Missing the Point on Hot Rod Sherrod

When the famous tape came out in which Shirley indicated she did not feel as encouraged to help a white farmer due to race, way back when, I also saw the part in which she said it opened her eyes.

Nothing about the event surprised me, although I found much of it a little bit troubling. However, I think it was blown up stupidly. As much by her fickle friends and associates as by those who broke the story. More so, when you consider all things.

Instead of it being about black vs white, she sees it as have nots vs haves. Wrong again Shirley. It is about right and wrong, about willingness to take what is not yours and willingness to use government to do so.

That may not be clear when you look at every case of the moment, but behind the problems somewhere you will see the ugly truth--avoidance of enforcing protection against force and fraud while enacting regulation after bogus regulation pretending to correct problems created by an irresponsible government.

Some problems will happen in anyone's life. Can't change that, much as you try.

It seems quite clear to me that Shirley had and may still have a skewed view of other cultures and races. Her implication that a white lawyer is a white farmer's "own kind" is way off base. "Own kind" is rarely felt by white people based on race alone. It is not how it works. Her comments sounded eerily like the politically incorrect use of "you people" in addressing African Americans--even the ones who are totally American, and not at all African.

I'm amazed that the administration went off on her without even asking her what the tape was about. Then they blame those who publicized the video. Same with the NAACP--running off half baked to avoid credibility issues. Makes you wonder how many other times they take action without vetting facts or seeking the whole truth. That is a very scary thing.

More disturbing than Ms Sherrod's feelings that the white guy deserved less help for being white, was the snickering in the background. Obviously a room full of people who relish the thought of a poor white guy getting pay back for things not of his making. She was making the point that the difficulties of poor farmers aren't a race issue. I give her credit for that.

I'm sure we disagree on the role of government, period. But those things happen.

Although I believe there is no question that this administration is often supportive of racists, and so is the NAACP, I think the whole Sherrod debacle was a stupid exercise on the part of those who oppose this government's policies.

I oppose almost everything this Congress and president have done, but I am often embarrassed at the stupid approach many other dissenters take. They end up doing the same game of half truth and gotcha that typifies the heavy handed government supporters.

If it wasn't done using other people's money, I would not care how they felt regarding race. I'd love to see that become a non issue. Last thing I want to do is to automatically think of friends' race when interacting. Lately that is hard because it is all you hear. Racist this, Cracker that, Black power, Nazi, KKK, oh he said this, she said that.

Say whatever you want. Just don't enforce your bigotry with the taxpayer's dollar. You have every right to hate white people, black, people, any people. You have no right to harm them or restrict their life and freedom.

We are entering an age in which saying a thing is verboten, but actually interfering with another's rights is not. That is bass ackwards. I prefer you don't hate every iota of a cracker, but as long as you don't suggest murder and such, have at it.

So, Shirley, if "my kind" was defined only by race, life would be easy. But the truth is, my kind are the sort who focus on things other than race, can use common sense, and who do not assume they have the right to what belongs to others, including the evil RICH.

Most white lawyers and, sometimes, white farmers, do not fall into the subset of humanity you'd refer to as my "own kind". It is tough for you to make that leap into looking at content of character, etc. rather than race in seeking "your own kind" since you lived in the days when the Jim Crow era was breathing its last dying gasps.

But if you truly want to be fair and believe in equality under the law, then you must force yourself to let reason guide your emotions.

Also, with a boss like that, I'd watch my back. Obviously the whole truth is the last thing they go for in making decisions.