Time For Race to Take a Backseat In American Political Discussion

Race this past week once again surfaced in politics. Left wingers accused black conservatives of race treason while RNC chief Michael Steele stated that his skin color gave him less of a margin for error than other political chiefs.

Both statements are baloney.

First comes the idea that anyone can be a traitor to their race for holding a different point of view. Who says these types of things outside of Nazis and the corporate culture of what used to be a civil rights movement?

Michael Steele himself was subject to having oreo cookies thrown at him by radical blacks who accused him of not being true to his race. Increasingly blacks are moving towards the Republican Party and the Tea Party movement in particular. They are running for office and establishing conservative blogs. Increasing participation from different populations has changed the face of the Republican Party. This invites a backlash from race baiters such as Chris Matthews of MSNBC, an unholy combination of Obama lackey and a man who preaches black political conformity.

No one should conform to anything on the basis of skin color alone. That defies the dreams of men such as Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. The goal of civil rights was race blindness, not political apartheid.

Small government, limited spending, and lower taxes attract support regardless of color. Those that believe that people ought to keep more of what they earn are not restricted by race, ethnicity, creed, or sexual orientation.

At the same time it is important for Steele and others to remember that in this very important election year, it is important to run a tight ship. Erratic statements and proposals distract from the message and perpetuate the image that the GOP is out of touch, not the Democrats. No one would enjoy much margin of error this year and it has nothing to do with race.

Forgetting Race?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_forgetting_blackness_analysis

Above is a well-written analysis of the latest Chris Matthews gaffe in which he said that during the State of the Union Address, Matthews forgot that Obama was black. It is the latest in a two year series of bizarre remarks by Democrats about Obama. Bill Clinton claimed at one point that Obama would have been getting him coffee two years ago. Harry Reid praised Obama at one point for lacking a "Negro dialect," whatever that means. Others praised Obama for being articulate, a compliment that strikes blacks as insulting because it insinuates that most people of that race are not.

Liberals seem to have more trouble with race issues these days than Republicans. Why?

Matthews himself provides part of the answer. His experience with race issues comes from the 1960s. Ways of thinking about race and black individuals have gone by the wayside. The 21st century idea is to acknowledge race, understand that blacks have pride in where they come from, but to also judge on merit rather than appearance.

The article above, consciously or unconsciously, paraphrases Martin Luther King Jr. when describing the position of Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and black conservatives, that people are to be judged by their merit, not color. I have a sneaking suspicion this is a conservative subversive in the mainstream media.

Conservatives in recent years have much less trouble with race discussions because they normally do not have them. They never tripped over the idea of having two black secretaries of state. George W. Bush picked the most qualified individuals available to him, their skin color was incidental and never was made an issue except by liberals in the media. Condoleeza Rice is one of the most intelligent human beings in the United States. Conservatives would rather discuss her accomplishments as an academic, a diplomat, and a person who rose from abject poverty more than they want to obsess over skin color.

The fact is that it is liberals who remain stuck in the past on race issues. Conservatives have demonstrated the proper and acceptable way to deal with the issue. Judge people as individuals only. Discuss them as individuals only. If they have merit, they rise. Simple as that.