Not long after I started this site a blogger that went by the moniker "Gray Headed Brother" honored us with a few visits.
If you haven't heard of him that's too bad. He was an excellent blogger who made an impact on everyone that read his words.
GHB may have come off as bitter to some of the less open minded. I had more reactionary righties visiting in those days before Chieftess Rightie, Helga the Right is Right Lady ordered them to stop visiting. The reactionaries accused GHB of being a racist simply because they didn't like what he had to say. That racism was alive and well in America 40 years after Martin Luther King was assasinated.
My view was that GHB was an old man with a story to tell and he was welcome to tell it here. It was a privilege that he chose my blog and others in Octo's Swash Zone Community to say his piece.
He was beaten up on the blogs for his troubles. Several right leaning blogs dedicated dozens of posts ripping on him. One of their tricks was to create a blog under the same moniker and post garbage any sane person could tell was an obvious attempt at subterfuge. Gray Headed Brother was a gifted writer. Maybe somebody as talented as a Stimpson or JBW could have pulled something like that off. But not one the usual crop of deluded right wing fools.
Gray Headed Brother finally decided he'd had enough and retired from blogging after far too short a time.
If he still stops by I thank him for his contributions to this site and for reminding us that Dr. King's struggle still goes on today.
Best wishes to you Gray Headed Brother on Martin Luther King Day. I hope and pray you are well.
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52 comments:
I am sorry I was not active in the blogosphere during GHB's active days.
He must have have something given your deep respect for him.
Great post.
Gray-Headed Brother spoke from his viewpoint and gave us real insight into life in America from a black perspective.
Sometimes his posts made me uncomfortable but they always made me thoughtful.
We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
@Truth,
I'm sorry to hear someone was hounded out of speaking their mind, especially online. We need more talk, more detailed elaboration on our positions in America, not less; not reductions/summaries of positions or soundbite politicking or lack of participation by anyone right now: --Especially by those of us who immediately perceive ourselves as "opposites" to some political party, some philosophy or another.
This is as important for the writer/blogger as it is for the reader.
I've taken my share of hits and given as good I've got on my own blog and elsewhere, including here. We all have.
I've had people so upset by what I've written that they asked me to leave the country to which I always reply: "well tough shit."
Nobody, not me and not even the people I profoundly disagree with on the far Right are going anywhere and I'd never ask them to leave because:
This is America, we are going to work this out until our time on Earth is done. That's what the founders meant by "a more perfect union." It wasn't a typo.
I've never had cowards try to sabotage my presence online with phony aliases. That's just horse shit.
If GHB finds, as David Gilmour once beautifully sung that "...there is no more room upon the hill" hopefully he'll rejoin us, all of us, friends and adversaries alike online.
Sorry for the long post, but hell? It's a day for thinking and reflection isn't it guys?
A Happy MLK day to all,
-SJ
Dr. King fought against the voices that tried to silence him. He was killed, but his words lived beyond his Earthly presence.
The technology of TV, not only helped Dr. King spread his word, but showed the violent injustice against a people.
Exposing the truth hurts, but in the end, is the key to progression.
I've only been blogging for 8 months, so I wasn't around to read GHB, but your story of what happened to him does not surprise me.
The blogosphere is full of the age old practice of bigots; they are anonymous.
The cowards that promote hate, unwilling to identify themselves. They know what they say is wrong and socially unacceptable, but hate is not stopped by public shame, it just finds another route, which is always clandestine.
That's why the feel comfortable wearing hoods.
There is still so much hate out there.. Yes, we have come a long way since Dr. King gave his speech, but we still have a very long way to go. You post is a great example of that.
So is the constant attacks on our President, just because of the color of his skin mostly. Yes, some of it is because he is a Democrat, I remember how Clinton was attacked quite well, and how they tried to attack Carter, mostly through his brother, lol, but these go much deeper with Pres. Obama.
There are so many racist attacks, the pictures, the denationalization of him, trying to make him an alien, and just so many things that I am sure the gentle person you are speaking of can relate to.
By no means do I think it is only the President who is attacked this way. It is all persons of color and difference who are in a public position. That just shows we do still have a LONG ways to go, to really have the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream. But some day, we will get there.. I do believe it is coming.
I still have faith and believe in my fellow humans that we can come together, the majority of us anyway. The ones who don't will be marginalized by all of us who are good and kind.
