Over time, history has shown that intergroup, interracial competition breeds prejudice and distrust among communities. International wars and conflicts have mostly seen minorities and the less fortunate especially blacks, register huge gains. This has been experienced in the US and that is what this essay will try to address, especially the ongoing allegations that President Obama’s position is based on opposition.
The issue of racism has existed in the US for many years and though it seems to have reduced, fears are rising that the current opposition to the President Mr. Obama may be rooted to racism. News have been written and some televised accusing those in opposition to the president as being motivated by race. The shocking disrespect to the president’s office by Wilson seemed to confirm these fears. One can argue that no democrat dared shout at President Bush even when he was presenting fake cases for war in Iraq. This on the face of it can is seen to imply that there are still those who cannot just come to the fact that a black man is ruling them that this ugliness and hatred towards Obama has a deeper meaning than what people are seeing.
The recent tea party rallies and meetings by democrats and especially black Americans have majorly been focusing on the issue of racism, accusing conservatives of being racists. Many have been vocal on this issue; take for instance Tim Kaine, the governor for Virginia who said that Obama’s opposition is not just based on his policies but also deeply rooted in race. There have been various uproals about the president’s action and more often than not they have tied to racial remarks. This creates unnecessary tension in the nation (McMahon 2009). It has been continuously seen that there have been constant accusations, which have been directed to Obama because of his background. It is possible that some of the accusations might be true but it is worthwhile that the president be given a fair chance; there it will be fair enough to give Obama a chance. Some schools of thought are of the opinion that there is no issue of racism in the US politics and that what has been observed is a political tactic meant to silence the conservatives.
There is a need for all the people to understand that there is usually a tendency for people to oppose big government, liberalism, social policies and corruption. This does not mean that anyone opposed to these will be branded racists just because the current President is black. This is just a way made use of by the leftist to distract Americans from real issues on the ground. People should ought to be allowed to debate issues without fear of being branded racists. The agenda and policies pursued by both the white house and the congress, is the main cause of all the opposition on Obama’s government. Most Americans have become angry at what the government is doing; the bailouts, the Guantanamo bay closure, the stimulus bill, the cap and trade legislation and the health reforms are all that comprise the hatred towards Obama’s government. This has seen many Americans marching on streets of Washington in their thousands protesting against the Obama administration. Many are turning out in meetings and voicing their concerns. The election of President Barack Obama to office should be proof enough to the whole world that Americans as a whole, regardless of whether they voted for him or not, are not racists. Americans have gradually become aware of the consequences of racial politics, this therefore shows that those harboring these negative thoughts are just desperate and should be stopped from sawing seeds of discord in the minds of liberated Americans who are currently living together harmoniously regardless of their race. The President himself promised a post-racial American, and so far he has denied those negative allegations. What he needs to do now is to be more proactive, tell those who want to daunt his efforts to concentrate more on policy issues other than race. Disagreeing the way conservatives are doing does not mean that they are racists; they are just voicing their concerns (McMahon 2009).
Conclusion
It is true racism has been in the United States for a long time and perhaps some can argue that is still does exist. It will also be of importance to note that though it may be there, it has drastically gone down as many Americans have now realized its consequences. Americans are now in a new era marked by the ascension to office of an African-American president. This should be proof enough to the few who still doubt. The few who harbors thoughts that any opposition to the Obama administration is direct racism? They should instead by focused on discussing real policy issues as is being encouraged by the president himself. They should understand that these are political forces that take on all those in power. Reforms in any part of the world do not happen smoothly, they are bound to meet opposition from the different quarters of the political divide. People should therefore divorce themselves from racial lines of thought.
