85 Comments

1. OSweet:

If a leftist even allowed himself to even begin to consider that leftism is essentially racism, his head would ’splode.

Apr 10, 2009 - 12:09 pm 2. syn:

I do detest the politics of identity, it is dreadful how it divides a Nation and her people; it’s tearing her finely weaved flag into shreds of turmoil, disunity and hate.

Mr Klavan, I hope to become as talented as you in channeling my negative into positive; loved your ‘Shut Up’ monologue as well.

Apr 10, 2009 - 12:48 pm 3. DJ:

…hehe, nice bite into the wormy core of the otherwise perfectly gleaming, leftist apple.

Apr 10, 2009 - 12:52 pm 4. Ed Driscoll » It’s Not Just Bookstores:

[...] Klavan enters the “Bookstore Ghetto”: My copy of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man is old and so, increasingly, are my eyes. It was a [...]

Apr 10, 2009 - 12:59 pm 5. DRG:

Wow, what am amazing piece of journalism!
And how important.
Thank you so much Mr. Klavan that really was an outstanding observation.
Only a couple things: are you implying that all bookstore owners or managers are leftist?
And last I checked, there actually are “Jewish literature” or “Jewish studies” sections in a lot of bookstores.
And I’ve also noticed plenty of books by black authors just sitting out there amongst the non-black authors in fiction/literature sections of a lot of bookstores out there.

I’d suggest doing a little more research on what actually constitutes racism before you spew out another pathetic piece of nonsense like this.

Apr 10, 2009 - 1:18 pm 6. SQT:

I do book reviews and this has come up occasionally when I talk to the authors. One author in particular is black and he doesn’t care for the segregation. He has no say in the category the books are shelved under, his books are not intended to be racially exclusive and he thinks it keeps his books from having a wider audience. I think he’s right.

Apr 10, 2009 - 1:53 pm 7. Stergeye:

Now Andrew,
You should know by now that such conclusions as you draw annoy those among us who know themselves to be more morally evolved than the hoi polloi.
Unless you are one of the self-annointed priesthood of the avatars of political correctness, you’re not worthy, and you’ll have to be punished.

Apr 10, 2009 - 2:52 pm 8. Rob De Witt:

Let’s never forget that special interest groups were conceived of and created by FDR’s “brain trust” as a means of splintering the electorate.

Democrats, Polarizing the Nation Since 1936.

Apr 10, 2009 - 4:25 pm 9. Pajamas Media » Leftism Is Racism:

[...] the entire story here [...]

Apr 10, 2009 - 9:44 pm 10. Bernard Chapin:

Great point, I’ve often wondered the same thing.

Apr 10, 2009 - 9:49 pm 11. Delia:

Andy,

Thank you for another winner. Racism runs deep from the Democrats and yet there seems to be a ‘turn a blind eye’ attitude towards the truth behind that very fact.

I guess the hand-outs and slavery by proxy of those hand-outs are just too hard to resist. Sad really.

Apr 10, 2009 - 10:45 pm 12. JFM:

I have been presuaded of this from the moment I noticed how unimportant Vietnamese and Cambodian lives became as soon as they no longer were useful for the leftist cause. They would have made more fuss about the deaths of a million fleas tahn about the Cambodain genocide.

Try Jane Fonda for genocide!

Apr 10, 2009 - 10:50 pm 13. Moogie:

Nice article Andrew. It points out the absurdity of segregating books. Why not a section on “Women’s Studies” that only displays romance novels? If the novel included more than one black character, the store would just purchase extra copies and have the books double exposed.

Leftist racism is an old saw. Who are the champions for sustaining the welfare state and keeping the underprivileged in need? Who are the champions of Affirmative Action, which at its core states “you blacks can’t succeed on your own, so we’re going to do it for you.” Again, another dependency created.

It’s a long list – going all the way back to the Civil War when the slave owning Dems in the south were finally put of out of the business of human bondage by the Republicans in the north.

