At a time when our country is facing the ills of terrorism and war, we need to be unified. But if our country is to ever put our painful past behind us, we must make sure that those who still harbor racist views are never placed in national leadership positions. When Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott made the insulting, insensitive, racist and now-infamous remarks at Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party, his intent, undoubtedly, was to salute and honor Thurmond. However, he succeeded in doing little more than opening the nation's old wounds of segregation and dropping the veil on...