I don't know about "racist" or "coward" but seems like Phil Gramm was right on with that "whiner" thing.

I like how three posts down from this red-faced screed is a post about how people take offense too easily re: race issues.

Big Hollywood, heal thyself

Don't take it personally, if Hillary were in the White House you'd be labeled a Sexist Coward.

In Alabama people are so racist that whites and blacks are producing children in order to destroy each others race like the whites did to the Native Americans 100 years ago. I know it is because of hate because the fat girls are the ones hell bent on destroying the black line of men.

<" It sounds like reverse racism. It smacks of concepts like “reparations”…”affirmative action” (code for racial preferences)…and “get-even-with-‘em”… So, Mr. Holder, what can I infer from your words…but a tacit warning?"

I got the "warning" vibe from his rant too. Soften them up. Make them feel guilty. Call it something other than "reparations". Take their stuff.

I was hoping someone would bring this up. Thank you, and keep bringing the shizzle, my nizzle!

" It sounds like reverse racism. It smacks of concepts like “reparations”…”affirmative action” (code for racial preferences)…and “get-even-with-‘em”… So, Mr. Holder, what can I infer from your words…but a tacit warning?"

I got the "warning" vibe from his rant too. Soften them up. Make them feel guilty. Call it something other than "reparations". Take their stuff.

I was hoping someone would bring this up. Thank you, and keep bringing the shizzle, my nizzle!

PLEASE go back on Dennis Miller and discuss this post!!!

This administration is a huge gift to the Republican Party. He's so staggeringly incompetent it's hard to believe he won't be removed from office after the Republicans win in 2010. They have so many good reasons, not being born in the USA for starters.

I too work in Hollywood and had often been called a racist simply for pointing out facts, in this case about illegals. The shop I worked at was hiring illegals to do some lesser grunt work for cheap. Lunch came and all the caring liberals ran off to eat lunch, I and a few others were working into lunch, and the illegals were working too. It dawned on me that perhaps they had no money for food or a means to get to a restaurant. I asked them best I could if they had any food or could I buy them some. They replied that they did have some food, but did not know that they could stop working. I told them they could. Later, another guy in the shop came up and said "You know, I used to think you were a racist, until today when I saw you were the only person who cared whether those workers had any lunch. Obama and Holder are instigators, plain and simple– They keep all us fighting, straights and gays, men and women, blacks and whites… hoping we don't notice they are screwing us over.

How dare that BLACK RACISTattorney general insinuate there's still a problem with racism in this country????!!1!!11!!!
Help! Help! I'm being repressed!!

I spent 24 years in the US Air Force and worked with and worked for many blacks. I have called many friend. I too think Black History Month is an an insult to blacks and I detest the term African-American. I too am color blind, but I am no coward. If I was a black, I would be insulted by our new AG. God help America.

Mr. Graham is supporting what Dr. MLK Jr. supported. Not the faux civil rights activist such as Sharpton, Jackson, and now it seems Mr. Holder.

How does it seem whenever someone from the right discusses race they are crucified and claimed as racist? Whatever happen to having and open and frank discussion. If Mr. Holder wants a discussion, then he needs to be able to listen to views he doesn't agree with.

Say what? You're comparing "nation" type celebrations to "race-based" celebrations?????

Good lord, Erasmus… I know you like to make these vague statements, but did you even think about what you're trying to compare here? By your argument, we should not be in favor of a "4th of July" holiday then, right?

The reparations issue.. has been off and on by the "leadership" of NAACP and other groups for ages.

Open your eyes, puppet.

Don't you have some cut and pasting to do on your non-news site, Andrew? Tell me, when's the last time you actually wrote a story by yourself.

You mean by whining about Black History month and openly fretting about "reparations" (a code word designed to scare white people), he's being color-blind?

When IS the last time someone on the right discussed race that didn't include whining about perceived racial quotas or invoking prison/birth statistics.

He's supplied no evidence he was born here. That document he posted on his web site does not imply being born here, foreign-born people can get that document. And when his approval drops to very low levels as his incompetence becomes apparent, it will become politically possible to press him for proof. He would have already supplied it if he could. Ipso facto, he's not natural-born. But there's so much crooked crap that's gone on so far, it could be anything that they end up using. By the way, this isn't a whisper campaign– I used my real name, and you didn't.

Wow Erasmus. Don't you feel special.

Yes, Andrew, how DARE you say ANYTHING!!! Why, it just burns me up when people like you say THINGS. And when it burns me up, I have to reach deeeeeeeeeep into my brain-thingy and pull out a truuuuuuuly cutting insult. And frankly, that hurts. So stop saying things. We live in a tolerant society and people like you are ruining it for meeee!!!!!!

"Think: Michael Steele being pelted by Oreos by liberals"

-Which never happened.
Do your best to prove it. You'll fail, much like at everything else.

And if I report that Africa run by africans is a absolute disaster, GDP around $ 200 to $1000. corrupt, disease ridden,starving, violent what does that make me?

Look to fire fighters for a solution. They fight fire with fire. If they don't put the fire out, they are consumed by it.

Our society engages in human sacrifice. The latest victim of this attempt was Sarah Palin. And what we need to do is to defang it. Fight a trench war when the next conservative says something that is deliberately misconstrued.

Say over and over again. NO. No, it was not racist. Stop being an idiot. NO. No it was not r….

Thats one reason I'm for Sarah in 2012. The Left tried to destroy her. If she can come back, then she takes away a lot of their power of personal destruction.

Maybe we need to do more than trench warfare on this issue. Maybe we need to ask ourselves "What would Ann do?"

And a person shouting "Kill Him" about Obama at a Palin rally never happened either.
The head of the Secret Service office in Scranton, Pennsylvania even said there was NO proof that anyone uttered that phrase about Obama. So please, try and prove that for me.

Someone is jealous…

What a bold riposte to an argument I'm not making!

Grow up

Of course you do, because you find all things said by conservatives about minorities to be racist. So why should I take anything you say seriously?

Andrew is too busy pretending that he's a journalist, although he's just a cut and paste hack.

"Does that mean Dr. Martin Luther King was also a racist?"

Well, he was a Republican, so by liberal standards he must have been a racist.

Mr. Graham – bravo! I also am insulted and infuriated at having a racist accuse me of racism because of my race while he escapes punishment for his racism because of his!

You know, the biggest irony of Holder saying he wants racism to end is that in reality he'd be ruined if that happened. Holder NEEDS racism. Without it, he'd lose everything. Starting with his affirmative action education and ending with this plum assignment, everything Holder has gotten has been given to him on the basis of his race. He sure hasn't earned it for being smart – as his assinine statement just now clearly proves. (For God's sake, this jerk isn't even street smart.) You know, there's a saying – 'be careful what you ask God for, you might get it'. Well, I think Holder should get what he's demanding – an honest assessment of racism in this country. Should that ever happen, boy, would HE get it, in more ways than one.

But you must equate the two Erasmus.. otherwise you wouldn't have compared the two.

Gary….how true your words are!! Thank you! I think I love you….LOL!

I'm OFFENDED! I want to know what race of people does the so-called first Black Attorney General mingles with during HIS weekends off? Or is he, himself, is just about as hypocritical as the rest of the liberal left! A man in his position, should NOT make any comments or statements regarding race relations, when it was affirmative action and the lack of racism that got him in that position in the first place! As a Black American and a defender of the constitution, the office of the Attorney General has more pressing issues than making comments about race. For example, how his office are going to deal with the first so-called Black President who signed an Executive Order to try murderers from Al Qaida on US soil? Mr. Holder's office should be more concentrating on that issue than about race issues. One more note Mr. Holder about race in America. What political party wanted to keep slavery during the Civil War, conducted human atrocities against Blacks during Reconstruction in the South, passed Jim Crow Laws, denied racial riots ever existed during the 1910s & 20's, fought against the civil rights acts of the 1960's and sided with the Progressive Labor Party on Busing during the 1970's and 80's? Sound familiar, liberals? Know your history first, before you speak of it.

Since when does objecting to something, equate to obsessing over it? Maybe G Graham is objecting to the "wrong thing?"

It is impossible for a White person to honestly discuss race and not be called a racist. That's why most of us simply don't .
We can't mention gangsta culture, or how hip-hop denigrates women, or how the fascination with the pimp culture destroys relationships, or how the majority of black children are born to unwed mothers. Or the devaluing of education, or why the predominant black culture is filled with hate for Condoleeza Rice, or any other conservative black person. Nope -just can't talk about it.
Everything that Bill Cosby talks about is out of bounds for a white man. And just so we are clear here, there is no secret code to making better and stronger families. It is all well known. If we talk about it we'd get fired or dragged up before a Maoist re-orientation center and vilified. We need our jobs to feed our families and oh yeah – to take care of our children, the ones in my house, that live with me and their mother. Oops – must be sounding racist again….

And some of my best friends are white, but they know that if they ever talk about being white, they'll immediately be accused of being racists.

Sorry, Gerard.. but that's one of those "old wives tales".. even most conservatives of sound-thinking don't buy into that one.

Again, you're saying Irish shouldn't have a "national day of celebration"? (you do realize what that day actually is right?)
Again, by your own argument, we should get rid of the 4th of July.

Many black Americans would retort the race v. nation thing by pointing out that the Slavery system eradicated their connections to their home countries,

You just keep digging yourself in deeper, don't you Eras?

They were born in the US, they live in the US… so again, WHAT connections? I was born outside the US, live in the US.. so I should be demanding this country celebrate what… Important Icelandic Figures Month, right?

Let me see…you want to honestly discuss race by invoking negative stereotypes about "gangsta culture" or "pimp culture"?

Well. Two can play this game. When will white people tackle the problem of shirtless meth-heads arrested every week on Cops. Or overweight white lesbian strippers who are sleeping with their stepsons on Jerry Springer? Or the fact that the majority of "welfare" dollars actually is distributed to rural white people in Southern states? Or how the lowest percentage of college educated people are in the rural white South (talk about devaluing education). Or that every high school shooter and virtually every major serial killer has been white?

I mean, if you want to honestly discuss race by employing only negative stereotypes, see where this will lead?

" I don’t compartmentalize my friends based on their skin color, ethnicity, religious affiliation, political leanings or sexual preference. We’re all just people, period." And here you see is the raison d 'etre for the Democrat party. They have power ONLY by putting people in categories based on aesthetics and sexual proclivities and then pandering to their liberal manufactured victim hood. Let's face it, the REASON that President Teleprompter was elected was because of skin color. Nothing more. He is a man with no past, a man with no developed ideas, a man of no accomplishments other than self aggrandizement. He signed, packaged, and delivered based on his skin color. I heard so many people who didn't agree with him say "well at least we can get past this whole idea of racism now." And I always told them that this was Naive. The liberals are incapable of getting past race, the Democrat party can not and WILL NOT ever drop the issue of racism. After all why would they? Why would they stop doing something that gives them power? They will continue to peddle and pander to race, they will continue to paint Republicans as racists, and people will continue to base their decisions on that criteria. Conservatives/Republicans don't enter race into their decisions with the exception of when they must and that is only because of the world that liberals have created, where in order to fit in one has to appear sensitive to melanin content. What most Americans fail to see is that "racism" is a self fulfilling prophecy. As long as we keep talking about it, as long as we keep feeling guilty about it, as long as we keep making government policy based on it it WILL NEVER go away. Racism exists, but it is exists in the minds and policies of Liberals. It exists not in the Lynchings of the past, but in the race based government policies and special interests groups of today. It is cloaked in the trappings of "diversity" and "tolerance" while its reality is ego stripping condescension and welfare slavery.