Fast forward to the 60s and the Civil Rights movement, and once again, you see Democrats trying to hang on to Jim Crow, while Martin Luther King, Jr. (a registered Republican) and other conservatives marched for equal rights. It should be noted that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was held up in the House and Senate by Dems opposed to the bill.

I find it laughable how the liberals have convinced themselves that they are the champions of equality, when in reality (not that they’re in touch with that) they are the racists and hatemongers. They have hijacked history to make themselves feel good.

Now that I’ve vented, I need to go don my hazmat suit for the spray of spittle I’ll be getting from the liberal trolls who think they have something to add.

Apr 10, 2009 - 11:10 pm 14. Delia:

13. Moogie,

Before you get spat at…I’d just like to say, “Excellent post”! You runnin’ around in my head? You said what I was thinkin’ too but just too tuckered out to put into decent words.

Apr 10, 2009 - 11:27 pm 15. Tristan Yates:

Racism? Naah, the books are just separate but equal…

Apr 10, 2009 - 11:42 pm 16. Moogie:

Thanks Delia. I just used up all of my allotted brain cells for the night. Time to hit the hay and let la-la land recharge my batteries for tomorrow’s fight.

Apr 10, 2009 - 11:49 pm 17. zippy7:

Good article.
People forget that our first “African-American” President really isn’t, he’s our first “Mixed-Race” President, people ignore his white mother because being “African-American” works better for him and the left.

Apr 11, 2009 - 12:41 am 18. Blackwater:

You should see the colleges. They’re all segregated into feminist groups, asian groups, hispanic groups, black groups, gay and transgender groups, etc, you get the idea. Republicans have been dealing with people as individuals rather than as ethnic groups for decades now. Yet everyone on the left still thinks we’re all secretly in the KKK because we don’t embrace their race mongering.

Apr 11, 2009 - 2:55 am 19. Fragmentarian:

On a recent John Mellencamp album, Freedom Road, he insists that Jim Crow is alive and well in America. Who can argue with such a genius?

“Look what Jim Crow’s done and gone
Went and changed his name
Don’t know what he’s going by these days
But he’s still actin’ the same
You can call it what you want to
But it’s still a minstrel show
You can call it what you want to
But it’s still Jim Crow”

This was written in 2007 and one year later, a black man was elected POTUS. Mellencamp is obviously an idiot but this is the kind of thinking that resides on the left. It’s an act of faith that all who are not liberals are racists. Well, in fairness, he may have got the minstrel show part right.

Apr 11, 2009 - 3:26 am 20. Terry:

While I always enjoy Mr. Klavan’s thoughts, I think Blackwater really hit home. Left leaning (if they leaned any further they must fall) are endemic in this country. Colleges are home to leftists and Marxists. Conservatives and Capitalists thought they successfully marginalized the idiotic, but instead set them to teach our youth. We should each sit down and write a check to Hillsdale or some other like-minded (none come immediately to mind) institution of (real) higher learning.

Apr 11, 2009 - 3:35 am 21. Broadsword:

No,no,no,no,no, Meester Klavan. You do not geet eeet. Eees only racism when you do bad theengs to the pipple because of thee skeen color. When do good theengs based on skeen color, eees called ‘Fairness’. Hokey Dokey Mister Evil, Bald Headed, Right-wing nutjob man!

Apr 11, 2009 - 4:30 am 22. Mary Jackson:

Excellent.

Apr 11, 2009 - 4:30 am 23. HardHeadedWoman:

What’s really pathetic is that this is just fine with them and that they feel that it is respectful of them, not denigrating.

Apr 11, 2009 - 4:50 am 24. » Blog Archive » Quote of the day:

[...] Andrew Klavan, April 10th, 2009 Feel free to share this with others: [...]

Apr 11, 2009 - 5:24 am 25. David Thomson:

“People forget that our first “African-American” President really isn’t, he’s our first “Mixed-Race” President, people ignore his white mother because being “African-American” works better for him and the left.”

That is an excellent point. Indeed, we should be calling Barack “Barry” Obama our first mixed-race president.

