(Re)Considering Allegations of Racism

My friend L.H. recently wrote to me to complain about my characterization of Tea Partiers as racists in my previous post, "Teabagged in Searchlight, Nevada."

"I think you have fallen victim to media stereotyping and not thinking open mindedly like what you complain about in your blog," he said. "I have questions about tea patiers, who is in charge what is their agenda etc. I have never been to one of their events so I do not know what goes on. However labeling anyone who opposes any form of socialism that is presented by the democrats as a racist has no justification. My friends who go to Tea party events are mixed race couples and I don't think that they would take their children who are labeled as African Americans or Asian Americans to racist events. ... I think that the whole tea party thing is a lot of angry people and some others trying to make money off of them but labeling that group as racist places you in the same category for letting someone else decide what you think."

I have to admit, and am a bit embarassed to do so, that I did use the term "racist" pretty casually and without any careful consideration before doing so. That is a pretty serious charge -- and one that I have long thought gets made too quickly in our country anymore. My friend has made some incorrect assumptions about what led me to do so, but his challenge deserves a response and has prompted me to do some soul-searching about what prompted me to make this characterization.

Following are factors that may or may not have played some role in my subconscious determination that Tea Partiers are racist, along with factors I have subsequently consciously taken into consideration. (It will take me a few days to get all my thoughts out, but they will appear in this space.)

-- The Media Told Me to Think It --
To start with, this comment seems predicated on the myth of the "liberal media." I would, however, challenge any American to conduct a simple experiment: Select the TV news channel of their choice -- CNN, MSNBC, Fox, it doesn't matter -- watch it for an hour during prime time, and count the number of commercials for the pharmaceutical industry, the most lucrative in the country, that appear. This should make it pretty clear that to the extent that is a single "the media," it is in fact exceedingly corporate in nature and not liberal at all.

Beyond that, a little reflection will also reveal that, far from being reviled by the media, the Tea Party is in fact a media darling. Consider recent Tea Party events in Nashville, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas, which received national media coverage. Only 200-400 people showed up at these events and nothing newsworthy actually happened at them. What other group gets coverage at all for such trivial activities?

If "the media" wanted to hurt the Tea Party it would just ignore it.

-- Nationalist Movements Tend to be Racist in Character --
First, I think it is fair to characterize any organization whose members dress themselves in clothing made from American flags is nationalist in nature. And, unfortunately, I cannot think of a single nationalist movement that is not racist to one extent or another. Major ones that come to mind are Nazism, Japanese imperialism, and, closer to home, the No-Nothing and Native American political parties of the 19th century (and no, I don't mean American Indian; do your homework before bitching about this one).

Tea Party Supporters Make Racist Comments/Wear Racist Regalia.

The Tea Party Denies Being a Racist Organization.

Minorities Would not be Part of a Racist Organizations.