Getting Beyond Race (And White Guilt)

IBD Editorials ^ | November 11, 2008 | Walter E. Williams

[Kaslin]

Despite the fact that President-elect Barack Obama's vision for our nation leaves a lot to be desired, the fact that he was elected represents a remarkable national achievement.

When the War of 1861 ended, neither a former slave nor slave owner would have believed it possible for a black to be elected president in a mere century and a half, if ever. I'm sure that my grandparents, born in the 1880s, or my parents, born in the 1910s, would not have believed it possible for a black to be president, and neither did I for most of my 72 years.

That's not the only progress. If one totaled black earnings, and considered blacks a separate nation, he would find that in 2005 black Americans earned $644 billion, making them the world's 16th-richest nation. That's just behind Australia but ahead of the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.

Black Americans have been chief executives of some of the world's largest and richest cities, such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Gen. Colin Powell, appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in October 1989, headed the world's mightiest military and later became U.S. Secretary of State, and was succeeded by Condoleezza Rice, another black.

[Niuhuru]

“Despite the fact that President-elect Barack Obama’s vision for our nation leaves a lot to be desired”

Why, because he isn’t sending out black militant death squads sooner?

By the way, at the latest column of Fred Reed, he refers to Obama as “Precedent Obama.”

[17th Miss Regt]

Maybe the election of a black president will help white people over their guilt feelings so they can stop acting like fools in their relationships with black people.

I doubt it.

However, as usual, Dr. Williams hits a home run with his column.

[Joe Boucher]

I call him quota boy.

[LRS]

Thank you! I was just getting ready to post that very same quote.

And, yes: Dr. Williams hits another home run with this column! The only thing he should have added, is the fact that he absolved white Americans of their white guilt several years ago :)

[Zechariah11]

A good read.

[jackv]

An e-mail I got. I feel better now...

By Tom Adkins

Look at my fellow conservatives! There they go, glumly
shuffling along, depressed by the election aftermath. Not
me. I’m virtually euphoric. Don’t get me wrong.
I’m not thrilled with America ‘s flirtation with neo
socialism. But there’s a massive silver lining in those
magical clouds that lofted Barak Obama to the Presidency.
For today, without a shred of intellectually legitimate
opposition, I can loudly proclaim to America : The Era of
White Guilt is over.

This seemingly impossible event occurred because the vast
majority of white Americans didn’t give a fluff about
skin color, and enthusiastically pulled the voting lever for
a black man. Not just any black man. A very liberal black
man who spent his early career race-hustling banks, praying
in a racist church for 20 years, and actively worked with
America-hating domestic terrorists. Wow! Some resume! Yet
they made Barak Obama their leader. Therefore, as of Nov
4th, 2008, white guilt is dead.

For over a century, the millstone of white guilt hung
around our necks, retribution for slave-owning predecessors.
In the 60s, American liberals began yanking that millstone
while sticking a fork in the eye of black Americans,
exacerbating the racial divide to extort a socialist
solution. But if a black man can become President, exactly
what significant barrier is left? The election of Barak
Obama absolutely destroys the entire validation of liberal
white guilt. The dragon is hereby slain.

So today, I’m feeling a little “uppity,” if
you will. From this day forward, my tolerance level for
having my skin color hustled is now exactly ZERO. And
it’s time to clean house. No more Reverend Wright’s
“God Damn America ,” Al Sharpton’s Church of
Perpetual Victimization , or Jesse Jackson’s rainbow
racism. Cornell West? You’re a fraud. Go home. All those
“black studies” programs that taught kids to hate
whitey? You must now thank Whitey. And I want that on the
final.

Congressional Black Caucus? Irrelevant. Maxine Waters? Shut
up. ACORN? Outlawed. Black Panthers? Go home and pet your
kitty. Black separatists? Find another nation that offers
better dreams. Go ahead. I’m waiting.

Gangsta rappers? Start praising America . Begin with the
Pledge of Allegiance. And please, no more ebonics. Speak
English, and who knows where you might end up? Oh, yeah, pull
up your pants. Your underwear is showing. You look stupid.

To those Eurosnots who forged entire careers hating America
I’m still waiting for the first black French President.

