As this election slips away from Mitt Romney, how to we address the problems of intolerance, bigotry and racism in our society so we can move forward to a better place?
During the last stages of this long drawn out 2012 Presidential campaign, the ugly underside of the Romney campaign and their supporters is coming out. The intensity is kind of shocking to those of us who believed we already won the civil rights struggle back in the 1960's with Martin Luther King.
After watching the bigotry come out full force in the last few weeks I continue to be shocked at the racism, overt and otherwise directed toward President Obama.
As Democrats, liberals, progressives, moderates and idealists, how do we convince the Red State mentality that this is the 21 century, not the 19th century and its time to move past the racism and bigotry of the past.
I know only part of Romney's supporters are composed of those who are opposed to Obama due to his race but if we are going to work together to keep healing our nation after the 2008 economic meltdown, they need to move past their past prejudices.
After watching Colonel Wilkerson's amazing interview on MSNBC last night where he stated very plainly (as a GOP party member) that there were many in the GOP that are voting against Obama because of race. Colonel Wilkerson was General Colin Powell's Chief of Staff and speaks with a lot of authority and he spoke of the outright racism with many in the GOP very clearly last night. Kind of shocking.
Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson On Racism In The Republican Party
When the younger folks like my seventeen year old says "Dad, our generation are so past that", it may just take time to put this ugly side of our nation behind us. My friends also comment that they are hopeful for the future as they say their children to seem to be "so past that".
We have been in this place before when my father was discouraged about the racism and bigotry in the country --- Brings me back to the days of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's when my parents were very active in Civil Rights, meeting with Martin Luther King several times, father marching with Martin Luther King in the Selma march ---- so I dug out my parent's old "Odetta - For Americans" LP album that my mother gave my father many years ago that my mother inscribed on the album "To my husband, Election Year 1962 - To restore your faith in electoral democracy. Love."
So I pass onto to my parents, to my wife, to my son, my two brothers and two sisters and to you kind readers, the below 2012 musical video "Forward" to inspire you during "Election Year 2012 - to restore your faith in electoral democracy. Love"
This video inspired me to write this diary -- This week, whenever I worry about the bigotry and racism, I look at this "Forward" video over and over and realize that we can move past this period in our history and move FORWARD.
Obama inspires us. Obama's words from the video. Amazing words! **
"Forward.. We will leave no one behind .. We travel together .. We pull each other up."
What do you think is the way forward in this country to combat racism and bigotry?