However, since my skin is pink-ish, I am not the embodiment of what they hate. And pink people were not the subject of jubilant picnics to celebrate their lynching. People with her skin colour were.
OK I’ll try again. Black skin is only partly what white supremicists hate. What really animates them is “other”. This is why we say “black and brown people” when describing what they hate. None of this is new to our American culture and we must continue to make good trouble in fighting it.
Your self-described skin color offers limited protection but I’m sure these people would hate you just as well because your beliefs would challenge their own.
What exactly are you attempting to say? You should be ashamed about the country that finds you to be more precious and worthy than this young black woman. These white men represent the system that protects you. You should be incensed. By acting as though you play no part in the existence of racism and white supremacy is ridiculous.
Please don't be so quick to judge people. Women need to support each other more than ever. Please be observant before you speak. I remind myself of the same thing. I noticed Catherine's spelling and knew she probably wasn't from the US. Americans speak differently than most people in the world.
You are absolutely right! I would like to think I would be brave but I know I would be so scared inside. Masks are intimidating and that's part of the reason they wear them.
It's a powerful image, but has the young woman been interviewed about how she felt? Or are some people just attributing to her what they think they would have felt in a similar situation?
I saw that sickening photo yesterday and like you, Nina, I was flooded with images of similar horrific moments preserved on film for history. I fear the terminal illness of racism has become so advanced it will finally kill this nation.
I pray this young woman is safe and isn’t too traumatized by this moment. At the very least, If it were me, I’d probably become agoraphobic and so filled with rage I’d explode. Actually, I am filled with that much fury.
So many people seem to think that this all started with Trump. If you weren't around when Nixon announced his "Southern Strategy" (which I think of as a descendant of Jim Crow) or when Reagan gave a "states' rights" campaign speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, do read up on them. Then review the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision (2010), which was handed down less than two years after "we the people" elected the U.S.'s first Black president -- and around six years before Trump was elected the first time. These things are connected, and moving forward is going to be very difficult if we don't come to terms with the connection.
This image just after the Supreme Court declared there was no racism in America? John Roberts what are those white masks about? What is this column of para military, carrying a confederate flag for? You should be more than ashamed, you and your 5 pals enabled these clowns. You can not run or hide , this is your legacy in action.
The dignity and strength of the young Black woman on the train is such a stark contrast to the mindless, faceless white men, trying to hide in plain sight.
The men must know in their souls that they are cowards.
Her calm resolve is impressive. But it’s been honed by decades of this kind of disgusting behavior.
What do we have to do to make the hate unacceptable?
This image will live in the history books alongside the other epitomous images of the horrendous racial disparity that just will not die in our "all men are created equal in the sight of God" country. These men, on the surface, show a cohesive boldness of hate with their uniforms but at the very same time are showing themselves to be cowards by hiding behind their masks. If they really did see themselves through the eyes of Almighty God, they would have to feel such a dreadful sense of shame for such a hateful display of a total lack of humanity, compassion, or empathy. These men have no idea who this young lady is, or why she is on that bus, and yet they would choose to intimidate her with their presence. I'm certain that they would make comparisons to street thugs doing it and I would say, " So if you do the same thing you despise in others, how does that make you better?"
This photo needs to be paired with the other iconic photo of the young girl with books in hand trying to enroll at an all-white school. Was it in 1963?? Pair them up as "1963---2026."
One of the best comments I heard someone say after the news reports and images of those masked troglodytes with their confederate flags and their uniforms marching through AMERICA'S public spaces was, to paraphrase: mobs like this fought against wearing masks to prevent the spread of disease, but they wear masks to hide their faces when being the terrorists and the "enemy within" in OUR country! ICE masks, fascist masks, racist thug masks: THEY are spreading THEIR disease!! They are un-American and anti-American and in their knuckle-dragging attempts to terrorize people they should be arrested for terrorism! If they were Black or Hispanic doing this, thump, patel, and their whole criminal organization would have the marchers under arrest! Thump and crime gang did not hesitate to arrest the brave Air Force officer (actually serving his country, something thump and his loathsome cronies have NEVER done!) calling for thump's impeachment. They did not hesitate to arrest the middle-aged Olympic athlete for touching the evidence of corruption and incompetence in our Reflecting Pool. They did not hesitate to arrest Representative McIver for performing her legislative oversight duty at the ICE prison. They did not hesitate to arrest honorable public servant James Comey for taking a photo of some shells on a beach that were formed into numbers that the fools in the thump world gaslighted their troglodyte cult into claiming were threatening. SHELLS on a beach! But masked thugs marching to threaten and terrorize Americans? Wait until thump and herr(less) miller bleat out their "good people" line!
