The R-Word and Glass Houses

Is it just me, or is the word "racism" being thrown around a LOT over the past few weeks?

Today, Jimmy Carter, still fighting after 30 years to be relevant, accused Joe Wilson of being a racist when he shouted "You lie" during Obama's last address. Actually Jimmy's words were that Joe's act was "based on racism." Same thing. Jimmy continued, "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president."

So far, the White House is officially (appropriately and gratefully) staying out of the fray, with Mr. Mealy Mouth Robert Gibbs offering, "I don't think the president believes that people are upset because of the color of his skin."

For the record, I think Joe Wilson's outburst was stupid and contemptible. I do think he owed both the President and the House an apology -- he only offered the former. (Frankly, unless Congress wants to visit percentage approval ratings in the teens, they can't stand any more embarrassments...from the left or right.) Do I think his comment was racially motivated? I doubt it. But, no, I can't say for sure. Either can you. No one but Joe Wilson can. No one, left or right. Black or white.

So tonight is about the increasing use of the R-word. Last week, it was thrown about that many of the right wing Tea-Partiers and the attendees of the 9/12 demonstration were racists.

And those that sought to have Red...errr...Green Jobs Czar Van Jones investigated or removed were racists.

And those who are pursuing the ACORN scandal are racists.

And it occurs to me, that this isn't about racism. It's about the left taking 200+ years of cultural turmoil and pain and making it a political weapon.

Now that fortunately a black man is President (yes, I said fortunately...just not one with the ideals I would've preferred be the first), supporters and cronies who trumpeted Obama's historical achievement -- overcoming the perceived limits of his race -- are quick to use his race to deflect any perceived opposition. And that is as hypocritical and repulsive as it gets.

Why? Because, very quietly and insidiously, it's become no longer a racism of black versus white. It's morphing into a racism of left against right. (What ISN'T becoming a polarization of left versus right? But that's another blog...) It's trying to redraw the teams. Now, to be racist, you have to be white AND conservative. And frankly, that doesn't fly with me. (Remember Bill Clinton being crowned the first Black President? Coincidence that he was a Democrat?)

Just like when feminists spoke out against Sarah Palin. Suddenly the threat she posed to the left's success revealed their true colors. Established feminist organizations (aka N.O.W) that should have trumpeted her instead joined in the media-driven defamation dog pile. That proved it wasn't about women's rights, it was about liberal women's rights.

If either Hillary or Sarah had been elected in their respective roles, and anyone would've disagreed with them, I expect that the opposition - left or right - would've been accused of being sexist. And the same distortion happening now to "racism" to include political affiliation would happen to the word "sexism." We'll be confronting that challenge soon, I imagine.

What essentially sickens me about the racism defense is the reckless use of base, emotional arguments to defend rational action. The way, in particular, the left is playing the race card to deflect criticism of policies and decisions made by a President. Like this...

"I guess we'll probably have folks putting on white hoods and white uniforms again and riding through the countryside, intimidating people," Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said when asked if Wilson's comment reflected the sentiment of racists. "And you know that's the logical conclusion if this kind of attitude is not rebuked."

That's ridiculous. And it disturbs me. Yes, I'm sure there are thousands of really creepy people sitting in trailers somewhere with Confederate flags taped to the wall behind them plotting nasty things, seeding their kids with hate. Those people disgust me. But they're fringe and totally inconsequential to the massing opposition to this administration's policies.

I think Obama's undeniable legacy will be the fact that he broke racial barriers to ascend to the greatest office on the planet. My rational fear is that the policies he'll institute will forever damage the economic and military integrity of our country. THAT'S why I oppose many of his actions. Not because he's black. And that's the point. The left need to acknowledge that the vast, vast majority of the opposition to the President is based upon logical thought. Playing the emotional race card to abate that opposition is shameful.

To be clear, I acknowledge that the minority party is always going to be marginalized by the party in power. Just the way environmentalists and other left-leaning groups have long been dubbed "loonies" or "radicals" by the right. So the practice isn't a new device just of the left. Categorizing opponents to a President as "racists" is.

Here's the bottom line to remember. If and when Obama's approval ratings continue to fall, census math would hold out that the white members of the Democratic party would suddenly need to be labeled racist, too, for their opposition, lest they reveal the hypocrisy on display now.

People in glass houses...