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Racism in the Republican Party
Seth Wenig / AP Photo
The GOP chairman’s comment that some white Republicans are afraid of him is just the latest reminder that our politics are hardly post-racial. Conor Friedersdorf on how the GOP can repair its image—and the myths the left perpetuates.
Did you hear the one about the Republican National Committee Chairman who agreed that whites in his party are afraid of talking to black people?
No joke.
“I've been in the room and they've been scared of me," Michael Steele said. His unusual remark is the latest instance of Republican attitudes toward race making national headlines—and causing a headache for GOP officials, who are constantly trying to reverse the perception that their party is hostile to minorities.
The right should rethink its ideological commitment to the notion that racism isn’t a real problem in America anymore, even if they disagree about how it should be fought; and the left should alleviate suspicion that race is being used as an ideological cudgel by helping to stigmatize those who frivolously play the race card.
The single time the news media obsessed about racism in the Democratic Party came during the Election ‘08 primary, when several Hillary Clinton supporters in states like West Virginia were seen on YouTube, during television interviews, and on The Daily Show saying bigoted things about Barack Obama. Soon Bill Clinton himself, sometimes praised in liberal circles as “our first black president,” found himself accused of racially questionable remarks. I wouldn’t put any politically advantageous trick past Slick Willie, but I never imagined that I’d see him being called on multicultural insensitivities as though he were a Republican pol.
In the more familiar narrative, the Republican Party is cast on the wrong side of racial issues. The reputation isn’t entirely undeserved: luminaries William F. Buckley and Barry Goldwater wrongly opposed key civil rights advances, for example. And even loyalists who defend Richard Nixon’s Southern Strategy can hardly abide his racist remarks about blacks and Jews.
Today’s GOP is much improved, Confederate flag loving politicos notwithstanding. Say what you will about George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Sarah Palin, but none are on the wrong side of America’s historic racial divide—just as your typical high-ranking Republican official, asked what he thinks about race, now reflexively invokes Martin Luther King’s ideal of color blindness.
That’s progress!
I’d bet dollars to Freedom Fries that racial bigotry in America is now correlated with age, education level and region far more closely than political affiliation. Every so often, however, somewhere in America, a local GOP official or rank-and-file Republican disseminates an image of Barack Obama with a bone through his nose, or a drawing of a watermelon patch on the White House lawn, or most recently, a fried-chicken eating POTUS on a poster with a subhead denouncing miscegenation.
What gives? How should the Republican Party deal with these situations? Probably your answer depends on whether you believe that the GOP is substantially racist, or that these incidents are anomalies—the lamentable behavior of an anachronistic subset of the party.
Among the many Republicans I’ve known and with whom I’ve interacted, racism is very much the exception. Granted, I’ve lived only in few coastal American cities. Beyond them, I don’t know what the average Republican is like (or the average Democrat, for that matter).
Luckily, it hardly requires assessing the souls of party faithful to see that the GOP can better navigate racial issues, and that all Americans can help, not because they’re eager to advantage either party, but because a society where there are fewer racial gaffes, less racial tension and less racism is one that benefits us all.
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Conor Friedersdorf, a Daily Beast columnist, also writes for The American Scene and The Atlantic Online's ideas blog.
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Conor Friedersdorf, a Daily Beast columnist, also writes for The American Scene and The Atlantic Online's ideas blog.
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This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
First of all, how many Republicans refer to Steele as their leader? I haven't met one yet.
Also, Conor mentioned the "Southern Strategy" but does not fully appreciate its affect and impact. The deep South was dominated by this strategy for the last 3 decades. First affecting national elections then tricking down to eliminate Dems at city and county levels. One would have to live in the south to fully appreciate the power of the innuendo, contempt and fearmongering that was used to win elections.
This strategy first shown its weakness with Obamas election. The southern GOP deliberately alienated AAs in their region of highest concentration. If southern whites don't vote GOP at 80% rates serveral southern states suddenly become winnable for the Dems, hence VA, NC. Even GA approached swing status in 2008.
It's not even just the south. I live in California, and have relatives in New York and Florida. I'm appalled at the things coming out of their mouths. What do they all have in common? They listen to Rush or watch Fake News. But which came first? Do people join the Teabaggers because they're racist or do they become racist after joining the Teabaggers? Whatever, it's been deeply disturbing to me to see 50 years of progress on race relations flushed down the toilet by a few powerful right wing media elitists.
I like how you are "appalled" at what comes out of your relatives' mouths, and then you bring "tea-bagging" into the mix like a typical leftist. You guys really should seek therapy, because you all have a very unhealthy obsession with that word. Either that, or you are just projecting your own issues on to others because you can't come to grips with the fact that Obama's chocolate munchkins are completely engulfed in your mouth.
Also, "it's been deeply disturbing to you to see 50 years of progress on race relations flushed down the toilet by a few powerful right wing media elitists"??? I guess you must have missed that infamous "beer summit" this past summer, which had absolutely nothing to do "powerful right wing media elitists" and everything to do with the fact that our beloved Commander in Chief caught a bad case of Joe Biden's foot-in-mouth disease.
And since you are so concerned with the deterioration of "race relations" in the US these days... I'm sure you were all over the this little news tidbit today, am I right?
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/prof_busted_in_columbia_gal_punch_Jm sXQ3NzaAt8uG6uUySGTN
Switch that story around to say "White guy punches black woman", and it'll replace Fort Hood (if something else hasn't already) as the #1 news story of the day... but as it stands, since a black guy punched a white woman... nope, nothing to see here folks, move along!
nightdragon09: I have seen several people at teaparty rallys with tea bags hanging from their hats. So, if teaparty people find that being called a teabagger offensive, they should not wear teabags. Since tea party people have no problem with calling our President hilter, stalin and mao, etc., who knew they were so sensitive. Then you had to go and say Obama's chocolate munchkins, and lost any creditability. But if I say that is a racial term, the typical GOP response will be to say I played the race card, talk about projecting. That has been the modus operandi of the GOP. They seem to think that unless they have actually used the" n word" they are innocent of racism. But apparently they feel using the word chocolate ok.
I had hoped, and it seemed for a while, last November's election would bring the country together. I was wrong, the country is more polarized than ever, and closet racists like nightdragon are empowered and somehow think they are not transparently, obviously, just bigots.
Really, it's hysterical! You call yourselves Teabaggers! Of course, we think it's amusing that no-one thought to google that word before adopting it, but that's your problem, not ours.
stjam8... I shed no tears if people show up to rallies comparing the president to Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc. since your side did it for the past 8 years (minus the Stalin and Mao comparisons of course... gee, I wonder why THAT could be?!?).
You and all your ilk on the left whip out the "tea-bagging" comment any chance you can get, but when I turn it around and make a joke about it in reference to the left's unhealthy fetish with Obama, not only do I somehow "lose all credibility", but I'm also a racist? Wow, color me not surprised... one of the left's MO's is to shout down anyone who doesn't agree with them lock-in-step as a racist, fascist, homo-phobe, bigot, etc. etc. X infinity.
