To paraphrase the old joke, on the Internet, nobody knows you’re black. Or white, Latino, Asian, Inuit, or Cherokee, for that matter. The Internet is the great equalizer – every blogger starts out equally anonymous, and every blogger has the chance to succeed or fail based on his or her merits.
Why, then, this uproar over the skin color of bloggers selected to attend the upcoming Democratic National Convention?
There are only two possible explanations. The first is that the blacks who are protesting believe that race played a factor in the selection of bloggers. This is such an absurd idea that it doesn’t merit any further discussion.
The more plausible explanation is that the protesters don’t want a color-blind selection process, but rather want minority bloggers to be given preference to ensure that they are sufficiently represented. They may not be using the term "affirmative action," but that’s what they’re asking for.
Now, the Democratic Party supports affirmative action and says so in its platform (page 37). However, is this really how the minority bloggers want to succeed? Do they really believe they should be given a free pass to the Convention (literally) based on the color of their skin, rather than their readership and online ratings? I find this astounding. Surely even dyed-in-the-wool Democrats don’t believe there has been a pattern of discrimination against blacks on the Internet, a virtual world inhabited predominantly by a generation which is as color-blind as any that has ever grown up in our great nation. Surely in a year when we are watching history being made, when a black man will be elevated to the presidency by his character, intelligence and inborn ability to lead and unite, the bloggers who share his pigmentation would prefer to be judged on their own merits as well, rather than clamoring for preferential treatment.
A few months ago, I had a puzzling encounter with a fellow Obama supporter, a tireless volunteer who has contributed massive amounts of time and energy to the campaign. He had produced and circulated a video intended to illustrate some defect or other in Hillary Clinton. After watching the video, I felt that not only did it not make the point he was trying to make, but indeed it would tend to push undecided voters toward Clinton rather than away from her. I sent the video’s producer an email message explaining my concerns.
In response, he unleashed a barrage of abuse on me, culminating with accusing me of being a racist who couldn’t handle the idea of something good being produced by a black man. The patent absurdity of making this accusation against an active volunteer for Obama was apparently lost on him.
Not once has Obama played the race card, and neither should those who support him. Not once has Obama used the color of his skin to advance his campaign, and neither should those who support him. Not once has Obama accused those who disagree with his ideas of being motivated by racism, and neither should those who support him. In the Obama era, the victim mentality is a historical artifact. The time has come for us to unite in a victor mentality, confident that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States!
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