“I sincerely hope we can protect what has been called the ‘great writ’ — a writ that has been in place in the Anglo-American legal system for over 700 years.” Yesterday, those words were spoken by Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the National Sheriffs’ Association. And his utterance of that despicable term “Anglo-American” showed the world his true and utterly racist attitude toward non-whites in America.

Oops. Conversely, those words were offered by Sen. Barack Obama in 2006.

Here’s what Sessions actually said yesterday at the NSA: “I want to thank every sheriff in America. Since our founding, the independently elected sheriff has been the people’s protector, who keeps law enforcement close to and accountable to people through the elective process. The office of sheriff is a critical part of the Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement. We must never erode this historic office.”

If words are any indication, Obama and Sessions actually agree on something here. You’d never know it though given the Left’s ridiculous response to and vitriol toward Sessions. According to Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz: “Do you know anyone who says ‘Anglo-American heritage’ in a sentence? What could possibly be the purpose of saying that other than to pit Americans against each other? For the chief law enforcement officer to use a dog whistle like that is appalling. Best NO vote I ever cast.”

To answer his first question, yes, we can name someone who says “Anglo-American” in a sentence — Schatz’s fellow Democrat and former black politician, Barack Obama. (Maybe it was Obama’s white half talking.) And the purpose of Sessions saying it revolves around long-standing etiquette. Here’s what DOJ spokesman Ian Prior had to say to rabble-rousing leftists: “As most law students learn in the first week of their first year, Anglo-American law — also known as the common law — is a shared legal heritage between England and America. The sheriff is unique to that shared legal heritage. Before reporters sloppily imply nefarious meaning behind the term, we would suggest that they read any number of the Supreme Court opinions that use the term. Or they could simply put ‘Anglo-American law’ into Google.”

Writing in National Review, Charles C. W. Cooke elaborates: “[Sessions’] talk was to sheriffs — about sheriffs. His subject was the ‘historic office’ that most of his audience filled. His point … was that, ‘since our founding, the independently elected sheriff’ has played a ‘critical’ role within a law enforcement system that developed in England and was then adopted in America. (‘Sheriff’ derives from a combination of the word ‘shire’ and the word ‘reeve.’) … Within the law, ‘Anglo-American’ does not mean ‘white.’ It does not mean ‘the KKK.’ It is not a ‘dog whistle.’ It is fundamental. It is used — shock! — to refer to those institutions, ideals, structures, and customs that are common to England and the United States.”

The Left’s real objective is to erase historical references to America’s institutions, ideals, structures and customs. That comes in many forms — whether it’s eviscerating statues or purging from our lexicon benign words they don’t like.