Why can't we talk about race?
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| Wed, 10-15-2008 - 4:35pm |
I've seen this come up here and elsewhere. In the *very strange* thread about Obama's birthplace (or something like that; I couldn't follow the propaganda, quite frankly), two posters said that they wish Michelle Obama had not referenced race. (I don't mean to point those individuals out but merely point out their posts.)
In a country where race is a huge elephant in the room, I don't understand why we shouldn't talk about it. Of course this election is about race. For the first time in our country's history, a black man is running for president on a major political party ticket.
It doesn't have to be a bad thing or a good thing. But race is a factor in this election. It's not necessarily a factor because of McCain or Palin or Obama or Biden -- but because one of the candidates is black. Likewise, gender is an issue, simply because we have a woman on the Republican ticket. Why avoid the topic? Why suggest that the candidates or their spouses not talk about it?
Laura

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I had to post so the sound of crickets wouldn't be deafening to you.
I don't know why we can't talk about it.
Race and gender are or were factors to varying degrees. IMO, there is a lot of latent racism out there - it surfaces here frequently.
There are some who will not vote for Obama because of skin colour; others try to associate him with Islam. I have never seen anything quite as vicious as what has surfaced in this campaign... 2004 was bad in terms of the swiftboaters, but this is exponentially worse.
If and or when Obama wins, that should be the demarcation line for the beginning of the end of racism in this country.
I hope.
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Since I think I was one of those posters ... I'll answer although I do think it's easier to do so in the post instead of a separate one ....
ok here is what I said ... so please tell me what part you'd like clarified and which part indicated 'we can't talk about race'?
I agree with her on this (if any of this is true):
My husband loves this country and
what I don't understand about this Election is this.
I talk to someone who is an African American.. she isn't voting for Obama and it taking so much heat, insults and nastiness simply because she isn't voting for him. LIke it's supposed to a given she is voting for him?
Then there's that guy.. James T Harris, a radio talk show host.. he's been getting threats for voicing his opposition to voting for Obama. (btw. He's African American too)
Why can't it just be some of us won't vote for him simply because we don't care for his policies?
that was my issue with her statments in the article about the AIP (or whatever it was ... I've forgotten) - that they should support him bc he's black .... that makes no more sense to me than women should have supported Clinton b/c she's a woman and now should support Palin b/c she's a woman.
Thanks for responding, Sandy. I didn't mean to call you out specifically. And I didn't want to respond in that thread, because like you, I wasn't thrilled about the premise of the OP. *smile*
First, apparently the OP of that thread posted false information. (Later in the thread, if I remember correctly, someone posted that Michelle Obama's interview with API never took place.) Still, I think people's responses to the fake story are interesting enough to launch a discussion about race.
>>I wish she wouldn't make everything about race. he is part white and was raised primarily by his white family.
This is the part that piqued my interest. I don't think that Michelle Obama "makes everything about race," even in this fake story. *smile*
But really, the interesting thing to me is that you point out his white heritage. Because to me, if he's black, he's black. I don't mean the 3/5th thing; I'm referencing how American society responds to blacks. (And I don't mean anyone in particular. I'm speaking generally.) To most Americans, if he looks black, he is black.
I know enough mixed-race and black people to say that race is a very individual identity. I know people of mixed-races, who unequivocally identify as black. I know others who identify as mixed or Asian or Cape Verdian or even white. I usually take the other person's lead -- if they consider themselves black, that's what they are.
(And I don't mean to suggest that you feel any differently, though if you do, that's okay too.)
I'm not color blind. I don't think it's helpful to be color blind. I think there is great benefit in recognizing our differences. Recognizing that because Obama is black, he's has had a very different experience in American than I have. (Just like, because I'm gay, I've had a different experience than most straight folks -- even though my parents were straight. *smile*)
I hope I've made sense. I merely wanted to open dialogue, not tell anyone they were wrong in their feelings. I want to understand why you made those comments. Thanks again for responding.
Laura
>>Why can't it just be some of us won't vote for him simply because we don't care for his policies?
You and others absolutely should be. No one should be questioning anyone's loyalty because of who they're voting for. (Though I would guess that there are white supremacists who believe that I'm disloyal to my race because I'm voting for Obama.)
Laura
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