Class and Race
I heard a liberal commentator say that the real division in this country is class, not race. I agree. He pointed out that the three women who were imprisoned in Cleveland for ten years were not looked for because they were working class, not wealthy or famous. Two were white and one Latina.
Of course, there is intersection of the two, class and race. Whites are more likely to be of an upper class, but not all are. Poor whites (often uneducated) can get poor treatment, too. Rich blacks (a la OJ) can get better treatment.
This was the lesson of Gatsby--wealth made him respectable even when he wasn't. I was talking about this to my husband and he mentioned the Kennedys. Joe Kennedy was a bootlegger, but he made a lot of money at it, got to be an ambassador, put his sons in politics, and had affairs with Hollywood stars (Gloria Swanson, for one). And they were considered royalty, God help us.
Of course, there is intersection of the two, class and race. Whites are more likely to be of an upper class, but not all are. Poor whites (often uneducated) can get poor treatment, too. Rich blacks (a la OJ) can get better treatment.
This was the lesson of Gatsby--wealth made him respectable even when he wasn't. I was talking about this to my husband and he mentioned the Kennedys. Joe Kennedy was a bootlegger, but he made a lot of money at it, got to be an ambassador, put his sons in politics, and had affairs with Hollywood stars (Gloria Swanson, for one). And they were considered royalty, God help us.
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