Racism is Alive and Well

Groovelady, Salon.com

Instead of beginning with analysis, let's begin with some sad facts; When Kentucky Representative Ben Chandler endorsed Barack Obama, over 500 phone calls flooded his office, the vast majority of them using the word "nigger."

Chandler's aides (who were white) went home shaken, crying, in utter disbelief. They didn't think racism still existed.

Now. Sugarcoat it all you want. Call it "Appalachian culture" call it whatever you want, but make no mistake about it, it is racism.

I'm from Kentucky, and I'm black, and can tell you that perhaps it was "culture" when I went to a semi-nerdy mock-government camp in Frankfort, KY, assigned to a hotel room with 4 white girls, and it was assumed we'd all split beds. There were 2 queen size beds. ALL four of them chose to sleep in one bed, rather than to sleep in the bed in which I slept. Perhaps that was just their "culture?"

And that instance was just something off the top of my head ...

Why are we skirting around this issue? Why are we coming up with excuses? It seems as though people are more afraid of being called racist than they are afraid of actually being racist.

Obviously not every Appalachian white person who votes for Clinton is racist, but enough (21 percent) admitted that race mattered to them in their selection of a candidate to bode poorly for the non-white candidate -- no matter the bona fides.

When that is the case, how can you tell Obama that it's his problem -- as an earlier poster noted, no matter what he does, the goalposts change -- he's smart and successful translates into "uppity;" he's the underdog translates into "he's incompetent." They will not be happy until he does the cakewalk for them and grins like Jolson.

Thus Hillary's use of code phrases -- designed to be direct and easily understood by those with animosity towards blacks, resentful of blacks, distrustful of blacks -- those who are ... let's face it -- racists.

Dee Davis says Obama should have visited rural voters more. Why? So that he can change the mind of the Marietta, GA man who portrayed Obama as Curious George? So he can expose his two daughters to possible death threats, so they can witness the panoply of black lawn jockeys? I wish I were merely some Hollywood elite,"deriding" these people; no, I'm just someone who grew up around them, and I knew years ago what those Chandler aides just found out this month: racism is alive and well in "the hills."

-- groovelady