The moccasin mile-walk

Somewhere along the way, I’m sure we’ve all heard the maxim, “Never criticize an Indian until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.”

If you need a higher authority than me, how about “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” More simply, “Love one another.”

For me, all of these were early lessons about discrimination. They gently put me in my place and have kept me there.

My friend Mat O’Keefe over at “Papamoka Straight Talk” learned about such things on his grandparents’ knees. As immigrants from the counties Claire and Cork in Ireland, they were met in America with overt discrimination.

Papamoka has shared his thoughts on such discrimination in a post, “True colors in politics,” which features two video examples of overt racism by Republicans. (Unfortunately, I am on a dial-up, or low-speed, connection which prevents me from viewing videos.)

Go HERE to read Mat’s straight talk and view the videos and, by all means, leave him a comment expressing your own views.

Here are mine:

Sadly, there will always be those who believe they are the models of perfection for all persons. I don’t believe this is a phenomenon systemic to or based ONLY in the Republican Party.

As a Southerner who lived through – indeed, was an eyewitness to - past civil rights struggles, I can say with some authority that such hatred - or fear - of others is based in ignorance – the lack of education. Not the rudimentaries required to “get a job,” but a well-rounded, liberal education which exposes one to the world outside a narrow-minded existence.

Ironically, as I type this at 4 a.m. Friday, “CBS Up to the Minute” is airing a segment on how poorly America’s education system stacks up against others in the world.

I’ve always heard that “man fears most that which he does not understand.” What is needed is more understanding.

Finally, let’s not make the mistake – in the event Barack Obama is defeated – of blaming every vote for John McCain on racism. The dedication to conservatism in this country remains very strong, and it existed long before an African-American was at the top of a political party ticket.

***

In every (every!) political race, when candidates are at the post and come out running, there are always promises of meaningful improvements in America’s education systems. In the end, as we juggle all the issues important to us and to this nation, education always seems to fall precipitously to the bottom of the priorities list.

I would argue, it remains the single most important issue, the key to solving all the others.

If this country is so damn great, would someone please explain to me why we continue to neglect the minds of its children?

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Read more “Papamoka Straight Talk:” LINK

The real shame

At the risk of dating myself, when I was a teenager the best deterrent for finding oneself in “the family way” was shame.

Sex aside, argueably a major contributor to teenage pregnancy today is the absence of shame.

The real shame, though, is the exploitation of a 17-year-old girl for political purposes and the selling of media sensationalism.

According to CNN, the left-wing blog, Daily Kos, was the source of the rumor that Sarah Palin’s daughter is the mother of the 4-month old baby with Down’s syndrome. Pretty neat trick, since the daughter is five months pregnant.

Has it occurred to anyone that left-wing propaganda is just as despicable as attacks from the right?

Republicans are not without blame. Fox News spent the hours after the introduction of Sarah Palin to the GOP ticket parading one right-wing pundit after another delivering talking points about how great it was that Palin didn’t abort her afflicted baby.

Now, they have used Bristol Palin’s pregnancy to try to turn this election once more on the issue of abortion – a maneuver meant to mask eight years of ineptitude.

George W. Bush once addressed a fundraiser crowd, “Some call you rich; I call you my base.” Nothing like a culture war to bring low- and middle-income folks into the fold and make them forget they’re the ones being screwed.

As for Democrats, I thought we were the good guys. We’re beginning to sound more like the right than the right.

Even in our patriarchal society, no one accuses fathers of abandoning their family role when seeking - and serving in - public office.

We had better back off, or we might just find that bullet we’ve shot into our collective foot is sexism.

I’m ashamed.