In his famous speech on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Thankfully, we have progressed as a society to the point where we no longer discriminate against people based on their race…or have we? Shortly after Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina interrupted President Obama during an address to a joint session of Congress on September 9th by saying “You lie,” Many on the left including former president Jimmy Carter and members of the Congressional Black Caucus were quick to suggest a racial undertone to the interjection. While Rep. Wilson’s remark was disrespectful to Mr. Obama, nowhere in the two words that he spoke were there racial undertones. He did not end his sentence with an unspoken “boy,” as Maureen Dowd of the New York Times accused. This sort of racial name calling is both absurd and dangerous. During the Democratic Primary last spring, former president Bill Clinton described then senator Obama’s foreign policy as a joke. The media castigated Mr. Clinton for his remarks. It was as if Mr. Obama had a protective racial shield around him. Any criticism of him was deflected with the so-called “race-card.” These two examples demonstrate how backward America has become in her thinking. How can we engage in political debate if our remarks are constantly being scrutinized for racial connotations? Yes, we should be respectful of President Obama, but that does not mean we cannot disagree with his positions and policies.
With respect to the picture depicting Mr. Obama as the Joker from The Dark Knight, I would agree with Isaiah Smallman that we need to show respect to the President. That being said, the picture is an expression of free-speech guaranteed to all Americans by the First Amendment which is one of the fundamental principles and components of a free government. If Mr. Obama were white, would we still hear the same condemnations from the media and the liberal elite? Maybe, and while we cannot play speculative history, the point is made. Which brings us back to the original question, is racism still alive in America? I would say yes and no. The racism of the 60’s is gone; the white hooded robes have been closeted, never to light of day again. However, this sort of prejudice has been replaced by the racism of the 21st century—the double standard. How can we progress as a society when we do not learn from the faults of our parents? Racism via double standards is still racism; changing the perspective does not change the fact.
With respect to the picture depicting Mr. Obama as the Joker from The Dark Knight, I would agree with Isaiah Smallman that we need to show respect to the President. That being said, the picture is an expression of free-speech guaranteed to all Americans by the First Amendment which is one of the fundamental principles and components of a free government. If Mr. Obama were white, would we still hear the same condemnations from the media and the liberal elite? Maybe, and while we cannot play speculative history, the point is made. Which brings us back to the original question, is racism still alive in America? I would say yes and no. The racism of the 60’s is gone; the white hooded robes have been closeted, never to light of day again. However, this sort of prejudice has been replaced by the racism of the 21st century—the double standard. How can we progress as a society when we do not learn from the faults of our parents? Racism via double standards is still racism; changing the perspective does not change the fact.
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