Larry,
I agree with your conclusions.
For a long while I've been very troubled that we've drifted farther and farther away from affirmative action. It seems very absent-minded and blasé on the part of society as a whole. I agree that we have a very long way to go before historical (and contemporary) crimes against black slaves and their descendents are addressed and compensated.
I agree that the society as a whole is far too blasé about race issues. While I think we've made meaningful steps away from the blatantly racist society we lived in when you and I were kids, I agree with you that we've only dealt with the tip of the iceberg. And I agree that people mostly don't realize and aren't even thinking about it. (Makes me mad, but what do you do?)
About other things in your essay. I'm not so keen on the guys whose points of view you described. I believe we agree (they and I) about what I've said above. But I don't think I agree with their analyses and I probably don't have an analysis of my own as such. It's just what I've come up with based on what I've heard and thought about.
Also, I don't necessarily think that the morale boost to the US of simply having a black president just for the sake of having one is a bad reason to want to elect Obama. That really depends on a lot that's still unknown and in the balance. I wouldn't want to have him if he turned out to be really poor, but I don't think anyone knows right now if he would or wouldn't be.
I agree with Geraldine Ferraro and think our society is stupid to be offended by what she said. But that's how this society is nowadays.
What did I leave out?
--Robert Salmon
Well I guess I don't really have anything all that enlightening to say in response. It is such a complicated problem, I don't have a clear understanding of what I think is right. As far as continuing down the path of attempting to right the wrongs of social injustice to blacks and/or women or anybody else whose kind has been discriminated against, I don't think anything will ever really do that. Certainly nothing can make up for those wrongs and I think that an unintended consequence but glaring reality is that it makes people resent those who can now benefit from a policy of ceding an advantage to a group of people who have encountered past injustices. Like I was saying on the phone the other night, even good people don't want to feel that their neighbor has an edge over them. It is a constant struggle, even at the bus stop in the mornings. Instead of forming a line when new people walk up, one behind the other, most try and edge their way to where they think the bus will stop and when it pulls up, whoa Nelly! Everyone crowds in, nearly shoving the people around them in order to get on the bus before someone else does. I can imagine it would be hard even for a socialist to stand back until everyone else has gotten on, even knowing there will still be room for himself, because he can plainly see that there are still empty seats. I think color and sex matters less to people than just a general sense of equality. I think that blacks and whites are still for the most part sensitive about race and though some of us try and get over that, allowing ourselves to make statements of fact that may not be "PC" - case in point, Ferraro, but others are just still not there yet. I guess they would have us skirt around the issue forever for fear that someone might get offended. Obama's rejection of Reverend Wright is an effort to offend fewer people than he would by not doing it. The political process is so fragile, anything people can catch you on - they will. Even if it is out of context or not even a comment you yourself made or act that you yourself did. And then just like that, you are out of the game. But I agree that the problem of social injustice is more than skin deep and the solution has to involve a new way of thinking and acting by our leaders. I don't know how to fix it but I don't think it will ever get fixed without the participation of and buy in from those experiencing the disadvantage. The real problem is the lack of any modicum of financial equality and opportunity. If there was some way to bring everyone up to at least some basic level so that they have a fighting chance we will see that the race issues become less prominent in the ongoing struggle. Obama's call for a united America will never happen until we can make strides in economic and educational opportunity for the nation's poor. As far as whether or not Obama is a candidate that can and will be capable of accomplishing this - I feel like he can. But that is probably because I have bought into his charisma. As we know, charisma can go a long way and if he is really passionate about his ideas, he could convince people on both sides of the aisle to join him. To put him in the super hero context in which many see him, it remains to be seen if he will use his super powers for good or evil. As Hillary seems to have been outbid, I now turn my energies to finding out. I still haven't ruled out the idea that you have to campaign espousing more moderate policies if you expect to get the greatest amount of support across the board. Once you have secured the position, it is much easier to introduce more progressive ideas to the table. At least, that's my naïve hope. It just seems like every time there is an outlier (Kucinich, Nader, etc) that they can't get any traction. Maybe that is the fault of the voting public who don't want to support someone who they think will ultimately be unelectable. But like it or not, that is the system in which we are working. You can't just decide to play by different rules than the rest of the kids because then you will be playing by yourself. You have to get in their game and then convince them to change the rules. I am torn because like you, I want candidates with more progressive ideas. But as the person that tries to bring folks together in whatever I'm doing (family get togethers, CSA creation, project management), I still believe that some progess is better than none. And getting your foot in the door is better than having the door slammed in your face.
--Camen Gupta
Go to Six Degrees of Desperation
Complete Site Index
Home
larrydill@newhopejournal.com
www.newhopejournal.com
copyright 2008 by Larry L. Dill