Tired of racism

Well, folks, I've been reading the news and I came to a conclusion. I'm tired of racism. Some of you may not know this, but I belong to a group that is judged because of a stereotype based on the actions of a few.

That's right. I'm a white male.

I've read about two things that really bother me, and they both have to do with the same thing. Perceived racism where none is intended. I have voiced my opinions on this before, but I just thought I would weigh in on these specific issues.

First is the Gates case. I used to live in a crappy apartment that was pretty easy to break into. A few times in my years there I locked myself out and had to break back in. Every time I did so, I thought about how it must have looked to an onlooker who did not know me. Because I knew all my neighbors and they all knew me, no one ever mistook me for a thief and the police were never called. But I was always ready to be cooperative with police should they show up.

Say what you want about the arresting officer. Gates himself could have stopped it all if he had replaced all his indignant shouting and accusations with these simple lines:

I appreciate your concern for the safety of my neighborhood, officers. I can see how this might have looked like a break-in. Here is my ID, showing that this house is, in fact, my residence. Is there anything else I can do for you, or will you be leaving now?

That clearly communicates that he is in the right and that he wants the officers to leave without making unfounded accusations.

The other bit of racism in the news is all this noise about the ObamaJoker posters. I read a disgusting article this morning that said (in many more words) that when somebody photoshopped Joker makeup onto GWB it was a simple message about how GWB is an unpredictable psychopath, but when somebody photoshopped Joker makeup onto BHO it was a nuanced subliminal message revealing that the photoshopper is a filthy racist who can't accept that a black man runs the country.

This accusation disgusts me. Opposing a belief set that happens to come from a black man does not make me racist. I like these Joker posters, not because of any racial undertones, but because Uncle Barry is turning out (in my opinion) to be a bit like the maniac who Alfred aptly describes as just wanting "to watch the world burn."

And anybody who disagrees with me is a racist. Or a commie. Or a jerk.