Wow!
Talk about shockers!
The amount of racism still present in my neck of the woods is amazing.
I wasn't naive enough to think that racism was gone, but I thought that we were further along than this. The number of people who have objected to voting for Obama because he is black has stunned me. The people abandoning long-time party loyalties . . . who have berated me for not supporting the "correct" party, the one of the working person . . . certainly abandoned those convictions post-haste when an African American candidate was selected.
Gosh, I thought this was the 21st century, not the 1960's. Granted I wasn't born until the end of that decade, and have no idea what it was really like. Fear seems to have gripped both sides. Old prejudices fade slowly. Minds change one degree at a time. But still! We objected to his RACE?! Really??
And because we were too politically correct to own up to our racism, we cloaked it in fear of Muslims and terrorism. I have no idea about the religious beliefs of President-elect Obama and his family. All I can judge by is their words and deeds, and they seems to be supporting that he is a Christian, in the United Church of Christ denomination. However one may feel about the positions of the UCC denomination, it is considered a Christian denomination.
What I do know is that we would not have done that to someone else. Let's look at a couple examples. Let's supposed John Doe was born to Catholic parents, and raised in the Catholic faith during childhood, but as an adult, joined a Baptist church where he was active for more than 20 years. We would not consider him the "Catholic" candidate. If Sara Smith's parents were atheist and she converted to Episcopalian faith, years later we would not call her the "closet atheist" candidate.
Just seems to me that racism is behind this, and I'm just shocked. I guess I've had my head in the clouds -- too focused on how things ought to be rather than the way they actually are.
Kinda wish everyone had let me just keep my head there. Ignorance was bliss, and now my bubble is burst. There's much still to be done. Guess I need to get down to earth and back to work.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Racism in the Presidential Race
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2 comments:
You really are right....some come out and say the n word on porches of churches, been there, then some cloak it much more nicely. Watching the accept. speech was touching for me whether I voted for him or not, I can imagine if I had young black children, I would be so proud that they could experience this hope and know that they could become anything....
I have to say that I really haven't heard much racism myself, and most of the people I know didn't vote for Obama. Most of us in my neck of the woods just vote based on his previous voting record which shows him to have voted contrary to our personal views. I am an Independent voter so I vote based on the person. I have voted for both black and white officials, Democrat and Republic, but if I have done my research and seen their voting record, I have to vote for the one who most reflects my views. Having said that, I will be praying for Obama just I will the rest of the leaders in this nation and just as I have for the previous Presidents and leaders. I was raised to show respect to those in authority so I can't do otherwise at this point.
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