Kenneth T. Tellis: Has racism in the world diminished at all?

VHeadline commentarist Kenneth T. Tellis writes: When Hugo Frias Chavez was first elected, there were many in the U.S. who did not approve of him being President of Venezuela. Their reason for this was because Chavez' father was of African origin and his mother of indigenous Indian stock so to them he was not good enough because he was not of European origin.

But even those holding high office in the U.S. were openly against Chavez, not so much for his political leanings but his race. That has not abated as yet and will continue to dog Chavez throughout his political life.

Now we come to Evo Morales of Bolivia ... Evo Morales is an indigenous Indian who was elected President of Bolivia.

Even as a trade union leader in Bolivia, Evo Morales witnessed and endured racism, which he thought that on attaining the presidency would cease, but for him it still exists in Bolivia.

• Those of European stock in Bolivia still think it is an affront to have an indigenous Indian, like Evo Morales as President of Bolivia.

I think the recent encounter by Mayra Figueroa of Houston, Texas, answers the question on racism in the U.S...

Mayra Figueroa was driving when she was pulled over by a Houston police officer, who checked her identity and also asked for her Social Security Card. The excuse was he was checking to see if she was an illegal immigrant. After he checked out her documents, there was no apology from the police officer because she was a Hispanic, who has been in the U.S. for 17 years and was a Naturalized U.S. Citizen and he was WHITE (Gringo). That clearly establishes the fact that the police officer was a racist.

Now let us consider the Metropolitan London Policeman who pulled over a posh car being driven by a Black man. The Bobby simply pulled over the Black man driving a posh car near St. Paul's Cathedral, London, so he automatically fitted into the the constable assumed was category of a criminal. When the Police Officer asked the Black man to open his trunk, he obliged.

The Bobby discovered that he had pulled over the Kampala-born Rt. Rev. John Sentamu, Bishop of Stepney, London. Realizing his blunder the Police Officer immediately told the Bishop who questioned him as to why he was pulled over, said: OFF YOU GO! OFF YOU GO!

The Bobby was trying to avoid any repercussions for his racist leanings. But that was further compounded by the fact that the London Police Chief attempted to cover up the officers actions.

After all if one is a Gringo does one not protect another Gringo from those Blacks? If he did not do so, Britain would be overrun by Africans if they were not stopped.

Now we come to a 27-year old Brazilian electrician named Jean-Charles de Menezes who was accosted by and then shot by the Police in London, under the excuse that he looked like an Arab terrorist, which was one of the weakest excuses ever. But, the Metropolitan Police Chief Sir Ian Blair came to the rescue of the police, because Jean-Charles de Menezes was only an alien. So, the British Police are now under some misconception that they can always get away with murder using lame excuses.

• Of course that all fits in with the theories of one Tony Blair the former Prime Minister of Great Britain.

It is about time that these sanctimonious scumbags, both the Americans and the British who ridiculed and condemned South African APARTHEID in the past, be made to account to the international community for their own racist policies and practices.

Kenneth T. Tellis
kenttellis@rogers.com