Downriver... the country has been polarized for quite some time now, pretty much 50/50 since the 2000 election, with a brief period of unity in the aftermath of 9/11... just because 53% of voters chose the American Idol / affirmative action candidate last election, that doesn't mean that all of a sudden our problems and disagreements will magically go away. And 96% of African-Americans voted for the African-American candidate as well... oh, but there's no racism there right? I'm sure you'd be singing a completely different tune about that if 96% of the white/caucasian population voted against Obama.
And finally DeeAmbro.. once again you repeat the common lefty lie when cornered about why you need to resort to calling your opponents by a vulgar term. Please... show me one example, whether in a video or in an article/blog post, where Tea Party activists called themselves "teabaggers"... one guy being interviewed back in April said that he planned to dump hundreds of teabags in front of the White House lawn to, in effect, "teabag" the White House. And media lefties like Olbermann, Maddow, Cooper, Sanchez etc., ran with that and started calling the teapartiers "teabaggers"... hell, Maddow even devoted an entire segment to her show to "teabagging"... yet in the left's eyes, she's one of, if not THE most, credible commentators on TV. Makes all the sense in the world.
nightdragon09: You made a joke? Funny every time you post you prove my point. I was very clear about what I said, " BUT IF, I say that is a racial term, the typical GOP response will be to say I played the race card " All your posts demonstrate my point quite cleary. Thank you for helping make my point.*** You said "Our side" . When did we stop being Americans? Bush went into office saying He was an uniter, not a divider. In office, It becomed "My Way or the Highway." One couple at a Bush rally were arrested for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts. This August, people were showing up at town halls with loaded weapons. They had signs, The tree of liberty neeeds to be watered with the blood of tyrants......At teaparty rallys they had signs saying I didn't bring my guns this time, as well as the horrfic signs of the holocaust. But the term teabagger you find offensive? You said "our side" compared Bush to hilter. I don't recall that comparsion ever being made. I suppose you have video? If that comparsion was ever made, is sure didn't make the nightly news for months on the " leftist media", like the comparsions of Obama. But according to you the media is leftist.*** President Obama election was a historic moment, but you want to turn it into a "racial" and the "left's unhealthy Fetish". If you think the left is in "lockstep" with the President, you really haven't been paying too much attention.
The problem isnt the GOP Mr. Steele. The problem is you. Of course nobody wants to talk with you. You've shown yourself to be disloyal to the GOP, this article just the latest nail in your political career. Who wants to talk to someone who takes any word they say, takes those words out of context and run to the national press with claims of racism. Gee, why wouldnt they want to talk to you?
You're just another low minded politician who cant get over that America voted for a black president because among other things they are sick and tired of the division of this country along racial lines. We want to put an end to the old hate mongers like yourself who can't let racism in this country die, but who at every opportunity drudge it up again at the very slightest of offenses.
Case in point, there are politicians in the GOP who don't even talk to you and you're claiming their racists. And the ones that do talk to you well you state they are the most racist of all.
Well we are sick of low minded politicians like you playing the race card and getting everyone hating each other and not trusting each other. We the people of the United States have decided to elect a black president to the highest office in the land. And as a further step in that direction, let us also voice our contempt at your disgusting and mindless playing of the race card for nothing more than political grandizement and power. Shame on you.
Mr. Conor,
If you want to experience racism up close and personal do this. Go up Highway I-5 into Oregon to a town called Roseburg. It is about 60 miles south of Eugene. Take a black woman with you, tell everyone it is your wife. Maybe try to pass for a light skined black guy, (makup maybe ?). Then tell everyone you want live their the results would make a good story.
I live in Berkeley CA and am white. My sister's husband is black, therefore they have mixed children. I stoped at many little city's like Roseburg trying to find a house to buy for a all around fun summer house (on the cheap) for my family and my sisters.
I would say to the real estates agents after seeing some homes, in my best white guy to white guy," my sister is married to a black guy and they have two mixed kids is that going to be a problem". Some would say probably not etc. Never a definite yes like below.
But in Roseburg the woman realtor was from CA very liberal etc. I asked the same question and she said" I noticed there were not any black people in town at all when I moved here". She went on"I have lived here for 7 years after about 4 years I asked the same question, the boss at work told me that any black people that move to town get immediate quiet harassment from the local KKK (threatening letters etc.), if that doesn't work they turn up the heat after a couple of months, but everyone just moves on after some harassment". "It helps that this town really has no jobs, most people want to leave"
Oregon has a history of extreme KKK power. In the 1920's (when the KKK power was at its zenith) Oregon had more laws put on their books by the KKK than any southern state. I learned this at a Oregon history class I attended at Ashland Oregon's state college.
I could tell you many other stories but I will leave you with just one. When I was 20 I was engaged to a mixed race woman who went off to college in Ashland. Whenever we left Ashland it was just scary. Whole towns would just stare at us. I called it the "hate stare" which was from the book Black Like Me. Except in college towns Ashland, Eurgene and Portland it happened everywhere. I hated going camping. People would stare just as much in Ashland but that was different, there are very few black people in town. The stare was more like "hey I think I just saw a strange new car". It was without malice just curious. You would have to experience it.
Oregon is a strange place. I would bet their klan membership were also the ones who started one of the nations first glass and can recycling programs. I am not joking.
Go north it is not that far.
M.D.
I spent fifteen years in the timber industry in Douglas County. It is a friendly place...............if you are Caucasian.
Today's new from Junction City, OR (Lane County near Eugene)
http://www.kval.com/news/local/69809797.html
Mr Connor should have done some research.
Here is a site that lists racist groups state by state.
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp
Here is a PDF of every racist group in the country that was active in 2008
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/images/splc_hategroups.pdf
There sure are a lot of racist groups in the South.
Right on, bro. I teach hate and extremist groups, now for 20 years, and it is THESE people who have shown up and been accepted happily in Republican ranks as voters...truthers/birthers etc in fact are the direct heirs to the John Birch society wackos, and Neo-Confederates. This includes wacko Tom Tancredo from Colo who was perfectly OK as an "acceptable" Pres candidate amongst Republicans, when he has called for "nuking Mecca" and shunting illegal Hispanics out of the country by trains. And he's a moderate ?? Republicans are at least 1/4 white separatists these days.
A very wise African American General once said," racism is perpetuated by those who dipict themselves to be sqeeky clean. If you aren't helping with the problem then you are part of the problem. Don't tell me what someone said or did. Tell me what you intend to do. Then show me." General "Chappie" James was the man's name. He had it right.
Did I read you right about Sarah Palin not being a bigot ? Check her record on Alaskan Natives . Also her comments on the President ! Trust the Alaskan Bloggers they have her pegged for what She really is a bigot,a liar and very untrustworthy
Just like the Klan and other White Supremacists, racists are dispersed fairly evenly throughout the nation. The largest and more active KKK is now located in PA. PA was the location of the black kids getting kicked out of the swimming club pool this past summer. MN gave his Michelle Bachmann and Palin descended from AK and CA was home to the Watermelon mayor.
