Worrisome

The Associated Press reports (here) that a poll it conducted recently indicates that white racism directed toward African Americans and toward Hispanics, as well, has ticked upward in the last four years since President Obama took office.  The AP observes specifically concerning African Americans that,

In all, 51 percent of Americans now express explicit anti-black attitudes, compared with 48 percent in a similar 2008 survey. When measured by an implicit racial attitudes test, the number of Americans with anti-black sentiments jumped to 56 percent, up from 49 percent during the last presidential election. In both tests, the share of Americans expressing pro-black attitudes fell.

These figures and the whole AP news posting are worrisome.  If it is true that racism and racial prejudice are always wrong and always threaten the nation's well-being—if that is true, then the election of the president has taken us slightly backwards in a very scary direction.  As many of us have felt, much of the motivation behind the tea party movement, the birther movement, and perhaps even congressional intransigence  is racially charged.  The increasingly deep divide among Americans is likewise racial, at least in part.  Looking forward, it is likely that all of this is going to get worse before it gets better.  We are on the cusp of a radical social change as the white percentage of the population continues to dwindle.  Evidently, it is possible that in this coming election the Hispanic vote will already determine who will win the presidency.  A Pew poll (here) taken less than three weeks ago found Hispanic voters breaking for Obama at a 3 to 1 rate.  By 2016 and 2020, the influence of Hispanic voters will grow still more, and with a rising crop of Hispanic politicians it is only a matter of time until we elect our first Hispanic president.

It is hard to believe that the demographic shifts taking place in our nation will be peaceful.  How much overt physical violence will be involved is hard to say, but it is also hard to believe that we aren't in for a period of racially charged political, social, and maybe even economic conflict that will sorely test our political institutions and greatly influence the entire future of the nation.  Little did our colonial ancestors realize the heritage they were leaving us when they decided to import the institution of African slavery into the colonies.  It is God's Law: when we practice injustice we reap the devastating consequences of injustice.  Racism destroys.