The problem with racists seems to be...well...their race.

Finding examples of media bias toward liberal viewpoints is about as difficult as finding stink in a month old carton of two percent milk. You, unfortunately, tend to get the same reaction when pointing this bias out to someone as you get when you say "here smell this" to your lovely spouse standing before you with a bowl full of dry Grape Nuts and a spoon. A reaction of indifference to your plight in having been the one to recognize the problem, a bit of irritance (sic) that you feel necessary to share the pain, indignance that you expected anything else to come from the so-called mainstream media or a container of clearly separated, past its prime bit of bovine juice and impatience that there is no quick remedy being proposed.

It was rather fun to run down to the local Whole Foods grocery to pick up a quart of fresh, organic, non-fat milk at an inflated price and listen to the pantheon of left leaning shoppers decry the chain's CEO's op ed piece against The ONE's health care initiative and proposing his own more conservative plan. There are even calls to boycott the haven for the organic food fueled, reusable bag carrying, granola munching crowd.

The milk run was easier than finding an unbiased news report on the recent town hall meetings on my 70 channels of Comcast basic cable. The latest topic du jour for reporters and pundits alike is the rash of anti-Obama, anti-health care militia members bringing their assault weapons to the events.

Let me be clear here: I am a staunch second amendment advocate who in matters of self-defense thinks a fair fight means you didn't bring a big enough gun. That said, it makes no sense to choose the battle of health care to demonstrate your personal viewpoints on this issue by bringing a weapon with you when attending a town hall affair. This move, albeit completely legal, only gives fodder to zealots on the left who will relish it with their morning cereal and herald it along with snap, crackle and pop as further evidence of the lunacy of the protesters.

The reporters pushing this issue prove they have the initiative of your average DMV worker at 4:59 PM on a Friday before a Labor Day Monday by resorting to the tired argument of racism as the motive behind their arming themselves.

Case in point is this report from the ever balanced MSNBC:


There is no doubt this group of concerned media professionals is concerned for the safety of our First African American President of the United States. Honestly, at times I am too; just not for the same reason. There is growing anger in the country toward the President and his marching us toward something that would make the wigs on our founding fathers turn prematurely gray. Soon it may rival the near hysterical and psychotic hatred the left had, and maintains, for George W. Bush. I feared for his safety too.

Where I differ with the dolts from the news post above is that I don't see the issue of race here. They seem to see it everywhere. I guess my first clue that the gun toting protester mentioned doesn't hate The ONE because he is African American is that the gunman too is African American. It took quite a bit of searching but here is a photo of the member of a well maintained and regulate militia:
Maybe this man is against Obama's white roots from his mother's side. Maybe he feels Obama is an Uncle Tom and not Black enough like was said about Clarence Thomas during his hearings when nominated for the Supreme Court. Maybe he is just a self-loathing African American who feels his brother is being uppity and serving the Man.

Maybe the reporters simply ignored the man's race because it didn't serve their purpose. I feel like a broken record in decrying the broken record of using racism as some ever effective kryptonite against any argument that goes against the lock step viewpoints of today's average journalist (sic).

And by lock step I am not claiming they are Nazi-like...blah blah blah blah.

S2

One out of 100 is calm. Ask yourself why.

At the onset of their August recess, members of the House and Senate dispersed across the country feeling like gods descending from Olympus to hold court with the acolytes from their respective districts and states. In town hall meetings where these so called leaders expected to be viewed as statuesque and sage they found instead they were more figures of disdain to be burned, symbolically of course, in effigy.

The mainstream media, along with the now fringe MSNBC and their big brother NBC, would have us believe the crowds filling these meetings halls to beyond capacity are akin to the torch and ax wielding mobs of a Frankenstein movie whose uncontrolled outbursts are interrupting the monster’s soft shoe rendition of “Putting on the Ritz”. They would also have us believe these antagonists are without free will and are there at the bidding of a right wing and, probably, right handed puppet master who is pulling the string of discontent to try and stop any progress being made by this administration. Oh yeah, they are racist, un-American and Nazi sympathizing “birthers” as well.

The horror movie crowd analogy has some merit. The collective that is our congress has enough Botox, hair plugs and plastic surgery scars to create an army of soulless, mind dead zombies large enough to put two in every state and around 325 more in districts throughout the country. Hmm, now there’s a thought.

I believe the racist and Nazi accusations to be nothing more than amateurish political posturing and a play on easy stereotypes that are often used when stronger arguments are not available. Both left and right of our political spectrum pull these aging rabbits of out long ago soiled top hats when they’ve no other trick up their sleeve. The fact they are being used now instead of arguments being countered with facts and figures leads me to believe some of the accusations of so called death councils and rationing might not be a far off the mark as the media would have us believe.

