recently, while walking outside a shopping center in northwest raleigh, several [black] women that were carrying clipboards and wearing obama shirts asked me if i was registered to vote. i've noticed during the past few weeks (not only shopping, but also in the media and around town) that obama has a plethera of african-american (black) supporters. which, i think is great. i don't care what color a voter is, or what anyone's heritage is, so long as they support someone and vote. but recently, i saw this young black woman wearing a t-shirt (actually at the OBGYN's office) that said "vote" and had his picture on her shirt. because of the way the shirt was designed, IMO, it was targeting the black community.
here is my question to anyone who is supporting obama because he is a man of color or anyone who feels compelled to mention that they are proud that our country may have the first black president:
do you know that his mama is white? do you know that his daddy (from whom obama got his darker skin) isn't an american at all? his father is kenyan, not an african-american... his dad is kenyan. if you want to say he is an african, then compare apples to apples and call his mother a north american. which thus would make obama's heritage african-north american. or a kenyan-american. but not african american. he isn't black or white, he is biracial!!! (am i using pullinger-logic again?)
WHY, anyway, do people support a candidate because of their race or gender? not all women supported hillary clinton because she was a woman, nor do all women support sarah biden because she is a hockey mom. not all white people support mccain, just because he is white, nor do all soldiers support him because he was a POW. i really never got the feeling with the clinton campain that she was really targeting women, either. nor do i get the feeling that the mccain campaign is targeting women or white people only. but based on my recent experiences around town, i get the feeling that the obama campaign is targeting black people!!!
"He may be the nation's first black president, but he would also be the nation's 44th white president."
Friday, September 5, 2008
the issue of race...
here is a topic that nathaniel and i have both discussed posting, but... since it is probably considered "controversial" (though i'm not sure why), we both chose to not post anything about it.
but, since i've already declared that i don't even know who i'll vote for, therefore i'm not trying to persuade anyone to go one way or the other... i thought "hey, why not!"
so here is my blog topic:
"OBAMA AND BLACK"
DISCLOSURE:
i realize that people who volunteer for the any of the campaigns are not necessarily representative of the candidate, but a campaign can't really turn volunteers away. and if lots of black voters are turning out to help spread obama's campaign platform, then not only is he lucky to have such an ethnically diverse crowd of volunteers, but it also doesn't mean he, personally, is targeting black people. the media just makes it appear that way...
recently, while walking outside a shopping center in northwest raleigh, several [black] women that were carrying clipboards and wearing obama shirts asked me if i was registered to vote. i've noticed during the past few weeks (not only shopping, but also in the media and around town) that obama has a plethera of african-american (black) supporters. which, i think is great. i don't care what color a voter is, or what anyone's heritage is, so long as they support someone and vote. but recently, i saw this young black woman wearing a t-shirt (actually at the OBGYN's office) that said "vote" and had his picture on her shirt. because of the way the shirt was designed, IMO, it was targeting the black community.
here is my question to anyone who is supporting obama because he is a man of color or anyone who feels compelled to mention that they are proud that our country may have the first black president:
do you know that his mama is white? do you know that his daddy (from whom obama got his darker skin) isn't an american at all? his father is kenyan, not an african-american... his dad is kenyan. if you want to say he is an african, then compare apples to apples and call his mother a north american. which thus would make obama's heritage african-north american. or a kenyan-american. but not african american. he isn't black or white, he is biracial!!! (am i using pullinger-logic again?)
WHY, anyway, do people support a candidate because of their race or gender? not all women supported hillary clinton because she was a woman, nor do all women support sarah biden because she is a hockey mom. not all white people support mccain, just because he is white, nor do all soldiers support him because he was a POW. i really never got the feeling with the clinton campain that she was really targeting women, either. nor do i get the feeling that the mccain campaign is targeting women or white people only. but based on my recent experiences around town, i get the feeling that the obama campaign is targeting black people!!!
