tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post348849168885999827..comments2023-07-15T08:59:25.648-04:00Comments on Lead Forward: Inflections, Judgments, and my Journey to Understand BothGary C. Harrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15490559142677570232noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-81642439014264260612011-03-20T18:09:36.795-04:002011-03-20T18:09:36.795-04:00Excellent post! I personally think you sound like ...Excellent post! I personally think you sound like an educated man. Hell. I know too many white people here who murder English and you don't sound anything like time. HA HA HAS.B.D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-75084690083594777832011-03-20T18:06:10.186-04:002011-03-20T18:06:10.186-04:00We are all the same race, the human race. What se...We are all the same race, the human race. What sets the human race apart from the<br />other animals is a developed brain and a voice box. Misused, this combination is a great<br />divider of humans. Used properly, a great uniter. It's nice to meet others on the high<br />road of humanity. <br /> <br />Remember: The tongue is like a sharp knife that kills without drawing blood. -- Buddah<br /> <br /> Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them<br /> and be influenced by them for good or ill. -- Buddah<br /> <br /> When anger takes over your heart, guard your babbling tongue. --Sappho<br /> <br />Bless you Gary. May you continue to shed light on those in the dark.<br />CindyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-58007251140458618412011-03-18T16:30:21.555-05:002011-03-18T16:30:21.555-05:00Hey Gary..
Woooooooowwww....I love that blog.......Hey Gary..<br /> <br />Woooooooowwww....I love that blog....I did....I understood it..I really did...I loved how you said "voices are like snowflakes" none are the same...I could relate to it because me trying to build myself as a professional, over time my public speaking is getting better....but I appreciated you emailing that because it reassured me that the way that I talk is in fact okay and regardless of how you speak or sound you will always be cretiqued....hope your day is going well..<br /> <br />Smoochies,<br /> <br />Christy "CeCe" ChapmanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-57122380049902418082009-03-06T21:31:00.000-05:002009-03-06T21:31:00.000-05:00I am not one of many words, but I will not hold my...I am not one of many words, but I will not hold my tongue on this issue. Like my brother, I too have been accused of speaking like a white person. I have learned to live with this. My mother made sure that her children were educated. If someone has a problem with my voice, it is their problem.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18198768560484553618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-86153249462732832182009-03-06T11:54:00.000-05:002009-03-06T11:54:00.000-05:00People are always going to talk and think crap abo...People are always going to talk and think crap about other people. That ain't nothing new. I just know that back in 2005 when we didn't have anything and nowhere to go, I am happy it was your voice that kept us sheltered and fed for weeks. I know my family will say the same.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-1501692215318926622009-03-06T09:41:00.000-05:002009-03-06T09:41:00.000-05:00Thanks for sharing this, Gary. It was great. Keep ...Thanks for sharing this, Gary. It was great. Keep up the good work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-85456975723901163642009-03-05T23:32:00.000-05:002009-03-05T23:32:00.000-05:00Thank you Mashoud. You hit the nail on the head. ...Thank you Mashoud. You hit the nail on the head. <BR/><BR/>I never implied that fairness should be a code word for prejudice or anything of the sort. Its amazing how some can be so quick to jump to conclusions or assume things that aren't even implied. Pretty unfair if you ask me. <BR/><BR/>The truth is we ALL make judgments about others, whether or not we like to admit it. Not only is it human nature but its also an instinctual survival tactic. Isn't being a "good judge of character" a virtue? Of course it is. But, like I said, the problem is when judgments are made unfairly and judging someone based simply on the color of their skin or inflections in their voice is grossly unfair. Just as it is grossly unfair to assume that I would consider a "fair judgment" to be based on race.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-70484202093199589852009-03-05T21:28:00.000-05:002009-03-05T21:28:00.000-05:00Dave, sup, man! Of course you know that I did with...Dave, sup, man! Of course you know that I did with it, too. People ask where am I from, and I love to see how they look when I say Atlanta, Georgia! You got that part about people's opinions right; they need to keep them to themselves. But being fair in some judgments does have a basis. I do not think anybody was saying it's okay to use fairness as a mask for prejudice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-10466609296363837572009-03-05T16:18:00.000-05:002009-03-05T16:18:00.000-05:00I am a black man. I am 29 years old, and I have be...I am a black man. I am 29 years old, and I have been to school. I pay my mortgage without a problem every month and I own my truck and my bike. I love my little boy and his momma (some of the time.) And I find it discouraging to be judged by anybody before I ever say a word or even move a muscle. <BR/><BR/>It disappoints me when I hear my own people say something that would be a self-imposed limit on what we can be. Even now with Obama as President. We worked to hard to not believe in each other now. So yes I also get how you feel, Gary.