A Parody of Understandings

 

https://www.nytimes.com/.../jazz-pianist-attack-racism…

A Parody of Understandings

And what was the race of the attackers? The way this article is framed (see above), it seems as if there must have been a gang of teenage White supremacists in a Harlem subway. The race of the attackers is never mentioned and since according to the social dogma of the day, Black folks can't be racist, the perpetrators must have been White. These White supremacists must have conspired with the police to live underground and attack anyone who is different.

As John Leland states, "[Unno], a jazz musician (An Asian jazz musician? Sounds like cultural appropriation to me.) and the victim of an attack, had come to the city to mix with people not like him, and now he was suffering for this difference." Leland, 61, has received awards for his writing from the National Association of Black Journalists although Leland is White. This is very confusing.

As a reader, I'm thinking, "There's those damned White guys again."

Authorities don't consider the attack on Unno a hate crime even though one in the gang of male and female teenagers, shouted, "Chinese motherfucker." Tadataka Unno is Japanese.

I still think they're White attackers who think all Asians look alike.

In a separate article not this one, Unno actually partly blamed Trump for the attack due to Trump's anti-Chinese rhetoric stemming from the Covid virus. Oh yea, the attackers definitely are White racists.

Wait a minute. This attack happened a month ago. Why is it the first time I hear of it? Strange. Media bias? No way! Not if White guys are the perpetrators. I must have overlooked it.

Tadataka Unno said that in order to understand Jazz he felt that he had to live amongst the people who created it." What people? Eskimos? Nope. Who created Jazz. Black people? So that's why he was living in Harlem. To be with Black people. I'm sure they welcomed him as a brother.

He needed to know the culture. I wonder if his experience increased his understanding of "the culture" of those damned White supremacists hiding in Harlem. What?

According to Leland, "[Unno] was in shock from the beating and from the unwillingness of bystanders to step in." Those White boys must have been big. I guess the folks in Harlem were afraid to help Unno. I don't blame them. When I see a group of White teenagers coming down the street I move to the other side.

"That’s when the beating started — first in the subway station and then up on the street, where he yelled for people to help him, to no avail." I guess the folks in Harlem were afraid of White retaliation. Don't make the White kids angry.

Tadataka Unno is considering returning to Japan, a much more diverse society.

"Mr. Unno said he still needed 'very strong painkillers' to get through the day. He is unable to play piano...and does not know how much function he will regain. Even as he worries about his physical recovery, he fears that recovering from the emotional trauma may be even more difficult. Since the attack he has not left the apartment except for medical treatments because he is afraid."

Who is he afraid of? I guess White people.

"Until the attack, [Unno] had never experienced racism in New York, he said, and it shook him." I'd be afraid too if a group of White guys beat me up in Harlem.

The Education of Richard T. Beck 1973: Bullies

The Education of Richard T. Beck 1973

Bullies

Most bullies need an audience. Get a bully one on one and they are moles, pussies. Here's one of my stories that happened my junior year in at Coatesville High School.

I was on the baseball team. One senior, John, picked on me mercilessly. John and his pal Carl even threw gravel at my car one day leaving school. The main reason they picked on me was because I was so straight. I didn't do drugs or drink. I wore my hair short at a time when being loved by ones peers meant wearing bell-bottoms and long hair.

For me, everything was baseball. My hero was Pete Rose, Charlie Hustle. That's who I modeled my game after. They nicknamed me Arnold the Pig from the TV show Green Acres and Narc because I didn't smoke pot. By the way, John was one of Coach Paul Chenger's team captains. Says much of Chenger as a judge of character.

I waited and waited and waited to get John one on one. Then, one day after practice I was late showering and getting dressed. Everybody had gone. And here I am walking out of the locker room passing aisles of lockers and guess who is at their locker all by himself sitting on a bench. John.

I say, "Hey John, you got something to say now? There's no one here but you and me. You got somethin' to say?"

John lowers his head and says, "No." He knew he was on the verge of getting his ass kicked.

I say, "What?"

He says, "I got nothin' to say."

I say, "Oh, you ain't nothing but a punk, right?" John said nothing.

Well, the next day Carl (another team captain) starts jiving on me in the team room.

Carl says to John, "What do you think John?"

I look John straight in the eyes. John didn't say a word in fact to this day he eats shit when he sees me and with a big smile says, "How you doin' Rich?" He tried to friend me when I went back up on FB. Fuck you John.

This happened 48 years ago and I have not forgotten it. I still see John and Carl around.