I was looking up my grandson's facebook page because I was sure my son had posted new photos since Halloween. There was another facebook page with my grandson's name. He was a PA high-schooler. I started to read his page and was shocked. It was filled with his pride in racism. He spewed such hate at the age of 16 that it saddened me. Who is responsible? His parents. When will it end?
The average comment on a Sarah Palin article on this website is 1000x more hateful than any crap you leftists like to accuse people on the right of.
As a PA resident in the Central "Pennsyltucky" region, I can attest to pockets of racism even in this mid-atlantic state. It's pretty much exclusively in suburban and rural communities. But I apparently spent a few years living down the street from one of the local KKK leaders. They're a dying breed, but there is also a new (substantially smaller) generation of racists. In Lititz, they had the whole "Redneck Row" incident the other year.
I would be concern.. is your grandson hanging with this racist kid?.. Not so much to the point.. WHY is there prideful racism with this kid with the same name as your grandson .. racism has and will continue to be an axle component of EVIL..which is AGAINST GOD..and any one who practice and promote racism is HELL BOUND..for sure..
Conor,
It's obvious you live in a white bread world and you don't have a clue to reality.
Do both? Be a lib and fight racism and be a rightie and deny you're a racist? hmmm.
Seems that's exactly the problem here. The repubs don't fight it; they'd be fighting their own constituents.
When you have a gyro like Steele, you're gonna get some moments of truth; much appreciated after the barrage of double talk from same. I almost feel sorry for the guy; his job seems undoable.
Ukeman you haven;t had an indepandant political thought since your grandfather told you "your a democrat and don't ever question it regardless of what your lying eyes tell you.. And I'm sure you pass on to yours the same unquestioning loyalty.The democrats are a joke to all minorities. It's run by the richest white people in the country. Promising what? their going to tax themselves more for holding out on you? You are blinder than Stevie Wonder. The republican's advanced minorities to higher positions than the democrats ever did. And the White Leaders of the democrat party ridiculled every person of color that made any advances. Black democrats wouldn't even acknowledge OBama as a black man untill after New Hampshire. Lets look at some of your race tolerant Hero's. Bird? The hooded rep. with matching sheets? are you kidding me? Jimmy Carter the great liberal. Liberal published antisemetic rich white plantation owner from Georgia pointing his hammer swollen gnarly finger at everyone else yelling Racist Racist. How about the big gun Clinton. The first black president. Really? What ,they couldn't find a black actor to play the part. How insulting is that to blacks?? The democrats tell you to your face You don;t ever have a chamce of a real black man ever becoming president and through our
kindness" we will represent the black race because being rich and white and from Arkansa we know the black experience Truth is republicans like everyone that likes money and likes living well and is productive The message is prosper rather than stagnate. democrats are almost the same just without the "be productive " part. They want it payed for by someone else. Anyone else. They hate anyone with a dollar more than they claim to have. If they have a 30 inch flatscreen and yours is 40 inch then you should be made to but a 22 inch flatscreen for someone who doesnt have one. That way your left with to little for your own tv at all. Morons.
Such anger! This is BS, there are many Democrats that are low and middle income people that believe in the principles of the party. My daughter-in-law said to me on Sunday, "Why wouldn't you want others to have healthcare?". Some people actually have moral convictions about helping others and don't view money as the ultimate quest. The Democrats I know are hard working and productive and expect nothing from anyone, but that doesn't mean they aren't willing to help others prosper.
I'm surprised you didn't spell it "morans." I stopped reading about three or four sentences in because the spelling errors and lack of organization are painful. The paragraph break is your friend! As is the dictionary.
A fascinating article. One question I always have when the Left Dominated Media question arises (a fairly philosophical one, but still one I think the article could have touched on) is this: WHY do the left-of-centrists dominate creative media? Is it really that they're more numerous, powerful, influential and exclusive than their conservative counterparts? How did they get there? I've always wondered whether it was something inherent to conservatism that causes the ideology and generated ideas to stagnate (there's a reason for the word "conservative", no?), and whether this quality led to the dominance of pseudo-progressive (and certainly creative) leftists. While the Lefties certainly make invaluable targets for rhetoric, is it possible that conservatism (not traditionally known for its tollerance of new/different ideas) has something to learn from them and their success in the cultural medium? Is it possible to be both a conservative AND to embrace new ideas, concepts, ways of life and so on? Reagan's rhetoric (if not his actual policies) would suggest this is so. The current Limbaugh/Hannity/Beck/Coulter atmosphere of contempt and rejection suggests otherwise. I remain optimistic.
Korean Ginseng
"Today's GOP is much improved, Confederate flag loving politicos notwithstanding."
This sounds like a throwaway statement but it gets at the very core of racism within the GOP... the southern strategy that has been its answer to galvanizing electoral victories is the reason why 95% of african americans dont vote republican. until the gop rejects poisnous symbols like that confederate flag they will be continuing to scratch their heads wondering why their party is getting more and more marginalized
And now, with the flags and signs seen at the Teabagger rallies, they seem to be moving on to the Jews as well. Brilliant strategy, alienating more that half the population! God help any of us who are not white, male, christian republicans if these bigots win again.
Well..dee ambro..you are ASTONISHLINGLY ignorant who has made a cottage industry of identity politics. Just harken back to the 2000 campaign when radio ads warned people that if they voted Republican, then another cross burned an another lawn." Put down the kool aid.
Hey kain,
95% of blacks vote the way they do becuase of identity racial politics. If any thought went int their voting patterns - and the history of democrats to actually improve their lot - they would have rejected your failed policies years ago.
And if you think for a moment that the Confederate battle flag represents racism - either go back to school or call a lawyer so you can recoup some of the money that you quite frankyl got screwed out of for the sorry assed excuse you offer as an education.
One more thing - dumbass - check the polls - SEE YOU IN NOVEMBER BRANIAC!
I'm of mixed race and I have lived in the South and in the East as well as Europe, I can tell you though, I've encountered more racial stereotyping in places like NYC and Boston as well as London and Berlin than I ever did in places like Nashville , Atlanta or New Orleans. Maybe because Southerners are more used to African Americans . But it exists . I'm a Republican and I consider myself pretty conservative and I'm under no illusions about some quarters of the Republican Party, but I've often found good white liberals too be more condescending to people of color than many white conservatives. Many times people on both sides just assume because you are black means you think in a certain way... but I'm half white too.
What galls me though is charges of racism where it does not really exist, it cheapens real racism. I'd rather a white guy say something "racially insensitive" rather than try to sugarcoat it or feel sorry for me because I'm a member of an aggreived minority. I dislike it though when the white liberals come out and say that there are code words out there. Because if things like affirmative action, local contol and even heritage are code words, then my father who is black would be a racist because he detested affirmative action because he always saw it as an admission that black kids were seen as inferior by the people who purported to help them and that used to fire him up more than anything....besides, he always used to say that it was generally the elite blacks that took advantage of it anyway. The middle class and working class blacks were still having to fight it out just like their white counterparts. On heritage and the rebel flag, I usually laugh at it- as do most educated Southern white folks in the bigger cities. My white grandfather used to say, " Still fighting that damned Civil War, it's over the South lost." No one could have ever associated that man with anything other than the Republican party.
