I agree that the specific incident regarding Sen Wilson was not racially motivated (probably), but I think it would be naive to think that those who already hate Obama for being black wouldn't be just that bit more motivated to protest against his policies than if he were a white man. That said, I imagine most of them would have probably opposed the health care reforms anyway. However, we should remember that President Obama himself has publicly disagreed with Jimmy Carter's view, so not everyone is playing the race card.

But that's like saying that anti-Semites were a bit more motivated to protest against George W. Bush's policies because George Bush was pro-Israel...

I agree with you.

If Condy Rice runs for President and wins, Obama, whose mother was white, will not have been the first black but the last white President.

Wow, I'm in agreement with you Champas.  I disagree with the health care reform.... period.  I haven't heard Obama publicly disagree with Carter's assessment.  Based on what you have told me, I give kudos to Obama for doing so.  I also give Obama kudos for accepting Wilson's apology and left it at that.

Agreed. That, however, does not mean race is always part of it and therefor should take center stage of the real issue. I am curious to know if Black people protested Bush's policies would that have been considered racist?

I ask because I seem to notice this recurring concept that racism seems to only mean whites (or everyone else) against Blacks but nowhere does it seem to show that racism is also Blacks against Whites (or everyone else). This whole notion that Blacks are the only ones who suffer from racist mentalities is insulting to me as many Latinos have also had to deal with racism, including me. I may not have been a slave or of a slave ancestry but these days we Latinos are as likely to have difficulties getting jobs and not being seen as criminals as Black people do.

(Sorry all, I just moved into a dorm and have had to deal with the first few weeks of the school term)

Mmm, yes actually, though I'm not saying that the left is stupid or not intelligent. I think I should have used critical thinking in place of intelligence.

My point simply put: You have types of people who feel that others use racism too much and hence become reactionary in that they simply dismiss any time someone claims racism has happened. There is some truth in their beliefs in that there are, at times, those who use the term way too often. If someone uses a term too often and too much - it dilutes the very meaning and impact behind the word. Before long, people will just turn a deaf ear to racism period because they'll get sick and tired of the boy crying wolf scenarios. It is then, at that point that the real, god honest cases where someone has been the victim of racism (black/white/etc.) become...meaningless.

It is similar to what one of my instructor, Mrs. Jasheway-Bryant, said today, "You are here because you want to write; as magicians of the pen, your wand is the word. So, remember, words like awesome, totally, seriously, and so on have lost all meaning. They've been used again, and again, and again to the point where when someone does use them - there is no impact, no stirring of the soul."

Do you understand what I mean?

Now, off to PoliSci homework, then bed and an early rise.

Later, ~AJ

And this is what i believe has already happened.  Take the Duke boys case. Take the Cambridge police officer.  Take the Joe Wilson case. Take the ACORN tapes. All of these 'false' racist cases are making the true racism meaningless. It's meaningless because those that are exclaiming racism are being the racist.  In the first two cases I mentioned reverse racism took place and it was disregarded. 

When I was in college I had a black gentleman tell me that this place was racist.  I laughed and told him he doesn't know what racism is.  He was shocked hearing that from a white guy.  I came from an area where it was predominately hispanic and they hated whitey.  I got a pretty good taste of racism when I was high school.  My junior year in high school I didn't make the varsity basketball team.  The reason from the coaches mouth, "I need to have more mexicans on the varsity squad."  To add insult to injury I had coaches from other treams ask me why I didn't suit for varsity.  Thankfully my senior year my mom and I were able to move outta there.  

Unless they band up and throw rockets at your university to kill as many of you as possible, it isn't racism.

Anything below that level doesn't impress me.

He was just whinning.  He was a football player who didn't like how he was treated at a notoriously known restaurant for bad service.

Been offline for a couple of weeks, but that's just too funny (probably).

Welcome back Daiwa.