TJP

Will Racial and Fear Mongering Trump Self-interest?

By Byron A. Ellis-September  06, 2008

The Republicans, as echoed by Dick Armey, have always taken the position that the American electorate is subject to racial and fear mongering manipulations. And, in the past two elections Republicans succeeded by using both tactics. Will the American electorate demonstrate to the world that racial and fear mongering biases are more powerful than their own self-interest?

And, if racial and fear mongering biases determine the outcome of the 2008 elections, how can Americans justify their Christian values?

Will it not prove beyond the shadow of any doubt that the advocacy of American Christian values by Evangelicals and Republicans is a sham? And, therefore, if they are comfortable deceiving Christ, God incarnate, they will deceive anyone.

For Christ the two greatest commandments are (1) to love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and (2) to love your neighbor as you love self (Matt. 22:37-40). Loving your neighbor precludes racial and cultural biases that often lead to senseless violence.

Dick Armey, to his credit noted that such behavior is deplorable and that he believes that Republicans do not encourage such prejudice. However, some Republicans do use racial and fear mongering biases as a political wedge to divide the electorate. Fear mongering and racial exclusion were quite evident during the Republican convention.

Moreover, in the primary for the 2000 election Karl Rove effectively marginalized John McCain by circulating rumors through a phony poll. Rove used the phony poll to ask South Carolina voters, “Would you be more or less likely to vote for John McCain...if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?" Ann Banks noted, “This was not a random smear.” It is indeed sad to know that those that aspire to lead are at the core divisive, not only at home but also abroad. That divisiveness, which has affected our economic performance, has been a constant theme throughout the Republican Administration at home and abroad.

The Republican mantra at their 2008 campaign was “Country First.” For true Christian, however, it is not country first; rather it is God first.  Thus, followers of Christ would rather loose country, political office, and the whole world than to put anything or anyone before God.

It is this convoluted and wrongheaded priority that Republicans have advocated for years under the banner of Evangelicalism and Christianity. But, we know that not all those who claimed to prophesy in Christ’s name do it for the right reasons (Matt. 7:21-23).

Surely, Christianity is not about advocating abortion, but it is also not about advocating war and racism. Christianity is broader than the issues of abortion, racism and wars; it is about the be-attitudes, being the salt and light of the earth, the sanctity of marriage, loving your enemies,” and so on (Matt. 5).

If Evangelicals and Republicans had a true grasp Christ’s teaching they would oppose the wanton annihilation of their enemies with the same seal that they oppose abortion. They would also oppose racism and would not follow adulterers (Matt. 5:31-32).

This election is a window of opportunity for Americans; an opportunity to demonstrate that the nation’s violent racial history is indeed in the past and that the new American view is about the about unity; not the fragment America of the Karl Roves, but rather one built on the notion of true Christianity, where we are our fellow citizens’ keepers.

The window of opportunity, however, is very narrow and will close on November 2, 2008. Americans can choose to enter the window and open a new path of world stability and prosperity or continue on the path violence and economic instability.

[ Home | Comments | Search | Post ]

POST COMMENT

SAVE DARFUR