I've been avoiding this topic for some time, hoping people would come to their senses and get on with real political debate, but it just won't go away. President Carter now chimes in:
What is so intriguing, and frustrating, about these remarks is that they are held by so many otherwise intelligent, educated, and reasonable people. What is it in the mental make-up of what I'm loosely calling the American Left that blinds them to two stunningly obvious facts:"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man....[The] racism inclination still exists, and I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people...that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country....[Responses like comparing Obama to a Nazi] are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care...."
- Many of President Obama's apparent ideals and attitudes, and certainly his stated policies, are anathema to a large segment of the American population. Not a majority, as the election proved, but enough that even such an unattractive candidate as McCain garnered almost half the vote. If the opposition to Obama were coming from those who largely agreed with his policies, then perhaps one could wonder if racism were playing a part. But when the opposition comes from those who have all along favored alternative ideals and policies, it's nonsense to claim that they'd be supporting Obama if only he were 100% white.
- The accusations, invective, and foam-at-the-mouth hatred thrown at President Bush were orders of magnitude worse than President Obama has received—he hasn't even seen his first shoe yet. I know, it's still early, and in any case that's no way to treat a person. But it should give one pause before assuming that racism is behind political opposition.
The only thing I can conclude is that we are so divided in our country (and in our world) that we not only do not understand each other's positions, but at some gut level we can't even believe that a normal human being can truly hold a position opposite from ours. That our ideals are so right and so obvious that there simply must be something else, something dark and sinister, behind our opponents' position.
During my teen years I was amused by the editor of a small, local newspaper who insisted on seeing Communist influence behind everyone who didn't think as he did. It was an idiosyncracy of the kind one lovingly puts up with in one's own family or amongst one's neighbors. Widespread, however, such an attitude is poison.
I've written before on the value of cultural exchange programs among countries; it may be that our own country is so diverse that we need an internal cultural exchange. Perhaps then we might reach the point of one husband I know: An extreme extrovert who is energized by the presence of other people, he cannot understand why his introvert wife needs quiet time alone to recharge. What is most important, however, is that he worked to understand and respect his wife in this area. By getting to know each other better, they developed the give and take—the respect and deference—that makes life so interesting and enjoyable.
So, too, I wish for our country.
