Death Threats & Racism

I heard on the ABC news last night that death threats directed at President Obama are up 400% from those directed at any other president since they started keeping stats. This was in a story about racism and that was thought to be the primary cause for this. That's scary. Here I thought racism had died down to a managable ember. Guess I was wrong.

If you ask yourself, though, what other reason there could be, and you look at this whole situation honestly and without the blinders of political preference, maybe you, like me, would come to that same conclusion. Mr. Obama's political philosophy, his actions, his legistative programs are not 400% more offensive to the "American Way" than anyone else's have been. Could it just be the contrast between this guy and the last one? Is it too much, too quick?

The polarization in our country is reaching a point that you have to wonder if the whole thing won't just shatter from the build up of internal stresses. Many people are not willing or able to open their minds and consider anything other than what they already believe. The courage on one's convictions is great -- and we should all have that -- but those convictions need to be arrived at as a conscious act, after consideration of all the related facts you can get, and not based on the insane -- but oh, so entertaining -- ravings of a radio lunatic or the pontifications of some ivory tower air-head. I know too many people who will take whatever such men and women say without ever bothering to actually look up the info on what is being said. Trust no one: make up your own mind. Your OWN mind...

Oh, well...maybe it's just the weather. It has been raining a lot.....