Words of wisdom, IMO

[audtatious]

The one talk show host that will "go there" seems to be Glenn Beck. Most of the time he lays things out on the line "as they are" and he seems to come up with some good information and "words of wisdom" at times. The following editorial seems to hit the spot square upside the head in my opinion and I'm posting it here as is:

Commentary: Voting against Obama doesn't make you a racist

NEW YORK (CNN) -- With a little less than a month before the election, this week started with a re-examination of Barack Obama's association with William Ayers.

Whether holding a career-launching state Senate campaign event at the home of an unrepentant terrorlst should disqualify you from the presidency is up to the people to decide. I tend to see it as a rather low bar to clear if you're going to run the world, but hey, that's just me.

The defense on Ayers from the Obama camp is that they're not friends -- Ayers was "a guy who lives in my neighborhood," as Obama said. This strikes me as a strange argument from the same campaign that ran Spanish-language ads attempting to disparage McCain by highlighting his "Republican friends" like Rush Limbaugh.

Besides the fact that Rush isn't a terrorlst and had to be completely taken out of context in the attempt to smear him -- Limbaugh and McCain are best known for their adversarial relationship. Rush has spent the better part of a decade mocking him, most recently on the specific stance that was the focus of the commercial, immigration reform.

If Rush qualifies as McCain's friend, then William Ayers might as well be Barack Obama's fiancé.

But as The Associated Press claimed, even mentioning the association with Ayers, as Sarah Palin did in a speech earlier in the week, signifies a hidden "racial tinge." Is anyone else getting tired of this? Any and every time a question of Obama's history or record is asked, there is always someone to blame it on racism.

Remember, William Ayers is a pasty white guy like me. Shouldn't the fact that Palin is criticizing a white terrorlst show that it's not his color -- but his terrorism -- that she's not fond of? Instead, the AP tries to make the case that voters will think Obama is "not like us" since "terrorists are envisioned as dark-skinned radical Muslims." Right, because nothing dredges up visions of radical Muslims with box-cutters like a guy named Bill.

Just ridiculous.

That wasn't enough to convince Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, who said, "He's 'not one of us'? That's racial. That's fear. They know they can't win on the issues, so the last resort they have is race and fear." He also added, "They are trying to throw out these codes."

I didn't know about the secret white person code language, but I'm hoping there's a secret handshake too.

Earlier, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said essentially the same thing: "I think the notion that, 'By the way, have any of you noticed that Barack Obama is part African-American?' -- that may be a factor. All of the code language, all that doesn't show up in polls and that may be a factor for some people."

Note to all white people -- remember to grab your secret racist decoder ring in each box of Cracker Jacks for Crackers.

The New York Observer found no shortage of New York politicians willing to go on the record with their accusations of racism:

"Racism is alive and well in this country, and McCain and Palin are trying to appeal to that and it's unfortunate." -- Rep. Ed Towns

"They are obviously playing on people's fears and prejudices in a desperate way. While not explicitly relating to race, they are clearly creating the opportunity for those inclined to come to those conclusions." -- State Sen. Bill Perkins

"If you have to remind people that Barack Obama is African-American, you have reached the bottom." -- State Sen. Kevin Parker

"Who exactly is Joe Six-Pack and who are these hockey moms? That's what I'd like to know. ... Is that supposed to be terminology that is of common ground to all Americans? I don't find that. It leaves a lot of people out." -- Rep. Yvette Clarke

It's worth noting that all of this comes from the same state and the same party as Hillary Clinton. If you're of the mindset that all Republicans are racist and therefore deserve these attacks, remember what happened to Hillary and her husband during the primaries. If the "first black president" can be vilified over claims of racism, what person that dares to criticize Obama can escape the same fate?

Charges of racism have even entered the financial meltdown. One recent criticism by conservatives has surrounded the Community Reinvestment Act. This act, passed in 1977 under Jimmy Carter and then strengthened by Bill Clinton, pressured mortgage companies to lend to those with poor credit and lower income. You might think that putting the government's endorsement of the loosening of lending standards under the microscope in the middle of a global financial crisis would be a no-brainer.

Well, not to House Financial Services Committee chair Barney Frank: "The bizarre notion that the Community Reinvestment Act ... somehow is the cause of the whole problem, [conservatives] don't mind that. ... They're aware that the affordable-housing goals of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac [and] the Community Reinvestment Act [aim to help] poor people. And let's be honest, the fact that some poor people are black doesn't hurt either from their standpoint."

