I have not said much in the threads and discussion on racism here for many reasons, but I thought I would give my own views as to what I see is going on, and why the discussion of racism is going to be difficult. It requires us to move beyond pro or anti-Obama camps and to work with each other, even if it is not politically helpful. So, here are seven things which immediately come to mind as I think of this issue:
First, I have to say, on the internet at least, I’ve seen a rise of outright racist ranting, and most of it has been raised against the President. These racists look to what the President is doing, and work to oppose it, just because of Obama’s racial background. They find those who have other reasons to oppose the President, and join in with their ranks.
Second, I am sure many others have noticed this rise in racism. And I am sure they have noticed where these racists are going.
Third, the problem is, this makes it difficult to determine who is who when one sees a large mass of people protesting. While the protests tend to want us to think they are united in one cause, they are not.
Fourth, this means those who help lead these marches should be the ones who make it abundantly clear they reject any of the racists in their ranks, and reject anyone who would abuse their cause to forward racism. When they do not do this, it is not because they are themselves necessarily racist, but rather, I think they are blind to who is involved with their movement. It does leave them open to criticism. However,
Fifth, I do not think most of the actual leaders of these protests are themselves racist. They are, however, not doing enough to overcome the way these protests can be, and are, used by racists. Even those who disagree with the protests themselves should encourage the leaders to work with us against racism, and this is done by talking with them before accusing them of being racist.
Sixth, as such I think racism should be something which we can work to stop across the board. Instead of just using some of the people in a movement, who are abusing the movement, to indicate anything about the movement or the leaders of the movement itself, we should realize what is going on and work to counter-act it for the good of the United States. Do not give the racists a voice, just denounce them together.
Seventh, this is true not only about racism, but other concerns as well. That is, obviously, people who are supporting President Obama come with different opinions and views, and many of them are using Obama the same way racists are using anti-Obama protests. While a leader should address the problems within their movement, they will get supporters of all kinds, and they should not be judged by their supporters. They should be judged by their own words and actions. I remember during the campaign people would make cases against Obama due to the kind of monetary support he got. That, to me, was the same kind of error as criticizing his opponents merely because racists are joining the anti-Obama protests.
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