Racism and Hypocrisy

The inaugural benediction, by Joseph Lowery, ended with these words:

“Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around -- (laughter) -- when yellow will be mellow -- (laughter) -- when the red man can get ahead, man -- (laughter) -- and when white will embrace what is right.”

Kent Comments:

The blatant double standard, when it comes to offensive racist remarks, grows ever more glaring.  It is a dangerous thing for our society.  It is one of those things that, socially speaking, should not be tolerated.  But unfortunately, not only is it tolerated, it is now celebrated, even at a Presidential inauguration.

Suppose, at some public, governmental function, a ‘prayer’ was offered which concluded with the words, “Lord, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will pick up their slack."

(Apparently, it needs to rhyme.)

Good people would, and should, be offended by something like that.  It speaks of a category of people by race, and assumes that they all share some projected negative trait.

Shouldn’t there be at least a tiny protest by someone, somewhere, when the object of racist generalization is ‘Euro-Americans’ rather than ‘Afro-Americans’?

After a short article in The Washington Monthly reporting on the prayer, one reader commented:

“Look for ‘when white will embrace what is right’ to be pounced on by the wingers as ‘evidence’ of the Rev. Lowry's (and, by extension, the new administration's) ‘reverse racism’.”

What else could this be?

But, of course, there can never be ‘reverse racism.’  That whole concept is ruled out automatically by those who practice it.

Those who complain about racism the most should be those who practice it the least.  Unfortunately, some of those who complain about racism are also some of the most glaring hypocrites imaginable.

So much so, in fact, that they would complain endlessly should anyone point this out.

Let the complaints begin.