Despite predictions that the election of Barack Obama would end racism
as we know it, it seems our President is having to deal with it more
than ever. He wasn't expecting, however, to hear racial stereotypes from
members of his own party.
Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) is under fire for comments he made before
Obama was elected President and are now being published in a book. In an
attempt to assess Obama's candidacy, Reid said the then-senator could
be successful because he was a "light-skinned" black man and had "no
Negro dialect whatsoever, unless he wanted to have one."
There's no need to discuss how stupid the quote was; it was obviously a
poor choice of words. What is interesting is the response being given
to Reid's quote. It exposes a double standard that's hard to deny.
Consider in today's over-sensitive PC culture, such quotes are treated
as major scandals. In 2002, a similar stupid statement by Trent Lott
about Strom Thurmond cost him his majority leader post. Lott said
America could have avoided a lot of problems had Thurmond's 1948
presidential run been successful. Thurmond was a noted segregationist at
the time.
In a CNN interview at the time, Al Gore called Lott's comments racist.
Jesse Jackson said Lott should resign, which he did. That was for
remarks that only alluded to race. Now, many of the same politicians who
dogpiled on Lott's comments in 2002 are either quiet or actually
defending Reid, saying his apologies are enough and it is time to move
on. Would the same be said if Reid were a Republican?
I'm sure there will be those who say that when a liberal says something
stupid, it's OK because they don't mean it. When a Republican says
something stupid, they will argue, it's racist because at heart, all
Republicans are racist. Such arguments hold no water because they
obviously show a double-standard. Even as this scandal breaks, news
reports surface that many are upset that the 2010 Census form, when
asking a citizen to list their race, uses the word "negro." And yet, Reid's statement,
which used the same word, is not considered offensive. Consider that Reid also said that
Obama can use a "negro dialect" if he wants to. Why is no one asking
Reid to clarify what he means by that? Isn't that statement just as
offensive?
Earlier this year, Obama chose to dive head-first into the race issue
when a white Massachusetts cop confronted a black man whom he thought
was breaking into a house. After Obama called the officer's actions
"stupidly," the President called both parties to the White House so they
could sit in front of cameras, have a beer, and have a "teachable
moment."
The question is, where is Obama and his "teachable moment" now? Where
is the White House pow-wow with all the old white Democrats to make sure
they understand that you can't say those things? Why are liberals so
ready to move on? Where is the sit-down to discuss race in America and
an attempt to learn something from all this? Where is the public
reprimand or Senate censure for Reid? Where is Al Sharpton?
Perhaps there is a "teachable moment" in all of this. If there is no
political hay to be made, President Obama and other Democrats will look
the other way on racially insensitive comments. They won't be offended
until a Republican says something stupid. It's a sad lesson to learn
about liberals.
Source:
CNN.com