I has breakfast last week with a good friend. He is different from me in that he is African-American and very liberal. I am white and quite conservative. We talked politics for well over an hour and had a delightful time, both expressing our own views as well as listening and trying to understand why the other believes what he does.

One question which I asked my friend was why conservative blacks such as Powell and Rice are dismissed as 'Uncle Toms'. He suggested that it is because those individuals hold conservative values, which, in his opinion, do little or nothing to help African-Americans. I can both respect that opinion, and respectfully disagree with it.

I mentioned a few reasons why these people might side with the conservatives: Perhaps they believe that the liberal policies of welfare have undermined the African-American family, or maybe they might feel that abortion is killing a disproportionate number of black unborn children. The debate could rage forever without resolution, but for me, the bottom line is that each individual should be free to develop their own political view, regardless of their color or gender.

Dawn over at Clarified, another one of my favorite liberals, posted a fantastic treatise on Uncle Tom. It was posted way back in late April, but it is definitely a worthwhile read and adds a new perspective to the concept and the label.