Caucus Day Racism

Well, as expected I am already getting some flack from my series on racism. Of course, no one has yet actually attacked my data, just the idea that liberals may be more racist than conservatives. And you know what, even that comment isn’t fair, a fairer statement would be that the liberal agenda is more damaging to minorities than a conservative agenda. I truly feel that most liberals do care about minorities – maybe even more than most conservatives (although I think conservatives care a lot more about the poor and minorities than liberals will ever give them credit for) – But for whatever reason, the liberal agenda is all about band-aids and not addressing the real issues.

Just a real quick recap of affirmative action: first, I feel it suggests that certain people are too inferior to compete in an open field. Secondly, when someone is hired or given admission to a certain school based on race – when their grades or experience would otherwise keep them out – you are setting that person up for failure. Every time? No, but often. Minorities who are accepted through affirmative action when their grades are less than what would normally be required have a high drop out rate. So I can let you into Harvard, and you’ll probably drop out, or I can let you into Ohio State, where the chance of dropping out are less than half. Is a Harvard education a better education? Maybe, maybe not. But almost all employers are going to more impressed with an Ohio State graduation than a Harvard drop out.

One other thing that bothers me regarding race and the left is the lack of acknowledgement of the accomplishments that minorities have made. Are Blacks and Hispanics on an equal footing with White America economically? Not yet, but they have made incredible strides. But when was the last time that a so-called member of the “Black Leadership” stand up and declare that we are heading in the right direction with regard to racism.

For example, in 1958 4% of Americans approved of interracial marriages. Today that number is over 85%. Progress, right? In 1958 35% of Americans said they would vote for a black president. By 1997 that number was up to 93%, and today as I sit here my fellow Iowans – A state that is 97% white – have voted a black man as their number one choice for president. Again, this sounds like progress to me.

Yet last year CBS announced that in it’s upcoming season of Survivor they would be dividing up the tribes by race (White, Black, Hispanic and Asian), and an African-American commentator from the New York Times stated that “This will set back race relations by 50 years.” Really? Survivor divides up the tribes by race, and because of this blacks will have to go back to riding in the back of the bus, and we’re going to see “colored” water fountains start popping up. And the absurd thing about this comment – as if the comment itself weren’t absurd enough – is that this comment was made before the show ever hit the air, BEFORE we knew what the outcome of the tribe experiment was. What if the black team had proved to be the far superior team? Why would that have been cause for a rift in race relations?

Imagine if you will that you are a 350 pound man, and you decide to go on a diet, with your goal weight being 175 pounds, meaning that you are going to LOSE 175 pounds. Suppose that you lose 100 pounds, and those nearest and dearest to you do not comment on your success. As a matter of fact, if they do comment at all, it is to bitch about the 75 pounds you have yet to lose. And lets say you lose 30 more, with 45 to go, and still no “congratulations” or “I’m really proud of you.” How easy is it going to be to lose that last 45? Oh, you can still do it, BUT don’t you think losing that final 45 would be a lot easier with encouragement and acknowledgement of your previous achievements? Think about it.

Are you aware that a Time-CNN poll showed that 89 percent of black teens found little or no racism in their own lives. Interestingly, white teens were more likely than blacks to consider racism a major problem. Maybe the victicrat mentality is dying after all.

One last thing for today. Lets look at how a prominent liberal attacks racism in America. Today’s liberal” Michael Moore. Several years ago Moore complained that only 5% of journalists were black, and that there were practically no blacks in senior positions in Hollywood. In 1998, Moore proposed initiating what he called a “very strong affirmative action policy regarding gender and race, but especially regarding class.” He said he wanted to hire minorities “who come from the working class, who do not have a college education, and through those people we will reach a wider audience than the converted.” In Stupid White Men he proclaimed his plans to “hire only black people.”

Now you have to admire Moore for that. Talking the talk is one thing, but walking the walk shows true commitment. Lets see how he did:

Fahrenheit 9/11: Fourteen producers, Three editors, a production manager, a production coordinator, three cameramen, two people who wrote the music: 24 people, all white.

Bowling for Columbine: Fourteen producers, Two executives in charge of production, a cameramen, and a music composer: 18 people, 17 white.

The Big One (his 1997 documentary about workers rights): Five producers, Two Directors of Photography, two musical composers, a Production Manager and an Editor: All white.

Canadian Bacon (his 1995 feature film): Ten producers, two musical composers ,
Two editors, and the Director of Photography: All white.

I could go on, but to save time lets add in the senior people on Pets or Meat: The return to Flint (his follow up to Roger and Me); Roger and Me; TV Nation, and The Awful Truth, a TV show that ran for several seasons. Also, add in his staff from his book Dude, Where’s My Country.

In short, of the 134 producers, editors, cinematographers, composers, and production coordinators Moore hired, only three were black. Remember those black 5% of journalists? That’s almost twice the percentage of Moore’s black hires.

One other thing. Michael Moore lives in an upscale community in Northern Michigan called Central Lake. The number of African Americans living in Central Lake: Zero.

Now you know what? I don’t care if Moore hired all blacks, all whites, all Norwegians, all Gays, or all black/white Norwegian gays. Also, I could care less where he lives, BUT if you are going to stand on a pedestal and preach about how America is evil and racist, then be part of the solution, NOT part of the problem.

In closing, congratulations to Barrack Obama and Mike Huckabee for their wins in the Iowa Primaries, and thank you to the people of Iowa for voting Hillary third (although sixth would have been better). See you tomorrow….