[Dixielandjazz] Re: Political Correctness

[Mike C.]

    We have truly become a society in which everyday speech can become a 
landmine. There are people who are overly sensitive in every race. There 
was a time in this country until fairly recently where certain racial 
slurs were everyday language in many areas of our country. While gotten 
things have gotten much better, the healing process takes time. Healing 
has no set time limit. That being said, I really object to certain 
entertainers of certain racial groups making racial jokes or songs again 
other races because this race may have suffered bad things from this 
race is not okay. You all know the comedians and artists I am speaking 
of, from Chris Rock to Ice-T.

   That being said, when it comes to jazz I think that we just have to 
tell people who are offended that these are standard tunes and that the 
performers are not out to offend anyone. As a black male myself I have 
been called "Oreo", "A white man with a black body" and other 
unflattering names simply because I played "black and blue". Well "black 
and blue" was written by Fats Waller and Andy Razaf, Waller was black. 
When I tell them that, they usually shut up and are embarassed that they 
even said anything. In fact, many of the so called racist tunes were 
written by blacks. I'll never understand people, I just try to be nice.

Mike