The Race Card: To Play or Not To Play?

William Jacobson makes the case for not playing the race card, arguing that when conservatives play the race card, it only emboldens and encourages the professional race card players of the Left, ultimately giving the Left more ammunition.

Here is my response:

I suppose “not playing the race card” means that the player refrains from making accusations indiscriminately. I assume that we always want to call the Left out when they are really indulging in [unambiguous] racism and bigotry.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, you’ve made a good case for not making race-based accusations willy nilly.

On the other hand, I’m not sure if there’s anything we can do to get the Left to play the race card less. And our restraint becomes our vulnerability.

If we outlaw the race card, only outlaws will have the race card.

Sometimes you fight fire with fire.

I’d also note that if everyone plays the race card all the time, at some point people become more skeptical — à la The Boy Who Cried Wolf. And I’m not sure that’s a bad thing (e.g., as we’ve seen with skepticism over sex harassment charges).

What do you think?