It appears we have sunk lower in our discourse than I could possibly have fancied, and as a musician and lover of the arts, I have a healthy and very active imagination. I'm not simply referring to a lack of civility and respect in our discussions, as demonstrated by Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina, I'm talking about something much deeper and insidious, perhaps even planned. On "The Nightly News" on NBC this past Tuesday, former President Jimmy Carter said he thinks racism could be the impetus driving some individuals to protest against President Obama's policies, in particular, his health care bill. Robert Gibbs, White House Spokesman, disassociated and distanced the Obama administration from Carter's outlandish view and for that I am thankful.
Is shouting no longer enough? Must we label people who disagree with us racists? Or perhaps this is another example of that subtle manipulation written about in the previous blog posting (9/15/09)? What if President Carter has an idea to plant doubt in the minds of some White folks who may not be quite secure with themselves in terms of how they feel and relate to African-Americans? What if the same people begin to perceive themselves as possibly having some racially motivated reasons behind their disagreement with the President? Although having perfectly valid arguments, these self-questioners might stop objecting, so as to avoid the appearance of bias.
Again my musicial background comes into play and as I listened to the segment about President Carter on Wednesday's "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, " I came to the sudden realization that I'd heard this song before -- during the lead-up to the vote on gay marriage. Shortly before the Massachusetts Legislature was to act on this issue, supporters turned it into a civil rights matter and started a campaign in which they portrayed anyone against legalizing gay marriage as a bigot. What happened, as a result of their push, is that thoughtful dissenters stopped voicing their discontent out of fear of being branded a homophobe. Could this be the same tactic now deliberately being used by the Democrats over health care? Can you picture this? By Jimmy Carter's reasoning, shall we say, that anyone who is against President Obama's health care plan is a racist, not a thoughtful citizen who cares deeply about his country and is worried that enacting this pushed through piece of legislation would be a tremendous, costly mistake?
The ultimate irresponsible comment was made by Georgia Representative Hank Johnson before the vote taken Tuesday to formally reprimand Joe Wilson. Rep. Johnson is quoted in the Political Notebook section of The Boston Globe (9/17/09, p.A11). "'I guess we'll probably have folks putting on white hoods again. That's the logical conclusion if this kind of attitude is not rebuked." Lest I leave you with that horrible thought, consider what Michael Steele said (as quoted in the same article) as he brings the voice of reason into the debate. "'This isn't about race. It is about policy. This is a pathetic distraction by Democrats to shift attention away from the President's wildly unpopular government-run health care plan that the American people simply oppose. . . Characterizing Americans' disapproval of President Obama's policies as being based on race is an outrage and a troubling sign about the lengths Democrats will go to disparage all who disagree with them.'"
The Washington Post, Wednesday, September 16, 2009, "Carter Cites 'Racism Inclination in Animosity Toward Obama," by Garance Franke-Ruta, online edition
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/09/15/carter_cites_racism_inclinatio.html
The Washington Post, Wednesday, September 16, 2009, "9/12: Race, the Tea Party Protesters and a Battle of Interpretations" by Garance Franke-Ruta, online edition
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/09/13/912_the_battle_of_interpretati.html?wprss=44
The Boston Globe, Thursday, September 17, 2009, "Carter roils lawmakers by calling Obama critics racist" Political Notebook, p.A11. No link found. After you read the article, flip to page 14 and check out the editorial cartoon. The Boston Globe appears to be aligned with President Carter.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
>>Can you picture this? By Jimmy Carter's reasoning, shall we say, that anyone who is against President Obama's health care plan is a racist, not a thoughtful citizen who cares deeply about his country and is worried that enacting this pushed through piece of legislation would be a tremendous, costly mistake?<<
I can picture it quite clearly. It is also the very same reason that Mr. Obama will win reelection handily. Your analogy to the gay marriage issue is a bull's eye. Once accused of being homophobic, or racist. or sexist or anti-Semetic or anti-Congretaionalist, the accused must now defend himself against such an allegation. And the "distraction" as Michael Steele phrases it, is complete. The allegation becomes the issue, and the issue becomes an illusion.
Post a Comment