have just had a very full several days.

I am sorry to hear about what you describe with the Rosary Group. Be assured that I will look into it. D… is a good and kind lady, so I am surprised by what you’ve said. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding?? Everyone is flawed though, so maybe she did or said something that she shouldn’t have. I will discuss the matter with her so that it might not happen again. I will also inquire into the drinking and other possible disparaging remarks. I, of course, want my parish to radiate the beauty and truth of what our Lord calls us to, especially the commandment to love. Thank you for helping me to do that.

In Mary’s Heart,

Fr. L
 
I don’t know about leaving the parish. It looks like the priest is trying to handle this, maybe give it some time? Maybe he’s surprised that someone could say something that reprehensible. Maybe trying to go into an activity where you won’t talk to her?
 
This whole situation is just one more incident on top of a looooong line of things that have happened there over the last 3 years. Its a very wealthy parish on the rich side of town and everyone judges other people on money, or what car they drive or who they know. Fr. is from a wealthy family who own a popular business here so that makes the parishioners feel as if they are members of a celebrity parish with a celebrity priest. It is weird to drive around town and see your pastor’s name popping up on business signs. For the parish its a blessing. People donate a lot but its a curse to those of us who are less fortunate. We are looked down upon. Sadly, even if I wanted to I can’t even begin to match up. I feel bad for Fr. he is very aware of the snobbery in the parish but knows that if he makes waves the flock will leave and go to the other rich parish in town. As it is he’s already had some people leave because he wouldn’t keep the old liturgy and music. The bills have to keep getting paid. He’s a good holy priest and I don’t want to cause any more problems for him…

Love and blessings, Mary
 
Honestly, pray for the priest and your congregation. That’s all you can do at this point.

Anyway, though - the parish I go to in Albuquerque has 7 different Masses: 5 in English, 2 in Spanish. Each Mass has its own character, and what is popular with the people at one of the Masses is completely unpopular with the people at another Mass.

In addition, the statement “Learn English or go home” is often quite looked down upon in New Mexico - primarily because the learning of English was pretty much forced on the populace after statehood. Before New Mexico was a state, the primary language spoken in the territory was Spanish. Many people (especially in Northern New Mexico) can trace their ancestry back to the original Spanish settlers of New Mexico in the 1500s. Even today, both Spanish and English are considered official languages of the state - written into the state’s Constitution in 1912. Even so, there are many Hispanics whose families have lived here for generations who despise the new influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants from Mexico.
 
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