One has to take the history of the US into consideration before one starts calling the race card a cop-out. Blacks were still slaves a 150 years ago and that still affects this country. It took the Civil Rights Acts of 1965 to legislate against outright racist rules. The KKK was still lynching blacks into the 50's.
The Irish were stigmitized during the 1800's. Same with the Chinese and Jews.
Now it's the Muslims.
When you take into context grandfathering of jobs, ie., my grandfather was a fireman, my father was a fireman, I am a fireman, I'll be damned if some minority is going to take away the job from my son, never mind he's a moron. We (whites) deserve those jobs.
Might have something to do with the sensitivity about racism, don't you think?