Noted forensic physical anthropologist, George W. Gill defines a cline as, “a gradient of change, such as from people with a high frequency of blue eyes, as in Scandinavia, to people with a high frequency of brown eyes, as in Africa.”  Every human born on earth falls onto some point along several of these gradients for eye color, skin color, size of the nose, hair type, etc.  The scientific community is nearly evenly split in their opinion as to whether these clines can be grouped to form “a biological entity that warrants the term ‘race.’”

The problem truly has nothing to do with biological entities, but with our need to define groups of fellow humans on which we can look down without actually knowing them.  The division between the “racist” and the “politically correct” runs so deep in the viscera that a rational discussion is nearly impossible. 

As far back as 1989, if memory serves me, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder was fired after 12 years as a CBS football analyst for remarks he made implying that athletes of African descent may have a genetic advantage over those of European descent.  There was never any discussion about the merits or foolishness of his assertions; he was fired for “political incorrectness” in an environment where such an opinion constituted a mortal sin.

In Standish, Maine, a sign inside the Oak Hill General Store a day or so after the election read: “Osama Obama Shotgun Pool.” Customers could sign up to bet $1.00 on a date when Obama would be killed. “Stabbing, shooting, roadside bombs, they all count,” the sign said. At the bottom of the marker board was written “Let’s hope someone wins.”  In the Los Angeles area, swastikas, racial slurs and “Go back to Africa” were spray painted on sidewalks, houses and cars.

Someone once said racism is like cancer, it’s never totally wiped out, it’s in remission.

Rational thought rejects both of these positions as opinions based on the conventional wisdom of a narrowly defined population, rather than on any defendable facts.   Rational thinkers can expect harsh treatment.  When Copernicus challenged the notion that the sun revolved around the Earth, he was persecuted.  It was observably obvious to the average man that he was wrong.

So, I hereby open myself for abuse.  I voted against Barack Obama because he holds certain beliefs that are deeply problematic for me, not because his skin is darker than mine.  His waistline is also smaller than mine, and his ears are more prominent—who cares.  The man is eminently qualified to be President of The United States.  He has the intelligence, and personal charisma to carry the presidency with dignity for a change.  If I were voting again today, I would still vote against him, but if you say anything like the above–racist or politically correct–in my presence, we have nothing more to say to each other.  For the good of the republic, kindly vote your conscience, not your belief that the world is flat.

If you are planning to place a protest sign in my yard, or scratch one into the paint of my Chevy, let me suggest, “Go back to Scotland.”

Tags: Obama

I spent the week at the Crowne Plaza Suites—Park Central in Dallas.  It was business.  The design of the hotel is spectacular, but it is the staff that raises it from the sea of good business hotels.  I haven’t the time or inclination to run down the list of friendly, competent staff who served me, but I’d like to pick on one of them, partly because she is nearly omnipresent, and partly because the writer in me couldn’t pass up the name.  Karen Bytheway stands at the low end of five foot something, and has fifteen projects on the burner at any given moment.  She is the Concierge.  Karen is remarkable for two reasons: first, when she is talking to you, there is no one else in the world more important to her than you, and second, what she promises simply happens—quickly—with a smile. If you travel a lot, you understand what it is to be isolated in an unfamiliar city.  We all rely on our personal network more than we realize.  It’s the Karen’s of this world that keep business running without endangering the sanity of business people.  Thanks Karen; at my age sanity is a thing to be guarded.

Tags: Bytheway, concierge, hotels

I’m in Dallas all this week hobnobbing with my betters, and my peers.  Several of us had lunch at the Texas Smokehouse Bar-B-Que in Richardson.  If you like finely done flesh of the dead pig—or cow, or chicken, this little place serves the best.  The portions are obscene. The atmosphere is as formal as a wet dishrag—order directly from the guy with the meat in front of him, pick your sides from the steam table (don’t forget the sauce; there’s none on the table), and pay the man at the register.  I paid for three trays full of food with drinks—$22.57.  One has a hard time doing that even dining under the golden arches!  It’s clear that my waistline will suffer growing pains by the end of the week.  Oh well; sin now, pay later.

Tags: bar-b-que, dallas

Never mind that I’m a Republican, back on October 9 I wrote a piece irrationally longing for President Jed Bartlet, the Democratic dark horse who battled his way to the presidency on The West Wing.  One of my comments about the show, repeated often enough to draw weary groans from my wife, was that the president of the United States ought to be able to hire speech writers at least as good as West Wing writer, Aaron Sorkin.  Bartlet’s speeches simply sparkled; I was occasionally tempted to stand up in my living room and cheer.  Barack Obama’s acceptance speech easily rose to that level.  Obama stood in the very Chicago park where the Democratic party fell apart in 1968 and quoted Abraham Lincoln with a ringing clarity to rival John Kennedy.  It was a breath of fresh political air. 

OK, the speech is in the history books, and life looms darkly ahead.  The war is a no-win situation, the markets are in free-fall, and Russia is rattling missiles.  The first 100 days will be interesting in the sense of the old Jewish curse, “May you live in interesting times.”  Go get’m Barack.  I didn’t vote for you, but you are now my president.  Do well, and I’ll sing your praises as loudly as those of any Republican.

Tags: Obama, speech