Grace for the laggards

I'm darker than thou. I don't know you, but that's based on the demographic odds. I'm also shorter than thou, assuming you're male -- again, based on the odds. Science says there are biases involved in such matters. I'm a victim of Mother Nature, and I intend to sue her pants off.

But I don't have much to complain about with Senator Reid, or even Joe Biden, who Jonathan says is a bigger problem than Dirty Harry. We're still learning what it means to be human, we're still learning what is truly inexorable in human nature and what is cultural. As a minority, I'm keenly aware of the peculiar tendency of Pakistanis and others to cherish lighter skin within their groups. And I'm not naive about how my political prospects in America would be helped by my dressing and speaking like a "regular American" than if I wore traditional Pakistani garb and spoke with a thick accent. What's the surprise here?

I want to see more grace toward those who put their foot in their mouth -- not just the Harry Reids of the world but even the Rush Limbaughs and Michael Savages of the world, who skate on dangerous racial ice for the sake of demagoguery and ratings. If we're all slouching toward enlightenment, we can't be so quick to crush those who may appear to be lagging behind.