I have discussed race many times without invoking racial quotas or prison/birth statistics and I am on the right. My kids play with kids of different races all the time and there are never discussions associated with racial quotas or prison/birth statistics. Dude, get a grip!

" I don’t compartmentalize my friends based on their skin color, ethnicity, religious affiliation, political leanings or sexual preference. We’re all just people, period."

And here you see, is the raison d 'etre for the Democrat party. They have power ONLY by putting people in categories based on aesthetics and sexual proclivities and then pandering to their liberal manufactured victim hood. Let's face it, the REASON that President Teleprompter was elected was because of skin color. Nothing more. He is a man with no past, a man with no developed ideas, a man of no accomplishments other than self aggrandizement. He is signed, packaged, and delivered based on his skin color. I heard so many people who didn't agree with him say "well at least we can get past this whole idea of racism now." And I always told them that this was Naive. The liberals are incapable of getting past race, the Democrat party can not and WILL NOT ever drop the issue of racism. After all why would they? Why would they stop doing something that gives them power? They will continue to peddle and pander to race, they will continue to paint Republicans as racists, and people will continue to base their decisions on that criteria. Conservatives/Republicans don't enter race into their decisions with the exception of when they must and that is only because of the world that liberals have created, where in order to fit in one has to appear sensitive to melanin content. What most Americans fail to see is that "racism" is a self fulfilling prophecy. As long as we keep talking about it, as long as we keep feeling guilty about it, as long as we keep making government policy based on it it WILL NEVER go away. Racism exists, but it is exists in the minds and policies of Liberals. It exists not in the Lynchings of the past, but in the race based government policies and special interests groups of today. It is cloaked in the trappings of "diversity" and "tolerance" while its reality is ego stripping condescension and welfare slavery.

So, the way to rebuild your party and lead the country is to pretend that those who disagree with you don't exist? Isn't that the mentality that directly caused your party to lose Congress and lose the popular vote in the Presidential election 16 out of the last 20 years?

Man, you guys do more projecting than a movie theater

" I don’t compartmentalize my friends based on their skin color, ethnicity, religious affiliation, political leanings or sexual preference. We’re all just people, period."

And here you see, is the raison d 'etre for the Democrat party. They have power ONLY by putting people in categories based on aesthetics and sexual proclivities and then pandering to their liberal manufactured victim hood. Let's face it, the REASON that President Teleprompter was elected was because of skin color. Nothing more. He is a man with no past, a man with no developed ideas, a man of no accomplishments other than self aggrandizement. He was signed, packaged, and delivered based on his skin color. I heard so many people who didn't agree with him say "well at least we can get past this whole idea of racism now." And I always told them that this was Naive. The liberals are incapable of getting past race, the Democrat party can not and WILL NOT ever drop the issue of racism. After all why would they? Why would they stop doing something that gives them power? They will continue to peddle and pander to race, they will continue to paint Republicans as racists, and people will continue to base their decisions on that criteria. Conservatives/Republicans don't enter race into their decisions with the exception of when they must and that is only because of the world that liberals have created, where in order to fit in one has to appear sensitive to melanin content. What most Americans fail to see is that "racism" is a self fulfilling prophecy. As long as we keep talking about it, as long as we keep feeling guilty about it, as long as we keep making government policy based on it it WILL NEVER go away. Racism exists, but it is exists in the minds and policies of Liberals. It exists not in the Lynchings of the past, but in the race based government policies and special interests groups of today. It is cloaked in the trappings of "diversity" and "tolerance" while its reality is ego stripping condescension , exploitation, and welfare slavery.

Eric Holder lawfirm is representing 17 terrorists at Gitmo
You know the ones that have murdered thousands of people in office buildings, shops, just minding their own business.
obama has stopped their trials!

Grow up? Sorry, all he was saying was that we've forced integration enough in the workforce but people still hang out with their own kind on weekends. Sorry man, its hard for me to find a lot of black people out there when I'm surfing or hiking. Any black people want to go surfing with me in Boston? If so, I'm not trying to avoid you, we just all look black in our wetsuits.

" I don’t compartmentalize my friends based on their skin color, ethnicity, religious affiliation, political leanings or sexual preference. We’re all just people, period."

And here you see, is the raison d 'etre for the Democrat party. They have power ONLY by putting people in categories based on aesthetics and sexual proclivities and then pandering to their liberal manufactured victim hood. Let's face it, the REASON that President Teleprompter was elected was because of skin color. Nothing more. He is a man with no past, a man with no developed ideas, a man of no accomplishments other than self aggrandizement. He was signed, packaged, and delivered based on his skin color. I heard so many people who didn't agree with him say "well at least we can get past this whole idea of racism now." And I always told them that this was Naive. The liberals are incapable of getting past race, the Democrat party can not and WILL NOT ever drop the issue of racism. After all why would they? Why would they stop doing something that gives them power? They will continue to peddle and pander to race, they will continue to paint Republicans as racists, and people will continue to base their decisions on that criteria. Conservatives/Republicans don't enter race into their decisions with the exception of when they must and that is only because of the world that liberals have created, where in order to fit in one has to appear sensitive to melanin content. What most Americans fail to see is that "racism" is a self fulfilling prophecy. As long as we keep talking about it, as long as we keep feeling guilty about it, as long as we keep making government policy based on it it WILL NEVER go away. Racism exists, but it is exists in the minds and policies of Liberals. It exists not in the Lynchings of the past, but in the race based government policies and color coded special interest groups of today. It is cloaked in the trappings of "diversity" and "tolerance" while its reality is ego stripping condescension , exploitation, and welfare slavery.

Oh please, cowards… if you mention those things you mention and some media outlet picks up on it.. you're not declared racist, you're declared "Enlightened!", you mention the things John brings up,a and you're "RACIST!"

I don't believe Mr.Holder really wants us to talk about race. I don't think he wants everyone to know the crime statistics broken down by race. Oh no, not allowed to talk the truth about, say, rape statistics. According to FBI statistics, for every one white man that rapes a black woman, there are 3,600 black men raping white women. Lets talk about that vicious racist truth, Mr. Holder. Or how about a 13% minority committing 65% of all the violent crime in this country, Mr. Holder? You liberal lying racist POS and all your friends have kept the race from the statistics and the news, because the amount of black on white crime in this country is a mini-war, and if the truth were known, many would be killed. So be careful about wanting to talk about race, Mr. RACIST Holder, you just might get what you asked for, and not like the resulting truth.

" I don’t compartmentalize my friends based on their skin color, ethnicity, religious affiliation, political leanings or sexual preference. We’re all just people, period."

And here you see, is the raison d 'etre for the Democrat party. They have power ONLY by putting people in categories based on aesthetics and sexual proclivities and then pandering to their liberal manufactured victim hood. Let's face it, the REASON that President Teleprompter was elected was because of skin color. Nothing more. He is a man with no past, a man with no developed ideas, a man of no accomplishments other than self aggrandizement. He was signed, packaged, and delivered based on his skin color. I heard so many people who didn't agree with him say "well at least we can get past this whole idea of racism now." And I always told them that this was Naive. The liberals are incapable of getting past race, the Democrat party can not and WILL NOT ever drop the issue of racism. After all why would they? Why would they stop doing something that gives them power? They will continue to peddle and pander to race, they will continue to paint Republicans as racists, and people will continue to base their decisions on that criteria. Conservatives/Republicans don't enter race into their decisions with the exception of when they must and that is only because of the world that liberals have created, where in order to fit in one has to appear sensitive to melanin content. What most Americans fail to see is that "racism" is a self fulfilling prophecy. As long as we keep talking about it, as long as we keep feeling guilty about it, as long as we keep making government policy based on it it WILL NEVER go away. Racism exists, but it is exists in the minds and policies of Liberals. It exists not in the Lynchings of the past, but in the race based government policies and color coded special interest groups of today. It is cloaked in the trappings of "diversity" and "tolerance" while its reality is ego stripping condescension , exploitation, and welfare slavery.

PS- Hi Andrew! You will know me some day, until that time, keep up the great work.

"Or the fact that the majority of "welfare" dollars actually is distributed to rural white people in Southern states?"

As a person who lives in a rural southern state and is white, I was just curious if you had an actual stat to back that up, or if you were just shooting your mouth off…

Gary, I wouldn't call you a racist OR a coward. I'm with you, I prefer to deal with people as people, not as 'african americans' or 'protestants' or 'atheists'. Why can't people just be PEOPLE?

I too don't see the point of appointing a month to celebrate a certain ethnicity's history. If we were TRULY colorblind, we would just celebrate the nation's history, no matter what the race or ethnicity.

I hadn't thought of it before, but taking a month to celebrate a group of people is the same as patting them on the head and saying "you're not as GOOD and as ACCOMPLISHED as we are, so we'll celebrate those of you who did GOOD and accomplished much".

It IS ridiculous!

Same with their shutdown of any criticism of our new president. Don't like what he's doing? Obviously we're racist. PFFFT!

Racism is making a judgement based on race. Holder is saying we need to consider race. That is racism.

We need to reject ism's because they hinder and limit humanity.

Saved by Prop 8 again, Gary.

notice how the insulting annonymous commenter doesn't actually have a comeback? I love liberals, so entertaining… =)

Gary damn good article brother keep on punching.

Erasmus. Racism is a cottage industry in America. Black History Month is when our children learn in second grade that Guion Bluford was the first African American in space. By the time they study the space program in 9th grade American History they are surprised to find out that white people have also been in space. Believe it or not, there is no required curriculum for St. Patrick's Day or Oktoberfest.

Holder may consider me a racist coward, but I know I'm not allowed to have the same discussion of race relations in public that I can have with black people in private.

I hate to tell anyone this, but they did pass the reparations bill, under the guise of the Stimuli. Most of us will never see a dime, we'll just get stuck with the check. And if you complain, you're just a jerkwad racist. Who made up these new rules and when can I see him?

Holder just placed himself in the company of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Jeremiah Wright (wow, all men of the cloth). Shame it is soiled linen.

I'm sure someone brought this up, but why does Mr. Holder raise the issue as just a black vs. white thing?

What about the Asians? The Hispanics? The Native Americans? Don't they count at all?

