Race, Racism and McCain

Watching the debate last night, one thing became clear: McCain is desperate. For fear of alienating the extreme right wing, bigoted members of his party, he will not condemn those who say "Kill him" in referring to Obama. Instead, McCain points the finger at Obama for not condemning his supporters who "say the same thing."

First, none of the Obama supporters say that. Because they are actually respectful.

Second, it is unrepentantly amoral and disingenuous to draw a comparison between epithets flung at McCain (of which he had yet to name any) and those by McCain's extreme white, racist supporters.

There is no history of communities of white people being terrorized (yes, that favorite word of Conservatives) in their own homes, neighborhoods and communities by a dominant ethnic group. For Afro-Americans, they were terrorized for hundreds of years through to very very recent history by white people people. This same group was also repeatedly oppressed, exploited and terrorized by governmental institutions (think the police) who either partook in active violence or stood idly by and did nothing while entire communities were terrorized and Afro-Americans were burned, hung, beaten and otherwise physically and mentally exploited and oppressed. For hundreds of years, this has happened.

And recall James Byrd, Jr., in Jasper, TX. This was in 1999, people. He was dragged over three miles. And not, as for some weird reason most white television networks were reporting, along a "lonely country road." No. It was in a black neighborhood and as one reporter had the courage to observe, was meant to terrorize the entire neighborhood of Afro-Americans. Hmm. Imagine if that happened in, say Beverly Hills. To some white guy. And imagine if that sort of thing had happened throughout history and not a lot was done about it and moreover, that you felt no matter what, you couldn't protect yourself? Think it would freak you out?

So to have a bunch of people shouting "Kill him" is not idle commentary that can be ignored, though McCain is just the kind of morally reprehensible jackanape that wants to. Words are incendiary. If the leader of your party doesn't think it's a problem for you to say words that reference a long history of domestic terrorism of an entire population of the U.S., then it is easy to think that he would condone just about anything.

And frankly, that's what George Lewis was saying. That words are incendiary. And as the leader and Presidential candidate of your party, you have a fundamental responsibility to keep your followers in line. That's why people can go to jail for inciting violence through their words. Because words can inflame and incite action. For McCain to turn all hypocritical and actually praise his followers, no matter what they say, is another sign of his complete lack of character. I have never been so turned off by any candidate before as I am by McCain. He shows not only a complete absence of character, but a basic meanness, a small-mindedness coupled with an ambition that embraces lying, cheating and obfuscation to get what he wants. And he thinks that isn't more of the same?