Apr 11, 2009 - 5:43 am 26. elvis:

And all the conservative books are left in boxes out in the back store room!

Apr 11, 2009 - 6:24 am 27. David S:

I’ve seen many different means and methods for organizing a bookstore. Why continue to shop at a bookstore that you believe is racist?

I’m amused that you are blaming the left for the labels applied to books. It wasn’t so long ago that similar labels were being applied to people by law, with the full support of the GOP.

And isn’t the right of the bookstore owner to use whatever categories they choose?

It seems to me your complaints are a little shallow.

Peace.

DS

Apr 11, 2009 - 6:37 am 28. arhooley:

Wow! I wonder what would have happened if you’d used the drinking fountain located in the Black section of the store. Would everyone have embarrassedly averted their eyes, save one concerned soul who would have ushered you quickly to the Whites’ fountain where you could quench your thirst in an appropriate manner?

Ooh, and can’t leave without responding to David S, who’s right above me at #27! David, I’ll just pick off the easy strawmen:

1 – Did Klavan say he was going to *continue* to patronize that bookstore?
2 – Did Klavan say the bookstore has no right to segregate its books? Does anyone say so? We all have pretty expansive rights, and we can be as dumb as we please in exercising them.

Apr 11, 2009 - 6:54 am 29. Jim N.:

David S.

I think you need a history lesson. It was southern Democrats that enforced Jim Crow laws. Actually, Republicans were influential in passing the Civil Rights Act. It was only later that many Dems moved left to secure the African-American vote.

Apr 11, 2009 - 7:18 am 30. Dave:

“I do detest the politics of identity”

Pretty funny statement on a site visited by people who specialize in attacking anyone who steps even slightly out of the right wing orthodoxy and who spew the worst stereotypical characterizations of those who disagree with them.

Apr 11, 2009 - 7:20 am 31. Straw man, much?:

I’m amused that you are blaming the left for the labels applied to books. It wasn’t so long ago that similar labels were being applied to people by law, with the full support of the GOP.

Except that the principal proponents of these laws were in the South which was run by the Dems. And the Dems were the major force trying to obstruct the Civil Rights Act. And the President who actually freed the slaves was a Republican. Keep on with the historical revisionism, brother *fist salute*.

Peace.

Apr 11, 2009 - 7:35 am 32. Chris Chambers:

You are all wet.
This is one of those issues…few in number…like excessive “sex” in commercials, pop culture etc. where conservatives are right to focus on the problem but, as usual, attack the wrong enemy.

The “black” section has nothing to do with “liberal racism.” It’s a simpler, more pervasive demon: the insouciance and ignorance of marketing, business wogs who make these decisions on a corporate level. These are the same people who “cartoonize” sex to use it as a tool to sell, and generally infantilize the American public and consumer.

Now, of course I feel that’s beneficial to conservatives, which is why the big business rightwing usually tell the social rightwing to cool it, lest the cat be let out of the bag.

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:04 am 33. janetney:

the democratic party forces people to see the race of a person…the republican party empowers that person to be an American…thank you for this article…i’ve blogged about the same and i say so proudly…

janet ney

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:05 am 34. D'oh!:

“I’m amused that you are blaming the left for the labels applied to books. It wasn’t so long ago that similar labels were being applied to people by law, with the full support of the GOP.”
Nazi!

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:12 am 35. Azul Del Fuego:

I’m saving a copy of Moogie’s response. Perfect. Just perfect. I won’t plagerize, but unfortunately when I credit “Moogie”, not too many people will know to whom the credit is due!

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:12 am 36. Scott W. Somerville:

So we segregate books by color and hide the conservative titles. It goes even further… the New York Times doesn’t count books sold in “Christian bookstores” in its “Best Seller” list. (Not urban legend–documentation here: http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=3649)

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:14 am 37. pops:

If they would only figure out that if you are beholden to goverment to bail you out (welfare et al), you are in bondage to a slave master……

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:21 am 38. Anonymous:

What a timely article. The exact same thing happened to me the other day when I went to my local bookstore to find a copy of one of my favorite books…. Beloved by Toni Morrison. I searched and searched the general literature area only to finally be told that it was in the African American section. Surreal. At the very least, copies should be stocked in both sections.

