In the case of Caroline Kennedy, I don’t feel that there is any racial motivation behind her possible appointment. There is no overt agenda against any race of people in this country that would be advanced by her becoming New York’s new Senator. Let’s keep in mind also that her appointment would be granted by Governor Paterson, a minority on two counts – his race and his disability.

That being said, appointing Kennedy to the Senate would perpetuate an enduring legacy of racism, classism, and celebrity worship that undermine the core principles of our democracy.

What has Caroline Kennedy done that would give anyone reason to believe that she is the most qualified person for this job? She is an attorney, giving her some knowledge of the finer points of law, which is certainly a plus for serving in the legislative branch. She has worked for private organizations that sought to better the public education system in New York, but I don’t know what her successes were in that capacity, if any. She is an author whose works I have never read, so she may well be a wise and insightful person, but I could not say for sure. I’ve never lived in New York so I have good reason to be somewhat ignorant of her accomplishments. I bet, though, that most of the residents of New York know just as little as (or less than) I do.

Kennedy’s true role in national politics has been as a sort of ambassador for her own family. With her brother gone, Caroline is the one left to carry the torch of Camelot into the present day. America loves us some JFK, and she’s the last living part of him that connects us today with what was taken from us 45 years ago. But she’s not her dad. She’s not either of her uncles. She’s not even her brother. She’s famous and known because of what they did, and her opportunities throughout life, especially the possibility of becoming a Senator, have existed because of what they did. Not because of what she has done.

America’s love of celebrity is to our own detriment. No one would know or care who Caroline Kennedy is if she didn’t have that wonderful family tree. She isn’t being judged on her own merit, but instead by the projections of what people imagine she could be. This line of reasoning has given us politicians like Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and George W. Bush. Also, appropriately enough, Hillary Clinton.

Our country has always been governed by the wealthy, and the families with the wealth and power have an interest in keeping that wealth and power. I would go so far as to say that our founders intended it to be that way. They don’t want new faces at the table. A new face means less influence for those that were already there. This is where the racism and classism begin to demonstrate themselves. Our founders were wealthy white men and many of them owned other people. That immoral and inhumane ownership made the playing field in our nation permanently unlevel. As some were forced to work for free and own nothing, their labor generated wealth for the ruling class at such an exponential rate that their money would sustain many generations to come. We have never –NEVER – truly had a government of the people by the people, and for the people. The potential appointment of Caroline Kennedy does not work to reverse this trend.

Our national legislature should be a reflection of the national populace. It is, after all, supposed to be a representative government. The paucity of minority representation is a testament to the overpowering wealth that the rich use to keep the United States operating for their own benefit, even if it comes at the cost of We, the People. The Kennedys have enough money that even if Caroline’s celebrity status was erased, their finances could be used as a bludgeon against a more qualified candidate with shallower pockets. This is effectively class warfare at a base level. The rules will never benefit the underclass because they’ll never really have a chance to shape those rules. The ruling class certainly has no impetus to change them.

Caroline Kennedy’s possible appointment is not racist, except when you realize that our nation’s history of racism, classism, and reward by pedigree rather than merit, has put her in the position to be considered for that appointment.