For that matter, I'm a member of a religious minority that been taking a beating lately…

Does that mean I should expect…

Mormon History Month?

The National Association for the Advancement of Mormon People?

A mandate that there has to be at least one Mormon interviewed for every coaching vacancy in the National Football League?

Editorials crying out why there aren't more Mormons that are head coaches in Division 1 college football?

More openly Mormon characters on sitcoms and dramatic series on TV? (No, Big Love doesn't count, so there…)

A new cable Channel, Mormon Entertainment Television (all MoTab, all the time!)

(I know…silly, isn't it?)

Can't we all just be Americans instead?

Obama only got as far as he did due to skin color too. Well, no- being a Socialist in Chicago counted for more, maybe.

There wer people worried about all this from the start, but the mainstream press chose not to ask tough questions of anyone other than McCain and Palin.

Well said Gary, I'm right with you. Sage words, indeed. Thanks.

Political Correctness = Death

If you were liberal, that wouldn't matter! (Just kidding my liberal friends… I'm sure you would never promote the idea of multiple spouses. Right Mr. Hanks?)

Didn't Harrison Ford hunt those in Blade Runner?

What Gary said! I agree. Why? I have a quote for Mr. Holder from a guy named Mr White. Hey Eric next time you have a thought, let it go.

Mr. Graham, this is an extremely well-written piece. Holder and the Obama posse are intent on moving onto Reparation talk once their Socialist Agenda policies are in place. This would be a joke if the reality weren't so serious.

I agree with your contention that the real racists in America are the grievance-mongers in the Democrat Party.

Reading through the posts here, it strikes me that Democrat Apologists like fool, Erasmus, and tshillue simply so not want to understand (much less acknowledge) what opposing thinkers have to say. Too bad. For them.

America is STILL the Land of the Free, and those of us who oppose Obama's Socialist/Race-Baiting cronies still have the right to say so. Whether or not the grievance-monger apologists can handle it, or not.

Fools,

I may be mistaken but I believe one writes a book, a short story, an article or a report.

I believe that traditionally speaking stories are recited or told.

Ah, damn. I "thumbed up" on this one and then realized you weren't calling Holder the whiner. Would've been a better point to make if you were. ;0)

Ah, Gary! I love you more and more with every post. If I weren't married…yada,yada,…anyway. ;0) So glad you again broke your once-a-week rule to slam this one home. Bravo, m'boy!

If you were liberal, that wouldn't matter! (Just kidding my liberal friends… I'm sure liberals would never promote the idea of multiple spouses. Right Mr. Hanks?)

Gary,
Although I'm no relation to Hardball Matthews, I felt a chill run up my leg (actually my spine) when I read the following words: "Yes, we Americans are proud of our ‘melting pot’ – we are proud of our national motto, E Pluribus Unum, “out of many, one”. We are proud of the idea of America, the most brilliant and good and moral proposition ever submitted to the human race: That all people can assemble in this one nation, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, creed…all men and women can come here and be free. We can pursue our dreams to the utmost and are free to enjoy the fruits of our efforts and talent and determination, unimpeded by coercion or kings. We’re not white Americans, or black Americans, or Hispanic Americans…We’re Americans."

That's exactly what the kind of statement I want to hear an American political leader make. So I say to the race baiter hookers (Sharpton, et al)…the days when people wanted to buy a little of the expiatory guilt stuff you're selling are officially over. So get a new life.

Also, Gary, you're no coward. Thanks for clearly and forcefully articulating what many of us understand to be true. And if you decide to run for President some day, I'll help organize your support in the South…we'll be the Graham Crackers!

No proof of this has been supplied, as you well know. Who are you trying to fool, yourself?

Really? You've seen reliable evidence he was born here? Wait, I know you haven't. Why do people have so much trouble believing the situation is as corrupt and indefensible as it is? He has supplied NO PROOF. If he supplies it, fine. What is it with you grovellers?

Old Tom your obviously a racist for pointing out the glaringly obvious difference between these types of stereotypes. One is to be emulated and the other avoided at all costs. One of my black friends told me I would never understand black culture. How in the black community, in his opinion, they loved people like Marion Barry from DC. He thought it was great that he was re-elected in spite of being addicted to meth and prostitutes. I had to agree with him, I'd never understand the black culture then.

I've had lots of hurt in my life too. I'm not a victim. I don't have time for it, I have too much to do.

On a related note, there's a ton of money in the porkulus bill for "Latino cultural centers". =x

Old Tom you're obviously a racist for pointing out the glaringly obvious difference between these types of stereotypes. One is to be emulated and the other avoided at all costs. One of my black friends told me I would never understand black culture. How in the black community, in his opinion, they loved people like Marion Barry from DC. He thought it was great that he was re-elected in spite of being addicted to meth and prostitutes. I had to agree with him, I'd never understand the black culture then.

Reparations are "non-existent" because the racist Left failed to get away with it, mercifully. That does not alter the racist nature of the very idea, or the fact that the Left would try again if they saw the possibility.

The end to the so called race debate is simple. Return to a Biblical understanding that we are all of one blood, one race.

"And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" Acts 17:26

I reject the notion of race. We are all of ONE BLOOD. We are all human. If that makes you think that I'm racist, fine, I'll tell the blacks in my family and we can laugh about it. It would certainly make my ancestors, which include Africans, Native Americans, Germans, Irish, and English, laugh. I accept MLK's notion that we should be judged by the content of our character, which is determined by our actions, thoughts, and beliefs.

You want the real irony to that? What's the common cultural link between ghetto culture and the ones you list in your post? Ironically, it's the old Southern culture from plantation times. The white population that immigrated to the deep south came from mostly the same place – the English/Scotch border, and they had those problems even then. Many of today's urban blacks have roots in the slave population transplanted to … the Deep South where they picked up the cultural tendencies of their masters. What we call urabn black culture today is really the culture of the old Deep South and was always a culture of losers even before it came to America and infected blacks.

Yes, that must be it. Now go away.

If Black History Month was called White Democrat Power Grab Month. What would you think? It's marketing so brilliant that African Americans do it for free and unaware they are still being used by the party of slavery.

When, oh when will it ever be ENOUGH!!!

The blood shed by BRAVE young soldiers in the Civil War should have been enough.
Emancipation should have been enough.
The Civil Rights Movement should have been enough.
Blacks elected to all sorts of offices should have been enough.
Blacks equal in the workplace should have been enough.
Obama elected to the highest position of power in the World should be enough.
Mr. Holder himself appointed as the first black attorney general should be enough.

What on earth do these people want and when can the white man ever do enough? It will NEVER be enough because these people cannot accept reality and forgive. They choose to bear a grudge and their own anger and hate will ultimately usurp the color-blindness they say they desire.

There comes a time (now) when the screeching about race turns on itself and becomes a parody of itself. It no longer resonates and calling the people of this great land COWARDS only fuels and fans any remaining racist embers left burning.

Have you read anything by Shelby Steele? Because his "On Being Black and Middle Class" addresses race quite nicely. Many of his points are invoked in Ann Coulter's "Guilty."

There are no "perceived" racial quotas. What are you even babbling about?

Oh burn.

Dude, why do you care so much. He is entitled to his opinion (now I sound like a liberal hack). I mean, why do you hate him so much? Is it something he said? Did he eat your children? Or do you just not like the fact that he tells it like it is?

Like this whole Fairness Doctrine thing. The only logical explaination anyone would have for trying to censor someone else is that they don't want other people to hear it. Think China: government censorship, to an extreme degree. Because if the people really knew what was going on, the system would fail.

So tell me, dear commie friend, what is your beef?

I think it's a generally accepted fact that you can criticize a white person, but you can't criticize a black person.

Case in point: on my cheerleading squad, this one black girl has the biggest attitude I've ever seen. She's rich and snotty and feels entitled to rub that in everyone's face. Yet, you can't call her out on it without also being deemed racist. Like offending her is automatically an insult to the entire African-American community. Meanwhile, she's verbally destroying people's lives.

I know plenty of white girls, too, with just as much in the way of money and attitude problems, but at least you can tell someone your honest opinion about them without being deemed racist.

More power to you, Gary.

I just want to know when Arab American month is in America so my kids can go to the White House and play with Michelle Obama. Would apprecite knowing which month. Or Chinese American if that comes first. Thank you.

Glad to see I was not the only one greatly offended by the nations top cop calling us cowards for not joining in the lefts national soap opera.

Yeah, like Americans!

What a surprise;just 1 more dufusy ass-clown appointed to our govt. by Obama.I just didnt think there were any more out there.If this jagoff Holder doesnt like cowards,whyd he vote for Obama who has thown almost every controversial person he knows (including his sweet ol granma)under a bus just to achieve the presidency.Hes not brave enough to go after Bin Laden or any terrorists,hes afraid to say Irans a death threat,hes even scared to prosecute Bush,like Stephanopolous & so many lefties want him to.The left is fascinatingly funny when they project their own inadequacies on others:racism,cowardice,war-mongering,stupidity,election theft,etc.Why do they hate these things when its obvious they invented them all.

Black history month?
Nobody told me.

"Many black Americans would retort the race v. nation thing by pointing out that the Slavery system eradicated their connections to their home countries"

While I despise slavery, would most blacks be better off if they were living in Africa?

Notice how all the Leftists fail to address Dr. King's message that Gary quoted. Instead they try to change the subject, since there simply is no coherent or logical argument against judging people based on their character.

There's no point in the hard left being innately superior to you by their own arbitrary declaration if they can't call you names, Mr. Graham.

I just found out I'm a racist because I don't support the stimulus bill.
The other day a homeless guy asked me for my credit card. I said no. He told me I was a racist too.
Oh, and my teen-aged daughter wanted some money to upgrade her cell phone. I told her no and SHE called me a racist too.
I don't want to be a racist, so I guess I will be FOR the stimulus bill (after I was against it.) I'll track down and give the begging guy my plastic AND I'll buy my daughter a phone that can play movies while applying her make-up when she texts.

"Racist" is the "booger" of the world. (Apologies to John Lenon.)

I'll second that!! That episode would be KILLER!

We have a national holiday celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday. I'm German-descended American and a Lutheran. Should I be offended that my ethnic forebear Martin Luther isn't celebrated? Should I be offended that most of today's Americans don't even know who Dr. King was named after? Martin Luther (at least in my mind) was a great man. But what did he do for America? Dr. King is a great man who did something very important for America. We celebrate Dr. King's birthday because of what he did for America and what he was, not what color he was. Black history month is all about what color people are. Their deeds and accomplishments are tangential their race. That's why Gary Graham doesn't like it. And I don't like it for the very same reason.

Eric Holder is an ingrate and a doofus…

No, actually the right lost because we worried too much about what your side thought of us.
The GOP is too wussified now. That's the point and you know it.
Try another angle.
4 years. That's all Obama's got.
4 Years.

