A Win for Kerry may be a Serious Loss for Racial Equality

There is more at stake this election than just the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism. I fear that a win for the Democrats will bring to a screeching halt the unprecedented strides made in racial equality over the last four years by the Bush Administration. I have heard very little out of the Kerry camp to suggest a commitment to racial diversity, the hallmark of the Bush Administration. I fear a Kerry White House would return the typical white dinosaurs to Cabinet-level positions. So long progress, hello old-fashioned, status quo patriarchy.

As Americans, tired of one Democratic politician after another “celebrating” diversity, we have enjoyed this important era of GOP-led racial healing. It hardly needs reminding that President George W. Bush has appointed the first African-American Secretary of State, the first African-American Secretary of Education, the first African-American woman National Security Advisor (highest ranking African-American woman in American history), the first Asian-American woman to serve on a Presidential Cabinet, and an African-American Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. It seems the GOP is the only party committed to the dream of the first minority President of the United States. That is no surprise really; the Republicans have been on this track since the days of Abraham Lincoln.

It is true that other Presidents have had their success in promoting diversity. Ronald Reagan appointed the first Hispanic-American Secretary of Education and George H.W. Bush appointed the first woman and Hispanic-American Surgeon General. But, it is the current President who has stopped talking about diversity and started to do something about it. I cannot think of another President who has truly done more to empower minority communities and to give hope to the next generation of Americans. Can Mr. Kerry handle that much diversity or will he resort to the same old tired line that minorities need the help of liberal white men to provide them with government hand-outs because they cannot do it by themselves? Institutional racism is, sadly, still alive and well in the Democratic Party. Will Mr. Kerry commit to racial equality, racial diversity, and racial empowerment the way George W. Bush has? Or will the cleverly-disguised racism of the New England liberal rear its ugly head once again?