The backlash against minorities continues to build since the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States of America. Now, in reality, this is hardly an unexpected occurrence as many older members of the Republican and conservative wing of the political spectrum are angry. The country they knew is slipping away and what many of these individuals see is the browning of America. And, they don’t like it one bit. These bitter and angry individuals show their frustration with the severe backlash to anything even remotely resembling affirmative action and with illegal immigration (with the way that the Latino population in this country is growing and the projections for the future).
This all brings me to a blog published on Big Hollywood by a man named Brian Jennings. Jennings goes on and on about how the country is going into debt (conservatives didn’t care as much about it when George W. Bush was president) and then laments bailouts (or potential bailouts) for minority broadcasters.
Here is what Jennings wrote (with the graphic included):
Well if we can spend millions to protect the salt marsh mouse in San Francisco Bay, we can surely shell out billions to bail out minority broadcasters. It’s good for the economy and after all Congress is on record as saying it needs to save our nation’s newspapers, too. So, the table is set for government financial intervention of the media.
Minority broadcasters are asking tax-cheat Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for financial assistance. Sounds like the financial and auto industries, and it is. These broadcasters, including the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the Inner City Broadcasting Coalition, the Spanish Broadcasting System, and others say they can bounce back because “unlike the auto business, broadcasting has been healthy for many years.” Has it now?
Jennings continues:
As the nation digs itself further into debt and unemployment continues to increase, media is being hit as hard as any sector. But, there is an important point to be made. Perhaps suspect business models should be allowed to fail. If there is bailout money for minority broadcasters, what about bailout money for the nation’s non-minority broadcasters who face what many believe is their only path – bankruptcy. The answer to that is a forgone conclusion. Minorities will get a bailout because after all they are minorities and deserve special treatment. But, other broadcasters – especially the consolidated media will not get a dime. No media should be bailed out.
It’s the same old politics of fear in regard to under-qualified minorities supposedly getting so muchspecial treatment while “others” work sooooooooooooo hard and, well you know, just can’t get a break.
Jennings seems to think that minorities get all of this special treatment that “other broadcasters” don’t seem to get.
I doubt Jennings, or others like him, truly would want to trade positions with minorities.
He makes some reasonable points in regard to conflict of interest if the media is taking money (in the form of a bailout). So, maybe no media should be bailed out, but to take an obvious and angry shot at minorities (the way this writer did) has a bit of a smell of resentment and perhaps racism to it.
He also took an angry, partisan cheap shot at Timothy Geithner.
