Recognizing Cultural Differences Versus Racism

"Facts is facts" ~ Larry the Cable Guy

Probably the only thing I agree with Barack Hussein Obama about is the fact that his skin color shouldn't have any influence on his worthiness to be President. I personally have never considered his race to be a factor for making a decision on whether to vote for him. It is the content of his character, not his color, that concerns me.


And, in my humble opinion, his positions on the variety of vitally important issues disqualifies him from being a capable leader of my country.

I don't dislike him because he is black. I dislike him because he is completely wrong for this country.

My personal opinion notwithstanding, B. Hussein's campaign has made it crystal clear that his skin color has absolutely nothing to do with his ability to lead.

Or does it?

Over at Obama's official web site, the words color, race, minority, etc, pepper all of his media offerings. See for yourself. It would appear Obama intends to ride the wave of racism and white guilt all the way into the oval office. (for a laughable definition of "white Guilt" see Wikipedia's Liberally biased offering, here )

For someone who continually insists that his skin color doesn't make a difference he certainly expends a lot of energy attempting to point his ethnicity out to potential voters.

I have avoided discussing race in general because to do so would automatically bring accusations of racism and bigotry against me and anyone who might appear to agree with me, but since Obama's campaign has brought the subject up, I might as well toss in my two cents worth.

A couple of days ago, I heard a talk radio host ask a caller if he was black or white, and it occurred to me that we as a society have become politically correct to the point of absurdity.

Here's the impetus for the previous statement:

The caller had an unmistakable "black" accent. Even the best white impressionists cannot "fake" a black accent that well. The caller was black. That fact was obvious to even the most passive listener. The host didn't need to ask. And yet, he did.

No matter how a black man tries to hide a black accent, anyone who listens closely can detect the inflections of a black accent in his voice. With the exceptions of non-American blacks, such as British blacks, one only has to listen to know that whomever is talking is black.

I will never refer to any black person as "articulate". That is a term many racist white people use to avoid being called racist. It is a subtle racial epithet. It implies that most black people are not "articulate".

Listen to Alan Keyes, or Colin Powell, or Condaleeza Rice, or Bill Cosby sometime. Really listen. The accent is there.

That's not a bad thing. It is what it is.

As much as we wish to deny it, there are differences in black and white cultures. There are differences in all cultures, and it extends well beyond the obvious differences of skin color and accents in speech. There is no shame or honor in being different in any way.

All men, as God and the Declaration of Independence have so ably pointed out, are created equal.

But, as much as we would like to, inherent differences in racial cultures cannot be denied or even ignored.

And it's not racist to point it out. It is simply fact. It isn't an insult or a compliment.

In my estimation, pretending not to notice the obvious differences between race and culture is racist in and of itself. A couple of years ago, a black lawyer published an article in several newspapers in commemoration of Martin Luther King's birthday entitled, "America Should Honor The Teaching Of King", in which he equates poverty with being black. This is, of course, an opinion based on a racist viewpoint. Obviously, blacks are not the only people in America who are poor, but if one reads the essay, one gets that impression from the author.

On the other hand, whites, as a society, have become so race conscious that the pendulum has swung from blatant, mindless racism to oversensitivity about offensiveness well past the point of absurdity.

Differences in cultures create stereotypes. Stereotypes have basis in fact, or at least in our perception of the things we observe. For example:

In my dealings with the public throughout my life, I have observed certain behaviors that appear to be inherent in the black culture. They are not bad things. They are just inherent differences. Many black people stay up late at night and sleep late in the mornings, often into the afternoon if they don't have to work the next day.

That is not a negative or a positive. It is simply fact based on my personal observations over the years. And it's not exclusive to the black race. It is just more prevalent in the black race than in the white race from what I've observed.

There are more cultural differences between blacks and whites I've observed. Blacks seem to use the telephone more than whites. I don't know why, but they do. Again, it isn't a bad thing. Maybe they just have more friends than white people. That would be a good thing, wouldn't it?

Blacks appear to be more emotionally demonstrative and passionate than whites in general. This is not true of all blacks and it isn't true of all whites, either, but it appears to be more prevalent in the black culture. Again, these things are based upon my own personal observance.

Blacks, for the most part, dress up for church more (and better) than whites. And, in my opinion, they are generally more respectful of God in the way they dress. It is a positive cultural aspect of growing up in an environment that teaches their children to dress up out of respect for God.

That is definitely not a bad thing.


My bride says she prefers white hairdressers over black hairdressers because black hair is different and requires different styling and cutting techniques. White hairdressers are usually better at styling white people's hair and blacks are usually better with black people's hair. That isn't racist. It is just fact.

It is not a coincidence that manufacturers of menthol cigarettes, malt liquors, and certain clothing designs place advertisements for their products in predominately black neighborhoods and publications. These advertisements are results of market research, which tells the advertisers that targeting the black market will generate more profit for their clients.

This targeting of the black market is based on cultural observation. It is intelligent marketing, not racism.

When someone points out there are differences between black and white cultures, it doesn't make that someone a racist.

It is time we stop pretending that noticing those differences somehow makes one a racist.