President Carter's Take on Race and the Obama Administration

A little over 2 weeks ago, former President Jimmy Carter unleashed a flurry of controversary and conversation when he stated "I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man". Unfortunately and sadly, I feel compelled to agree with the former President.

New York Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd recently noted in a column just days before President Carter's comments that "some people just can't believe a black man is president and will never accept it". Pretty much since his inauguration in January, the President has been subjected to a level of disrespect and hatred that certainly has racial overtones. Repeatedly, throughout the summer, the President's place of birth has been called into question with the intent to paint him as a non US citizen and delegitimize his Presidency. During many of the recent Congressional town hall meetings on health care reform, numerous people have displayed racist signs and images portraying the President as "Curious George", an African witch doctor, or showing him hanging from a noose.You would have to be living under a rock to not realize that this kind of imagery reminds many Black and White Americans of a time when we had federally mandated segregation and crushing Jim Crow laws throughout the South. Last month, thousands of parents refused to let their children hear an address from the President to the nation's students because they feared that the President would indoctrinate their children with "a liberal agenda". Was that really the reason or was that a smokescreen for something for socially unacceptable? And let's not forget the outrageous outburst by South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson during the President's address to a joint session of Congress last month. The level of disrespect shown by Congressman Wilson was almost unprecedented. It was almost like he was attempting to remind this young, Black President of "his place" in society.

Disagreement on important issues is fine. As a society, we should never be expected to agree on all issues, but what happened to being respectful with our disagreements? To deny that the animosity that the President is facing has racial overtones is simply not being morally nor intellectually honest. Immediately after President Carter's comments, he was denounced in many corners for injecting race into the public square. Unfortunately, race was already injected months ago when many decided to use stereotypes, imagery, and language laced with bigotry. What is really sad is that many of the people that are behaving in this manner have no clue and do not realize the lack of racial sensitivity that they are displaying. In fact in many cases, they do not even care, and their actions are deliberate.

More people must stand up and speak out against this type of behavior. As I said earlier, it is okay for us to debate important issues, but there is no place for the level of racism that is being displayed. More people need to denounce this behavior and call it what it really is instead of tip-toeing around the issue. Our country really needs to have a serious conversation on racism, bigotry, and stereotypes.