who knew?

This just in: NOT EVERYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH YOU IS "RACIST".

By JESSE WASHINGTON, AP National Writer Jesse Washington, Ap National Writer — Thu Sep 17, 2:20 pm ET
Everybody's racist, it seems.

Republican Rep. Joe Wilson? Racist, because he shouted "You lie!" at the first black president. Health care protesters, affirmative action supporters? Racist. And Barack Obama? He's the "Racist in Chief," wrote a leader of the recent conservative protest in Washington.

But if everybody's racist, is anyone?

The word is being sprayed in all directions, creating a hall of mirrors that is draining the scarlet R of its meaning and its power, turning it into more of a spitball than a stigma.

"It gets to the point where we don't have a word that we use to call people racist who actually are," said John McWhorter, who studies race and language at the conservative Manhattan Institute.

"The more abstract and the more abusive we get in the way we use the words, then the harder it is to talk about what we originally meant by those terms," he said.

What the word once meant — and still does in Webster's dictionary — is someone who believes in the inherent superiority of a particular race or is prejudiced against others.

This definition was ammunition for the civil rights movement, which 50 years ago used a strategy of confronting racism to build moral leverage and obtain equal rights.

Overt bigotry waned, but many still see shadows of prejudice across the landscape and cry racism. Obama's spokesman has rejected suggestions that racism is behind criticism of the president, but others saw Wilson's eruption during the presidents' speech as just that.

"I think (Wilson's outburst) is based on racism," former President Jimmy Carter said at a town hall meeting. "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president."

That's an easy charge to make against the rare individual carrying an "Obamacare" sign depicting the president as an African witch doctor with a bone through his nose. But it's almost impossible to prove — or refute — assertions that bias, and not raw politics, fuels opposition to Obama.

"You have to be very careful about going down that road. You've cried wolf," said Sean Wilentz, a Princeton University professor who studies U.S. political and social history.

"It's a way of interpreting the world, where race runs through everything — everything is about race," said Wilen

"Everything is not about race," he said. "It's not Mississippi in 1965 any more. Even in Mississippi it's not Mississippi in 1965 any more."
Still, race remains a major factor in American life, said Brian D. Smedley, director of the health policy institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which focuses on people of color.
"We know from a large body of social science that a large portion of Americans harbor racial bias," Smedley said. "In the context of health reform, it's quite evident that race plays a very large role in helping shape public opinion."
Yet Smedley chooses not to deploy the R-word: "It's difficult to say racism is the reason (for objections to health care) because people don't believe they are racist."
Many, though, have no doubt that other people are racist — even when those other people are black.
The Manhattan Institute's McWhorter said that during the affirmative action battles of the 1990s, "racism" and "racist" began to be applied to liberal policies designed to redress past discrimination, then were extended to people who believed in those policies.
That's how they have come to be wielded against Obama.
"A racist is a person who discriminates or holds prejudices based on race. Discrimination is treatment based on category rather than individual merit," said Tom Molloy, a 65-year-old retired financial services executive from Brentwood, N.H. "Barack Obama favors policies that will give preference to groups based on race rather than individual merit. It's called affirmative action."
Mark Williams, one of the leaders of the Sept. 12 rallies in Washington D.C., headlined a blog entry about the arrest of black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his own home by a white police officer, "Racist In Chief Obama Fanning Flames of Racism." And too many bloggers to count are saying that Congressman Jim Clyburn, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and has called Wilson and other health care protesters racist, is the real racist himself.
This infinite loop is the inevitable result of years of black identity politics, which created a blueprint for whites who feel threatened by America's changing demographics, says Carol Swain, a Vanderbilt University professor and author of "The New White Nationalism In America."
"We need to rethink what is racist and who can legitimately call whom racist," Swain said, citing the argument that blacks can't be racist because racism requires power.
"With a black president, a

"With a black president, a black attorney general, and blacks holding various power positions around the country, now might be a time when we can concede that anyone can express attitudes and actions that others can justifiably characterize as racist."
Perhaps this is even a strange symbol of racial progress — equal-opportunity victimization, so to speak.
"In 100 years, when people chronicle how America got past race," said McWhorter, "the uptick in white people calling blacks racist is going to be seen as a symptom of the end."

yes.....so guilty that I contacted the author of this article and specifically asked him to write it and post it today so that I could put here........jackass.....

behave you could be considered a racist against the zebra.

hahahahahaha!!!!

Boy oh boy, everytime I come over here there something dealing with race hahahahaha!!!!

Posted by james tate
behave you could be considered a racist against the zebra.

..........

I will hold my comment for later 😉


You know angelfish, I've been in commuications with a few bloggers too. Yes, I have ^_^. A few news media outlets too.

Yes, I'm keeping busy 😉

as usual.....you make absolutely NO sense.........

That's the whole point of this article - people use racism as a crutch. And that's why I posted it here. If you don't agree with certain people here..... they accuse you of being racist. And god forbid you disagree with Obama, then you're definately racist....it's ridiculous. You can't have a mind of your own these days without being called racist and that's the whole point of this article.

Posted by xangelfishx
as usual.....you make absolutely NO sense.........