What would your fathers, grandfathers, uncles, et al who were in the Battle of the Bulge or fighting on D-Day or who died fighting to PREVENT this type of insanity from invading America say about these anti-American cowards in their masks and their costumes, pretending to have ANY understanding of or love for what this country is!!
Donald Trump is the perfect embodiment of the detritus that one hopes and prays will sink to the bottom of the tortured human oversoul and never rise to trouble the world.
Thanks for the article. Absolutely disgusting displays of Neanderthal mindlessness, vicious bigotry and violent racists like a large number of armed thugs who've just broken out of prisons or asylums. Their families know what kind of deranged and warped lunatics they are with thin or non-existant work histories, broken marriages, tax cheats and scofflaws ever looking for escape from the realities of their bad histories.
From DJT who was a thoroughly spoiled son of a crook living off of government projects, running his own businesses into the ground while burning through women, business associates, workers and lawyers with all types of ruses and scams to evade accountability--there never was an honest or upright day in this man's life even has he tries to bring everyone else down through rampantly bad government policies and actions amidst these farcical displays of fake bravado and toughness.
I’ve often wondered why ICE agents and now White Supremacists wear masks to hide their identity. The following is my opinion. I have no facts or evidence to back this opinion up.
For ICE, the government tells us it is for the agent’s protection against those evil gun-toting radical left wing hit squads. The ANTIFA goons we’ve been warned about by Trump and Fox News. Based on the credibility of Trump, the government and Fox News I’d say, I doubt it. More likely is the case where many of the ICE agents are January 6th insurrectionists pardoned by Trump or at least members of the insurrectionist’s unregulated militias. News media notes ICE’s apparent lack of training which would be understandable if you threw a group of unstable hate mongers into a position of law enforcement. The danger is not to the agents, but to Trump who would have a time justifying one of the most unpopular moves in American History, the insurrectionist’s pardons.
What about the White Supremacists? Why the masks here? In my opinion, their reasons are more personal. Imagine if they were exposed. Remember, their beliefs are protected under the first amendment. But when they are exposed and return home, what will their reception be like? Imagine you are the neighbor of one of these folks. Your kids play with their kids, you do things together, eat together sometimes and comment on the news together, sometimes. Now they are exposed as Nazi fascists. That’s after all what White Supremacists are, though MAGA and Trump would argue. How welcome do you think these folks would be back in their own hometowns. How about at work? When the boss discovers he is harboring a White Supremacist, do you think the Hispanic, Black, Asian and Indian workers will be comfortable with this person working with them? The boss’s decision then becomes; do I fire the one guy or the others who are not comfortable.
We can intellectually accept the supremacist’s beliefs, but the fact remains, if we support their beliefs or give the impression that we do, we will be labeled Nazi sympathizers. This would be tough to return to after successfully hiding you true beliefs about your fellow Americans.
Terrifying for her. This image should be all over the NYT and other mainstream media.
I'm glad the Black girl survived.
To paraphrase Freud, sometimes a black girl is just a girl. You or I would probably be terrified as well, and this is the true power of that image.
Yes, I would be terrified.
However, since my skin is pink-ish, I am not the embodiment of what they hate. And pink people were not the subject of jubilant picnics to celebrate their lynching. People with her skin colour were.
OK I’ll try again. Black skin is only partly what white supremicists hate. What really animates them is “other”. This is why we say “black and brown people” when describing what they hate. None of this is new to our American culture and we must continue to make good trouble in fighting it.
Your self-described skin color offers limited protection but I’m sure these people would hate you just as well because your beliefs would challenge their own.
What exactly are you attempting to say? You should be ashamed about the country that finds you to be more precious and worthy than this young black woman. These white men represent the system that protects you. You should be incensed. By acting as though you play no part in the existence of racism and white supremacy is ridiculous.
? Anti-apartheid activist here. Wash out your mouth.
If that’s the case, then maybe figure out how to talk about Black people.
Please don't be so quick to judge people. Women need to support each other more than ever. Please be observant before you speak. I remind myself of the same thing. I noticed Catherine's spelling and knew she probably wasn't from the US. Americans speak differently than most people in the world.
I’ll determine which women to trust. Many women are antiblack. You feel comfortable telling me how to speak. The nerve.
You are absolutely right! I would like to think I would be brave but I know I would be so scared inside. Masks are intimidating and that's part of the reason they wear them.
It's a powerful image, but has the young woman been interviewed about how she felt? Or are some people just attributing to her what they think they would have felt in a similar situation?
No need to interview her. Just her look and her surroundings say it all. Besides as a white woman, I would have been terrified.
In a way she dominated! Defiance in the Fuhrers Eyire. This is a great photo!
Those images are a tragedy. I wish he had never been elected to office a second time.
He never should have been elected the first time. It says something really ugly about America that he got even 1% of the vote.
I know; it's wild. I'm so tired of him and ugly voters
Me too. It's absolutely infuriating.
It really is and not to mention that he drains all the good that's left in the country.
He has unleashed the worst tendencies of the inhuman soul.
Of course, Meaghan Kelly mentioned nothing about ICE in masks.
This is disturbingly disgusting!
I saw that sickening photo yesterday and like you, Nina, I was flooded with images of similar horrific moments preserved on film for history. I fear the terminal illness of racism has become so advanced it will finally kill this nation.
I pray this young woman is safe and isn’t too traumatized by this moment. At the very least, If it were me, I’d probably become agoraphobic and so filled with rage I’d explode. Actually, I am filled with that much fury.
So many people seem to think that this all started with Trump. If you weren't around when Nixon announced his "Southern Strategy" (which I think of as a descendant of Jim Crow) or when Reagan gave a "states' rights" campaign speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, do read up on them. Then review the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision (2010), which was handed down less than two years after "we the people" elected the U.S.'s first Black president -- and around six years before Trump was elected the first time. These things are connected, and moving forward is going to be very difficult if we don't come to terms with the connection.
This image just after the Supreme Court declared there was no racism in America? John Roberts what are those white masks about? What is this column of para military, carrying a confederate flag for? You should be more than ashamed, you and your 5 pals enabled these clowns. You can not run or hide , this is your legacy in action.
The dignity and strength of the young Black woman on the train is such a stark contrast to the mindless, faceless white men, trying to hide in plain sight.
The men must know in their souls that they are cowards.
Her calm resolve is impressive. But it’s been honed by decades of this kind of disgusting behavior.
What do we have to do to make the hate unacceptable?
So true. She dominated this scene. It is a powerful image!
Truth.
This image will live in the history books alongside the other epitomous images of the horrendous racial disparity that just will not die in our "all men are created equal in the sight of God" country. These men, on the surface, show a cohesive boldness of hate with their uniforms but at the very same time are showing themselves to be cowards by hiding behind their masks. If they really did see themselves through the eyes of Almighty God, they would have to feel such a dreadful sense of shame for such a hateful display of a total lack of humanity, compassion, or empathy. These men have no idea who this young lady is, or why she is on that bus, and yet they would choose to intimidate her with their presence. I'm certain that they would make comparisons to street thugs doing it and I would say, " So if you do the same thing you despise in others, how does that make you better?"
