Bill Maher Wonders If ‘Kid Beating’ Is A Black Thing
Maher made the observation that the proliferation of black faces in stories of violent NFL players (off the field) leaves white America with the impression that “Violence is a black thing,” and suggested (by misquoting President Obama) that violence in black communities is born out of a violent historical context (Obama was actually talking about the “poverty and dysfunction” that resulted from things like slavery, not some sort of cycle of learned violence).
“I think racism has moved to the place, in America, where if you don’t see context, that makes you a racist,” Maher said. The great Wendell Pierce, star of Showtime’s Ray Donovan, delivered a great rundown of the context that Maher was referring to, but pointed out that “for every one, two, or three that may have been in the news because of violence, there are another two thousand that deport themselves as gentlemen, as husbands, as fathers, and as great professionals.”
He also identified the true context for that perception:
“When you see me in a certain situation, you think violence. If they see you in a certain situation, people don’t see violence, so the image of the black man being violent has been perpetuated for a long time.”[su_center_ad]
This is a theme that has been especially dominant in the news the past few months, as this view of black people as de facto threats has been apparent in high-profile killings.
In response to Pierce, Salon‘s Joan Walsh declared that “Domestic violence is not a black thing,” to which Maher replied “Of course not,” but then asked “What about kid-spanking, and kid-beating? That seems like something, I mean we all know every black comedian ever has done, even Bill Cosby did a routine about ‘the beatings start tonight.'”
Pierce responded, first, by making a distinction between discipline and abuse (which the law’s tolerance of violence makes difficult), and said “It’s not a black thing, white people beat their kids too, I’ve seen ’em at the Walmart.”
“I don’t think they do it as much,” Maher replied, “because of the reasons you said before, and because it’s an economic thing. Rich white people are the last ones to hit their kids.”
Walsh added “That’s entitlement, that’s white entitlement, and the tragic thing is that black parents have resorted to violence in order to keep their kids in line because they can’t be entitled, because being entitled would be being dead, in some cases.”
“Get beat by your parents so you don’t get it from the cops,” Maher added. Watch…READ MORE
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Rusty Shackleford September 21st, 2014 at 9:44 am
More like rich white people don’t make headlines or get arrested when they beat their wives or kids. Anyone wanna guess why Ray Rice and Chris Brown are the faces of domestic violence in this country, and not Michael Fassbender, Charlie Sheen, or Mel Gibson?
Skydog2 September 21st, 2014 at 10:34 am
Rusty twists to make this a racial issue.
Anyone wanna guess why Floyd Mayweather isn’t the faces of domestic violence in this country? Because the rich can buy privilege.
Rusty Shackleford September 21st, 2014 at 12:30 pm
Chris Brown and Ray Rice aren’t rich? If you’re gonna try to attribute white privilege to a different variable, maybe you should pick one that ISN’T constant for the examples provided.
StoneyCurtisll September 21st, 2014 at 11:51 am
Rusty has it right without saying it…:)
It has everything to do with the amount of melanin in the epidermis.
(skin color)..
Skydog2 September 21st, 2014 at 9:46 am
If Maher weren’t on the left he’d be labeled a racist and there’d be cries for him to resign.
Anomaly 100 September 21st, 2014 at 10:10 am
IKR? You’ll never see something like this on a liberal site. Oh wait…
edmeyer_able September 21st, 2014 at 10:34 am
LOL resign from what………….
tiredoftea September 21st, 2014 at 10:43 am
No, having the conversation doesn’t make him a racist. Holding racist views in spite of facts to the contrary does. I don’t see that here.
StoneyCurtisll September 21st, 2014 at 11:45 am
In case you are unaware, Bill Maher holds no political office to resign from.
Maher’s job as a host on a political/opinion/discussion cable television show is to elicit conversation and dialogue….
Often through controversial statements.
He doesn’t work for a fake cable TV “news” organization, (whose name I will not mention)
Skydog2 September 21st, 2014 at 2:19 pm
Imus didn’t hold a political office to resign from either.
Larry Schmitt September 22nd, 2014 at 7:47 am
And he didn’t resign, MSNBC stopped simulcasting his radio show, and shortly thereafter he was picked up by Fox Business Channel. He still had, and has, his syndicated radio show.
Rusty Shackleford September 21st, 2014 at 12:33 pm
Bill Maher is both racist and sexist as hell. Are you having trouble keeping up? None of this is news or even surprising; he’s been this way forever.
Miz Julia September 21st, 2014 at 12:46 pm
Like this Two-fer on Twitter: Dealing w/ Hamas is like dealing w/ a crazy woman who’s trying to kill u – u can only hold her wrists so long before you have to slap her
rg9rts September 21st, 2014 at 11:02 am
Beating is an equal opportunity abuser.
Carla Akins September 21st, 2014 at 11:11 am
I don’t agree with Maher’s underlying reasoning. Domestic abuse between adults seems to cross all racial and class cross sections. However, spanking or corporal punishment is still a widely held acceptable practice. (just not one I don’t agree with) The degree and the amount of punishment have been hotly debated, but the practice endorsed.
Those identifying themselves as religious are more likely to include corporal punishment in their parenting. Since a high number of black’s self-identify as religious, more of them spank. Only the religious think it’s justified. Clear-cut abuse of children, like all domestic violence, seems to cross all boundaries.
Miz Julia September 21st, 2014 at 12:15 pm
My husband is black and from the south side of Chicago. He was never beaten nor were his brothers. His family are gentle, church-going folk. His parents were originally from Louisiana and moved north in the historic migration of the 1940s for better job opportunites. He knows of nobody in his large, extended family who used beatings as discipline.
That’s just anecdotal, I realize. I don’t believe there’s more of a natural inclination to beat children by blacks is what I am meandering to say. 😉 Not that you said that. I believe it’s a begetting thing, to use a biblical term. If people’s parents use beatings as a form of discipline, their children will do the same.
I do wonder if perception is driving some people’s opinions on this matter? I mean, we (my husband and I) live in an upscale, mostly white suburb of Dallas and I’ve had to call the popo on my white neighbors more than once when the man was berating his wife so loudly and for so long that you just knew he was on the verge of hitting her. Something he’d already done (so I was vigilant). You know, I don’t think he was ever arrested?
Anyway, to sum up ( I know, you’re going “whew, about time”, lol) I think over-policing of black communities has merit in driving this perception that blacks are more violent or that they spank their kids/beat their wives more. I really think it depends on one’s parental legacy and other factors such a innate dispostion. And maybe, just maybe, participation in a violent sport and all that that engenders, what with brain injury problems, muscle bulking drugs and the whole culture does play a role in violence? Lots of questions, eh? 😉
StoneyCurtisll September 21st, 2014 at 11:35 am
Kid and wife beating is not “just a black thing”..
Even white Federal Judges do it…
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lawmakers-call-for-resignation-of-judge-charged-with-domestic-violence/
Dwendt44 September 21st, 2014 at 1:35 pm
the initial paragraph seems to be going over some folks head:
“Maher made the observation that the proliferation of black faces in
stories of violent NFL players (off the field) leaves white America with
the impression that “Violence is a black thing,””
He’s asking that question to illicit comment. The majority of recent articles and news stories about domestic violence has been about African- Americans, thereby giving the impression that THEY are more prone to violence.
He didn’t say it WAS, just that is the impression is or is becoming.
fahvel September 22nd, 2014 at 4:45 am
interesting observation – the usa is one of a very few cultures that are imersed in racism which is very different from prejudice – the usa is immersed in its own vile history and will, over the long haul, pay a very dear price on the global scene.