ENOUGH!!

There's a long-standing internet meme called Godwin's Law that postulates "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."  I hereby offer the following corollary: "As any political movement or discussion appears to advance strict construction, tradition or generally conservative principles, the probability of opponents' charging 'racism' approaches 1."

The latest example of this comes from no less than Darth Vader himself:

JAMES EARL JONES: I think I have figured out the Tea Party I think I do understand racism because I was taught to be one by my grandmother. 

So, now we know what upbringing leads to success as a Sith Lord and the voice of CNN.  Sorry -- I digress...

Another James Earl, years ago, used assassination to silence a viewpoint he refused to tolerate.  What Jones says above is attempted character assassination.  As someone very sympathetic to the Tea Party movement, let me state, unequivocally:

1) I harbor no ill will nor favor any special privileges for anyone based on their melanin content
2) I've (obviously) never owned a slave, nor did any of my ancestors.  Attempting to paint me with guilt for the actions of others, decades ago, who happened to look like me, is a strange way to combat bigotry.
3) As I've said many times, one does not promote racial harmony by bean-counting members of various groups and pitting them against each other politically.

Jones does not know me, nor does he know thousands like me (of many hues of skin, incidentally) who are alarmed at the increase in Federal power, the decrease in civility, and the perpetual grievance industry that seeks to turn everyone into a category of victim dependent on Uncle Sam for relief.

Since he doesn't know us, let's call his charge what it is:

Bigotry.  Prejudice.

And yes, racism... because it's predicated on the assumption that 'whites' only favor limited government because that somehow keeps "others" down.  How in the hell is this attitude any different from what he claims to oppose???

But enough about me.  This writer nails it on the head:

For the longest time I was down with the whole “anti-racism” project until I realized one of its main platforms was continuing to allow people who didn’t share my biological ancestry to hate me for my skin. I thought the deal was that we were all supposed to drop the whole racial-pride thing. Instead, I wound up on my derriere in a game of Racial Musical Chairs. Not only did the other players refuse to abandon their ethnocentrism, they intensified it. Then I began to believe it wasn’t about fairness at all, it was merely a cleverly backhanded way of seizing power in a zero-sum Genetic World Series.

I don't believe this has to be a zero-sum game.  Nor do I believe I have to keep silent, on an "everlasting stool of repentance" because of the prejudices of others.  If you can't refute my political views on the merits of the argument, then keep your mouth shut and stop wasting everyone's time.  Our country has enough problems without inventing more.