A little bit of justice? Maybe. A news website and tourism agency in Prescott, Arizona, announced in the dead of night that Prescott city councilman and local-wingnut KYCA talk-show idiot Steve Blair has been fired from his radio show because he’s bringing national shame to Prescott because he campaigned to have the faces of little school children removed from a K-5 mural because some of the kids were black and brown.
It’s one thing to be a racist; that’s hardly an unusual phenomenon these days. It’s another thing to be a racist AND as ignorant and brain-dead as your average teabagger. Put those (not so) laudable personal qualities together with a radio show, and what you have is a recipe for some serious lunacy…and Steve Blair has certainly not disappointed. Thankfully, someone had the good sense to shut Blair down. I only hope it wasn’t because White Folks in Arizona prefer their racism to be quiet and subtle.
Over the past couple months, Arizona hasn’t exactly distinguished itself as a bastion of color-blind tolerance. The “Papers, please” law that takes effect at the end of next month manages to address the problem of illegal immigration by sending the message that White Makes Right and Brown People are lesser human beings. No matter how much good, God-fearing White Republicans might wax self-righteous about law and order, it’s clear that Arizona is splitting along color lines. White People have the power and make the rules. Brown People would be well-served to just shut up and play the game…or go home.
The fun part of this sorry saga has been watching the truly incurable, virulent racists crawling out from under their rocks. I mean, who raises a public outcry over the color of children on a mural? How consumed by hatred and ignorance do you have to be in order to be consumed by rage…over the color of children depicted on a work of art? Well, you’d probably be a lot like Steve Blair, who used his radio show in Prescott, AZ in order to spew his hatred of those Not White.
I realize and I understand that people like Blair are likely a pronounced minority in Arizona. Unfortunately, their views appear to be carrying the day as more and more White Folks discover that hatred anyone “different” is becoming more socially acceptable. People like Blair are increasingly using their platforms to spread hatred and divisiveness at a time when we really could benefit by working together. Aggressive ignorance, virulent hatred, and legalized oppression are damn poor ways to solve the very real and legitimate problems we face today.
I can only hope that there will be a very special parking place in Hell for Blair and those who think as he does.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
