That Damn Whistle

Last week I was surprised to find this book in my mailbox--a gift from my sister.  It's a tough read, dense and long, but it makes the strong point that racism is still strong in American politics and American life.  It isn't always that people are consciously racist, but in many ways we live in a racist culture.
"Dog whistle" refers to political statements that never mention race but are often heard, if only subconsciously, in racial terms.  For example, complaints about welfare and other government "handouts" are often heard as complaints about blacks even though whites may benefit just as much or more from these policies.

Here is a startling statement from page two about the 2012 presidential election that pulled me right into this book.

 If only white people [as opposed to whites and other groups] had voted...Mitt Romney would have carried every state except for Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

I am now reading the next-to-last chapter.  I hope the conclusion "To End Dog Whistle Politics" will offer some hope.