The Racist Women of the Florida GOP

I stumbled on an article on the Miami Herald's website the other day about The Florida Federation of Republican Women who have decided to boycott The Oprah Winfrey Show because she refused to have Sarah Palin on as a guest until after the election in November. That in itself is not all that alarming. This federation of women have the right to boycott whoever or whatever they choose. After all, the right is guaranteed under our first amendment.

The alarming part came from the comments the article generated. Perhaps I'm sheltered, but I've never seen so many blatantly racist remarks congregating in one place before. These women lit into Oprah with an unmitigated glee the likes of which I'd thought had gone out as the Civil Rights Act came in. Apparently, I was wrong.

The thing that struck me most was the number of people calling Oprah a racist because she wouldn't have Palin on her show. Since she hasn't had Obama on her show since he announced his candidacy, I'm not sure how refusing Palin qualifies as racist.

Then they trot out the fact that Oprah supports Obama. Well. So what. He still hasn't been on her show during this election season as she publicly stated she would not do. In her private life, Oprah has the right - again, guaranteed by the constitution - to support whichever candidate she sees fit. But while we're here, let me just point out that it is called The Oprah Winfrey Show. She can book whichever guest she wants to be on the show. How does that make her a racist? She's not actively holding Sarah Palin back as the Florida women are trying to do to her.

This doesn't make Oprah a racist. But all of the people hurling these accusations? They were very quick to pull out the race card. Have you ever noticed how the first one to bring up an issue is usually the one who has a problem with it? There's a reason the saying, "whoever smelt it dealt it," is a cliché.

These women had no problem watching Oprah's show or buying her magazine as long as she was towing the line and booking the guests they approved of. But the moment she gets out of line by doing something they don't like, it's time to punish the ole girl and make sure she knows her place. Kinda reminiscent of the good old days of slavery, huh?

The reactions of these women - a couple men chimed in as well - is a really sad commentary on the condition of not just Florida, but the United States as a whole. This is not the time for such divisive and inconsequential debates. That hour has passed. Now is when we need to settle down and focus so when we step into the voting booth this coming November we will not do it lightly, but soberly and after serious deliberation.

To my fellow Americas: Please remember - the world is watching.