The Problem With 11/5/08's Defining Moment: The Definition Is Racism

This election has fleshed out a dirty American secret: racism is alive and well. All around the country racist events have increased since November 5. Clearly, there are those who are not happy about the outcome of the vote (see AP article ). People who call themselves American who are not willing to accept that the American system has spoken and to abide by its words.
So they are acting out in the most unattractive (no, that's too nice a word...) ugly ways.
Hard as it is, I can't help but believe this is productive. America is vomiting up its disease and while the process is messy.... it may just reduce, if not eliminate, the prevalence of a most covert cancer. Was Barack Obama the the cure? In part.
There have been a hundred therapies to bring us to this point. My prayer is this: that we who do not hold racist sentiments, regardless of how we marked our ballots, will have the courage to stand up and be counted as the antidote -- that we stand up and speak out against every racist reference that comes into our realm of experience whether it be a veiled remark, outright slur, or explicit action. I pray that we love the sinner and hate the sin. I pray that we peacefully and deliberately use this opportunity as a rising tide instead of killing deluge.
Americans have been taught better. And it is time for us to expect better. We can turn the tide of racism now.