Another awesome article Mr. Graham.

I am a Federal Worker and last month we actually celebrated an Anglo American Day. I think everyone should just celebrate being American but to be honest I think if minorities are allowed to have there history celebrated (I am a Pacific Islander by definition) then non-minorities should have the same opportunity. It's only fair……

HAAA!!!! Syn…I think you have an excellent point. And if she'd been named VP, I'd be a Sexist Racist Coward.

Andrew, I'm afraid I don't play for that team. (Though you are kinda cute, and I understand, a smooth dancer, lol)

Just another of those Sal Alinsky intimidation tactics. It's coming from all fronts – creating excuses for systematic takeover and makeover of our society as we knew it. Join them or suffer the consequences …

You forgot the cartoonist who drew Condoleezza Rice as a grotesque caricature (reminiscent of the early 1900s), Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams being called, "new breed of Uncle Tom … " by the former President of the NAACP, Juan Williams being called a "happy negro" on CNN, and more examples than I could fit in a hundred posts.

Liberals are the true racists in our society. They are willing to TOLERATE minorities, as long as those minorities toe the company line when it comes to politics and victimhood. Black History Month is necessary to remind black people of their place by the Left. If they choose to speak their mind (because virtually all polls show as individuals, they share more in common with Conservatives than Liberals), the Left is only too happy to use the most foul and incendiary language imaginable to remind them that they've stepped out of line. If you use Chicago to judge (virtually a monolithic Democratic establishment), you'd see poverty, poor education, high crime, high percentages of single parents (and of teen births), and a permanent voting block for the Democrats, who control the policies that have kept them there.

Martin Luther King would be proud…..right?

non-existent "reparations".

The reparations are occurring as we speak. When you take money from people who have paid their bills on time and give it to people who have not, claiming that those people were treated unfairly when they were actually given loans that they should not have gotten on the merits — what is that if not "reparations"?

Hey, Nate…you didn't have to move. There's bailout money coming for you based on whatever poor choice you made with your last house.

Yes, and Barack Obama promised to take Public campaign financing, have transparency in Government, reduce spending, and work in a bi-partisan manor. I think the thing to remember is that if you're waiting for a public figure to do exactly what he says (especially if his saying it was hyperbole), then it might say more about you than him.

Holder doing what the prez and his ilk do best – preach with hypocrisy about something that they massage for the continuance of bogus power.

The current prez is high on this bogus power and as with faux jewels/money, in the end and after the mark (Real Americans) is burned and sees the truth, this fake/bogus power/authority will come back and bite the messiah and his ilk.

Yes Mr. Holder Americans are cowards about race. Whay aren't we as americans addressing the facts that in many inner city and major cities the graduation rates is around 25% or so? Why aren't we as Americans addressing the enormous employment disparity this produces? Why aren't we as Americans addressing the huge disparity between the nmber single parent homes in certain communities that produce obvious behavioral and education problems in children for years? Why aren't we as Americans addressing the fact that non involvement in their childrens education produces the single biggest disparity in tests scores and acheivements in children's educational success?
.

That is why we don't NEED a Black History Month any longer. Nothing succeeds like competence and persistence and there have been competent and successful black folks around forever so let's not act so surprised and go along with Mr. Freeman ( how oddly apropos that name is for him) and realize it is American history and the fact someone is black AND accomplished shouldn't be celibrated any more as an anamoly. Sadly the one arena that I find most black participants sadly at the bottm rung of quality and acheivements with their tawdry white and ethic colleagues is politics Mr. Holder

Cont:
These are the lessons taught by overeducated 60’s radicals, win by any means necessary, “Steal this book.” The point is they hate us, hate’em back, and if brinkmanship is their game take it to the brink. No less than the survival of the greatest country the world has ever known is at stake, the USA! If the light goes out in America the world will be thrown into darkness much as the fall of Rome gave us the Dark Ages, 800 yrs of disease and misery, kind of like the world the Democrats dream of for us all, except of coarse them!

> So… if Mr. Holder is calling me a racist and a coward…isn’t he’s calling Dr. Martin Luther King one, as well?
Probably, or at the very least, an Uncle Tom – just like Bill Cosby. Luv ya Gary! Keep up the good fight!!

Holder is a delusional "racist coward". Holder is jealous of Obama. Holder thinks that he (Holder) should be the BLACK President.

Stan you are so right on it is painful how did we let these existential idiots get so powerful. Their inability to see and discuss to a rational conclusion is really hamstringing our society. If they THINK it works or is right that's all they need. Ergo we are the unhappy beneficieries of busing, welfare and the public school. system

Ha Ha! Yesterday I was in Borders. I walked past two Obama shrines without barfing, but when I saw THREE SHELVES of Obama books in the US History section, I had to turn them all with the back cover facing out. I'll admit it was childish, but I just couldn't stand to see his face taking up that much space.

Oh, you are going to stamp out racism? Your plan please? Oh yes and define racism please.

Thanks

Anyone who tries to initiate dialog by calling the citizens of the US a "nation of cowards" is not likely to generate rational dialog. EH could have been much more eloquent in his speech IF his intent was to prod folks to talk more about racial differences and how these may be set aside.

Having read his entire speech, I don't think that was his intent.

If it was, the man needs a new speechwriter.

Salient point.
As the Bible states; "What satan meant for evil, God used for good.

"At my favorite Baptist Church in North Hollywood, the congregation being 90% Black, I have often been asked to get up and read long passages of scripture for special events. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Good Friday, Easter Sunday."

Well, Easter's coming up. How about a little experiment? Take a pack of index cards with you. If and when they ask you to speak, pass out the cards, and ask the congregation as a personal favor to write down their most recent personal experience with racism, if they've had one in the last month or so. The results may be worth an essay.

With all the commentary, I feel like I'm shouting into the hurricane, but…

Holder's comments struck me as being neutral insofar as blame went. When I first heard them, I didn't think he was talking about me, a middle-aged white guy, any more than he was talking about my colleagues who are black, or Asian, etc…

We do have a residual wide-spread race problem in America. To my mind, it is centered in a generalized mistrust of the motives of people attempting to speak for their race. That is why when Holder said what he did, many white folk assumed he was playing the old blame game. And there is ample evidence that black resentment for past injury continues today. Witness Al Sharpton. However, though the Rev. Al is a racist opportunist who seems to want to foment disunity, let us white people remember that many of our black friends and colleagues, alive right now, lived under Jim Crow laws in this country. That was institutionalized and systematic legal racism. When we think to ourselves that blacks are really pretty paranoid about racism, we need to remember that.

The rhetorical dialectic (the back and forth of argument) of race may eventually be helpful, but we won't ever get beyond our history until we find it in ourselves to be forgiving and to see through the past to our new day. Ultimately, blacks as the original injured party will have to forgive whites. That's not really a fair proposition; it is a hard thing. But I believe it is the only one that will move us forward. On the other hand, I am sympathetic with Gary's take on race, but I believe he was too quick to assume the worst on Holder's part.

So that is what I see about us now. One complicating factor in all this is that racists bubble up all the time. Fear and suspicion of "the other", people who aren't like you for one reason or another, is going to happen. It just is. It is dark side of the human character. I work in a majority black environment and I see this happen with whites, blacks, members of one state or another, one school or another. Anthropological cases can be made, but let's not right now.

Enough from me.

Missing the point but making it aren't you. I don't care about your or Holder's past. If you are put in a situation where you can't cut it because of lack of talent or effort than get lost. I don't want to hear about yuour past or someone has it in for you for ANY reason. BooHoo someone doesn't like me for my race that's racist and we need to discuss it. Respect, self esteem,acheivement and honor are won by confident ,hard working, talented folks not whiners and excuse makers. So quit waiting for ways to excuse your failures and waiting for the affirmative action train an power your own success. Not even a question of America being racist. Why don't you and Michelle Obama go get some cheese with your whine ane enjoy your AA degrees and jobs and shut up.

True logic.

You had to have noticed?/ Where else could an over qualified shoeshine black like Sharpton have so much influence? That's Sharpton

What a waste of time but a perfectly representative waste of your pendantic time. Waste your effort in defining terms instead of self improvement that results in personal advancement. If your photo is a true representation of your situation I understand your onanistic pursuit of these types of discussions.

So, I see you're new to this writing thing. Well, for starters, let's get you to use words properly. Your poor attempt to "sound" intellectual fails miserably.

This is kind of like that town hall meeting about Lawn Maintenance that ends in a yelling match about topics ranging from Iraq to Filipino War Vets benefits to the Oscars. Your flatfooted arguments are trite at best. By asking a nation to discuss race in no particular terms that somehow makes EH a whiny hack. I don't see the connection. When Clinton asked the nation to do the same thing it went unnoticed. To you, racism is not a big deal and we should just learn to work around it–not surprising to hear that from, what I presume is a non-minority, who has yet to feel the true effects of racism, especially in the workplace, thereby bolstering Holder's request to discuss the issue b/c naysayers like yourself are completely amiss to reality. In sum, your argument states: racism's not a big deal b/c it doesn't affect me all that much–enlightening.

It is very enlightening to listen to a professorial pissant and racist pontificate about the irrelevance of another's argument is indeed humorous and very enlightening. For you to suggest that racism in by many definitions still has this mystic power over blacks and their accomplishments is quite revealing. It apparently had no such hold on the George Washington Carvers,Thomas Sowells, Barack Obama and their ilk. Thankfully your self imposed nemisiswill fully restrict you from reaching any lofty career plateaus because you believe in it so. And unlike you I have neither the desire ,the time nor the inclination to engage in any further cyclical polemics with the likes of you. lGo back to your self inflicted wounds. olololololololololol

[...] Gary Graham (fast becoming a favorite author of mine) over at Big Hollywood has a bit more to say about it. Apparently, I’m a racist coward because I want to be color blind.  This great national offense of racism doesn’t want to die – even though we just elected our first black president.  Just when you thought it was okay to climb out of the past, to put racial injustice and animosity behind us…the Attorney General in the national media yesterday drags it back out. [...]

IAMLEGEND: When I hire someone race doesn’t cross my mind, but, if they’re a smuck, no chance Lance, life’s to short. I also know a number of whites that would spit in a blacks eye because it’s Friday, and a brown that would spit in a red’s, eye, and a yellow spit in a (you pick a race, this is your profession) Helter Skelter! They are all a bunch of useless blithering redneck race baiting idiots stuck on their own limitations. You put your 80 to 100 hrs a week in, in this country and you to can be an evil rich guy with no time to sit around, and dwell on stupid little insipid excuses why I can’t.

Hey just where are these white lesbian strippers??? Do you have a phone number or something please? Don't tease.

