AP: 'Election Spurs "Hundreds" of Race Threats, Crimes'

The Associated Press just published a disturbing piece about a rise in race-related crimes and incidents since Election Day:

Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting "Assassinate Obama." Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars.

Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony, highlighting the stubborn racism that remains in America.

From California to Maine, police have documented a range of alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack. Insults and taunts have been delivered by adults, college students and second-graders.

The article listed some of these disgusting incidents:

_Four North Carolina State University students admitted writing anti-Obama comments in a tunnel designated for free speech expression, including one that said: "Let's shoot that (N-word) in the head." Obama has received more threats than any other president-elect, authorities say.

_At Standish, Maine, a sign inside the Oak Hill General Store read: "Osama Obama Shotgun Pool." Customers could sign up to bet $1 on a date when Obama would be killed. "Stabbing, shooting, roadside bombs, they all count," the sign said. At the bottom of the marker board was written "Let's hope someone wins."

_Racist graffiti was found in places including New York's Long Island, where two dozen cars were spray-painted; Kilgore, Texas, where the local high school and skate park were defaced; and the Los Angeles area, where swastikas, racial slurs and "Go Back To Africa" were spray painted on sidewalks, houses and cars.

_Second- and third-grade students on a school bus in Rexburg, Idaho, chanted "assassinate Obama," a district official said.

Is this really America in 2008? How can we still be here as a nation?

On the other hand, how much of this was instigated by Obama and his surrogates?

After all, they used race to beat Hillary in the primaries, and did the same against McCain while also employing class warfare to separate America along income lines.

Forgive me, but you can't spend ten months dividing the country for your own political purposes without there being repercussions.

That is by no means an excuse for this atrocious behavior. However, should the Obama campaign deserve some responsibility for this post-election hostility?

Before casting this aside as sour groups, consider what would have happened if they hadn't used the race card so frequently to their advantage, and instead run a completely colorblind campaign devoid of race- and class-baiting.

Maybe such disgusting incidents would have been nonexistent or, at the very least, far less frequently occurring.