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:21 am 39. mioilman:

As a reformed liberal I implore left leaning youngsters I come in contact with not to wrap their persona within their ideology.

So many liberals I come in contact with have absolutely no ability to process anything that conflicts with their world view.

Churchill said, “If you are young and not liberal you don’t have a heart, but if you are over forty and not conservative, you don’t have a brain.”

By the way my leftist friends, that was Winston not Ward who uttered that.

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:24 am 40. jukin:

Scratch a liberal find a racist…. and …. a fascist.

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:25 am 41. Blognigger:

Great article. Good perspective, and I just wish leftist patronizing white people were ballsy enough to tell it the way you do.

Perfect example of how censorship backfires regardless of the intention.

idiots.

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:29 am 42. George Clarke:

Barack Obama and his ilk, by intentionally aiming to destroy the money supply, as they destroyed the education and housing systems, and every economic sector they touch, just as Stalin, Lenin, Mao and Castro did, have no other purpose but to drive the poor minorities who they should represent, and how slavishly vote for them, further into poverty and dependence — on them. This is the true anti-black prejudice of Obama and the Left, the worst bunch of anti-minority racists I ever saw in my life. And they are proud to lie about it.

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:59 am 43. Janet:

Can we discuss what is happening today?

http://www.rogerhedgecock.com/resources/HSA%20-%20Rightwing%20Extremism%20-%20Climate%20Fueling%20Radicalization%20and%20Recruitment,dated%207%20April%202009.pdf

Apr 11, 2009 - 9:11 am 44. Moogie:

Dave and David S: You both get an “F” for incorrect answers to today’s question: Who has been more instrumental in recognizing individuals for their talents, character, and accomplishments, and not for their skin color, thereby pigeon-holing people into segregated groups – conservatives or liberals?

You obviously did not do your homework. Get your American History books back out (no – not those ones that have been re-written by liberal history revisionists!) and study the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights act of 1964 – and then write a 1,000 word essay on the conservative values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I’ll retest you next week, but in the meantime, I want each of you to write on the chalk board: “I will stop being a racist” 500 times each.

Your assignment after that is to attend a black conservative CHRISTIAN church (no – not a black liberation theology church, as those aren’t Christian) and get to know some black conservatives. Get to know them as individuals, not as statistics to be used as a shield or weapon to further someone elses agenda. Join committees at the church – get involved. Then write a 20,000 word essay on what you learned, and if you didn’t learn anything new, explain why not (because of your hard heart).

Apr 11, 2009 - 9:12 am 45. Marie Claude:

uh, in France we have a section for American books, is it a sin ?
cuz I guess it’s a sin just being French, at least some say so, and d’ya know, I can’t believe it !

Apr 11, 2009 - 9:19 am 46. Sowell Disciple:

Thomas Sowell wrote an article about “bookstore ghettoes”:

http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2007/05/10/bookstore_ghettoes?page=full&comments=true

He cites one of his own books and other examples that are in such a “special” section only because the authors are black. That spells doom for the books as far as competing within their actual subject matter is concerned. Well-intentioned racism, indeed.

Apr 11, 2009 - 9:29 am 47. Nett Robbens:

Thank you for a well-written piece. It’s refreshing to see the segregation of literature enrages others as well. Oddly enough, it’s more offensive that some bookstores don’t even have an “African-American” section. At least with a section, there’s hope to read another point of view.

Apr 11, 2009 - 10:05 am 48. BobNweave:

Mais oui, MarieClaire, the French are living in a state of sin.
Please people, if you feed the trolls they multiply. Oh and if I had a buck for each time a troll used the verb “spew” my finances would be much improved.
If you want to see the results of the good old “free Angela Davis” leftist race-baiting, take a look at Moscow today with racially motivated assaults and murders. My friends, one of Chinese, another of light-brown (Cuban) extraction were subjected to some vicious vitriol on a Moscow street, from a well-dressed middle-age man. Or check out Russian blogs where they’ll proudly remark how their kids find blacks’ smell repulsive.

