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Jeffrey Dixon 3/17/2013 Dr. Council PHI 2000 Polarized Prejudice Barack Obamas election to the presidency has brought racial relations to the surface. It is not enough to discuss how far minorities have come. Now, the focus is on addressing more prejudice in politics. The older generation of traditional ideals is being phased out in lieu of a liberal environment. The younger Generation X and Millenials are starting to take a foothold in the political arena. As a result, a healthy discourse is necessary given the radical change the country is undergoing. Tucker states that Americans are unable to have a rational discourse about race and its ramifications (Tucker). The difficulty is the lack of minority representation in politics. It is hard to promote constructive discourse when the leaders do not understand what is going on. A rational discourse is necessary to bridge gaps. It is disconcerting that the older generation of Americans do not fully embrace diversity. In the recent 2012 U.S. presidential election, 88% of Romneys voters were white (CNN Exit Polls) which amounted to 59% of all white voters. This is a staggering display of the racial divide in this country. Whites were not the deciding factor in the election; African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and women were heavily influential at the ballet. At the same time, 93% of African-American voted for Obama (CNN Exit Polls). Clearly, there is a racial divide that needs to be addressed. As Tucker pointed out, there are core convictions that voters are bringing into the voting booth (Tucker). These convictions often boil down to moral beliefs on heated issues. Issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and

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immigration reform. In addition, two schools of thought lie on both sides of the fence for these issues. There is no gray area because it is one side or the other. One is either for or against these issues which is partisan politics in its simplest definition. While many of these issues are concerns of morality, one that is not so cut and dry is race. For instance, there are specific areas of concern that deeply affects minority groups: education, welfare, and jobs are amongst a list of these issues. Unfortunately, minorities do not have the political capital by themselves to deal with these problems as a group. Conservatives, also, feel these groups do not need to depend wholly upon the government. However, whites are the largest group that depend on government resources. In 1992, for instance, whites received 86.3% of Medicare benefits while blacks received 10.3% (Who Gets Welfare). Americans cannot let this hypocrisy run rampant. Electing Barack Obama has stirred race relations and party affiliation. It is disheartening that there are those who take issue with who our President looks like on the outside. Rather, judgment should be made towards his views and character. There are still more Americans that need to look beyond skin color. Prejudice passes down through tradition. Americans need to be properly educated on issues to make sound judgments. Minority groups would be much better off if they were not so heavily scrutinized in politics. They do not deserve to be under the magnifying glass when there are bigger issues to be addressed.

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WORKS CITED
"CNN Exit Polls." CNN. Cable News Network, 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/results/race/president#exit-polls>. Tucker, Cynthia. "Prejudice Still Affects Polarized Politics." Times Daily. N.p., 11 Dec. 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://timesdaily.com/stories/Prejudice-still-affects-polarized-politics,184307>.

"Who Gets Welfare?" Editorial. Ebony 1992: 54-58. Print.