Flashes of Soft Bigotry

Flashes of Soft Bigotry: Walter Williams ends a column about racial double standards by rightly stating that they are "in some ways worse than the cruel racism of yesteryear". I agree: It is patronizing not to expect, as Williams puts it so well, for "blacks [to] be held accountable to the same standards that whites are and [to] be criticized for conduct that we'd deem disgusting and racist if said or done by whites."

A couple of items on Williams's list caught me by surprise. First, I was disappointed by Morgan Freeman, who had impressed me years ago with his stand -- for what sure sounded like the right reasons -- against Black History Month.

Morgan Freeman said that the campaign to see that Obama serves one term is a "racist thing."

Obama's term has been such a disaster that many of his own past supporters are having trouble getting excited about him this time around. He only needs to lose a fraction of that support to lose his bid for reelection. Or was voting against him or abstaining the first time around also an act of bigotry -- or self-hatred?

I was also aware that there had been a few instances of mobs of black youths randomly attacking white people, and had heard of "flash mobs" attacking people. I had not, however made the connection between the two. Nevertheless, apparently, flash mob has become what would be termed "code" for black mob were the people using it not leftists pandering to black people:

Racial double standards also apply to how crime is reported. I'm betting that if mobs of white youths were going about severely beating and robbing blacks at random and preying on black businesses, it would be major news. News anchors might open, "Tonight we report on the most recent wave of racist whites organizing unprovoked attacks on innocent black people and their businesses." If white thugs were actually doing that, politicians would be demanding answers. Such random attacks do happen, but it's blacks preying on whites.

...

Similar episodes of unprovoked violence by black thugs against white people chosen at random on beaches, in shopping malls and at other public places have occurred in Philadelphia, New York, Denver, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, Los Angeles and other cities. Most of the time, the race of the attackers, euphemistically called flash mobs, is not reported, even though media leftists and their allies are experts in reporting racial disparities in prison sentencing and the alleged injustice of the criminal justice system.

I can't help but wonder how many white people Williams has just made aware of this serious failure in journalism. He deserves to be thanked for pointing this out, but will probably receive lots of flak. We live in a sad day and age when simply speaking the truth and standing up for justice are acts of courage.

-- CAV