Final Reflections on Political Science

I'll take away some excellent discussions from this class. I feel as though my peers and I have made significant progress this semester in expressing ourselves and our opinions without regret or fear of judgment. That is incredibly valuable.
The major portable skill I've learned this semester is the ability to use a Mac, at least basic functions. I'm still a die-hard PC user, but I concede that the experience has broadened my computer use horizons.

Harry Reid: Racist?

Harry Reid's recent comments regarding the election of President Obama, referring to him as "light-skinned" and lacking a "negro dialect", have landed him in some seriously hot water. Political analyst Keli Goff (Huffington Post) spoke on a NPR segment to weigh in on the issue. Goff believes that Reid is not a "racist" per se, but that he likely does not interact with people of different races very often, even though he is the Senate majority leader for the Democratic party (widely considered the party which advocates for minorities). She also acknowledged the fact that Reid is of an older generation which may contribute to his use of the word "negro", commonplace prior to 1980. Goff says the problem of racial sensitivity among some Americans stems from their lack of experience with people of different races who are also their equals socially. For example, someone who claims they harbor no prejudice against Hispanics but only interacts with their Hispanic housekeeper. Goff concluded by analyzing the intent of the comment (Reid was trying to get the first black president elected) and summarizing the probable cause of his ill-chosen words: he is devoid of any "substantive understanding" of people of different races.

I largely agree with Ms. Goff's commentary, but I would like to offer up another facet of the issue that was only breifly acknowledged: the double-standard between Republicans and Democrats about race. GOP Chairman Michael Steele called for Reid to resign and asserted his opinion that if a Republican had made identical remarks, they would have essentially been ousted by public demand. I believe there is merit to this assessment. The average short-sighted voter is unaware of the fact that Republicans were the greatest advocates for minorities up until the age of FDR. Our society has a certain predisposition to accuse Republicans of being racist but not Democrats.

Ms. Goff is right in that everyone must have meaningful, equal dialogue with people of different races if we ever hope to achieve the ideal of a truly integrated, "color-blind" society.