Racism didn't die with the election of Barack Obama - it brought it back to the forefront.

[Drunken Irishman]

The racists hid it better before Obama ... but his election didn't mean they ceased to exist. Do I think a majority of America is racist? No. But it doesn't take a majority of America being racist to have a huge impact.

Even if only 20% of this country is racist, that's still a huge number - 64,516,601 to be exact. That's almost double the population of California.

But before we elected a black president, it was easier to hide that hate. Now, though, the bigotry and racism has boiled over - like water on a hot stove.

They've come out of the woodwork and what's worse, you've got an ideology excusing this racism under the guise of it being dead. Even the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court essentially said racism was dead.

We've excused racism for eight years of the Obama administration. Hell, we've excused it for pretty much the history of this country.

The excuses, the subtle hints of 'taking our country back', the police brutality, the outright vile hate toward the First Family - it's all directly resulted in Charleston.

America is less racist today than it was fifty years ago. I truly believe that. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter if it's less racist or not - if a huge portion of the population still is racist, even if only marginally, it trickles down and leads to the hate that we saw this past week. It does a disservice to dismiss the idea of racism, or to play it down - it does a disservice to suggest that because we elected President Obama that we can't be a racist nation anymore.

Because, in huge parts of this country, clearly we still are.

[DonCoquixote]

1. there is one thing I fear

And not that it all should effect who we vote for, indeed, the idea of pissing off these little man-boys is what makes the prospect of left hating Hillary being Prez palatable.

But there is one thing we will need to prepare for, and that it that the GOP will ramp up sexism, just like they ramped up racism. Does that mean we will start to see women shot like black people?; my answer to that question is, do you rally think they won't?

[LiberalLoner]

4. +1

[blm]

2. It INCREASED. In all my decades, I haven't seen it as rampant and open as it is today. GOP

and their propaganda media machines have assured that racism is seen as acceptable and mainstream, because, after all, it was being aimed at a successful political figure.

They can't get close enough to shoot Obama and get away with it - so they choose targets they can slaughter and still get away.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

3. It is important to see the 2016 election in historical context

This is one of the last, if not the last, general elections in which a white majority controls America. Now, that does not mean that in 2024 or 2028, when whites become a pluraliy nationally that they will instantly lose control. In many states, they will remain the overwhelming majority for the forseeable; however, it does mean that we will see an increased "circling of the wagons" by white conservatives who feel threatened by change.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. The sad truth is that it took both parties to keep racism on the back burner.

In past elections, too many consultants believed that talking about black or minority issues would turn away the Southern Democratic vote.

And then there was the tokenism approach to handling the problem. In other words, just having photo opportunities with Civil Rights leaders was thought to send the right message.

We have to do better.

[Evergreen Emerald]

6. I think you are correct, they crawled out from under the rocks

with their guns when Obama was elected.

[lamp_shade]

7. I have a few family members who, Pre-Obama, were closet-racists. Post-Obama

they have transitioned into bitter, foaming-at-the-mouth ANGRY racists, unable any longer to hide their uncontrollably obvious (though not quite openly displayed) racism. It’s as if they now feel free to say things they would have never said before due, in no small part, to the RWNJ talking heads that do likewise. It’s kind of scary.

[davidpdx]

8. IMHO the racists have gotten louder, nastier, and more violent since the election of Obama

I doubt the numbers have changed much over the years, if anything I would bet they are still dropping. The problem is the hate groups are better organized with tools like the internet. Then of course you have the "lone wolf" problem like happened with the recent shootings. How many people really knew this thug was going to walk into a church and open fire? Apparently no one did.

One my sociology professors from undergraduate school specializes in studying hate crimes. I have him as a friend on Facebook and it's always interesting to hear his opinion on recent events.