Well, apparently the National Black Republican Association has considered the voting frenzy for our illustrious baby POTUS and has issued all whites an absolution from guilt. In essence, "Congratulations. You elected a black. Now get over yourselves and press on to greater issues–like saving our REPUBLIC from our politicians!" I thought it was tremendously clever..
I've got to admit to feeling as if a time capsule had opened on innauguration day and accusations that were flying around in the 50's and 60's were flying around again!! In my life, they were settled! I've got a full spectrum of friends. We're friends and who cares what race we all are? Now Holder opens his big mouth and lights a fire.

Keep it up Mr. Graham! Be blessed.

Where does one start with this inane article? You, Gary, may very well be a racist. Either that, or incredibly insensitive. I'll let you choose. But let me start with your "because I want to be color blind". I'm assuming you struggle with this. Either you are or you're not. Wanting to doesn't make it so. Maybe you should start there and ask yourself why you wrote this silly article.

Secondly, I think you should go back and look at your history books, and then maybe you'll discover why there's a need for black history month. I'm white and I know there is very little taught in our schools about the accomplishments and contributions of blacks in our "American History". You think this is a color blind society? How many laps of a blank santa have you or your kids sat on? How many times have you been turned down for a job because of the color of your skin? And if you say you don't see racism, you're lying or just plain blind.

This is all I can comment on as I could only stomach 2 paragraphs of your "article".

It's a small point on a pretty stupid statement — Holder's — but in fairness, he didn't call you a racist coward, he just called you a coward. Also? The fact that you are color-blind, and I know that you are, doesn't mean the larger society shares your outlook, or that racism, overt or covert, doesn't exist here and elsewhere.

You’ve got to be kidding or you don’t have children. That’s all “teachers” talk about in the school are slavery, “this ism, and that ism, and this phobia and that phobia. Subsequently we have stupid kids of every color, thanks NEA. Schools are for reading, writing, and arithmetic. Some insipid social experiment and a constant caterwauling about America bad, America bad… Screw white, black, red, brown, yellow History month it should be American history month. This attempt at the Balkanization of America is incredibly dangerous and naïve, the bad part is this fools parade is beginning to work, people are digging in, and the result could be disastrous, where does this end? What Gary said was good sense reasonable, live with it! What’s the alternative? Our country is great because the sum of all it’s parts, and the USA is a gift to the world, without it would result in complete anarchy, but I’m afraid we’re going to give it a wag.
God Bless America!

Nice to know you guys are doing what Holder wanted you to do…. discuss and discuss and discuss race. Most likely, if you are reading this or other articles like this you are NOT racist. You are just sooo tired of being called a racist by the left. Oh, just wanted to throw this out… anyone out there think that the blame for Katrina was put on the wrong person?

As opposed to Biblical deliberate misunderstanding?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_Ham
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_and_mark_of_Ca...

"To respect one another we must have a basic understanding of one another. And so we should use events such as this to not only learn more about the facts of black history but also to learn more about each other. This will be, at first, a process that is both awkward and painful but the rewards are potentially great." –Eric Holder

http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2009/ag-speech-0...

The address is 2300 words long.

"There are plenty of cable channels to celebrate all of us."

That's part of the problem. Everyone gets his own channel and no one watches anyone else's.

"I don't believe in Black History Month any more than I believe in White History Month. To me, Black History Month is a complete insult to Blacks. … Am I the only one in America who finds this the least bit patronizing and insulting and downright, well, racist?"

The only one? No:

"Black history is given a separate, and clearly not equal, treatment by our society in general and by our educational institutions in particular. As a former American history major I am struck by the fact that such a major part of our national story has been divorced from the whole. In law, culture, science, athletics, industry and other fields, knowledge of the roles played by blacks is critical to an understanding of the American experiment. For too long we have been too willing to segregate the study of black history. There is clearly a need at present for a device that focuses the attention of the country on the study of the history of its black citizens. But we must endeavor to integrate black history into our culture and into our curriculums in ways in which it has never occurred before so that the study of black history, and a recognition of the contributions of black Americans, become commonplace. Until that time, Black History Month must remain an important, vital concept. But we have to recognize that until black history is included in the standard curriculum in our schools and becomes a regular part of all our lives, it will be viewed as a novelty, relatively unimportant and not as weighty as so called "real" American history."

So said Eric Holder.

So he got into Stuyvesant through affirmative action?

"Together with Brooklyn Technical High School and Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant is one of the three original academic Specialized High Schools of New York City. Run by the New York City Department of Education, the trio are open to New York City residents and charge no tuition. Admission to each is by competitive examination only, of which Stuyvesant has the highest cutoff score."

Oh, and ACORN hates that exam he passed:

"In 1996 community activist group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now published two reports, Secret Apartheid and Secret Apartheid II, calling the SHSAT "permanently suspect" and a "product of an institutional racism".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuyvesant_High_Scho...

"I believed this country had turned that page in history and most racism was in the past."
Based on what data?

[citation needed]

Your answer just proves my point. Your ignorant ass believes the extent of black history in America is slavery and isms? Educate yourself. And take a look at harry's post while you're at it.

My apologies for, the racist pig comment, not my style. When I saw, “ignorant ass, well it was 6.00AM without coffee. My broader point is we had best begin to see one another as unique American individuals, not groups or this country could rip itself apart.

This is the guy who was complaining recently about possibly being blacklisted in Hollywood for writing a tirade against liberals, right?

Now this is worthy of reading(I can't say the same of Graham's)

A Nation of Cowards?

By CHARLES M. BLOW
Published: February 20, 2009
This began as a relatively quiet Black History Month. The biggest highlight was a 72-year-old former Klansman scratching “apologize to John Lewis for beating him up” off his bucket list.

Then came Attorney General Eric Holder’s scathing comments about America being “a nation of cowards” because we don’t have “frank” conversations about race. That got a lot of attention.

I take exception to Holder’s language, but not his line of reasoning. Calling people cowards is counterproductive. It turns the conversation into a confrontation — moving it beyond the breach of true dialogue and the pale of real understanding.

That said, frank conversations are always welcomed. But, before we start, it might be helpful to have a better understanding of the breadth and nature of racial bias.

According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released last month, twice as many blacks as whites thought racism was a big problem in this country, while twice as many whites as blacks thought that blacks had achieved racial equality.

Furthermore, according to a 2003 Gallup poll, two in five of blacks said that they felt discriminated against at least once a month, and one in five felt discriminated against every day. But, a CNN poll from last January found that 72 percent of whites thought that blacks overestimated the amount of discrimination against them, while 82 percent of blacks thought that whites underestimated the amount of discrimination against blacks.

What explains this wide discrepancy? One factor could be that most whites harbor a hidden racial bias that many are unaware of and don’t consciously agree with.

Project Implicit, a virtual laboratory maintained by Harvard, the University of Washington and the University of Virginia, has administered hundreds of thousands of online tests designed to detect hidden racial biases. In tests taken from 2000 to 2006, they found that three-quarters of whites have an implicit pro-white/anti-black bias. (Blacks showed racial biases, too, but unlike whites, they split about evenly between pro-black and pro-white. And, blacks were the most likely of all races to exhibit no bias at all.) In addition, a 2006 study by Harvard researchers published in the journal Psychological Science used these tests to show how this implicit bias is present in white children as young as 6 years old, and how it stays constant into adulthood.

(You can take the test yourself.)

So why do so many people have this anti-black bias?

I called Brian Nosek, an associate professor in psychology at the University of Virginia and the director of Project Implicit, to find out. According to him, our brains automatically make associations based on our experiences and the information we receive, whether we consciously agree with those associations or not. He said that many egalitarian test-takers were shown to have an implicit anti-black bias, much to their chagrin. Professor Nosek took the test himself, and even he showed a pro-white/anti-black bias. Basically, our brains have a mind of their own.

This bias can seep into our everyday lives in insidious ways. For example, a paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in October found that many white doctors also had an implicit pro-white/anti-black bias, while black doctors showed almost no bias for one race or the other. The paper suggested that these biases may contribute to the unequal treatment of blacks, and that doctors may not even be conscious of it.

Can we eradicate this implicit bias? Maybe.

I didn't realize Holder had singled out Graham with his comment. The narcissism of actors is well known. But actors should also be able to contextualize better than most, considering their profession.

Did Graham write a screed after Gramm's "nation of whiners" comment or Santelli's (and Beck's) "losers" comment?

Graham isn't griping about racism here. He's exploiting this to simply perpetuate his war against liberals. But it is amusing that a man who insists that being conservative in certain circles is risky business can't see how racism is still a problem in areas in America. I'd also bet he scoffs at accusations of sexism and misogyny too.

No, it's conservatives who are the oppressed now!

Lol.

Throughout the course of man's recorded history, hypocrisy has been our greatest failing. So say one thing and practice another is nothing less than lying. More "feathers have been ruffled" by being called a liar than almost any other insult, I would surmise. Yet hypocrisy among all political parties and "intellectual leanings" is rampant. Liberals decry the "rounding up" of Native Americans and placing them on reservations, thereby destroying their culture and their way of life, yet applaud the "rounding up" of blacks, browns, whites-of-no-value ("white trash") and placing them in government housing ("The Projects") wherein their culture and way of life has been permanently obliterated — and CALL THIS GOOD! Until all of humanity practices "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.[Philippians 2:3-4]" then there will be no significant advancement in the human condition. Which is EXACTLY what the Prince of this world desires…

Mr. Holder's comments reflected gross ignorance, arrogance and a lack of insight into his position as a civil servant. This from the man that brought us the Mark Rich pardon. But, oh, I'm sorry….THAT was a mistake.

"A nation of cowards."

Holder projects!

I, for one, have no interest in feeling guilty for all eternity over something that happened so long ago, something that neither I nor my parents nor their parents (and maybe further!) had NO part in.

No one owns black slaves now. There IS no black slavery now and hasn't been for many years. Get over it and stop playing the victim forever and ever.

Seems like pretzel logic. An unending debate with no intention to reach a result. What’s your solution?

Of course he has a chip on his shoulder! How short our memories and how shallow our understanding of history. Recent history! Can anyone tell me how many generations have passed since the Civil War? Do we realize what kinds of behaviors human beings, American human beings, exhibited in the wake of the emancipation of African slaves? Slaves whom we as white settlers stole away from their homes, histories, families and dignity in the name of manifesting our destiny? Are we clear about this? The comments on this board, though not without merit, are incredibly petty in light of the reality of our recent past. Do we all know about Jim Crow? These are not things we can wish away. We can't simply become colorblind and imagine this world a better place than it is. These are deep national wounds that affect us all, black, white and in between. It's lovely to think us all so enlightened as to not be affected by this reality. I believe you when you say you're a decent person who treats others as you'd like to be treated. We can do more! For America and Americans (none of us live in the bubble we imagine) to turn the page, we have to take actions to heal these shared psychological and spiritual scars. The facts are beyond ugly; our racial history is grotesquely disturbing. Yes, it's history, yes we should live in the now, but we must recognize what exactly our roots so firmly grasp. Conversations such as these, though bubblesque themselves in that we are relating only through cyberspace, are actually quite positive and potentially very healing. I appreciate you all for participating in this, but let's not attack our attorney general for pointing out that though our health has improved, we've still work, good work, to do if we hope to meet our best selves somewhere in the chapters yet to be written.

