Room Eight | Who Steal My Purse Steals Trash

Foolishly, and with much regret, I waded into someone else’s fight, to defend a fellow blogger, JP (who I later learned was a pretty dark-skinned Latino), against what I believed were unfair and unwarranted accusations of racism emanating from Rock Hackshaw.

For my troubles, I got falsely accused of being JP, of leading a five year long vendetta against Rock, and most distressingly, of being a racist myself.

I would like to ignore the whole thing, but already I see that many are accepting these accusations as true, and as Iago, a man more credibly accused of racism, once noted

“Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.”

So I feel I must answer

The trivial matters first, I am not JP and I have not had a five year vendetta against Rock. However, to adequately refute those assertions would take more time than I have right now. I ask those who are skeptical, or even those who agree, to refrain from comment on those matters in this thread until I present my arguments concerning them, which will hopefully be shortly.

Then post away to your heart’s content.

For now, I will deal only with the most serious charge.

It is distressing for someone who spent almost an entire year enduring abuse as David Dinkins’ designated punching bag in white Brooklyn to be called a racist. Likewise, someone who stood up in his own neighborhood to lead the fight against those trying to stop a shelter for battered women which was being opened by the Asian-American Women’s Center.

But more relevant here today would seem to be my work on Room 8. The list which follows is long, but does not include every pro-Obama article (which probably number in the dozens), or every other article written in support of a black candidate running against a white one (though it does include a few).

I do not expect everyone to like or agree with all of these article, but I hope they paint a portrait of someone who not only abhors racism, but also has wrestled long and hard, and sometimes (I hope) successfully, with the complicated issues of race in our city, state and nation.

Take the time to read, and draw your own conclusions.

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/if_new_yorkers_wanted_to_be_part_of_america_we_would_live_there.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/does_yassky_fail_the_paper_bag_test_2nd_part_in_a_series_of_at_least_three.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/deconstructing_the_new_york_sun.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/vote_for_the_schtacker_to_stop_the_schvartzer.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/in_my_blog_there_is_a_problem_or_the_church_of_the_poisoned_mind.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/an_oath_of_office_and_an_oaf_of_orifice.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/exit_ghost.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/scarlett_ohara at_the_smorgasbord.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/convention_leftover_4_anniversaries.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/a_talmudic_paradox.html

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/the_return_of_the_welfare_queen.html