Race in America - an update

CBS.com has turned off all comments on its website on news stories about leading Democratic contender for the Presidential nomination, Barack Obama.

It is leaving comments on for all other Presidential candidates.

CBS is doing this because of a large volume of racist comments, a volume too large for CBS to moderate. At least, so says this Daily Kos story.

Obama has been given Secret Service protection. I do not know whether this is standard practice for a leading candidate for the nomination. I had thought only the party nominee was given this. Obama's chief rival, Hilary Clinton, gets Secret Service protection as a former first lady. I can only wonder if this is because of racist threats against Obama.

The Obama candidacy will likely bring out America's closet racism, and give lie to the constant Conservative assertion that racism is dead and over with and nothing we need worry our heads about, let alone attempt to remedy. And I can hope that coming out into the sunlight will make it wither away.