The Audacity of One-Sided, Biased Reporting

I was perusing the Times Herald web site this morning and caught an article I had missed on Sunday (please, read it):

Election spurs 'hundreds' of race threats, crimes

The article begins with the following:

Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting "Assassinate Obama." Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars.

Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony, highlighting the stubborn racism that remains in America.

It goes on to list several incidents of white on black bigotry in the wake of Obama's election as president of the United States. Not once does it mention the opposite effect and the McCain/Palin hatred that was spewed by both the public and the press during the pre-election campaign and post election, after Obama won.

To me, it seems that the article is not so much a "reporting" of the incidents, but a one-sided attack on those who would not support "the One". What the author fails to report is that the racial attacks (and they are, indeed, egregious) are not one-sided.

I have witnessed first hand the hatred and abuse heaped on my own son because of my political philosophy.

Back to the article...I read the article and was stunned that there was no mention of the above "reverse-bigotry" towards whites in the aftermath of this campaign. It's sad, because it's the constant "victim mentality" that keeps society where it is and creates contempt for the persons who perpetuate such senseless drivel.

I decided to comment publicly on the Times Herald web page...below is what I posted, in it's entirety:

What the article fails to point out, is that the racial discrimination goes both ways.

I supported the McCain/Palin ticket. I had a large McCain/Palin sign on my front lawn. My son, who is just 12 years old, was called a bigot and an (effing) racist because he supported the "white" candidates.

The abuse was thrown at him by Black and Puerto Rican students on his school bus. None of the white kids (whose families supported Obama) said anything stronger that "McCain sucks".

The fact that all of this poor behavior is wrong notwithstanding, the bottom line here is that race will always be a factor in society, even if the next ten presidents are black. The only way for a society to properly meld (if it is at all possible) is to find some common social middle ground and all would have to adapt to that middle ground.

It's nice in theory, but it's never going to happen. We must, instead, strive to make our children understand that black, white brown and yellow are just colors...it's the person on the inside that matters. Just as all white folks aren't model citizens, so is the same for every culture, race and ethnicity. To prejudge strictly by skin color or religious belief is wrong and we should define people strictly by their character.

I'm proud to be an American. The color of my skin has no bearing on that. I've made it a point to raise my children color-blind. Unfortunately, it will be a very long time before we see this to be the rule, instead of the exception.

Have a great day.

B.