Does anyone remember the furor over Obama's usage of the phrase"lipstick on a pig"? John McCain said that Barack Obama knew "what he was doing" when he used that analogy to describe McCain's policies. He admitted that Barack Obama was not calling Sarah Palin a pig. John McCain said that Obama should have known that the inference would be that he was being literal. That whole fiasco has made me ponder quite a bit on what implications could be drawn from using the word "whip". After all, we do have a history of slavery in this country. No matter how much America wants to minimalize that part of it's past, the memories persist for blacks. The ramifications of slavery are still being processed by those of the black diaspora to this day. So, how insensitive is it of him to use such a word in what has become a racially charged atmosphere? Surely he knows that the white man used to brand & "whip" the black slave. But then, he goes on to say,"I want to emphasize again, I respect Senator Obama. We will conduct a respectful race, and we will make sure that everybody else does, too." (end quote)
Sounds great! But, McCain ought to consider his words more carefully. On the concerns of minorities, John McCain has been completely indifferent & mute. In an earlier post, I talked about how he did not show up for a debate, during the primaries, that dealt with minority issues. He just does not seem comfortable with other races whereas Obama is seen mingling with every race. It just made me really uneasy when he used that word "whip". Because not even 200 years ago McCain would have had the legal right to do so.
