Archive: Opinions

I have a black cat, a grey cat, a black and white one, and an orange one.  I like them about equally for the various things they do, and who they are.  It would be absurd to thing the orange one is less than the black one because he is orange.  It is equally absurd to think that President Obama is less because he isn't the same color as the other presidents.  Obama gets this, and he gets that the only way to make race not be an issue is to not make race an issue.  I agree with that -- if you don't accept it as an issue it isn't one and everyone shines or falls on his or her individual merits.

What I don't understand is why two past presidents would come out and make race an issue.  According to one the people who are speaking out against the President's health care reform plan are all racists, and according to the other some of the people speaking out are racists (though they would be against the reforms even if they weren't).

While statistically it is probable that some of those folks are racist, bringing race into the debate isn't helpful.  It has served to anger people on both sides of health care reform, and distracts from the actual discussion.  Americans have the right to protest when they disagree with the government.  That's why we threw all that tea into Boston Harbor over 200 years ago.  Racism didn't have anything to do with that.  It was about freedom.

When ex-presidents meddle in current policy one would hope, whichever side of the aisle they come from, that they would support the current guy.  Normally they at least support the current guy if they are both in the same party.  That makes it all the more shocking to me that former Presidents Carter and Clinton would come out on race in the middle of a serious and important debate that President Obama seems to want to be about -- call him crazy! -- health care reform.

That Obama was elected was a sign that racism in America is weakening.  That reason replaces madness is never a bad thing.  Mr. Obama has steadfastly refused to acknowledge race as a factor in the election, or in policy decisions since he was elected.  It's bad enough that actual racists try to make color an issue when color isn't the issue at hand.  It is reprehensible that former leaders of the free world should do so.

Such nasty distractions are part of modern politics, and they are extremely destructive.  They are divisive, and when people with opposing opinions can't talk and work out their differences they can't come to an agreement that makes things better for everyone.  Such tactics virtually guarantee either a bad solution or no solution.

Blue M&Ms aren't better or worse than brown ones or orange ones.  They all taste the same.  And the color of their outer shells doesn't change the chocolate inside.  It is stupid to think they do.  If prominent public figures like former presidents keep insisting they do, you and I will never be able to afford a visit to the doctor when we've eaten too many M&Ms.

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