It has been disheartening to see, during the last phases of this long, bitter presidential campaign, unmistakable signs that the seeds of racism, while no longer flowering forthrightly as in the bad old days, still lurk just beneath the surface of the soil, waiting for a chance to bring forth another sickly bloom. The spectacle of attendees at McCain/Palin rallies yelling "Kill him" and "Terrorist" and "Off with his head" when Obama's name was mentioned, the repeating of all the Big Lies, that Obama is a secret Muslim, that Obama "pals around with terrorists," the encouragement and unleashing of the witless fringe, this is just racism in another form. Even "Joe the Plumber," given a national forum, could not restrain himself from indulging in a little casual racism by comparing Obama's "tap dancing" on the issues to "Sammy Davis Jr." How far back are we willing to wade in the racist muck in order to win an election?
Really. So if Mr. Wurzelbacher had compared Barack Jimmy Buffett Obama to Fred Astaire it would have been ok? How far back are we willing to wade? Why don't you ask that question to all those who demonized Michael Steele, Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice? As for the contention that our President-elect "pals around with terrorists"...well, considering one of those pals did indeed want to kill 25 million Americans in the aftermath of his socialist revolution, well, I'd say that would be pretty damn terrifying if you were one of those 25 million. (Oh, and then there's the thing about the "kill him" meme...as it turns out, that one was more or less an urban legend...) But what the hell do I know, I'm just a bitter hick clinging to my guns and religion down here in the hinterlands of flyover country...
|