After country star Brad Paisley kicked off a national conversation
about white guys who don't want to be called racist just because they
say or wear things with racist connotations, we find a fascinating case
study in Salina, Kansas, where a county commissioner suggested last week the county should avoid "n— rigging" repairs to a local building. Yes, as Slate's David Weigel
pointed out, Saline County Commissioner Jim Gile (pictured at right)
told a meeting of local officials that the county should hire an
architect to fix its Road and Bridge Department building instead of "n—
rigging it." When asked by an attendee what he said, Gile was
exceptionally clear about his meaning: "Afro-Americanized."
A few days later, Gile explained that he actually meant to say
"jury-rigged." However, jury-rigged does not have the meaning Gile
intended.
Jury-rigged is a nautical term that implies a temporary fix but not a shoddy one. It's sort of like
MacGyvering. From context, it seems what Gile meant was "
jerry-rig," which does imply shoddy work, and comes from a slur for Germans.
Gile is adamant that he's not racist. "I am not a prejudiced person," Gile told the
Salina Journal.
"I have built Habitat homes for colored people." He said he has a very
close friend who is black. He gave the newspaper a long list of
charitable groups he's worked for, which is very admirable. He went a
bit over the top in his self-defense, saying, "I don't ever do anything
bad and don't know how to do anything bad. People know I am not."
This is the cycle Brad Paisley unintentionally
described
in his song "Accidental Racist," in which he says he doesn't want to be
called a racist just because he's wearing a shirt bearing the
Confederate flag, the most widely-recognized symbol of treason in
defense of slavery. Likewise, Gile doesn't want to be called a racist
just because he used a racial slur in public, and then, when asked for
clarification, said he was referring to African-Americans. When you
don't question your long-held prejudices, and you say them out loud to
people who don't share those prejudices, they get offended. Then you get
all mad that people get offended, because what? You've always said
that. What's the big deal?
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