Criticize policies, not character flaws

There is a profound and deep-seated bigotry simmering on this campus. It is as stark and far-reaching as the anti-African sentiments of the deep South before the 1960s. It is as blatant and disturbing as the anti-semitism of the Nazis. \nIf I were to say Joe Lieberman is a penny-pinching miser because he is a Jew, or that Jesse Jackson was a crack-snorting "colored" man, I would be inundated with accusations of racism and bigotry. I would be labeled, and rightly so, as a close-minded person who obviously has not considered the facts on either of these individuals. \nBut if I were to say that George W. Bush is a rich white man from Texas, and therefore discriminates against blacks and is obviously stupid, liberal Democrats on IU's campus and across the nation would applaud me.\nThere are a lot of prejudiced statements being levied at George W. Bush, regardless of the fact that he has remained true to his promises to the American people, and he has one of the most racially and sexually diverse cabinets in America's history. George W. Bush ran his campaign on the promise that he would be "a uniter, not a divider." Liberals are quick to accuse George W. of being racist, citing the appointment of John Ashcroft, who accepted an honorary degree from an institution that banned interracial dating. No article I've read mentions whether or not Ashcroft was aware of this, though. New Jersey Gov. Christie Todd-Whitman, Bush's nominee as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is being called a racist because the attorney general of New Jersey admitted to the use of racial profiling by New Jersey police. She did not have any part in the racial profiling, yet she is being called a racist. How anyone could construe either of these events as acts of individual racism is beyond me.\nNo one seems to want to look at whom our president nominated for his cabinet positions. Does the fact that Secretary of State Colin Powell is holding the highest office ever occupied by an African-American ever get mentioned by liberals? Nope. How about Condoleeza Rice, National Security Advisor, who is not only an African American, but a woman as well? As a matter of fact, when you look at Bush's cabinet in comparison to Bill Clinton's cabinet, Bush has the more culturally diverse selection of advisors. Whereas Clinton had eight white males and three minorities, President Bush has only seven white males and five minorities. Actually, when taken as a whole, Bush's advising team has white males at a minority. \nSo you cynics say that still doesn't prove his claim that he's "a uniter, not a divider"? Well then, let's look at his appointees in Texas. When Bush took office, he used 124 of his 350 gubernatorial appointments to appoint Republicans rather than converting over the Texas government into a Republican stronghold. That's less than half. The rest he either appointed Democratic candidates to, or allowed the appointee to carry over from Ann Richard's term of office. How's that for being a uniter? My liberal colleagues are too busy trying to connect Bush's white nominees to racial evils while accusing Bush of being a racist because he's a rich, white Texan. Forget the fact that rich white males comprise barely half of Bush's cabinet.\nDon't even get me started on Bush's intelligence. Bush has an M.B.A. from Harvard, yet some critics have the gall to attack Bush because he is a grown man who adores peanut butter and jelly and idolizes Nolan Ryan. Last I checked, Nolan Ryan was still a great American who was not only an outstanding baseball player, but also an upstanding citizen. Liking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches was not a character flaw the last time I checked; at least, not as deep a character flaw as former President Clinton's cigar fetish.\nIt's not surprising that liberal Democrats are up in arms about the order to withhold federal funds from international groups that support abortion, attempts to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife refuge or the proposed tax cuts. To paraphrase the Biblical quote, before you attempt to remove the speck from my eye, first remove the log from your own. Before liberals attempt to attack Bush's policies, they need to stop acting like hypocrites themselves. \nI am now calling for a cease-fire to the bigotry that is being aimed at our new president. The time is past for assassinating his character. He is not a racist, and his appointments prove it. He is committed to preserving human life, returning money to all of the taxpayers (not just the Republican ones) and promoting a less imposing government. If you disagree with him, please be active and voice your opinions! Nevertheless, if you want to be taken seriously, attack the president's proposals and actions, not the character of the president of our United States.