I Don't Think I Like That Tone of Voice

A Repost from 2009

AG Eric Holder claimed we are a "nation of cowards" when it comes to discussing race. My gut reaction was to tell him what to kiss and when. But after carefully spending some time thinking about it, I realized it wasn't what he said, but how he said it.

Holder is correct that the subject of race needs discussion in this country, but it's not because we are cowards. For most of my lifetime, any honest discussion of race has been distilled down to "racists" or "victims of racism". Any dissent from this orthodoxy has been de facto banned.

Three examples:

• During my stint in the Navy, more than once I was subjected to a race relations course. It was handled very poorly. Generally speaking, a Black enlisted man, usually a Chief Petty Officer, stood in front of the class and told us we were all bad because we were White. Or at least that's what I took from the class.

• I also recall my college political science class. We had a guest lecturer - an African Studies professor - who told us there were only two choices in the discussion of inequality of outcome. Either you believed that it was because of racism or it was because Blacks were stupid. I was incredulous at this statement because I had worked with many people over the years (I went to college in my 30's) who were fine, upstanding, competent, successful and ....Black. But dissent from the professorial dogma brought the dreaded "racist" label.

• I had a job in an office setting. One of the secretaries (that was back when it wasn't a demeaning job title) was Black. I wouldn't say we were friends, but we had a friendly, professional relationship. One day, I was called into my bosses office and told I had made racist statements to her. I asked what they were and was told to sit down and shut up. I asked if I could talk to my accuser. Nope. The entire office had to sit through sensitivity training. I never found out what it was I said or did.

The racial extremists and PC pimps have effectively shut down any real discussion of race. There can be no discussion of how the welfare system has destroyed Black America. There can be no discussion of why the Black family has been torn apart by poorly-thought-out programs. There can be no honest discussion of the culture of violence and failure in the Black community.

OK Mr.Holder, put your money where your mouth is and let's start talking.