Some say you should be very careful when talking about race or you'll be acused of racism.
Others say that it doesn't make any difference if you are careful or not you will be accused of racism.
Here is an example in support of the second statement.
In primary campaigns for president you are going to win some and lose some. Whenever you lose a state you try to minimize the importance of that particular competition. If you are from New York and you lose a primary in Alabama to a candidate from Georgia you talk about how those states are neighbors and you never really had a chance. If you lose Utah to a Mormon then you point out how heavily Mornon Utah is. It is standard practice in politics.
In 1984 and 1988 Jesse Jackson ran for president. Although it was generally accepted that he had no real chance to win the nomination, he did win the democratic primary in South Carolina. It was the state in which he was born and raised and blacks form good majority of the SC Democratic party.
In 2008 Hillary Clinton ran against Barack Obama for president and Obama won the South Carolina Democratic Primary. One of Hillary's supporters, Bill Clinton (widely renowned as a friend of blacks) was discussing the primary with the press. As one does in that situation, Bill was trying to minimize the significance of his candidate's loss and he made the statement: "Even Jesse Jackson won in SC."
He was pilloried in the press. I have friends who consider it to be a racist remark.
That is the treatment that was received by someone who had a long and strong antiracist history.
Same facts different (another possible) conclusion.
ReplyDeleteThat is the treatment that was received by someone who did not support the press’ candidate of choice.
I realized that this motive does not contain the racial component which, I think, the press added to marginalize Bill’s comment and the opposing candidate. And it did.