I think we should be careful of assigning racism where it may not exist. I've said it before, the charge of racism more often than not is usually leveled by white and black elites as some sort of status thing amongst themselves-particularly white liberals. It makes them feel so very much ....enlightened.
"it cheapens real racism."
Umm, what value does real racism have that needs to be preserved? I understand what you were trying to say, but you chose a very poor way of expressing it.
Fake charges of racism make it harder to confront actual racism, is what I think you intended to say.
Racism itself is already cheap enough, since it is largely the poor (of all demographics) who are its primary adherents. Poor people are more likely to blame their troubles on "the other" than anyone else. This is as true of those who live in the projects blaming everything on "The Man" as it is of those who live in the trailer parks blaming everything on "those people".
mredder4 I think your reply illustrates two things.!st is you haven't got a clue because 2nd you just proved his point with your own racism which I'm sure you don't see. as for what value preserving elements of racism has,It helps with retrospect giving us examples to ponder and examine our own racism.
Wow, incredibly concise, precise, accurate statement. The problem is human beings like to emphasize our differences and use them to group ourselves. White versus black, woman v man, poor v rich, real marriage v gay marriage. Until people find away of organizing without highlighting our differences with extreme belief in the validity of labels (race is a social construct, not biological) will continue to have subtle and overt class warfare (e.g. u can see this in the conservative lust to name this war on terror a war on islam so as to high light our differences).
The odd thing about the South is that whites are often more Polite to people of color than people in other regions but react politically to racial motivations. It is truth that they know more black people and know that black vary in social classes as everyone else, but until you have seen the process of "white flight" in action you may not fully understand the South.
A post-civil war era assessment or race relations was Southern whites hate the race (blacks) but love the individual, while northern whites love the race but hate the individual. --- to a lesser extent the same holds true today.
case1234 - "The odd thing about the South is that whites are often more Polite to people of color than people in other regions but react politically to racial motivations."
I think (based on experience) that Southern whites and blacks are more polite in dealing with outsiders, and even within work groups tend to tread gently. I don't mean lovingly or even kindly. Just gently.
There was an interesting article about white flight in Charlotte (NC) as reported by one of the local free papers, 'Creative Loafing'...
http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/white_flight_drives_mayora l_results/Content?oid=767187
A lot of the whites were I work live outside of the city, but some don't. My neighborhood was annexed last year so now I am one of the ones that lives in the city.
Reconcile that with the propensity of blacks to vote as 90% blocks. Then tell me who's racially biased.
I gotta say, I really appreciate bcaldwell. Seems to know what is really going out there. I grew up in the Northwest and it seemed such a mix of races that all my friends were either white, black, mexican or asian, didn't matter. In the military I lived in the South for quite awhile and what I really saw was more of a reverse sort of racism, almost segregation. It was different from anything I experienced. I live in Illinois now and our church is somewhat diverse and all I can say is that the black members think it is great we have black president but they voted the "white guy" because the truth was, morals and values came into play. The white guy had more of the "truth" on that side. Democrats- ploitical democrats- are much more racist, but hide it by blaming everyone else for it.
Thank you bcaldwell for you comments
bcaldwell - "I've encountered more racial stereotyping in places like NYC and Boston as well as London and Berlin than I ever did in places like Nashville , Atlanta or New Orleans. Maybe because Southerners are more used to African Americans. But it exists."
A question. Do you think it might be because Southerners (black as well as white) tend to be more polite in dealing with outsiders? More formal, less open, etc. That has been my experience in dealing with Southerners, versus metropolitan Yankees who tend to be 'in your face', thought certainly not all.
Ok, let's get this out of the way: I'm a young, white, Democrat, born and raised in Texas. To deny race spewing from the Republicans, to me is laughable. I've had to listen to friends of mine rant about how terrible it is to have "monkeys running the "White" House," I've had to request family members to stop sending me racist e-mail chain letters. If you live in Texas and you have seen no trace of racism, it's because you are living in, and have never left, the city. Just take a drive through the beautiful country roads, toward a town without a shopping strip, or a McDonalds, then you'll happen upon a building with a huge confederate flag mural painted along the side. You will find "neighborhoods" where every flag flown is a confederate flag. Go to a small town high school football game (preferably to a town where 6-man still exists), and you will hear the God-fearing mothers on the side line screaming about the "n*gg3r$" on the other team. To get a real taste of Texas bigotry, you must leave the comfort of the concrete jungle. These people are certainly not voting Democrat. They may not be rank and file Republicans, but they are who the Republicans are pandering to.
Oh Conner,
You lost us with the "living on the coasts". I grew up on one of the "coasts". You truly do not know what you are talking about, though it was nice of you to admit it. Yesterday I heard someone say that the Fort Hood tragedy was the result of Obama's reducing the standards for the Military. These educated, wealthy, white people believe this completely. And they feel no compunction about saying it out loud. The Republican Party has become THE gathering spot for racists. That is very unfortunate, and tragically ironic. The Party of Lincoln has become the face of white, christian supremacists.
The exploitation of dead human beings at Dachau to equate Healthcare reform to Nazi Death Camps is egregious in the extreme. The disgusting displays at Michelle Bachman's Tea Party on the House steps say it all. We must call out all racists. Anyone participating, displaying, and passively condoning these depictions of Jewish victims, Hitler moustaches, watermelon patches is a racist, and mind blowingly ignorant of history. The right is writhing and they will strike back. Here in the flyover country the racists are agitated, arming themselves to the teeth and registering Republican.
Slimpikins, perhaps you should change you're name to Simpleton. I'm on the coast too and have NO f'n idea wht you're talkin about. While you accuse those that disagree with you in the worst light - assuming sterotypes and exhibiting prejudice i have not yet seen on this site, you grab your sanctimonios lapels and declare your stupid ass above it all. You are a coward in the classic sense, an excellent example of true bigotry and hatred, and a lil whiney scumbag all to eager to hide behind the shield of "racism". You are a gutless turd that chooses to ignore 8 yrs of Bush wearing the Hitler moustache, 8 yrs of you wishing that we lose war, 8 yrs of the vilest invective against out commander in chief. All of which would be excusable, but now suddenly you are offended by it you tiny and dishonest intelllectual coward.
is it egregious to compare the policies of nazi germany with those of the close advisor to Obama Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel? Are you familiar with the practice of evaluating a citizens "contribution to the state" as expressed by the good Dr? Or are you as stone cold ignorant as you present?
Michael Steele is making himself an example of racism to cover up his incompetence at his job. My dislike of Steele has not one iota to do with racism, but I can't stand the guy because I think he was put in as a token minority during the Obama election backlash. He's an idiot regardless of color.
Doesn't his idiocy make him easier to manage?
Isn't his token status implicitly an acknowledgement by the R's of their own racism? Sadly, it's the only Affirmative Action the R's have ever supported.
Isnt your observation that Steele is black, and automatically classified by you as a token, an acknowledgement that its really the Leftist scum of your ilk that just cant get by the issue of race?
