Racism and the Oval Office
For the first time in our nation’s history, an African American is seeking nomination as the Democratic Party candidate for President. Senator Barack Obama seems to me to be fully qualified to occupy the Oval Office as President were he elected. Up to this past week, I foresaw no problem with either his nomination or election.
Then the issue of racism raised it’s ugly head in the heat of the campaign to become the Democratic nominee. Senator Hilary Clinton made a public statement that some in the African American community took to be a slur on the good name of Martin Luther King. As far as I can determine, Senator Clinton merely made a statement of fact. Dr. King raised the nation’s awareness of the then existing social, economic, and political inequities of African American citizens in the nation. Because of Dr. King’s efforts, President Lyndon Johnson was able to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed into law.
Senator Clinton merely stated the historical fact that it was the office of the President that actually got the land-mark law passed as an example of the president as an agent for change.
While reading of this dust up in the New York Times, I realized that this minor racist incident was, perhaps, indicative of what might happen if Senator Obama becomes President. It does not take a great amount of imagination to envision the reaction of the African-American community to the publishing of an attack on President Obama’s actions by columnists such as Maureen Dowd. Based on the reaction to Senator Clinton’s recent remarks, Dowd would most certainly be labeled a racist. On the other hand, the right-wing ultra conservatives would be equally quick to label the President’s actions as racist. President Obama’s term could degenerate into four years of divisive racist bickering.
My fear is that the citizens of our nation are not yet ready for an African-American President, not matter how qualified and well intended as he or she may be.
Then the issue of racism raised it’s ugly head in the heat of the campaign to become the Democratic nominee. Senator Hilary Clinton made a public statement that some in the African American community took to be a slur on the good name of Martin Luther King. As far as I can determine, Senator Clinton merely made a statement of fact. Dr. King raised the nation’s awareness of the then existing social, economic, and political inequities of African American citizens in the nation. Because of Dr. King’s efforts, President Lyndon Johnson was able to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed into law.
Senator Clinton merely stated the historical fact that it was the office of the President that actually got the land-mark law passed as an example of the president as an agent for change.
While reading of this dust up in the New York Times, I realized that this minor racist incident was, perhaps, indicative of what might happen if Senator Obama becomes President. It does not take a great amount of imagination to envision the reaction of the African-American community to the publishing of an attack on President Obama’s actions by columnists such as Maureen Dowd. Based on the reaction to Senator Clinton’s recent remarks, Dowd would most certainly be labeled a racist. On the other hand, the right-wing ultra conservatives would be equally quick to label the President’s actions as racist. President Obama’s term could degenerate into four years of divisive racist bickering.
My fear is that the citizens of our nation are not yet ready for an African-American President, not matter how qualified and well intended as he or she may be.
posted by Bob Baker at 6:58 AM
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