Harry Reid and Republican Racism

Are Republicans stupid or what? Do they really not understand the difference between a criticism of racism and criticism of a racist? In the latest Republican-manufactured controversy, they've stirred up the teapot and called it a storm. They've accused Democrat Harry Reid of making racist remarks by having said early during the election campaign that the country might be ready to elect Barack Obama because he’s “light-skinned” and he only talks with a “Negro dialect” when he chooses. How can anyone think this is racist? Isn’t this actually a criticism of racism? I mean, use your brain; that’s what it’s there for. Think about what this remark really means, not what Republicans would have us believe by spinning it into nonsense. This seems like a statement of reality to me, not a racist statement. Reid's saying that the country is not ready to vote for an African American if that candidate seems too African American—in other words, too black, and speaking too much the language of the Black community.

And Reid actually apologizes to Black leaders—as if he buys into this Republican idiocy—including to Barack Obama who then accepts his apology. Doesn’t Obama get what’s going on either? I’ve heard that African Americans themselves are not that offended by the statement. They understand. Americans do indeed find light-skinned Blacks more acceptable than dark-skinned; that’s because of American racism. That’s even a problem in the Black community where admittedly they’ve also historically had a problem of showing a preference for light skin. Everyone knows this. So what’s the big deal? The only people pretending to be offended and shocked by Reid’s statement are clueless Republicans. I mean really, anyway. Since when did Republicans become the great defenders of African Americans against racist attacks?

It seems to me if Reid is criticizing racism which is what the statement is doing, and if he owes an apology to anyone, then it’s to the great racists of America. He should be apologizing to the Ku Klux Klan. Or maybe even the Republican party.

On second thought, spare the KKK the apology. They don’t deserve it. White racists are scum. They’ve done a lot—a hell of a lot—of harm to our country. Really Reid does not need to apologize for anything or to anybody.

I say to Harry Reid, “Thank you.” It’s true that America does still have a problem with racism, and we need to be working on it still and making things better, not getting confused by Republican disinformation and their old conservative agenda to protect white privilege.