"He may be the nation's first black president, but he would also be the nation's 44th white president."
recently, while walking outside a shopping center in northwest raleigh, several [black] women that were carrying clipboards and wearing obama shirts asked me if i was registered to vote. i've noticed during the past few weeks (not only shopping, but also in the media and around town) that obama has a plethera of african-american (black) supporters. which, i think is great. i don't care what color a voter is, or what anyone's heritage is, so long as they support someone and vote. but recently, i saw this young black woman wearing a t-shirt (actually at the OBGYN's office) that said "vote" and had his picture on her shirt. because of the way the shirt was designed, IMO, it was targeting the black community.
here is my question to anyone who is supporting obama because he is a man of color or anyone who feels compelled to mention that they are proud that our country may have the first black president:
do you know that his mama is white? do you know that his daddy (from whom obama got his darker skin) isn't an american at all? his father is kenyan, not an african-american... his dad is kenyan. if you want to say he is an african, then compare apples to apples and call his mother a north american. which thus would make obama's heritage african-north american. or a kenyan-american. but not african american. he isn't black or white, he is biracial!!! (am i using pullinger-logic again?)
WHY, anyway, do people support a candidate because of their race or gender? not all women supported hillary clinton because she was a woman, nor do all women support sarah biden because she is a hockey mom. not all white people support mccain, just because he is white, nor do all soldiers support him because he was a POW. i really never got the feeling with the clinton campain that she was really targeting women, either. nor do i get the feeling that the mccain campaign is targeting women or white people only. but based on my recent experiences around town, i get the feeling that the obama campaign is targeting black people!!!
"He may be the nation's first black president, but he would also be the nation's 44th white president."
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I definitely WANTED to like Hillary because she could have become the first woman president, but I couldn't. I didn't like her. Still don't, to be quite honest. I just wish we could have a "blind" race. We don't get to see the person, just the credentials and record. I think then it would be a lot more fair. But that is just what I think. I don't expect that to be policy anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering when this would come up on a blog...
ReplyDeleteOne thing to point out, which has bothered me is a poll I read in the NY Times.
31% of whites have a favorable opinion of Obama, and 35% gave a favorable opinion of McCain.
83% of blacks have a favorable opinion of Obama, while 5% have a favorable opinion of McCain.
Those two statements just do not jive. To me, that indicates people of color will vote for Obama just because he is black (bi-racial).
Also, I wish people would quit saying black, etc. Bi-racial president would be much cooler ;-) Seems more...American.
I think the word "black" is used to describe Obama because, long ago, any person that had even some "black" blood was, technically considered, black. That mentally has obviously stuck although, of course, as you and others have pointed out, he's bi-racial.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Melissa. It'd be so cool to have a blind election; sort of like blind wine tastings! Credentials/experience/beliefs/where they stand on the "issues" like the war, abortion, taxes, etc. and that is it.
People might be surprised whom they ended up voting for!
Finally, my bet on why it is that so many black people support Obama is that this IS the first time someone that is at least parically black (that we know of) is in this position. It must be a moment of extreme pride for them, as, frankly, it should be for the entire country; not saying one has to support Obama or Clinton or Palin, but, the FACT we're moving away from the TRWs (terribly rich white) dudes is saying something.
You do the same thing for too long and it gets stale. So, it is time for some change. Some real shake up change.
I think either ticket's gonna bring it.
Just MO.
I am convinced that we, as white people, just don't understand what it is like to be black (or even bi-racial) no matter how sensitive or open or understanding we try to be! I have a friend/neighbor of whom I can ask what I call "Stupid White People Questions" about being black. And, trust me, living in an ethnically diverse neighborhood, I have come up with a ton of "Stupid White People Questions" over the years. I finally had an "a-ha moment" when I asked my friend why the black community (in general) was cheering when OJ Simpson was acquitted of murder. She told me that of course the whole black community KNEW he was guilty. The happiness was that for the first time justice was blind to race (though not to wealth). The case proved that you could buy your freedom whether you were a rich white dude or a rich black dude. A bit backwards, IMHO, but I have never been stopped by the police in a particular neighborhood just because I didn't look like I "belonged" either. I am sure that if I asked Helena about Obama and the black community's seemingly unquestioned support of him, the answer would be very similar. And, yes, my friend has asked me "Stupid Black People Questions" about being white. We've had some pretty interesting conversations in trying to get know each other's races!!!
ReplyDelete