Romney and Racism

So we all know I am in to politics. However, I did not watch the debate as I was busy and have found past years to be very disappointing   Since the debate, I have heard many things about it.  Last night, however, I had a conversation with a very nice man who happens to be a self described Liberal hippie.  I rather enjoyed them as customers. I found them delightful to talk to and rather un-offensive. I say that not because I assume the above described would be offensive but because of the conversation that occurred right before he walked out of the restaurant.  I must say, here, that one of my best friends is a Progressive Liberal, so being of that political mind set does not make a person into someone I don't like.  

On to the conversation at question.  We talked about politics. When I work, I try to be as non-political as possible. I try to be agreeable and find "common ground" which I believe I did when I expressed term limits for everyone (in politics), salary reduction, and finding people to run for office who have the best interests of the people at heart, not a desire to makes "lots" of money.  He moved us on to the political debate, which again, I had not seen.  I had heard about Romney referring to "Obama's facts" as being untruths that he (Obama) repeated until he thought people would believe them and that Romney referenced the fact that "I have boys and they try that too" or something along those lines. I took that as a reference to Obama being a younger man.  This gentleman, that I was speaking with, informed me that Romney was being a racists by referring to Obama as "boy" which is apparently a derisive term to blacks.   While I admit that it was used derisively in the past (and possibly still today in some areas), it could hardly be what Romney was referring to.  The only "proof" that Romney is a racist is the made up examples like this.  Unless Romney has his own "blacks" that he was referring to when he posited that his "boys" do the same thing, it is more likely that Romney was referring to his younger sons.  It's time that we stop trying to make others into our preconceived ideas of what people of different ideological perspective are. How about we judge each man according to his own actions?  It's novel and all, but I think it might work better than trying to force others into the box of prejudice that we have set up for them.  

While living in North Dakota during the early 2000, I went to a rodeo in the "back woods" with all of the locals.  While sitting around the camp site (for lack of a better word), I listened as the un-educated, local haters talked about the one "nigger" at the Rodeo.  Apparently, not all black were "Ns" to them, but this one was because of the way he walked around there.  He didn't know, apparently that he was to cower and be afraid while there.  He got beat up; I heard about it afterward. I have to say that I wanted to throw up. I only knew one person there and so stayed quiet for fear of myself.  I wouldn't have known how to get out of the rodeo grounds as they were way back in the middle of no where in farming country which is a lot like a maze to people like me.  That was racism. That's what racism looks like.  It's ugly and very hard to hide.  

In my opinion, Romney, who is not my first choice for president, is better than the man we currently have in office, not because of the color of his skin but because of the failure of his policies.  I am proud that our country has gone from enslaving people of color to electing them in office. What a great achievement for a people.  Now, lets stop creating division and racism where there is not and start working towards what is best for this country.  Let's deal with real racism where it is instead of creating it where it is not.  Let's work together towards a better country to pass on to our children.