The recent uproar over a quote by Harry Reid in the book, Game Change, where he is quotes as saying that Obama could become president because he is “light-skinned with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one” reveals the predicament that we are in as a nation. It reveals our lack of maturity due to bigotry by the left and it shows the damage done to our society by these liberals.

We as conservatives have long realized that the charge of racism by liberals was and always will be a tactic to discredit and ridicule their political opponents. We have always found it amusing while at the same time saddened, that the Democrat party, which was the party of segregation and Jim Crow, have the audacity to work tirelessly to make it seem that the Dixie-crat (from Democrat) was rather the Dixie-can (from Republican). What we never considered was the effect this bigotry would have on our society. In the words of Jeremiah Wright, the chickens have come home to roost.

Due to bigotry and political correctness, the American people have become too ignorant to know the difference between comments that are racial from those that are racist or for fear of reflecting a hint of racism, they have deemed every comment with the tinge of race as racist without even taking the time to think about it.

Therefore, I will try to return some clarity and sanity by defining the two. A racist comment is one that deals with the hatred, the dislike, the disgust and prejudice for a certain races based on certain beliefs. Whereas, a racial comment deals with issues pertaining to, reflective of, and characteristic of a certain race. It is not mean-spirited, it is not degrading, it is simply a reflection of an obvious aspect of a certain race. Harry Reid’s comments were racial not racist. So-called Uncle Tom’s like Collin Powell and Pres. Barack Obama have always gotten an edge. Reid’s comment, from a black person’s perspective only reflected the obvious.

I often hear black liberals complain and demand that we need to have a discussion on race. The fact of the matter is, we have been talking excessively about race but we have said absolutely nothing. This is because black liberals have joined with white leftists in condemning and ridiculing conservatives who makes statements that are racial, as being racist for the expressed purpose of wrecking their political and public careers. These liberals have repeatedly distorted every racial comment made by conservatives as racist, and have worked relentlessly for that purpose. As a result, the American people don’t know the difference between a racist or a racial comment and they shun all public discourse on the matter. How are we supposed to have a conversation about race when those that a conversation benefits, African-Americans, are eager to condemned? As an individual, I accept racial comments and statements as part of the debate because only when we are able to differentiate between the two and accept the differenced will this country ever be able to have a meaningful discussion on race.

We as Americans must reject the racial bigots who are responsible for preventing this country from having a substantive discussion on race. They obviously put their liberalism and leftist tactics to silence and discredit their opponents before their race and could care less if this country’s racial wounds are healed. The only thing they care about is making disparaging statements against their political opponents. More importantly, when we are led astray by this bigotry we ignore legitimate racism. In fact, because everything is deemed racist, the charge loses its impact when real racism emerges. We cannot continue this way. If it wasn’t for the distortion of what is and isn’t racist merely for political advantage, we as Americans would know the difference between the two. Unfortunately, we don’t.

From an intellectual perspective, there is nothing racist about what Harry Reid said but because liberals have set this ridiculous standard, I can see why republicans believe it is more easier to hold democrats accountable to their own standard rather than inform and change the thinking of the American people.

Regarding Harry Reid, it is flawed and short-sighted thinking for Republicans to demand his resignation. Why would Republicans want him to resign when we know that with the inability of the American public to differentiate between a racial comment and racist comment they will consider this a racist comment and will vote him out of office? Harry should stay put and face the fire. Not for his comments, but for his record.

One of the most used and often times misused biblical scripture is Matt 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Upon considering the instances where this verse is invoked, I have concluded that those who love it, use it because they not only love their sins, but they also want no one to tell them they are in the wrong. They are blackmailers in my opinion; threatening people with bible verses if they are called out.

These individuals are in actuality looking for cooperation. What they actually want is a society where people agree on, “I have a plank in my eyes, if you say nothing to correct me, when I see you doing wrong I will also say nothing to correct you.” In essence, this verse is used as a license for grievances rather than for good.

To somehow conclude by that portion of scripture that Jesus intended for people not to judge is simply ridiculous. In life, we all make judgment calls. We judge the movies we watch and decide whether it was good or bad. We judge the service we receive at restaurants to decide whether the waiter deserves just 15-percent gratuity or more. The point is, we all make judgment calls in every aspect of our lives. If we were to accept that Jesus intended that we do not judge, we would all live in a sad world–and even then, we could not make the judgment call that the world was sad.

Therefore, we must understand what Christ meant. The first thing we must understand is to whom the verse was intended. It was intended for the disciples concerning the religious people of that time. The religious zealots casted judgments on people which prevented people from coming to God. Due to judgments made by the Scribes and Pharisees, many were ostracized from entering into a relationship with God.  Luke 18:9-14 typify their attitude; ⁹To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ ¹³“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ ¹⁴“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Did you notice that the tax collector stood at a distance? This is the kind of Judgment Jesus warned the disciples against; judgment that made people believe they are beyond the Blood of Christ. In our day, it is like a minister telling someone not to return, they are going to hell or in the Catholic Church, being excommunicated. Holding someone accountable and condemning them to hell are two different things. That is because Christ can forgive all sins and who are we to judge the life of someone who still have an opportunity to change course?

However, that is not when the verse ‘judge not’ is invoked. We agree when people make judgments about terrible people that they should go to hell. Typically, when we invoke this scripture it is because we rather not be held accountable for what we did rather than because someone condemned us to hell. Religious condemnation is never when we object. How often do you hear people object if someone said Bin Laden will burn in hell? Never.

If we read further, we would notice Jesus saying that we will all sin but we should be introspective. The tax collector in the above read verse knew he needed mercy, whereas the Pharisee wanted God to know how fortunate God was for his existence. Let us look further at Matthew 7:3-5. ³“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Clearly in verse 5, we are to take the speck out of our eyes so that we can see clearly to remove it from our brother’s eyes. What this means is, hold yourself accountable before you hold others accountable. What God wants is for us to hold ourselves accountable, for us to hold others accountable and for us to be held accountable by others.

Some of you may argue that we should just hold ourselves accountable and stay out of other people’s business. That sounds good provided that the human race is capable of always doing the right thing. We are not. The problem is, not everyone will keep himself or herself accountable. Do we really think that those behind bars did not know right from wrong? They did, but they probably had no one in their life keeping them accountable when they started on a wrong path and that is why they are where they are. If people were capable in keeping themselves accountable, then why is it advisable for people to have an accountability partner? The answer is clear.

When Jesus used these words, his intent was that those who were judging would clean up their life so that they can see clearly to judge other. He was also establishing that judgments that dealt with eternal life were reserved for God. So let me be clear; Jesus was not advising people to hold the attitude that says, I have a plank in my eyes, if you say nothing to correct me, when I see you doing wrong I will also say nothing to correct you. That is our invention. Those who use this tactic, typically, know that what they are doing is wrong and they hope we can all agree around a bible verse to not hold each other accountable. A lack of accountability is the problem, not the answer. Accountability is only judgment when we rather not alter our course.