It's only been a few weeks since the confrontation between Henry Lewis Gates, Jr. and Sargent Crowley set the newsworld aflame with brief fireworks. As you recall, Gates was approached on his own property by a police officer after someone called the police, suspecting a burglary. Gates apparently became very angry and rude; the officer eventually lost his cool, too, and arrested Gates for disorderly conduct. It is my opinion that both men behaved badly. The officer, however, had no right to arrest him, and should have said something like, "I'm sorry for the mix-up, Sir," and left, ignoring Gates's rude behavior. I believe race was not the only issue in this conflict; class also played a predominant role. Not to mention a lack of civility, so apparent these days.
What I found sadly typical was how this incident was discussed on television. Nearly all the black commentators defended Gates; nearly all the white commentators sided with the police. How egocentric! If there were an Empthay Rorschach test many of us would fail; time and again we demonstrate our inability to give an sympathetic response to figures we see. That wonderful Native American proverb that suggests that we walk a mile in our neighbor's moccasins before we judge him is lost on large sections of people. There are always, thank God! exceptions: Colin Powell did indeed criticize Gates's behavior. Many of us missed our opportunity to act nobly and objectively, like Powell did. Unfortunately, I didn't hear of many examples of whites criticizing Crowley.
Whites have another good opportunity to be better and to act accordingly. There is much opposition to our president today, some of it--no objective person can doubt this--because he is black. Congressman Joe Wilson, who has a record of wanting to keep the Confederate flag flying over South Carolina government buildings, shouted out "You lie"--during our president's health-care speech, a lie heard around the world. Thousands of white protesters have demonstrated that many of the bubbles in their boiling blood contain racial caricatures. Obama in white face as The Joker? The Zoo has an African lion and we have a lyin' African? Send him back to Kenya? The so-called birther movement? All of this is disgraceful. I have no doubt that some of the vitriol--by no means all--stems from the fact that Obama is guilty of being DWB--democratic while black.
Whether one supports Obama or not, it should be apparent to all that he is trying to do his best to improve America. He certainly has not been bought off by special interests like many other politicians. That we have elected a black president--because he was thought to be the best candidate, not because of his race; that we wouldn't have come to this decision if we had not transcended racism, to a significant degree, if not completely--and I hope, not merely briefly--is a triumph for Americans of all colors.
As an aging white man myself, a member of the ethnic and age group most opposed to Obama, I was especially pleased to discover a fellow old white man, former president Carter, has apparently walked a mile or two in Obama's moccasins. President Carter has no motive to play politics at his age; he stated the truth at he sees it, namely, that racism is behind some of the criticism of Obama. He stated his case vociferously and eloquently. Some entities, like Carter, Verdi and good wine, seem to have gotten even better with age. I agree with him completely.
There is an odd disconnect in all these protests. Most of them come from whites who are not rich. Why are they arguing against their own interests? It's as if those who stormed the Bastille in 1789 had shouted, "We want the king to build himself a newer, bigger Versailles!" or "Let Marie Antoinette keep the cake--We deserve only crumbs!" Why, oh why is the whole pack of cards shouting, "Off with our heads?"
Ignorance, fear of the unknown, feelings of powerlessness, manipulation from the far right and other factors are involved. Racism, alas! is involved, too.
I cannot laugh along any longer with commentators who mock--an easy task--the far right. I'm getting scared.
I do not contend that all those who are behaving badly are bad. People who feel disenfranchised tend toward the d side of the devil-angel spectrum. Racism, however, is a poor self-defense for negative feelings; it must be confronted as such.
I am not asking whites to feel guilty, I'm asking them to feel. I'm asking that we do what everyone should do--act according to what's best in us which is what's best in everyone. Black people as such are nobody's enemy! They are not The Other; The Other is the inhuman element in all of us.
A postscript: Here we go again! Have you noticed that the vast majority of white commentators have repudiated President Carer's opinion? Look in the mirror and try to convince yourself that the color of your skin hasn't strongly influenced your views in this matter. If you're honest, you will go to a neighborhood different from your own and walk a mile in someone else's shoes.
