For years, I’ve been asked the following question: what is the role of the writer? I’ve been reluctant to hamper any writer’s creativity with any “role.” But now I believe that there is a role for a writer whose group is being out-propagandized by moneyed opinion, and that is to pay attention. I have had the good fortune of living a life that has provided me with an opportunity to engage in contemplation, of reading and mulling over what I read, and discussing it with other intellectuals. I view myself as a one-man communication center that provides a check on the propaganda attacks on besieged groups and individuals who don’t have the means to fight back. No, I don’t wear a cape. One black intellectual told me that, “If it weren’t for you, I’d think that I was crazy.” That’s how they’ve dismissed the black voices ever since a black writer picked up a pen. We’re paranoid to them. In the words of Laura Miller, the kind of critic who fantasizes about being a character in a Jane Austin novel, we’re “rowdy.” We write “rants” and “diatribes.” We’re conspiracy theorists. We’re controversial because we oppose the view of the world held by them. But now the paranoid community is expanding. Not only among blacks, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics, which, for now, belong to communities where only forty percent are Internet users, but a foreign community of paranoids. My zine, Konch, draws readers from all over the world. So do my commentaries carried by CounterPunch.org. And I can also consult those ancestors whose experiences were similar to mine and whose witness was captured in slave narratives and folklore like the following:
Ole Sis Goose wus er-sailin’ on de lake, and ole Brer Fox wus hidden in de weeds. Buy um by ole Sis Goose swum up close to der bank and ole Brer Fox lept out an cotched her.
O yes, ole Sis Goode, I’se got yer now, you’se been er-sailin’ on mer lake er long time, en I’se got yer now. I’se gwine to break yer neck en pick yer bones.
Hole on derer, Brer Fox, hold on, I’se got jes as much right to swim in der lake as you has ter lie in der weeds. Hit’s des as much my lake es hit is yours, and we is gwine to take dis matter to der cotehouse and see if you has any right to break my neck and pick my bones.
En so dey went to cote, and when dey got there, de sheriff, he wus er fox, en de judge, he wus er fox, en der tourneys, dey was foxes, en all de jurrymen, dey was foxes, too.
En dey tried ole Sis Goose, en dey ‘victed her en dey ‘scuted her, en dey picked her bones.
Now my chilluns, listen to me, when all de folks in the cotehouses is foxes, and you is jes er common goose, der ain’t gwine to be much jestice for a pore nigger.
The Jim Crow media are full of Foxes too, and we are the Geese.
Ishmael Reed
Oakland, California
February 22, 2010
Appendix
Poll Shows the Jim Crow Media is Barack Obama’s Chief Opponent
The Daily Kos conducted a poll from January 20 through January 31, 2010, which revealed the dangers of Americans receiving all of their information about the world from the Jim Crow media. All of the shocking responses to Barack Obama’s presidency were inspired by the media, especially Fox News, which, also shocking, was found, in another poll, to be the network most trusted by the American people. Public Policy Polling found that forty-nine percent of Americans trusted Fox News, ten percentage points more than any other network. The poll also found that twenty-five percent of whites favor secession. A Washington Post-ABC News poll announced on February 11, 2010 found that seventy-one percent of those polled say that Sarah Palin is not qualified to be president. Even among Republicans her poll numbers are low, forty-five percent, yet, as the Daily Kos noted on February 11, 2010, the media were still pushing her as a viable presidential candidate, even televising a speech live from the Tea Bagger’s convention, more evidence that the media is Barack Obama’s chief opponent and that a non-elected talk show host is the leader of the opposition, something, which, as far as I know, is unprecedented.
QUESTION: Should Barack Obama be impeached, or not?
YES
NO
NOT SURE
All
39
32
29
Men
43
30
27
Women
35
34
31
White
40
31
29
Other/Ref
31
41
28
18-29
38
33
29
30-44
38
32
30
45-59
40
32
28
60+
40
31
29
NE
34
35
31
South
42
29
29
MW
38
32
30
West
37
36
27
Def
40
31
29
Vote
39
32
29
Not Like
38
34
28
Def Not
37
35
28
Not Sure
37
35
28
QUESTION: Do you believe Barack Obama was born in the United States, or not?
NO
YES
NOT SURE
All
36
42
22
Men
39
37
24
Women
33
47
20
White
37
41
22
Other/Ref
28
51
21
18-29
38
39
23
30-44
38
41
21
45-59
35
43
22
60+
34
43
23
NE
29
47
24
South
43
39
18
MW
33
43
24
West
31
44
25
Def
37
41
22
Vote
36
41
23
Not Like
35
45
20
Def Not
34
46
20
Not Sure
34
46
20
QUESTION: Do you think Barack Obama is a socialist?
YES
NO
NOT SURE
All
63
21
16
Men
66
20
14
Women
60
22
18
White
64
20
16
Other/Ref
55
30
15
18-29
62
22
16
30-44
63
21
16
45-59
63
21
16
60+
64
21
15
NE
57
25
18
South
67
18
15
MW
61
22
17
West
60
23
17
Def
64
20