Look 'Taurus woman', don't you talk to me about not making any sense. Please, don't do that 😉


Why so serious all the time miss bull? Take a loud off of all that you have a chilllllllllllllll ~*

That's exactly the problem. And the honest truth is if America is not prepared to accept criticism of an Afircan American president just like any caucasian president, then America is not ready to HAVE an African American president. The idea behind democracy is that the people have every right to criticise the government and speak up for themselves - but in this administration we're not allowed to because if we think something isn't right it's because we're racist.....bullshit.

Well, I will go on record and say that all that stuff annoys me too but I will not go around a pretend that there isn't any underline racism involved. Nor will I ignore that prejudice is being downplayed a lot here late where its obvious to those who are within inner circles of those who say a lot of discrimminating things but around the right people, they are like, "Oh I love everyone" and blah, blah, blah.

I don't think the race card should be used either but I am from a small town and I'm not ignorant to the fact that things are not all sugary and nice. People will say whatever when the spotlight is on, but after its turned off, its a totally different ball game.

I've witnessed it, so no one can't tell me any different. Trying to downplay prejudice is just as bad (if not worse) than using the race card.

Ignorance is not bliss people, some things are very, very obvious.

Oh and on the whole Joe Wilson thing. I don't care if you like or dislike President Obama, what Wilson did was sooooo darn douchie its unreal.

Joe is lucky I'm not president, because I would a have stopped the whole speech and he would have had to go. Theres no way I would let someone disrespect me in a place where I have control. It would be different if I was sharing control but no, its not that way.

How would have had to make a formal statement to me personally or else I would not except it. Theres no way I'd let him get away with that. Bullshit!

first of all once again most of what you said doesn't make sense... but I got the gyst of it....

Second, no one said there is no prejudice - but not EVERYTHING is prejudice or racist. And I too am originally from a small town and where I'm from I NEVER experienced racism. My first experience with it was here in the bay area. And the racism and prejudice WILL NOT END until everyone stops using it as a crutch - minorities perpetuate the cycle by using it as an excuse for everything - that's what's being said in this article.

Third - why on earth do you think Wilson had no right to say what he said? Obama stood there and told a bold faced lie and the first ammendment GIVES Joe Wilson the right to stand up at that very moment and say "you lie"; the first ammendment gives him the right to say that even if it wasn't a bold faced lie.

as to be clear I spoke of raceism aganist the zebra was not Obama but the picture of the bird in the zebra suit

Posted by james tate
as to be clear I spoke of raceism aganist the zebra was not Obama but the picture of the bird in the zebra suit

LMAO!SHE TRIES SO HARD TO BE DIFFERENT. GIVE THE POOR LITTLE HYPOCRITE A BREAK!

IM not racist... i just despise stupid people. like obama and his czars! some people really are racist, but you are right angel. people who make this accusation are perpetuating the c ylce and really have nothing else to fall back on so they use the race card. its funny how even black people accuse other black people of being racist when disagreed with. it makes me smile big. 😄

"""""At any rate, yeah, I know white people enjoy many privileges but to be honest, I'm glad that blacks are making headway in America. It just shows that if you work really hard and put time into your goals, you can do anything, no matter who you are! Obama is a great example of that."""""

lol, (shakes head)
yea nomatter if your an american hating terrorist, you can become president of the US! But blacks are making headway right? why couldnt america vote a black president like condelisa rice into office? Why obama the terrorist, who btw never even proved he was an american citzen.?

racism IS used as a crutch and you are part of the problem for trying to pretend that it isn't. And people aren't afraid of a black president - tehy just don't want a liar who doesn't know the federal deficit from his asshole running the country, regardless of his race.

Posted by Ms.P
I'm not even going to go into this whole race discussion with you, though. You're far too angry, and overly concerned with something so irrelevant, in the grand scheme of things.

Funnily enough, the same people complaining about people pulling the so called 'race card,' are the same ones who can't seem to have a discussion about our President and his policies, WITHOUT bringing up his race....talk about a crutch.


Stay off those blogs.

lol. hm thats funny. the race topic never came up in ANY of my previous posts about obama... Im on a topic about racisim so of course race is gonna come up. 🙂 I dont care if the president is black, white, brown, purple, indigo, hes not good for this country. OR Maybe he is if you want to look at it in a positive light. His approval ratings are plummeting and Alot more americans are waking up to what is actually going on in their country right under their noses. Obama is exposing The Truth about the governments motives and WE no likey. 🙂 So in hindsight maybe he is good for this country.

As far as I'm concerned - Joe Wilson should be given the Presidential Medal of Freedom! Freakin' hypocritical democrats!! "how dare he speak out during the president's speech"....give me a break!...go back to Bush's State of the Union addresses and listen to the democrats heckle him.

who knew?




I knew it would come to this .... and I think that every person who cares enough to see the truth, saw it coming.

ms.p and chance are BOTH trying to dodge the real issue which is a REAL prroeblem.

