By Paul Weiser
As conservatives seek a presidential candidate who’s neither a New York liberal nor fireship McCain, we wonder about Condoleeza Rice - about her background, if the second Bush administration has compromised her beyond repair. The Washington Post loathes her (Eugene Robinson, 10/24/06) for reasons that constitute a sterling recommendation.
It seems (according to Robinson and the Post) that Condoleeza Rice grew up in the black “strivers’” enclave of Titusville - an Atlanta suburb where her father (if Robinson’s to be believed) stood guard at the gates with a rifle against the Klan. All so his daughter could grow up free from the fear of racism - learn to play the piano, to engage in intellectual pursuits. In short, to become a civilized woman distinct from the jackals who circled the fire beyond his rifle’s range.
Robinson complains that Condoleeza thereby lost out on the ability to “feel” racism as (presumably) “authentic” blacks do. Which is to say, she understands and evaluates without joining a trash-culture of whining victimhood, her rational thought uncompromised by such “feelings.”
If this is so, there’s much to be said for Condoleeza Rice - more than for anti-gun Rudi or Welcome-Mat-to-Illegals McCain. Though rational thought does not always lead to integrity, it’s a start.
But to return to Robinson and the WaPo: what exactly, one wonders, is their objection to Condoleeza’s father and the “strivers” of Titusville in general? Or to turn it around, where is there any value at all in black fathers who fail to shield their daughters - or for that matter their sons - from suffering, feeling the horrors of barbarism? Who, never marrying the mothers, are never around except in the sense of being “around town?” Condoleeza can be our hope for she’s a child of hope, not Robinson’s “feeling” fatalism.
None of Your Lib (NOLIB) is a weekly column, appearing
each Monday. Email responses and requests
to Paul Weiser
- be sure to specify in the body of the message that
your mail is to NOLIB. Some past articles are in the
NOLIB archives, and you are also invited to
visit
my home page. All responses
are appreciated,
and may be incorporated into succeeding columns in whole
or in part unless the sender requests otherwise. And of
course, the opinions expressed are those of the columnist and
may
not reflect the views or opinions of gte.net.