are dogs racist? is that the question?

In the "Racist Dawg" episode of "King of the Hill," Hank Hill's dog senses Hank's resentment of having to turn over repairs in his home to a professional, voiced by Bernie Mac, and the dog's hostile reaction is mistaken for racism.


*On an episode of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Larry David and his wife, who are white, purchased a dog. All seemed well until their friend Wanda Sykes came over for a visit. Upon seeing her, the dog went insane, barking wildly at Sykes and trying to bite her. Sykes, who is African American, said the dog is racist and leaves.

These snip-its from the funny world of TV come across as comedy. But for some, this idea is no joke. Type "racist dogs" into Google and what pops up is a whole world of chat rooms arguing about the question: Can dogs be racist?

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My interest in racist dogs began yesterday. I was at the craft market in Hout Bay (a bit southish of cape town). Best i could tell, all the buyers were white, while almost all the sellers were not. I was lazily staring at a glass case of silver jewlery (wondering what this had to do with a local craft market...) when a group of 4 small xhosa boys walked past. They had asked me for spare change a moment earlier, but were standing outside the invisible territory line of the market. As they dared to come past it, a rather large white south african shouted to them "WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT DO YOU WANT?" while throwing his arms around like a monkey caught in a tornado.
The boys carried on, and moments later a really ugly dog hooked to a leash held by another white south african man stared FREAKING out when the boys walked by. I mean he was literally tearing the leash off. The owner eventually grabbed the dog by the neck and held it between his legs (the man's) while it writhed around in a strangely provoked bought of fury. I wondered, what did that man do to his dog to make it so mad? So I decided to ask ryan. Here is our conversation:

A: What the freak is wrong with that dog?
R: He's barking at those boys. (while pointing to the group of 4 boys)
A: Are you serious?
R: Yeah. It's very common for white south africans to train their dogs to bark at black people, especially those who grew up during apartheid.
A: No...Are you serious? What the #*ll?
R: Yeah it's true.

It was so casual, and yet it made absolute sense (not the racist dog part, the apartheid part). This is not to come across as reverse racism, this is the truth of things. "The truth is still to be challenged by all who seek justice" (Vusi Mahlasela, South African singer). This phenomen dates back to the time when South Africa was known for it's extremely segregated society and it's domination by really mean white people from everywhere but Africa. Anyone who wasn't white, especially black South Africans, was a threat. The white community thrived on fear (which usually starts when people believe lies--that was part of something i read this morning) of the other races around them. So they set up every possible structure to protect themselves. Walls around their houses, with shard of glass or barbed wire secured to the top of the walls. Areas far away where the "blacks" could live without being a threat to their protected life (while at the same time paying these people to clean their houses, tend to their gardens, take care of their children). Legislation that kept them in power, but also showed the depth of their greed, fear, and perhaps, insanity.
And another way of guarding themselves was by training their dogs to bark at black people. There were/are dog schools that specialize in this. Although that is claimed to be in the past, the racist language dribbles out of some people still because they honestly don't see it as racist. it's what they have always been told.

Our car ride home was spent talking about this further. At that time i said I was going to blog about this.

But before i could blog, today happened. And today just totally confirmed the truth of what I said above. I wish it hadn't but it did.
So I took lucy to the new Living Way campus to play because she has lots of friends there. When i came back from work to fetch her, i couldn't believe what i heard. A young man, who happens to be black, asked if he could walk Lucy for a while. Everyone said sure, so off they went on a pleasant little stroll. Not out to harm anyone. Just doing what people and dogs do. When out of nowhere this older white lady appeared and began saying to the man "Where did you get this dog? Your people cannot afford dogs like this? Where are you going with her? How much can i buy her for, because i know you are going to go sell her? Who did you steal this dog from?"

I'm not exaggerating one iota.

So, the young man in all fairness gets quite pissed at the lady and quips back a few one-liners. They end up getting in a really bad arguement, all because this lady's racists mindset still exists, and she still feels it's her right to vocalize it (when she is a stone's throw from one of the largest black townships in the southern peninsula--meaning technically she was in his neck of the woods more than her own).

This mean hateful lady then decides to call the TEARS animal rescue service down the road.
They in turn call the freakin' police, who have WAY better things to be doing with their time i might add. Everyone descends onto the scene wearing their authority on their chest, attacking my friend. TEARS said "this dog is neglected. it hasn't eaten in a long time. it is sick and bony." The police questioned the guy all over again, this time whipping out their badges, gun holsters, and blue flashing lights for effect.

Eventually they let my friend and Lucy go. I keep trying to put myself in his shoes. How would i respond? He has let it go, let it roll off his back. Neither he and i, though both ashamed of this behavior, are at all surpised. And that is so sad to me. On so many levels. That a man cannot take a dog for a walk. That a lady can degrade a man for absoultely NO GOOD REASON rather than respect him. That a group in authority can use fear to get their way. That a man walks away feeling defeated, on a personal and a societal level. All he wanted to do was take Lucy for a walk.

I'm trying real hard not to .judge and hate these people who feel like an enemy . Cause i am sure, in my own way, i offend people and God all the time. There is no special preferences for sin. It's all one in the same. But surely God's heart is hurting, and his vengeance is growing. I wait for the day when he wipes all the tears away (including the one who rescues animals and calls them malnourished!) and restores his dignity to those he has created in his image. and reprimands us all for trying to steal or tarnish that in one another