Obama
Vicki thinks that people are missing the point of Obama's election. It's not wonderful because he is a man of color, it is wonderful because he is the right man for the office: intelligent, articulate, principled, centered.
And yes, that's true, absolutely! But that our country could look beyond his color and his name (embracing his name!) and elect him so resoundingly - now THAT'S something. Our country has moved a long way from "the guy I'd like to have a beer with" as the criterion for presidency.
I don't think we can deny the profundity of our first black president and what it says about how far we've come in a generation. I'd be willing to bet that just about everyone has a personal, family story of how much things have changed. I certainly do. When I was growing up in Chicago in the 50's and 60's just about all the adults I knew were bigots, with the notable exception of my uncle, Fr. Frank, who was active in the Civil Rights Movement. His brothers hated that, his oldest brother in particular. Chicago was segragated. You could draw clean straight lines separating the black neighborhoods from the white ones. Realtors would attempt to get a white home owner to sell to a black family. If just one did, the entire neighborhood would flip - whites fleeing the city fearing plummeting home values and crime. Everyone loses. I can't recall my parents having any non-white friends.
Now our family is a mixture of color. Though racist remarks still ocassionally issue forth from my dad, he is accepting and loving of his African-American son-in-law, step grandchildren and great grand daughter. When people of color are your family, your co-workers, your teammates - how can your views not be altered?
These changes happened because the laws made them happen. Peoples' hearts followed.
At the inauguration I was struck by the power people on the podium and how different that group looked not so long ago when it was about 100% white men and their spouses. And I was struck by the multi racial, multi generational, multi ethnic crowds on the mall. This is different. And wonderful!
And yes, that's true, absolutely! But that our country could look beyond his color and his name (embracing his name!) and elect him so resoundingly - now THAT'S something. Our country has moved a long way from "the guy I'd like to have a beer with" as the criterion for presidency.
I don't think we can deny the profundity of our first black president and what it says about how far we've come in a generation. I'd be willing to bet that just about everyone has a personal, family story of how much things have changed. I certainly do. When I was growing up in Chicago in the 50's and 60's just about all the adults I knew were bigots, with the notable exception of my uncle, Fr. Frank, who was active in the Civil Rights Movement. His brothers hated that, his oldest brother in particular. Chicago was segragated. You could draw clean straight lines separating the black neighborhoods from the white ones. Realtors would attempt to get a white home owner to sell to a black family. If just one did, the entire neighborhood would flip - whites fleeing the city fearing plummeting home values and crime. Everyone loses. I can't recall my parents having any non-white friends.
Now our family is a mixture of color. Though racist remarks still ocassionally issue forth from my dad, he is accepting and loving of his African-American son-in-law, step grandchildren and great grand daughter. When people of color are your family, your co-workers, your teammates - how can your views not be altered?
These changes happened because the laws made them happen. Peoples' hearts followed.
At the inauguration I was struck by the power people on the podium and how different that group looked not so long ago when it was about 100% white men and their spouses. And I was struck by the multi racial, multi generational, multi ethnic crowds on the mall. This is different. And wonderful!