If someone was given something rather than earning something, the logical response is jealousy. Your dislike of him is not explained, by this but highlights the possiblity you just dont like him, for some other reason. I ask you this, when McCain picked Palin, who was a token minority backlash to Obama's Nomination win, did you automatically dislike her as well? Maybe you did. Maybe you meant to say you dislike Steele because he's an idiot as opposed to a token. Maybe Vegas is betting you dislike minorities who benefit from affirmative action in general. IDTS....
I respectfully disagree- i do not see him as a token - and if we went PURELY on the issue of race - like the Demicrats did with Obama, shouldnt we have elected Blackwell?
Yeesh. I thought the "my personal anecdotes qualify me to make generalizations" op-ed was discredited a while ago, but, here it is. And of course, out come the other personal anecdotes---"oh the northeast libs are more racist!" Yeah? Well, guess what: we elected a black president and we don't have people with the Confederate Flag passing out posters of Barack as a monkee or a witch doctor or a chicken-eating president, not at even one of our events or on our facebook pages. Weird, right? I know, because we're sooooo racist up here. WHY would we miss that opportunity. Give me a break.
hey blinky - are you one of those famous "scholars" that equates the confederate battle flag with racism? Take an honest class and you'll learn something, Where does all this chicken talk and witch dr stuff come from? The monkey reference doesnt even deserve acknowledgement - but speaks VOLUMES about you.
Far too much time (and energy) is spent analyzing and discussing real or preceived racism. I would submit that those who could possibly have been guilty of such an attitude and behavior have sufficiently diluted such a damning term that it now carries a burden slightly worse than "A Distaste For... something."
"Black folks don't want your love ....... We simply Expect Equality and Demand the respect that's been earned... and is due."
America could go a long way in deminishing the "vile dislike and disrespect for a race of people" if we could ensure the following;
1. Make real "a level playing field."
2. Ensure that education is Guaranteed to be Equal.
3. Don't be the Obstacle impeding anyone's success.
4. Consistently Expose the Christian bigotry that fails to conform to the Command of "Love thy neighbor."
5. Establish a Contract to ensure Equality for everyone.
6. a. Should the Equality Contract be breached, the Offending party should be prosecuted.
b. The party harmed by the breach should be reasonably compensated by the offending party.
The problem with racism in ALL OF US American's - (in the 21st Century) is the fact that Our Society "Tolerates" it, rather than be Embarrassed, "Rejecting It" and Refusing To Accept It!
iNice response 0 it sounds reasonable and sums all up in a nutshell. Let's take where you go point by point:
1. Make a real level playing field. No student of public education should have more funds spent on it than another. Inner cities that absorb so much more of public education funds should be made to do with those that are spent on the suburbs.
2. Ditto. Education should be standardized and the results should be made the same. If a suburb spends $4500 to educate a white student with a particular result, the black student should acquire the same level of proficiencey.
3. recognize that the only obstacles for success for anyone are imposed by government.
4. Christian bigotry? Either rethink this stupid statement and disregard your own bigotry or expain yourself a bit better than that. The only religious bigotry that I've noticed is an behalf of Islam, But i triple dare you to qualify this prejuduced, bigotted, and frankly ridiculous statement. Bring lunch.
5> A contract by definition is binding upon all parties. Should a party fail uopn this, then they are held accountable not by only Constitutional Law ( we'll ignore Obamas blatant disregard for Article 1 section 9) but by nearly 1,000 yrs of common law. One sided contracts are by defintion illegal and unenforceable.
6)The term prosecution ventures into criminal law - well past civil law, Us defenders of the Constitution welcome this. Ergo, a student of public education that fails to meet objective standards of graduation not only is liable for the monetary damages incurred if he or she should drop out, but can be held criminally responsible for said failure.
6b: yes..the agrieved party should expect compensation. The billions of dollars flushed down the toilet of public education should be returned to those that pay the fee, or conversely, those that are damaged by the party of public education need be held accountable to those that they serve. dumbassed droputs should have a cause of action against the NEA. And the not so dumbassed population have cause against the NEA.
See? you dont have that much difference with the "right wing" of this country.
"I'd bet dollars to Freedom Fries that racial bigotry in America is now correlated with age, education level and region far more closely than political affiliation."
------------
This is where your argument breaks down. It is exactly those factors (age, education level and region) that, when taken together, correlate so closely with political affiliation. You're absolutely correct that you can't make blanket statements that cover the entire party (or any population, for that matter), but the link between age, education, region, and political affiliation are too strong to ignore. So if racism lives in the first three, the fourth follows.
Nice of you to single out "Christian" bigotry, as if Christians have an exclusive on that. Is bigotry against people of a certain religion somehow less reprehensible then bigotry against peolple with a certain skin color?
Thie above comment was a reply to bobj72.
@cb: you have to admit the Republican Christian Rightists have done a fabulous job of showing themselves as bigots -- let's take the pandering McCain did to them in the last election by allowing his people to use associations with Obama to terrorists, portrayed as a Muslim when he was not taking advantage of the fear, against gay civil rights on religious grounds. You can't be surprised at the reaction to Christians in general. So unfortunate.
Yeah, they're giving christianity a bad name! Whatever happened to "what would Jesus do?" Jesus, born and raised in the middle east. Hummm, I wonder what color skin he had?
Heey Veronicaxy - do you have a problem with helath care being cas t as a "moral issue"? Well..who's morality? Is it moral to force someone to pay another's medical bills? Can I tell St Peter that i should be allowed into the Kingdom because the pelosi healthcare bill was passed?
Lets take the pandering Obama did to the gays. "don't ask don't tell". Lets take the pandering to the Muslim community - declaring them a "religion of peace" when all evidence points to the contrary. Let's take the pandering to the black community, when obama declared the Cambridege Police "racist" before he knew the facts. Lets take the pandering Obama did to muslims with his famous "cairo "speech. Lets take the pandering Obama did to the Hispanics with promises of amnesty.
You're weak veronica - cuz you're ridiculous ideas about gays and their "civil rights" are baseless. I dare you - no, i double dare you to declare the civil rights afforded gays in the US Constitution. Good luck sweety.
I can't quite figure out your point? Apologist OR an attempt to Distract from the Obvious Topic? Racism...
As to the question you raise, the "fault" in bigotry is NOT Exclusive to anything, including Christianity. My point is; Christians, as Believer's are supposedly committed to carrying out God's Commands. John 13: 34-35; A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
SIMPLE...short of this above is Christian Bigotry.
I can't quite figure out your point? Apologist OR an attempt to Distract from the Obvious Topic? Racism...
As to the question you raise, the "fault" in bigotry is NOT Exclusive to anything, including Christianity. My point is; Christians, as Believer's are supposedly committed to carrying out God's Commands.
Oh cbl99201, haven't you hear? Christians are the one religious group that is in vogue to ridicule. It makes about as much sense to portray some kook screaming and waving around a Bible who claims to be a "Christian" as representative of American Christians as it is to claim that the suicide bomber represents the average Muslim.
If people want to be enchanted by the Islam, that is certainly their right but they only have that right because the mostly Christian founding fathers believed that the right to free speech and freedom of religion was important enough to include in very documents written in the founding of this republic!
