The Belief That One Race Is Superior To the Other - Essay Example

Despite the progress of the world in almost all aspects, racism – or the belief that one race is superior than the other resulting to unequal distribution of power (politics), privilege (culture) and prestige (social) among the members of humankind – is still existent. This fact is even more depressing in America, particularly since the country has not yet gotten over its history of racial discrimination in spite of the election to the highest political office of the first Afro-American man. The truth is that it was thought that with Barack Obama in the Oval Office the dark era of slavery in the history of the United States has effectively been closed, and a new epoch has dawned when the blacks are considered as good as the whites and the bias against the former has become a thing of the past. Of course, there is no justification for conceiving that one race is supreme or over and above the others. But, to a certain extent, America has had its awakening on equality of human race earlier than other countries. However, reading the Washington Post article by Courtland Milloy (2010) on the remark made by the former Republican Representative Tom Tancredo (Colorado) that having elected Barack Obama to the presidency is a testament of the absence of civics literacy test in America is a cause for everyone to be apprehensive. Tancredo also added that America is theirs, and that they (referring to the white Americans) need to take the country back. Tancredo’s remark is purely and simply reeking with innate racism. And, while there have been a number of racist statements made against Barack Obama, Tancredo’s comment is particularly degrading. He brought to every American mind the Jim Crow era of slavery, and the rallying cry of the Ku Klux Klan. Tancredo was remiss in respecting the drawn line that anyone who speaks about another race should respect. For, essentially, to maintain that one’s race is better than another race constitutes racism. As Eckert (2009) writes, its instance is when one “(decides) on a person’s qualities, characteristics and value on the basis of an arbitrary descriptor such as race, before knowing the facts”. And, as racism is a prejudice, Eckert further holds it is generally “an unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence”. A keen observer, Milloy commented that no one seemed to have paid an attention to Tancredo’s remark – which is tantamount to adding insult to injury. A racist remark was issued by a white man against a black guy, and it was deemed to be considered as not worth giving attention to. If it were the other way around – that is, if it were Obama who said a racist statement against any white American – protestations were going to be expected. It won’t only be that a doing so is very unbecoming of a resident of the White House. More so, the protests would be occasioned by the fact that a black man has insulted a white man – something which the public is not used to and will not condone. Tancredo may deny his racist frame of mind. But, his comment effectively betrays his unaware or unintentional racist mental state. When he made his nasty remark on Obama, he was not only issuing a political statement. He was disclosing his propensity to underestimate the capacity of an Afro-American to lead the country. Complicating the issue further is the fact that America treasures so much the freedom of speech that its government affords to its people. Shah believes that “(racism) is … a very touchy subject for some people, as issues concerning free speech and the Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) come into play. Some people argue that talking about supporting racial discrimination and prejudices are just words and that free speech should allow such views to be aired without restrictions. Other point out that these words can lead to some very dire and serious consequences.” By and large, Shah’s idea is easily taken as indicative of ambivalence about the issue of racist remarks viz. the freedom of speech. Without denying the import of the freedom of speech, its exercise is still not absolute. Among the things that one should pay attention to is to ensure that it is exercised responsibly. All of us, anyway, believe that our respective race is better – if not the best – in comparison to other races. This belief is either factually right or wrong (McCulloch). But, our concern here is when our racist beliefs result to the detriment of the others. As in the case of Tancredo, his remark revealing his notion that white men are supreme over the black ones. His comment tells us that US presidency is only for the white men, and that the blacks – or any other race, for that matter – should not be given a chance to ascend into it. Annotated bibliography: 1. Eckert, Susan. Suite 101. 7 Dec. 2007. Web. Eckert writes that it is hard to define what constitutes and what does not constitute racism. In fact, it is especially hard to differentiate racist comments from ones that are not. An attempt to deal with this issue, Eckert maintains that a comment is racial is when one race is reduced to inferior status in comparison to another. An example is when a joke is made about black people in which they are portrayed to be no better than the race of the joker. Such a joke reveals the joker’s subconscious belief that he/she is better than the black people. Eckert’s article is very helpful in proving that Tancredo’s comment is racist. With this article, I am able to argue that Tancredo actually implied that black people are uneducated and illiterate – and, hence, not competent to lead the country – as he categorically said that white people need to regain America and the control over it back. This constitutes the being racist of his remark. And, Eckert’s words prove that Tancredo is essentially a white supremacist. 2. McCulloch, Richard. “Right and Wrong Racism”. Racial Compact. Web. This article talks about what really racism is. It describes the understanding of the ideology (of racism). It characterizes racism as irrational and unreasonable feeling because it is immoral and unfair. McCulloch concedes, though, that racism is akin to nationalism and individualism insofar as racism has elements of pride and is based on the belief that one’s race is superior to another race. Basically, it breaks down racism by defining it and describing racist feelings and acts. This article proves to be very handy in positing that Tancredo’s comment is racist. The Republican lawmaker gouged his listeners to take America back. The solon is a white man, and he was referring to American country governed by the white men until the election of Barack Obama. In effect, Tancredo was implying that his (white) race is superior over the blacks. As such, the white men should have all the reason to rule America again. McCulloch also explains that racist act is immoral because there is no justification to the action. 3. Shah, Anup. “Racism”. Global Issues. 12 Jan. 2012. Web. . Signifying that it is important to understand the historical background of America in order to understand the constitutive elements of a racist act, this article summarizes the understanding of racism by the Americans. It describes the brutality that the black race had to endure and the discrimination that the Arabs and the Muslims face especially after the 9/11 attacks. The history of America tells us that the country had gone through a lot in trying to prevent racist acts. And, the history of American people would help us understand why Tancredo’s comment is considered racist and unacceptable by the American culture. The significance of this article lies in its description of the importance of freedom of speech in the country. In effect, it is able to provide the wider context of Tancredo’s comment. Through this article, too, Tancredo’s being a politician becomes a crucial element. As he is being looked up to, his choice of words could not have been very delicately made. However, more than the words of his speech, his subconscious frame of mind proves that he is indeed a white supremacist. 4. “Understanding White Supremacy.” Teachers Domain. WGBH Educational Foundation, 2010. Web. . White supremacy is not a particular issue in America. It is actually a global issue, and has been an issue for thousands of years. This article buttresses my belief that Tancredo is a white supremacist. His words betray his belief that he is a superior race. He may not have advocated the use of violence in his words, but his concept is harsh and strong enough that he is actually disturbed by the idea that a black man is now occupying the Oval Office and is in command over the blacks and the whites alike. Likewise, this article enumerates other organizations and groups associated with white supremacy. It also defines what they believed in the struggles that America has had to dominate these groups and defeat their white supremacist designs. Read More