My Mama didn’t raise me this way, and I know my Dad must be very disappointed in me, but it turns out I’m a racist. I cannot tell you how disappointed I was in myself when I got the news yesterday. I honestly never knew.
This apparently stems from yesterday’s blog, when I mentioned a certain group known for dressing in bedsheets and doing bad things and how they got their comeuppance when they decided to bring their special brand of hate to Sturgis, South Dakota back in the early 1920s.
As I do with every blog post, I put a link to it on Facebook, never knowing that would cause me problems. But somebody reported it as me promoting a hate group, and the post was removed, and I was warned that if I were to post any other “messages of hate or in support of hate groups,” I might be banned altogether.
Obviously, nobody in Facebookland ever bothered to actually look at the blog post, in which I referred to them as cowards and described how they liked to bully the weak, but quickly backed down when met with people who were not afraid of them and stood their ground.
And let’s not forget this was the story of an actual event in our history that anyone could Google and read all about.
In addition to being in trouble on Facebook, I also received an email from a blog reader telling me I was a racist because I referred to the “Colored” soldiers of the 25th Infantry Regiment stationed at Fort Meade and singled them out by referring to them several times as Black soldiers. Again, a simple Google search will show that it was officially called the 25th United States Colored Infantry Regiment, which served with distinction both during the Civil War and in the Indian Wars that followed. The woman who wrote to me to complain that the politically correct term is African-American. Maybe that’s true today, but I was writing from a historical perspective. She also objected to the term Indian, saying they were Native Americans. Not back then, they weren’t. In fact, history tells us that they were not all that fond of what we call Americans back in the day, and with good reason.
Now, I have never strived to be politically correct, but I had no idea that writing about history would put me on the wrong side of the PC crowd and make me a racist. But there it is. It’s not easy being a dinosaur in the modern world.
It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Dog’s Run, my mystery set in a small Ohio town in 1951. I have 29 mystery novels out, as well as 10 nonfiction books, and I have to say that Dog’s Run is my favorite. It’s a gritty tale that is loosely based upon an actual crime that took place in that part of the country when my father was a young police officer there, and I warn you in advance that there’s some rough language, but it’s appropriate to the time and place. To enter, all you have to do is click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening.
Thought For The Day – I am somewhere between the young and the restless and the old and the senseless.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
If facebook doesn’t like it, google can fix it. Not saying they will but I’m sure the technology is there.
I got nailed by the Facebook Police one time myself Nick for doing basically the same thing. Like you said, they don’t really read the posts, they just have software that does it for them. I also use the term “Black” a lot and I’ve had scoldings in the past from folks. God, I get tired of some of the crap people get offended about. BTW, I wrote a review for Wrinkle yesterday. As you know, I am a huge Big Lake fan but now I think I like the Quarrals a tad better. Ya blew me away with the ending in Wrinkle! I never saw that coming and then John Lee and Maddy….WOW. ‘Bout time. When this Covid stuff is all over we have got to get together and have a bite to eat.
Strange new world we live in these days. I’ve lost several friends due to my not believing the current virus is a ‘left wing hoax.’ Glad I’m the age I am.
my motto: “I have discovered the magic of apathy.”
Enjoy your blog and books about Big Lake very much.
I was wondering if it would be ok with you if I copied your post and put it on Facebook just to show people what this world is becoming and what Facebook
is is all about.
Long time reader but hardly ever comment,
MJ
Spring Hill, Fl
Help yourself, MJ
Being Politically Correct these days takes away the true vision of what things were like in those times. Keep being a open minded person Nick.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It’s about time.
That was a great article yesterday Nick thank you
One thing that’s really interesting when ONE Users the term African-American does that mean that every black person is African what about a dark skinned Saharan Portuguese cape Verdean Haitian Bohemian don’t do you think they’re being insulted and lumped in a group that they’re not You could actually think Jessie Jackson for that
My friend is from cape Verde if you call him African-American he’ll be the first to explain to you the different ethnic groups an African-American is not one of them His DNA Has him as Cape Verde English Portuguese French an Dutch
And what is with this American stuff… like Irish American Portuguese American Italian American .
my ancestors came from eastern Russia and Ireland so what does that make me a RusLand American
Your article that you wrote yesterday was very interesting and I enjoyed it. you took the contents from the time era without sugarcoating it. Thank you for that. One does not need to be politically correct All the time… And for those that do,,, please get a life the world does not Revolve around you . I’m sure any intelligent person having a conversation with you could find your prejudices real quick..
