Making Race a Factor

I am totally upset at the methods being employed by the Republican Party to garner a win in this General Election. I am going to attempt to convey my thoughts without inciting a riot, a point that I believe is being represented in the latest antics from the McCain campaign.

I frequently ask those tending to demonstrate racial bigotry by their actions this question… why do you have to resort to that mentality to convey your thoughts? The racial bigotry in America is based entirely on fear and hate! I can even venture to say that racial bigotry from Whites is fear driven while racial bigotry from Blacks is hate driven. Why do we do it? Is it necessary? How can we get around it? These are questions that I have asked myself for all of my life; from the time that I realized that others were upset that I was different from them, and at sixty-four years of age I still don’t have the answers. I know that I want it to stop in my lifetime. I hope that I am not alone.

Humans can be so nasty when it comes to respecting the feeling of others. Inflicting pain on someone that you fear or hate is the first line of attack, not defense. Usually this type of pain is introduced by the use of derogatory words. I refuse to use any of them here, but I can convey my thoughts by asking you one question. I want you to grab a pencil and a sheet of paper and take a test – be honest, don’t cheat! You must write, in five minutes, all of the racial words and slurs that you can recall. It does not matter whether you habitually used these words, or not! What matters is whether you have ever heard, or been in a situation where you were exposed to these words. The more derogatory words that you can write, the more exposure you have had to these words. Be honest!

What I have found out about this test is that Whites are capable of writing down more derogatory words than any of the other racial groups. More derogatory words can be traced to origins within the White race. I then asked myself why?

Until most recently, generationally speaking, all of the actors in the movies and on television were White. The hero wore a White hat. The maiden in distress was White. Curly, Larry and Moe were – you guessed it, White! If Blacks appeared in any movie, or television they were depicted as ‘Ya sir boss’ folks with little, or no mental faculties. They did dumb stuff and their eyes bugged out when something startled them, or they said silly things like ‘feet don’t fail me now’! These were depictions of Blacks in the worst light. Who made the movies and television programs – yeah… the same guys!

All of the advertisements in newspapers and in magazines were made by Whites for whites with little regard for the perceptions that would be drawn from these depictions by the viewers of this product. The people used in these advertisements were tall, pleasing to look at, and seem to not have a care in the world. Psychologically, America built on its history of having never before treated others with respect. Even within the Caucasian race there were instances of racial bigotry – the Italians took the weight in those instances. We know what happened to the Japanese to end World War II. Why didn’t we ‘nuke’ Germany?

It would only seem natural that since Blacks were never respected – slaves, and what have you, the only conclusion one can draw from any association with Blacks was that they are shiftless, no-good, dumb guys that have no redeeming values, hence the promulgation of derogatory words was made justifiable. When you consider that Blacks are responsible for the following: air conditioning, the traffic light, blood transfusions, rotary engine, cotton gin, and more; how is it possible for anyone to have less than a total admiration for Blacks? The answer is simple, White America has never read about the accomplishments of Blacks and they never will if those in a position to facilitate the enlightenment of America refuse to give credence to Black inventors - Black people!

Is Senator McCain a personification of racial bigotry in America? I hope not, but he has habitually made racial comments in every venue that presented an opportunity for him to do so with impunity. He has admitted his propensity to degrade all peoples; he has even degraded his wife, let alone other women and people with different ideas about sexuality. The contradiction is noticed in his willingness to embrace those that kept him in captivity for the better part of six years, in fact; he has defended and spoke fondly of his captors. Yet, he has been known to call Asians ‘gooks’. It brings to immediate attention a person that is at odds with himself regarding his respect for others. Are we looking at a person that is a clinical example of multiple personality disorder?

McCain has said that he would go to any length to defeat his opponent in the political arena. Does that mean that it is alright to put forth lies that only misinform, as well as, incite the behavior of his followers to shout words that bring terror to most Blacks, words that conjure memories of a period in American history that is indeed most shameful and extremely painful to recall. It is unconscionable that Senator McCain or anyone else should freely and without forethought create and promote this type of atmosphere in America today.

If America is ever going to survive the real issues that face ‘us’ we cannot allow this type of behavior to permeate the election of a candidate to the highest office of the land. We cannot allow the leader of the most powerful government in the free world to be represented in the person of John Sidney McCain. Would you want a person that has disgraced, through verbal indiscretions, a significant majority of the populace of the United States – of the free world?

Of course there will be those that see nothing wrong with this type of behavior, and to these people, I direct this opinion in hopes that you will look deeply into the mirror and reassess your values of humanity – please do this?