Race DID play a part in my original decision
I have to admit...
...race DID, indeed, play a part in my decision to vote for Obama. That's right...I fully intended to vote for Barack Obama for President. Let me tell you why.
First of all, at the time, I wouldn't have ever considered voting for Hillary. I've never voted for a Clinton in my life and I doubt that I ever will. I'm not a Clnton "hater", I just think that they are as crooked as any two politicians I've ever seen. They're certainly in good company so that's not really as much of a slight as it would appear.
When I made my initial decision to vote for Obama, the GOP still had a few candidates actively campaigning. Of ALL of those men, and the lady...I chose Obama. I felt as though he may have been inexperienced, but he was smart enough to surround him with good people. The inexperience actually worked in his favor as it implied a lesser amount of potential baggage. All we need in our President is a good and honorable man. That's what I saw when I looked at Obama.
Race came in when I thought that it was time for our country to elect a black man for President. There's a good reason for that. I believe that the right black man has the power to heal a huge racial divide in this country and I thought that was a good enough reason in itself to vote for Obama. If he accomplished nothing else but a uniting of the races, he would go down in history as one of the greatest men in our nation's history. So, I was going to vote for Barack Obama for a few reasons, but mostly because I thought that he could be the Great Healer that our country so desperately needs. Imagine how strong we could be if we didn't bicker amongst our selves? The ripple effect of a healing of the racial chasm in the Untied States would be immeasurable.
Then two things happened in a very short time. First, that racist rant from Jeremiah Wright was shown on television. I know there are those who would defend Reverend Wright and say that his words were NOT racist...but trust me, I've been called racist for much, much less than what I heard from the Pulit of Trinity United Church. And, I know in my heart that I am not a racist. But as sincerely as other people PERCEIVE what I say to be racist, I too, sincerely perceive the Reverend to be a ranting, raving racist.
At about the same time I saw Bill O'Reilly interview Hillary Clinton. It was the first time that I saw her sit down and speak to someone for any length of time. I was actually able to watch her and listen to her arguments. She became less of an evil to me and more of a human being, fellow woman and even an intelligent American. I actually almost LIKED the woman who I have held in contempt since the LAST time I saw her sit down and talk. That was the day that she said something about not being a "woman who's just standing by her man". I was so disgusted with her at that time that I decided she was a nut and I never looked back. But the night she spoke with O'Reilly, I softened my opinion of her considerably.
My opinion of Obama remained the same. Neither incident changed my mind, I was still an Obama supporter. But, something that DIDN'T happen began eating away at that decision.
I waited and waited but Obama never came out and denounced the racist rant for what it was. I don't know what his reasons were and frankly, I don't care. I wanted to hear whether or not Obama believed that our government injected AIDS into the black community. I wanted to know if he believed that Bush was behind 9/11. And, most of all, I want to know if Obama is a student of Black Liberation Theology. That doesn't make me racist anymore than it would make a black person racist for questioning a member of a white church led by a man of questionable character.
Calling me a racist for espousing my sincere beliefs is not only anti-American, it's a sign that you really don't have a reasonable argument against anything that I've said. It's like the bully I used to be married to. He could shut me up by getting angry and emotional but nothing was ever resolved by that behavior. Calling me racist is nothing more than verbal bullying and it isn't any more productive than physical bullying.
If a candidate wants this country to put him or her in the number one position, they have to reciprocate. Their alliance to this nation simply must be stronger than their alliance to any one group of us. To paraphrase James Cone AND George Bush...If you aren't for us, you are against us.
Those are strong words...that's why Cone used them. That's why Bush used them. And that's what I have to say to Barack Obama now. If you're not for us, you're against us. All of us.
By the way, it's not too late. I'm still here and if Barack has anything that he'd like to say, I'd love to hear it.
...race DID, indeed, play a part in my decision to vote for Obama. That's right...I fully intended to vote for Barack Obama for President. Let me tell you why.
First of all, at the time, I wouldn't have ever considered voting for Hillary. I've never voted for a Clinton in my life and I doubt that I ever will. I'm not a Clnton "hater", I just think that they are as crooked as any two politicians I've ever seen. They're certainly in good company so that's not really as much of a slight as it would appear.
