A good piece in today's
Washington Post discusses a few issues that
Barack Obama has been highlighting on the campaign trail:
Sen. Barack Obama is delivering pointed critiques of the African American community as he campaigns for its votes, lamenting that many of his generation are "disenfranchising" themselves because they don't vote, taking rappers to task for their language, and decrying "anti-intellectualism" in the black community, including black children telling peers who get good grades that they are "acting white."
The achievement gap between races is a major, major issue for our country, and one that isn't being adequately addressed by any other current candidate. Of course, race itself is one reason why. Can you imagine the outcry if
Rudy Giuliani or
Bill Richardson approached this matter as directly as Obama while standing at the pulpit of a black church? Not everybody in the African American community, however, is thrilled to hear Obama's thesis.
The gap is "not because black 7-year-olds are holding back other black 7-year-olds," said Melissa V. Harris-Lacewell, a professor of African American studies at Princeton University. "This black pathology argument is appealing, but I think he's wrong empirically."
But Obama's call for self-examination is, by and large, being very well received as he travels the country. It's no wonder, really, given the disparity of
incarceration and
infant mortality rates between blacks and whites, that people want change and have grown weary of waiting for others to give it to them. In fact, more than a century after slavery, nearly every
economic,
educational, and
physical health indicator puts African Americans at a marked disadvantage. As Obama puts it, "There's an old saying that if America has a cold, we have pneumonia." What I like about Obama is that when he speaks he doesn't seem much like an actor at all.
Reader Comments ( Page 5 of 7)
61. Black people have and are accomplishing great things in this country. Practically every black person I know strives for excellence in everything they do. Yes, they're some big issues that need to be addressed in the black community, but that can be said of any community. For example, there are some white kids that are only concerned with playing Playstation, etc... Everybody wants to target rap music, but what about all the movies and tv shows that degrade people of color and women. Shouldn't they be criticized as well or because a lot of white people are getting rich off of those types of projects they shouldn't be as heavily scrutinized? Somebody really needs to address the institionalized conditions that try to limit black people's upward mobility in this country. Obama should understand this concept. He can't even run for president without being threatened because he's a black man.
Iris at 10:32AM on May 4th 2007
62. OBAMA ISNT PRESIDENT YET. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR HIS "SPECIAL PROTECTION" IF WE ARE LUCKY HE NEVER WILL BE. HE SURELY IS "ACTING WHITE" HE WILL MAKE ME VOTE FOR BIDEN, OR CLINTON
JACKIE at 12:35PM on May 4th 2007
63. I think that Obama is a good example of a strong candidate that is not afraid to speak his mind, and give America a clear vision for a new direction for our future. He is a honest candidate and he have absolutly nothing to prove. This is just the media trying to take him down just like John Edwards.
Jake at 11:18AM on May 4th 2007
64. I am a black democrat but lately I have been voting on the national level for republicans. Yes I do have a reason ! A moral one.The closer you are too the Bible the more you will get my vote. No need to mention the opposite ! I think you get it ! Osama seems to be a very intelligent man. A racial mix that offers something too most of us but if his morals does not add up I don't care what color he is ! So, Iam still listening too Obama ! I remember the day when I would watch a black tv program because there were so few of them, now that we are having more of them ,for other reasons, I may not watch the black program. What am I saying ? We need to have so many colors involved until color is no longer the reason why we make ourselves watch a program or vote for a candidate. Is that day here ? I would say not ! America look around you, we have beauty here in all colors. Bright, intelligent,gifted people in all colors. We are blessed America. We don't have too see everything in just black and white ! What will we do with our blessings ? Let's make good of our people resoursces that God has given us. Who know's when another Solomon will come along, who knows when another Martin Luther King will come along, who knows when another Abraham Lincoln will come along ? If you keep looking at color you may miss them !
Horace Hale Jr. at 11:31AM on May 4th 2007
65. This issue of race determining who should be president amazes me. How did I miss my opportunity to choose my race,hair color, eye color, and parents before I was born? Obviously all bigots got to choose that's why they can hate everybody not like them.
Joseph Best at 1:02PM on May 4th 2007
66. ASKING FOR PEOTECTION THIS EARLY IS PLAYING THE "RACE CARD" SAYING I'M NOT WHITE, VOTE FOR ME!
JACK IN ARGENTINA at 12:29PM on May 4th 2007
67. America, when we were being hoodwinked, bamboozled and conned, Obama stood alone and said no to an unjust war in Iraq that should have never been waged. This is called vision and insight. This is the character of person I want to rally behind. What about you?
Sasha Reece at 12:13PM on Jul 2nd 2007
68. It's a smart move for Obama to get S.S. protection. Some of our black leaders that got too powerful were shot. The protection doesn't cost him anything. Why not?
Dadu at 6:15PM on May 4th 2007
69. If this guy wins I am leaving the country. Every black person is going to vote for him as well as a large number of whites who sympathize with the black population and are afraid of appearing racist. This is reverse discrimination if you ask me. Blacks will not vote for the best candidate, they will vote for Obama. It happened in Massachusetts with Deval Patrick, and it is going to happen here. These black candidates are using their race to their advantage.
TO ALL AFRICAN VOTERS: Make an educated decision and one not based on skin color.
Rich at 12:19PM on May 6th 2007
70. Obama may be a very good man but this is not his time. He needs more experience and we need to see past color. The black community is touting that as an issue and that is a disservice to the man. He needs to ditance himself from Jackson & Sharpton as Cosby has as a man. I never saw Cosby as a black man only as a wonderful humerous inteligent human being. Obama has those qualities that is his trump card.
Hilary you're floundering first you voted for but now you're voting against .... sound familiar?
It lost an election. Alligning herself with an old confused Byrd is not in her best interest or the interst of our country. Not funding the troops and creating a deadline puts our military is like sounding a silent retreat where they will soot us in the back. It's bad enough, her (solution?) will make it worse.
The president any president is Commander-in-Chief not a swinging door. The rest of the World would laugh harder than it is now and any respect we had would be flushed down the international toilet. What a foolish woman, and she thinks she can lead the free world....How sad.
Johanna at 7:09PM on May 4th 2007
71.
I am urging Democrats to NOT become bambuzzled by the media hype for Obama and Hillary. Why are they getting ALL the media attention? The "behind the scenes powerbrokers" in this country will go to any lengths to KEEP the presidency REPUBLICAN. How best to do this in the 08 elections? Have as the democratic candidate a white woman OR a black man! Brilliant strategy!...they know, like everyone else knows...a white woman cannot win in America today, nor can a black man. Why do you think so many white folks followed Joseph Smith as the FIRST WHITE American Prophet? Because MORMONS are racist...that is why the Mormons have grown so fast and have soooo much money! Their racism is still intact as well as the racism of the average white male (and female) in this country. Their racism is illogical---that is why a lot of our brightest minds are Mormon (Hitler's Germany?) While I REALLY LOVE America and wish this were not the case....right now it is. We MUST, as democrats get a candidate who CAN WIN! For my vote, the BEST candiate is BILL RICHARDSON OF NEW MEXICO. Check his resume. He is the man with courage, brains and the right experience for our world's global chaos. He is a leader for ALL people...he has demonstrated this time and time again. Check him out....www.richardsonforpresident.com....he's our man!
Bernice Fox at 7:43PM on May 4th 2007
72. black power!!!
snpbulletproof at 10:47AM on May 9th 2007
73. black power!
snpbulletproof at 10:49AM on May 9th 2007
74. Obama is doing one thing postive, bring up the fact that our black boys are not doing well in school. I am a teacher and I am able to see test scores and across the board, not enough is being done to help them and get them involved in school programs.
These boys need to be taught to respect themselves, that they don't neeed to join a gang, that selling drugs isn't the only way. That if they work hard and get an education they can do it. And yes, some of them are accused of acting too white.
One thing I am concernede about is the fact that he dropped Hussien from his name. Did he think that Americans were dumb and no one would know that was part of his name and he dropped it because its not so pretty on campaign signs? Your name is given to you by your parents and you should be proud of it. If you feel you have to change it because it will not be popular with the voting Americans, then maybe your backbone isn't stong enough to lead a country.
Jenny at 8:56PM on May 9th 2007
75. It is interesting to see the negative responses candidates that have an aura of specialness and inevitability attract. It seems to be the same with Senator Obama. A writer in the Daily News writes an article about the words candidates use most often.
Clinton: President, ready, health care, of which I would not remind people after the big health care fiasco of the past, country, administration.
Giuliani, the serial adulterer: New York City, decision, optimism, Ronald Reagan, terror.
Sen. Obama: Country, sure, women, world, families.
Then the article writer, Helen Kennedy, without presenting any facts, and being as vague as she accuses Senator Obama of being, states:
"Senator Obama was more meandering and fuzzy in his answers. Interestingly, he used the word "women" seven times, Clinton did just once.
Well, what is wrong with that, in a man's world we do need a reminder that women are part of existence and play a vital role.
Robert Novak pointed out as Senator Obama's showing of his inexperience by answering, when asked, what he would do if two American cities were attacked, and in the response of a Statesman, and a man of compassion, Senator Obama said: “I would immediately look at the adequacy of the emergency response."
Senator Clinton is being praised as the winner,
because she said: "Retaliate"- Wao! "Testoterone Clinton". A clever answer is no policy, and as a good bellwether of behavior in office it does not make.
Would it not make more sense to make sure that the wounded and those in need of emergency help be assisted first, and then, meet with the war council, after finding out who attacked us? Who would Mrs. Clinton retaliate against, do we know who attacked us or wait maybe against the boogeyman-Osama Bin Laden.
Go Senator Obama.
Senator Obama does not claim Ronald Reagan's mantle, and he is the more
Reagan-esque candidate in looks, charisma and style.
Rafael Perez at 1:41PM on May 11th 2007