How Hidden Is Racism?

As the mother of three children whom are “persons of color” it occurred to me after watching the RNC that things can change on a dime in the spirit of winning at all costs. All of a sudden Christian conservatives are calling the birth of Sarah Palin’s grandchild a blessed event and making Palin’s 17 year old daughter the poster girl of all that is good and holy; a righteous child who has chosen to do the “right” and noble thing. For young teens everywhere she is now the idol that they are to look up to. The child who has done the “correct” thing under God‘s personal direction. Yet, I wonder how “blessed” that event would be had Bristol Palin come out on stage holding the hand of an African American or Hispanic young man and introduced him as the father of her child. Something tells me that the “blessed event” would have sent shockwaves through the convention hall and Governor Palin would have been sent packing back to Alaska. Somehow I believe that the “mixing of races” might not have played out so well for young Bristol and her mother. That racism would have reared its ugly head like it usually does for those young women who carry a baby to term who is the product of a union that crosses their own racial profile. It would be nice to believe that this would not be so in this day and age. Yet, time and time again we see stories about people of color being physically abused or killed because of their race. Gay men and women who are murdered because of their sexual orientation. While most whites would like to believe that things have substantially improved for persons of color because it is comfortable for them to do so, in fact, racism is alive and well here in the USA. Unfortunately, it is one of the things that is energizing the McCain/ Palin ticket. It isn't just about voting for a woman it is about voting against a person of color. I just wonder if it will ever be about voting for the smartest, most capable person for the job regardless of their race or gender. Seems to me we have a long way to go before those will be the "good old days."