Originally Posted by jjwales:
“ You may think he went about it the wrong way, but that doesn't make him racist.”
The way he went about it was in a racist manner and that does make you a racist.
The campaign was also based on racist assumptions that black people are more influenced by music, much like the anti-rap movement under the Reagans, it made the assumption that if black people see or hear violence that they are going to act it out whereas white people do not.
He failed to understand that some forms of music portray social issues and that can be positive for discussion. James Cagney films don't cause crime, nor do horror movies spark of serial killers, nor does the Fairytale of New York encourage domestic violence and dancehall music doesn't cause homophobia. It shows it up. Only racist stereotypes makes people acknowledge the first parts of the above sentence but get befuddled over the last one and try to explain why it is different.
Quote:
“And while Jamaica may not be the worst place in the world, it is certainly an extremely homophobic country.”
Every country is homophobic and Jamaica is more homophobic than the UK. It is too homophobic, but it's not even close to being the most homophobic in the Caribbean much less the world. Talking about an issue doesn't mean it exists more. Just like the fact that paedophilia is now openly discussed in the UK doesn't mean that it is happening more and is actually a sign that it is a social issue that is being tackled.
Gay people were actually imprisoned in Cuba and gay cruises were banned Barbados who of course have harsher anti gay laws. The same cruise that went to Jamaica instead and had no issues... That is because Jamaica is a regular party island for american gay tourism. That's one of the things that get the homophobes upset an upset by the visible flaunting of such hedonism. Of course you wouldn't know that if all you know about the place is the stereotypes built by PT and his cohorts.
Jamaica has a homophobic law which means that gay people can be harassed and targeted but which is not brought as far as prosecution. It should be repealed. It is unjust to have it on the books. However, the anti-Jamaican hate music campaign which was an attack on the country itself, an important part of it's revenue and did politicize the issue lead to the equivalent of the conservative party there adding homophobia to mainstream politics to appeal to family values, protecting youth and country etc and probably put that back by decades.
So who exactly was PT's campaign for, if not himself? What did it achieve? And was it ever meant to achieve anything for gay Jamaicans or black gay people in the UK? If it was wouldn't it have been formulated a bit differently?