When I made my initial decision to vote for Obama, the GOP still had a few candidates actively campaigning. Of ALL of those men, and the lady...I chose Obama. I felt as though he may have been inexperienced, but he was smart enough to surround him with good people. The inexperience actually worked in his favor as it implied a lesser amount of potential baggage. All we need in our President is a good and honorable man. That's what I saw when I looked at Obama.
Race came in when I thought that it was time for our country to elect a black man for President. There's a good reason for that. I believe that the right black man has the power to heal a huge racial divide in this country and I thought that was a good enough reason in itself to vote for Obama. If he accomplished nothing else but a uniting of the races, he would go down in history as one of the greatest men in our nation's history. So, I was going to vote for Barack Obama for a few reasons, but mostly because I thought that he could be the Great Healer that our country so desperately needs. Imagine how strong we could be if we didn't bicker amongst our selves? The ripple effect of a healing of the racial chasm in the Untied States would be immeasurable.
Then two things happened in a very short time. First, that racist rant from Jeremiah Wright was shown on television. I know there are those who would defend Reverend Wright and say that his words were NOT racist...but trust me, I've been called racist for much, much less than what I heard from the Pulit of Trinity United Church. And, I know in my heart that I am not a racist. But as sincerely as other people PERCEIVE what I say to be racist, I too, sincerely perceive the Reverend to be a ranting, raving racist.
At about the same time I saw Bill O'Reilly interview Hillary Clinton. It was the first time that I saw her sit down and speak to someone for any length of time. I was actually able to watch her and listen to her arguments. She became less of an evil to me and more of a human being, fellow woman and even an intelligent American. I actually almost LIKED the woman who I have held in contempt since the LAST time I saw her sit down and talk. That was the day that she said something about not being a "woman who's just standing by her man". I was so disgusted with her at that time that I decided she was a nut and I never looked back. But the night she spoke with O'Reilly, I softened my opinion of her considerably.
My opinion of Obama remained the same. Neither incident changed my mind, I was still an Obama supporter. But, something that DIDN'T happen began eating away at that decision.
I waited and waited but Obama never came out and denounced the racist rant for what it was. I don't know what his reasons were and frankly, I don't care. I wanted to hear whether or not Obama believed that our government injected AIDS into the black community. I wanted to know if he believed that Bush was behind 9/11. And, most of all, I want to know if Obama is a student of Black Liberation Theology. That doesn't make me racist anymore than it would make a black person racist for questioning a member of a white church led by a man of questionable character.
Calling me a racist for espousing my sincere beliefs is not only anti-American, it's a sign that you really don't have a reasonable argument against anything that I've said. It's like the bully I used to be married to. He could shut me up by getting angry and emotional but nothing was ever resolved by that behavior. Calling me racist is nothing more than verbal bullying and it isn't any more productive than physical bullying.
If a candidate wants this country to put him or her in the number one position, they have to reciprocate. Their alliance to this nation simply must be stronger than their alliance to any one group of us. To paraphrase James Cone AND George Bush...If you aren't for us, you are against us.
Those are strong words...that's why Cone used them. That's why Bush used them. And that's what I have to say to Barack Obama now. If you're not for us, you're against us. All of us.
By the way, it's not too late. I'm still here and if Barack has anything that he'd like to say, I'd love to hear it.
posted by Meg Kelso | 6:00 AM
3 Comments:
My vote will be "against war". McCain plans to continue our war indefinitely, with additional lives being lost on both sides. I want my children home from war before they die. I don't want them there another six years. Unless you have family there, I guess the war doesn't mean much to people.
In addition, Obama is not Jeremiah Wright. He did not say those things. So why does he have to speak to them? My pastor certainly doesn't speak for me, in fact, we have quite different views on many things.
Every American wants our boys and girls at home. It's not fair to assume that you have to believe in a war to participate in the discussion nor is it fair to assume that those who don't have kids fighting are any less entitled to an opinion.
I don't want anything from Wright. I want Obama to answer the questions that I ask in the post and they are quite valid questions for a Presidential candidate.
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