WASHINGTON D.C.—The 2010 political season has thus far been a demeaning, demoralizing, racially charged mess. After the Tea Party created the iconic monkey signs with words “Go back to Kenya” on them, it seemed that it could not get any worse. It did. Sean Hannity cheered his audience on as “Tim McVeigh wannabes” and Glenn Beck after chastising a “Sopranos” star on-air about approaching him in front of his son and calling him names, then during same week chastising those in the media he believes don’t give former Governor Sarah Palin and her lovely daughter Bristol enough respect, decided he’d began ranting and mimicking the President’s 11 year old daughter. Even going as far with his radio co-host as saying in Maliah Obama’s voice, “Daddy, why do you hate black people?” Then stating as the President, “Because I’m half white honey!” This was a man who just days earlier proclaimed children of politicians are off-limits from attacks. Though none of his right wing supporters cared about this obvious below the belt attack on a child.
I found out there are many people in our nation who have made nothing but excuses for racist rants against blacks and Hispanics during the past two years, especially the President and the First Lady. Using the excuse of Thomas Sowell’s words about not calling people racist. With all due respect, Mr. Sowell’s parents so disliked the south when he was a baby that they decided to relocate their family to Harlem, NY and he’s never lived south of the Mason Dixon line as an adult. What he believes or feels about racism or the lack of has no bearing on these idiotic talking heads’ nasty insinuations and comments in public. Despite his argument for not claiming “victimization,” people have every right to be offended and to call things like they see it. If a person spouts racist statements off on-air, they lose the moral authority from being upset after they are challenged by people of that group they are belittling and chastising.
These are the same people who cannot tolerate this Administration’s silly stance on not calling this current war, a war on terrorism. Whatever our political or genetic differences are, Americans need to fight above the belt and without dragging race into everything. The conservative movement has long been called at the very least, racially insensitive. To now claim the moral outrage when various conservative hate mongers make racially idiotic and insensitive statements against the President of the United States, is as stupid and wrong as the left wingers calling former President Bush a terrorist. Americans deserve to have discourse without hateful rhetoric. Perhaps if someone has never seen racism and racial ignorance up-close, they may be more tolerant to grin and bear it when the words that offend so many others are used. Those people have a right to hate bigotry and hatred and should not be the ones told to shut up and stop complaining.
The most important thing my grandmother and many other minorities in America were finally able to do after the 1960s legislation on both civil rights and voting rights, was that they then had the ability to call a spade, a spade, to speak truth to racial rhetoric, and to face it head on. Despite support and excuses for so much bad behavior by the right at this time, it is equally as wrong as what the left did under the previous Administration. America has been going forward in race relations for the past 50 years. It shall not go backwards again. People of different political persuasions from the current Administration can fight with truth and justice and leave negative and nasty words aside.
Since becoming a journalist along with my other career aspirations, I’ve learned that bigots and their supporters thrive on blaming the messenger. Luckily Canyon News speaks truth in an unbiased manner. Perhaps the people who hate others would be better off speaking truth and not hateful words. They are not necessary or helpful.
Please remember our troops who are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq against enemies of peace and freedom.
