Published: July 18, 2008 01:25 pm            

Magazine flap latest evidence of our divisions

Can you smell it?

Fear and hatred are in the air this political season, and the odor that has surged and subsided through the centuries has grown stronger of late – fueled by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the presence of an African-American man’s name on the election ballot.

The terrorist attacks seven years ago led to increased racial profiling by law enforcement in the name of homeland security.

Those tragic events also led to increased racial profiling by many who see someone dressed in a turban and automatically assume the worst.

The New Yorker magazine created a major flap last week when it released a cover depicting presidential candidate Barack Obama in traditional Muslim clothing, fist-bumping with his wife Michelle, who was drawn wearing combat fatigues and toting an assault rifle, as an American flag burned in a fireplace in the background.

Magazine representatives said the cover is a satire, jabbing at those who would portray the Obamas as anti-American. Award-winning cartoonist Barry Blitt created the image – dubbed “The Politics of Fear” – which the magazine hoped would have the effect of breaking down myths and misinformation about the senator and his spouse.

In a statement sent to other media, the New Yorker said the cover combines “fantastical images about the Obamas and shows them for the obvious distortions they are,” The Associated Press reported.

But the lampooning may have had the opposite affect. Some believe it has added gas to the fire of those who can’t stand the idea that a man who comes from Muslim roots and has an “Arab-sounding” name might become president of the United States.

Obama’s presidential opponent, Republican John McCain, said the New Yorker’s cover was “totally inappropriate.” McCain added: “Frankly, I understand if Senator Obama and his supporters would find it offensive.”

Offensive? Perhaps.

An accurate portrayal of the feelings that will drive how many people vote? Without a doubt.

You can see this fear and hatred in the controversy surrounding the plans for the Flight 93 national memorial. Images viewed as somehow linked to Islam have people with no ties to the crash site writing thousands of e-mails to express their outrage over the design.

And there’s more to this groundswell of hatred than simply anti-Muslim sentiment spurred by our ongoing war against terror.

The Tribune-Democrat published an AP report recently that showed an undercurrent of racism among voters here in western Pennsylvania. The package included quotes from a man who said the U.S. Constitution should be changed so that blacks cannot even run for president.

That’s a sickening and ludicrous statement, and our readers reacted strongly.

But many of them missed the point. Those feelings exist in our communities, and are more widespread than some would have imagined in the days before Obama became a national figure.

A friend of mine who is an Obama supporter likes to wear his “Vote for Barack” T-shirt to social gatherings to needle his conservative friends. He enjoys engaging in political banter, and doesn’t mind when people don’t agree with his candidate’s platforms and policies.

But he says he has experienced angry looks from many people who see his T-shirt when he is on the street, in the grocery store, or buying gas.

His observation about attitudes toward race: “We may have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.”

Perhaps Obama is in a no-win situation, “too black” and “too Muslim” to find acceptance in our social and political system.

Or – just maybe – he’s the perfect person for our times – a man who can help us confront our internal racial divisions and also help build bridges with other nations where people view us as tyrants and exploiters.

Whether Obama prevails in November, his presence has dragged one ugly truth out of the shadows and into the light.

As a nation, we do have a long way to go – and the distance we must travel has grown greater since Sept. 11, 2001.



Chip Minemyer is the editor of The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 532-5091.

        

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