by Kevin Bryant

I’m a racist, you’re a racist, he’s a racist, she’s a racist, and wouldn’t you like to be a racist too.

If we are to believe the most recent comments made by Jimmy Carter: “Everyone opposing Barack Obama is basing their opposition on the fact that he is a black man”, or something like that then guess what, we are all racist. This would include blacks and every other minority in America who think differently from our President. Sticking strictly in accordance with Jimmy Carter’s analysis, then not only would it be possible for a black person to be racist against a black president based solely on race, it would be strictly factual and if it is factual and truthful, then I must be a racist against everyone in America who does not believe in abortion under any circumstance, every gay person who thinks they should get special treatment, every 9/11 truther, every vegetarian, every global warming (climate change) believer, everyone who does not support the military. Crap, I don’t always agree with my wife, my parents, my kids, my siblings……I must be racist against even my own family.

Former President Carter, here is some advice for you….pull your head out of your ____. The year is 2009, not 1849, 1899, 1929 or even 1969. Racism today exists on a very small scale and more often than not, it is fueled by those who would use race based ideology as a reason or excuse for a particular thought or action.

Only 12% of Americans….a whole whopping 12% believe that any animosity towards president Obama is based solely on race. Since President Obama is half black and half white but claims African American as his race, then that would mean that 2/3’s of his own race disagree with Jimmy Carter’s statement. Even if you add in those that said they don’t know or had no opinion, then still less than one half of his own race disagrees with Jimmy Carter’s statement. This even surprised me considering that just over 95% of Black Americans voted for Barack Obama. Now, if you want to see an example of racism, then the election would be a prime example of that. The media would have had a field day if 95% of all White Americans voted for John McCain.

Race based, quotas, exemptions, affirmative action, legislation, organizations…..everything should have died in the late 70’s and early 80’s. One of the main problems with America is that they didn’t die. Instead, they were supported by those in congress and community that saw race as a means to gain favor and wealth by keeping the fires of racism burning brightly.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King Jr

Americans, by large, get it and understand that is meant by Martin Luther King’s words and they practice them daily.

Next month it will be 4 years now that I have sat next to and work almost literally hand in hand with a black woman whom I call my friend. I have a daughter who in a couple of months will give birth to a half Mexican, half white - 100% MY granddaughter. I have another daughter who is currently living with her half Black, half Mexican girlfriend, partner or whatever they choose to call their relationship. Next door to me is a younger couple that I get along very well with who are vegetarians, Obama supporters and global warming believers. I have a really nice black family living a few doors down from me that I would give them the shirt off my back if they needed it or if they just wanted it. My son’s ex ex girlfriend of almost a year was black. The family living directly across the street is from southern Mexico and I have a great relationship with them. We all have different backgrounds, different heritages, different beliefs, live different lifestyles yet are family and friends and neighbors not based on the color of our skin but by our character.

by Harrison Price

President Obama seems to be building on his record of bad judgement.  It all started with his comments regarding the bonuses contractually awarded to AIG executives.  His words helped to cause or inflame a sea of anger against those employees with some getting death threats.  Obama ended up backing away from his earlier statements.  Then we had another example after the presidential elections in Iran where Obama remained silent for the entire weekend before, after people in his administration began speaking out, he finally condemned the shooting and arrests of protesters.  Now we have the latest example: the arrest of a man for breaking into his own house (which was not known until after the police showed up).

Nobody is perfect and thus everyone is entitled to make mistakes or to have lapses in judgement.  However when you are President of the United States you shouldn’t open your mouth without carefully considering the effect those words can have (and to be smart enough to know this doubly applies to matters of “race”).

Originally Obama condemned the arrest of the black man by police:

Obama said Wednesday that Cambridge police “acted stupidly” during the disorderly conduct arrest of his friend, Henry Louis Gates Jr., in his own home near Harvard University.

 Obama backed off of his statements after a racial firestorm errupted:

President Barack Obama backed down on Friday from a statement that police had “acted stupidly” in arresting a black scholar in a racially charged case that was rapidly becoming a distraction for Obama.

“Because this has been ratcheting up and I obviously helped to contribute ratcheting it up, I wanted to make clear in my choice of words I think I unfortunately gave an impression that I was maligning the Cambridge Police Department or Sgt. Crowley specifically,” Obama said. “And I could have calibrated those words differently.”

Well… duh!  What I found most shocking was that Obama seemed to think this reaction would be a surprise:

“The fact that it has garnered so much attention, I think, is a testimony to the fact that these are issues that are still very sensitive here in America,’’said Obama.

What this little incident shows is that President Obama does not seem to behave as if he is representing all Americans and that he should use caution when wading into a murky situation.  I am shocked that he would even say anything about this considering when a U.S. soldier was murdered in Arkansas by a Muslim claiming jihad he was virtually silent on the matter.  But jihad is not something Liberals like to address for what it is.  The issue for me has nothing to do with race but rather the stupid statements from someone who should know better and the 180 degree spin he put on when he was condemned by the police, the police unions, many blacks, and ordinary Americans.

So either he meant what he originally said but wouldn’t stand up for his remarks, he was playing the race card to score political points, or he just didn’t think before speaking.  Any of those possibilities don’t say much positive about him.