Truth: Maybe GHB still reads our blogs and will see what a nice post you wrote in tribute to him.
He followed my blog and posted some comments and he was insulted and his blog was inflamed. Like Rocky said, he wrote from HIS viewpoint, and I tried to put myself in his shoes; I tried to understand HIM and for that I, like you and others, were vilified. It was very unfortunate.
I still have faith and believe in my fellow humans that we can come together, the majority of us anyway. The ones who don't will be marginalized by all of us who are good and kind.
Annette: I think we’ve found quite a few here on Truth’s blog who fit your description.
A nice tribute to your friend GHB, come back we want to know you too.
I think I'll stick with love. Hate is too great a burden. - MLK
Wherever he is, I hope he knows that he touched people. I identify with him in a way, as I was banned from many MSN communities for opposing Bush in the wake of 9/11.
WHOA WHOA WHOA Just one minute here. Before you all slobber allover this tear-jerking story, your friend GHB whoever that CREEP is is a certified NUT-JOB. Look I been reading all your comments about that racist son of a bitch you seem to be so proud of, and all I can say is what a load of crap!
I personally don’t give a rats ass about his background or how bad he had it when he was young. All I know is that neither I or any of my ancestors ever had a slave so don’t lay that guild crap on me. I don’t want to hear any of it. Martin Luther Kingie day or not! I read that jackass’s blog and all I can say is that if ANU white person said half of the crap that he says he would be thrown to the wolves. The PC crowd bend over backwards for guys like him. This is 2010, get over that crap already .. He is a rotten racist and make no mistake about it. He is a certified racist and a certified idiot!
Read his blog and ten tell me otherwise
http://thegrayheadedbrother101.blogspot.com/
I'm going to DITTO SJ here Truth. Sorry I didn't get to read.. though I guess I can go over to his blog? Now, is that HIS BLOG or something someone threw up to make him look bad or what? :-)
Gwendolyn: I'm pretty sure it's the REAL GHB.
Thanks Saint for giving us his link.
What a great posting and sad story Mr.Truth ...."sad" because so many in these politically sensitive time's are attacked and weeded out, even though those who are quick to attack them wear their pop culture badges and rant how they are all about "free speech". Hell Bubba ... half these so called liberated half assed weakling's that call themselve's advocate's of free speech and such are wusses who ought to be pimp slapped just for being a wuss! I only had a computer for 2 year's as of this April ... and cant believe all the anonymous wusses there are on here.
You can alway's come by my journal and say anything you want ... and I'll post it.
Racism alway's exist in our society, and there is racism on all sides as well .... but mostly just talk and such ... we dont have public lynching's like the old day's ... even liberal Washington DC was lynching at a time right out in the open ... so dont wimper about how liberal it was in the north. When I lived in Brooklyn (NYC), that was the most racist community I ever seen in the USA and I been all over the country. Folk's who just calmly say the term "N-word", in the back of their mind's while saying it think "nigger" ... that's the reality. Thinking you can just sweep all this shit under the rug and make up pop culture term's to cover reality is stupid ... but that's just my half Jew Texas redneck opinion. And no ... I'm not a goddamn democrat or a republican.
Thank You Sir ......
I wish his blog were still up and running. Thanks for posting.
Leslie: Gray Headed Brother’s Blog
There was a troll using his name for a while, perhaps the same one or two trolls that plagued Shaw's blog, and that did not make matters better I am sure.
As if on cue, The Saint chimes in.
Thanks for not deleting it Truth.
"All I know is that neither I or any of my ancestors ever had a slave so don’t lay that guild crap on me. I don’t want to hear any of it."--The Saint
No one here accused you or anyone of being a slave owner or laid any guilt trip on you. You seem a tad too touchy on that subject.
I wonder why.
Here are the three most recent headlines at the GHB's blog:
Don't blame Obama for security foul-up
Hello, my good friends in the blogosphere!
I believe Obama did the correct thing
In the text below each, I noticed not a hint of racism.
Which makes The Saint look like an idiot for calling GHB a "rotten racist".
Thanks for the MLK Day thoughts, Truth. And thanks for the compliment contained therein. Cheers.
Stimpson: If you read his older posts you'll find one on Affirmative Action in which GHB states he doesn't like it. He'd rather be hired on his potential not because he's black #19 or something to that effect.
