The Tao of Racism

One of my past neighbors was a racist. When the hub-bub concerning lead levels in homes was all the rage, he blamed “black kids chewing on paint”. Whenever job loss was a hot topic, he generally blamed Mexicans (who, as we all know, spent much of this decade smuggling mortgage-backed securities into Texas). And of course, if there was ever an accident in the area, it was likely because of some woman on a cell phone (which he believed to be a race of people).

Maybe I should have held some demonstrations outside his house to let our predominantly black neighborhood know that a bigot lived among us, but it never seemed worth the effort. For one, he was just some old German guy, and—c’mon… old German guys are all racists. Also, ferreting out obtuse racism is not as honorable as it may seem to spirited throngs all hopped up on after-school specials.

With desegregation still in the nation’s living memory, we may want to believe that publicly branding Rep. Joe Wilson (R – SC) a racist ensures that the sun of our enlightened national conscience continues shining. But racism—or, rather, using that word—is just one more headline that sells newspapers, or clicks websites, or gets people to watch whatever the hell Keith Olbermann is doing on television that isn’t sports. It’s a hot button that vapid political sycophants like Maureen Dowd love to press.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not one of those Maureen Dowd haters. There are plenty of things I love about her:

1)       She has BA in English Literature.

2)       She graduated from one of my favorite D-III schools on the East Coast.

3)       She has a lovely name.

Actually, that’s it. Pretty much everything else about her makes me question if evolution is working in the right direction. But she is an excellent barometer for what is going on in the minds of angry homeless people and mid-level marketing executives.

Despite the fact that Jimmy Carter agrees with her, and despite the fact that , according to Politico, the entire Democratic Party is worried that President Obama’s “foes” all hate black people, there seems to be an emptiness in this national discussion on race. It’s argued about, but it’s an argument that has little substance beyond name-calling. Even President Obama’s administration has basically said that race is a non-issue for them. As well it should be for us all.

But wait! This Wilson guy is a Thurmond-loving, Dixie-Flag-promoting, hate-filled racist! I mean, he’s from South Carolina for crying out loud! And these Tea Parties are brimming with white people carrying signs! Signs that say awful things! How much more reason do we need to vilify them at every opportunity? Why should we turn a blind eye to the issue of racism in our midst?

Because there’s no consequence in it.

If you have a landlord that never seems to rent an apartment to a black person, or a construction manager that suddenly has a hiring freeze when a black person applies, you might have a problem. If people are being squeezed out of opportunity because of their race, you have a definitive and recognized action that stands in the way of just process. This is when racism should be fought.

If you have a representative that broke the rules of a body of legislature, and you posit that it was racially motivated, does that deliver more justice? If every single gathering of conservative protesters is racist and you point it out, does that change their right to assemble?

Not at all. It’s simply a part, albeit a foolish one, of their personal preferences. Some people like sushi, some people watch basketball, some people are racist. If they begin to take actions that deny opportunity to others based on those beliefs, it becomes a problem. Lacking that, it’s a nuisance.

Nobody is denying President Obama an opportunity because of his race. I mean, c’mon…he’s the President of the friggin’ United States. Ms. Dowd should take a cue from his administration, and realize that there are bigger—and more consequential—fish to fry.

PS – go to your web browser right now and type in "www.maureendowd.com". Go ahead, do it…. What the hell? Right? Kind of makes you wonder who else’s name points there. Is she gunning for an Ambassador role or something?