Fear of a Black President

I think we will, eoe. I'm for Obama getting elected 'cause he's only half-black. It's a good way to transition. Can't go too fast on these things ya know. There are some rules that ya gotta follow with equality.

First, ya pass a constitutional amendment, but give it a hundred years or so to get some traction, ya know, somea that age to give it respectability, like a fine cheddar.

So half a black man as Prez has a nice compromising touch to it. Is there any way we could maybe bleach out Michelle's skin a wee bit? It'd get more people on board, ya know, get us a consensus.

If this thing works out, and it just might, if after this compromise effort, we give it another half century or so before we try again, just to let folks adjust, well then, from there on out, we could go to cloning a Prez, sprinkling in a few specks of DNA from all the races, sort of a melting pot prez.

That'll work for me, and I know that's what I want for, mmm, my grandkids want too. But as this is a true democracy, the skin color DNA will be that of the majority. That only seems fair to me.

my answer is a long shot and more of fantasy then anything else..

but according to the article, the writer is saying that racism is almost as deep as DNA...

something he does not have to take responsibility for.
Something he does not have to change.

So.. if what he says is true, and people really do read that and feel that, then everyone will now say it isnt a problem so much as it is just part of "being who they are"


gosh.. I cant word this very well..

I see what I am trying to say.. and it is a long shot by all means.. but I hope I am understood..

Sorry, but I don't have a clue what you were saying...

An old and tired canard, George. POWs, save those who just died of natural causes handled it and there is no reason to expect that they were any special section of the population.

This is as dumb a comment as "love it or leave".

I fail to see how you could not realize it is progress.

Hey, sweety. Thanks for giving it a go.
I almost wrote what an insult that DNA line was, and I thought better of it. Now that you've addressed it--please don't buy that racist bullshit. That's all it is.

'fur' color in this case, shewolf.

Please you two, don't stop talking to one another! You do a good game but the deep respect you have for each other is plainly evident. Plus the lines are priceless!

Trust me I dont.

And what I am trying to say is that this is an example of another 'barrier'

It has/is/could be growing into an excuse for feeling racist and one that can be excused by a mere reference to science.. or contributed to some deep seeded , cant help it its just a part of me, nature.

But
in the big scheme of things.. I think that has been there all along..

Speaking only for myself here, but I do not recall ever looking at Obama and thinking "He's black."

I have found myself saying "He's a liberal." or "He's a democrat." though.

i would love to think that , what you describe is exactly how most people view him.

Obviously his skin color is not 'hindering ' him.. he is quite popular.

I guess we can safely assume that you have one redeeming feature, McG.

Yeah, sweety. It's the same thing we've been trying to overcome for decades. It's another way of saying "frailties" and behavior (and intelligence, moral turpitude) is hard-wired. Same ole... (chokes stuffed bunny)

So far, Obama has done an excellent job to leave the race card behind,
I think people should do the same. He'll be our next president (I'm very optimistic) and he's got better qualifications to do a good job than McCain.

First off, CJ, your avatar is wonderfully flattering. You do have a certain style, a flair for fashion[size=7]...oh my god, she's let herself go completely!![/size]

Obama hasn't played the race card, much to his credit, but he has said that racial issues need to be faced and talked aobut without the usual political spin. I'm paraphrasing, what he said after the first brush with Rev. Wright.

I hope it can happen under his leadership. It would do this country so much good if racial issues could be discussed wiithout the usual defensiveness and finger pointing.

Amen

But, increasingly, it seems that that is all Snood does.

Okay, I've stayed out as long as I can. I'm gonna stir the pot. (I guess we'll see if an open discussion of race is really what we all want.)

I would have voted for Colin Powell. When I saw Morgan Freeman presented in film as the president, I realized I'd vote for him too. As I've stated before, I'll vote for Obama. I would not vote for McCain if he were black. Color doesn't matter to me, but it does matter to a lot of people still.

I've had an ongoing converstaion over the years with someone that says that women do not want equality and neither do blacks. What they want is to be the top of the food chain, and given the chance a woman, a black person or any other minority will, when given the power, end up doing exactly what the white man has been doing... looking out for ones own. This person claims it is not anything sinister, but rather just human nature. I have consistantly disagreed, at least on the woman side of the argument. I mentioned the other day that if Hillary had been the nominee I don't think she would have done any special favors for women. I think a big part of that is that women have made great strides in equality over the past 40 years and the resentment has worn off.

In McDonalds a couple of weeks ago, just as Obama was getting the nomination, a black woman ordered and recieved her food. Something was wrong and she told the worker that he had overcharged her by 30 cents. He insisted he did not. After an increasingly hostile exchange she asked for the manager. The manager looked over the order and said that actually the worker only charged her for a medium but gave her a large coffee and if they were to ring it up again she would actully owe another 30 cents. In the end the woman called out to the white managers back "You people won't be able to treat us like this after November."

I thought, Really? We won't be able to give her a large coffee for less than it costs? (But, that was just my smartass side talking)

In reality there are MANY who think as this woman does. That's why my ears perked up when Snood indicated that he expected there to be some special address by Obama to the needs of Afican Americans. I was hoping he would share his thoughts here so I would have a better understanding of what that meant. (And, maybe a better understanding of the McDonalds woman.)

While the white people here (and those that are of mixed race) keep saying they are color blind, I'm not convinced that blacks are if special treatment is expected once a black person becomes president. I also don't believe any of us are really 100% color blind. Of course when we see Obama we see a black man. How silly to claim that is not so. When I see shewolf I see a beautiful African American Indian female. What do the rest of you see? Is everyone you look at just a blob without color or form or a history?

I think the race discussion is going to have to address the resentment that is still bubbling amongst the black population in this country. I don't see us getting to the point of real colorblindness until the desire for special treatment based on anyones skin color is dealt with forthrightly by both sides. As whites, we are saying here that we don't see color, but many blacks still do. Why is that okay?

(Okay, I'm ducking. Throw what you like)

I'll be interested to return after class and see the responses squinney's post draws.

I DO think a contingent of misguided individuals (black and white) think an Obama presidency will usher in some sea change,...and as I said before: they will be wrong.

I think the ones that either crave it--or fear it--have some work to do on themselves.

I don't think any of us are being forthright if we say we don't see color. Americans have had it crammed down their throat for three to four hundred years, at least. Had it forced upon us since early childhood. The question is, are we mature about it?When I meet a new person, I treat them with respect and expect the same treatment. If they are of a different color, I note, it, but that has no bearing on how I deal with them. I can name black persons I do not care for, by the dozen. But, I can do the same concerning white persons. At my job, they sometimes evict residents that don't belong, for one reason or another, all within the law. But, if the one in question is black, they become afraid to act. I have always considered this bullshit, because in every case, the person needed to be evicted very badly. I would have proceeded with the action, no matter what.

I would never consider voting for Colin Powell. I do not think he has the mettle to do a proper job. I will vote for Obama for two reasons. I think his is a flexible sort of intelligence that lets him move from situation to situation, able to learn and adapt. He wants to end the war in Iraq.