Much of what goes on in Washington right now stuns and saddens me, but I think that the attempt to paint anyone who disagrees with Obama--or who is against this particular plan for health care reform--as a racist is the worst. This suggestion that ideas differing from Obama's necessarily spring from the most odious of sources has the potential to create new wounds and create new divisions where none previously existed.
Jonah Goldberg writes about this playing of the race card:
This would seem so obvious as to not require stating. Unfortunately, it seems that it does.
Sure, racists don’t like Obama. (In less shocking news, bears continue to use our national forests as toilets.) But that doesn’t mean everyone who dislikes Obama is therefore a racist.
In my title I used the word evil. I do believe that this is evil. Those who wish to marginalize conservatives and who have shown a willingness to shut down expression that does not match their agenda are using one of the most heinous accusations--requiring no proof on their part, because we long ago learned that the accusation of racism is tantamount to conviction in the media--to accomplish their goals. Racism is a tremendous evil and ought not be tolerated, but I fear that injudicious playing of the race card with ever-increasing frequency may only empower it and add racists--on both sides--to the fold.
4 comments:
... as well as making us blind to true racism and its evils.
Not unlike how people speed in the 45-mph construction zones and then some workman is killed because there was really a construction zone, but we're so used to hearing somebody cry wolf when there is no wolf that we blow it off. Those who are playing the race card all the time are actually creating insensitivity (among some folks) to charges of racism.
Yes, absolutely. I was wanting to fit that in, but had to get out o the house and was afraid that if I waited until I had it perfect I'd never get it posted. You finished it for me. :)
So what are you implying there, Missy? That we think alike or something?
Very true post. I find it sad that people are stopping from using their freedom of speech out of free of being called a racist. It's not about race, it's about policy! But they have little defense for their policies so they use the racist line instead.
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