USA Today, 9.16 Response to Jimmy Carter's Remarks on Racism by Dr. Phillips

As an American, a conservative and former administrator, I object to Jimmy Carter's divisive comments and generalization on racism. I strongly differ in political philosophy with the former president and resent his generalization and pathetic analysis of President Obama’s erosion of popularity.

My mother was a phenomenal woman, born in the south she was one of the most caring and accepting people I have ever known. While in her late years, teaching elementary school in Illinois, she taught a fourth grader who would eventually play basketball in the NBA and set many records. She loved this young man, his parents and family very much. She lived in a community which was overwhelmingly white and middle class, yet she often had this young African American’s parents to her home for dinner in spite of personal threats and anonymous objections. One night, someone knocked down her side door and broke windows in an attempt to intimidate her. None of this mattered, up until the time she passed away she viewed her many friends of color as wonderful people and great Americans. As a conservative, I will not be lectured by a former president who chose to ride with a KKK leader to a meeting in Georgia, perhaps for a political endorsement.

It's my understanding that the former president in commenting on representative Wilson's comment in the house supposedly said "I think it's based on racism...There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president...Those kinds of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care...It's deeper than that!"

Yes, it is deeper than that Mr. Carter but not racism. So many liberal voices have tried to characterize concerned Americans with serious reservations about healthcare reforms as simply mobs, even Nazis. These Americans are not mobs and the town hall meetings simply reveal the deeper problem you have erroneously attempted to identify. One of the problems appears to be lack of credibility resulting from administrative incompetency and a lack of transparency. The second issue seems to be one of concern on the part of many Americans that our constitutional principles, in fact the American way of life, including entrepreneurship and individualism are in danger of destruction.

Please Mr. Carter, prior to speaking in the future; give some thought to what you are trying to say.