Tuesday 28 May 2013

Smoking Crack with DRUG DEALERS

OK, so Ford Nation is apparently standing by their asshat guy.

Mostly they're in denial that the video exists.

On Twitter today Ezra LeRant aired a different theory.



Leaving aside the incredible racism of that, I decided to take the challenge (and I needed cigarettes).

My local convenience store is owned by a bunch of brown guys. Not related as far as I can tell. Some, judging by accent, born here or got here really early, some born elsewhere. I think Pakistan, that part of the world, but I've never asked.

Sometimes, there's a woman in a head-scarf hanging around. She never serves customers and for quite a while seemed to disapprove of me. She's warmed up a little and occasionally smiles at me now.

So, brown Muslim people.

I have a good relationship with the two main guys. One in particular really likes me. I have no idea why but he always gives me a big smile and a free lighter.

My fave guy was behind the counter today. I decided not to ask him if he thought Rob Ford was black, lest he think me nuts and cut off my free lighters.

But I did ask him what he thought about Ford smoking crack.

At first he shrugged, clearly not wanting to answer. But I figure all those lighters put me in a special category so I pushed and he said something interesting.

'In this country, everybody does that.'

Me: 'What? No. Not everybody smokes crack. I don't know anyone who has smoked crack.'

Him: 'Well, maybe not crack, but something. Marijuana. . .'

Me: 'OK, yes, lots of people do or have tried soft drugs. But not a lot do hard drugs like cocaine or crack.'

He shrugged again, trying to dodge. I pushed some more.

Me: 'What do you think of him doing drugs with drug dealers?'

Him: 'OK. That's bad.'

Of course I have no idea how representative his view is, but think about it.

You come from a very conservative society. And land in Toronto, which at the moment has the 'least photogenic human being in the history of the species' as mayor.

This mayor not only looks weird, he does weird shit, but then, in your view, most of your new neighbours do weird shit.

Maybe they all do weird shit like smoke crack. Even the mayor.

This doesn't bear thinking about, so when a pushy customer asks you about it, you try to dodge the question.

In talking to our neighbours about this, maybe we should lean more heavily on the questionable/criminal company Ford keeps.

And, of course, when the video comes out -- and it will -- lean very heavily on the comment FatFuck made about 'f---ing minorities'.

By the way, I still got a lighter even after I was pushy.

Image that inspired 'least photogenic human being' comment.




Hm, image is too small. Go to the source to get the full effect. Also, a pretty good article.




4 comments:

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Black as coal! Midnight, even!!!
~

The Pedgehog said...

Hey, just dropping in to beg you (again) to stop with the mean name-calling around Ford's weight. He has given us a range of choices - policy and personal - on which to base our critique of him; is it so hard to do so without alienating fat progressives?

fern hill said...

Noted.

You have any idea how much I weigh? Or do you just get your jollies indiscriminately finger-wagging?

The Pedgehog said...

No, I think your weight has as little to do with it as Rob Ford's does.

And no I don't get my jollies from this, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect better than fatshaming from fellow progressives. I'm not indiscriminate; I only bring this up with people who I know can do better.

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