There is a tremendous difference between a misunderstanding and a knee-jerk reaction.

Early last week, the 7th Congressional District of the Democratic Party was scheduled to hold an organizational dinner at Elizabethtown Presbyterian Church. By mid-week, the church informed the organizers they would not be allowed to hold their meeting there, and the event was quickly moved to Elizabethtown Middle School.

The reasons were simple: What was billed as an organizational meeting and dinner a month ago evolved into more of a campaign stop for Democratic candidates for Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr’s seat, as well as a fundraising event.

The Rev. Bill Young explained to the group that such an event would violate the church’s nonprofit, tax-exempt status, but organizers of the group didn’t accept that. Instead, they immediately played the race card — which Rev. Young correctly labeled as “totally ludicrous.”

We do not know Melvin Williams, chairman of the 7th Congressional District Democratic Party, personally. But we do know the Rev. Young well, and that is why we will do more than merely give him the benefit of the doubt here — we stand firmly in his corner. These Democrats attempted, and failed miserably, at putting unfair pressure on the church by trying to make it look like racism was part of the decision.

If Williams and the rest of his group knew the Rev. Young and his congregation at all, they would know exactly how absurd such a claim was. A more well-respected champion of racial harmony can hardly be found in Bladen County.

Still, the political group forged ahead and sent e-mails to area pastors that all but shouted allegations of racism against Elizabethtown Presbyterian Church. Had they not sent out a mass e-mailing, it may not have become a story on Page 1A for us, but one of those e-mails found it’s way into our hands.

It didn’t take long for the Democrats to start backpedaling — looking for a way to take back their knee-jerk and attempt to paint it as a misunderstanding.

Too late. The damage was done, and this group of politicians ought to be ashamed. Their political faux pas was completely unnecessary and uncalled for. We’ll even turn the tables on one of the Democratic leaders, Cumberland County Democratic Party Chairman Floyd Johnson Jr., who called the decision by the church “ungodly” — which is exactly what his organizations claims were.

Since these Democrats made this issue public through a mass e-mailing, we fully expect them to publicly apologize to the Rev. Young and his congregation. They can even do that with a letter to the editor.

We’ll be waiting.