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AOTL Series On Race - Part VI
Are There Too Many White Bigots In America?

The most consequential racism is the result of white bias vis a vis a minority. The reason for that is sheer numbers. There are more white people than anyone else. White people heavily weight the American consensus because they are the majority. The “white consensus” is often discussed in the press and media where it is called “American opinion” or “Public opinion.”

During the 2008 election a popular question in polling industry was “is AMERICA ready for a black president.” See these links:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6642868

http://www.insidepolitics.org/heard/WestReport207.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/03/poll.black.president/index.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/04/opinion/polls/main4151937.shtml

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/archive/236/blog/w/lee_camp/when_deciding_between_hillary_4172.html

Even the liberal media was complicit in this subtle, but nevertheless significant race gaffe. The question was not whether America was ready to elect a Black president, but whether there were too many white bigots who would refuse to vote for someone because they were black. It could be suggested that there are other racial groups ambivalent about having a Negro in the Oval Office. But I have observed that even when people of other races don’t want blacks living in their neighborhoods, they are sympathetic with black people because of their similar battles against racism. While Barack Obama’s presidency was not supported by every Asian American, Native American, Latino American, or African American, etc, few of these people would have been put off by him because of his race.

The question of America’s “readiness” for a black president was a specific query to the white majority. The intended framing of the question in terms of “readiness” was a way of not being offensive to the bigots. On the surface it sounds much nicer to say one is not ready for a black president as opposed to saying someone has a superiority complex and/or some other racial hang-ups. It absolves the guilty on one hand, but on the other, the implications of readiness are grossly insulting.

First, there is an implication of doom. It is like asking if Whites have braced themselves for this terrible event as if they were prisoners being walked to their execution. Not being white, I can not imagine what the basis of the fear is. I can only speculate that those who “weren’t ready” were (are), um, I don’t know… Bigots? Racists, maybe? Or were they not ready in the same sense we are ready when we go out on the town? Did they not have their hair and makeup done? Did they not finish decorating the cake? I have yet to have this explained to me?

Also, readiness hints at permission, the same kind of permission that was categorically denied dignity-seeking Blacks previous to and during the Civil Rights movement. In those days it was not uncommon to be told “it’s not your time yet” by people who were accustomed to weighing in as the guardians of America. They were wrong.

To some it may seem as if I am obsessed with the past considering that yes, America was ready for a black president, but bear with me; the issue was not whether we were able to elect a black person, but the continuing issue of our national character. In the 21st century we still speak in coded language that hints at an acceptable bias. When we ask if America is ready for a black president we not only coddle the racist by not calling them what they are, we suggest that they may actually set the standard of how we view each other. It should be an affront and an insult not only to black people, but to everyone who IS “ready” for a black president that the question was posed with such kid gloves. You want a post-racial America? Stop giving legitimacy to the racists.

2 comments:

  1. Best sentence: "The question was not whether America was ready to elect a Black president, but whether there were too many white bigots who would refuse to vote for someone because they were black."

    Lou

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  2. Right on.

    I've long believed answers are effected by the phrasing of questions. I frequently get calls from pollsters. Now I understand where there are often so many "undecideds"; some of the queries are so imprecise, I can't comfortably give a yea or nay. And the folks manning the polls are not allowed to clarify (*if* they even know).

    Language and how we use it absolutely determines our perception. It would be nice if more than just a few social scientists recognized it.

    The Right regularly commandeers and weaponizes words or phrases. It's turned *Liberal* into a dirty word. Then there's the *PRO-lifers*; what a crock when so many of them are *pro-DEATH-penalty. Democrats and progressives need to pay attention to language, fight fire with fire.

    By the way, I really enjoy your work. Thank you.

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