Dallas Commissioner Says “Black Hole” Racist
At a county meeting, in a discussion about ticket collections, commissioner Kenneth Mayfield said, “It sounds like Central Collections has become a black hole.” Commissioner John Wiley Price said that kind of language is unacceptable. Mayfield, of course, meant the term in the astronomical sense, a black hole being a collapsed star with no physical properties but a gravitational pull so great that even light can’t escape.
But his annoyance doesn’t stop at “black hole”. Upsetting to him are also “devil’s food cake” and “black sheep”.
“So if it’s ‘angel food cake,’ it’s white. If it’s ‘devil’s food cake,’ it’s black. If you’re the ‘black sheep of the family,’ then you gotta be bad, you know. ‘White sheep,’ you’re okay. You know?” Price said.
Fox 4 in Dallas has video.
I’ll need Price’s office address so that I can stop by and slap him right upside his head for flipping out over the “black hole” analogy.
Thirty years ago, I would have defended the reality of connotations attached to “black” things vs. “white” things. The connotations have changed as society has progressed. Price is flipping out about nothing.
July 10th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Someone should introduce John Price to Cynthia Good, and send them over to Phil Gramm’s office to show him what real whining sounds like.
July 10th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
My house is wired with “black” wires and “white” wires.
The black wires are “hot”. The black wires are live and juiced with 120 volts of pure, clean electricity.
The white wires are “neutral”. The layabout white wires don’t do anything but just sit there, doing nothing until the black wires give them something to do.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I never got John Wiley Price when I lived in Dallas. Now that I’m out of Dallas, I find I understand the man even less.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Much Ado About Nothing…and coincidentally, one of my favorite plays!
July 10th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
My brain hurts…
July 10th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Again, Cheryl hits the nail on the head. I fear Cheryl is transforming into a right-winger…
Actually, the other name for “black hole” is “collapsar,” a portmanteau for “collapsed star.” Perhaps that would be more racially sensitive to not use black hole anymore? (Give me a break!)
July 10th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
flap! don’t you ever say anything crazy like that again! :-( my BBFF will beat you up.
July 10th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Judge Thomas Jones is the Democrat judge Alan Colmes speaks of that would rebalance the Supreme Court.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:15 am
I have heard this BLACK HOLE for over 20 yrs. and in many definitions, what took this commissioner so long to go public with his complaint? Did he have to wait until he reached a certain level in government to start fucking with white / caucasion people?
July 11th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Go to the video link on this thread and find out 2.38% out of 9,800 votes say that the words BLACK HOLE is racist.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Glad that all the other problems of the world are solved so much that we can sit back and have leaders debate and get angry about topics like this.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:49 am
And what about chicken, and the “white” meant, and the “dark” meat?
What about “black” lights and “dark” chocolate?
And how come brides always wear “white,” and it’s bad luck to wear “black” to a wedding?
And what’s with this “pure as the driven snow,” which is “white”?
July 11th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
So now associating black with something negative is racist? I guess the next time I ask somehow how they got a “black eye” I’ll have by lawyers phone number handy. Then again they can kiss my lily white backside and hell will freeze over before they get an appology. And these types of people wonder why real racism still exists, I think there are some folks who want it to.
July 11th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
My comment is about Dennis Kucinich. To be Blunt…I believe he’s STUCK ON STUPID! The rest of the country has moved on, yet, he insists on bringing this subject up.
The people of Ohio, that, continue to elect this Clown should be embarassed and ashamed of him and themselves.
This country has big problems to address and SILLY, INANE resolutions, such as his, will not accomplish anything, but to distract Congress from dealing with real issues.
BTW: I’m an Independent…NOT Republican.
July 11th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
It appears I’ve replied to the wrong Blog. My views still stand, though. My apologies!!
As for the Black Hole dilema. I find this fellows statement RIDICULOUS and very UNINFORMED! A statement as silly as the recent report from England that finds young children could be racist because they don’t like certain foods. Both statements are Totally Absurd!!!!
July 11th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
And what’s with this “pure as the driven snow,” which is “white”?
“Pure as the driven snow” is not “white.” It’s dirty snow. Snow that gets driven on is dirty!
July 21st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I would like to thank Commissioner Price personally for helping me see the inherent racism in having philanthropic “Black Tie” events sponsored by the 3rd District in Dallas. For anyone in this day and age to use such an obviously racist term like “black hole” is truly a “white eye” for science and politics.
July 21st, 2008 at 5:40 pm