Racism and White Supremacism in the American Government Essay

Introduction

Perhaps there is no better example that can be used to understand the differences between racism and white supremacism than the ongoing United States presidential campaigns, pitying Senator Barrack Obama against Senator John McCain. But before I get into the nitty-gritty of the U.S. presidential elections, it is only imperative that I look at simple standard definitions of the two terminologies.

In a layman’s language, racism is the perception held by some people that race is the basic determinant of human capacities and human traits. This school of thought believes that there exists an inherent superiority of a particular race based on racial differences. In more simpler terms, it is the absolute hatred of one individual by another or the belief that one individual is less than human because of his language, skin color, place of birth and customs (Racism 2001).

Main body

Racism is exhibited in people’s behaviors, attitudes, and power. In America, racism has affected the lifestyles of majority of its citizens despite media reports that it’s no longer widespread. An AP – Yahoo poll conducted recently suggested that Obama’s multi-racial background – his father being black and his mother being white – could see him loose over 6 percentage points to the Republican candidate, John McCain (Halloran, 2008). This clearly shows that racists’ ideas are deeply entrenched in the attitudes and behaviors that people from one race portray to others from a different race. The democratic presidential contender is likely to loose substantial votes, not because of his poor policies or incompetence, but because he comes from a black race, perceived as inferior to the white race in the U.S.

Racism is also closely related to power. We have seen how white conservatives have brutally fought the democratic presidential contender chances of becoming the first black U.S. president. Senator John McCain himself has been captured live on several occasions saying that the U.S. citizens are not yet ready for a black president. What’s more! Discussions and chats about a black president taking control of the White house have become more vocal, and more common this days, with the focus being that Barrack Obama’s presidency is null and void due to his race (Halloran, 2008). To this extent, the intention is to really suggest that a black person should not in any way amass power and authority over a white person even if it comes by legitimate means – the ballot box.

In Thomas Jefferson’s time, the blacks were regarded as just property when it came to matters of taxation by majority of the Southern States. But when it came to matters of House representation, the blacks were counted as persons though they could not be allowed to vote. This was specifically done to enhance the South’s control of power in the House as well as in choosing the President of the U.S. This clearly shows how racism was used to achieve political gains by the whites while using the black community as a stepping stone (Walton and Smith, 2008)

Racism has mutated and given birth to a monster in the name of white supremacy. This is basically an ideology that asserts that white people are superior to all the other racial groups in the world. Unlike the general view of racism as some form of inherent superiority of a particular race, white supremacism takes a more political dimension that advocates the political and social dominance of the whites. Nothing can better illustrate white supremacism that the way Senator John McCain avoided answering Obama’s questions, and the way he addressed him as ‘he’ without even mentioning his name during the recently concluded presidential debate. Judging by the attitude exhibited by senator McCain, it was clear to all that he carried an element of superiority owing to his race.

White supremacism, unlike racialism, is rooted in the desire to attain hegemony and ethnocentrism. All the supremacists want to attain is an “exclusive club” of one people who have outright domination and control over the other people. This has often resulted in anti-Semitism and anti-black racism.

White supremacy has been institutionally perpetuated historical perception that aims at exploiting and oppressing continents, countries, and people of color by the white people (Tyehimba, 2003). It has its roots from perceptions of racism. Even after the traffic lights were discovered and invented by a black American technician, credit and patent rights were offered to William Potts, a white. In their belief, there was no way a black person could have come up with such an invention. Such a story exhibits brute forms of white supremacism.

Racism and White Supremacy in the context of Jefferson’s Universal declaration

Thomas Jefferson came up with the popular declaration which in clauses said that all men are created equal and endowed by God with inalienable right to freedom. Though the declaration seemed justifiable, his actions and thoughts went past that to reflect a supremacist and racist nature of Jefferson. I cannot deny the fact that Jefferson wanted the U.S. to be a just and equitatable society. This is plainly expressed in his Notes on Virginia. It can be argued that the slavery Thomas Jefferson was trying to address brought about deep seated racism, more so in the United States. Racists’ remarks, attitude and behaviors gave rise to the ideology of white supremacy, often practiced in political fields (Walton and Smith, 2008).

Jefferson, perhaps in his efforts of rationalizing racial relations, came up with a scientific approach to the problem of racial inequality. He sought to scientifically proof that the black community was particularly inferior to all the other races. But it is the same Jefferson who wrote that all men were created equal in the eyes of God and all had an inalienable right to freedom. This clearly shows that Jefferson was a racist who, despite knowing that slavery was evil and contributed to racism, went ahead to propose a decree in Virginia law that viewed slavery as a necessary evil. The law came up with ways through which Africans could first toil in the white plantations before they could be retrained and offered the necessary tools to continue with their lives (Walton and Smith, 2008).

This went against his very principle of universal declaration to allow racism and outright misuse of the blacks to take place. In modern days, such overtures are witnessed daily in the U.S. foreign missions. Even though they still abide by the Jefferson declaration, people with Islamic names are perceived less equal in America than those with Christian names. It is extremely hard to secure a U.S. Visa especially when you come from third world countries and you posses an Islamic name. The purported middle name of Democratic presidential candidate – Hussein – has elicited racist remarks in the run-up to the November 4^th general election.

Jefferson saw the slavery institution as evil and unjustifiable but he continued to defend its very existence. According to his own words, he saw the association between the slave and master as “a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other” (Walton and Smith, 2008). But his amendments entrenched slavery more resulting to racism. The blacks were racially discriminated upon and viewed as inferior to the whites.

For example, in some Southern States, the blacks were counted as property for purposes of tax collection. When it came to matters of representation in the House, The black slaves were counted as persons. This clearly shows how racism and white supremacism had taken root, whereby blacks were only used to fulfill the desires of the “dominant” whites. No Scientific explanation could explain how the blacks were viewed as property in one instance, and then viewed as persons in the other instance.

It was just plain racism. In more modern times, this have been replayed in apartheid South Africa where blacks, despite their majority in numbers could not be allowed the right to live with their families, the right to vote, the right to use certain facilities, and the right to political representation.

Though Jefferson advocated a just society, his declaration elicited racism and dominion which worked against his very wishes. Look at the Three-fifths clause passed during his time! Owing to this clause, a white slave master in Virginia having some hundred slaves had an equivalent of around 60 votes, compared to a Pennsylvania white man having no slaves as he was only apportioned one vote. This according to Walton and Smith (2008) is the essence of slave power which has continued to degrade the American democratic institutions, even among white men. It has its roots in the Thomas Jefferson Declaration.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that the scientific analysis of Thomas Jefferson, which sought to reflect the black community as inferior to the whites formed the basis of racism and white supremacy. African Americans were first regarded to as slaves and subsequently as oppressed, poor minority groupings (Walton and Smith, 2008). Today, this perception is still held by many whites towards the black community. The U.S. presidential race is a stark reminder of the race and supremacy relations.

Works cited

Halloran, L. “Racism Could Hurt Obama in Pennsylvania.” U.S. News and World Report. 2008. Web.

Racism. 2001. ADC. Web.

Tyehimba, Ras. “America: Bastion of White Supremacy.” Race and History. 2003. Web.

Walton, H, and Smith, R.C. American Politics and the African American Quest Universal freedom, Longman, 2008.