While I'm at my "History Lesson", the reason that those founding fathers felt it necessary to make note of the necessity of "the separation of church and state" was primarily to keep the government out of religion, not the other way around. If you don't believe that, look it up.
Which would seem to show that unless someone can show a demonstratable harm, displays of things like the 10 Commandments and Nativity Scenes in public paces or government buildings do not actually violate the spirit or the letter of the Constitution but that the courts who have ruled for prohibiting them actually may have.
"its a thin line between love and hate"-The Pretenders
(Chrissie Hynde wore alot of "black")
Steele is right... you can't mention anything to do with race without having it blow up on you. Opposing politicians and 'The Media' are eager to inflate and twist any comment no matter how innocent or innocuous into a flap that destroys careers. Discussing race in any form is akin to walking in a minefield blindfolded... you never know what will blow up or when, you just know that something is likely to.
The Sotomayer hearings would disprove that. The republicans senators had no problems repeatly asking Sotomayer about statements, She had made ad-nauseam. Their careers seem fine even tho they were all white males accusing a latino woman of racism. The GOP has remained mostly silent, in an effort to gain back political power while teaparty signs are rife with hate and fear. The horrific signs of the holocaust that Baynor denied seeing but Cantor had to finally say something. The GOP stand on racism should be stronger, but their silence condones it.
My first gut reaction to Steele was that he was placed in power as political appeasement to show the Republicans could have a black majority leader.
Based on his comments and actions of the party I still believe this to be true and the only reason he has not been dumped is because of his race. And that to me is racist.
Yes, sometimes people are disadvantaged, but I believe in meritocracy in achievement.
I like Steele - and i do NOT believe in todays society that people are disadvantaged outside of the boundaries upon wich they choose to place themselves
Assuming that's the case, which it very well may be, I do find it rather ironic that the leader of the RNC is an affirmative action beneficiary.
This ariticle oozes so much self righteous left wing crap I can't stand it.
Bigotry comes in many shapes, sizes and colors. Many of the so called "fair minded people" who strive for "equality" are nothing more than folks with an agenda that use "racism" as a weapon to label, discredit, and financially injure their opponents.
The facts are that many Southern Democrats were leaders of the KKK. Men like Robert Byrd, and others who hide behind their party and were proactive in leveraging their politics for power all while proclaiming to be striving for equality.
It was a Republican by the name of Lincoln that reinforced the "all men are created equal" rights of our constitution. It was Republicans that put bright and talented blacks like Colon Powell in positions of power.
Racism is not a Republican issue, and it is not a Democratic issue. Those on the left who constantly paint the Republicans are doing so simply to try to gain an edge politically. It is race baiting, and it is disgusting.
To put it in perspective, it is the Democrats who want to pass laws that make all of us endentured servents to the government, and it is the Republicans that want us all to have a chance to start our own business and stand on our own. Which one provides more opportunity for people?
This article and its tone, and some of this comments laid out here, simply show racism for what it is. It is not the attitude of people who dislike others of different colors or religions that hurts our society. It is the camoflaged racism that is used to control, manipulate and restrict those around us for the purpose of power.
Next time you call someone a racist, perhaps you should look in a mirror. and ask yourself who is really holding who back, and who is really damaging the cause.
ConRights... your own statements belie your avoidance of the fact of racism. 1) many southern democrats WERE leaders of the KKK. Yes, the democrats have reformed their views and policies re:racism. Unfortunately, southern republicans still ARE pushing these views. 2) Republicans did put Colin Powell into a position of power, but only so that they could use him (racism) to spread lies to support the war. He later opted to go with his conscience and denounce those republican folks who empowered him. 3) If Republicans would object to the common use of racist images by members of their party, than they would cease to become the focus of stories about the role of racism in politics. 4) oh forget it... at this point your post becomes 'crazed right wing talking points... unfortunate.
The idea that Colin Powell was put into a position of power -namely the Joint Chief of Staff - because he was black IS a racist statement and if anything undermines the idea of affirmative action. Colin Powell was NEVER a repuclican because of his political views.
Did Colin Powell decide to go with his conscience about the "truth" of wmd? What was Clinton's excuse in 1998? What was the truth of the UNANIMOUS vote of the Senate in the same year when they passed "the Iraqi Freedom Act"? Did Hillary Clinton stand before the Senate and assure America that she was in the know and had every reason to believe that Saddam had WMD? Did Kerry? Who started the ugly rumors about the danger of Saddam? Are these "crazed talking points", or just facts that you'd like to avoid like the plague?
I can tolorate ridiculous and crazed viewpoints - but theres something quite duplicitous and dishonest about yours - and thats despicable.
What is more racist, holding someone back through laws and programs that make them dependent, or providing opportunities to become independent and self sufficient?
Take a hard look at the policies implemented by Democrats over the years and you'll find rich white Democrats on gated compounds behind them.
For the record, my business partner is black, my best man at my wedding was black, and my family album looks like the United Nations. It is apparant by the posts that have followed my comments a consistent pattern, and that is, "agree with us or you're a racist". I challenge you again to look at those who "claim" to be unbiased and see where they came from and where they are now. Take a look at the Kennedy's, and also Jesse Jackson and his cronies. Look at their bank accounts, and what they have "accomplised" in their lifetimes. Ask yourself and ponder this. did they fight for equality or to solidify their power?
Both parties are filled with those who are in politics for one reason, power and money. The only difference between the two parties is that one, the Democrats, wants to gain control of more money to "help us", while the other tries to let us keep us ourselves.
For those of you that are hard party loyalists, you should take a critical look at your results. There are things that you should be proud of, and much more that you should be ashamed of. Racisim is a tool to maniplulate power by both sides, and it stinks, but to pretend that the results of one party are more helpful than another is just BS.
Philosophy is something that transcents practice sometimes. Judas as a Christian that turned on Christ, and there are many in both parties that don't practice what they preach.
With the Republicans the philosophy is to allow individuals to be free to live their own lives as they see fit and to be accountable for it. For Democrats it is that they want to take care of us, be our moms and dads and be sure we are well fed, well educated, and get an allowance every month. The problem is that once we are dependent on the government, we are enslaved.
There is racisim in America, and it is a terrible thing, but freedom helps overcome that racism. Michael Jordan faced it. BBKing faced it, Sammy Davis Jr. faced it, Colin Powell faced it and it was overcome by focus and excellence, not by finger pointing and blame. Some like Don King and Jesse Jackson even embraced it as it helped their own wallets.
I stand by my original statement, "next time you call someone a racist, perhaps you should look in a mirror, and ask yourself who is really holding who back, and who is really damaging the cause".
ConstitutionalRights: Those "Southern Democrats" were Dixiecrats, who abandoned the Democratic party after Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964. They are almost all Republicans in good standing now.
Some, like Byrd, repudiated their racist attitudes.
If Lincoln were alive today, he would be a Democrat.
Geez..I hope you didnt go to college - if so you have an excellent lawsuit. Dixiecrats were Dixiecrats back in the land of Dixie - since 1860. Byrd's repudiation of racist views amounted to the statement that "white people can be niggars too."
