So the campaign has gotten ugly, with a shift to attacks and answering cries of racism. We're really not surprised, are we? McCain announced as much last week.It's not as if the Rev. Wright furor didn't turn the conversation to black-on-white racism.
The talk in the blogosphere has gotten more belligerent and the behavior of a few has turn hateful in meatspace. (It is a few, too, that feel free to be so blatant. For perspective, the Clearwater, Fla., Palin rally that erupted in violence was about 3,000 people. By contrast, Obama has been drawing crowds many times that.)
I say, bring it on.
Racism in this country -- in all its permutations -- is a stain on the underside of the sofa cushion. We know it's there and we make sure it's hidden when company comes. However painful in the short term, we must acknowledge that we have not yet overcome. We have not reached the day when we judge solely on the content of character.
It's time to drag this out in the open and talk about it. We have an opportunity here, a chance to reform ourselves in the same way that we are asking our leaders to reform our government.
This kind of behavior does not belong in any civilized society, much less one founded on the principle that "all men are created equal." Eventually, it won't be in ours. We are moving into a new era, as I posted here, and there is little room for backwater, hate-filled rhetoric. It's not only wrong in a moral, spiritual sense, but pragmatically stupid.
As Ralph Peters points out in "Seven Signs of a Non-Competitive States", nations who do not make full use of the talents, brains and gifts of their populace because of cultural or religious biases cannot compete with those who welcome meaningful contributions from all who can make them. America will need every bit of individual intellect and ingenuity we can get in the coming years.
The upswing in anger we are witnessing is the last gasp of the desperate. They sense the precariousness of their position and they are lashing out.
I am not naive enough to think that we will suddenly eradicate racism and sexism next week, but this is a necessary and positive step. First, you have to acknowledge you have a problem. Then you can set about addressing it. Yeah, it might get worse before it gets better. But not if each of us takes responsibility for moving us forward, for helping victims of an amygdala hijack understand that it is time to move on.
And if they can't, more's the pity. Their fate is sealed. These ideas and the people who subscribe to them have no place in the coming transformation of our world. They truly will be left behind.
What's the worst thing you can do to someone? Make them irrelevant.
Hey Janet-
Congrats on the new spot. I predict great success.
I couldn't agree with you more on this. Well put.
Just wanted to comment a little here on media as regards this situation we find ourselves in.
I am happy that this year for the first (I think, no one I've talked to remembers quite the same pushback) the media has been instantly correcting what's out there.
When John Kerry got swiftboated, when Bush committed his travesty against McCain in SC, there was no media so quickly crying foul. You didn't see it fought and repudiated immediately as has happened this year. These wars were mostly fought in the papers as I recall. The 24-hour news cycle was not so dominant. I know for sure I have never spent so much time bouncing from CNN to MSNBC and even, yes to Faux News.
Factcheck.org is being used as a tool as never before, and now we have politifact.com just as a check against check. These are invaluable tools for voters trying to find their way through the spin and yeah, I'll say it, LIES.
I think that's what forced John McCain immediately correct that woman who said Obama was an Arab (Is there anyone else who was shocked at the ignorance?) And yes, this behavior and the holding of these ideas is long past overdue as being anything useful in this society.
But the woman commenting at that rally was so confused, you could see even she was having trouble keeping clear just what all those hate-mongerers on her talk radio were saying..
And poor McCain, you could just see the tubes in his head lighting up with the idea of him seeing himself looping on CNN letting that comment pass.. And by the way, what kind of pod patch is he getting these young robots that keep showing up on all the networks as his spokespeople?
This is what's keeping Barack from being discussed as a Muslim, non-native, terrorist-consorter in any but the most ignorant and prejudiced circles. Oh, and yeah, in the McCain campaign..
I think this is what's so right about what the media has become and another reason why newspapers are failing.
Ok, maybe not so short a comment. I'll try to be more succinct next time..
Congrats again, and as Keith O says, good luck.
Posted by: ncwatterson | October 11, 2008 at 07:43 PM