If you think THIS isn't "the bigger picture" then you are CLUELESS. The bigger picture IS the fact that people can't get along because everyone's got a reason why someone "owes" them something. Yes, by all means let's perpetuate the cycle by abusing people who had NOTHING to do with slavery and Jim Crow laws.... that way those people will have something to cry about in the future - and even if it's a hundred years from now when supposedly the workld is at peace, people will STILL be able to complain that society "owes" them because of something that happened way back when.... god forbid we move forward and try to WORK TOGETHER.....

And you know what? You know when the presidents race will stop being an issue? When everyone stops running aorund screaming "hallelujah! we have a black president!" his race IS an issue - for the people who voted for him because they wanted a black president.

My complaints about the president are this: he's a liar, he doesn't know JACK about the economy, he's ruining what's left of our economy and our health care, and oh yeah - did I mention he's a LIAR? AND yes - I have a problem with the fact that people voted for him BECAUSE HE'S BLACK - that does NOT mean that I have a problem with him BEING black, or that I'm racist, or don't want ablack president. It means quite simply I want a president based on merit - not skin color.

Get off your damn soap boxes and rrejoin the real world, it's not so rosy here in reality as it is in your fnatasy worlds. Being BLACK doesn't make him a bad president [he just IS] being black also does not make him a GOOD president. And don't start crying I'm racist for thinking people voted for him because he's black - IO know it for a FACT. And that is DISGUSTING. What's also disgusting is the lies he told during his campaign and the ways he's fucked up since being elected. Get over his skin color and start paying attention to the DAMAGE he is doing to this country.

and yes ms.p I AM angry.... because people like you wont' be happy until I tuck tail and agree that the world owes you. BULLSHIT. How dare you think you can get upset over racism and I can't get upset over people crying racism over every little thing just to get their way. You've done it here too - I've said things that were not remotely racist and you've called me racist. YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.

Posted by Ms.P
You need proof for something so ridiculously untrue, but require no proof in believing hes an American hating terrorist?

He has been accused of not being a natural citizen and not proved other wise, until he produces a VALID birh certificate that is proof enough for me. I watched video of reverend wright who preached America is evil, "god Damn america, white people are holdin us down," blah blah blah. Obama and him were besties, obama said so himself till Wright was exposed!!! Here, SEE FOR YOURSELF. he is an american hating terrorist who is destroying our country.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=reverend+al+sharpton&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=Rlu5SrqmHZ-i8AbAouieDw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4#q=reverend++wright+obama&emb=0&client=firefox-a

Posted by Ms.P
That's not what he said. Get your facts straight.


Everyone took his words out of context. He aired Americas undeniable dirty laundry. He was preaching hope, but all you saw was what you wanted to see. Perhaps you should listen to that sermon in its entirety, as well as all his others. But no, you'd rather believe this man of God is actually a secret terrorist, and the congregation is on it too.


Based on your logic, you're an American hating terrorist as well, since you viciously bash the President of the United States....or is that okay... as long as you don't mention America's ugly past?

dirty laundry? you cant tell me you believe all the "facts" this RACIST american hating reverend spouted. obama is up to no good just like this reverend and his czars. I am PROUD of my Countries past! I FREAKIN LOVE THE COUNTRY I LIVE IN. If you dont I believe you should get the fuck out cause you dont belong here sister.

Obama.... obama.... obama... He goes around apologizing on behalf of America to countries we rightfully attacked or even Questioned. He needs to be proud of the country in which he is President or he is no president of mine. oh and I dont really consider him my president being that he never provided a FEAKING legal birth certificate.

really mrs. P Give me 10 good reasons why you like Obama, I am curious.?

"Its funny how you guys just assume I 'like' Obama, simply because I'm calling you out on your ignorance. "
"With that said, I will gracefully bow out of this one."


no, whats funny is you wont say either way and make a statement about your beliefs, if you dont want to have a discussion that goes both ways dont come to a discussion board. I am sincerely interested in your opinions and your point of view, but the street doesnt run both ways does it? I could just as easily call you ignorant and walk away, its ALOT harder to stand up for what you believe in isnt it Mrs P. And people like you dont have the time of day to stand up for your beliefs.

for all those people like mrs p.- grow a backbone, come up with valid points, and then come back and discuss and debate. But, Remember the part about growing a backbone first and foremost.

"I have a problem with the fact that people voted for him BECAUSE HE'S BLACK - that does NOT mean that I have a problem with him BEING black"




I can relate to that ... though, most people cannot and will erroneously believe otherwise.

This isn't because they want to comprehend it this way .. it is because that is all they are capable of.

We just have to thank our Lucky Stars that people with comprehension problems aren't running the country.



Oh wait ....... and so it happened .........

Posted by P-Angel
"I have a problem with the fact that people voted for him BECAUSE HE'S BLACK - that does NOT mean that I have a problem with him BEING black"




I can relate to that ... though, most people cannot and will erroneously believe otherwise.

This isn't because they want to comprehend it this way .. it is because that is all they are capable of.

We just have to thank our Lucky Stars that people with comprehension problems aren't running the country.



Oh wait ....... and so it happened .........

Yeah but it's not really the politicians. They comprehend the things that they are doing. The comprehension problem lies in the people that vote them in to office.