Apr 11, 2009 - 10:12 am 49. erika:

a world gone mad.

Apr 11, 2009 - 10:16 am 50. qwfwq:

DRG: You’re half-wit, right?

Apr 11, 2009 - 10:20 am 51. Sonny:

#5 DRG:

It sounds as though you are so emotionally wrapped up on your beliefs, that your guilt regarding racism is showing.

Slow down, pal. Take things as they are; not as you would like them to be.

Apr 11, 2009 - 10:42 am 52. Marie Claude:

uh, Bob that weave of yours, I bet you found it in the reptiles section

Apr 11, 2009 - 10:46 am 53. Mark:

Andrew, per your earlier video, SHUT UP!

Apr 11, 2009 - 10:46 am 54. Andrew Klavan: Leftism is Racism « The Daley Gator:

[...] Klavan: Leftism is Racism Absolutely brilliant You know, every now and again, I meet a conservative individual who is an avowed racist, and [...]

Apr 11, 2009 - 10:48 am 55. jerryofva:

Zippy and David:

You are both wrong. Warren G. Harding was our first black or as you both correctly point out our first mixed race President. Republicans are always the first to empower minorities and women.

http://stewartsynopsis.com/warren_gamaliel_harding.htm

Apr 11, 2009 - 10:58 am 56. elvis:

Another smart bomb by Andrew Klavan.

Apr 11, 2009 - 12:06 pm 57. All this in a book store « Elvis the Original Terminator’s Blog:

[...] You know, every now and again, I meet a conservative individual who is an avowed racist, and that’… [...]

Apr 11, 2009 - 12:06 pm 58. Scoop11:

Why are you guys choosing books that I had to coincidentally read for class?

It is silly to be dividing the books based on race. I thought that we were all supposed to be one people now that Obama is president?

Apr 11, 2009 - 12:21 pm 59. Christopher Syn:

Just a note, Although I agree with the main point of your piece I must point out that at the largest chain bookstore in the U.S, Ralph Ellisons fiction is in fact in the literature section, as are all the other authors of whatever stripe that produce fiction,essays, prose and poetry.The only books that end up in the ethnic study areas which you might argue about are biography and memoirs. Thanks!

Apr 11, 2009 - 1:42 pm 60. ktward:

Uh … wait. You’re equating ‘Left’ ideology with racism because of your local bookstore’s sorting practices?

Really? That didn’t seem a false equivalency to you as you posted your thoughts?

I suppose you still expect to be taken seriously, too.

Apr 11, 2009 - 2:19 pm 61. Acanthus:

“Your assignment after that is to attend a black conservative CHRISTIAN church (no – not a black liberation theology church, as those aren’t Christian) and get to know some black conservatives.”

Funny…the majority of these so-called “black conservatives” vote for Democrats.

Apr 11, 2009 - 2:36 pm 62. JDubya:

So very true that the ones who call themselves Liberal and “left” are actually more inclined towards segregating people into their special areas.

I watched this enough over the years that now I call people to carpet when they attempt to relate to others, not of their race/creed/color/sex/sexpref/blah/blah/etc. The latest are my in-laws, brother in-law and his half-wit wife. These two are the thirty-something slacker (we are caucasian) type who constantly drop all the racial, ethnic, and religious tones at family get togethers. I really do not know why. They are not religious, know very few people of different races, and they smoke a lot of pot.

They are these leftists you speak of. I simply call them leftards.

Apr 11, 2009 - 3:57 pm 63. AtheistConservative:

This really isn’t a revelation to most Conservatives, who see the racism endemic to liberals as clear as day. It’s why they revere people like Noam Chomsky, who lives in a rich white neighborhood, teaches at a rich white school, and employs only white male staff. Heck, most liberals live in all-white neighborhoods. It’s why Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton made those incredibly racist statements that were dutifully ignored by the media. The examples go on and on.

