Sen. Harry Reid – Here we go again!

Here we go again! Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada has brought race to the fore. When we beat our chests and proclaim that we are in a post-racial society something like this happens. As I have mentioned in previous posts on this blog there’ll always be some white guy who will make another stupid remark. Trust me Sen. Harry Reid will not be the last person who sticks his foot in his mouth. When will they get it? Personally, I would not want to endure the scrutiny of the media and being raked over the coals of public opinion.

Personally I believe Harry Reid is a racist. I do believe what he said was very stupid, not to mention insensitive. Bottom line, this is indicative of how many people feel. Many African-Americans in corporate America experience this on a daily basis. Example: many professional African-Americans discuss their experiences with white colleagues in a corporate setting. Whenever a white colleague is describing someone to an African-American coworker and say that the person is well spoken or articulate, almost always they’re  talking about an African-American. Yet when they describe a white colleague the following adjectives are used, he’s sharp, intelligent or witty. Whites almost never describe other whites as articulate or well spoken. To African-Americans this is coded language for oh, you don’t sound colored or Negro.

Now president Obama has already accepted Sen. Harry Reid’s apology. However, many in the media and black leaders are attempting to bait president Obama into an angry rebuke of Sen. Reid. Obviously this would have negative repercussions for the president and race relations. And of course Michael Steele the GOP chairman has chimed in and is screaming for Sen. Reid’s head on a platter. While I am by no means a fan of Mr. Steele’s he does have a point, there is a double standard. If this had been a Republican senator who said the same thing people would be screaming for his resignation or at the very minimum censure in the Senate.

Until America is ready to confront its racist past and the lingering overtone of racism in present day American society, we will not overcome. Too often gaffes like this are swept under the rug and we move on and don’t like to talk about it. Until we confront the evils of racism and its pervasive hold on American society we will continue to repeat the same problem over and over again. Race still remains the white elephant in the room. Hopefully, our country can live up to its promise by having an honest dialogue between the races about this persistent issue.