Joe Biden’s Unchecked Prejudice

During the third Democratic debate, Joe Biden was asked about past comments denying responsibility, as a white dude, to repair the legacy of slavery in America. His response was questionable at best.

“… we bring social workers into homes and parents to help them deal with how to raise their children. It’s not that they don’t want to help. They don’t know quite what to do. Play the radio. Make sure the television, excuse me, make sure you have the record player on at night…”

That moment revealed a huge blindspot for Biden. He took the question about America’s gravest and most persistent injustices, put it in a blender, and responded with a word salad suggesting parental ignorance by Black folks — never providing a coherent response.

How is it that his main takeaway of the injustices towards the Black community is that there isn’t enough music? Every single American is not just influenced by Black music and culture, but in large part, attempts to mimic it through appropriation. Why is no one checking him on it?

The New York Times ran an article that touched on his response saying, “Joe Biden had a strong start, but stumbled over race,” and another with the headline, “Biden Was Asked About Segregation. His Answer Included a Record Player,” and not much else. The Intercept, however, had no qualms about calling Biden a racist, while major media negatively focused on Julián Castro for coming at Biden about saying we would buy-in to BidenCare — which he clearly said.

During the second debate, Biden said all the right things regarding racism: “The only way … you deal with it is you attack it, you expose it, you embarrass … You call them out … Most of all, you call them out to our children … white folks are the reason why there’s institutional racism.”

Well, Joe Biden, that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to call you out. Should we go so far as to call him a racist as the Intercept did? I don’t think so. Does he still harbor some prejudiced views? Clearly, the answer is yes. Or he wouldn’t have gone on that prejudiced rant. In fact, in all his years in politics, he, of all people, should have known better.

Instead of focusing on the legacy of institutional racism in America, he seemed content with putting that burden on the very Black folks America has historically oppressed. Suggesting that Black folks simply don’t know how to raise their kids is asinine at best and ignorant at worst.

The Great Uniter? Nah.

During the Democratic Debates, Biden has consistently portrayed himself as the great uniter by going so far as saying he’s the only candidate Republicans would work with while suggesting only he can end the division in America. However, his language suggests he can be as divisive as Donald Trump, albeit using a softer tone. Biden’s most recent comments during a town hall in Greenwood, South Carolina, a day after the fifth Democratic Debate, is clear evidence of that.

When pressed by Carlos Rojas, an organizer with Movimiento Cosecha, to depart from the destructive record of the Obama White House and support a moratorium on deportations, Biden responded with, “You should vote for Trump then.” Shortly after, you can hear some members of the crowd yell “they should be deported” and “deport them.”

The language that most folks thought to be heard only at a Trump rally, seems to be growing at Biden events.

While Biden’s argument was that he would not commit to deporting felons, his attitude towards Rojas, who is part of an organization that Julio Varela says, “reflects the voices of the immigrant community,” should disturb everyone. Turning his back and initially walking away from Rojas also showed a total lack of respect and a refusal to listen, learn, and understand the negative impacts of Obama-era policies he is content taking credit for.

While many Biden supporters stand by his words of deporting felons, this idea seems to fly in the face of arguments we’ve heard to the contrary for decades. If the rhetoric of Bill Clinton holds true — he argued criminals get deported, come right back, therefore, justifying the need for a border wall/fence — then we should be detaining those criminals instead of deporting them.

For decades, Americans have justified Bill Clinton’s policies during his term as president using the exact same language he did. However, deporting migrants who commit crimes is just another form of family separation. In fact, it’s what the Trump administration uses as an excuse to separate families with his abhorrent policies. Looking at it from the Latino perspective, there’s not much difference between the policies under the Obama and Trump administrations.

One could argue, as I have done with great success, that Clinton, Bush, and yes, Obama laid the groundwork for Trump to use their policies — along with existing Jim Crow-era laws — to implement the inhumane policies he’s enforcing against migrants of color since he took office. Trump didn’t have to alter immigration policies and laws much to do what he’s doing.

Like it or not, that’s the cold hard truth. Biden promises to maintain the status quo and to keep things going along the same path as they have been for more than one hundred years. He also appears to be running his campaign as if it’s Biden v. Trump, which has a chance of ending his campaign sooner than later.

We still have a long way to go and if he continues to tell Latinos to “vote for Trump,” he must be mindful of those that already vote Republican and why they do.

As the vast majority of Latinos struggle with convincing those in our communities that Republicans have no interest in our concerns, Biden isn’t helping. Instead, he fits the bill of every other Democrat in the past who speaks to us during the campaign, and refuses to speak for us once elected.

Prejudiced Views Are Not Gaffes

His gaffes — as corporate media refers to Biden’s off-the-wall comments when speaking on the topic of racism — make the vast majority of Latinos feel as if he’s pandering to us like every other Republican or Democratic candidate has. Given his history, in connection with his recent comments, he raises more questions than answers in our communities. In fact, he will continue to struggle to earn the Latino vote, which no Democrat can win without.

While Biden supporters suggest that he has evolved as (Obama did on gay marriage), his actions towards Latinos and his language surrounding the questions of segregation, indicate that he is not as evolved as his fans might suggest. When he speaks from his soapbox, with his heir of superiority, it is evident that he still talks down to people of color. Particularly, when he’s questioned about recent comments or his past support of inhumane policies.

To me, as an anti-racist and advocate for immigration reform, his rhetoric is disqualifying.

Look, if you support Biden, that’s cool for you. But don’t come at me for calling him out on what are arguably some of the most publicly prejudicial comments made in recent history, by a Democrat, as the nation watched and corporate media ignored.

Sure, he’s a better option than Trump. However, if all we’re concerned about is being better than a bigoted racist with zero sense of compassion and unity, we’ve set the bar too low. Additionally, discounting other candidates, who don’t hold similar prejudiced views of Americans of color, is a disservice to us all.