What I think would be more interesting would be an explanation of the complex nature of liberal racism, because it is bizarrely tied up with their self-hatred, white guilt, and American hatred. One might think they’re just childish narcissistic bitter people with serious emotional issues who feel the need to try to control the universe. Maybe.

Apr 11, 2009 - 4:34 pm 64. ricpic:

To Marie Claude: I have it on great authority – Mark Twain – that “There are human beings and then there are the French.” Sorry to break it to you. ;^)

Apr 11, 2009 - 4:44 pm 65. Moogie:

#37 Pops: Well said!

Apr 11, 2009 - 5:06 pm 66. Dark Helmet:

The nice thing about racism is that it doesn’t discriminate. We should all practice reverse discrimination. ( ponder that if you have grey matter )

Apr 11, 2009 - 5:55 pm 67. Oscar the Grump:

I had the experience of going to an air museum today. It reminded me what an American really is. It didn’t seem based on race, color, ethnicity or any other thing. It was apparent that dying for this country wasn’t pigeon holed by any category.

bless you all.

Apr 11, 2009 - 6:53 pm 68. anonymous:

Janet,
That is damn scary.

Apr 11, 2009 - 7:02 pm 69. Delia:

68. anonymous,

I’m with anon! Janet, that is indeed damned scary!
Can anyone qualify the veracity of that .pdf file? I back-tracked and googled a bit and it does appear to be legit .pdf on some .gov sites. Targeting retired military individuals and conservatives as terrorists? UGH!

Apr 11, 2009 - 8:24 pm 70. DavidN:

Two things, to introduce myself. I’ve worked in four different bookstores, managed three of them. And two, yes, I’m a Republican and a conservative.

Categorizing books isn’t as easy as it looks. Ellison, for example, could go in fiction, or classics, or African-American studies. Actually, that’s not that bad for a book. Some books could be in four or five categories based on the attitude of the person doing the shelving. Joseph Hanson’s Dave Brandstetter detective novels could go in either mysteries, or gay fiction (the main character’s gay). I believe I have seen Mr. Klavan’s books in both fiction and mysteries.

The difficulty, near as I can tell, is the political aspect of the store having an African-American section. Some stores do have Jewish sections, believe it or not. There’s actually a whole Jewish bookstore in the Valley that I pass every once in a while. When you’re running a store that’s general in nature, and you’re trying to be different from the big boys, having something like an African-American studies section, or a women’s section, a Jewish section, whatever, might be the difference between surviving and putting up a “Going out of business” sign. Which of these you do is (in my mind) largely determined by two things: your own proclivities or background, and your customer base. If you’re black, you’re likelier to have an African American section. If you’re in an ethnic neighborhood, you’ll cater to that ethnicity. I don’t know where the store you were at is located, and I don’t know if it’s a chain or an independent, but I do know that they’re just trying to serve their customers, for the most part. Now I will grant you that some stores are run by lefties (Midnight Special in Santa Monica, if it’s still there, is notorious for leftist politics) but most of these guys are in business. They’d be stupid to try and not sell you a book–most bookstores are on the verge of insolvency anyway. Both national chains are reportedly in danger of being sold or going bankrupt, and many independents are in trouble too.

Apr 12, 2009 - 1:55 am 71. DavidN:

36. Scott W. Somerville:

So we segregate books by color and hide the conservative titles. It goes even further… the New York Times doesn’t count books sold in “Christian bookstores” in its “Best Seller” list. (Not urban legend–documentation here: http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=3649)

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but the NYT bestseller list isn’t based on books sold in *any* bookstore. It’s based on books ordered by publishers and distributors who are going to sell them to bookstores. Famously, James Michener’s book “Sports in America” was on the NYT Bestseller list, even though the publisher’s factory was snowed in and the books never got to the store. The Christian loophole has been notorious also, for a long time. Some newspapers include a “religious” bestseller list now, but I don’t think NYT does. Frankly, I’m not that certain why anyone pays attention to the thing anymore anyway.

