A Moment That Slips - Obama's Speech on Race

Barack Obama - An Imperfect Union


I posted this on a forum I like and thought it was good enough to post here.

I thought it was extremely courageous of him. He could have saved himself the problem and thrown his mentor under the bus, disowned him, and left the church in disgust. That would have silenced the critics. But it wouldn't have addressed the underlying problem of race and race baiting.

Instead, he chose to address it head on. He was not afraid to say that blacks are responsible too. That black fathers need to stick around. And that the old generation needs to give way to the new so that we can all move on with this discussion instead of confining it to the shadows.

He laid blame where blame was due, and everyones feet. He laid the responsibility for future dialog at the feet of us all. And lastly, he showed true character, by standing by a friend he knew was wrong. His own actions and words of over 20 years show he is not like that himself. Indeed, his former retired pastor has only three such controversial sayings in his sermons for the last 30 years, and thats with people pouring through them right now. Three mistakes, three bigotted statements, and the media and the public are willing to lay the most recent one, the one he wasn't there for, at Obama's feet. Thats neither fair nor just. Obama made sure people understood that he wasn't backing down, he still cared about his friend despite the fact that he condemned those words that are so controversial. But he also showed us that the man so many despise now, has done much more good than bad.

Prison ministries, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless, rebuilding houses, helping the sick. These are things that this pastor STARTED in his community and things Obama was very hands on in helping. Do we now lay those things at Obama's feet, as something beneficial to him? If his mentors words are his bane, should not his good deeds, which far out weigh his bad, be his salvation?

Obama has shown nothing but the opposite of hate and bigotry these last 20 years. I am not willing to discard him because of the words of someone else, no matter how close. I am not willing to discard the man who has experienced racism against whites AND blacks from FAMILY members like his grand mother. I'm not about to discard the man who understands what its like to live in the poorest of conditions AND attend the most expensive schools. I'm not about to discard the man who understands the Muslims, the Catholic, and the Protestant because he has lived among all three.

He eats with those who are less than reputable. He associates with anyone, even if they are considered bad news. Isn't this the man we have been looking for in a president? He is the great uniter of this country, if only we don't allow ourselves to be blinded by ignorance.

A Blueprint For Change

How do you defeat change? How can you stifle hope? Thats an easy question. Just look at what has been done to Barack Obama. He has been accused of being a radical racist christian, a radical islamic terrorist, a socialist, a fascist, and much worse by others I'm sure. But none of it turns out to be more than rumor and conspiracy theory by people afraid of what Obama will mean for america.

Obama will me the turning of a page. It will mean the end of race as a barrier if a black man can be president. It will mean a new beginning for how this country is viewed by the world if we can elect a man of color. It will mean a turning of heads to have a person as eloquent as Barack Obama speaking to our enemies, someone who understands the power of words in a world that desperately needs diplomacy.

Barack Obama has outline his plans for America. I have read them. They are inspiring, they are amazing, and they fill me with hope for a better tomorrow for my children. For everything that he is, for everything that he could be, he has my undying devotion and support. Is he everything I hope for? Probably not. But he gives hope during a time when hope is desperately lacking. He is what this country needs.

Barack Obama is A Change We Can Believe In!

www.barackobama.com

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