Are you an angry, white male? If you are, some pundits speculate that you could turn the Presidential election John McCain's way.

I'm an angry white male but my anger is different from most others in that I know where my anger should be directed. I understand the nature and cause of my injuries, especially the economic injuries and I also understand that those most responsible for those injuries also insult my intelligence by trying to lay blame where it doesn't belong.

Right-wing Republicans don't tell us the jobs that went to China, India and other cheap labor markets, weren't sent there by minorities, same-sex marriage couples, Americans of religions and philosophical leanings other than those comprising the Christian-right; no -- they don't tell us that -- they know that through innuendo, fraudulent guilt-by-association smear campaigns, institutionalized racism, ethnocentrism and fear-tactics -- many of us are predisposed to pin the bad raps on those we've been taught to hate, fear and mistrust.

Take the meltdown of the economy primarily due to sub-prime mortgages and fraudulent lending practices by Wall Street (Republican) types. Right-wingers are pushing the idea that the resultant home foreclosures happened because liberal Democrats wanted as many minority individuals as possible to have homes. If I had any money left to wager, I'd bet that more white families have had their homes foreclosed upon than have minority families. That would imply that more whites took mortgages they couldn't afford than did minorities.

The blame-game tactic isn't new nor is it original. Scapegoating religious groups, minorities, labor unions, institutions of learning and anyone who looks or acts outside of the so-called mainstream -- systematically directing anger for frightening economic times at such unjustly demonized groups, is precedented throughout the ugliest times in human history.

So if you're an angry white guy like I am, don't allow yourself to be both a victim of greed and political cunning; don't let the real culprits off the hook, and by all means, don't give the perpetrators of some of your misery...the opportunity to do it some more!

We have a right to be angry. But we also have a duty to our families and country to act based on intelligence and common sense rather than fear, hatred and lies.