On Kramer

Last year or sometime within this time frame, Mel Gibson was caught spewing anti-semitism on a drunken spell. He apologised publicly, and sought help from jewish leaders, like he were a racist-addict. Just now, in the news, Kramer from Seinfeld has been taped spewing racist remarks against African Americans in an angry spell on stage. In his public apology, he appears to be extremely distraught.

I am unfamiliar with Gibson's story, but having watched Kramer's clips, I do sympathize for Kramer. I've always liked the dude on Seinfeld.

I argue that it was an accident, a mistake. We all know *all* the racist sexist stereotypes. We all know *all* about the whites, *all* about the blacks, *all* about the middle easterners, the indians, the mainlanders, the japanese, the taiwanese, the natives, the neufies, the red heads, the blondes, the americans... etc... We know *all* about men, and we know *all* about women.

Speaking for myself, when provoked, when prompted, I think I will make the slip. I will deploy misanthropist stereotypes, and I will be distraught. They will be deployed against me, and I will be distraught. I have deployed them, and I have been distraught. They have been deployed against me, and I have been distraught.

Kramer definitely made a very bad mistake. He hurt others, and in the process, he hurt himself. This kind of behavior should not be tolerated. But this kind of behavior will not be eradicated until we become ignorant of hurtful stereotypes. They will be in use as long as they exist, although they exist only as long as they are in use.

When we are trying to hurt someone, in anger or frustration, we say many things we don't mean, and without regard to consequence--whatever we can think of at the heat of the moment (I'm thinking about all the times my parents argue & fight). Therefore, to go so far as to call Kramer a racist, I think is too much.

Whaddya say? I know I have to forgive him, because I have to forgive myself. But then, I'm not African-American.