Wait, Jim, are you equating anti-white and anti-black racism?

Because i find that it's pretty hard to equate the two. First, about 70-75% of the country is white, right, so if you're white, that's a maximum of only 30% of people you encounter will be racist against you, right? Whereas if you're black, that's a maximum of 70% of the people will be racist against you. Seems a little unbalanced? It gets worse. White people also disproportionately control the country's wealth, jobs, and governments, so if you're black, you have that many more hurdles to get through to get pretty much any kind of job that pays well. If you're white, you don't have to deal with that, because, in the overwhelming majority of cases, black people who are racist against you don't control anything you want to have. Yes, of course, things are improving, but in academia, corporate america, etc., white peole are generally in charge, and black people are not. So the impact of anti-white racism on white people is nothing compared to the impact anti-black racism has on black people.

Even those on the right now use the term "swiftboating" to mean an inappropriate, personal, and inaccurate attack. Is that a confession about 2004? Perhaps inadvertently. Do they feel any shame or embarassment about this irony? I doubt it. Does it bother me that I'm talking like Rumsfeld? Absolutely!

Do we really want to condemn politicians, or anybody for that matter, for things they did and said three decades ago? Moreover, do we want to condemn people for things they did and said as teenagers or young adults, when those things happened decades ago? This is the kind of character destruction which drives good people from politics.

For the record, were I a Virginian, I would not support Senator Allen, but my lack of support is based on his current record, not his old college days.

...what a tool.

"For the record, were I a Virginian, I would not support Senator Allen, but my lack of support is based on his current record, not his old college days."

I am a Virginian, and I entirely agree. There are _plenty_ of reasons to oppose Allen's candidacy today; dragging up stories from his college days only distracts people from the real issues and makes them think that there's nothing to talk about now. Yes, we are our entire history blahblahblah, but let's focus on what this nimrod is doing now, shall we?

I live here in Charlottesville Virginia, and I have been following the Senate race very closely. I am not only laughing out loud about the bumbles Senator Allen has made, but how big of a biggot Jim Webb is. I am the loser in this race, because I do not have much choice in electing a good Senator. Jim Webb thinks women are a lessor being than men. I have heard his pathetic explantions on his biggotry, and I was offended. I am the father of two very bright and up and coming daughters, and the spouse of a successful wife. I know it is your job to make George Allen look bad, but take some time to tell the story of Jim Webb. Afterall I thought liberals were fighting for womens rights, or is that the Democrats being Hypocritical AGAIN. Jim Webb will never receive my vote, so I guess my only choice in this race is George Allen.

. . . and at Mr. Jefferson's University! When I was five years old, in 1976, my mother and I moved to Charlottesville for her to attend law school. A graduate of a Seven Sister with practically a 4.0 GPA and great LSATs, my mother was repeatedly subjected to questioning from her peers about the appropriateness of women in the school and of the large number of Black students in her class. This included jibes about affirmative action, and comments that included the "n" word in anonymous notes that appeared in her and her classmates lockers and seats.

I attended an elite private school where I was one of two black children in a Pre-k through 12 school. I was called the "n" word for the first of many times when a bunch of kids chased me around the school playground saying that they were looking for my tail. The school's major boast was that a great deal of the faculty from UVa sent their kids there.

Honestly, I would never, ever go out on a limb to say something as absolute as "he didn't learn racism in Charlottesville"-- where, in the mid-seventies when I lived there, the Black community didn't even have paved roads. Yeah, there is racism throughout America. The description of the climate at UVa in the early and mid-seventies brought back vivid memories of the three years of hell that I experienced while living there as a child. Coupled with the "macaca" comments, and his voting record, I'd say I have a clear picture of who Senator Allen is, and what his character is like.

Easy for you to say! This old canard - that black racism is somehow less impactful because blacks are basically powerless in our society is not only patronizing and racist, it's also untrue: on the macro (i.e, academic level) it's true - blacks don't have the money or the power - never mind that most white folks don't either. But on the personal level - you know, the one where it counts, black racism can be very hurful, expesnsive and destructive - anyone who lives in a big city can tell you all about it. Le Castor, all your posts are on the level of the text book geek who never has actually stepped into the real world - try it, the ground might feel good beneath your feet.

The difference between what the Swiftboaters did to John Kerry and what Salon is doing to George Allen is, as far as I know, Salon is not knowingly lying about Allen.

If a person wants to represent this country in elective office, then HELL YES I want to know about their past. If he or she has a history of racist thought and attitudes, they should be held accountable for them and explain themselves to the public. I don't care if it happened years ago. I don't want bigots running this country anymore.