For many, the Obama era promised to break down the racial barriers and bugaboos of old and herald in a new age of understanding, in which Americans could finally discuss and debate issues based on nothing but honorable intentions.

Apparently Congressman Jim Clyburn did not receive the memo.

The ridiculous extent to which the word “€œracist”€ has been used and abused has now rendered the term completely meaningless. Individual and institutional racism prevalent during slavery and segregation was glaring and obvious. Today, genuine racism is less obvious, yet undoubtedly still exists, and a word to label such instances might be useful. But the word “€œracism”€ itself has been thoroughly discredited precisely because of men like Clyburn.

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