Soap Box

The careless overuse of the word �racist� by people who try to gain by belittling those who disagree with them, has so cheapened the word that it really has no validity to me any longer.

Good people who don't have a racist bone in their entire bodies are routinely branded as racists by foul-mouthed opportunists and people who have never had an original thought in their lives, and are only capable of repeating what they have heard others say, people who can't defend their position against a rational premise so they resort to insults.

I have been called a racist by people who know nothing at all about me except that I have criticized Barack Obama for doing things that I genuinely feel are detrimental to the country.
It's little more than a knee jerk reaction, as a famous Englishman once said, �� sound and fury. Signifying nothing.�

Never mind the validity of the supposedly �racist� statement or the intent with which it was made, it doesn�t even matter what was said, but rather who it was said about that moves them to a frenzy of four letter words, comic innuendo, juvenile hyperbole and unreasonable name calling.

Any person who throws his or her hat into the rabid ring of politics should check their ethnicity at the door and take their heart off their sleeve because their stand on policy is going to be attacked by either the left or the right.

And what about the "war on women�, another meaningless slogan that you can bet will be used frequently in the next presidential election.

We all know that Hillary Clinton is going to run in the presidential primaries, she may act coy about it but it's just part of the game and everybody knows that the lion's share of the media are going to be on her side, promoting, defending and making excuses for the things that took place during her tenure as Secretary of State and shadowy happenings from her distant past.

Those brave enough to take her to task can depend on being called misogynists, Neanderthals and 19th century throwbacks who can't accept the thought of a woman president. They will be soundly chastised and dragged through deep editorial mud for their "sexist" attitudes.

My question is, if Ms. Clinton and her media sycophants wither under the verbal sparring of political opponents, what is she going to do when she faces down Vladimir Putin, the Mullahs of the Middle East and the assorted nuts and bolts who rule their people with an iron hand and could care less about insulting a female?

There is definitely racism in America and it isn't confined to any one ethnic or social group, it is both overt and covert, some groups and individuals not even trying to hide their intolerance and others who veil theirs behind insincere words, but when someone criticizes a person of a different race for something they disagree with it's not racism, it is opinion and they have a right to express it.

Anti-Semitism is a way of life with some of the Islamic sects, but it seems the American media takes little notice of the fact.

Recently, the bureau of land management had a face off with Cliven Bundy, a rancher in Nevada over grazing his cattle on federal land and not paying the federal government for the grazing rights. The Feds showed up in force and were met by scores of concerned citizens who had gathered to support the rancher.

There were guns on both sides and the whole situation could have turned ugly had the Feds not used some rare common sense and packed up and left.

I am not qualified to argue Mr. Bundy's case, pro or con. He feels that the land he grazes his cattle on should not be controlled by the federal government, but faithfully pays his state and county taxes.

At least, in my estimation, the Feds overstepped their authority when they tried to round up Mr. Bundy's cattle and take them off the land.

Now turn the coin over. According to media accounts, Al Sharpton's National Action Network owes millions of dollars in back taxes and not one federal agent has shown up at his door to take away his possessions.

In fact, the president and the attorney general both spoke at their recent convention.

And what about the two New Black Panthers who intimidated voters at a Philadelphia polling place whom Eric Holder's Justice Department never prosecuted?

Is not selective enforcement of the law along racial lines not racism? And has it not been practically institutionalized during the Obama administration?

Power hungry politicians and hate mongers - with help from the media - have done a good job of keeping the racial pot stirred among Americans, using the results to their advantage. 

I've never seen the nation this deeply divided.

Being born and raised in the Deep South in the days before the repeal of the Jim Crow laws, I know first hand what a racist is. Racism is motivated by ignorance and blind hate and manifests itself in hurtful ways, and none of them as mild as criticizing the policies of a minority politician.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels​