S.C. Dixon-ary

On Saturday, March 15th, suspected “comedian” Tracy Morgan, hitherto a marginal cast member of Saturday Night Live until he somehow landed a plumb roll on the NBC sitcom, 30 ROCK, appeared on SNL’s Weekend Update segment as a guest commentator.
His so-called “skit” was a pro-Obama rant. The astute Mr. Morgan, who if I have not mentioned is a black man*, brilliantly observes that, now get ready for this epiphany, America is a “racist” nation! (And, he does this while mentioning Barak’s alleged “minister,” Jeremiah Wright only in passing!)
No!
I wonder if he came up with that pearl of wisdom on his own?
America is a “racist” nation?
Well of course it is! Who would be mad enough to deny that?
On the other hand, tell me what nation ISN’T racist and that will be news.

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Thanks to the wonders of the World Wide Web, I am able to peruse newspapers from all over the world, and I do so several times a week. mostly the major papers from the U.K., The Times, Mirror, Telegraph, etc. but I also have a look at Agence France-Presse from Paris and what ever other headline catches my fancy be it from Toronto, Berlin, Prague, wherever.
The rest of the world seems very interested in our upcoming presidential election, and no doubt it is an interesting one, but there is a certain condescension on their part that bothers me. I have repeatedly read articles and op-ed pieces wondering aloud if America is “ready” for a Black president. Is America ready for a woman president? In the final analysis the general consensus is no, Americans aren’t “progressive” enough for either and in the end will go with the standard issue white male candidate.
Among several salient points that disturb me about this attitude is the conjecture that any of these candidates, particularly on the Democratic Party side, are actually qualified for this office. The fact that one is from a racial minority and that the other is a woman should not be construed, or misconstrued as some sort of entitlement. The bottom line is that neither has a particularly impressive track record. Race or gender really should be incidental in the equation. (more…)