Friday and today, in my social psychology class, we talked about the prominence of racism in modern US society. While agree that it is still present and that it is horrible, I think that there is more to it than the color of your skin.
For instance, the argument was continually made by my professor that Obama is not doing as well as he should be, considering who the current president is, because of his race. I admit that there must be something to this. There are racists and bigots around. I think, though, that the fact that he is the most liberal and least experienced candidate for president in our nations history has something to do with it. It doesn't help that he has so many shady relationships (Ayers, Wright, Resco, etc). His policies sound great, unless you're a thinking American who sees through the pie-in-the-sky rhetoric.
Also, there is more to do with your home lifestyle than your skin color when it comes to determining how successful you'll be in later life. White kids living in the "hood" are just as likely to get killed on the streets, become a teen parent, and never rise out of poverty as any other ethnicity living in the same circumstances, I would argue. Granted, there is a greater percentage of white people who live in "priviledged" homes, but that has more to do with historic racism and discrimination than current racism. Might I remind everyone that Irish and Poles were discriminated against vociferously 100 years ago?
I really get tired of hearing people say that people who don't like Obama really must be racist. I think you listed all of the true culprits, and, in fact, I think that his race has been working in his favor. The crazest manifestation of Affirmative Action ever! I think a lot of people are so anxious for someone of a different race to be president, that they have let far too many important issues fly. Associations, liberal record, Born Alive Infant Protection Act record, etc.
ReplyDeleteI have definitely seen more of racism here than I ever did in Utah or the Caribean. I get a little frustrated. I feel like as a country we should be past that. We are all educated enough to realize there isn't a difference between any of us just because of our genetics (well, okay, that's not completely true - we all have different strengths and weaknesses, but they don't break along racial lines). I wish that people would let the mistakes of the past die so that the rising generation isn't shackled with it. If no one taught them there was a difference, they wouldn't think there was one.
I read an article written this week by one of my friends for her local newspaper about a couple that had adopted two orphans from Ethiopea (I have NO idea how to spell that!). The girl, who is 7, said that she couldn't understand why everyone called her "black" she said she's not black, she's brown. She said everyone is just a different shade of brown. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get to that point?
Thanks! Good points.
ReplyDeleteI know that I am a little behind, but sitting and babysitting testers, I have time to catch up on the news. I have spent a lot of time listening to the rhetoric about the candidates, I have an ultra-liberal coworker who thinks that we have some reason to want to hear her bologna about Palin or her disgusting adoration of Obama. As I have been forced through this information, I have decided that I have to be better informed on each of the topics. One that I feel is not getting the press and focus that it deserves is the Acorn issue. Acorn is a liberal organization that gets other liberals registered to vote. Many pollsters use their records to determine who to call for polls, and for some reason, even the most conservative areas seem to have a lot of liberals...hum, something is fishy here. Anyway, Acorn is finally being investigated for voter fraud in Seattle and a little known city called Chicago. Who is from Chicago? Who used to work directly with Acorn and encouraged them to keep up the 'good work'? One man was registered 72 times to vote. The interesting thing is that he is a liberal...interesting, right. Race has nothing to do with my lack of trust and fear for what he stands for and is. His track record is what makes me worry for the future of this country. Thank you liberal media for trying to get him elected.
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