Racist — One who holds the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
For the past week or so, I’ve been trying to ignore the fact that John Kerry is an elitist race panderer who’s going to get a lot of black votes. I’m disgusted by his racial and racist rhetoric, and the black people who vote for him deserve whatever slop he dishes out.
From his political Scripture reading in black churches to his speeches touting government programs, this rich man’s contempt for true black progress makes me ill.
In my view, white liberals betray their true feelings about the black race as soon as they open their mouths. My blood boils whenever I hear one of their ilk mentioning blacks and government programs in the same conversation. Blacks and dependency go hand in hand, you see, especially to men like Kerry. (Warning: long rant below)
I found an article the other day that prompted me to finally blog about this. Peter Kirsanow, of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and writing for National Review Online:
Racially charged rhetoric is, of course, not uncommon in political campaigns. During presidential-election cycles outlandish claims and rumors pervade both black media and casual discourse: A vote for a Republican means another black church will be burned; the Voting Rights Act is going to expire, depriving blacks of the right to vote; voting for Republicans is a vote for lynchings. These claims and rumors are usually floated by talk radio commentators, community activists, low-level campaign staffers, and the like. And while they may be effective in turning out voters, they necessarily inflame racial tensions and suspicions.What’s different about this presidential-election cycle is that a presidential candidate is trafficking in this poison. Racial demagoguery is odious whatever the source, but when someone of Kerry’s stature engages in it, the impact is magnified several fold.
Most candidates tailor their messages to appeal to the concerns of the particular audience. Speaking to members of a union local, a politician will likely address the new overtime rules; speaking to doctors, he’ll probably cover malpractice insurance. Some call this pandering, others call it smart politics.
Much of Senator Kerry’s message to black audiences, however, is drawn from negative and sometimes ugly stereotypes about putatively “black” concerns. For example, while speaking before the Urban League in July, Kerry stressed the need for more Section 8 funding rather than stressing home-ownership, and stressed government programs more than entrepreneurship (because, you know, most blacks are either on welfare or otherwise dependent on the government). He’s done so without challenge. Imagine the justifiable outrage if Kerry had employed offensive stereotypes when courting voters from other ethnic groups. Even when not engaging stereotypes Kerry tends to appeal to the lowest common denominator — a bland Huey Long.
Senator Kerry’s attempts over the last several months to “energize” black voters by invoking the specter of Jim Crow and falsely claiming massive voter disenfranchisement apparently aren’t impressing black Democrat leaders. That could well mean he might make even more incendiary comments in the upcoming weeks. If he does, he must be called on it. Senator Kerry’s divisive statements are more likely to create the two Americas of which he and his running mate complain rather than promote a more unified America.
White liberals love to invoke old Jim Crow (see laws), and nothing fires up black liberals more, whether they actually lived through it or not, than insinuating that white conservatives want to return to legal segregation.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a dead organization that should be buried already, released this laughable, amateurish report, “The Long Shadow of Jim Crow: Voter Intimidation and Suppression in America Today” (PDF). It’s one of the dumbest things you’ll ever read. Also see my post.
The Republican message is about “empowerment” — one of black liberals’ favorite words — economic development and freedom from government. Where some see such talk as abandonment, I see it as the way to survive and thrive, not just exist. Government dependency is undignified; it is immoral to live off the labor of others (through involuntary support).
Yet, George Bush is perceived as a racist who “doesn’t care about the black community” because he doesn’t talk down to them about Section 8 housing (“The Projects”) and handouts based on skin color. Our culture’s thinking has been backward for so long that some people think it’s a good thing when a politician promises them more of other people’s money.
But can I really blame John Kerry and his cronies? After all, his audiences apparently eat it up like manna, so he’s only preaching what he knows they want to hear. Stupefying.
If I ever happen to meet Kerry on the street and he started speechifying about government programs, but for the daily struggle of living a Christian life, I’d curse him to his face.
