In Praise of Liberal Guilt: It's not wrong to favor Obama because of race (Mega-Barfer)

Slate ^ | 5/22/2008 | Ron Rosebaum

[mojito]

When did "liberal guilt" get such a bad reputation? You hear it all the time now from people who sneeringly dismiss whites who support Obama's candidacy as "guilty liberals." There are, of course, many reasons why whites might support Obama that have nothing to do with race. But what if redeeming our shameful racial past is one factor for some? Why delegitimize sincere excitement that his nomination and potential election would represent a historic civil rights landmark: making an abstract right a reality at last. Instead, their feeling must be disparaged as merely the result of a somehow shameful "liberal guilt."

If you Google "liberal guilt" and "Obama," among the nearly 32,000 hits you get are a syndicated Charles Krauthammer column under the headline "Obama's Speech Plays On Liberal Guilt"; a Mark Steyn post on the National Review Online that describes "a Democrat nominating process that's a self-torturing satire of upscale liberal guilt confusions"; a column by self-styled "crunchy con" Rod Dreher, who suggests the mainstream media coverage of Obama indicates that "liberal guilt will work [on them] like kryptonite." Even liberals make fun of liberal guilt. A couple of years ago, Salon coyly proposed supplementing the Oscars with the Liberal Guilt Awards and awarding political dramas with "Guilties."

Since when has guilt become shameful? Since when is shame shameful when it's shame about a four-centuries-long historical crime? Not one of us is a slave owner today, segregation is no longer enshrined in law, and there are fewer overt racists than before, but if we want to praise America's virtues, we have to concede—and feel guilty about—America's sins, else we praise a false god, a golden calf, a whited sepulcher, a Potemkin village of virtue. (I've run out of metaphors, but you get the picture.)

[stylin19a]

guy needs a lesson on the difference between shame & guilt

[TheThinker]

But what if redeeming our shameful racial past is one factor for some?

I don't think it's about guilt anymore. That's just an act. It's about the lib's revenge. That's why the libs nominated someone so heinous as Obama. They knew that today's PC culture would assault anyone with sincere reservations.

[adversarial]

Democrats do have some reasons for feeling guilty about race. They were the party that fought for slavery,imposed the Jim Crow laws and opposed civil rights legislation. They are right to feel guilty.

[rickdanger]

Cant real racists hide behind “I voted for Obama” it gives them cover.

[Snurple]

I guess I don’t make enough money to feel guilty. If I could make 5 or 6 mill a year Id be willing to try and feel guilty though, promise.lol