Submitted by John Spencer Yantiss, Jan 10, 2008 12:15

Finishing the sentence begun by the title of this comment: "herein Mr. McWhorter has--assuredly subconsciously--included an exceedingly subtile, erroneous suggestion." That suggestion, couched in terminology that has been pervasive for so long that, and hedged round by the protective mantle of the term "racism," that even those who know better remain silent when it is voiced. that suggestion is that there are far more poor black people that white (next to the last paragraph, but one). From a purely empirical perspective, that is a utterly false position. Nonetheless, it is one of the many tidbits of utterly false "evidence" used to perpetuate the myth that America harbours a deeper racism than is common in human society the world over.

The truth is that prejudice is inherent in human nature. It is born of natural preferences, aggrevated by common insecurities and fears. Only the same kind of moral training, any rational basis for which we have largely dismissed from the public sphere--to wit, "Love thy neighbor as thyself"--can produce any meaningful reduction in the selfish reality of hate of one goup by another. Perpetuating such non-truths as the "fact" that there are far more black people than white, helps no one, and advances no good.

The truth of poor percentages, and their origins is another rudimentary characteristic of human nature. Both white and black people, whose families have been in this country for generations, and whose history is that of poverty, simply possess little ambition--as a group. Immigrants who come from a background of poverty in another nation, bring a burning motivation with them. Such a dynamic--or lack thereof--is unfortunately a result of factors prompting a given individual or family, or larger group within a depressed or oppressed society to pick up and relocate, sometimes thousands of miles, a total disruption of one's entire life.

Unfortunately, one of the most debilitating characteristics of human nature is to remain where one is, even when it is uncomfortable, perhaps drastically so. Relatively few, very few, seem to possess the intestinal fortitude to make a permanent change, even a small one, and a major change is far beyond the capacity of most.

Let us be honest in our assessment of our nation and culture, and not play on old fears--or old facts--to make a point.

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