[...] Full article: Big Hollywood. [...]

AC8 I think AG Holder's comments were inappropriate for his position if he'd like to be head civil rights attorney then fine but as AG he should do as his boss and function above race pandering.

Jeremy, I agree that there is reverse racism however you wouldn't call Jews recanting history about the Holocaust as reverse Nazism would you? Fact is Blacks have a unique place in American history that others do not. That includes American Indians and Mexicans. There is no other "minority group" that has the exact shared experienced as Blacks have in this country.

Here's a thought, Dr. King would not have done what he did if he were not Black ergo we can not separate race from his accomplishment. We could no better to that then President Obama could deny his own White grandmother.

Great points Harley! Inside what you have stated solutions could be found. To quote one of our greatest presidents, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” a partial of Lincoln’s poignant speech of 1858.

Mo, Please name one other people group that went through 400 years of chattel slavery as the American Black people did and I will concede your point.

As to your point about guilt I don't feel guilty about slavery anymore than I feel guilty about hurricanes Rita and Katrina or the Iraq war what I will do is acknowledge that my government, which I am a part of, have a responsibility for it's actions or in-actions in those events.

Mo,In this case you play the victim, no one is attempting to force anything on you. Grow up this is simply discussion. You should have known when you signed up that there are always different opinions. BTW If you are so worried about being force on wait until the Liberals in power force their agenda down your throat. We'll see how strong you are in protesting then!

I've been turned down from jobs many times because of the color of my skin… by the way, I'm WHITE!

FYI-Before it became a drunken festival and a serious denigration of the Irish people via that stereotype, it was a religious celebration of the patron saint of Ireland. That's why the word "Saint" is clearly indicated in the name.

Wow. My comments have all disappeared.

What's up with that?

"I, like many in my generation, have been fortunate in my life and have had a great number of wonderful opportunities. Some may consider me to be a part of black history. But we do a great disservice to the concept of black history recognition if we fail to understand that any success that I have had, cannot be viewed in isolation. I stood, and stand, on the shoulders of many other black Americans [....] as I hope that others will some day stand on my more narrow ones." — EH

But there is no way to ever know if any one person is color blind, let alone an entire society. So what's the answer? Do we continually rehash the subject over and over again until 75% of the people are satisfied? 90%? At some point, we need to stop obsessing about the past and find a way to deal with current problems. The fact that 88% – 92% of Blacks vote Democratic is proof that they have not attempted to move on. No culture is monolithic, and far more that 10% identify themselves on issues as more Conservative than the party (despite their voting record). As long as they give their unwavering allegiance to one party, they will be used by that party. At least they should make the Democratic party EARN their vote by forcing them to back programs that are proven to work.

Right now many are being led by people whose only real goal is their own power base. That is counter-productive to more success from Black people as a group (although even saying that gives me the creeps, because I don't believe that "Black people" are any different than any other group, except for the choices that they make collectively). There is a reason that so many immigrants come here and succeed, despite starting with nothing, while we've seen such stagnation in the Black communities. It's not all their fault, but the choices they make (especially not keeping their representatives honest by occasionally voting them out) certainly doesn't help.

Well, "The Fundies" do not vote in those same numbers. In 2004, I believe 20% voted for Kerry. More voted for Obama this time around. Also, religion is a conscious choice, not a skin color (or shared distant heritage). To group Black people together (regardless of where they came from) and assume they must share the same ideals is in fact racist. Someone's race has nothing to do with how they think or how they should vote, but the assumption that they do is one thing I disdain about the Left.

Also, they are certainly NOT voting in their self-interest. It's why I was careful to point out that when polled, Black Americans describe themselves as more Conservative than the party on a myriad of issues (including gay marriage, although I remember you disputing that). It's not an opinion, it's common knowledge (not to mention that it's backed by every poll I've ever seen). Trust me, growing up on the South Side of Chicago you see that no one makes an effort to hide their feelings on the matter.

They are voting how they're told to vote (both by political leaders and community ones). They believe that Republicans don't like Blacks because that's what they've been sold for decades. It's nonsense, and to cast your vote solely on the basis of that myth is self-destructive and leads to them being taken for granted by the very party that sells it. Also, I agree that racism (past and present) does play a role.

Texas TruBlu, I agree with you this IS the most bias and racist administration that we have seen in a very, very long time!

Mo, you now are arguing a non sequitur what are you so highly irrational? If you look back you were the one who address me first I did not address you. You were the one that brought up guilt. I said nothing about guilt until you brought it up. No one asked you to apologize, I know that I didn't! That's a strawman but last the Coup de grâce, You said: "Do not address me again." Suggesting a closed mindedness bigotry of the first order.
You are no debater my friend just a bigot using Eric Holder to as a excuse to come out a play under the sunlight

LOL!! Now I'm a bigot? I asked you to show me where I denied black people went through suffering during slavery times. (Which, as the other person pointed out, was not for 400 years!) You cannot do that because I never said or even implied any such thing.

Instead of addressing my point, all you can do is call me a bigot. Thanks for posting your childishness for all the world to see!

Mo, only idiots that I've seen are you and Des so far!

only 4 years of ZerObama, Thank God!

Rich Galen, aka “Mullings”, raises an interesting question. Will Attorney General Eric Holder use the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department's Criminal Division to investigate United States Senator Roland Burris, Democrat of Illinois? The other Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin (also a Democrat), said "the accuracy and completeness of his testimony and affidavits have been called into serious question." Mr. Durbin was referring to Mr. Burris’ testimony made and affidavits submitted during impeachment proceedings against Rod Blagojevich in the Illinois House.
But, this will probably not happen. Mr. Burris will be forced to resign before the White House suffers another political embarrassment much more serious than “Tom Daschle” or “Nancy Killefer” or “Judd Gregg”.
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”. Or, to put it another way, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to believe” (in Hope).

Yes. A clear reading of both of those incidents in Bible will find nothing mentioned about skin color or any such thing. People that use those verses to "prove" that one skin tone is superior to another are taking the Bible out of context. Where as understanding that the Bible says we are all of one blood is keeping with Biblical context. Consider, The bible starts wtih two humans, Adam and Eve, all humans are descended from them. You get Genesis 6 and the global flood, all Humans are descended from Noah, his wife, Ham, Shem, Japheth, and their wives. Jesus came to save all of mankind, not just people with certain skin tones. We are children of Adam and Eve, we all can be children of God.

"And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

MLK Understood, too bad AG Holder doesn't understand.

Holder was right. In fact, after I finish this post I'm going to head out for a walk with my dog, and the first black person I see I'll walk up to and lay it all out. "Good morning, black person", I'll say. "Not sure if you're in a rush, but I thought we could take the Attorney General's words under advisement and talk about race. So, you're pretty black eh? What's that like? I mean, right away I noticed that your skin was so much darker than mine and if we just ignore that fact, I won't be able to sleep tonight. So tell me, black man, you're black. Let's talk about it." and so forth.

Brilliant. Anyone care to hang out at my place with an ice pack and a hug so when I return with a well deserved bruise above my brow, I can be consoled? If so, contact me and I'll give you my address.

wow… here come the reactionaries, claiming their love for MLK. If you were so in favor of racial harmony, you wouldn't get so worked up when someone calls it like it is: People don't know how to talk about race in this country, and yes, racism is alive in well in America. If you can't see that and are saying "oh, I don't see color", you aren't being honest. If you aren't a coward good for you. But the defensiveness of this article and the bloggers here leave me wondering how authentic you are about really taking racism on by the horns…

Reactionary? You'd better believe it.

I, for one, will not sit here and be called a coward and a racist by someone in our government. I also will not bow to the views of those who say I must spend the rest of my life apologizing for slavery, even though I was not even alive when that went on.

Most people do not look at race or color. It is people such as yourself that keep bringing it up, and then in turn call US the racists when we dare to speak up and defend ourselves against such slander.

You don't know anything about me. (Especially since I'm not even white.)

Until you can learn to speak to people properly, you can go scream at someone else.

And you can take your misplaced guilt with you. I will not take part in it.

I agree with much of what you said, Harley, but you're still wrong on the Prop 8 thing. The numbers (more than one set) clearly showed that Whites voted against it (in a close call) while minorities voted against it. I know you dispute this, but that doesn't make it a myth. In fact, it's been widely reported for most of my life that when it comes to homosexuality, Blacks are more Conservative than Whites (especially Church-going Blacks). If you want to cite your polls, I'll read them, but I've seen ones that dispute it, and I believe in what I see in person (unless I see definitive proof to the contrary).

As for the Religious Right, personally I'm glad that they don't get everything they want. I'm always uncomfortable with too much interference in politics from someone's belief system (since there's so much disagreement in the Christian Church, let alone all other faiths and non-believers). They should support who is closest to their beliefs, but people like Dobson annoy me to no end (I think he's a pompous, arrogant ass, and he should feel guilty for every abortion that happens here and abroad that wouldn't have under McCain because of his obnoxiousness during the primaries). I still think it's a bad comparison because religion is a set of beliefs, and skin color is anything but that. It's dangerous to think that all of any nationality, race, or sexual orientation should believe in monolithic manner. It's a short step from there to saying anyone who doesn't toe the line is a traitor (or far worse).

LOL! People give you facts but THEY are the idiots?

When my daughter was 5, I took her to a video game/miniature golf arcade. There was a nice looking (and I mean really attractive…..we're talking Tiger Woods and Beyonce here) black couple with two little boys a few holes in front of us. My daughter, being the Queen of stating the politically incorrect (but sweet) said loudly, "I like your skin!"

I could have crawled into the nearest bunker and buried myself. Thankfully, they smiled and continued on instead of looking at me like I was David Duke incarnate. I carefully tried to explain why she might want to avoid that particular compliment in the future.

Okay. The Prop 8 polls I saw put religiosity as the primary driver, but I don't disagree re the black vote generally and church-going black voters specifically. I just think the blame-game in the aftermath was based on exaggeration.

Naturally, I agree re Dobson.

As for monolithic voting blocs, okay. But it's human nature to seek affinity, and that goes for politics as well. It's not hard to understand why a gay man or woman would vote Democratic. Or why a pro-life man or woman would vote Republican. Making generalizations about ethnic groups is much trickier, and you're right, even dangerous in some cases when it comes to voting patterns.

I agree with his sentiment, unfortunately this statement: "At my favorite Baptist Church in North Hollywood, the congregation being 90% Black" kinda makes me go HMMM.
here's the Demographic of N.Hollywood:
Total Population: 57,129
White Population: 25,945
Black Population: 1,680
Hispanic Population: 36,811

90% Black? What are they busing folks in from Watts? Maybe he meant to say "white" but then he deserves a ding for not proofreading.

