Baba Whisler, community activist, teacher and longtime, card-carrying member of the local NAACP, has her knickers all in a twist because "some" people didn't vote for Barack Obama in Tuesday's primary election because he's black.

Well, duh!

Of course "some" people didn't vote for Obama because he's black. And "some" people didn't vote for Obama because he's not black enough. And "some" people didn't vote for Obama because he comes from a mixed-race family -- his father was black, his mother was white and he was raised by white grandparents.

But let's not forget that "some" people actually voted for Obama because he is black. In fact, it's a safe bet that there are black residents of York County and beyond who have more than once voted for a black candidate over a white candidate simply on the basis of skin color.

Me? Well, I voted for Obama in the primary because Gov. Ed Rendell said conservative whites in this state wouldn't vote for a black man, and I wanted to prove him wrong. At least one conservative white man in this state did vote for Obama.

Whisler, who tends to look at every issue, every question, from a black vs. white perspective, needs to broaden her horizons. Because in this world, the color of one's skin is always going to be an issue with "some" people. "Some" of us hate that fact. But that's the way it is.

Focus on skin color to the exclusion of all other factors, and it's easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. Suddenly nothing else

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matters except race. Important stuff, such as ideology, character, a sharp wit and personal philosophy get lost in the shuffle of bigotry, prejudice and intolerance.

There will never -- unfortunately -- be a time on this planet when the color of one's skin won't be a bone of contention for someone. It will never be an issue for "some" of us, maybe even for many of us, but for a certain percentage of people, skin color will always be a deal breaker.

Might as well accept that fact, Baba, and move on to other issues.

Like gender, for example. Or age. Or religion.

Does Whisler or anyone else think for one instant that there weren't "some" people out there who voted for Obama for no better reason than that his opponent was a woman? Of course they did. And a white woman to boot? In some eyes, that was a double whammy.

Does anyone think that "some" people didn't vote for Hillary Clinton for no better reason than that she was a woman? Sure thing.

In this race, gender is as much an issue for many Americans as skin color.

Stupid? Absolutely. But that's the nature of the beast that is the American voter.

It works the same way right on down the list -- race, gender, age, religion, country of origin, sexual preference, political
persuasion, personal characteristics, handicaps, marital status, fashion, the color of one's eyes, where one went to school, one's job, one's income and whether or not you speak with an accent.

Bet your last dollar that in November, there will be "some" people who will vote for U.S. Sen. John McCain because of his age. And "some" will vote against him because they think he's too old to do the job.

Already in this presidential campaign, religion has been a sticking point for "some" people -- Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and Mike Huckabee was a Southern Baptist minister. To "some" folks, nothing's more important than religion. They'll vote for you if you're Catholic or they won't vote for you if you're Catholic or Lutheran or Baptist or Methodist or Hindu or whatever.

The list of potential reasons to discriminate against someone or some group of people is long. Need a reason to feel superior to someone -- just pick one.

But you know what? Black candidates, women, gays, atheists, senior citizens, Asian-Americans, Catholics, American Indians, all manner of people are being elected to public office with some frequency.

Apparently "some" of us, enough of us, are doing something right.

I'd rather focus on that.

Columns by Larry A. Hicks, Dispatch columnist, run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. E-mail: lhicks@yorkdispatch.com.