Editorial: Dog the Bounty
Hunter's Racial Slurs 
Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
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Guest Blog:
Nitrogirl
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Guest blog by nitrogirl
It's no secret that in many
households across America, there is some language being used that you
might only hear behind closed doors. The language that people use in
public can be very different than the terms they use when in the privacy
of their own homes.
Some of this slang may include racially
offensive terms or statements that would be considered disrespectful in
general - but somehow are tolerated within the home. And most of the
time, the people uttering these questionable words will justify their
language with excuses such as "Its just a word," "I was just kidding" or
"I didn't mean it like that."
Very rarely will you hear someone use
these words and say "Yes I am racist, and I hate (such and such),"
(unless of course you're watching Jerry Springer on KKK day). I
believe that as a society, we need to start curbing some of these
excuses, and become more responsible and mindful of the language we use
in our own homes.
After all, when we speak, someone is
always listening, whether it be a peer with open ears or an
impressionable child. Language is the oldest form of passing along
knowledge and traditions. Certain words have a history of hate, so
regardless of what intention is behind them, when used they only succeed
in passing along on that hate.
With
that being said, I am deeply saddened to hear the latest in a recent
slew of celebrities outed for racial slurs is Dog the Bounty Hunter. A
tape of a heated phone conversation with his son was leaked, and it
mainly involves his feelings about the son dating a black
woman.
I
hesitated to share this link, but I feel to hear the tape
is the only way to understand my topic here.
The statements Dog uses in the tape are as complex
as the racial issues of today - he uses the "n" word but says it's not
about being black, and he claims he doesn't think black people are scum,
but then turns around and says if his daughter were to date a black man
he and his family would say "f#@$ you." Without getting too deep into
it, I'm going to explain what I understood of his
comments.
Dog's main
concern with his son dating a woman of color was his fear that he would
be exposed because he and others around him use the "n" word frequently,
and by being caught using this word he could possibly lose his career.
Lets face it: a lot of people feel as if giving up the right to
use epithets in private is just as bad as if they got banned from
putting their feet up on the sofa, or barred from belching at
home.
What I don't
understand is how using racial slurs ever became a comfort or a
privilege in the first place. I believe in freedom of speech in public
and at home, but with freedom always comes responsibility. And when we
abuse that freedom, we can easily hurt others. We owe it to our family,
our friends, and even ourselves to define the comfort in our homes as an
environment free of foulness or unhealthiness, and that includes racial
intolerance.
OK, back to
Dog. The reason this story makes me sad is, I really like Dog. After
hearing his words, I feel betrayed, as if maybe I didn't know the real
Dog like I thought I did. I've watched his show many times, and believe
he has really helped a lot of people. He forms prayer circles with his
co-workers/ family members around the criminals he arrests. I have
watched many a car-ride conversation between Dog and his detainee, where
he asks them to turn their lives around and usually gives them one last
cigarette as a comfort before they get to the jail.
Dog is a man
with a checkered past, and because he was once on drugs and a criminal,
he has a special compassion and understanding for those who are "on the
wrong side of the law." So it makes me sad to think that there might be
something ugly still lurking within Dog. He may have gotten rid of the
demons of drugs and crime in his life, but there is still something
wrong in his soul. He may be able to relate to and wish good will
towards others like him. But based on the comments he made, I feel he
may have trouble loving all of his brothers and sisters equally,
specifically African Amerians.
After hearing the tape, my immediate gut reaction
was horror shock and anger. I thought for a minute I might not ever want
to watch Dog The Bounty Hunter again (apparently this choice has already
been made for me, because A&E has already rushed to take it off
their lineup).
But then, a
funny thing happened. I was saddened by my own reaction. How is hating
Dog going to make a difference? How is shutting out every single person
who makes a racist remark going to help things? Don't get me wrong, they
deserve to be addressed, and firmly. But how? I would hate to see Dog,
as he said in the tape, "lose everything [he] worked for" because of
this.
If we shut Dog
out of our hearts, would this deepen his apparent confusion or possible
hatred for those of another race? Will he think of his career swirling
down the toilet everytime he sees a black person? That would not help
anything! I would call this an empty victory those opposing racism
because in the end, the bitter person might spread racism even
more.
That is why I
pray that Dog (and others in similar situations) will have a revelation
about his behavior and take control of his life. I hate to label people
"racist" and do you know why? Because it's so easy for them to come back
with "No I'm not." And then that's it, end of conversation. It's so easy
to get backed into a corner when your pointing fingers at people. But
rather than point a finger at Dog, I'd like to embrace
him.
If I could talk
to him, I'd like to show him the irony in his situation. This whole time
he's been preaching to junkies to to get off meth, ice, crack, get clean
and sober - "you've got to get off the sh#%" he'd say, "Do it for your
children." He would point out to felons and drug addicts that their
behavior could not last forever because it would eventually catch up
with them. Little did dog know that his refusal to give up his
apparently cherished use of the "n" word as well as harboring an
attitude consistent with the useage of that word.... would eventually
catch up with him. I know people hate to be told to change. But in some
instances its just the right thing to do - to change. Nobody can be
forced to change how they think, feel or even speak, it must be a change
that comes from within. You have to want to change. I want Dog to want
to change. He is hurting his son just as much as the junkie who refuses
to give up a bad habit for his children.
I think it's
such a shame the how people can miss out on diverse experiences,
knowlege, friendships, love, and richness of life by excluding a certain
racial group from their social circle - for such silly reasons!
I
also find it funny that people who suffer from addictions or denial
about their behaviors often think that everybody else is the problem,
and that they shouldn't change just to please everyone else. In this
case, Dog felt that he would rather ban all of his family members from
being intimately involved with some wonderful people (specifically black
folks) than to give up some of his own behaviors (specifically insulting
those black folks).
How silly,
Dog!
Speaking of
people in denial... After Mel Gibson's drunken insults, he checked into
rehab, declaring he had a problem with alcohol and that he was "not a
racist". When Don Imus insulted a whole basketball team, he used the "I
didn't mean it like that" excuse, and added a second tactic which I'll
call "If they can say it why can't I?" by blaming the black community
and rappers for popularizing the word he used. I think both of these
attitudes are a cop out to the real problem behind their words.
Afterall, a person who is not a racist in any sense of the word should
never have to start a sentence with "I'm not a racist but..." just as
much as a clean and sober person who's never been around drugs should
never have to say "I'm not a crackhead but..." I believe it takes a real
man to ditch the excuses and really examine his behavior. What if this
man were to say, you know what yeah I said those words, and I've been
saying those words for years, and the whole time I knew it wasn't right.
Now its time I repaired what I did wrong and move forward - and stop the
bad behavior. Sounds easy right? I believe the truth is always easier
than all these excuses we've been conditioned to use. And I believe that
Dog is not only intelligent enough, but also man enough to step up and
take responsibility for not only his words, but his actions, and his
hurtfulness, and to move forward and repair his relationship with his
son and with America. Dog is a public figure, and so I use his story to
illustrate a story that is happening throughout America, because it is
truly a reflection of a lot of households. My hope is that Dog can turn
his negative actions around and use it to teach others tolerance and how
to quit the sneaky addiction of hate.
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