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              Former President Jimmy Carter sparked a few extra flames in the bellies of many Conservatives when he cited racism as a driving force behind much of the opposition to President Obama’s proposed policies.  Rep Hank Johnson specifically referred to South Carolina Rep Joe Wilson’s infamous “liar” outburst toward the President on the House floor as racist enough to give the KKK enough confidence to openly intimidate the way they did in the past.  With a renewed hatred for an always despised opponent in President Carter, Conservatives all over are pushing back on the controversial statements with claims that Democrats are doing nothing more than playing the race card. 

            Since our country has such a sordid past when it comes to open racism and division, the majority of us want to believe that we’ve completely moved on from the disgusting days of Black people being hung from trees in front of a cheering crowd.  We want to believe that some don’t still think White people are smarter and more capable of handling cerebral tasks than other races.  Anyone that holds these insular beliefs is shunned and told they won’t be accepted if they spout such blind ignorance and hatred.  Although the problem of racism has been significantly beaten back with these tactics of the majority of Americans, racism still exists in this country.  The racists have simply taken the shunning as a memo saying to keep it to themselves; that it’s not socially acceptable to say, “Who does that nigger think he is?”  But do they still think it and say it among friendly ears? 

            Due to the harsh social consequences for being an open racist, the defense for being called one is often just as harsh.  Conservative talkers have taken such a stand against President Carter’s comments that they’ve failed to notice that there actually is a significant element of racism involved in their Tea Party protests.  Declarations of “taking my country back” and “go back to Kenya” are obviously based in the belief that this President isn’t as legitimate or American as the previous 43.  Signs that depict the President in a savage outfit with a bone in his nose are touted throughout these protests with no mention of their concern for “out of control government spending.”  When the racism doesn’t get shunned the way it has been to make us believe that it doesn’t exist, it simply continues to creep back out of the closet, back onto the signs, and out of the mouths of racist Americans that are no longer treated as outcasts. 

            When challenged about the racist signs and language being spewed by some, Conservatives write it off as a “few fringe elements that don’t represent the protests as a whole.”  This simplistic response only provides more cover and builds confidence in people that hid their deep seeded hatred for Black people in power with the concern that they’d be rejected by their fellow citizens.  When these same Conservative talkers mention the number of people that show up to these protests, they take the number to mean that it’s representative of many more Americans that feel the same way, but just couldn’t be there.  Under this belief, (which is a legitimate belief to have) they must acknowledge that this “fringe” racist element of their protests is also representative of a larger group of absent racists that they are legitimizing and encouraging by failing to condemn their heinous beliefs.  When the number of people against Obama's policies is a positive sign for their cause, it's quickly pointed out that there are more.  When the encouraged racists start showing up with messages of hate and violence, it's just as quickly ignored to avoid having to deal with the racial hate harbored within the Party.  Since they’re not willing to criticize their racist behavior, it’s safe to believe that they are welcoming this hateful and disruptive behavior.  The best way to avoid being called racist is to stop being racist. 

 

--JJJ
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