Racism and the attack on Constitutional America

Since my last post the Andrew Breitbart / Shirley Shirrod incident has come and gone, or maybe gone, maybe not. I haven't discussed it here, been discussing it elsewhere. May get to some of it eventually, but right now I want to mention a "panel" discussion on CNN that Breitbart linked to, that occurred in the midst of the Sherrod story. He linked specifically to the remarks by two black talk show hosts, leftists but interesting: Warren Ballantine: CNN Panelist to Tea Party: ‘We Don’t Think You’re Racist...’

Ballantine said about the accusation of racism in the tea party: No, we don't think YOU are racist, we think your IDEOLOGY is racism, and I thought that said it all. He said that when we talk "states' rights," they hear "Jim Crow."

I thought that was honest and illuminating. That's how so many conservative political positions get slammed as racist, political positions that are the essence of Constitutional America that SHOULD benefit all citizens of all races. Instead, this kind of paranoia is how they get brought down.

(I certainly object to his ridiculous claim that Jeremiah Wright was quoted "out of context," however, just as Shirley Sherrod was.)

And Bev Smith: CNN Panelist: We Need White Folk to be Talking About Race

Bev Smith was calling for a dialogue on race. If it could be honest along such lines maybe it would be worth something. Maybe the paranoia could be acknowledged as an understandable reflection of the history of racism. Maybe measures could be discussed to remove any lingering threat along those lines, while the principles of a free society are shown to be the greatest good for all.