If race isn’t important, then why is it so important?
I can appreciate the fact that this country has elected the first-half-black president, but only for its historical significance. I do not, however, assume that he is going to be a wonderful president full of incredible god-like abilities simply because of the color of his skin. That would be, in fact, racism. His race tells me nothing about him. Racism is treating someone different due to their skin color. It is not just treating someone bad because of their skin color, but it can also be treating someone better because of it, because it still is separating them as different due to their race.
To me, Barack Obama being the first-half-black man to be elected to the presidency is just an interesting piece of historical trivia, much like James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States, being the only single man to be elected to the presidency. To think of an Obama presidency as better or unique simply because of his skin color is even more absurd than thinking of the Buchanan presidency as better due to his marital status! Where were the mass crowds of people waving their arms and wiping tears from their eyes when the first single man was elected as president? They were impartial. (If anything, one could argue being single is an advantage because you don’t have the added responsibility as a husband and family man.)
Liberals who read this will automatically have the word “Racist!” run through their head, but I would argue that I am just completely impartial to skin color, which is how it should be, isn’t it? I look at a man’s record and qualifications and personal statements; the things that define him as a person and as an American. Sure, I would love to have a black president, but skin color is not an important factor when determining for whom to vote, right? I would have loved to have Alan Keyes (a full-blood black man) as president, for instance, but he was never supported, let alone mentioned, by the media because alas, he is conservative! Perhaps we can make the argument that democrats are racist because they supported the candidate who was half-white while NONE of them supported the black man Alan Keyes (yes, he was on the ticket as a third-party). The only people who supported and voted for Alan Keyes were all conservatives and republicans! Those racist democrats…
But seriously, yeah sure, there are always a few nutjob right-wingers here and there who are indeed racist, but to give them the time of day and say that they represent “conservatism” is like us saying that crazy left-wing “peace” activists who kill U.S. soldiers on the Forth of July [story] represent your average liberal or democrat. Overall, the racism that liberals want us to believe exists is dead. However, I do believe that racism is alive today, but it is no longer the racism we once battled in our vibrant history. It is a new racism that is kept alive by the left-wingers and the liberal media for the sole reason that they want racism to exist so they can point fingers and use it as a tool to smear truly impartial conservatives. I state here and now that they are more racist than true conservatives who are the ones only ones truely color-blind. I think even an intelligent unbiased liberal would agree that had Barack Obama been entirely caucasian, he would have had a much slimmer chance due to all of his radical associations and his lack of experience compared to the almost 5o-year resume of John McCain. To me, that is sad.
Obama’s race should have been mentioned only a couple times after the election and then a couple more times later after the inauguration for the historical appreciation, but if race is not important, then why is it so important?! If race is not important, then why is there already a movement to establish November 4 as an “Obama National Holiday” when the man has yet to accomplish or achieve anything? Hear me now: if Barack Obama proves me wrong and turns out to be one of the greatest presidents that we have ever had, then I will support such a holiday, but he has yet to even take office! With the exceptions of the Queen of England (a monarchy) and Hitler (a dictator who declared his birthday a national holiday while he was alive), all national holidays in remembrance of great people have been established after the person died! There is not yet one single reason to honor this man! I admit defeat in the election and give kudos to Obama and his campaign for being able to pull this one off despite the odds and obsticles; and I hope that he proves our worries wrong and does a good job as president, for the sake of our country and our future, honestly, I do. But for God’s sake, we cannot allow our country to all but blindly worship Barack Obama.
Related posts:
- The Obama White House Plays Their Ultimate Weapon Against Al-Qaeda: The Race Card
- Obama Justice Dept. Argued in Favor of Using Race As a Relevant Factor Among Others to Justify Immigration Stops
- Jan Brewer Slams Media For Using ‘Race Card’ to ‘Shut Down the Debate’ on Illegal Immigration
- Time’s Toure: Herman Cain ‘Giving Comfort to Racism’
- Obama’s ‘Most Important Message’ Of Christmas?