Alan, if you believe that the Civil War was fought over blacks - then you ARE a Democrats wet dream. Perhaps you can tell me that if the colonies had the right to self determination as expressed in the DEclaraton of Independence, then why the Confederate States did not enjoy that same right. Square it with Magna Carta , the Declaration, The Articles, or The Constitution. Square it with renaissance thought - Hobbes, Voltaire, Locke .
I'll give you credit for this however - Lincoln WOULD be a Democrat - he suspended habues corpus throughoout the entire land, and suspended all provisions of the Constitution when it was not convenient. I'll bet you're a big supporter of that.
hardhat40: said "Geez...I hope you didn't go to college....." Did you go to college? Not that I believe that is an indication of the ability for critical thinking. Exactly what is your point, other then attacking and letting us know how many books you supposedly read. Your post suggests someone with a chip on their shoulder, who didn't go to college and feels defensive about it. Well considering Bush had an Ivy league education, you should not feel like it a requisite for intelligent and civil discourse. Can you make your point without attacks? Understanding one another starts with civil discourse. It is interesting that you bought up suspending habeas corpus, since the other republican President to do so was Bush.
"Constipated...right!"; You are correct in saying; ... "This article and its tone, and some of this comments laid out here, simply show racism for what it is. It is not the attitude of people who dislike others of different colors or religions that hurts our society. It is the camoflaged racism that is used to control, manipulate and restrict those around us for the purpose of power." ...
________________
I would submit the "camoflaged racism" (sp. ?) is one (1) of the major factors the GOP must accept/and confront - as they attempt to establish a formidable level of Diversity within their ranks.
There's an honest answer to the question or subject " Racism " That deep down inside of all of us , white, black, hispanic is more than difficult to get. It is, "do you think a certain way, or in order words put a label on other races?"
We all do or have done it at some point in our lives.
This does not have to do with Steele, don't know him anyways so can't judge him, but with a wider spectrum that run across this subject of racism. Not all whites are racist and not all blacks are not racist. Blacks use racism as a defensive tool, against the racial aggression of the whites who think they're just superior because both their parents happen to be white despite that they were German's(just an example) born in the USA. But a black person whose great, great grand parents are Americans is inferior just because of their color. Racism is here, though things are better than it used to be. I think its very dumb though, People don't care to know you, your color is enough impression.
I think the article is fair - with all due respect - because it acknowledges some real discrepencies in the Left's phony grievance. You are SPOT ON with your analysis i believe. I guess I'm an idiot - but I do not see the appointment of Colin Powell or Condoleeza Rice as race based as much as I do merit based - but I will grant that I might be naive in that respect.
Its the Left that sees a hispanic woman, or a black man, before they see a person. A perfect example of that would be the slime slurping scumbag thief of an amoeba more commonly known as Charles Shumer. This dung beetle had the nerve to warn Republicans that opposition to a clearly biased and unqualified candidate like Sotomayor would enrage hispanics. Of course he disregarded his own statement to General Gonzales when he saud - to my horror - "it is no longer incumbent upon us to prove your guilt - on the contrary it is your responsibility to prove you've done nothing wrong."
We had to disregard all of Sotomayor's faults and shortcomings, and to even mention them meant that WE were racists...lol. her story was way too perfect. But Clarence Thomas' story earned him not an IOTA of respect, or deference - and they went on to declare the implied crime of sexual harrassment negated ALL of this man's considerable accomplishments. Joe Biden declared that - "it wasnt the nature of the evidence - its the seriousness of the charge" The same charge that "didn't rise to the level" just a few yrs later. The Left is weak, because it stands on nothing - its roots are lemon jello - and NO ONE likes lemon jello.
Your comments are always so filled with a flawed understanding of history and reality. The Democrats aren't interested in indentured servitude - that's absurd. The political parties had a major switch on big issues; Lincoln would probably be a Democrat these days (ever wonder why African Americans fled the Republican party after decades of being Republicans?). And Dixiecrats are almost all Republicans now; people like Robert Byrd have repented.
I agree that there are racists on both sides - I've run into a couple of racist Democrats, but the difference is that it isn't systemic. There was no Democratic Southern Strategy and there is no use of covert racism to win Democratic primaries (see Bush's 2000 push poll) and elections.
@ConstitutionalRights:
Look up colon. And then look up Colin Powell.
The Republican party enthusiastically welcomed racists to their ranks in the 1960s and 1970s because they needed the numerical strength. When they did that, they swallowed the pill that is poisoning them today: racists and religious bigots now completely control the Republican primary process.
Good grief. Saying the Republicans welcomed racists is about as racist as they come, look in the mirror.
By the way, with such a broad statement as you made, perhaps we should now label the Democrats as all in the Mafia with their long history of corrupt and illegal history, especially the Kennedy's. Isn't it amazing that virtually all of the voting errors around the country came from Democratic strongholds and were run by Democratic cronies. Hmmm, do I see a pattern here?
The last laugh is on white racists in this country. It's well known that people of color, specifically those of Latino descent, are destined to become the majority of the population in the U.S. within the next fifty years. Some white bigot today is very likely to have children or grandchildren who date or marry and have children with a dark-skinned person.
People with higher education are often quick to attribute racism to poor whites with little or no college.However, on many college campuses, there are organizations that devote themselves to ethnic pride, such as clubs for Irish Americans or Jewish Americans or Korean Americans. While having a sense of one's history is healthy and worth celebrating, cultivating a sense of exclusivity based on one's ethnic background is a double-edged sword.
I have the bad feeling that part of human nature is to hate "the other". As recently as fifty years ago, J.F.K. was subjected to all sorts of suspicion about being a tool of the Vatican while running for president. And during World War II, Japanese Americans living on the West Coast were interred in government-run concentration camps. Hopefully, in the future the other will be perceived based on what they've done instead of suspicion.
The current racial makeup of the country is 66% white, 18% Latino, 13% black. Do you believe that Latinos will become over 50% in the next 50 years? Democrats have made it their business to foster "identity politics". You are so correct in assuming that it is a double edged sword. Next thing you know, whites might even insist that as a nation, our borders be respected and that Latinos who enjoy a 40% graduation rate from high school not be exported to this country by Mexico - a traditional enemy. Perhaps whites will regard "la raza" - a.k.a. "the race" as a racist organization. Perhaps we'll borrow Howard Dean's 2004 campaign slogan of "taking our country back".
Then again - perhaps political correctness imposed by leftists will prohibit that.
And a hundred years ago, Germans were treated the same way Hispanic immigrants are treated today.
Though I've never heard of an Irish American club on any campus in my region. That would be interesting to see. We had a German club, but that was more a language club thing. It's funny to think that "minority" used to refer to Germans, Irish, and Italians.
There is also a Black Congressional Caucus, a Hispanic Congressional Caucus, a National Brotherhood of Skiing and Black Ski Summit and many other exclusively Hispanic and Black organizations.
Either it is wrong for any ethnic or racial group to wish to associate with their own kind, or it is a "natural" human inclination. In either case, why castigate Irish, Jewish or Korean Americans while ignoring the huge number of groups for people of color? Isn't it more likely the students you mention were cultivating common interests than a sense of exclusivity?
