I've always found the best way to get people out of a room is to talk about race. They're afraid of the discussion. Even I'm afraid of the discussion, to a point.
It's a poisonous topic for white people. It ends political aspirations, employment and relationships. Anyone, whether a celebrity, politician or public figure, who even slightly criticizes a policy that only mildly involves race, is thoroughly reviled.
I must ask: why?
Why can we not simply talk about racial issues without fear of being alienated or belittled?
This problem goes beyond issues directly relating to race. It is enough to criticize the decisions of a member of another race.
Why is it that I cannot disagree with Obama's policies? Why is it that I must be painted as a vicious racist incapable of any thought beyond, "He looks different! Get him!" if I have a problem with the way he runs the country?
Is it a Democratic ploy to shut down criticism of their party? If that's the case, does the black population accept the role of liberal rampart?
Claiming the country is racist because of Obama's approval rating, or the resistance to the stimulus and health care bills, makes no sense. He won with a majority of the popular vote. Somewhere, someplace, there were white people voting for Obama.
Are we racist by virtue of disagreeing with the president? Are we only respectable and free of our discriminative tendencies while we're in lockstep with his policies?
I've taken to heart the words of Martin Luther King Jr. I judge Obama not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. I, personally, am not impressed.
And what of "reverse" racism? Does hate flow but one way? The incredibly offensive hypocrisy of this term compels us to move beyond it. That word points the rhetorical finger at the white population and says, "It is you who are evil. It is you who spreads contempt."
Racism is racism, and it has no origin. Humanity has always been skeptical of the "other." There is nothing more natural than to judge.
We must join together as people and move forward. We must stop tearing open the wound of an older time when it becomes convenient to do so.
In no way am I dismissing the evils of racism. Dehumanizing any person based on something so insignificant as skin color is unworthy of our species. It is a scourge, but it is not one exclusive to the white population.
I invite people, all people, to hold accountable those who abuse the color of their skin for their irresponsible actions. They cheapen the racial fabric of our country by using fear to punish those they disagree with. Let us be better than they.
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