Clarence Thomas is right about America's obsession with race

From firsthand experience, I know exactly what Justice Thomas is describing. There is hardly a day that goes by when vile and racist comments don’t fill my inbox—usually at the hands of people who tell me how racist Republicans are or how I’ve “sold out” for being a black conservative. Consider the following comment left on The Daily Beast site following my article discussing the irony of the North Carolina NAACP asking marchers protesting against voter-ID laws to bring along an ID to the rally:

I have never been compelled to call someone an Uncle Tom, but my goodness, if this article doesn’t fit the bill, I don’t know what does. Honestly, I don’t know why this was even published in the Daily Beast, a news source I often respect. Shame on them for even giving this guy the time of day.

I find it sad during the era in which America celebrates our first black president that discussions regarding matters of race are often cause for acrimony rather than constructive engagement. Calling someone racist or accusing him or her of racism is a mechanism to stifle rather than encourage debate.