For Barack Obama and minorities everywhere, it is hardly a surprise. We knew it was coming, we knew it would be an issue and we knew someone was going to ruin it for all of us.

It appears, however, that despite the majority's clamoring that we have long since passed the days of where racism was not just prevalent, but a norm, we have been exposed to the harsh reality. The words many use in such a cavalier fashion actually carry some dastardly meaning and motivation behind them.

Obama, who is black, was forced in recent days to recognize this truth as his previously storybook ascent to the top of the Democratic Party's ladder was greeted with death threats. Certainly many presidential hopefuls and presidents alike receive these, but Obama's were specific in one aspect alone: They were based on his race.

Certainly, this is something most of us hoped we had long since passed. This kind of overt racism seems to belong somewhere deep in the heart of 1960s Dixie, buried along with America's many other racist blunders. But, despite our apparent recent dose of civility, I've had no short supply of column ideas for those who speak or write racist or bigoted words. Indeed, we've found that even in 2006 and 2007, we're struggling to find new definitions for how we interpret bigoted motivations on a daily basis.

We've learned it doesn't matter if you are a radio shock jock or just a fraternity in Baltimore, as we have seen both implicated for phrases and words like "nappy headed hos" and "ghetto," as they take on new meanings in the public's consciousness.

We've found out that even if you are a political commentator with few allies outside your party or a likeable face from sitcom television, the old familiar forms of concrete bigotry remain prevalent as well.

Cities large and small tried to fix these problems, from New York to Brazoria, Texas, as city councils sought to take the "N-word" out of the public's vocabulary. Fearful of the First Amendment, Brazoria backed down while Manhattan boldly pressed on. Society, and Tim Hardaway in particular, realized that words alone do not make someone a purported bigot, as a mere attitude can do that just as well.

We have come far as a society, so far that when a former Republican governor of the state of Wisconsin suggests that firing based on sexual orientation is acceptable, he actually feels the need to publicly rectify this error.

However, as much as society has made strides by improving and showing our ability to look past culture, color and orientation, we often cannot ignore a small, but dedicated sect of society that has decided to resist the broad change the rest of society has decided to make.

Who can forget the Nazi protest at the state Capitol in August? Who can forget Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boldly protesting the "myth" of a Holocaust in Europe? Who can forget a presidential hopeful with everything just right on his résumé, being forced to seek Secret Service protection because of threats based on his race? Truth is, as much as we've progressed, we have missed this small, but unfortunately vocal sect of society. They are bent upon striking fear into the minds of minorities and furthering their own ambitions for power.

But, there's reason to believe in ourselves. We may come to the realization that the extremes remain extreme, but the center is moving toward a more desirable location and that has to inspire hope. Hope that the words Michael Richards and Ann Coulter chose will simply not be uttered or, even better, thought.

Hope that cities will not feel pressured to ban certain words because both minorities and majorities will not abuse their right to speak them. Hope that people willfully shed their oppressive attitudes to be more accepting of their fellow human beings, to accept and admire that which they are capable of.

We're caught in times where Jim Crow is not acceptable but Carlos Mencia is to some. We're caught in times where Don Imus says an off-color joke and we protest, but Dave Chappelle says the same and we applaud. We're caught in times where overt discrimination is unacceptable, while affirmative action programs press on.

But, before we give credence to those who threatened Mr. Obama or indict all of the majority for the actions of this small minority, we must realize that the fact that this dialogue takes place, that we're finding new ways of interpreting the same old words and trying to understand each other's signals, and that we are going in the right direction, despite our many failures.

Robert Phansalkar ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in languages and cultures of Asia and political science.