From the desk of Mister Ed. The RusLand American
PS
For those of you that want to be politically correct .. did you know that the term African-American What coin in a document 233 years ago
But it wasn’t until 1988 when Jessie Jackson proposed The term African-American now there’s actually a swing to Reverse that
Three things wrong with the term “African-American”
Posted on June 10, 2016 by Sabriyya
1. It classifies black Americans in a way that is only paralleled by “Asian-Americans.” Caucasian Americans are not called European-American, let alone “French-American” because 1) Africa is a large, expansive continent, and 2) to say “European-American” is to simply refer to someone as European and American—classifications independent of race as it is understood as a social construct. The question we as an American society must ask ourselves is: why are black Americans expected to accept the linkage to the African continent when the same is not expected in the delineation of peoples of other racial backgrounds?
2. Not every black person America is “originally from Africa.” Black American-Puerto-Ricans and Panamanians, among many others, are classified as “African-American” under today’s classification of black Americans. Furthermore, these labels, like “African-American” and “Native-American,” seek to establish these “racial” groups as second class citizens when in fact their American identity is equal to that of white Americans, if not more (re: Native-Americans).
3. Above all else, race is a social construct. The “African” part of the racial label “African-American” implies that black Americans are not full Americans; this makes more sense once the term is contextualized in the period of legal slavery in the U.S. These labels are the same mechanism that Apartheid leaders were able to strategically use to create divisions within the black population, as to decrease political autonomy and prevent their unification in an attempt to overhaul the oppressive Apartheid regime.
This is a topic that’s often discussed among those of us who write historical fiction or who put strong language in our stories. We know that some people won’t like it. It’s a balancing act between wanting to be true to the times and the characters versus harming the modern reader. I think it can actually be an effective tool and reveal the ugliness of racism when done right.
I have come to my belief that the further you can stay away from Facebook the better off it is.
Everything that comes out of Facebook gets twisted out of proportion until the arthur forgets what was even said.
DONALD HANN
I am currently serving a 30 day FB suspension for re-posting the popular collage/picture of Donald Trump and his teenage daughter doing lap dances on a pro-Trump page, in response to a “Creepy Joe” post.
I had been previously suspended for re-posting a photo of a white nationalist newspaper headline/front page endorsing DT. Got 7 days for that one.
And I was suspended 3 days for “bullying” when I used the words “silly boy” referring to a pro-Trumper on a pro-Trump page, regarding a question about the succession to office if Trump tried to cancel the election in 2020.
Notice I said re-posted/shared.
To say FB has a bias is an understatement.
Nick, you need to step up your game.:)
28 more days in the hole.
DPH from Alabama
I’m sorry you have to defend your words. Being politically correct may have gone too far.
Nick tell em all to go to H__L what you wrote in yesterdays blog was nothing but history. To the dumba– woman, she needs to get a life. Keep up the good work. The Politically Correct people are what is wrong with this country
This racist complaint has become way over the top and needs to simmer down . I read your blog and as usual, you are and were correct in your wording .
I for one appreciate your historic blogs very much, and I know you will keep up the great blogs.
Thanks Nick
Unfortunately the PC crowd jumps on anything and rarely read the entire entry. We here in Brevard County had the KKK. When we moved here (1959) they were still active. It is believed that they killed Harry and Harriet Moore, black (colored as they were called then) activist NAAC(colored)P members, in 1951 in Mims. This is HISTORY, not pleasant history but history. And those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it.
Nick, reading, and reading comprehension are distinct skill sets. tRump can read, sort of. But he doesn’t. Not even security briefs. So no, they may have read the posts, but not understood what they just read. Like tRump.