Racism?

"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man.”
Former President Jimmy Carter, September 16, 2009

This week President Carter said the words that many of us have been thinking but haven't said aloud. The former President pointed to racism for fueling the hysterical tone of many of President Obama’s critics. While a White House spokesperson was quick to rebut Carter's remarks, the former President's view comes after a summer of health care town hall meetings marked by out of control protests, confrontation, yelling, heckling, and berating.



Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer, September 17, 2009

And, as you can take from Tony Auth's editorial cartoon above, the demonstrations also brought out a lot of other disturbing behavior, as evidenced by the signs with President Obama's image with a Hitler-like moustache, or those with sayings like "Obama is not a Nazi - he's worse."

Add to this Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who was formally rebuked Tuesday in a House vote for shouting "You lie!" during President Obama's speech to Congress a week ago.

As I wrote in newSWire last week, the level of political discourse in this country has slipped. Fueled by the Internet, and out-of-bounds radio and television commentary, we are on a slippery slope that, mixed with racism, can become dangerous.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue.

Walter Kalman, NASW-NJ Executive Director