The Politically Correct Version of Racism

President and statesman Jimmy Carter has set off something of a furor. During an interview on NBC, he stated unequivocally that the “intensely demonstrated animosity” toward the current President was rooted in racism. As a southerner, indeed, former governor of Georgia, he’s seen plenty of it, and knows what it looks like.

His distress was due, in part, to the “912” demonstration this past Saturday promoted by Fox News (notably, Glenn Beck), sponsored by the faux grassroots FreedomWorks and other groups aligned with white militia movements. It featured speeches that virtually called for revolt, including some by Republican Senator DeMint (another South Carolina embarrassment), and Congresspersons Cantor, Blackburn and Pense. The demonstrators carried signs that varied from insulting the President, to likening him to Hitler, to threatening him.

Then there's South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson (who was originally supposed to speak at that gathering) -- famous for being the first congressman to call any president a liar during a presidential address to Congress. He also voted to keep the Confederate flag flying atop the SC capitol building; he accused the late Sen. Strom Thurmond's illegitimate daughter (by an African-American family maid) of smearing her father by "going public" with the truth of her parentage after he had died; and he is a member of Sons of Confederate Veterans, an organization that has gradually been taken over by people with a racist rather than a preservationist perspective. So, was there any racist undertone in his outburst of "You lie!"?

Is racism behind the explosion of hate and threats? Doesn’t the election of a mixed-race President prove America is beyond that?

Critics of Pres. Carter’s insistence that racism is behind the truly passionate outbursts, say that’s not the cause, that it’s based on economic fear more than anything else. Last November some of our very white neighbors here in South Carolina – to our great surprise – told us they just might vote for Obama, even though they never thought they’d vote for a black man for president. But, they said, all the other choices on both sides looked like more of the same, and maybe it was time to try something new. But the continuation of the Bush administration’s bailout policies, the Afghan war policy, and the onslaught of the lies told about his health care reform has made them wonder if President Obama isn’t just one more politician cut from the same cloth.

Those same Carter critics cite President Obama’s drop in approval rating from 70% to 50% after 8 months in office – saying the 20% drop undoubtedly is based on upset about the economy, the war, health care reform, etc. They didn't suddenly become racist. Undoubtedly true.

But Carter's critics ignore the relevant number - that 30% who never approved of him. There is no doubt that 30% has a contingent of racists who will never approve - even if Pres. Obama completely changes course and does everything they want. They wouldn’t have voted for him if he ran against Hitler himself.

It would be a major mistake to cater to them. Those are the folks Pres. Carter was talking about. And the worst part of that is they feel not just the freedom to express their hatred and racism, but they are encouraged to express it by those Republican leaders who will do anything to defeat President Obama. And that’s why President Carter called attention to it. Despite the backlash his remarks caused, he has repeated them publicly since.

America has come a long way in battling the lingering hatred and inequity stemming from the horrid days of slavery. At one time in our history probably half the white population in the country, maybe even more than that, could have been counted as racists. Thankfully that number has dropped significantly. Change like that takes generations, though, not months. Perhaps when our children’s children go to the polls, race truly will not matter. But if we don’t stand up to it, it will not go away. Indeed, the rising and outspoken resentment of our Latino immigrants is a sign of a new target for racists.

Courageous people like President Carter will continue to remind us of the risk of ignoring such hate-mongering. The vast majority of us will not succumb to the seduction of joining those lunatic racists, but we might succumb to the temptation to ignore it. This danger is expressed very well by blogger Paul Woodward in his 'War in Context' website:

“The difference between racism in America now and its earlier incarnations is that we now live in a society largely cleansed of racial slurs. Bigotry hides behind a facade of civility. Whenever the facade slips, it can quickly be re-hoisted while those who point an accusatory finger will themselves be accused of prejudice.


What we have failed to recognize is that lack of candor is actually more corrosive than bigotry. Bigotry paraded in the open can be challenged, but bigotry well-tutored in all the lessons of political correctness gets free reign.”


We need to call it when we see it, and talk about it seriously.


JM