Race, religion and politics…all are subjects that can raise the hairs on your skin or escalate into a battle. But when you combine any of these together, it can be almost explosive.

So I have decided to venture into dangerous territory and will be spending this week and next looking at how politics is influenced by race and religion and vice versa. Because let’s face it, these are topics that continue to affect America and as we get ready to head into a new election, will continue to be hot discussions.

This week I am going to look at the role of race and politics. Never has this become a bigger issue than when our country elected its first black president. But before I can even go there, we have to examine the whole “Politically Correct” (PC) issue when it comes to race.

It has become PC to call those who we used to refer to as “black,” African Americans. What this really says is that their family’s roots all come from Africa. But that isn’t true. I was applauding a recent talk show caller who said he didn’t want to be called African American because his family comes from Jamaica.

I guess that’s why I don’t mind being called white. I certainly don’t want to be called “German American.” But what if the PC police suddenly decided I should be called European American? I mean, how ridiculous is that? Not everyone who is white comes from Europe, just as not everyone who is black comes from Africa.

The reason I bring this up is because I think its just one small sample of the ridiculous race card that gets played time and time again in politics. If you say one negative thing about President Obama, suddenly you are a racist. If you don’t believe in homosexual marriage, you are a homophobe.

We put labels on people just because they disagree with something. But isn’t that what makes our country what it is? Aren’t we supposed to be free to believe what we do?

I know it will never happen but I really wish we could have one election where race was never brought up. I frankly don’t care if you are purple with orange stripes…run this country the right way and I will vote for you.

When race enters politics it takes away from the real issues at hand. Our country doesn’t have time to get wrapped up in this. We have too many other important issues at stake. Our economy is in the tank. Too many Americans are without jobs. Healthcare is skyrocketing.

When it comes right down to it, if we were to cut our skin we would all bleed the same color. So I don’t want to hear anyone tell me our country is struggling because we have a black president. It has absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin. It is his policy and the choices he has made as president.

It cuts away at our intelligence when we constantly bring up race. A recent example is the releasing of a pledge document called “The Family Leader.” Apparently it said (and has since been taken out), that African Americans (here we go with that again) were better off during the days of slavery than they are now. There were some statistics on how children were more likely back then to be raised in a two parent home and so on.

Now I will give you this…some of what is said about other races is purely ignorant. And I don’t really know that someone of one race has any right or know-how to make statements about a different race. But this I do know…time and time again when someone says anything about another race, they are automatically labeled as being racist.

I heard it just today on “The View,” when Whoopi Goldberg angrily said it sounded like Bachmann is racist because she was going to sign the pledge I just mentioned. But she has also accused Donald Trump of the same. Are racist things said in America? Yes, every single day. But the majority of politicians who make statements and voice their opinions, I just cannot believe that when it comes right down to it, they are racist.

Please don’t send me an email telling me that racism exists in politicians. I know it does. But the point I am trying to make is that we have made this into a much bigger and unnecessary issue than it needs to be. It detracts from the real issues at hand and causes discord that doesn’t need to be there.

America is not made up of just white people. It is not made up of just black people or Asian people. It is a MELTING pot of all different races. It is what makes America what it is. We need to be more concerned about the governing of our country and get off the race train.