The Greyhound station gulag

One of the privileges of being a race realist is that we are able to see the story within the story.  We notice not only what is said, but also what is not said.  We notice how things are said - and this gives us much deeper perspectives.

In his shocking post "The Greyhound Station Gulag", William Grigg succeeds in arousing our anger at government "authorities" for their gross misconduct during the hurricane Katrina crisis.  In this case, the victim is Abdulrahman Zeitoun and we are told how this Syrian immigrant "rendered what aid he could to people trapped in their ruined homes", how he was "part of a financially successful and well-regarded family", that he is "Blessed with a strong work ethic and uncanny entrepreneurial instinct" and how he was "rendering aid to stranded neighbors".  The subliminal message:  That immigrants are good people and, by extension, that immigration is a good thing.

As a visual to help us appreciate how corrupt government agents in New Orleans can be, Grigg treats us to a famous video clip depicting N.O. police officers in the act of looting a Wal-mart.  All the officers shown are black - but this is not pointed out. The subliminal message:  It is merely coincidence that those officers were black; they just as easily could have been white and their race is not worthy of mention.

Grigg goes on to recount how corrupt government goons victimized Zeitun:

Lima and Gonzalez were two of the six uniformed heroes who eagerly stormed into Zeitoun's property on September 6, arresting the businessman and three friends on suspicion of looting (that is, stealing without official permission) and dealing drugs.

Though we are not privy to the ethnicities of the other arresting officers, it would appear that Lima and Gonzalez are both Hispanic.  Though apparent, this is not pointed out. The subliminal message:  Non-white ethnicity, among criminals,  is not important enough to point out.

We are told how Zeitun and other victims were held at a Greyhound station, which served as a miniature Guantanamo.  There they were subject to torture and humiliation.  Our compassion is aroused for these unfortunate men - and we are shown a photo:

All but one of the victims is black.  That one of them is white, and seems out of place, is obvious.  Directly under the photo, we are told:

After the first sleepless night, another prisoner was introduced into the mix, an oddly jovial guy called Jerry. Curiously, Jerry focused most of his attention on Zeitoun and Nasser, and seemed strangely eager to solicit negative opinions about the Bush administration, U.S. foreign policy, and the military.

One didn't have to look for potting soil caked between his toes in order to recognize that Jerry was a plant.

There is no claim that the included photo actually depicts men who were held at the Greyhound station, nor is it stated that the odd white man is none other than "Jerry" - but this is the implication.  We are not told the ethnicity of the guards.   The subliminal message:  "People of color" are victims and whites are perpetrators.

Meanwhile, Zeitun's family had not heard from him:

While Zeitoun was suffering in Louisiana, his wife and children in Texas were convinced he was dead. He had never been permitted to contact his wife following his arrest, and Kathy wasn't able to find any trace of him. Before Katrina hit, the two of them would occasionally speak about the potentially dire consequences for an Arab-American who found himself in police custody.

For added emphasis, we are reminded that Zeitun is an "Arab-American" - even though this should be obvious by now.  The subliminal message:  Crimes against hyphenated (non-white) people are more egregious than crimes against whites.

Finally, we are told, Zeitun's wife receives a phone call from a stranger.  The man tells her that her husband is in prison but safe:

Deprived of any source of hope except for prayer, Zeitoun had pleaded with God to send a messenger. Shortly thereafter a middle-aged black man visited his cell -- a missionary who was distributing Bibles and praying with the inmates. At no small risk to himself -- remember, we live in an era when defense attorneys who pass along notes from terrorist suspects can be sent to prison themselves -- this man of God honored Zeitoun's request to contact his wife and family.

It just so happens that this "man of God" was not just an ordinary man.  No, he was far more than ordinary.  We are told how courageous he is and how selfless he his.  Most importantly, we are told that he is black.  In this case, race is worthy of mention.  The subliminal message:  When a person of color does a good deed, it is important to mention his race.

The Greyhound station gulag story is noteworthy in that, taken at face value, every point that Grigg makes is a valid one.  There is not a single statement, in the entire post, that I would take issue with.  Government is indeed corrupt and out of control, torture is wrong, injustices were committed and this story needs to be told.  Nevertheless, this is an example of truth being used as a vehicle to further leftist orthodoxy on race.  It is akin to using a mixed-race couple to advertise a great product or using pigs to deliver the publishers clearing house sweepstakes to a Muslim.

Looking over his blog and profile, it would appear that William Grigg is an intelligent man and a good writer.  Still, I would not be surprised if he is unaware of his own subliminal messages. The guidelines of leftist journalism, which are based upon its racial orthodoxy, are so ingrained that people probably write that way out of habit - even if they are far from being leftists themselves.