Email to Colbert King

I sent this email in response to Colbert King's column on last weekend's health care protests:

Mr. King,

Your opinion column on the Tea Party is one of the most odious pieces I have read on last weekend's protests and an absolute slander on everyone who participated. It presents little in the way of evidence but is instead full of baseless conjecture and character assassination of the highest order. In fact, the full sum of your logic appears to be:

1. Those who tried to prevent desegregation and the expansion of civil rights were angry.
2. Tea Party protesters were angry.
3. Therefore the two movements are morally equivalent.

A few questions for you:

* Did you actually attend the protest? I did, and I failed to see one sign, t-shirt or speaker who mentioned President Obama's race. Instead, the overwhelming majority of people expressed sentiment disapproving of the proposed health care legislation. That shouldn't be surprising, since a majority of Americans in opinion polls disapproved of the legislation as well.

* There have been a number of anti-war protests here in DC in recent years, and other mostly left-wing gatherings expressing their displeasure with the IMF and World Bank. Some of these protests saw the windows of businesses smashed and public property defaced. They were also overwhelmingly white. Did you compare these protests with segregationists and George Wallace? If not, why not?

* You repeat the charge that racial epithets were hurled at Black lawmakers. Does it bother you that zero evidence has emerged to corroborate such charges despite the presence of multiple video cameras, including by members of the lawmaker's entourage? Indeed, Andrew Breitbart has offered a $10,000 donation to the UNCF if such evidence can be produced. Strangely, none has been forthcoming.

* How can dissent be conducted which isn't deemed racist in your eyes? Must the protesters be sunny and cheerful? Must they refrain from criticizing black lawmakers? Must every single sign in a sea of thousands be free of any radical or distasteful language? (if so, do you hold left-wing protests to the same standard?) Is any protest against actions taken by our president automatically racist? What is the standard?

Your column was nothing more than a smear meant to de-legitimatize those of us who disagree with the President's agenda, and an irresponsible use of your position at a paper as prestigious as the Washington Post. I look forward to an apology.

Regards,

Colin