American Mythology: The Race Card
The country was reeling from the verdict in the OJ Simpson case When Robert Shapiro Told Barbara Walters "not only did we play the race card,
we dealt it from the bottom of the deck."
Since that time, the race card has been used as a bludgeon to halt serious airing of differences in how aggregates of Whites and African-Americans view certain situations. Ask Blacks and Whites how much racist exists or how much racial progress in racial relations has occurred or whether the judicial system is colorblind , and there are marked differences in opinion. Are Blacks playing the race card, or just reflecting their point of view based on life experiences?
Let's go back to the case that served as the agent for introducing the term race card into the language. OJ Simpson's acquittal caused a surge of anger throughout the country. During and after the trial Johnnie Cochran was viewed as a man responsible for setting race relations back several decades.
Paradoxically, many legal analysts felt that OJ would be in prison stripes today if Cochran had been the prosecutor. Cochran would have analyzed the jury in detail. For the Black women on the jury, OJ would have been portrayed as a brutal man who hated Black women. Simpson had divorced his African-American wife. The ex-jock then cavorted with Caucasian blondes. By the time Cochran was finished emphasizing abandonment of Black women, Simpson would have been convicted in a flash.
If the jury had been all-White, Cochran would have presented the same focused data, this time emphasizing the blondes. Again, conviction would be the result. Cochran had the benefit of a prosecution team that was too arrogant to take into account different life experiences of the jury.
Would Cochran have been guilty of playing the race card with the African-American jury or the White jury?
We have now entered a dismal turn in the Presidential race. Obama makes a factual statement. Barack Obama says that he doesn't look like any of the people on US paper currency. To deny that simple reality is absurd. McCain says that because race has been mentioned, Obama has played the race card.
The underlying message being sent to African-Americans is that we may let you in the door, but don't force us to address the fact that you are not Caucasian. We agree to accept you if you deny your ethnicity. A corollary of this message is that there is nothing of importance that someone who is not White could tell us. Be White and you'll be alright.
There is no race card. There are only different life experiences. We don't want to address the contrasts.
Since that time, the race card has been used as a bludgeon to halt serious airing of differences in how aggregates of Whites and African-Americans view certain situations. Ask Blacks and Whites how much racist exists or how much racial progress in racial relations has occurred or whether the judicial system is colorblind , and there are marked differences in opinion. Are Blacks playing the race card, or just reflecting their point of view based on life experiences?
Let's go back to the case that served as the agent for introducing the term race card into the language. OJ Simpson's acquittal caused a surge of anger throughout the country. During and after the trial Johnnie Cochran was viewed as a man responsible for setting race relations back several decades.
Paradoxically, many legal analysts felt that OJ would be in prison stripes today if Cochran had been the prosecutor. Cochran would have analyzed the jury in detail. For the Black women on the jury, OJ would have been portrayed as a brutal man who hated Black women. Simpson had divorced his African-American wife. The ex-jock then cavorted with Caucasian blondes. By the time Cochran was finished emphasizing abandonment of Black women, Simpson would have been convicted in a flash.
If the jury had been all-White, Cochran would have presented the same focused data, this time emphasizing the blondes. Again, conviction would be the result. Cochran had the benefit of a prosecution team that was too arrogant to take into account different life experiences of the jury.
Would Cochran have been guilty of playing the race card with the African-American jury or the White jury?
We have now entered a dismal turn in the Presidential race. Obama makes a factual statement. Barack Obama says that he doesn't look like any of the people on US paper currency. To deny that simple reality is absurd. McCain says that because race has been mentioned, Obama has played the race card.
The underlying message being sent to African-Americans is that we may let you in the door, but don't force us to address the fact that you are not Caucasian. We agree to accept you if you deny your ethnicity. A corollary of this message is that there is nothing of importance that someone who is not White could tell us. Be White and you'll be alright.
There is no race card. There are only different life experiences. We don't want to address the contrasts.
