LAST WEEK, I criticized Attorney General Eric Holder's comment that we were a nation of "cowards" when it came to talking black and white (and, presumably, brown and yellow). Judging from the response, the AG should come to Philadelphia if he really wants a conversation about race. We seem to be anything but cowardly.
Some agreed with my assessment of Holder's comments, while others oozed with indignation that I'd actually question the racist nature of that New York Post chimp cartoon.
But whether the e-mailers agreed with me or not, one thing that connected my correspondents was their willingness to sign their names and even phone numbers and addresses. And that's proof that Holder needs to take Amtrak north to 30th Street, since he has obviously been rubbing elbows with the wrong people. Philadelphians are clearly not shy when it comes to talking about race. Maybe that's why then-Sen. Obama delivered his speech on the topic at the Constitution Center. (The one that was praised at the time as another Gettysburg Address but that now seems to have been re-evaluated as maybe not so momentous.)
But those who took the time to digest my op-ed provided an array of thoughtful opinions. (Unlike the poster on Philly.com who compared me to Hitler. Given my heritage, Mussolini would've been closer to the mark.)
And while I won't put them on the spot publicly, I think it's well worth examining a sample of what they had to say.
Paul wrote: "Terrific and honest assessment of Holder and those that play the race card so often. Unfortunately, we are in for more of the same along with more political correctness and direct attacks on our constitutional rights."
He's right on that count - there are plenty of thoughtful people of all persuasions who believe that giving preferences based on race violates the Constitution's equal-protection clause - which was the ringing message of the
righteous Brown v. Board decision. Or is it different when the preferences go in the other direction? That question should certainly be part of an uncowardly debate.
Then there was a writer who voted for Obama: " consider myself a liberal in most things but abortion. And I do believe that with the election, African-Americans will take stock of their situation and . . . come to the conclusion that, no matter what happened in the past . . . that their future lies in their own hands. You can never forget, even never forgive, but you aren't moving forward living in the past."
True. By living in the past,
we're condemned to repeat it. And, too often, lamenting the evil deeds done to our grandparents causes us to ignore the opportunities open to our children.
E-mailer Larry addresses Holder's invitation to sit down and talk about our segregated lives:
"My experience has been that it is very difficult to change people's opinions about race. It is formed by their own experiences. I have been fortunate that I have seen good and bad in all types of people. But if your experience is different, a seminar won't make a difference."
The AG thinks we can find some agreement on the cause of racial discord by having a national powwow. But as Larry implies, there's no "one size fits all" solution likely to bring harmony.
What happens when even well-meaning people want to talk about real-life experiences that may be uncomfortable - as contrasted to the "stereotypes" that are supposedly the only reason we hold certain opinions?
Is there a frank and uncowardly conversation to be had between whites and blacks about the real problems that still exist?
Like, for example, crime in the African-American community.
As Bill writes: "I was branded a racist when I tried to explain that there are more blacks incarcerated because they commit the most crimes. Unfortunately against other blacks."
CRIME IS a very real problem for inner-city residents. Can we talk frankly about the fact that young black men commit the largest percentage of violent crimes in Philadelphia, including the recent murders of five police officers, without the "r-word" being used as a conversation-stopper? After all, way more often than not the victims are the same race as the perpetrators. In fact, that's a conversation that's been raging for weeks right here on the letters page of this paper, in black and white. So if Holder still thinks we're cowards, he might actually change his mind if he clicked on my inbox - or picked up a copy of the Daily News. *
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