Thursday, February 19, 2009
We Are All Cowards Now
Attorney General Eric Holder told a fawning audience of Justice Department employees yesterday that the US has been a "nation of cowards" for not discussing race openly. The irony of being chastened about race by a black man occupying the top chair at the Justice Department--appointed by "America's First African-American President" (who received a higher percentage of white votes than John Kerry or Al Gore)--somehow escapes many observers. Not me.
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The hidden message in his "we" are all cowards was that he didn't really mean "we". He meant "you", as in the "you people", as in "you white people", as in "you white people who are the only ones who can ever be classified as 'racists'". Why do I interpret his comments thusly? Because it was said in the context of bolstering Justice Department's EEO resources. I have never heard of a single white male who was in any way served by such offices...unless to be served a pink slip or a lawsuit or some other government-sanctioned threat that if he dared to call into question the work peformance of a minority, no matter how much evidence he compiled or how broadly accepted his assessment, you would be damaged. Why there is one penny of funding to bolster EEOs in this "stimulus package" is beyond me. There are few things more damaging to productivity than an all-powerful, agenda laden and over-staffed EEO. They are rampant in government and to think that they are again on the rise, courtesy of a bill to stimulate our economy is unconscionable. I liked what candidate-Obama said about race. I am offended by Mr Holder's Sharpton impersonation of Al Sharpton. Want me to be "brave" about talking about race, Mr. Holder? Call off your EEO dogs when I do talk about it.
The administration has a serious (and growing) problem in managing the news cycle, and staying on message.
The administration is trying desperately to convince us the economy is in such terrible shape that (a) the financial system may need to be nationalized, and (b) government intervention and involvement in every increasing breadth and depth is required. The administration's message is being drowned out by silly statements like these by AG Holder, the Roland Burris fiasco, NY Post cartoons, and so on.
In a way, he is correct. Were this not a Nation of cowards (predominately), he would be called on the carpet for his remark and it's lack of reality, vis a vis a wealthy, powerful black man complaining that others are cowards for holding him back?!
A majority of American cowards voted for a Presidential candidate simply on the basis of race, or "he's not the other guy", or "he'll give me free stuff". There was no substance to either campaign, there is no "change" in how Obama conducts business versus his predecessors.
I think Holder may be right, but he is one himself.
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