Black and White and Read All Over

Philadelphia Magazine recently published an article titled, “Being White in Philly”, which has apparently convinced our very honorable mayor, Michael Nutter, that only black people and/or elected officials are allowed to discuss matters of race. Mayor Nutter was so “disgusted” by the piece that he called on the city’s Human Relations Committee to investigate some of the issues discussed in the article and, if warranted, to rebuke both Philadelphia Magazine and the author of the story Bob Huber. Apparently Mayor Nutter has confused criticism of the story with “official” government action to shut down the story. His honor might do well to remember that The Declaration of Independence was read aloud in Philadelphia and was a direct response to unwarranted government intrusion into the lives of people here in what would become the United States.



I am, as most of you know, a white guy. A white guy of Northern European stock so I’m white even in the summer months, which means the Mayor doesn’t deem me fit to discuss matters of race, and certainly not matters of race relations here in Philadelphia. I seldom do as I am told, (yes I know another shock), though. What I do as often as not, is to speak my mind with as much ordinary sense as I can muster. With that thought upper most in mind, I am here to tell the august Mr. Nutter that he is out of his friggin’ mind if truly believes this is the way to further race relations in the city. Race relations here in Philly are, as was plainly evident in the article, tenuous at best, and fractured at worst.



The problem is that people are afraid to attach their names to anything having to do with race. That’s not unique to Philly, but with the overwhelming majority of the city government, both elected and not, being black many people are scared of the inevitable responses from others if they voice their true feelings. You’re either a racist or race traitor, depending upon the color of your skin if you do or say anything contrary to the party line. If any of the people quoted in the story had given their full names it is not a stretch to believe that their lives would have become more complicated. The complication could and would have taken many forms, from glares in the grocery to sudden problems with Licenses and Inspections. The much loathed Philadelphia Parking Authority is the only agency in the city that runs with any efficiency, but when the others have nothing to do except inspect you it is amazing how well they too can run.



A person who had the temerity to voice an actual opinion in a magazine article which was inconsistent with the prevailing views would instantly be presumed racist. If you had the foolhardiness to attach your name to that statement too though, all the agencies of government would somehow become as efficient as the much hated Philadelphia Parking Authority and you would be Public Enemy Number One. You see, the mayor, who loves to throw the word ass around to seem tough, is actually an I.D.G., an Inordinately Delicate Gentleman, who himself was blamed for not being “black enough” not all that long ago. Since rising to national prominence with the US Conference of Mayors, Nutter has had to shift from the pragmatic, problem solving guy he promised to be, to just another big city cog in the liberal machine. He, like Attorney General Eric Holder, is completely comfortable calling everyone else a coward for not speaking about race relations, but when they do they’re called racist. Why would anyone bother when those are the only two predetermined results?



So why am I bothering? Well I am not racist and I am certainly not a coward. What I am is someone who is increasingly sick and tired of government officials telling me what I can and cannot do or say. It is Nutter, and those like him, who are afraid to discuss race because they do not want the dirty truth to ever be public. The dirty truth is that race relations are strained because they want them to be. For generations we have been told that solving society’s ills is just a matter of throwing enough government and enough money at the problem. The truth is that the political system prefers a permanent underclass from which votes are guaranteed. Nutter’s predecessor was referring to Philly when he infamously said, “the brothers and sisters are in charge” while speaking at a regional meeting of the NAACP. An attempt was made to temper the statement, but to everyone here in Philly the point was abundantly clear.



Philadelphia is 44% black, 39% white and 12.5% Hispanic, with “other” races making up the difference. The brothers and sisters are running the city though. The Mayor, District Attorney, Police Chief, Fire Chief and City Council President are all black. Somehow though that hasn’t translated into much of anything for the brothers and sisters not in government employ. Philadelphia has the highest rate of “Deep Poverty” in the United States, 12.9%, or some 200,000 people, most of who are, no doubt, black. Instead of making strides to address that problem, Nutter cries foul on an article in a magazine which had little regional, let alone national attention until he voiced his disgust at its “reckless disregard for speech”.



Mayor Nutter certainly knows how to run a city though. Only a day before this pathetic attempt to silence a magazine, the mayor was booed off the podium in City Council Chambers by the city worker’s unions. In the city which arguably created the American brand of democracy the First Amendment is only a right when the government or the unions say it is. Neither knows how to comport themselves with anything approaching civility or etiquette. All either can do is feed at the trough of the public coffers. The coffers are only full enough to feed at if a public exists to fill them. With the mayor acting as High Commissioner for Race he is fundamentally implying that only government can discuss race relations and only on its terms. Well Mr. Mayor that tactic is what loses you not only votes but taxpayers.



Philadelphia cannot consider itself too big to fail. As Detroit saws its industries sink into ever burgeoning debt, the old ways failed to adapt and the white flight was on. Now Detroit’s Police Department won’t even respond to some types of calls anymore. How long before both white and black citizens who are able to depart the city for good do so? Race relations are horrible in the city because of just this attitude. More people than would care to admit it harbor feelings akin to those in the article because we have been splintered by race intentionally. It does not do the powers that be any good to have the hoi polloi united against them, so they raise false tumult to distract us. Maybe too many of my fellow Americans have become “low information voters” or are genuinely content with receiving public largesse and will not rock the boat. I certainly hope not. If we have become the illiterate and unwashed masses there won’t be any race by which to discern us. We will simply be what the pols want: a permanent and dirty underclass.