The Great White North Rears Its Ugly Head; Sarowski’s Latest Disaster

It takes a special kind of arrogance, ignorance, or lack of awareness (or some combination of all three) to put out a column like Nancy Sarowski did this week.  I’m sure we were all dying to hear why a privileged white woman from northern Michigan felt it incumbent upon herself to critique the activities of African-Americans as they work to overcome the racism inherent in our society.   Sarowski’s solution?  Blame the victims.

Now, I will admit that I agree with a number of Sarowski’s point in her column.  I believe we are each responsible for our own behavior and that even if we have suffered at the hands of another we have a chance to break the cycle of violence.   Most of the people I know who have had to deal with abusive relationships find their survival a source of strength and not an excuse for their own bad behavior.  The women held by Ariel Castro are indeed an inspiration to all victims of abuse because they have declared their intentions to move on.  We won’t really know if they are able to do this, or what the lasting effects of their captivity will be on them and their children, but at least they’re off to a good start.

But Sarowski’s column goes horribly wrong when she tries to apply this idea to African-Americans.  In my column for the Petoskey News-Review next week I will offer my analysis of race issues.  It’s an enduring interest for me especially since I moved north and have encountered so little tolerance for minorities.   It wasn’t a month after I moved here that I was having a discussion with a friend from downstate.   He answered my rant with “They don’t call it the Great White North for nothing, Mark.”  Not everyone in northern Michigan is an intolerant racist, of course, but I dread the thought of anyone from downstate reading Sarowski’s column this week because all of us up here are in for another browbeating that only Sarowski and her ilk truly deserve.

There are far too many ignorant and offensive comments in Sarowski’s article to deal with today, so I will only detail the most ignorant and offensive of them.

1)      Nancy innocently asks “Why in the world would they want us to always remember the color of their skin?”   Well, Nancy, “they” don’t.  I’m guessing most African-Americans rue the day that a British scientist in the 1800’s invented the concept of race.  I’ll discuss the origins of race next week, but suffice it to say that there is no science behind race.  The British created it to justify their own alleged superiority – ironically over the Welch and Irish and not the Africans who barely made their human species charts.

2)      Nancy seems sad that she can’t say “nigger” without repercussions.  She has trouble keeping up with what people want to be called.   She laughably suggests that “Negro” was what blacks wanted to be called instead of “nigger.”  How does one begin to deal with such complete nonsense?  Nancy, go ahead, call ‘em niggers.  If that’s easier for you, be my guest.

3)      In Sarowski’s great tradition, she makes a claim about something that isn’t true and then proceeds to knock it down.  Where does she find all the straw to make the straw dogs she’s collecting in her back yard?   She’s going to drive up the cost of hay this year if she doesn’t slow down.    Here’s this week’s whopper: “Irresponsible leaders, especially in the black community, don’t encourage people to work hard, be responsible and forgive. (sic)   They discourage people by breeding jealousy and hatred and all things that break down the human soul.”   Gulp.  Now where do you suppose Sarowski learned these things?  I bet she drives down to Detroit and hangs out in black churches on Sundays in her unending effort to understand her fellow man.

There’s so much wrong with her claim that I am only going to focus on the thing that tells us most about Sarowski. Notice the word “jealousy.”  Sarowski is convinced that black people can be made to be “jealous.”  Jealous of whom? My guess is that in her narrow view of the world she can’t imagine why black people wouldn’t want to be just like her.   This, more than anything, defines the racism inherent in everything Sarowski has to say about this issue.

I have to finish here.  My blood has been boiling since 1:17 this afternoon when I read her column.  Normally writing calms me down, but today it’s just not working.  The more I think about what Sarowski has done, the more I realize we have so much further to go in solving our nation’s problems.  Before I head to bed, however, I’m sending a copy of Sarowski’s column to the Supreme Court.   They’ll no longer believe that race is no longer a big problem in our country and critical parts of the Voting Rights Act will be restored.  In the end, we’ll have little ole’ Nancy to thank!