Holder Calls America "A Nation of Cowards" When It Comes To Race

Speaking before employees at the Department of Justice in Washington today, Attorney General Eric Holder referred to America as "essentially a nation of cowards" when it comes to race relations.

Holder also called present day America "voluntarily socially segregated" and that "average Americans do not talk enough with each other about things racial."

This begs the following questions.

1. Does Holder believe this cowardice applies to all Americans or does it only apply to whites?

2. Does Holder believe all races are equally guilty of voluntary social segregation or does he believe this is the exclusive behavior of whites?

3. Does Holder believe average Americans of all races do not talk enough with each other about things racial or again does this only apply to whites?

4. Regardless of how Holder would answer question #3 what sort of things does he think "average Americans" ought to discuss when it comes to race? Perhaps it is not question of Americans not discussing race but rather saying the things he wants to hear.

5. Most importantly are we now to assume that President Obama shares Holder's view that America is a "nation of cowards"? Somehow I think Obama would have got as far as Al Sharpton had he endorsed such a sentiment.

This was Holder's most interesting passage:

To make progress in this area we must feel comfortable enough with one another and tolerant enough of each other to have a frank conversation about the racial matters that continue to divide us.

Well, the Attorney General had better be careful for what he wishes.

I, for one, do not appreciate being called a racist because I chose not to vote for Barack Obama.

I, for one, do not appreciate civil rights luminaries like John Lewis likening John McCain and Sarah Palin to George Wallace.

I, for one, do not appreciate the likes of Kanye West accusing President Bush of not caring about black people.

I, for one, do not appreciate it when African Americans who don't toe the party line (i.e. Ward Connerly, Michael Steele, Clarence Thomas, etc.) are referred to as Uncle Toms or have Oreo cookies tossed in their direction.

I, for one, do not appreciate it when those who object to affirmative action policies are dismissed as racist without a proper evaluation of their objections.

Frank conversations cut both ways. In the spirit of frankness, I must state I do not find Holder's remarks at all helpful.