I agree with President Carter that racism is playing a role in recent outbursts against President Obama. During President Obama’s speech on the status of health care reform, some members of congress engaged in a public display of disrespect. While one Representative hurled the now infamous “you lie” insult at the President, others made their lack of interest known by exhibiting rude behavior such as deliberately yawning and sending text messages.

Health care reform is the most important domestic issue facing America today. Disease does not discriminate. African American, White, Asian, Latino, Republican, Democrat, no one in America is immune. So it seems obvious that a debate on health care reform should not include views born solely of partisanship or bigotry.

Various polls prior to the election indicated that between five and ten percent of Americans would never vote for an African American president. That number, of course, only includes those who actually admitted to their prejudice. How many others harbored such feelings but did not respond honestly when asked the question? And how many people oppose Obama’s plan because the President is African American?

In "Birth of a Nation," D.W. Griffith used white actors in black face to portray black legislators as having low intelligence and acting like fools. Today, we have a band of real life congressional fools seemingly bent on blocking any meaningful reform of the health care system. But if we allow even one American to die simply because he or she cannot afford treatment, we are creating a shameful scenario that could aptly be called “Death of a Nation.”

I respectfully disagree. Yes, Joe Wilson may have been out of line to yell at Obama. I'll concede that. However, I do agree with the sentiment, and it has nothing to do with race.
I also wonder: Was there any racism involved in the fact that so many black voters voted for Obama BECAUSE he's black?

I agree with you Bill

Obama set out to re-unite the nation. - As a European living in Germany I encounter a lot of anti-Jewish sentiment in many places. Bad habits are hard to break. - Congressmen are well aware they are in the media focus. I'm optimistic that the controversy about race will help mend America. It still has its own domestic issues while fighting foreign wars. It's good this fuss has come so early in Obama's presidency - there's plenty of time to work it out.

I think fundamentally people are so afraid of change that it paralyzes their ability to reason and think clearly. How many people have to file bankruptcy because of medical bills? How many people have to choose meds or bills? We do need healthcare reform. Noone in this great country of ours should be without it proper medical care.
I'm embarassed by the lack of respect shown our President. I was quite bothered that our children didn't get to see his speech last Tuesday. Where has patriotism gone? The country came together after 9/11 and it seems...just as BinLaden knew the WTC would fall from his actions, the United States is now falling apart from our own actions.

I love ya, Mr.Cosby, but I see no proof of racism here. I see a disrespectful congressman who knew it and took the appropriate action by calling to apologize, which President Obama, "graciously accepted". Those were Rep Wilson's words. Not mine. I don't agree with President Obama's health care plans, but I am not racist. I think this thing has just been blown way out of proportion. If the President can accept Wilson's apology, why can't everyone else? After all, the insult was directed at the President.

Obama himself doesn't feel that Wilson's outburst was racially motivated. http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/09/16/jimmy-carter-racism-charge-obama-doesnt-agree-says-gibbs/

I agree wholeheartedly with what you have discussed Mr. Cosby. Thank you for making your thoughts and statements public.

Newt, I see Obama as a gentleman who would not rush to call somebody racist simply because they do not agree with him. He was called a liar, which was not gentlemanly of Wilson, but that has been addressed enough. We need to move on.

I don't seem to remember this kind of reaction when the Democratic members of the House Boo'ed then President Bush during the State of the Nation address. Was that racially motivated as well?

I totally agree with Newt White. So many African Americans voted for Obama because he's black. Also, you have so many of the white population that is trying to make up for so many years of injustice that they jumped over to the side of Obama simply because of that reason.

Gail, I totally agree that we should move on. This just distracts from the actual debate, which is more important. I'm just tired of this prevalent attitude of "If you disagree with Obama, you're a racist."

I believe it was racially motivated - if you look at the track record of the person who made that statement - he was all for keeping the Confederate Flag flying over his state's capital buildling. Old feelings in the South die hard - or don't die at all - which is incredibly sad to me.

President Obama is well-spoken, intelligent, well-educated and he is the President of the United. There are folks who just can't handle that lineup of qualities! Fortunately - there are also a Majority of People who wanted him right where he is - support him - support his policies and want him to be successful. We have to get a little bolder in speaking out in his favor, I think!

I wasn't watching and have no idea what happened. I'm white and come from a family that tended to vote republican - or at least conservative. I don't vote - don't hate me, I just can't find any human being that I trust enough to put in office. Power corrupts.
That said - he is the president, and people should show respect. Whether they agree or disagree, they should show respect to the office and we should all show respect to each other. I was taught to respect authority. (my father wanted to teach me to hate black people, but it didn't work, cause my teachers in Jr High got to me first). I'd bet there are tinges of racism that still linger in me, from upbringing and from living in this country, but I'm not proud of them.

And why did that Kanye West guy do what he did? Was there a reason? Didn't his mother teach him anything?

The only thing I have against the president is smoking. I don't like smoking and I can't get past getting grossed out and losing some respect for those who do it, even if they *are* addicted.
But yawning? Really? Shame on them (unless they were actually tired or having a reflex yawn) and texting? Why?

I think so too Robert, how many people voted for Obama because of his race, not his experience, ideas, position, party affiliation - just because of his race? That is no way to select the leader of the free world. This country needs an education, but I think they are getting it.

If you watch the statement given by President Carter, you will see he does not refer directly to Rep. Wilson. Mr. Carter is referring to the larger picture, as it appears Mr. Cosby is as well. If race isn't an issue, who is it all these people want their country back from? Why are they trying to de-legitimize Mr. Obama's presidency by attacking is citizenship? From the very beginning that seemed more like an effort to dehumanize him than defense of the constitution. As usual, a lot of people speak, and yell, before they listen to all the facts, and misinformation spreads...

