I read a report that said that the Gov is training military folks in Riot control in advance of the upcoming election. the perception is that if Obama loses, and people (especially Black people) feel that there was some underhandedness in play (blocking voters at polls, foreclosure lists etc) there will be hell to pay. Personally I imagine there might be protests, and maybe even a riot or two on a small scale, but these people have to be aware that none of this would ultimately change the result..John McCain would still be president. I would ask that everyone please abide by the results. Hell, we were stuck with George Bush, and there is plenty evidence of hanky panky in the background. The good thing about this country is that the Prsident comes with an expiration label..4 years. If not now, later, but our time will come as a people (black and white)
This train of thought got me thinking along another line as well. Lets say Obama is NOT elected, and there is/was some racial and crooked things going on in the election. Whats that say to minorities as a whole, and the population at large? First, there is a negative stereotype that African Americans are lazy and have no goals. This was actually said by many whites in a poll of potential voters. The opposite of this feeling, and the impact felt by many blacks will be, why bother? If i am Barack Obama, and I start out rough, clean up my act, go to the best schools, it doesnt matter. I still cannot get elected based on one item that I cannot change..I am BLACK. What message does this send in America? We say you can be anything you want in the US, but is that true? If the barrier to your aspirations and dreams is based upon pigmment, then that tells minority children that the American dream is just that, a dream. Does it not in fact say in America. you can go where you want in life if youre white, other than that, know your place. I am not indicting the entire white race. In fact, if the entire white race was this was, blacks would still be slaves, so dont misinterpret what I am saying. Who I am indicting are those whites and other races who profess to be god-fearing flag waving Americans through-and-through who believe in the promise of America, but only for themselves, and those who look like them. These attitudes are the least Christian and American that I can think of. In fact, it sorta puts me in mind of the Sunni and Shia in Iraq, or those people with red dotted foreheads from India. Is America a caste system? I think not.
To those voters who simply wont vote for a black person, you have my pity. I wish we could put everyone of these folks in one of those gradeschool games. You know the one where they have children switch roles (those with rights, and those without). Sometimes they base these games on shirt colors, or hair, or eyecolor. The main goal is to teach children what its like to be discriminated against. I also know that my diary is not going to change those race haters who have been taught these attitudes from generation to generation. My only appeal would be if you trully are a Christian, what would Jesus do? As I remember history, Jesus lived in areas where the people were definitely not white. I dont remember Jesus saying that everyone should come to him, except for the blacks and mexicans. Our hate mongering is a man-made thing, and not indicative at all of Christianity, but purely just another sin.
Republicans are experts at this. They dont want abortion, but adoption. Lets see, they will adopt a baby from Vietnam to show they are not racist, but ask them to adopt and Americam blk or Mexican baby and see how fast they run. Republicans dont mind spending money to bail out companies, but ask them to help out a poor family with their mortgage, and see how loud they scream. I am hearing reports of Republicans like Anne (the bitch) Coulter blaming the financial crises on high risk loans provided to minorities. What they fail to realize is that the waitress who serves their coffee, and the maid who makes up their bed are the base of their beloved companies. If regular people dont pay into the system through purchases, gas, mortgages, electricity etc, then these companies have no reason to exist. If there was no profit in it, they wouldnt exist. To blame the low man on the totem pole because your stock went down is deferring blame, and just a little bit racist, and believe me, I dont see racism at every action by a non-blk, but this seems to fit.
My father told me a story long ago about his life in rural Arkansas in the 1920's. There were extreme racial attitudes, seperate bathrooms and drinking fountains..you all know the story. In any case, the levee of their small town burst on a rainy stream-soaked day. Evereyone was forced to evacuate their home and move to a prominant peice of highground in the local area. Eventually, all residents of this tiny town moved to the high ground, black and white. The water was high and remained high for a week. During this time, both blacks and whites joined forces to share food, and attend to the injured, as well as one anothers children. A particular man he referred to as "Mr George" had broken his arm during the dash for highground. Since my fathers mother was a sort of local healer, she set his arm, and attended to him. The racial formalities slipped away in about 3 days, and soon they were addressing one another by their first names. Mr George became George, and so on and so forth.
Finally, the waters receded, and each family went back to survey what was left of their properties. In fact, they had formed such a bond on that hill that families took turns helping one another rebuild. Over time, life was returned to some semblence of normalcy. My father told me that after about 6 months of normalcy, he was returning from the fields, and decided to take a shortcut across George's field. As it happens, George was out attending to his feilds at that very momenet. When my father saw him, he raised a hand to wave. George quickly hopped onto his nearby mule and rode over to where my father was. George climbed down off of his mule and approached my father on foot. "How are you doing George" my father said. George replied "Its Mr George to you Nigger, and I dont want to ever see you walking across my property again". My father replied "yes sir", and quickly made his way off the property. Indeed, things had returned to normal.
To those voters who vote based on race, I would suggest that today, we are all on the levee, and we are all in this together. Lets not change that based on election cycles, but make it a daily mindset.
Thank you for your time