“You’re a racist!”
At least that’s what I was told. I was in 5th grade. It was the day of the verdict in the OJ Simpson case. Our teacher asked us to vote on whether OJ was “guilty” or “not guilty.” Like the majority of Americans, I believed Simpson was guilty. The evidence seemed overwhelming. Even though I was in 5th grade, I understood that a man’s blood and DNA didn’t make it to a crime scene unless something fishy was going on.
Some of my classmates didn’t see things the same way. As soon as I declared my belief, I was declared a racist and my freedom of speech and opinion was seemingly stripped away.
I was reminded of that incident this week when former President Jimmy Carter accused Congressman Joe Wilson of having racial motives when he yelled “You lie!” at President Barack Obama during a meeting with Congress. What Wilson did was wrong. In no way should he have addressed his president, my president, in such a manner.
However, Carter’s statements are a problem. Not a small problem either. No matter if his comments are politically motivated or if Carter truly believes what he said, it’s a problem.
Racism is a problem in our country, and it has been a problem since our foundation. I hate racism with a passion and long for a day when we can ignore the color of skin and look at people for who they truly are. Unfortunately, I believe comments like Carter’s only set us back in that pursuit. I do not believe Wilson’s comment was racially motivated. While it was out of line, it does not ring true of racial hatred. In fact, Wilson’s record and appointments prove he’s anything but a racist.
While racism is a problem, falsely accusing someone of being a racist is also a major problem. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Kanye West did this when he spoke out on national TV and said President Bush doesn’t like black people. Janeane Garofalo did this recently when she declared that those who protests President Obama’s policies are racists.
Calling someone a racist is a very serious accusation. It’s not like calling someone a dork, nerd, or idiot. It’s accusing someone of reveling in hatred and bigotry. Unfortunately, pulling the race card seems like such an easy thing to do these days. When people question the “Rev.” Jesse Jackson about his organization’s tax-exempt status, he uses the race card.
Just because someone opposes the President’s policies, opinions, or legislation does NOT make that person a racist. Unfortunately, we’re so quick to use that accusation. Being pro-life does not make me a racist. Being against universal health care does not make me a racist.
Yes racism does exist. It’s a problem that needs to be fixed. But when we use “racism” as our scapegoat to “1-up” someone with different political views, we only set ourselves back.
I submit to my President. Not because he’s black. Not because I’m scared of being called a racist. I submit to my President because he is the man that God has placed over our country at this time. However, I also disagree with many of his policies. Not because he’s black. I disagree because I don’t believe many of his standards (morally and politically) hold up to God’s standards.
Sorry I can’t add fuel to your fire, but I’m not a racist. I’m just a man with opinions who disagrees with the opinions of my President.