With regard to the claims that the opposition to health care reform is organized by a power higher than the lowly average American citizen doesn’t hold water. Why is it so hard to believe that this, one of the most important and potentially life changing pieces of legislation to ever be somewhat debated, could cause a ground swell of concern that manifests itself in protest? The handwritten signs I see against this proposal seem amateurish compared with the printed signs being held by uniformly distributed groups in matching shirts that somehow get in to these town meetings early. Which side seems to be the organized one here?

Finally, why is it that town hall meetings held by Senators and Congress folk have loud and, in my opinion, informed dissent on display but the one held by the first African American President of the United States is more of a love fest with softball questions being read by teenage Julia whose moms are the coordinators for Massachusetts Women for Obama? Could it be the free tickets were distributed carefully to ensure a more receptive crowd?

Media is now reporting the support for health care reform at the top of news broadcasts and are providing the impression that there is equanimity between the two side’s strength. Don’t let them fool you. Every pole is the same. More people in our country are opposed to this than are for it and, for that I am glad.

I am not going to tell you what to believe or what you should think. That seems to be the job of pundits and talking heads. My only comment is for you to take a look deeper than the vacant eyes of Katie Couric or Brian Williams and to read what you can of these proposed bills. If you can find specifics, remember them.

The rhetoric is loud and cantankerous and is clouding the real arguments and proposals. Let’s discuss this as adults and make sure everyone is heard.

S2

This case for racial equity is a few bottles short of a six pack.

Let me be upfront about this, I have done everything I can to avoid reading, watching or listening to reports about the Beer Summit held at the White House last Thursday. It is this ignorance of the issue that, it seems, makes me qualified to comment on the greater issue here. After all, when asked about the underlying racially charged arrest that this summit was held to address, the First African American President of the United States felt compelled, after admitting he didn't know the facts, to call the actions of the police stupid.

For those of you who may shun mass media to an even great extent than I have recently, the so-called Beer Summit at the White House was a photo opportunity brought about from an arrest made at the home of a Harvard professor after a neighbor, who was either taking her turn on duty for Neighborhood Watch or feels she is channeling Jimmy Stewart's wheelchair bound character in Rear Window, called the police to report two men breaking in to a house on her street. You see, after a long first class, wine filled, movie watching and nap taking flight from China, the professor couldn't locate his house keys and the chauffeur didn't have a set on the limo's keyring. The well educated and tenured molder of youthful minds had to break in to his own home. Hence the report of the, umm, a break in to the police.

When the police arrived to investigate and make sure everything was Kosher, the Harvard professor took umbrage at being asked if there was anyone else in the home and to provide some identification showing he belonged there and that climbing in the window was his normal method of entry. I guess one slur led to another and soon the well educated one was doing a perp walk to the officer's black and white.

Fast forward to the national beer garden on the White House lawn on Thursday just before the nightly news is scheduled start. Four men are sitting amicably, we assume, discussing the broader issue of race in this country while tossing back an unidentified brand of beer that had been delivered one at a time to their table. The cries of racism and prejudice that emanated from the handcuffed professor a few short weeks ago are now being discussed for how they relate to the population at large. The four men: the professor, the arresting police officer, the Vice President of the United States and The ONE.

You will note I've yet to mention the race of the police officer or the professor. That is because it is irrelevant. Or it was until the professor brought it up and then the President chimed in. So just how oppressed is the break in artist?

Of the four, only one is not a millionaire; the white cop. One professes, and actually brags about, being the poorest member of the United States Senate when he held that title before his current one: the white politician. One makes a living pointing out the differences between the races and perpetuating stereotypes, the like which this Beer Summit is condemning, of the past and has a job from which he can't be fired: the black professor. One rose from average beginnings in a meteoric rise to the most powerful position on the planet: the black President. One is probably not really sure what the hell he is even doing there: the white politician.

Two of the men will soon vacation in multi-million dollar estates in one of the richest areas of the country: the two black men. One will, most likely, never again set foot in a place of such power and opulence as is the White House where the others will be regular attendees: the white cop. One works for the public good in a position of trust where benevolence and civic duty more than monetary reward or power are the draw to the career: the white cop. The other three are in positions where the preceding should apply but unfortunately doesn't seem to.

Where, looking at a photograph of this staged event we should see four men having a beer and leave it at that, unfortunately it is told to us we need to see two black man and two white men and focus on their differences and challenges in society. The race baiters in our society tell us we will never be able to move past issues of race until we can see beyond the colors of one's skin. Unfortunately, it is usually they who are so quick to point these colors out. Personally, I am color blind.

I think I need a beer.

S2