I take no pleasure in writing about issues of race, but I take even less pleasure in witnessing the racial falsehoods and myths that politicians and the media are all too willing to advance.  I refer to the advancement of these tales as shameful lies because the tellers know better.  Those who accept these fallacies are the willful ignorant because the truth is not hidden.
Over a period of years, Reagan told the story of the "Chicago welfare queen" who had 80 names, 30 addresses, 12 Social Security cards, and collected benefits for "four nonexistent deceased husbands," bilking the government out of "over $150,000." The real welfare recipient to whom Reagan referred was actually convicted for using two different aliases to collect $8,000. It was a shameless lie!  Still, Reagan continued to use his version of the story even after the press pointed out the actual facts of the case to him.  In telling a tale about food stamp fraud to a Southern audience, Reagan referred to a “young buck” (“buck” denotes an African-American man) using his food stamps to buy T-bone steaks. Politicians employed racial imagery and racist references to Blacks  in order to appeal to the worst instincts and fears of Whites.  Divisive, racist claims also served as a justification for economically regressive policies.  Sadly, today’s politicians continue to use the same tactics; and sadly, far too many people believe such statements to be true.

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