I can't think of a sillier way to classify people than by skin color or race, but "whites" are not the only people who do it and most people don't hate other people once they get to know them, regardless of color or ethnicity.
I think you need to get to the South and "Flyover" country more often. Your arguments have so many holes that it is difficult to know where to begin. That racial attitudes correspond to age, region and education is obvious. Although certainly there are Democratic voters who harbor racist attitudes, although usually at a more subliminal level, except for maybe places like West Virginia, Republicans are far less likely to even bother to try to hide racial motives. Any Black person will tell you (correctly) that Steele is an Uncle Tom and a stooge for the man, his no doubt sincere beliefs in the great system of free enterprise and small government, notwithstanding.
Have you been around the country? I have. I spend routine visits to many parts of the country, and I'll tell you that some areas are openly racist. But you know what? Most were Democratic strongholds!!!
Have you been to New Orleans? Those good ole boys down there were funneling money from the dikes projects into their wallets for decades. When crisis came, who did we blame? Bush, a Republican. Ahh, but wait, where was the Mayor (a democrat) - oh yea, he went to Houston. Where was the Govenor (a democrat) oh yea, she blocked Bush from helping until well past the time of need, and then disappeared behind a wall of blame herself.
What is more racist, results by poor intentional decisions, or by failed good intent?
At the end of the day, Democrats hasve done more to parallze us than anyone, as they teach us to be dependent instead of self sufficient. They want the people to be long standing loyal voters by bribing them with goodies from the public bank account instead of opening doors to equal opportunity.
Don't kid yourself, the Democrats have done more to hurt America than anyone, and their history shows it.
Poor Micheal Steele. He keeps putting his foot in his mouth because he actually believes his token position means something. He will be criticized from within and without the Republican Party because he is not introspective enough and is fueled solely on ego. It pains me to say this because I also have conservative beliefs on some fiscal issues but not to the exclusion on assisting those living at or below the povery level. I support Health Care Reform as an example. The RNC, however, is using the politics of the issue to frightened and split the nation on something as basic as good health care for those without it through no fault of their own.
I am reminded of something Zora Neal Hurston wrote many years ago: "Some whites do not completely comprehend the complexity of African Americans; fail to acknowledge the differences within them......they (whites) object to being shown as no better than the people whom they've denounced for so long - provoking a fear that their freedoms will lost". Racism is fueled by fear and ignorance and the word is used too loosley by many. And, racism is not exclusive to whites (WASPs) as ignorance isn't.
spunkygirl,
I would respectfully - and in no way confrontationally, ask you to read the bill. And by that I don't mean actually read the bill - because anyone who tells you they have is a liar. Suffice it to say, and if you want I will qualify my statements with indesputable fact - this bill takes everything that is wrong with healthcare today and doubles down on it. Do you really want to cede jursdiction of your body to the state?
I replied to your post because you seem reasonable - but do you really believe blacks are more complex than whites? Their voting patterns prove that theory wrong. Until we treat folks like folks - this crap will continue. And it is this crap that is tearing this country apart. Anyone who tells you our strength is in our diversity doesnt understand the concepts of strength or diversity.
The health care issue was brought up by Democrats. its being held up by Democrats. The Republicans are using the well-founded mistrust in government to try to stop something that will give Government control over our day to day lives. With the governments record of success with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the post office, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and their inadequate - to be kind - response to h1n1 - PLEASE make me understand how this will be different. The current success record of the Democrats have us 109 trillion dolaars in unfunded liability - if you have ONE idea on how to pay for that in our lifetime - than I'd be glad to discuss another Federal entitlement.
"Some whites do not completely comprehend the complexity of African Americans; fail to acknowledge the differences within them......they (whites) object...."
Something wrong with that thought. Referring to "whites" as an undifferentiated mass shows that African Americans also fail to acknowledge the differences within them. At least blacks get to acknowledge their African origin, which is a step up from being just white, which isn't a very accurate description of most "whites".
Why aren't "whites" called Italian/Greek/English/Swiss/Romanian Americans?
Probably because it would highlight the silliness of referring to people by their ancestry, instead of as Americans, regardless of color or race.
Some of what you say I agree with, but you miss one key point.
Whites are labeled whites by non whites. I have a friend of hispanic decent who in a conversation said, "well thats because you're white". I told her I had never been called "white" before, and that I didn't understand. After a long and heartfelt discussion she understood my background and I hers and we both realized that we had so much in common more that we had before, and that we both were Americans.
I find it sad that we are forced to label anyone. Frankly the Democrats are the ones who do that the most if you listen to them. The hypenated American is another way to fracture our society into bite size pieces that they can manipulate.
Martin Luther King didn't protest to be a hypenated American, nor did the Irish in New York, or the Mexicans in California. The only people who benefit from that label is marketing folks who use it for pushing soap and politicians. It is time we realize that we are Americans, with various shades and shapes, and that there are many from around the world who long to be here too. For those who want to become Americans we should expect equal treatment, not privileged treatment.
Now, ask yourself, who is truly helping Americans, and who is helping themselves.
I am an African-american. I have come to realize that the Democrat party is driven by racism and bigotry. They have only profited financially by keeping us on a economic plantation of poor schools and welfare in order to buy votes over the years.
I understand how the Dixiecrats (who later became known as the Democrats) used racist jim crow laws to suppress us and create racial division between the lighter skin blacks and the darker skin Blacks. These same democrats are using the writings of an old slave owner to use race as a political tool to continue the slave mentality in all Americans in order to create division and mindless violent mobs.
Check this is the book out below:
"Breaking the Curse of Willie Lynch: The Science Of Slave Psychology"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0972035214?tag=evolufacts-20&camp=0&creative= 0&linkCode=st1&creativeASIN=0972035214&adid=1Z6P20MV7WF6M414WNXV
Now Obama has community-organized blacks to beating up other blacks how do not trust in Obama's policies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqpfU_AC7Ls
Now whites are the victims of the curse of Willie Lynch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM8VLGqRX7o
Democrats connection with Margret Sanger founder of Planned Parenthood who was a Hitler Sympathizer is solid evidence that the Democrat party has NAZI and supremacist tendencies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEja-1emRic
They call others racist in order to perpetuate racial division in America. Obama's paid bloggers tend to fabricate the news promoting a socialist agenda. They do not represent the majority of Americans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI67MuPwsX0
"-and the myths the left perpetuates." What myths?
neither the left or the right perpetuate myths. they're both clean as new fallen snow.
Our party leaders on the Right do not even have the moral courage to stand up to the racial stirers disguising as talk show hosts.This tolerance directly or indirectly usurps the authority that Michael Steel can wield in the party at any one time.Directly because he himself will apologize to someone like Rush Limbaugh and indirectly, because he is psychologically compromised.He knows who the real leaders of the party are---the white guys
"I'd bet dollars to Freedom Fries that racial bigotry in America is now correlated with age, education level and region far more closely than political affiliation"
That region isn't the South is it? The education level? Maybe High School? and Age...Over 40? Sounds like a Republican to me!
Thank you.
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