I guess when you're on record in July of this year saying "I think this is a case where Fannie and Freddie are fundamentally sound, that they are not in danger of going under," the only thing you can do is play the race card.

I'm not sure if this is the new kind of politics we were promised by Barack Obama, but I don't think it's the change most people have in mind. This random name-calling just winds up hurting legitimate claims of racism, which do exist. But they risk being taken far less seriously, if the constant crying of wolf continues.

The truth is, voting against Barack Obama doesn't make you a racist, just like voting against Sarah Palin doesn't make you a sexist. The vast majority of regular Americans understand that. If politicians could catch up and restrain themselves from trying to exploit our differences for their own gain -- we'd all be better off.

[AZhitman]

Brilliant. I like Beck's show....

Call me a racist, I don't care. I know what I am, and I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks...

The people most important to me know my heart, and I'm not ashamed to say I wouldn't vote for this guy even if he was blonde-haired and blue-eyed.

I'm pissed that I live in a country where it's not OK be be racist, even if you wanted to.

[ishkabibble]

I'm pissed that I live in a country where it's not OK be be racist, even if you wanted to.

Do you think it's OK to be sexist, too?

[audtatious]

Troll Troll Troll your boat......

[ishkabibble]

Hey, Greg made a big stink about the "sexists" attacking Palin. So, I feel it's a valid question.

Don't stoop to my level.

[audtatious]

I'll try hard not to stoop

Difficult thing to do when talking politics

[AZhitman]

Do you think it's OK to be sexist, too?

It's not a matter of what I think is OK or not OK. Don't twist my words.

I said I'm pissed that I live in a country where it's not OK be be racist, even if you wanted to.

So, go ahead and throw sexist in there as well.

[ishkabibble]

What purpose could either possibly serve?

[audtatious]

Free speech and thought?

[ishkabibble]

The problem is that racism and sexism frequently go beyond speech and into action.

[audtatious]

So does a lot of things but that does not make limiting it right.

[ishkabibble]

Let me get this straight... you guys think people should be allowed to discriminate based on gender and race? I'm talking about action here, not just words. And so is Greg since he didn't qualify his statement.

[audtatious]

I'm not talking about actions so Greg is on his own.

[HashiriyaS14]

I said I'm pissed that I live in a country where it's not OK be be racist, even if you wanted to.

Offensive as this statement may be to some people, I understand the point Greg is trying to make and, obviously, I recognize that Greg's not a racist.

That said, technically, you DO live in a country where it's okay to be a racist. You're allowed to be as racially offensive as you want, so long as you don't inflict any material damage on anyone because of your views (i.e. physical harm, intimidation, not promoting them, not renting to them, et cetera).

But, if you want, you can run around in the street shout epithets and I'm not sure there's much anyone can do about it.

EDIT: In regards to Ayers, it's become more and more apparent to me that it would be somewhat difficult for ANYONE to rise up through the ranks of Chicago Democratic politics without running across this guy. It would be like coming up in NYC Democratic politics in the 1860's without ever knowing or working for Boss Tweed. Sure, Tweed was corrupt, but every single Democrat in the city worked for or with him, and that doesn't mean THEY were all corrupt.

Hell, the city of Chicago made him CITIZEN OF THE YEAR in 1997 for his work on some educational project, he's obviously a pretty prominent guy there. Chicago politics is full of all sorts of shady characters, and it doesn't make Obama shady just because he happens to know them. The association doesn't appear to be that close, IMO. This is no longer a concern of mine.

[96Qowner]

Let me get this straight... you guys think people should be allowed to discriminate based on gender and race? I'm talking about action here, not just words. And so is Greg since he didn't qualify his statement.

"Allowed"? Hey, if another race is allowed to do it, there's no reason we should expect Whitey to behave, hm? "Allowed" - what bullcrap.

I don' particularly like people who have a problem with race. It's not about race - it's about identity. I don't like people who make a point of being Black and I don't like people who make a point about being White, or Asian or Hispanic. But it doesn't seem to matter much if I don't like them - they're that way anyway.

So, as long as I don't have to KNOW that a guy is Black or Asian or Hispanic or WHATEVER, I'm fine with him. And I'm fine with anyone else who doesn't like it.

Call that racist, but people are getting impatient with all the PC dung. Calling people out for racism is a fuggin personal problem. Many people are getting sick of indulging them over it.

