Of Race and Politics

The Georgia State Conference of the NAACP is calling for an official apology for slavery by the State of Georgia (see page 6). Fair enough, I fully understand the role of symbolism in politics. But I also realize that is all this is. Even if such an apology should be forthcoming, will it really accomplish anything meaningful? The short answer is no, it will not. I think that the NAACP’s efforts could be employed far better elsewhere.

Then again, I was publicly likened to the Klan by advocating nonpartisan elections for the Athens-Clarke County Commission, so what do I know. Of course, we are all fully aware that the Republican Party is routinely defamed as a bastion of racism. In reality, though, the long knives are out on the other side of the aisle. Concerning the continuing Clinton/Obama race imbroglio, see:

“The Politics of Pigmentation,” (a Review and Outlook piece in the Wall Street Journal)

“The Identity Trap,” (a David Brooks column in the New York Times)*

“Race and Politics” (an editorial in the New York Times)*

“Democrats Downplay the Race Card” (a Michael Scherer piece in Time magazine)

“Indian-American Sworn in as Louisiana Governor” (a Reuters article by Russell McCulley about Bobby Jindal’s triumph in the Deep South – the racist GOP in Louisiana obviously missed the memo)

Though it is not about race, being just to drive my “progressive” readers just a little more nuts, see “Why Capitalism is Good for the Soul,” an article by Peter Saunders in the Summer 2007 issue of Policy.

*If the direct links to these items do not work, you can navigate to them without registering by starting on the Times main page or using the author’s name as a search term.

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