So... in case anyone was wondering, I harbor a strong dislike for the presidency of George W. Bush. I disliked his hawkish and oft-times belligerent foreign policy; I disliked his careless, laissez-faire economic policy. I disliked his institution of government surveillance of citizens of the United States; I disliked his policy with regards to domestic issues. I also happen to like much of what President Barack Obama has done in most of the above arenas.
Yet I have a lingering issue, dear readers. It assails me when I watch a speech by the President; it assails me when I talk politics with my buddies at church or with my family at picnics. I believe that those who are on the left of the political spectrum have created a double standard of sorts, and a situation in which critiquing Obama's policy decisions is quickly termed as "racially motivated", when in fact it can fairly be concluded that it is based on ideological differences. What truly disturbs me is that those who shouted most loudly for freedom of speech and freedom of dissent in the Bush years are now calling for censorship during the Obama years.
Case in point - the recent Joker posters that have been popping up lately. In case you live in a cave or have not been watching the Web for news, here is an image of the poster:
I have been reading a lot of people going on and on about the "racist" nature of this particular piece. Many have noted the issue of the 19th century minstrel show, and its relation to this poster. But for these people, I have a simple question.
"How many people on the street would know, if asked without being given a contextual clue, what a minstrel show actually is?"
I would know; so would some others. But my knowledge comes out of a pretty intense study of race relations in the 19th and early 20th centuries as part of my degree in US history. Without this kind of study, I'd be as clueless as the next guy or gal. So I think, given the general level of history knowledge within the US, that the fear of minstrel show associations is pretty low, for most people.
So if this is not the issue then what is? Could it perhaps be that some people feel that "their" candidate should be immune from criticism? This would tend to be my thought. I mean, really now, which is more likely - that the creator of this poster was referencing a relatively obscure part of US history, or that he/she was referencing a fantastically popular, blockbuster film from the very recent past. I know which I would reference if I was trying to make a point. The reality is that a plain reading of this poster as "text" can be used to show Obama as a trickster character, foisting socialism off on the nation in a nearly criminal act.
(At this point it should be noted that I don't agree with this political statement, I just recognize the symbolism in the poster.)
But this is not even the most annoying point to me. What I find more annoying than the sloppy reading of the poster is the cognitive dissonance that the critics of it seem to be walking in. I mean, am I the only one who remembers seeing the pictures of Bush dressed up in a Nazi uniform behind a swastika-laden podium? Or the all the "kill Bush" buttons and stickers and t-shirts? A few are pictured below:
I would think that if we were going to go after "hate speech" or its ilk that this is what we would have gone after. I remember seeing other, even more vulgar expressions and drawings/shirts/hats/stickers/posters at rallies I attended. There is no real room here for anyone to misinterpret what these things are saying. Yet I remember, when conservative people called for this kind of political speech to stop, they were rebuffed with a very loose reading of the 1st Amendment. But this reading of our freedoms and rights has to extend both ways. Liberals cannot and should not silence dissent anymore than conservatives should. If we really want this kind of freedom, then it must be extended to everyone in society, whether we agree with them or not. Anything less is not merely hypocrisy, but it actually becomes tyranny.
So I guess I am calling for some common sense, dear readers. Is race still a volatile issue in America? Absolutely it is. Does racism exist? Yes, it certainly does. Can the supporters of our nations first African-American president (myself included) hide him behind his race and accuse his detractors of racism every time someone dissents from one of his policies? Absolutely not. President Barack Obama does not need a bunch of angry and offended white people to stick up for him - his policies and accomplishments can stand or fall on their own merits. I believe that they will stand, and that our democracy will be more vibrant and robust after his legacy than it has been in many years. But I also think that he will need to endure and weather the same kind of criticism that every other sitting president does. He's strong enough - let us allow him to prove it.
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