Why can't the government see that bigotry is still thriving in America?

Of course they can see it. They use bigotry as a political tool all the time.

Maybe you could tell me what you mean by “the government.” The Federal government certainly recognizes it, as far as the Department of Justice is concerned. But you have to remember that policies of governments are set by those elected, and those elected in much of this country are racist bigots. Look at the laws being passed through many states to restrict voter access.

Bigotry is imbedded in many of the states, and it is difficult to overcome.

Which government? Local government? Federal?

During the Obama McCain Presidential run the mayor one town up from me put on his facebook that we should go back to a time when only land owners could vote. This was in a town in the south about 25 miles outside of Memphis. He is the government I guess, and he would probably say there isn’t any bigotry in government. The irony right?

But, state and federal governments still have laws supporting affirmative action, we still divide people up by group on the census, some states still allow qutas set aside for public schools and university admission, and I think that acknowledges there is some bigotry and unfairness out there.

As far as your link, there will always be people like that, even if the country was 99.9% “color blind” there would be the .1% who are horrible.

Probably the simplest answer is that bigots don’t view themselves as bigoted – and that goes from Grandpa Joe on the porch all the way up to the House and Senate.

What you see as bigotry may very well be seen (by the person) as “defending tradition” and “the way it used to be”.

The real problem is that bigotry is not definable – there is not a yardstick that says “this is a bigoted statement” and “this is not”.

And frankly, the example you linked to is pretty darned mild compared to some I have seen.

I find it ironic that God Bless America was written by someone who immigrated to this country…

@uberbatman, Amen, and ironic that the very people who wrote this and love baseball, loved the latino, and other immigrants that help make baseball a big deal. They don’t seem to have a problem with them playing in the all american game like baseball. But God forbid they sing the American Anthem, which, I bet all those who commented, don’t know the words too. Bet, many of them start by singing, JOSE can you see, instead of Oh, say can you see.
@elbanditoroso, I don’t think it bigotry is all that hard to define. Its like being pregnant. You either are or your not.
@JLeslie The problem I find is that it seems that it has gone crazy since Mitt Romney made it clear to the nation that bigotry is ok. And our legislature (especially republicans) have also made it very clear that it is ok. Ha! The 47%, who gives a hoot. It is not like they are Americans, because they were born here and raised here, work and vote. I just feel like the bigots just voiced out loud what the majority of the republican party feels. We don’t count because we will never be seen as Americans.

@Pandora And, let’s not forget God Bless America was written by a Jew born in Russia, or might have been somewhere else that is not currently Russia, but part of the Russian empire at one time.

Anyway, these people who write these horrible hateful things have no connection to their heritage before America. I once made a comment to a friend how I found it so odd that so many people in the parts of the south and parts of the midwest have no idea where their families are from, and that the food in the south also reflects an absence of ethnicity. Not easy to find great Italian, Greek, or Asian food in the south. Let alone good pastries and bread. They associate being American with having been here for many generations, “white” as in the whitest of white, I don’t even know how to write that, but I assume I am understood. They don’t think non-whites (by their definition of white), nonChristians, or new immigrants can be patriotic Americans. By contrast I grew up around people who were immigrants to our country or had parents and grandparents who had immigrated here and they were extremely grateful to be American and in my opinion taught me to never take this country for granted and to love America, so I get pretty frustrated by these idiots who don’t understand we are a country of immigrants. Let alone that when we drew the border for Mexico many of the “Mexicans” on the North side basically became Americans, they have been here longer than many of us. Basically native.

When a southerner says very racist shit about black people sometimes I respond, “too bad your people did the immoral thing of bringing them over here, now you have to live among them more than any other part of the US.” These hateful people are ignorant and very used to being in the majority, and that is slipping away and it freaks them out. Now with social media their voices can be heard all over, and then people repost their responses either because they agree or they are disgusted, but it keeps the opinions out there. I do want to say that my years living in the south I firmly believe the vast majority of the people are not racist.

I am sure they see it, but what do you want them to do about it?

We do have some laws ameliorating the worst expressions of bigotry in this country.

Bigotry IS the USA. So glad I don’t live there.

@sparrowfeed I really don’t see how someone who lives outside of the US can say that. Countries viewed from afar through media and what your own countrymen say is not the same as really knowing the other country and it’s people. We are over 300 million. To make a blanket statement about all of us or the country as a whole is not really fair or logical.

@sparrowfeed, I’ve seen it in other countries as well. Not just here. I guess I just expected us to be far improved by now. It seems that social media may not be bringing society closer to acceptance of our differences but it may be shredding us apart.
@Neodarwinian, You have a point. I suppose there isn’t much they can do except maybe for enforcing the laws of our country evenly, by giving women the equal rights that men have, that give people the right to an actual fair trial. I know each state makes their own rules but certain rules should be enforced on a federal level.

@Pandora Well, we seem to be moving in the right direction with gay rights and gay marriage, even with the negativity out there. The bigots are being crowded out. I really believe there will be fewer and fewer not more and more. The few just are loud.

The government in the United States is a representational body, elected by the people. The laws are made by and for the majority, but there is always a vocal, dissident minority.

There are laws against discrimination of various kinds, but not everyone follows the law. In fact, many of the people whose job it is to enforce the laws are guilty of bigotry.

@ Pandora

” but certain rules should be enforced on a federal level.”

They are as Federal law trumps state law, but some powers are reserved to the states. Remember what this countries full name is.

None is so blind as he who will not see. Look away. Ignore what you don’t want to see.
Stay away from anyone who doesn’t think as you do. Listen only to the news with which you agree despite cries that that news is skewed. Turn your head away from injustice and it ceases to exist. Where is the kid who yelled, “But the emperor is wearing no clothes!”

Why not ask your district rep or your (you have two) Senators.

Quite a few elected officials can’t see it because being blind to it helps their odds of getting reelected. There is only so far that the GOP can go with gerrymandering to lump blacks into one district, hispanics into another, and well-educated liberal whites into a third so that they can carve out a false majority of bigoted whites, mostly male, to preserve the status quo. One only has to look at the percentage of the raw vote that went Democratic in 2010 versus the scant number of Democrats actually elected where Republicans hold the state government to see that this is so.

@ETpro GA. Thanks, I can see that probably being the case.

…because something said on Facebook represents Americans, how exactly?

@cheebdragon and a better way to get a large sampling of random demographics in an unadulterated form would be what exactly?

Not really sure it’s government’s problem, honestly.

This is the country where politicians are saying women can’t get pregnant from being raped.

@sparrowfeed One or two idiots. Are there no idiot conservative politicians in your country? We have 535 US Congressmen. Not to mention mayors, governors, and other state level and local government positions.

@uberbatman fuck it, lets just get all of our information from comments left on YouTube.

@JLeslie because all republican politicians are idiots?

LMFAO, No need to look for signs of bigotry on Facebook, Its rampant right here in most of the answers above, and can easily be found in every single political question on Fluther.

@cheebdragon I don’t understand your comment to me. I say there are one or two idiots who believe that crazy shit about rape, which means there is a plethora of Republican politicians who don’t. What do you mean?

@Jleslie The second part of my answer was completely separate from my question to you and not at all related.

@cheebdragon I am only referring to the first part. I still don’t understand.

@JLeslie There are. He’s called our Prime Minister. He’s also called the mayor of my city.

@sparrowfeed Alrighty then. So now should I think all your politicians agree with the same things your PM says?