[AZhitman]

The problem is that racism and sexism frequently go beyond speech and into action.

So then you become the thought police?

You keep your side of the street clean, and I'll take care of mine.

If you like men, that's your business. If I dislike Chinese people, that's my business.

[AZhitman]

Offensive as this statement may be to some people, I understand the point Greg is trying to make and, obviously, I recognize that Greg's not a racist.

Then again, maybe I am.

The more I think about it, I'm pretty sure I am in certain instances. But I have the balls to consider it.

Self-important navel-gazers who claim they're "never racist" just make me chuckle.

I can't speak for everyone else, but when you've lived with and interacted with as many dfferent ethnic groups as I have, you begin to see that certain stereotypes are supported, and most are not.

I lived in Puerto Rico, in a VERY poor area... The Deep South, in a primarily White / Vietnamese neighborhood but an integrated (mostly Black) school... Cape Cod (those people are their own weird race, lol)... The Midwest (Kansans are another race unto themselves)... South Phoenix (70% Hispanic)....

But most people who throw out the "racism" charge don't know what the hell they're talking about, or they're concealing some inner demons that they're unwilling to consider may be real.

[HashiriyaS14]

Yeah, but part of this has to do with one's definition of racism.

Attributing certain behavior to a certain segment of society isn't necessarily a fallacy. Poor white rural guys tend to really like NASCAR. That doesn't make it a racist statement because it isn't solely a reflection of their being white, it also has to take into account "poor" and "rural". Many of the so-called "racist" stereotypes against certain sections of society are as much a product of socioeconomic factors as of anything else, and those that put stock in these stereotypes will, when forced to think about it, generally admit this. They may indeed be afraid that a poor undereducated black guy from Southeast DC might steal their car if given the opportunity, but they probably don't think that Chris Rock would do the same thing. Thus, it is NOT really a racial thing, it's a racial generalization of what is really more of a socioeconomic "stereotype". The common denominator is probably "poor and uneducated", not "black".

Obviously some people really are outright racist, and they really do think that all people of "x" background are predisposed to certain behaviors, but most people, when *really* forced to think about their beliefs in the context of hypothetical situations, would agree that these stereotypes may be the product of generalizations other than just racial ones.

[audtatious]

I hate everyone, does that make me an equal opportunity racist?

[APEXi240]

There is being racist, and there is being a realist. There are obvious differences, but to many, being a realist is mistaken for racism.

I feel that it is important to not extrapolate what you have come to believe or what you may have a predisposition to think, onto most or all situations.

But, I have yet to meet someone in my life that I've known well that is not to some extent "racist", whether they have been, black, white, Hispanic, or Asian.

But to keep it slightly on topic, I think Glenn Beck's show is miserable. He is probably my most disliked political commentator next to Limbaugh.

[WDRacing]

Offensive as this statement may be to some people, I understand the point Greg is trying to make and, obviously, I recognize that Greg's not a racist.

That said, technically, you DO live in a country where it's okay to be a racist. You're allowed to be as racially offensive as you want, so long as you don't inflict any material damage on anyone because of your views (i.e. physical harm, intimidation, not promoting them, not renting to them, et cetera).

But, if you want, you can run around in the street shout epithets and I'm not sure there's much anyone can do about it.

Well thought out and well said...

The point is, we're free to think whatever we choose. There is NO right or wrong involved. There's just a difference of opinion...period. I can hate anyone I want to...it's my right. Can I shoot that person? No...but I CAN hate you and I CAN do anything I want within the boundries of the law's in place. There is no law saying you can't hate someone because he or she is a white/black/muslim/christian.

People suck on all the various levels of society. Doesn't matter what color or religion you come up with, I can think of a dozen SOB's I'd shoot right in front of St Peter Am I a racist? Yup...cause I can be

[ishkabibble]

"Allowed"? Hey, if another race is allowed to do it, there's no reason we should expect Whitey to behave, hm? "Allowed" - what bullcrap.

Do you have lots of racial problems in your city which is 94% white? I only ask because you bring up locales so often and claim that small-towners are more comfortable and knowledgeable about a variety of conditions than us city slickers. Forgive me if I'm being "elitist" by asking.

What the righties fail to understand is that racism is not just limited to speech and thought. There is also action. So saying you think racism should be OK in the U.S. without qualifying the statement means that you are saying that racist acts are OK. You may not have meant that, but that is what you said.