98% or so black voters voted for Obama. Does that make them racist? If 98% of white voters voted for McCain. Does that make them racist?

Go ask Al Sharpton , Jesse Jackson and the like. Bet you know the answer to that.

I've been a school teacher for the past 30+ years, and my dear ERASMUS,, we have NEVER spent an entire month teaching about "Irish History Month" or "German History Month". We've never spent a month discussing "Indian History Month"…!! Perhaps racism exists because there are those who won't allow it to die????? (surely I do not need to name 'names')…… I have to agree with Phil Gramm, we are a nation of "whiners"…………and I must admit that I'm getting sick and tired of beating the same ole 'whining' dog to death year after year……………………….

Let me get this straight…Because as a white man I can empathize with the plight of non-whites in our society and can see evidence of racism everyday, I am a racist? And am wallowing in guilt(or should)?
Firstly, I am not proud to be white, nor am I ashamed. I was born white. Not much of an accomplishment. So when I come across white "racist pigs", I may feel sad or get pissed, but I never feel guilty. I am an individual. No one else "represents" me or my beliefs.
Secondly, I don't feel threatened by a Black History Month when I'm exposed to 11 months of white history. It would do us all some good to learn about other cultures. And I learn a lot during Black History Month.

Understatement of the decade: "MLK was an OK dude".

Yah, my conscience is clear.

I don't believe the argument has anything to do with it being exclusionary; it has to do with the fact that blacks do extraordinary things all the time, just as whites and hispanics do, so why is there this one month that says "You guys are great, but just for this month?" The exclusionary part is that it comes in only one month, rather than each day that blacks accomplish extraordinary things. These days, just keeping a family together and raising your kids to adulthood counts as extraordinary no matter what race you are.

Fabulous article.

Sounds kinda racist with just ONE word substituted in there, doesn't it? When are you guys gonna get your collective heads out of your ass long enough to realize how stupid and self-defeating all your racism sounds to rational people? To evaluate one's accomplishements within the context of race…is to insult the spark of individual genius that executed that accolmplishment. There had to be the trailblazers, and i salute them. But come on…Black, history, Black studies, Black Congressional Caucus, Black Entertainment Television, Black, Black, Black, , Black!!!! It's racist. Shut up about it, treat eveyone the way you'd like to be treated…and maybe, just maybe, racism will finally go away.

But as long as folks like you draw breath…I'm not holding mine.

Amen and amen. LOL!

Fine-point —

You make a …well, a really fine point. HA!! the clouds parted, and a ray of light shone through. THANK YOU for bringing a grin to this tired face after wading through so much race-talk bilge water. (I'm thinking, What the hell did i start?? Oh yeah, I didn't start it, Holder started it!) I've always thought and still do, that I'd rather have some deep root canal work done with no novacaine than "engage in a spirited and honest discussion about race in America." Gaggggg…..

Are you kidding. This article was so full of bs it was exhausting, according to this it seems the only people that aren't racist are blacks. His research is all biased at best and insulting. Most notably as according to this guy only black/white racism matters.

Holder and his crap, of course we split up into our races on weekends. Most people spend their weekends with their famiy and for the most part their family is their same race. I'm waiting for him to start a new law that will require us to register a list of our friends so they can make sure we're each integrated enough according to their definition.

At this point I am so over discussing race. It's just not worth it, try REALLY discussing race with a black person and you will get nowhere. As far as they're concerned we (all other colors) will never understand how it feels to be black and until we just agree with everything they say we will all be racist. The victimization of the black race has served them well over the last 40 years and they're not going to let it go………………

sorry…nullified by 'fiat'.

I am in the middle of reading your essay, ONE PISSED-OFF DUDE.

Thank you so much for having the guts to speak out! I cannot tell you how many conservatives I know who just sit back and take everything this culture throws at them and say absolutely nothing because they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

It's time we stood up for what is right. Thank you for doing that. (And in Hollywood, where the pressure is tenfold to be silent and just go with the flow.)

This culture is like high school. The "cool crowd" sets the standard and God help you if you don't fit in and follow everything they say. It's time we started fighting back.

Given the state of race relations since Obama wormed his way into the picture, I have become a racist and I am proud of it. I have already had enough of the Obamas, Winfreys, Holders. Goldbergs, Sharktons, Jacksons,and all the rest. This bunch of whining complainers needs to catch the next flight to Africa and stay there. And take the NAACP along, please.

I just had a person write me and say that she thinks they all can simply take a flight to Africa. That’s interesting. I’ve had people say that to me in the past. You see the thing is I was born in Chicago. My parents were born in Alabama, as were my grandparents and great-grandparents. It is this type of ignorant thinking, put to words that is the root of the racial problems in this country. Simply because one does not agree with you, you want to take away their citizenship, deny the sacrifices they have made for this country and send them to some far-off land they have no identity with. I did not come from Africa. I have never been to Africa, which is a definite prerequisite in order to “go back” to Africa. On the contrary I am a proud American who has served his country, with valor, in several positions. Racism is nothing more than a person with an inferiority complex attempting to justify their reason for existing by putting someone else down. The problem here is that person needs mental health treatment to deal with their own feelings of “less than others”. The truth is God did not make people less than or better than others. He just made people, period! ______

Hear, Hear!

I'm very glad to hear it. Now you disagree with what he said, rather than with what someone told you he said — even if you think the soundbite was an accurate precis. The importance of this cannot be overstated.

Wow, I'm astounded… You attack 'liberals' and 'lefties' for groupthink but forget to include 'conservatives' and 'neocons'? You've got to be kidding me! Jesus this, Jesus that, Abortion Bad, Phil Gramm good, blah blah blah. The mob rule that let us to a wasteful war? Surrendering property to the government gets your goat, but not your civil liberties or something? Yah, I do feel we should think, not as a group, but we should think about the welfare of the group. We are a nation of individuals maybe, but I for one, care about the welfare of my fellow Americans, conservative or liberal. And part of thinking about the whole includes an ongoing conversation about race, imao. Man… anyone who thinks we've got it all figured out already isn't paying attention. But go ahead and be your own man, because its all about you, the individual, right? Screw the rest of the country! America, the great nation of individuals… why do all you conservatives loves that sticker on your SUV's "United We Stand?" Slogans over substance…. Whatever. I'll still be willing to pay some taxes so your mother can get social security. You're welcome.

What a string of nonsensical sentences.

I've noticed a trend in which the liberals who troll this site pop up after a post has been up a day or two and lost traffic to new topics. That's when they pop in and decide to argue their points. Well, that's not true. That's when they pop in and throw out a bunch of nonsense and rhetoric– when just about any absurd comment can go by mostly unnoticed. It's usually the really lame arguments that come out at this point because it's the really gutless and ill-informed trolls who wait until there is no one left to fight back.

So I'm an idiot for being factually correct? That's an interesting belief system you've got going there.

From Wikipedia….

Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first settled Virginia in 1607 and lasted as a legal institution until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865.

From 1654 until 1865, slavery for life was legal within the boundaries of much of the present United States. Most slaves were black and were held by whites, although some Native Americans and free blacks also held slaves; there were a small number of white slaves as well.

So depending on your POV regarding what qualifies as slavery, it's 210 – 260 years, and not only were blacks not the only ones enslaved, but some blacks owned slaves as well (not to mention the Africans who sold their brothers and sisters into slavery).

According to the exit polls I've seen, Obama got about a 5 point race-based uptick among black voters. (90% chose Gore in 2000, 88% Kerry in 2004, 95% Obama in 2008.)
White voters went from 42% for Gore to 41% for Kerry to 43% for Obama, so if they'd gone 98% for McCain, yes, that would probably be racist.
I won't be surprised an iota if it turns out that whites pretty much aren't racist but tend to act that way out of illusory peer pressure. "It's all in science-fiction, all in science-fiction, dear me what are they teaching them in school these days…" — Prof Digory Tiberius Kirke

Jesse Jackson admitted to sneaking a look behind him on a dark night and being relieved to discover the guy approaching was white.
But the decapitators get all the press.

On top of that, somewhere I read an estimate that it took only ten thousand years to switch off the melanin, once the African explorers had spread up into the low-sunlight areas.

Gary,

Since you are on the hook, meaning you are reading…I just want to let you know that I appreciate your response to Eric Holder. Reading his insulting remarks, took away the air that I breath. So-to-speak.
It was an insult to me-to all Americans. He's out of touch.

And to the silent person who scored that reply down a point: you're right, I should have provided more context. So:

"What are the facts? Again and again and again — what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what "the stars foretell," avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable "verdict of history" — what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts!"
–Robert A. Heinlein

Gary, you of all people should empathize with someone who ocassionally goes over the top in the service of a larger, thoughtful point.

Unlike some of your fans, though, you actually come across as a pretty good egg with his heart in the right place.

Your defensiveness and professions of colourblindness illustrate Holder's point perfectly. No one is actually "colourblind," and the fiction that we should even aspire to that state is purest delusion.

Everyone's a little bit racist. Me, you, we all are. We are probably genetically hardwired to discriminate, to make instant evaluations without even thinking about them. That doesn't mean we are all horrible oppressors, it just means that Freud was right, and there's plenty brewing under the surface of consciousness that goes largely undiscussed. Holder's point is a basic observance on human nature, supported by psychology and sociology: we tend to avoid or ignore things that don't jibe with the world we want to see.

In case anyone missed it, Holder was saying that all ethnic groups – white, black, Latino – are guilty of this cowardice. We all avoid the subject of race because it tends to make us feel uncomfortable. Read Charles Blow's column in the NY Times today about research into implicit racism. Enlightening stuff.

If you don't read the NY Times because you are certain it is staffed by Trotskyites, then I will leave the recognition of that particular irony to the individual reader.

You haven't give me a single fact and if you're referring to Des he made a statement based in opinion not fact geez! And you still haven't answered my question.

I think AG Holder is like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, for them its not about what you or I understand, its about money, or politics, or power. Al sharpton has become a very wealthy man off of his racism, for AG Holder, I think its a means for him to gain more power.

I'm glad you pointed out those two false arguements from the Bible, by the way, Its always good when some one else understands that those arguements are, well, false.

But Facts do not speak for themselves, they must be interperted. For instance, in Ohio we have burial mounds from what are called the Adena people. We have no written records or histories from these people, so everything we learn about them comes from physical evidence. Fact: We find burial mounds with headless bodies that were not intrusive burials. What that means depends on your assumptions about Native Americans.

One's view of the progress of the race issue in America depends upon your interpretation of the facts. Men like AG holder may not think that it has progressed that far, where as another, such as MBS1960 may think it has gone farther, and some one like me believes race should be a non-issue period.

I agree, "MLK was an OK dude" does win for understatement of the decade.

But you have to get them before you interpret them. Otherwise it's not interpretation but speculation.

Thanks, really. I will look over these.

