It has a potential for pushing race relations seriously backwards in a society that was already relatively open handed.It has a potential for pushing race relations seriously backwards in a society that was already relatively open handed.
In the short term, yes. But, in the long-term, shining this harsh light on the bigotry rampant in the Black community may be good for the nation. (You yourself contributed to that light with your video interview of Daphna Ziman, Roger.) Allowing Black public figures to hide their own racism behind the “race victim” shield does no one any good, least of all African-Americans. If true progress is to be made, then all sides must be open to criticism. Obama’s clumsy, half-hearted attempts to “distance” himself from Wright and the Revs’ “look at me” rantings may well have unintentionally helped hasten the day of a real “conversation on race” that in the long-term will help lance this national boil.
