“A nation of cowards.” These are the words of Attorney General Eric Holder regarding race relations in America. By cowards, he means whites, because they are afraid to discuss racial issues for fear of being called racist. There is nothing that scares the bejesus out of white people, except myself and some others, more than being called racist. Ergo, there is a lack of discussion of race by whites.?
A couple of weeks ago I wrote asking people to disregard identity traits, to start treating each other as humans instead of gay or Catholic or black or white. It wasn’t until Mr. Holder spoke these words and the New York Post cartoon was published that the racial flames ignited. I am now here to extinguish them.?
The New York Post cartoon showed two police officers shooting a monkey and remarking, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.” I’ve read reactions that deemed the cartoon non-racist, pointing out that the government was a chimpanzee running wild with all the spending in the bill and showing the police shooting it, similar to the Gotham chimp attack that occurred days earlier. Other reactions deemed the cartoon to be racist, saying that the chimp was Obama and that for police to shoot it was reprehensible. ?
The First Amendment guarantees freedom of press, so the Post has a right to publish what it likes.?Of course, I think the Post might have put more thought into the cartoon. It is one thing to connect two public events in a cartoon, but it’s another to have creature that’s personifying the government – which consists of people – getting shot.
Al Sharpton, always one to capitalize on racial matters, led a protest in front of the NY Post headquarters. Liberal editorial cartoonist Ted Rall describes the environment that political cartoonists face when criticizing Obama: “Without a doubt, people are stepping more gingerly. People are tiptoeing their way through this.” That is a shame; it’s basically saying “well, because he’s half-black we can’t criticize him because people will accuse us of being racist.”
What a joke.?
Another recent accusation of racism came from Democratic Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina. He explains that Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Texas, states that refused to accept stimulus funding because of the strings attached, are racist because “these four governors represent states that are in the proverbial black belt.” To not accept stimulus funding is racist, because God forbid states can’t work out their economic issues on their own. No, they must beg the federal government to save them.
Instead of attacking nonsensical racial issues, people like Sharpton should use that energy to attack domestic issues like assisting education, domestic and teen violence, or other pressing issues. I can’t imagine the progress that would be ensue if Sharpton used his energy for fundraising for inner city programs or gymnasiums. He would be the next coming of Mother Teresa! Instead of Harlem’s version of Senator Joe McCarthy.?
The news was that America turned the page on racism because of the Obama presidency. The page has been turned for quite some time. Obama’s presidency is just a new chapter within the book.? The sad thing is that Holder’s accusation that America is a “nation of cowards” isn’t total nonsense.? Can you blame people for being cowards with people like Sharpton and Clyburn ready to strike?