Benno, my boy. I think perhaps you're less astounded…than confused. Reading the FEDERALIST PAPERS could shed some light. Also, THE LAW by John Locke, WEALTH & POVERTY by George Gilder, and if your feeling adventurous, ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand, a true classic. To top off this brain-salad, read HOW TO FRAME A COGENT & COHESIVE SENTENCE by Gary Graham.

sorry, I made that last one up.

Benno, you don't get it, never will, don't know why i waste time responding, but…since others read this, here goes: Yes, we love MLK, because of his message, which you clearly DON'T GET. Of course we see color! It's all around us, doofus. But COLOR doesn't MATTER! That's MLK's whole point, which all of you on the Left can't quite seem to grasp. Are you simple? Once again — we see it as moral to judge a person on the content of their character, and not by the color of their skin. MLK's words. The less we talk about racism, the less we even give it the time of day…the quicker it will dissapate and go away. So…if I am true to my convictions…I will not respond to you any more…and maybe you will…go away.

You are a better person than I am, Gary. Even trying to follow this person's train of thought was difficult, much less trying to forumulate any sort of response to their gibberish.

So Gary…what are you 55? What were they "black history" were they teaching you in your school days? A little Carver perhaps? Slavery? They certainly didn't teach you the meaning of the word replete.

History-as-event is not history-as-narrative. The history textbooks used when you were in high school were godawful —
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ED017586...
– the ones prior to that even worse. (Today's? I've been poking Google for two hours and both sides are angry about them. At least technology will make complaints about omissions obsolete…)

Fixed it for ya

Furthermore, Black History month IS racist. Promoting one race above others, regardless of what the race is, is racist. Give me a White History Month, a Navajo History Month, and Cherokee History Month, a Ho-Chunk History Month, and Iriquois History Month, an Irish History Month, a German History Month, a Polish History Month, etc, and we'll talk.

The argument for Black History Month is that students aren't taught about important black people in regular classes. I remember spending a lot of time on MLK and Malcom X in history, and in English, and not in February. The invention of Peanut butter did not come up much in Science or History, so George Washington Carver would probably be relegated to the forgotten archives of history but for February. On the other hand, I've got no idea who invented jelly, or bread, or plates, or peanut brittle, so, as for Mr Carver-so what if he's forgotten?

The only white inventor mentioned specifically for his invention in school (that I remember) is Eli Whitney. Ben Franklin gets a byline for spectacles and the stove, but mostly we study his statesmanship.

And I love the notion of talking about anything…as individuals. And I agree with you that groupthink is non-think…in which generalized and pleasant, positive-sounding slogans suffice for intellectual discourse. Yes we can…get the change we need. The Repub's are guilty of it to: Country First…Drill, baby drill. We serve ourselves, and our society better, I think, when we view our nation as a very large single group…of individuals…consisting of the endless myriad of possibilities and innovations. The masses in movement tends toward a mob mentality. Our problems, and our solutions, can be served best one-on-one, face to face. People are like snowflakes, no two are alike. Groupthink absolves an individual of responsibility and hence, is destructive to initiative. What was once formed out of grievance and fervor to right a legitimate wrong, soon devolves into a plodding ravenous leviathon committed to none but its own feeding.
But man — thanks for this dialogue, i love it! We have contention, but we also have many points of agreement, brotherman.

It's a good point, and I agree with your logic, Gerard. But really, it's not as relevant or as important as other things. If he has to come up in front of a judge for something (like perjury, or screwing an intern), it would be icing on the cake for the prosecution. But right now, it does look like conservative mudslinging. (Evan though I agree with you 100%.)

It's Godwin's Law in action, only instead of calling someone Hitler or a Nazi, they just call him racist. It's equally effective, and less likely to get moderated.

How bout this?
Add some pork to the stimulus for tanning bed coupons. If we're all dark-skinned, bye-bye racism!

Abundantly provided, filled with — replete in terms of history-as-event, sure, why not. (A little strong, maybe; Adam Smith says slaves don't invent labor-saving devices because it will be taken as laziness and get them beaten for their trouble. Which is why you don't get slaves inventing the cotton engine. There's a comment elsewhere from a fellow saying his southern-state history books were clear that slavery was wrong; I wonder if they pointed out that it was also stupid, and defective capitalism to boot.) History-as-written, not so much, since the slaves were largely forbidden to learn to write and so the things they did and had done unto them have vanished except for when the whites happened to take note in the newspapers — "the slaves are in revolt, we must have been too kind to them again", &c.

But MLK had more than one point.

"Many of the ugly pages of American history have been obscured and forgotten. A society is always eager to cover misdeeds with a cloak of forgetfulness, but no society can fully repress an ugly past when the ravages persist into the present." [Where Do We Go From Here, 1967)

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice."

Did you even read the speech? Because if you had, you wouldn't be saying these things.

http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2009/ag-speech-0...

And you're right, the actual combination of words does not appear in the speech. But obviously that is the message he is getting across. (Which is why I wonder if you even read the thing, since this is so blatant!)

"You have to be willing to confront these issues head on instead of being a coward who hides behind having their feelings hurt over what someone did not say."

Now who is calling someone else a coward?

People such as Holder and by this post I assume yourself seem to think that not being a racist means talking about race and obsessing over race at every turn. In reality, it's exactly the opposite. Those of us who are not racists see no need to be talking about it all the time because we don't think about it all the time.

The point of not being a racist means NOT seeing people's race!

Yes, yes they would.
This is because: the current, terrible conditions in Africa are largely caused by the same colonial forces that produced the American Slave Trade. By the way, slavery existed in Africa as well, but it was more communal, and less exploitative.

Of course, if you sent African Americans "back" to Africa, they would be worse off because THEY'RE AMERICAN. That's like sending an American Chinese man "back" to the Asian continent. Not crap he's gonna be worse off, he's ASIAN-AMERICAN, NOT ASIAN.

Sean, you're flat out missing it. You, as Mr Holder does, celebrate diversity. I, on the other hand choose to celebrate unity. The unity of being an American. The more you obsess over diversity, the more you splinter our nation and promote segregation, setting group against group — a concept you seem to imply that you're against. The only reason I mention the race ratio of my church is to demonstrate that this congregation is unified in a single devotion to Christ. Race ain't even a question. We talk about God, and race rarely if ever even comes up. Are we cowards for not talking more about race? I don't think so. I think we're colorblind; untied in our love for our country, our love for Christ.

Pull the corncob out yer arse. The title was satire. (google "SATIRE") Jeez, were you sick the day they passes out the humor card? You Libs crack me up. Only true racists are obsessed about race. As for myself, I think it's the most tedious and boring subject anyone can possibly propose…and I would hope that intelligent people would finally get that the only way to make racism go away…is to allow it to go away. But you guys won't. Holder, Sharpton, Jackson…they have a vested interest in stoking the racism flame…it's their power base. But what is your excuse?

That said, I have no problem with the color of your skin…but the thickness of it. I have been 'discriminated' against my whole life for being a white, Christian male. (Your heart bleeds for me, right?) But in a hundred subtle and not-so-subtle ways I've been on that side of racial hatred and bias. I thought it was wrong then, still do…but I got over it. Water off a ducks back, their loss, not mine. Oh well, life is not a popularity contest.
I refuse to see myself as a victim, or any sort. And therein lies a large source of my personal freedom and power.

And btw… "If you don't see ethnicity, and our government begins to create immigration laws specifically targeted at, shall we say, "browner" nations, how will you know?" Uh…are you f*cking nuts?
Immigration laws are not targeted at 'browner nations' but at people who break our laws by invading out country illegally. The same law that prohibits a Mexican running across the border illegally also prohibits a white Canadian from coming south over his. I am happy you are weighing in on this fine website, however. There is much to learn here, we should all keep reading and debating, because this is healthy discourse — for ourselves and our country. Please keep coming back and joining the fray. Cheers!

I never had a negative bias regarding folks of color. Certainly not from my upbringing; we were always taught that all people were created equal, and everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt. It doesn't mean that a prejudice is necessarily bad. It just means that I made a 'pre-judgment' on something before I had the whole picture. But the very nature of growing up is making prejudgments, a hundred a day. It's how we begin to form a world view.

Incidences happen and judgments are made in the formative years. Some of these judgments are based in deductive reasoning, some in knee-jerk reaction to certain traumatic events…and some are simply erroneous. But these days, especially when the country has proven, (to all the world if not to ourselves — please tell me it's finally true), that it has moved past racial hatred by electing it's first Black President.

Thank you for demonstrating one of the things that so infuriates blacks. In this country, we don't even have the freedom to speak our honest feelings about race without having some white person say that we're saying things WE ARE NOT SAYING! Again, how can you not see the difference between "let's talk about race" and "you're a racist"?

So:
1. SHOW ME where in his speech AG Holder called anyone racist
2. POINT OUT where I said you're a racist if you don't talk about race and obsess over it at every turn.
3. EXPLAIN to me who ignoring racism makes it go away.

So, just to be clear, you can't SHOW, POINT OUT, or EXPLAIN the things I mentioned? Or you don't have enough respect for my and my opinion to respond to what I posted?

Think about that for a second. Who is making an argument and attempting to support it with facts, and who is just putting words into other people's mouths and refusing to engage in a discussion in which they actually listen to what the other participant in the conversation is saying instead of trying to hurl veiled insults?

Lets all have a conversation about racism, shall we?
Blacks are the most racist people on the planet, they kill each other according to how dark they are!
I pride myself, due to my northeast upbringing, on not haveing a racist bone in my body, but that does not mean I am ignorant of the fact that many black people would be happy if all whites were gone. Be careful out there, muslims are not the only people that want us dead.
There are many blacks of strong character, who see beyond the Jackson, Sharpton, Obama hatred of whites, (Michelle, not necessarilly Barack, have you read her college thesis- HATE HATE HATE RACIST RACIST RACIST- no wonder they tried to keep it hidden), unfortunately, they are afraid to speak up against their hateful brethren, like the moderate muslims are afraid of their fanatics.

Not sure your point here. I have nothing against the Church of England or Episcopalians and if they were to invite me to St. George's day I would spend my time trying to learn who he was and what he did. If there was a lot of drinking involved I am sure I could become equally as enthusiastic.

St. Patrick is a key Saint in Catholic doctrine. I am sure that there are missionaries Catholics in Asia and Africa who know who he is. He is important to the Catholic Church.

It's a Media MAtters thing you wouldn't understand…………………

Ok maybe you would they really aren't that deep there.

Andrew,

If you want to get good news on the goings on in Venezuela check out the "el Nuevo Herald", the Spanish version of the Miami Herald. I remember one article where Chavez went on a Sunday show in Venezuela to complain that the opposition was in league with Bush because they would not run anyone against him. He thought they were truing to make him look like a Dictator. So he announced that if they did not run a Candidate for him to beat that he would sspend all elections until 2040. Chavez is a monster.

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