- Alan Keyes: Under Obama ‘We Shall All Become Slaves on the Government’s Plantation’
- Morgan Freeman: Obama Made Racism Worse, Tea Party Will Do ‘Whatever [It] Can To Get This Black Man Outta Here’
- Erika Johnsen: Analysis: Important Revelations from Obama’s Thursday Press Conference
- Race to nukes ‘accelerates’ because of Obama policy
- The “Ghettoizing” of Obama
I think it is striking that suddenly a “conservative” blogger finds it appropriate to refer to Obama as a HALF-black individual (I only use caps because I can’t mirror the italics in the original post). This certainly was not the discourse that I read on “conservative” blogs before he was elected. In fact, it was precisely the point that “liberal” bloggers were making throughout the campaign, as the Obama was painted as “different” and hence “dangerous.” In theory, however, I agree. Are we still a society that views someone who has one black ancestor many generations removed still black? I hope not.
Do you mean to say that prior to the election, you got the feeling that conservatives were saying Obama was dangerous because he was half-black? I would be interested in reading some of these posts if you happen to come across the links again…
I only emphasize the fact that he is half-black because it seems that is white half is not important and doesn’t matter the way he is being referenced… It also seemed that there was more emphasis put on the Obama’s race than there was (and would have been) on Hillary’s gender, which indicates to me the point that I was making that the liberals *want* race to still be a major factor in a person’s image.
And finally, I am curious as to why you refer to me as “conservative” in quotations…
[...] they were McCain supporters. (To read what I have to say about racism in this election, check out this post.) My point is that this has already been happening and I can’t even imagine how things would [...]
Obama will show us the way. He s the father of all the americans including Admin…. Yes…. we can… Yes we can … Yes we can….
First of all congratulation for such a great site. I learned a lot reading article here today. I will make sure i visit this site once a day so i can learn more.
Thanks John! I appreciate the compliment, it means a lot and I’m honored that you will be a daily visitor. Just so you know, I have taken off for Christmas vacation to visit family around the country until January 5th, so there will not be daily updates until I return, but I will get on whenever the internet is available. Until I get back, I suggest going back and reading all of the previous entries from weeks past. Thanks again and Merry Christmas!
You have perfectly articulated my thoughts/feelings on the race issue in this past election. Thank you for your article, I look forward to reading more articles and comments at this site. I’m the only non-Obama supporter in my family and circle of friends…it can be lonely at times!
What an eloquent way of saying what I have been asking. ‘If it’s racist to vote against a person because of the color of their skin. Isn’t it also racist to vote for someone because of the color of their skin?’
John,
You hit the nail on the head when you mention how voting for someone due to the color of their skin is rascist. Are you actually telling me that 96% of the black population is actually democratic? I never wanted Obama to lose the election because of his race but I didn’t want him to win because of his skin color either. The african american community got what they wanted, a black man in the white house. I only wish they had chosen a better qualified individual .
I echo your sentiments, John!!! I think it’s wonderful that we finally have an African American president, I just don’t think this was the best choice. In fact, I know he was not the best choice. Many “liberals” don’t acknowledge that voting for someone because of his or her skin color, even if that color is a “minority”, is still racism.
Thank you both for the kind words. John, just over 80% of blacks are registered democrats and 96% voted for Obama; however, many are actually very conservative on many issues, just look at Prop 8 in California. Over 70% of blacks voted for it, to outlaw same-sex marriage, and then also voted for Obama on the same ballot!
Also, sorry that I haven’t written any good lengthy articles lately. To be honest, there’s just so much to write about that I don’t know where to start!
Anyone and everyone that loves or hates Obama because he’s black is showing rascism. Everyone who calls Obama an African American or a Black man is showing rascism because he is indeed only partially of African descent and supposedly was born in American which makes him an American, not an African (however, theories do indicate that he may well not be a natural born American). And finally, anyone and everyone that says it’s wonderful that we finally have an African American president is showing rascism. This country needs to move away from rascism but now we have actually ramped it up to new astronomical levels. I guess Obama thanks god every day that he got his dad’s pigmentation and not his mom’s, otherwise he’d just be another crooked small time politician in Chicago.
Dave, thank you for your comments, and I have to say that your frankness is refreshing in these times when the media puts a liberal spin on just about everything we read, see, or hear. I can understand how you might think that I’m being racist when I say that I’m glad that we finally have an “African American” president. However, as an elementary school teacher who works with many disadvantaged black students (boys), many of whom have no positive male role models in their lives, I do think that having a president of at least some black descent may have a positive affect on how they see themselves and their futures. And you are so right about the crooked Chicago politicians–they give Illinois a bad name!