<BR/><BR/>But it is more infuriating to have some white people judge me just because they don't like or don't understand the way I look in the street. You don't know me, and just because you see my clothes or hear my music, that doesn't mean I am any less of of a man. That doesn't mean I am not an educated nurse anesthetist making a good living and trying to raise a good family just like you. <BR/><BR/>Forgive me if I don't see all of this as the same thing. They aren't the same and that's why that guy Gary talked about is having his problems. People think that because he likes black culture he must be dumb, and they base that bullshit on their "fair judgments" when we know there is nothing "fair" about any kind of judgment. I know how that guy feel to have people look at you like some kind of criminal and then claim they are being "fair". These people just need to learn to keep all their opinions to themselves.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-10941043637894375462009-03-05T03:32:00.000-05:002009-03-05T03:32:00.000-05:00First of all, let me say that I just referenced my...First of all, let me say that I just referenced my "Guide to Being White", and nowhere does it state that proper elocution is the domain of my race. In fact, most of the people that I know are white, and the vast majority of them butcher their native tongue on a regular basis. I think this blog entry illuminates a major flaw in society as a whole. Specifically, that people shun diversity, and prefer the comfort of similarity. The average Joe/Jane has a preconceived notion of how things should be (sound/act/smell, etc.) and react strongly, and often incorrectly when something opposes that notion. In the interest of brevity, let me just say.......Ya'll know, in the South, we all talk funny!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-3610761088464027132009-03-04T16:00:00.000-05:002009-03-04T16:00:00.000-05:00Sorry Will, but I didn't make Gary's entire blog p...Sorry Will, but I didn't make Gary's entire blog post as a left or right issue only the hijacking of the word "progressive" by leftist political entities. Which is why I keyed in on one specific statement. <BR/><BR/>It bothers me and it should bother everyone when any political faction claims to have a monopoly on progress. <BR/><BR/>And btw, what makes you think the businessman Gary spoke of was a conservative? Could it be possible that because of preconceived notions you simply assumed since he was a business man that he must be an advocate of the right? <BR/><BR/>And if so, wouldn't that be similar to the NAACP guy assuming Gary was white and from out of town simply because he was well spoken? Although to lesser degree. <BR/><BR/>And speaking of the NAACP guy. I find it to be somewhat digressive, judgmental and hypocritical considering what the NAACP is supposed to stand for, for a guy who represents the organization to unfairly assume that because Gary was well spoken, he must not be black but rather white and from out of town since he speaks well.<BR/><BR/>But for the record I don't really have a problem with people making assumptions about others based on varying characteristics so long as those assumptions are <B>fair</B> and the person making the assumption is open minded and aware that their assumption can and will be wrong at times. <BR/><BR/>The problem is when we make <B>unfair</B> judgments and assumptions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-75561455849189486042009-03-04T12:25:00.000-05:002009-03-04T12:25:00.000-05:00Absolutely one of your best posts, Mr. Harrell. I ...Absolutely one of your best posts, Mr. Harrell. I like all of the comments too. You must have really struck a cord with people on this one.<BR/><BR/>BTW I personally love the G. Harrell pronunication of words like "Baton Rouge". Now can you say "Anamanaguchi"? <BR/><BR/>HEHEHE!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-3678708857879073822009-03-04T12:11:00.000-05:002009-03-04T12:11:00.000-05:00Some of you don't need to make this political. I d...Some of you don't need to make this political. I don't think this post points this out to be a left issue or a right issue. It is just a statement about faulty social measurements. Just as much blaming can go to the right like the businessman as it does to the left. People need to remember that.<BR/><BR/>WillAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-30995493454387562242009-03-04T02:49:00.000-05:002009-03-04T02:49:00.000-05:00Being a part of the legal profession, particularly...Being a part of the legal profession, particularly... Being a part of the legal profession, particularly in this part of the country, everyday I meet talented blacks and Hispanics who don't necessarily fit into Hollywood stereotypes of their culture. I, of course, never give this a second thought as we go about our work, but every once in a while, you hear things that make you wince. There are not just the racist comments from a few backwards people, which are to be expected, but the comments from people of the same ethnicity, alleging that another person has "forgotten where they came from". To me, both types of comments are one in the same: they are statements rooted in fear. <BR/><BR/>I should have suspected that you ran into these obstacles for yourself, Gary, particularly because you are uncommonly vocal. Even still, I am sure you know that the types of people who would make these statements are doing so because the very existence of something they don't understand suddenly makes them feel smaller and maybe less significant. Consequently, when the leader of a small-town group has a hard time envisioning a young black at the helm of a company like Axiom, it is owing to the fact that such a thing wasn't supposed to happen without his group's influence. Better than that, a business owner who casts others as less intelligent is doing so to mask his own inferiority complex. Therefore, both of these examples support Kayla's point that fear is the primary culprit for this problem, and I contend it to be a fear of obsolescence.