And let me offer an equal opportunity whupping. I’ve
always despised lazy white people. Now, I can talk smack
about lazy black people. You’re poor because you quit
school, did drugs, had three kids with three different
fathers, and refuse to work. So when you plop your Colt
45-swilling, Oprah watchin’ butt on the couch and
complain “Da Man is keepin’ me down,” allow me
to inform you: Da Man is now black. You have no excuses.

No more quotas. No more handouts. No more stealing my money
because someone’s great-great-great-great grandparents
suffered actual pain and misery at the hands of people I
have no relation to, and personally revile.

It’s time to toss that massive, obsolete race-hustle
machine upon the heap of the other stupid 60s ideas. Drag it
over there, by wife swapping, next to dope-smoking. Plenty
of room right between free love and cop-killing.
Careful, don’t trip on streaking. There ya go, don’t
be gentle. Just dump it. Wash your hands. It’s filthy.

In fact, Obama’s ascension created a gargantuan irony.
How can you sell class envy and American unfairness when you
and your black wife went to Ivy League schools, got
high-paying jobs, became millionaires, bought a mansion, and
got elected President? How unfair is that??? Now, Like a
delicious O’Henry tale, Obama’s spread-the-wealth
campaign rendered itself moot by it’s own victory!
America is officially a meritocracy. Obama’s election
has validated American conservatism!

So, listen carefully.Wham!!!

That’s the sound of my foot kicking the door shut on
the era of white guilt. The rites have been muttered, the
carcass lowered, dirt shoveled, and tombstone erected. White
guilt is dead and buried.

However, despite my glee, there’s apparently one small,
rabid bastion of American racism remaining. Black Americans
voted 96% for Barak Obama. Hmmm. In a color-blind world,
shouldn’t that be 50-50? Tonight, every black person
should ask forgiveness for their apparent racism and
prejudice towards white people. Maybe it’s time to start
spreading the guilt around.

[yobid]

Except............ he’s 1/2 white. Just sayin’.

[RadioCirca1970]

White guilt effectively ended on 11/4/08: Obama IS Reparations. Nothing further is needed.Full equality has been achieved, thank you and good night.

[ckilmer]

When I worked in federal offices in downtown washington dc there was a black hiring mentoring and consultive office on every floor.

In nearly every agency the whites were being steadily pushed out. Even where whites were senior management you could see further down that all the people who were in line to replace them were black.

Obama is not going to change that. He is going to entrench that.

Everyone will say of white people. Fool.

[keats5]

“Maybe the election of a black president will help white people over their guilt feelings so they can stop acting like fools in their relationships with black people.”

It's time to move forward now. When people accuse well meaning citizens of racism or homophobia, we need to quit cowering and stand up to them loudly and forcefully. We all learned in grade school that the only way to deal with a bully was to stand up to him.

We need to use our freedom of speech before we lose it all together. We may be the last generation that can get our freedom back. My new response to such accusations are routine, loud, "How dare you call me that! Defend that statement. " You know they can't.

[Republic of Texas]

Racism is over. Dead. Blacks have reached the mountaintop. No more whining. Ever.

[OldEagle]

"In nearly every agency the whites were being steadily pushed out. Even where whites were senior management you could see further down that all the people who were in line to replace them were black."

That is because of the hiring priority based on minority (meaning other than white male) points.

A racial minority gets one point and a female gets one point. So an Oriental male gets one point, a black female gets two point and a white man gets zero.

Does anyone think Obama will change that?

[EnigmaticAnomaly]

Bookmarked for later viewing...:-)

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Does this mean the Poverty Pimp Jesse Jackson is out of a job?....

[silverleaf]

And let me offer an equal opportunity whupping. I’ve always despised lazy white people. Now, I can talk smack about lazy black people. You’re poor because you quit school, did drugs, had three kids with three different fathers, and refuse to work. So when you plop your Colt 45-swilling, Oprah watchin’ butt on the couch and complain “Da Man is keepin’ me down,” allow me to inform you: Da Man is now black. You have no excuses.

excellent.

[Stoat]

Sent to everyone on my email list. THANK YOU so very much for posting! :-)

[MikeD]

One of the greatest nights of my life was when Dr. Williams personally absolved any white guilt I might have had. Right before he lit a stogie in the non-smoking Carolina Coffee Shop in Chapel Hill...