Ohhhhhhhh …. That’s raaaaaaacist!  But maybe you’ll let me explain.  In fact, I will whether you let me or not. 

Al Sharpton held a press conference earlier this week.   The mainstream press corps, of course, slavishly brought their cameras and notepads and waited in pregnant anticipation for what were sure to be profound utterances from the man they have anointed as a primary leader of America’s black (excuuuuuuuse me!  African-American) community. 

I had a notepad and a pen, so I wrote as fast as I possibly could; trying to get Sharpton’s words exactly as he spoke them.  Here, as best as remember it, is what Sharpton said:

“Just remember this.  If you elect a black person to an important political position, or if you are thinking about appointing a black person to an important position in government, just be aware that, no matter how incompetent that person proves himself to be -- no matter what manner of corruption that person might become involved in -- you will never be able to criticize that person or take any action to hold them accountable for any wrongdoing, because to do so would be clearly be a racist attack on this individual, and I’ll be here to light the torches and sharpen the pitchforks to be used against you for your racist actions.”

Actually … looking back over my notes, I think I may not be quoting Sharpton exactly.  My handwriting is atrocious.  Watching the actual video, the words that Sharpton used were “morally reprehensible.”  Referring to what?  Well, that would be referring to the pending vote by the full House of Representatives to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of congress.  You see, in the mind of Al Sharpton it wasn’t morally reprehensible for Eric Holder to cook up a scheme to walk assault rifles from Arizona to Mexico so that the resulting carnage would give him and his benefactor, Barack Obama, a basis upon which to demand more gun control.  And to Sharpton it wasn’t morally reprehensible when one of those guns was used to murder U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.  We can also assume that Sharpton saw nothing morally reprehensible in Holder delivering a letter containing premeditated falsehoods to the House Internal Affairs Committee investigating this matter, only later to have to say “oops” as the letter is retracted.  And it certainly isn’t morally reprehensible, at least not to Barack Obama, the man who once derided the use of executive privilege by George W. Bush, to duck under that very same cover when the hot breath of this investigation was felt on his own political neck. 

There is a broader message here, an unfortunate one, but one that needs to be heeded by voters and those with political appointments to make.  You might want to think seriously before you vote for a black candidate or appoint a black individual, no matter how talented or qualified, to a position of importance.  Oh yeah, I know --- that sounds racist.  Go throw that word around somewhere else, it has absolutely no affect whatsoever on me.  That statement isn’t racist, it’s logical.  Al Sharpton has aptly demonstrated the essential wisdom behind refraining to vote for or appoint blacks to critical positions.

Guess I’d better explain myself – though I’m sure most of you already are nodding your heads in agreement.

It’s this simple.  Whether you vote someone into office, or appoint them, you want them to remain accountable to you in some matter.  If they turn out to be complete and abysmal failures you want to feel free to campaign against them when reelection comes around.   Similarly, if they turn out to be incompetent – perhaps criminally incompetent – in the performance of their appointed duties, you want to be able to either fire them or to call for their resignation.   As Sharpton has so brilliantly demonstrated, you simply cannot take these actions against black elected officials or appointees without being called a (gasp) raaaacist!   So remember this … no matter how qualified the candidate for office or appointment may be; no matter how high the level of demonsrated integrity … once that person is in office they are protected by their color.  They’re immune from criticism.  So they had better be perfect when you chose them … because unless you want to be a cross-burning Klansman you’re stuck with them for better or worse.