Rush Limbaugh on his radio show today said that he is not a racist. He was trying to make the point that white people who criticize blacks or in particularly President Obama are wrongly classified as racists. He gave an example how his dear old mammy, I mean his family's domestic servant, Bertie helped raise him and his brother. And he continued to say that one day when his family took Bertie home they were appalled by her living conditions. They were so concerned in fact that his father helped Bertie move to a better home. Rush seemed to imply that since he had empathy for his dear old mammy, I mean house servant Bertie, he can't be racist.
Rush would be even more shock to know that old Bertie probably only worked as his family's servant because better jobs were denied to her because of her race. So cleaning up behind his nasty posterior was probably more of a necessity than a choice. But I don't know whether Rush is racist or not because I don't know what is inside his heart. However, his actions and rhetoric are consistent with those of someone who is a race-baiter. I think that playing upon the prejudices of other white people is a game for him and a means to an end. A very lucrative end I might add.
Lee Atwater whose Willie Horton ad helped elect George H. W. Bush president, was a master political strategist and expert race-baiter. On his death bed while dying of cancer, Atwater repented for his sins and asked forgiveness from the people he had harmed through his political campaigns. His contrite act prompted Atwater's Republican colleagues to turn on him more viciously than a lion chomping on its prey. Now I doubt if Atwater was a racist, but he was adept at pushing the buttons of the people who were. So the lesson is simple. You may not be a racist, but if you engage in race-baiting tactics, it doesn't make a difference.
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