The fact is, GHB wrote HIS thoughts and feelings from HIS perspective, which happens to be a black man. Who here can relate to that? None of us, because we are all WHITE (I think). We've never had to ride a different bus or sit at different lunch counter or drink from a different water fountain due to the pigment of our skin.
And the fact of the matter is, segregation didn't go away until about 40 or so years ago. That wasn't that long ago. So, it's NOT about slavery, as some would like to think.
What about the MA senate race fuckface? A clear repudiation of your president.
Fuckface? Fuckface? Yo! ASsshole! Like to say that with a name to back it up? You are a coward. What country do you live in? Who's YOUR President? Did he / she spend the day feeding the poor in their city? Fuckface?
Ah, Truth...excuse my slippage of temper? Apologies.
<<<<LOOK! A TROLL!
It's like being at the zoo and seeing an animal for the first time. You have to stare at it while it scratches itself; picks bugs out of its ears; runs around in circles and plays with silly toys.
Then you get really bored and move on to more important things...like life.
Gwen,
I think it's a misunderstanding.
Brown is known to many supporters as "the senate race fuckface".
So he was merely asking our opinion.
I should point out,this is not my site and I'm a guest. so my post right above was a joke in response to Anonymous. I would not refer to a legit candidate that way if I was serious. I could have just as easily said Crowley but wanted to annoy Anonymous who I assumed was a troll from the right. plenty from the left too.
I visited Gray Headed Brother's website and he seems like a nice fellow. I'm sure we disagree on all policy matters but otherwise we could have a rational discourse.
Also, I've had some email correspondence with a few folks of different ethnicity who've stopped by my blog, and we learn from each other. We agree on some political matters, and disagree on others. So yes it's possible.
The people I avoid are the mindless ranters.
Perhaps I should point out that this is my night without drugs.
Will that help? Work?
I was punked, huh?
Thank you Oso, friend and laughing yo ass off. LOL
It did piss me off... Turth, I take it I'm barred for the near future? Who can blame? LOL no smiles. Just me searching for a vacant baggie...or something.... :-)
Gwendolyn: You don't think I was referring to YOU as a troll, do you? My arrows were for the troll above your post, which was supposed to be above my post, but we must've been posting at the same time...oh geez...and I actually HAVE drugs...nothing good...just my Imitrex for my migraines; but they make me dizzy--like I need any help.
The idiot posting as anon 6:49 I suspect is one of the clowns that plagued my former site.
Screw him. He's an insignificant pest.
Thanks for all your comments.
Truth - Today is a fitting day to pay tribute to GHB. He came on strong but inside I always felt that he had good reason.
I know that the feelings against GHB still exist today and must be recognized and put down.
Thanks for you good words, and I'd like to pay my respect to Dr. King.
Gwendolyn: Perfect comment. I've said the same thing to the L twins on Sue's blog.
Pam: Delightful funny come-back.
I miss the Grey Headed Brother...
He sure could stir up more excitment than anyone else could!
Sure! <<<<LOOK! A TROLL!
Go ahead and call me (the messenger) names, like a “Troll”. Boy isn’t that the word of the day, or the decade! Your posts are insightful, funny, you bring so little to the table of conversation. Do you really think that ass-hole racist is a HERO for calling white people the things that he did? And why did STIMPSON pick out these post’s of his to comment on?
“Here are the three most recent headlines at the GHB's blog:
Don't blame Obama for security foul-up
Hello, my good friends in the blogosphere!”
Why not mention these!
“I DO NOT THINK I AM RACIEST BUT I JUST THINK THE SAME COLOR SHOULD BE TOGETHER
Let's face it. According to a book on slavery and race. interracial relationships is a bitter past for black men. Our communities are in disarray and black folks are on this site worrying about sleeping with White folk.”
“Don Imus Makes Another Racist Remark
If you hang around the chimpanzee cage at the zoo long enough, eventually they will fling feces at you, and if you listen to Don Imus long enough, eventually he will make a racist comment.”
“White Americans just can't swallow the idea of a black president. Especially one with Islamic sounding name..”
And here the REAL BRAUTY!
“Are The Jews REALLY The Black Man's Friend? Think About It.
It's time to bring the real haters into this discussion.
Of course that would be the Jews.”
“Don't Blame Obama, the Jews Responsible for the Recession.
I truly believe that the recession is neither Bush's nor Obama's fault, although I would put a substantial portion of blame on the Fed mostly mostly the Jewish bankers like Greenspan”
“Things are different now, we have a Black man in the white house, we have Barack Obama in office now. I love that dude, man. I genuinely love Obama. That’s like, having a black person to represent you and me. We don’t have to bow down to George Bush anymore.”
Happy Martin Luther King Day everyone. I hope that you feel proud of this Racist bastard called "The GRAY HEADED BROTHER"
He's not MY Brother!
"The Saint:" What a misnomer! Troll is too nice a word to describe you. Were I to meet you in person I'd gladly take my steel pointed boots and kick you in your family jewels. You are beyond despicable and certainly no saint, and I'm not even sure you're a member of the human race.
Saint: I was the one who wrote "Look a Troll!" but I was NOT referring to YOU! I was referencing the Anonymous poster.
Trolls are those who "hit and run", normally by fake or anonymous names and have no blogs.
With no dog in this fight I can say that i just came back from reading that blog written by the biggest sounding racist I've read to date.
I can't understand anyone defending that jerk. No matter what side of the political spectrum you are on ESPECIALLY on Martin Luther King's Birthday..
Are you really that dense, Saint? You can't understand the methodology behind looking at the 3 most recent posts? Scouring for "objectionable" posts is cherry-picking; reading the most recent posts is not. Just to make this clear to you, YOU are the one cherry-picking from GHB's blog.
And you really need to learn the value of brevity.
Lobotomy: Maybe youd should consider getting one.
As I pointed out, imposters posting as GHB came around.
And how many freaking names do you blog under Saint?
I think I would have liked GHB. I am sorry I missed him.
P.S. I would have been forced to vaporize Fuckface the Troll. You are a good man my friend.
As a black man living in 21st century America I feel that it's my obligation to be the voice of reason and moderation when I see a bunch of white folks like yourselves having a heated discussion about race, so let's just everyone here slow your rolls for one second.
The estimable Dr. King once said, "I want to be the white man's brother, not his brother-in-law." And that's exactly what I want to be to all of you excitable little crackers: a brother, in spirit as well as in blogging.
Being the kind and gentle man that he is, Truth101 knows very well that of which I speak and that's why he still holds GHB in such high esteem. Yes, he didn't always have nice things to say about Whitey and yes, he seems to have blamed a secret cabal of Jews for all of the financial evils in the world and yes, he...
You know, come to think of it, GHB was actually kind of racist. But if you think about it a little more honestly, every one of us is kind of racist to some extent. And that's OK, it's human nature and it's something that everyone needs to realize before we can have an open and honest discussion about race.
The most important lesson for all of us to learn on this day is that if we are going to build a society based on the spirit of equality we must as a people learn to hate every race equally. That's right, every race; you don't just get to pick your favorites.
For example, it's not enough for me to hate white people for the popularity of the TV show Friends or Jewish people for controlling the world's money supply from an underground bunker buried deep below Zurich. I must also hate Hispanics for selling the same crappy little toys in all of their grocery stores and Asians for giving me only one napkin when I get take out even though I bought enough food for four people and even my fellow black brothers and sisters for talking too loudly during movies that don't star Eddie Murphy in a fat suit.
Dr. King taught, and GHB understood all too well, that it's illogical and immoral to hate one group of people based on their race. It is only through an enlightened philosophy of mutual multi-racial hatred that we'll ever see his hallowed mountain top.
My work here is done. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch one of my boxed Friends DVD sets. I know, I know, this makes me a hypocrite but those three white chicks on the show are really hot. Do you hate me for that? Good, you have taken your first step into a larger world.
I think you're still mad at GHB for getting on you for calling one of the righties who hated him a "moronic dickface" JBW.
I half agreed with GHB on that one. No doubt, the guy was a moron. But neither of us had ever seen his face so there was no way of telling whether or not it looked like a "dick."
I honestly don't remember the specific instance you speak of T101 but if I did say such a thing (wine is a powerful writing motivator and mind eraser) I retract any hateful energy I might have expelled.
On a different note: so what, as soon as an intelligent black man makes a few somewhat controversial statements about race the comments on this thread dry up completely? Every white person on here has something good or bad or interesting to say until a brother has the audacity to speak his mind, huh?
I'm gonna pour a little of tonight's Cabernet out just for Dr. King. I encourage the rest of you crackers to do the same. Holla.
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