America is changing, and some are scared

　Also, people can make racist comments without actually being “racists.” For instance, making a stupid “Polish” or “black” joke may be ill-advised and ignorant, but that doesn't mean the teller is a supporter of the KKK. True racists are irrational; surviving on a diet of acidic hatred until eventually succumbing to it.

However, there are many Americans who agree with former President Carter. For these Obama supporters there's just no dancing around the fact that the signs and tone of the protests are racist. “Would they be making such comments if he were white?” they ask. It's perhaps understandable that America must endure such tit-for-tat. Barack Obama is the first president of non-European descent and his multi-cultural past can be frightening for those still stuck in a “tribal” mindset.

　The fact is, America is changing, and change can be scary. In the early days of the U.S., North European immigrants were somewhat dominant and the newly arrived Southern and Eastern Europeans were the “other.” After a few decades these “others” were assimilated and another group became the new “others.” If projections prove true, America will cease to be a “Caucasian European” majority nation by 2040 — and that's not too far away. Obama is just the tip of a huge iceberg of change that is on a collision course with the “America” we understand today.

For his part, Obama is hoping to stop these distractions before they overwhelm his presidency. And truthfully, both sides need to bring some temperance to their conflict. The left must understand that change can be difficult and those uncomfortable with Obama and his policies are not necessarily racists. Those on the right need to understand that change is inevitable and that evolution, while sometimes difficult, can lead to greater things.

1|2

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email