Washington Post: 'Muslim' is the new 'black

According to the Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart, GOP presidential contender Herman Cain (and others') assertion that certain Muslims are trying to kill us is "absurd" and the fact that Cain subsequently wouldn't be comfortable appointing them to his hypothetical cabinet is "senseless."

As an African-American, Capehart writes, Cain should know better:

Herman Cain, the former chairman of Godfather’s Pizza who wants to be the Republican nominee for president, recently said he would not be comfortable appointing a Muslim to his cabinet. An absurd assertion that he was challenged on at the New Hampshire debate last night. But Cain doubled down on his senseless stance with a discordant response that revealed a massive blind spot. ...

And I’m not comfortable hearing an African American holding forth on the good and bad of another race or ethnicity. Imagine what we’d be talking about today if “Muslim” were replaced with “black” in Cain’s response. All hell would have broken loose and rightly so. There are people who think there are good blacks and bad blacks. And there are certainly more than a few folks who firmly believe there are blacks — militant or otherwise — “that are trying to kill us.” Or rob us. Or cheat us. Or generally make life unpleasant for us.

I lost count long ago of the number of times I was told during grade school and middle school (in the 1970s, I’m not as young as I look, folks) that I was “one of the good ones” by white friends who were thought they were paying me a compliment. I can only imagine what Muslim Americans think and how they feel hearing someone who aspires to represent all of the people of the United States disparage them with barely an uproar afterward.