ACE OF RACE
Judging from reports and soundbites it seems that Obama’s Philadelphia speech on race today could be a turning point for America’s quality of life.
There are some people who enjoy, approve, even benefit from the downtrodden status of so many African Americans. At the other end are moralists who cast shame on the US for its treatment of Black people.
For people in the middle, racial divisions are an annoying, troublesome aspect of our society that diminishes their overall quality of life. Wouldn’t it be great if our huge racial tensions could simply recede!
Barack Obama is qualified to promise the American people that no other candidate can promise—racial reconciliation. At least a process.
He’s both black and white, as he sort of said in his speech. He understands both sides, is intimately familiar with both sides. In fact, he is both sides.
Anyone can promise foreign policy stuff and economic stuff.
Only Obama can promise racial reconciliation. He has to come up with some sort of program and surrounding rhetoric, but he can own the issue.
Then, Hillary and McCain will be asked, "What is your program for racial reconciliation?"
Peace and prosperity, plus increasing racial harmony.
Dumb crackers played a race card. Obama holds the ace. I hope he plays it.
I can’t believe it… I hope!
----- o -----
2 comments:
Hi, Willie. Thanks for this post. I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I always am--Barack is actually being blamed for being blacl, for assocciating with blacks, and refusing to hate blacks. If anyone votes against him because of the words of another black person, then America will indeed be the pathetic society many of my friends have argued that it is. r.s.
I finally saw excerpts from the speech during a rerun of Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show," and his punchline after the clips was priceless. "Imagine, a politician at eleven in the morning giving a speech about race that treats the American public as if they were adults." And then he looked at the camera in wonderment.
Post a Comment