Racism fuels much of anti-Obama rhetoric (letter)
The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that there is a problem. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, when ruling in the majority to eviscerate the hard fought for Voting Rights Act stated that, "the country has changed" since that law was passed 50 years ago. The majority on that court implied that racism is largely over. Within 24 hours of that ruling, five southern states moved to re-establish voter ID laws which are clearly designed to restrict the voting rights of blacks, as voter fraud is virtually non-existent.
Yes, individual racism and institutionalized racism exists in America. We saw in it in New York City’s former "stop and frisk" law in which, even in white neighborhoods, minorities were stopped far more often for no cause and, upon investigation, no laws were found to have been broken. We see it in our police forces as revealed in the recent Justice Department report that shocked the consciousness of all who read it. We have seen it in the Oklahoma frat house in which frat members as well as their house mother repeated racial slurs as they sang a racist song.
Given that racism exists should we expect it to not be directed at our first black president? Unfortunately the answer is no. From the very start of the Obama presidency we have seen his very legitimacy diminished by those who claim he is a Muslim, a terrorist sympathizer, a Marxist and not an American citizen. His very patriotism was questioned by Rudy Giuliani who opined in what many believe to have been a racist rant that Obama ".wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was." Yes Obama looks different than all our other presidents and I believe that, in many (not all) cases, is why he has been treated so differently.
Has any other president been called a liar by a congressperson during a State of the Union Address? Has any other politician seen the kind of blatant racism directed toward Obama on the Internet and talk radio? Has any opposing party applauded when our president, during his State of the Union Address, stated "I've run my last campaign"? Again the answer is "no."
History will look very favorably on President Obama and his long list of successes, but the record of the way many of our people have treated him will forever be our shame.
Source:
http://auburnpub.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letter-racism-fuels-much-of-anti-obama-rhetoric/article_c2887490-dd76-51a1-9026-2e2f2d8f2f63.html
Bolding mine.