Apr 12, 2009 - 2:04 am 72. Rob:

I had this same argument awhile back with your fellow blogger Ron Rosenbaum, trying to point out that his leftism was racism. He got upset.

Apr 12, 2009 - 3:58 am 73. Marie Claude:

Ricpic

“It has always been a marvel to me–that French language; it has always been a puzzle to me. How beautiful that language is! How expressive it seems to be! How full of grace it is! And when it comes from lips like those [of Sarah Bernhardt], how eloquent and how limpid it is! And, oh, I am always deceived–I always think I am going to understand it.”
- Mark Twain, a Biography

“I can speak French but I cannot understand it.” MT

“Clemens was in Paris from February to July 1879, struggling to finish A Tramp Abroad during a miserably cold winter and spring, while
wracked by rheumatism and dysentery. His attitude toward Paris and the French—appreciative during his first visit in 1867—now became intemperate and hostile. He filled his notebook with irascible comments, which he then developed in more than 140 pages of manuscript, attacking French morality and political and social history. He made no use of the material, apparently realizing that its harsh tone could find no place in his travel book. Clemens persisted in his dislike of the French, later acknowledging that this was his one “race prejudice.”

umm, a guess, dysentery inspired him !

Apr 12, 2009 - 6:39 am 74. Linguist:

Excellent observation. Democrats, particularly those of the Ivy League intellectual wannbe-elite variety, are all about “-isms”. Deliberately creating splintered fractions of “victims”, each vying for a piece of the pie. Feeling they are completely within their rights to demand their slice simply because they are an “-ism” and therefore unquestionably deserving.

It’s the old “divide and conquer” wolf in modern, blinged-out sheep’s clothing.

And it still works amazingly well. Most, even those who would never consciously discriminate against anyone based on race, are so ingrained to this kind of mindset it never occurs to them to question why so many things continue to be set aside separately.

Of course, one could argue it’s because the “-isms” aren’t smart enough or color-blind enough themselves to navigate through a truly color-blind and properly-labeled bookstore. But that wouldn’t be very nice, would it?

Apr 12, 2009 - 7:39 am 75. Down in the bookstore ghetto at Joanne Jacobs:

[...] Ellison’s Invisible Man, he couldn’t find it in the literature section. It was in the Bookstore Ghetto, he writes on Pajamas Media. When I asked a salesgirl for help, she took me—but of course!—to [...]

Apr 12, 2009 - 10:09 am 76. Festum:

I pity you, America, for giving birth to these wretched offsprings here, or perhaps elsewhere, that further divide our beloved nation by means of political identity, or as recently put, by one’s action of showing respect in foreign soil.

Hell, if THIS HERE, especially the arguments here, is is the best that America has to offer for our future, may God save our souls.

Apr 12, 2009 - 7:56 pm 77. DavidN:

Midnight Special’s gone, btw. I looked it up today. I guess I don’t get over to Santa Monica as much as I used to.

Apr 12, 2009 - 8:58 pm 78. Tom West:

DavidN, you mean separate sections for different types of books might be driven by the MARKET? But thats… thats… *right* wing!

Noooooooooooo

Silly people. You’ll be happy to know that the left is up in arms about this as well, assuming it’s a right wing conspiracy while the right is up in arms assuming it’s a left-wing conspiracy. Has all the makings of a mediocre comedy film.

Nobody has asked whether the *customers* might find it convenient. And the answer is, the bookstores certainly think so.

Apr 13, 2009 - 3:53 am 79. Aleena:

In the 1950s, I remember that there was a rumor that a celebrity had a black ancestor. To have any African American blood was a scandal; even a drop of African American blood made you black. I found this very distasteful; this was the heart of racism. Today, we have a president who has a white mother and black father. But he is black; the white part does not count. This of course, is not racism.

Identity politcs whether practiced in bookstores or political campaigns is inherently racist. I long for the day when we can all think of ourselves as Americans – to do otherwise is racist.

