Open Letter to Erick Erickson, editor of RedState.com

Open Letter to Erick Erickson, editor of RedState.com

Mr. Erickson,

On Friday, October 9, 2009, on both your Twitter feed and your blog at RedState.com, you made this comment about President Barack Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize: “I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota for it.”

I don’t take this comment at face value. I know you don’t actually believe that’s why he was honored. You tried to have it excused as a joke, even parody. While I understand and respect comedic license, you are a political commentator, not a humorist, and I still take issue with the comment being made.

First, you are perpetuating a myth about affirmative action, the idea that it exists to benefit otherwise undeserving people of color. This is not the case.*

Second, you are using the President’s race to criticize him. You are exploiting bigotry that exists against him by people who dislike him on the basis of his being black, people who will always disagree with him for that reason.

Perhaps you were merely courting controversy to provoke a reaction, garner publicity, or draw views to your website. You might be ignorant of the implications of your language due to your white privilege**, or maybe you are fully aware of how your remarks would be read as inappropriate. But whether you sincerely hold those views about Obama, or are just portraying that stance for your audience, I am calling you out as a racist. You are guilty of racism because you are perpetuating racist myths and communicating racist messages.

In the past, I have refrained from engaging unreasonable people incapable of civil discussion, and I admit there are times when it’s better not to dignify them with a response. But any decent human being willing to stand behind the courage of their convictions and the power of their words would not shy away from a discussion when confronted for hateful speech(1, 2). However, when I called you out on this (1, 2, 3,), you immediately dismissed me as a “leftie”, acted as if there was nothing racist about your comment, and inaccurately claimed that I write off any and all criticism of Obama as “racist.”

As I explained, I don’t believe any and all criticism of any person of color is racist (1,2). However, much of the criticism being directed towards Obama is racist in its core. Whether it’s blatant, veiled in coded rhetoric, or the subconscious result of white privilege, racism is still a prevalent and problematic current event.

You avoided the topic by trying to frame the argument as one about liberal backlash against conservative critics of the current administration, but one need not heed party affiliation or wing on the political spectrum to recognize and confront racism (1, 2, 3,4). Racism should not be ignored or tolerated by anyone, regardless of being a Republican or Democrat, or otherwise (I’m registered as an independent, by the way).

Instead of acknowledging these truths, or defending your statements, or even trying to explain why you think you’re not actually a racist (1), you blocked my account on Twitter and did not address me any further. But I’m not letting that be the end of the conversation. I will repeat my questions: Is it that you’re so blinded by white privilege you don’t even understand why your comments are racist? Or do you fully comprehend your racism and just have no shame about it? Or is it all just for the blog views and publicity? Are you honestly unaware of racism in rhetoric against Obama and in myths about affirmative action? Or are you just exploiting them for attention?

There are misguided people, and people intentionally misguiding others, that regard acknowledging and confronting racism as somehow being bigotry itself, but that is false. I am not accusing all white people (or Republicans, or conservatives) of all holding the same negative characteristic. I am just pointing out the ones who are bigoted and who are saying or doing bigoted things. Like you. To dismiss discussions about race and racism is to try the silence dissent against racism, and that, too, is a racist act. One way to combat racism is to shine a light on it and shame the people committing it, and that’s why I will not only continue to call you out for the racist thing you wrote, but let this remain an open letter (including copying some political writers I respect on the letter, to circulate as they wish).

I am not accusing you of any other evil, mocking you or anyone in your life, picking on any of your physical characteristics, trying to distract from the issue at hand with straw man arguments and unrelated topics, or discounting your accomplishments, qualifications, or efforts to make your way in this world. I am anxious to see if any response you muster is capable of living up to that standard.

*Plous, S. (2003). Ten myths about affirmative action. In S. Plous (Ed.), Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination (pp. 206-212). New York: McGraw-Hill.

**McIntosh, Peggy (1988). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. “Working Paper #189,” published in Peace and Freedom, July/August 1989; reprinted in Independent School, Winter 1990.