I think it's naive to say that there is no racism present in people's treatment of Obama. I don't necessarily think that Joe Wilson's outburst was racially motivated, but that 5-10% statistic of people who would never vote for a black president is telling. That means for every 100 people who may or may not agree with Obama's policies, there are at least 5 who simply think his race makes him incompetent.

Okay, I think bringing the Confederate battle flag into this distorts this even further. That flag does not represent racism. It represents a group of people who fought valiantly for their homeland. The majority of the Rebels were not slave owners; there were also free blacks in the Confederate army.

I still don't understand how opposition to a particular health care reform plan has anything to do with racism. I oppose the current plan, not because it is coming from an African-American president, but because I feel like it is an imperfect and overly-costly way to do so.

Does that mean that everyone that opposed Bush or Clinton's policies was doing so because they also were racist? With all due respect, this seems to me to be an unjustified argument.

But CoRri, what if we ask black the same qquestion about voting for a white person, I think the statistics would very likely show that 99.9% of blacks would NEVER vote for a white person given the choice, and it would not matter what that person stands for or believes! Now THAT is racist, wouldn't you say?

You have it nailed Justin.

President Obama chastised a white police officer for arresting an African-American man in his own home for being disrespectful and obnoxious. That man, Prof. Gates shouldn't have been disrespectful or obnoxious. But, then, he shouldn't have been arrested in his own home or on the porch.

The president defended Gates and labeled a racist. So, just becuase Robert Gibbs said Obama doesn't feel it's not racially motivated doesn't make it so. I love how Bull Connor and Jim Crow can speak their minds through new representation. However, African-Americans and allies are written off as whiners. But, I guess it's a reality I must learn to accept.

If these comments were driven by policies, detractors would get their insults straight. The president can't be a socialist, fascist and Nazi at the same time. And he definitely can't be fascist. A fascist, according to its definition, hold far right-wing views. The president will never be accused of having them.

There's a reason his detractors are grasping at adjectives. Many can't say what they want to say. I wholeheartedly support the First Amendment, which means I must accept that people may choose to make racist comments.

I won't accept people not having the balls to call a spade a spade. Disagreeing with policy doesn't make anyone racist. I disagree with some Obama policy decisions. However, some -- not all -- Obama detractors aren't being driven by policy concerns.

I think it's brutal that the first thing people of a lighter shade say about Mr. Obama is that he's well spoken and intelligent. No kidding. You say that right away like it's a rare thing. I don't remember that being said for any of the previous presidents. I think the people that say that are trying to please people too hard. It should be a given that the person in charge of a country be intelligent and well spoken. I know it doesn't always happen, but it should be a given. There have been great presidents in the past, but I don't ever remember the statement, "He's so well spoken and intelligent" being thrown out there so often. I personally don't have anything against Mr. Obama and ithink he'll do a fine job, but, as stated before by others, just because someone isn't a fan, or isn't happy with his leadership, doesn't mean they are a racist.

Mr. Cosby I have to respectfully disagree with you whole heartedly. Does racism still exist, we all know the answer to that is yes. Do the majority of American's that have morals, values, and truly care about what America stands for harbor racist thoughts, feelings, and or actions? I do not think so. If that were the case President Obama wouldn't have the title of President in front of his name. I think most American's regardless of which party the belong to agree that health care reform is needed but this is my question. Medicare is going broke and it is run by the government, what will make this any different? This needs done but it needs to be done in the correct way, this does not HAVE to be passed over night. If they are going to do it, PLEASE do it right!

Thank you for sharing your feelings on this and giving us the opportunity to respond.

Absoulutly right. Racism plays a role in many desicions and as our world progresses into the future we hold onto the old ways. We hold on to the past and sometimes don't learn from our mistakes. We need to change that, and much of the younger generation is slowly becoming less and less rasict. Sadly, it is still there.

It is my opinion that the only color of importance in this debate is the color of money. There are literally billions of dollars at stake. A number of people involved in this debate care more about those dollars than they do the people falling through the cracks in our healthcare system. Racism plays the part it always does, keeping our focus off solving our mutual problems and on our trivial differences.

Joe Wilson's outburst was rude and disrespectful to the office of the president, but it was not based on race. He, like the majority of Americans, is concerned about the impact of government-run health care on our society. Big government has become an all-too-present reality in the 21st century and it is fast chipping away at the liberty of the people. There is no doubt that health care needs to be reformed - I have a debilitating chronic illness, so I know first hand the incredible flaws of the current system - but this particular bill will hurt more than it will help.

I do not care what color a person is. I am looking to align myself with honest people that want the best for people. I don't want people that cannot think of others and the difficulties that they are facinng. I also do not want people that are perpetrating a hoax on the American people. Do we need reform, absolutely but it cannot be to anyone's benefit and lasting if we are not even reading the bill or discussing it, it cannot be to our benefit if it is being rammed down our throats, people are being threatened who oppose it and we are un American for questioning it.
Bill I have an uncle who has met you personnally, He says you are a wonderful man and I believe him. I know your heart is for the regular people and if you say there is racism involved then there may be. That is however not the majority of people that just want this done right! Thanks
for the discussion.

So were Democrats racist to Bush when they responded similarly to his speeches? Republicans were disinterested because all Obama had to offer was the same, tired obfuscation and vagueness that has characterized his entire career.

But if we're all so racist, why were the black speakers at 9/12 so well received?

Miss Scott:

We'll need to agree to disagree. Wilson is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, fought against the removal of the Confederate Flag from the SC state house and accused Strom Thurmond's biracial daughter of smearing him for revealing herself.

Disagreeing with Obama is NOT racist. However, I believe Wilson's behavior was fueled by race and the act of a messiah trying to save us from big government. Funny, I remember somebody else being called messiah.