Why apologize Representative Lewis?

Friday's class did not involve much discussion, so I am taking the liberty of writing about a current event that struck me as interesting.

Representative John Lewis (D-Georgia) has recently apologized for his observation that McCain rallies are increasingly reminding him of rallies held by George Wallace. Lewis said he was, "deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign" and that the Republican running mates are "playing with fire" by not discouraging derogatory comments at their rallies. Lewis was a civil rights leader in Selma, Alabama during the 1960's, so I personally feel his words are credible when he witnessed the terror of segregation and Jim Crow laws in the American south.

That said, I do not believe John McCain is responsible for the crowd's reactions at his rallies. He has endured boo's when he said that Barack Obama was, "a man that should be respected" and "would make a good president". The audience at recent rallies have responded best when Republican speakers refer to Obama as a traitor and a terrorist. Sarah Palin certainly has fanned the flames of hatred, citing Obama's friendship to former radical William Ayers as evidence that Obama is unfit to be president. Some Republicans continue to spread the rumor that Barack Obama is a Muslim, which is not only untrue, but it spreads distrust and hatred. There are enough close-minded people who will vote based what religion a candidate practices, and I find it absurd that so many people are willing to believe what they hear from a bunch of people working in politics. Emily addressed in her blog that it should not matter who a candidate is friends with; but besides that, it should not matter what race they are, what religion (if any) they practice, their gender, their sexual orientation, their children's lives (yes, I'm sparing Sarah Palin), nor their socio-economic status. Americans too often consider these "image issues" rather that the policy decisions that the candidates plan to impliment. If this sort of thing continues, America will continue to decline, as I feel it has done for several years at this point.

So why apologize John Lewis? You're right, McCain's rallies have a hostile environment that breeds contempt between Americans. How are we supposed to overcome the partisan politics of our time when the politicians are continuously driving a division between Americans? To me it seems America is a very factious society; is there a hispanic America? Is there a gay America? Is there a wealthy America? Not that these are independent, sovereign establishments, but I often see divisions between groups of people over a wide array of issues. I may be overly idealistic, but I honestly can't see why we have so much trouble finding common ground and relating to each other (there are a few exeptions, read my post on sports), but for the most part, it seems as if various groups of society will never interact. There will always be the haves and the have-nots, but it is beyond my comprehension why people are so often spiteful towards other groups.

I call on the two leading political parties in this nation to contain their fervor a little. There is nothing wrong with a little mudslinging here and there (this is politics after all), but do not cross into questioning an individual's patriotism or morality. Barack Obama and John McCain I feel are both distinguished individuals, but their parties need to stop driving a division of bitterness and hatred between supporters of the two parties. I realize that it is important to state your case to the American public regarding how one candidate compares to the other, but some things are best untouched by politics.