Every time I read or hear someone talk about the great leaps forward made in race relations, I scratch my head.
It doesn’t take long for me to get a reminder that most folks still instinctively judge others by the color of their skin or the sound of their voice.
What makes this most frustrating is that many times the people displaying the ignorance and insensitivity have been cast as intelligent, upstanding, decent people, and they often achieve high levels of authority.
That description certainly applies to former Republican National Chairman candidate Chip Saltsman. Remember, Saltsman led the presidential campaign of former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.
Saltsman came up with the clever idea of sending out a song on CD to his supporters titled, “Barack the Magic Negro.”
The lyrics accompany the tune “Puff the Magic Dragon,” a 1963 hit performed by folk artists Peter, Paul and Mary. Music buffs still argue about what the song means, but no one to my knowledge offers the viewpoint that it’s about pinheaded racism.
To be clear, I am well aware of the vicious nature of politics and the lengths to which people will go to “dis” someone. I have seen plenty of political figures — including President George W. Bush — lampooned, and tarred and feathered in a range of ways and in a variety of media. Some say that the recent Saturday Night Live skit skewering Gov. David Patterson, D-N.Y., went well beyond the borders of comedic taste, and those are some broad borders.
Meanwhile, blogs and Web sites from both sides of the political fence use the “they did it too” defense rather than simply not displaying witless behavior.
Worse yet, some RNC types rushed to Saltsman’s defense. And it took nearly a day — while the RNC waited to measure the impact of media coverage — before it issued an apology. Saltsman and others like him might craft apologies to the tune of “One Toke Over the Line.”
But if both parties can elevate people to high levels of responsibility — who clearly do not understand the ramifications of what they do — what future does the two-party system have? And what chance do we have as those governed by it?
Resources:
- www.youtube.com
- http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/27
- http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/rnc-candidate
- www.youtube.com/watch
- www.huliq.com/2623/75087/
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