Obama’s Irony March 18, 2008
Posted by Paul Edwards in Barack Obama, Racism.trackback
I’m listening as I type this post to Barack Obama’s “Race in America” speech and the irony is overwhelming: The first black man who has a legitimate chance at becoming a major party nominee for President of the United States, and possibly even winning the White House, giving a major address which embodies the contradiction of the claim that opportunity for black Americans is unequal to that of white Americans.
How much more opportunity will black Americans need before we can stop talking in terms of black and white?
It’s one thing to have “opportunity” in a general sense. However, if I drive 10-15 minutes north from where I live I see the lovely campus that is West Bloomfield High School; if I drive 10-15 minutes east I pass the old Redford High School. One of these things is not like the other.
Bob,
Now we are no longer talking about “opportunity” but about what you DO with the opportunity you’re given.
Do we really believe there is no equality of opportunity in this country given Obama’s own meteoric political rise, as well as that of other prominent African-Americans in both political and corporate America (i.e., Colin Powell, Condilezza Rice, Dave Bing, et al)?
The plight of inner city schools is a problem of responsibility, not opportunity.
Paul,
I fail to see the irony in Obama’s speech, but I see quite a bit in the response from the right wing. Did our current president break all ties with Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell when they blamed 9/11 on Americans? No. Did he break ties with Robertson when he said Hurricane Katrina was God’s judgment on New Orleans? Did he or any major Republican candidate refuse to speak at racist Bob Jones University?
What Obama did in his speech was acknowledge the truth. There is anger and bitterness in the U.S. surrounding the issue of race. He doesn’t condone it in his speech, and he doesn’t ask anyone to feel sorry for him because he’s black. What he does do is suggest that no politician can fix this problem, and pretending we don’t have a problem will not make it go away.
I don’t know about you, but I have relatives and old friends who are prejudiced, racially and otherwise. I don’t disown them because they’ve said hateful things about gays and blacks, because I know that those prejudices are not all there are to them. I don’t have to agree with them to keep them in my life and love them. I just make sure they know how strongly I disagree with their views.
In the same way, I don’t break all ties with the numerous family members who believe I’m going to hell. (I’ll admit I have less patience for the people who are looking forward to seeing me there.)
You may believe Obama is a fake, and I’m not inside his head so I can’t tell you for 100% sure that he is not. His words, however, are good ones, and they seem to reflect the musings of a man who is aware of his own perfections and who is forgiving of the imperfections in others.
Oops… please forgive the typo in my previous post. Obama is aware of his own imperfections, not perfections. I guess I’m not perfect either. Go figure.
Skeptimal,
Robertson and Falwell were not George W. Bush’s pastors. George W. Bush did not have a personal, 20 plus year relationship with Robertson and Falwell. George W. Bush was not inspired to author a biography and name it after a phrase in a sermon by Robertson or Falwell.
Obama did in this speech what Romney successfully did in his: he changed the subject.
I understand what you’re saying, Paul, but I guess the words “opportunity” and “equal” are kind of loaded, which might lead to a misunderstanding between us (and perhaps my symbolic use of public schools could create further confusion).
I see that it could be argued that the “opportunity” is “equally” available to people of all races and socioeconomic statuses, but the OBSTACLES to realizing those opportuniies are definitely different depending on where you live and the color of your skin. I don’t believe that will be solved in our lifetime, though I do think it would be a mark of the kingdom of heaven. Even so…