On Racism -- falsely so-called

Several months ago, one of my co-workers told me that he and his wife had been enjoying their subscription to NetFlix. As part of that enjoyment, he went on to say, they had watched together a documentary concerning the lack of fresh vegetables in a Black neighborhood in some major city (I do not now recall the specifics).

The creators of the piece documented what seemed to be a long and arduous trip from this Black neighborhood to the "nearest place" from which to buy good quality "fresh vegetables." The clear intent of exploring the details of the bus ride, encompassing multiple transfers from bus to bus, was to show just how tragically difficult it was for anyone living in this nearly all-Black neighborhood to get any quality fresh vegetables.

After telling me this story, my co-worker suggested -- as was clearly the intent of the documentary -- that there must be some kind of "conspiracy" to deprive this Black neighborhood of quality fresh vegetables.

I was taken aback with incredulity: I could not believe that my bright young co-worker had really been taken in by this apparent masterpiece of deceptive reasoning.

"Do you mean to say," I asked, "that you actually believe that somebody -- or some group of somebodies -- really decided that no one was going to sell fresh vegetables in this particular neighborhood simply because the neighborhood is predominantly Black?"

"Look!" I proclaimed, "This was no racist decision that businesses would not sell fresh vegetables in this particular Black neighborhood. If there were a market for fresh vegetables in the neighborhood covered in the documentary, then someone would be meeting the demands of that market. Clearly, the reason there are no quality fresh vegetables available in the Black neighborhood depicted is because there is no market for quality fresh vegetables in that particular neighborhood."

I find it amazing how readily charges of "racism" can arise. More significantly, I find it amazing how gullible many are to believe these charges of racism without giving careful consideration -- or any consideration at all -- to the underlying facts leading to the accusation.

There is a parallel here: In this current election cycle, McCain and the Republicans have been, on numerous occasions, charged with "racism" without the slightest consideration for the facts underlying the statements or circumstances that led to the charge. This charge arises, often from Barack Obama himself, simply because the Democrat candidate is Black, and for no other apparent reason.

It would bode well for our nation, and show signs of considerable maturity, if members of the press (particularly) and (more importantly) individuals who plan to VOTE would consider the facts at hand before latching onto that "racist" alibi for that to which they have no legitimate reply.