And Yet Another Nugget.

Spread values of equality

By Siddique Malik

To conclude that the Kentucky Democratic primary results reflect "widespread racism" would be wrong, unfair and an affront to those who voted for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama simply on merit.

It is no secret that a small segment of America's population is racist. Like Kentucky, around 20 percent of Democrats in West Virginia voted on the basis of race. With slight variations, the same could be said of Indiana and many other states. Why focus on Kentucky? Why were the Carolinas not called racist or sexist? What about Mississippi?

Once, the KKK held a rally in Louisville. Its participants could be counted on finger tips. But a simultaneous counter-rally teemed with people of diverse backgrounds. Why only look toward the wrong side while interpreting statistics?

This discussion raises a genuine point, though. In a tight electoral contest, narrow-minded voters could decide the outcome, without analyzing the real issues. But this is one of the perils of democracy. Many citizens don't even bother to vote, while some voters' decisions are utterly uninformed, although not bigoted. Clearly, the solution is to educate voters about their responsibilities and spread the value of human equality. This must be a perpetual mission.

During the 2000 presidential campaign, America's mosques and other gatherings of Muslims were abuzz with the talk of a 'sacred" duty to vote for George W. Bush. Reason: His opponent's running mate was a Jew. Some zealots even said that voting for Al Gore would constitute apostasy. Gore lost by a handful of votes, and this result could probably be traced to this bigotry. Today, some American Muslims accuse President Bush of "anti-Muslim" behavior. But they should take to task their brethren, who allowed bigotry to seize them in 2000.

Even before 2000, Grover Norquist, a political strategist, advised the GOP on how to tap Muslims' general religion-induced myopia. I don't know if he helped trigger this opportune revival of anti-Semitic activism among some American Muslims, but one thing is certain: When Clinton mentioned "uneducated white" voters, she clearly stoked racism.

Desperate politicians are bound to exploit societal fissures, but the mission of empowering voters against such politicians must continue. Long live democracy!