Barack Obama: Change?
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A rather controversial opinion on the role of race in the presidential election…
I’m not that into politics. I don’t get bumper stickers or t-shirts, outwardly praise either candidate, or stay up all night watching election results. I didn’t really like any of the candidates this year, and I’m too young to vote anyways, so I was rather apathetic about the whole process. However, there was an aspect of this rigmarole that couldn’t help but catch even my attention: the issue of race.
As a white kid going to a majority African American high school, I witnessed the rather sad racial consequences firsthand. As I walked to class on the morning after Barack Obama became President Elect, just about every two seconds I witnessed people shouting things like “There’ll be a black man in the Oval Office!” or “The black man finally won!” I think that if civil rights leaders who fought so hard for the right to vote were to witness what I did, I don’t think they’d be quite as jubilant as everyone says they’d be.
If you disagree with me, I invite you to share your reasoning in the comment area, but I believe that the fact that black people voting for Obama for the simple reason that he is part black (yes, part black–that’s another issue I have, people calling him “black” instead of bi-racial, but that’s another rant for another time) is a crime. I’m not saying that every single black person voted for Obama for this reason only, but with Obama garnering 90-100% of black votes in most states, it’s obvious that it’s a problem. If McCain got 90-100% of the white vote in most areas, people would be shouting that it was racism left and right. Isn’t it just as much of a crime as a white person voting for McCain simply to keep a non-white man out of the Oval Office? Isn’t that racism as well?
It’s almost spitting in the face of those advocates who sacrificed so much to give African Americans, as the equal human beings they are, the opportunity to carefully consider their options and then make an informed, rational decision at the polls. Isn’t this what America itself was founded on? The principles of intelligent thought and using the democratic power of choice for the good of all the people?
Remember, I write this as neither a Republican nor a Democrat, for I am neither, but as a white girl watching from the sidelines, I have something to say to all of the skin-deep Obama fanatics:
I have a dream, a dream where all Americans, regardless of race, can look past skin color and realize that the races aren’t competing in some vast competition that Obama just “won.” American will fail and continue to be divided if we keep up this modern form of racism. The only “change” in our us and them mentality will come from putting race aside.
4 Comments
You are very insightful for one so young! I agree with you that it is racism when one voted for someone of his color to keep someone not of his color out of office. Race should have no part in an election. It should be about electing a leader who will bring a nation to greater heights and be an example to other nations as well.
I think the racism is not connected to Obama’s victory, rather it’s an educational problem in the United States. People in the United States are not properly educated in terms of unity and racial affair. This is obvious when I see the white people areas are mostly dominated by John McCain. This is a serious problem and it’s time for the educationalist or policy maker to rethink their school sylables or policies.
Americans shouldn’t be allowed to divide each other as this will hinder the progress of the United States. The condition you stated here is unhealthy and need to be corrected immediately.
I think one of the reasons that the black people have such thinking as their ancestors had been tortured greatly by the white people before the president Lincoln. Even so, the education system, media and persons in charged should look into this matter seriously as I think it’s not good for America as a whole.
Just remember: Reunite will rebuild but divide will collapse..
Take care!
I was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, I was ten when I lived in the middle of Newark Riots, and survived the damage. People never vited for Obama because of issues but because of his race. This election was a media election, all one sided, and for the cost of a country. Barry Obama has always bed a radical, his wife worse. Now his firsat lie was when he decided to not drill in our own land. Progress? No never bbeen about the people but about position of power and closure for the African American. I do however agree with people feeling pride. The pride of the first black man becoming president of the United States. My only worry is what the cost will be. The cost of a failure.Yes we pushed the black guy through and it wont take lobg to see through all the used car sales tactics and media power to see the failures shine through. Then and only then will the blame be displaced. The First Black Lady, Barry’s wife, is an angry woman, you will see in the near future what I am talking about. She said, “This is the first time I am proud of my country.” I was proud when Mz Rice became a great Secretary of State, We also had many pother black Americans in power of great offices but no one mentions these people. Michele Obama was not proud until her husband became president. I just will never get these two. For the people? Never in a million years, For Obama, yes, Power not to the people but to the Obama’s.
OK…
Well I’m sure alot more black Americans voted this time than any other is true, but still I’m sure not all 100% of black America voted.
Yes alot of white Americans vote and stand with McCain but they are also the older part of America (the money in other words)that stand to gain more or atleast keep safe what they have, Obama offered change and that is what the majority (which is not the rich) wanted.
Ofcourse your gonna hear about it in school from young black Americans, if there was any Mccain fans in the class you would hear about that as well.
People just want to make it a black/white thing, so they can keep us seperate and weaken us.
Its sad.
I wish Obama nothing but luck, I hope he fix’s America…