I've been spit on, chased by a gang, threatened physically during a traffic dispute, and threatened with a baseless discrimination lawsuit simply because I am white and a minority in my neighborhood. All of these were racially motivated, all are apparently OK in the righties' books, and they believe it would be OK if I did the same back to them. I disagree.

[APEXi240]

I've been spit on, chased by a gang, threatened physically during a traffic dispute, and threatened with a baseless discrimination lawsuit simply because I am white and a minority in my neighborhood. All of these were racially motivated, all are apparently OK in the righties' books, and they believe it would be OK if I did the same back to them. I disagree.

I can honestly and seriously relate to 3 of the 4 things you mentioned. It's a very odd, confusing set of circumstances to be a white minority when the nation as a whole is the opposite.

Racism is okay until it happens to you!

[AZhitman]

What the righties fail to understand is that racism is not just limited to speech and thought. There is also action. So saying you think racism should be OK in the U.S. without qualifying the statement means that you are saying that racist acts are OK. You may not have meant that, but that is what you said.

...and the Gold Medal for the Olympic Long Jump goes to ish.

You can't demand a "qualifying statement" in this instance. I've not made the jump to actions... you did.

One can be a racist without acting on their thoughts.

One can be covetous without acting on it. One can be lustful without acting on it. One can be angry, spiteful, hateful, misogynist or sexist without ever acting on it.

Back to the bullpen, son. I'm putting them over the plate without your help.

p.s. I feel for your experiences. Part of my mistrust of Blacks comes from getting my a$$ kicked by them and my lunch money stolen for most of my elementary school years. I do pretty well nowadays, ask any of my Black friends.

[themadscientist]

Stupid comes in every color. To hate based on race is just lazy.

I think if you gave an average white guy and an average black guy a gun with one bullet in it. Then you gave them the choice to shoot a KKK guy with all the backasswardness that that carries with it or a gangsta rapper grabbing his crotch drinking his forty and generally acting in a similar ignorant fashion I am willing to bet the white dude would pop the KKK fool and the black dude would cap the "playa". Both would likely be equally embarrased at the relative sterotypes they each must fight on a daily basis exhibited by the two bad examples of thier own color. 1% of each group screw it up for the rest of us.

For the record, Obama is the one that first pointed out he was black as it related to his candidacy. Up until that point I hadn't noticed.

[96Qowner]

Do you have lots of racial problems in your city which is 94% white? I only ask because you bring up locales so often and claim that small-towners are more comfortable and knowledgeable about a variety of conditions than us city slickers. Forgive me if I'm being "elitist" by asking.

As a matter of fact, no, we have virtually no racial problems in Fargo, as you might expect. The only people who have racial issues here are people who want racial issues - the people I talked about - the ones who want everyone to know that they're Black or Hispanic or whatever.

It's an odd perspective, actually. It causes some problems when we travel. It took quite a few years before I understood that certain service people were being obviously rude and unhelpful to me simply because I'm White.

You never did say - have you spent a lot of time in small towns? You sound offended by the idea that we're not just ignorant hicks.

[ishkabibble]

...and the Gold Medal for the Olympic Long Jump goes to ish.

You can't demand a "qualifying statement" in this instance. I've not made the jump to actions... you did.

One can be a racist without acting on their thoughts.

One can be covetous without acting on it. One can be lustful without acting on it. One can be angry, spiteful, hateful, misogynist or sexist without ever acting on it.

All true. But I see the issue not as "I'm making the jump", but that you're limiting the definition of racism to just thought and speech. Regardless, I don't see any of it as "OK" in my book. Being hated makes it easy to hate, and then stuff occasionally escalates.

p.s. I feel for your experiences. Part of my mistrust of Blacks comes from getting my a$$ kicked by them and my lunch money stolen for most of my elementary school years. I do pretty well nowadays, ask any of my Black friends.

Fortunately I had enough experience with white trash in my childhood to know that there are just as many white losers out there as black losers. Like TMS said... stupid comes in every color.

You never did say - have you spent a lot of time in small towns? You sound offended by the idea that we're not just ignorant hicks.

Quite a bit. I've traveled a lot within the U.S. and lived in one of the smallest, poorest towns in WI for several years. I appreciate small towns and prefer to live in a small town or medium city vs. a big city. However, I disagree with your perspectives about small towners vs. city slickers.

[hsckris]

does that make me an equal opportunity racist?

I think this could be a real issue in this election regarding the effects on polling. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilder_effect