<BR/><BR/>I applaud you for writing this for your friend, as I cannot imagine that such criticism is easy for him. In fact, for as long as there remains this implicit stereotype of black culture, I suspect that he will encounter difficulties, particularly in white communities. The truth is, we tend to also have preconceive ideas about young guys who act or speak this way, and it is less flattering than someone claiming that speaking too well is acting white. I suspect that your friend will have to unearth the versatility to communicate effectively to different groups on their different levels in order to reach them. Unfortunately, since this world is not perfect, that may be the only way he can avoid this kind of scrutiny in the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-62011830432073343732009-03-04T02:43:00.000-05:002009-03-04T02:43:00.000-05:00LOL. Good point, but Jonathan, I think you are goi...LOL. Good point, but Jonathan, I think you are going to get us into trouble here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-24723852503886390322009-03-03T15:46:00.000-05:002009-03-03T15:46:00.000-05:00Well said, and I think you should be defensive whe...Well said, and I think you should be defensive when you hear comments like those. That is a big part of the cultural gap our country faces, simply put, communication. No one should be judged, or placed in a particular category for speaking proper grammar. I would take it as something very deragatory. Especially when you do have a gift to articulate better than almost anyone I know, including myself. That shouldn't place you in a, "white," category. It should place you in a, "speak better than 90% of our country," category. I wish our country could get over some of these cultural barriers during my life time, but I don't know if it will. <BR/><BR/>MarkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-78472824604078548142009-03-03T15:15:00.000-05:002009-03-03T15:15:00.000-05:00Mashaoud, that line stood out for me too. I wasn'...Mashaoud, that line stood out for me too. I wasn't really going to say anything and just leave it alone but since the line was brought up, I'll add my 2 cents.<BR/><BR/>I am really troubled with the fact that the left has hijacked the word "progressive" to fit their own narrow vision of what they see as progress. As I find them to be anything but advocates of progress and rather closed minded and intolerant. Organizations like the NAACP and NOW or not interested in the progress of the groups they claim to represent if those individuals do not conform to the organization's own "groupthink". Gary's experience, NOW's fierce opposition to Sara Palin, the fierce opposition to Clarence Thomas. These are examples that highlight the irony of their so called progressiveness.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-28774356419610248662009-03-03T15:06:00.000-05:002009-03-03T15:06:00.000-05:00Ignorance is ignorance, and when people fear what ...Ignorance is ignorance, and when people fear what they don't understand they lash out. <BR/><BR/>Your friend needs to remember that if God called him, then God must have loved and anointed that voice. He needs to know who he is in Christ Jesus, and he needs to just continue spreading God's word. If people don't understand, let those fools keep being ignorant. They forget that we are living in uncertain times and that God might come to them in any form to offer them salvation. They don't have a right to try to dictate what form they want. They should be happy someone cares enough to offer it.<BR/><BR/>-Kayla :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-62547832339877260612009-03-03T14:23:00.000-05:002009-03-03T14:23:00.000-05:00"a lesson: even the advocates of progress cannot n..."a lesson: even the advocates of progress cannot necessarily be sure of what that progress will look like when it meets them."<BR/><BR/>Bet they know what progress looks like now and won't forget it. Keep on taking them to task, G!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-19623287692396814932009-03-03T13:56:00.000-05:002009-03-03T13:56:00.000-05:00Last week my little girl came home crying and sayi...Last week my little girl came home crying and saying that people are calling her a "nerd" and "white girl", because she does well in school. I about lost my shit! We have a parent-teacher conference on Friday. Man, you don't know how timely this one is for us. Stay cool, bro.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226709110419829326.post-89005512640698702482009-03-03T13:47:00.000-05:002009-03-03T13:47:00.000-05:00Gary, thank you for sending me this blog. It was v...Gary, thank you for sending me this blog. It was very good, and I shared it with a few people in the office. I hope that you were able to convey some good insight that can help your friend. I have to say that it is very unfortunate that this was even a topic, but you handled it well, as always.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com