American Race Wars

Another election, another battle about race. Remember how black churches would burn and black men would be dragged behind cars if George Bush became president? Talk about negative propaganda. I think most Americans are tired of hearing hyped-up, racially charged news. Not only does it take the focus away from other issues, it's becoming the Boy Who Cried Wolf. Let's review some news history. Tawana Brawley. This was a troubled teenage girl who created a story that she had been raped by three white men. Enter Al Sharpton with his bullhorn. Suddenly, news story after news story appears. The country polarizes, polls are taken. Poll results show that the country believes that whites are inherently evil and blacks are inherently liars. The investigation discovers the evidence has been manufactured and witnesses come forward discrediting her story. Sharpton creeps back into the woodwork and everyone pretends it didn't happen. Duke University. A black stripper accuses three whites of rape. Enter Sharpton with his bullhorn and his mentor, Jesse Jackson. Polls are taken and the country polarizes. The lacrosse coach is fired and the season is cancelled. The country is led to believe that rich white boys are demons, even though at least one of the defendants was from humble roots. Hard evidence finds the defendants innocent. Away goes Sharpton, away goes Jackson, and in the manner of Saturday Night Live's Emily Litella, the media gives us a "never mind." This is almost criminal. Who is to blame? I lay most on the national press. If we let these stories play out without media influence and the accused are found guilty, then you have a story...locally. But playing it day after day, poll after poll, endlessly analyzing it, hypothesizing, conjecturing, until the event is totally rewritten in the eyes of the press turns it into a national tragedy. This tears at the fabric of our society and perpetuates racial tensions. It also gives the race baiters a platform to spew their hatred. The charges get even more insane. Take, for instance, Al Sharpton's and New York congressman Charlie Rangel's stance on the Iraq war. According to them, it's even a racist plot. Their claim is that since more of the poor are black and blacks go into the military, not getting the opportunity to go to college like whites, that more blacks die in the war. No wonder whites like starting wars, right? Rangel, who is a democrat by the way, introduced a bill to bring back the draft. It was defeated 402-2. Even Rangel voted against it. This couldn't be political could it? Here are the facts as of March 1, 2008. Total fatalities 3965, white 2964, black 374, hispanic 424. That computes to 74.8% white, 9.5% black, 10.7% hispanic. According to the 2000 census, our country is 75.1% white, 12.3% black, and 12.5% hispanic. It would seem they were wrong. Are they called upon to explain themselves and is the error pointed out? No. Do they apologize? No. Do we ignore them the next time? No. Any race story is big business for the media. It's a shame they're willing to sell the country's soul for increased viewership. I guess in the words of Walter Cronkite, "that's the way it is."