Post-Racial?
So this is post-racial America?
It would be horribly regrettable if the increasingly fiery and accusatory rhetoric of the past week or so, seemingly triggered by the Joe Wilson episode, helped to turn back the clock on racial progress. Unfortunately, it's starting to have that feel.
While the election of Barack Obama was not a cure-all for our race-related ills, it was an important and encouraging step toward that end...or so it appeared.
Real racism is such an immoral, destructive, and reprehensible sickness, not to mention macroeconomic stupidity of the highest order.
It's disquieting to see so important an issue cheapened by irrational and baseless charges. And, the more ridiculous the allegations, the more those who can least tolerate their poisonous venom are hurt.
Do we really want to go down this path? By doing so, we're just distracting ourselves from legitimate matters of race. It is, after all, impossible to have genuine discourse in such a climate.
Wouldn't it, for example, be great to intelligently debate the appropriate remaining lifespan of affirmative action? Surely there will come a day when discrimination has been sufficiently rooted out of the system, and it is more beneficial to phase out affirmative action and its associated stigma than to manipulate an environment that is able to function adequately on its own. No way that dialog is remotely possible in today's hyper-charged atmosphere.
The President was quick and right to dispel the notion that his skin color has anything to do with reasonable criticism of his policies. However, he and leaders from both parties need to be more forceful in rebuking those who perpetuate such claptrap.
Let's save the indignation for authentic, rather than imaginary, racism.
I can hear the President now. "Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in!!!"
It would be horribly regrettable if the increasingly fiery and accusatory rhetoric of the past week or so, seemingly triggered by the Joe Wilson episode, helped to turn back the clock on racial progress. Unfortunately, it's starting to have that feel.
While the election of Barack Obama was not a cure-all for our race-related ills, it was an important and encouraging step toward that end...or so it appeared.
Real racism is such an immoral, destructive, and reprehensible sickness, not to mention macroeconomic stupidity of the highest order.
It's disquieting to see so important an issue cheapened by irrational and baseless charges. And, the more ridiculous the allegations, the more those who can least tolerate their poisonous venom are hurt.
Do we really want to go down this path? By doing so, we're just distracting ourselves from legitimate matters of race. It is, after all, impossible to have genuine discourse in such a climate.
Wouldn't it, for example, be great to intelligently debate the appropriate remaining lifespan of affirmative action? Surely there will come a day when discrimination has been sufficiently rooted out of the system, and it is more beneficial to phase out affirmative action and its associated stigma than to manipulate an environment that is able to function adequately on its own. No way that dialog is remotely possible in today's hyper-charged atmosphere.
The President was quick and right to dispel the notion that his skin color has anything to do with reasonable criticism of his policies. However, he and leaders from both parties need to be more forceful in rebuking those who perpetuate such claptrap.
Let's save the indignation for authentic, rather than imaginary, racism.
I can hear the President now. "Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in!!!"
I continue to be shocked, appalled and disappointed at the amount of racism that still exists in our country today; even among otherwise intelligent and moral people. But to try to turn a comment such as Wilson's into a racial issue appalls me even more. While Wilson's comment, and others like it, was disrespectful and inappropriate, they were not racist in any way. Why would supposed respected religious leaders want to cause racial turmoil where it does not exist? Surely, there are better ways to shine the light on the problem of racism than conjuring up false intentions. Dispelling the notion that the color of his skin has anything to do with the criticism of his policies, might be one of the truly wise things President Obama has done since taking office. I still hold out high hopes for many more!
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I think the issue that sparked the reaction of Joe Wilson's comments goes to South Carolina's history and the history of lack of respect of African American males. Not to mention that no other President has experienced this type of outburst during a Congressional session. If that outburst had come from let's say a Senator from California, I don't think it would have had such a viral reaction. Maybe it wasn't racially motivated, but there is too much history to go there. As a Senator and a representative from South Carolina, he was walking a tight rope as the motivation behind the outburst and how it would be perceived. This was the state that produced Strom Thurman.
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We can all agree that South Carolina has a checkered past on matters of race. However, I think it's dangerous to paint with too broad a brush. The case against Wilson is circumstantial at best. Just like you and I don't want to be stereotyped, we should be careful not to stereotype others. The charge of racism is very serious; it should only be leveled when there is incontrovertible evidence.
Regarding no other President having experienced such an outburst during a Congressional session...if you discount the near entire Democrat caucus booing Bush during a joint session speech, that is technically correct. But, it would be tough to make a case that Obama has had anything but a walk in the park compared to the vitriol with which George Bush was treated (by politicians, the press, and interest groups). Perhaps you've forgotten the number of times Bush was called a liar on the floor of the House and Senate (as well as other venues). You may want to split hairs and proclaim that a joint session has some special significance, but I would proffer that the difference is illusory.
On Meet the Press, Tim Russert quoted Harry Reid as saying, "President Bush is a liar. He betrayed Nevada and he betrayed the country."
In 2005, CNN's Bill Schneider remarked on the howling, hissing, and shouting of "No!" every time Bush mentioned Social Security reform. He said, "It was unusual. I had never heard it at least at that level before. The Democrats were clearly booing, heckling, saying no when the President talked about the crisis in social security."
These are but two of many, many examples. Until we have clear evidence to the contrary, let's call it what it was, rude behavior, rooted in very serious and passionate policy differences.
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