"I understand the history of black face and how African Americans were caricatured by it," Lechert said. "However, we now have a popular biracial president who is admired by white and nonwhite people. At what point will it become OK for an 11-year-old admirer to dress up as the president without fear of offending someone?"
Kelly said that as a gay couple, he and Lechert consider themselves particularly sensitive to issues of minority groups.
"We are white, but we're a minority class," he said. "We have some insight into this process of what is and what isn't offensive. There was obviously no intent to harm here -- or really any possibility of offending anyone."
So let me get this straight, you can only be a racist if you are not a part of a "minority group?" That is, you must be white and straight in order to be considered racist? I hear this argument all of the time, and I cannot fathom how a person can believe that they are excused from racism simply because they are a part of a certain class. So you are wrong about something else- someone was offended, and it was me.
A black man who believes you are keeping him down because you are white: a bigoted racist.
A woman who believes men are sexist pigs: a bigoted sexist.
A gay couple that believes that they are somehow exempt from racial sensitivity, because they are part of a "minority group" is bigoted as well.
The funny thing is, I support this child's desire to perform in the talent show, mask and all, but not because of some illusory challenge from his self-professed protected class. No, I support it because it is his right to say what he wishes, and the school (a branch of the government) should not be censoring protected speech.
I am sure the child has learned a lesson here, I am just not sure what that lesson is.
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