This photo needs to be paired with the other iconic photo of the young girl with books in hand trying to enroll at an all-white school. Was it in 1963?? Pair them up as "1963---2026."
exactly
As always spot on Nina
One of the best comments I heard someone say after the news reports and images of those masked troglodytes with their confederate flags and their uniforms marching through AMERICA'S public spaces was, to paraphrase: mobs like this fought against wearing masks to prevent the spread of disease, but they wear masks to hide their faces when being the terrorists and the "enemy within" in OUR country! ICE masks, fascist masks, racist thug masks: THEY are spreading THEIR disease!! They are un-American and anti-American and in their knuckle-dragging attempts to terrorize people they should be arrested for terrorism! If they were Black or Hispanic doing this, thump, patel, and their whole criminal organization would have the marchers under arrest! Thump and crime gang did not hesitate to arrest the brave Air Force officer (actually serving his country, something thump and his loathsome cronies have NEVER done!) calling for thump's impeachment. They did not hesitate to arrest the middle-aged Olympic athlete for touching the evidence of corruption and incompetence in our Reflecting Pool. They did not hesitate to arrest Representative McIver for performing her legislative oversight duty at the ICE prison. They did not hesitate to arrest honorable public servant James Comey for taking a photo of some shells on a beach that were formed into numbers that the fools in the thump world gaslighted their troglodyte cult into claiming were threatening. SHELLS on a beach! But masked thugs marching to threaten and terrorize Americans? Wait until thump and herr(less) miller bleat out their "good people" line!
What would your fathers, grandfathers, uncles, et al who were in the Battle of the Bulge or fighting on D-Day or who died fighting to PREVENT this type of insanity from invading America say about these anti-American cowards in their masks and their costumes, pretending to have ANY understanding of or love for what this country is!!
Wake up, America!!
Donald Trump is the perfect embodiment of the detritus that one hopes and prays will sink to the bottom of the tortured human oversoul and never rise to trouble the world.
Thanks for the article. Absolutely disgusting displays of Neanderthal mindlessness, vicious bigotry and violent racists like a large number of armed thugs who've just broken out of prisons or asylums. Their families know what kind of deranged and warped lunatics they are with thin or non-existant work histories, broken marriages, tax cheats and scofflaws ever looking for escape from the realities of their bad histories.
From DJT who was a thoroughly spoiled son of a crook living off of government projects, running his own businesses into the ground while burning through women, business associates, workers and lawyers with all types of ruses and scams to evade accountability--there never was an honest or upright day in this man's life even has he tries to bring everyone else down through rampantly bad government policies and actions amidst these farcical displays of fake bravado and toughness.
I’ve often wondered why ICE agents and now White Supremacists wear masks to hide their identity. The following is my opinion. I have no facts or evidence to back this opinion up.
For ICE, the government tells us it is for the agent’s protection against those evil gun-toting radical left wing hit squads. The ANTIFA goons we’ve been warned about by Trump and Fox News. Based on the credibility of Trump, the government and Fox News I’d say, I doubt it. More likely is the case where many of the ICE agents are January 6th insurrectionists pardoned by Trump or at least members of the insurrectionist’s unregulated militias. News media notes ICE’s apparent lack of training which would be understandable if you threw a group of unstable hate mongers into a position of law enforcement. The danger is not to the agents, but to Trump who would have a time justifying one of the most unpopular moves in American History, the insurrectionist’s pardons.
What about the White Supremacists? Why the masks here? In my opinion, their reasons are more personal. Imagine if they were exposed. Remember, their beliefs are protected under the first amendment. But when they are exposed and return home, what will their reception be like? Imagine you are the neighbor of one of these folks. Your kids play with their kids, you do things together, eat together sometimes and comment on the news together, sometimes. Now they are exposed as Nazi fascists. That’s after all what White Supremacists are, though MAGA and Trump would argue. How welcome do you think these folks would be back in their own hometowns. How about at work? When the boss discovers he is harboring a White Supremacist, do you think the Hispanic, Black, Asian and Indian workers will be comfortable with this person working with them? The boss’s decision then becomes; do I fire the one guy or the others who are not comfortable.
We can intellectually accept the supremacist’s beliefs, but the fact remains, if we support their beliefs or give the impression that we do, we will be labeled Nazi sympathizers. This would be tough to return to after successfully hiding you true beliefs about your fellow Americans.
Like I say, my opinion and nothing more.
“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” -- Samuel Johnson
Thanks for posting this photo. It’s a warning to us all that we need to do all we can do to stop this madness.
Excellent column for the day after the 4th. Just excellent.