Racial PoliticsRacial politics in America continue to confound and disappoint. As a amateur media critic, I find two recent stories interesting as demonstrations of how the Big Media fans the flames of Big Racism. The first is the Don Imus story. The New York shock jock made disparaging, racist comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. The statements only were "racist" because a white guy made them - the same sentiments are found in Spike Lee movies, rap music and (presumably) black talk radio. While Imus is a jerk and cannot be defended, it is interesting how Big Racism jumps on any opportunity to line its pockets and how the Big Media facilities. Make no mistake, Big Racism is big business. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have made millions buying and selling commodities known as racism. They're all over Imus, and it has led the news the last few days. One might think with all going on in the world, some idiot's comments are barely worth noting.
Conversely, the Raleigh D.A. finally dropped all charges against three white Duke University lacrosse players wrongly accused of raping a black stripper. When this story broke last year, race was all over it. Each time the media ran a story, it played up the racial angle. Jesse and Al came, people marched, and those terrible honky Klansmen raped the poor, hard-working black stripper. Racism caused it all. Now that it comes to light that she made it all up - an equally dubious racial situation - race is absent from the media reports. In none of the reports I have heard has the victim's or perpetrator's race been mentioned. I am not concluding just noticing how interesting that seems.
Clearly, there are serious racial issues our society should continue to deal with, but we've made a lot of progress. Unfortunately, Big Racism is big business and has a lot to lose if the problem is solved. I just wish we could work to solve the real problems and not get distracted by the phony ones.