Apr 13, 2009 - 7:12 am 80. Pastor of Muppets:

Anyone who has ever read “The Invisible Man” would clearly understand that the narrative is an extended metaphor for what it means to be black in white society. Therefore, although it would make sense to file the book under fiction, it would also make equal sense to file it under African-American Literature.

If your argument is that no books should ever be filed under “African American Literature”, you’ve probably never been to a library. Good luck trying to wade through thousands of stacks of books to find a certain category of works if the only classifications are “fiction” or “non-fiction”.

I am, of course, assuming that people here actually go to libraries. Which is a rather huge assumption to make, considering that libararies are public institutions and therefore are Socialist/Marxist/Totalitatianist/Fascist/Sith.

Apr 13, 2009 - 11:32 am 81. MP:

Klavan’s experience reminds me of one of my own, years ago. I was looking for a book called “Mutiny on the Amistad”, by Howard Jones. Thoroughly searched the history section at a large Barnes and Noble, finally gave up, and asked an employee for help. Yes it was in African American Studies, where I hadn’t thought of looking.

Now personally, I think if I had been running the store, I would have had that in the history section. Less confusing, at least to my way of thinking. Still, I did not, and do not, see that as evidence of leftist racism.

Also, if you’re having trouble finding a book in a store these days, many of them now have computer terminals around that will tell you whether it’s in stock, and what section to find them in. Not unlike a library.

Apr 13, 2009 - 2:54 pm 82. C:

My children are Bi-racial. My wife and I have had talks with them about what that means since they were old enough to notice that our family looks a bit different that other families.

My oldest refers to herself as Black. She understands that to be Black in this country and be decedents of slaves means that you are mixed race by definition. She looks at her grandfather, cousins and aunts on the Black side of her family and see people who are the same color as her eventhough they have two parents who are “Black.” Her mother and I have taught her that she has the right to define herself.

My youngest calls herself Bi-racial. This again is her choice. She see her mom and wants to acknowledge her mother through her self chosen title. Again she has the right to define herself.

For the record, I thought I was going to be able to raise my kids as human. The world’s left, right, black, white and all shade of in between have not allowed me to do this. Their identity was being questioned from day one at school and on the play ground. To combat this we needed to help embrace their ethnicity and take pride in it. Now race is not the issue for them. They are far more concerned with body image as.

I have problems with people who try to define me without first understanding me. The inability to get to know a person is the root of all the “-isms.” Perhaps if we organized our bookshelves by how the authors define themselves as writters, then we might have less of a problem.

Apr 14, 2009 - 8:22 am 83. JackT:

I think you need to change book stores dude. I’ve never seen anything like that. This post was written to fit your twisted, racist view of things. You Republicans are pathetic.

Apr 14, 2009 - 8:12 pm 84. paul_unalaska:

JackT, calling Mr. Klavan racist and political party pathetic. You apparently hadn’t received/ accepted Teleprompter Guy’s ‘Hope’ n ‘Change’ mantra.

You’re small in every meaning imaginable..

Apr 15, 2009 - 11:42 pm 85. Tom West:

“For the record, I thought I was going to be able to raise my kids as human. The world’s left, right, black, white and all shade of in between have not allowed me to do this. Their identity was being questioned from day one at school and on the play ground. To combat this we needed to help embrace their ethnicity and take pride in it.”

Wow, I’m sad for you. My boys are biracial, but didn’t notice their ethnicity until I pointed it out to them in about grade 5. It had never come up before. The palpable shock and incomprehension from the students when the teacher first talked about racial discrimination during “Black History Month” in grade 5 was interesting. (My oldest was upset for weeks – he had assumed that adults in ‘modern times’ were rational…)

However, I will say that *cultural* differences rather than physical differences are noticed by the kids much, much earlier. The kids in the neighborhood are racially diverse, but culturally uniform – Canadian liberal urban middle-class.

Apr 16, 2009 - 8:37 am

Write a Comment

Name:	(required, displayed)
Email:	(required, not publicized)
URL:	(optional, displayed)
Comments: