Who would have thought that Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Whoopi Goldberg would begin the racial healing in this country? But I think they did start down that path. They had an interesting discussion about race on The View. Watch it here and then let's talk about how we get to a common understanding between black and white folks in this country:
Upon reflection, I think Obama's speech was even better than I originally thought. Looking back at what he said several times now, it becomes apparent that it was a truly courageous speech. It was not Politics 101. It was not strictly damage control. He actually tackled the issue of race and tried to get white Americans and black Americans to understand one another.
The other reason that I loved it is because he understands the genius of America -- that we continually change to make this country a more perfect union. It's not that we can do no wrong; it's that we can recognize when we do and correct it. This is what makes us continue to get better and better as a country and why we stand out from the rest of the world. He understands the essence of what makes us the shining light unto the world.
Listen to the clips we picked out from the speech here and our quick analysis to get a sense of what this speech so different than almost any other political speech:
This guy is unbelievable. From listening to the clips below, you get the clear impression that Bill O'Reilly has never hung out with a black person in his whole life. He keeps getting surprised that they are just like everyone else. Who knew?!
Listen to these gems from his radio show where Bill O'Reilly explains black people to white America:
As usual, Media Matters broke this story. Click here for even more details -- it turns out African-Americans don't randomly yell "motherf---er" when ordering their food, either. The surprises never end when you're hanging out with Bill O'Reilly. He's like our generation's Mister Rogers for racists.
Remember the average age of Bill O'Reilly's television audience is 71 years old (the radio show audience might be even older). So, he is basically doing his show at a senior citizen's center for people who grew up during segregation. That's why the fact that black people and white people are the same might come as news to his audience. Maybe he is doing them a service.
We also have to thank Al Sharpton for introducing Bill O'Reilly to black people for the first time in his life. What a hilarious odd couple. I love the idea of Al Sharpton being Bill O'Reilly's first black friend. Bill, there is so much more he can teach you. But this will come as news to you, too -- Sharpton does not necessarily represent the average black man. And did you know they're not all the same? I know, it's so hard to keep up with this crazy, new America where all the races mix. Give it time, you'll get the hang of it.
