A Christian Liberal is NOT an oxymoron.

Posted by XT on July 21st, 2010 in US News

The White House at least has the decency to try to make amends to Shirley Sherrod. The problem is that they never should have put themselves in a position to do so. The “story” was “broken” (i.e., fabricated) by an activist who was upset that the Tea Party has been called to task for failure to condemn racist comments/persons/thoughts in their membership.

A fuller examination of Sherrod’s remarks display a much different story than what the Tea Party activist portrayed them as. Yes, Sherrod is admitting to having racist thoughts that impacted her job performance. However, her full story is that: 1) She had second thoughts and went back to give full aid to the person in question; and 2) She says that it taught her that racism is wrong, no matter which side of the color-line a person lives on.

It’s a story that is unusual in its candor and its topic. First, to have a public official of any level admit to ever having had a racist thought is practically unheard of – even when they are caught doing and saying things that are blatantly racist. Second, it’s a story about black against white racism, which is also a topic that is practically taboo. Third, it’s a story where a poor white person went to the government for held (more taboo). Fourth, it’s a story where the person involved comes to understand that racism is a double-edged sword that damages the person wielding it as well as the person on the receiving end.

In short, it’s the type of story we, as a nation, need to hear more of so we can understand ourselves better. It’s the type of candid conversation on race that can actually move us forward rather than having the same stupid arguments again. Unfortunately, it has turned out to be nothing of the sort because a nitwit with an agenda was looking for something he could manipulate, rather than a story to tell.

It’s one thing to fabricate things to use as a general illustration – as long as the audience is told that it is a fabrication. It’s quite another to purposefully ruin a person’s life because they happen to say or do something that fits into a political agenda. It wouldn’t even matter if the other side had done the same – it is wrong, bordering on evil to shatter someone’s life for a cheap moment in the sun.

Almost as disgusting as the origination of the non-story has been the right-wing’s reaction to the revelation of a hoax. It is filled with equivocations and hyphenations and parenthetical remarks that make it clear they are really hear to bury Ceasar, not praise him. No one needs to say that the activist’s future work might stand on its own merit – let us see it and judge it in the light of this atrocity.

It’s a statement on our total inability to see the other political side as people rather than as pawns. And it’s a statement on how some people on the left are still stuck in reacting to those on the right rather than in doing the hard work of public education and framing. In other words, it’s an example of everything that’s wrong with our political system, and our nation.

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