I’m not comfortable and it’s not easy to call an entire group of people racist. Very rarely is an entire group of people *anything* … however I’m firmly standing behind the NAACP as it moves to condemn elements of the Tea Party movement.

Not because I think every one in the Tea Party is racist. Not because I think the ones that are even REALIZE they are racist…and of course there are those attracted to the Tea Party because they are racist – but because we need to stand up and say enough is enough. Your ignorance does not get you off the hook.

When the Tea Party meme of the day is that the unemployed are lazy and undeserving of benefits, when they push ‘taking up arms’ to ‘take back the country’ and when they remain predominately white- with their bigoted signs and controversial slurs … enough is enough.

Show me a diverse Tea Party rally and I’ll reconsider. Show me a ‘leader’ of the movement that isn’t a white Christian and we’ll talk. Show me a gathering without racially charged, and 1st Amendment protected, signs and I might think the NAACP has gone to far. But no. Because that does not exist.

Today the First Lady promoted ‘Let’s Move‘ – an initiative aimed at fighting childhood obesity and promoting healthy lifestyles for kids. Guess who was up in arms? The Tea Party blew a gasket on Twitter and elsewhere because Mrs. Obama spoke in front of the NAACP. They talked about government interfering with their lives (“She cares more about if you feed your kid a Twinkie than killing them in the womb”) and then proceeded to mischaracterize her speech.

Of course her speech had nothing to do with the Tea Party or race and everything to do with eating right and exercise.

Why? Why would this predominately white group be so up in arms? Our Black First Lady just spoke to a Black organization and they assume it means whitey will be punished. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann recently said she feels like a ‘slave’ under this administration. Yes…she actually said that. These white folk are so afraid they are screaming about taking back their country.

Of course they deny this has anything to do with race. They are so ignorant they either don’t see it or they can’t bring themselves to admit it in mixed company. They complain that people like myself play the race card, when it’s been in their deck and plain as day for months now.

Yet it’s so amazingly obvious to anyone with common sense that the premier African-American organization in this country is calling the Tea Party out- loud and clear and under no uncertain terms.

Perhaps even if the Tea Party leaders are shocked and disgusted by this accusation, they should at the very least, take a look within. Would they consider working with the NAACP to rid their movement of perceived racism? Would they do minority outreach to show they really are more than a handful of people of color? Would they work to support issues important to people of color and perhaps acknowledge their white base has some learning to do?

I’m not holding my breath. A movement based on fear and hate, with elected leaders championing it’s rallying cry of victimhood and oppression, instead of educating themselves on history and the needs of anyone of color, can’t possibly see beyond their own, white goals.

I’m ashamed of the Tea Party. I’m ashamed that what should be a movement based solely on taxes and policy and issues, is really a KKK rally in a thinly veiled disguise. A sad commentary for those non-racist members who really want to change the country.

I stand firmly behind the NAACP and hope the Tea Party leaders do something about their image and the dangerous rhetoric spewed by their white members.