For those who have been following (most Americans?) or paying even the slightest attention (the rest of the world?) to the Rev. Wright/Barack Obama Barack controversy, I can do no better than to point you in the direction of the excellent discussion ongoing at Lex's arising out of Obama's speech yesterday.
It's not all one-sided; it's quite civil; and it should definitely get you thinking.
Update: Although you have to have read Lex's post to give context to the comments, it's really the discussion in the comments that I'm referring you to as much as anything.
1 comment:
Thanks for pointing me to this. Sadly, after reading it all, I am still unsure where I stand on the "race" issue, I suspect, like most of white America.
I think of all the other "races" which were discriminated against in my country...and the coming rise in already troubling anti-hispanic and anti-semitic feeling, the first due to the illegal immigration problem, the second to the very real fear of terrorism, which also concerns the immigration problem.
Racism, bigotry, hatred, are always wrong. Of course.
But we remain very divided on why, and we must realize in a very honest way, that the fear/dislike of someone different is a part of our human nature. We fight that, and we must. Those who glory in it, like Rev. Wright, are beasts, not men. Evil walks this earth, and it sows its seeds in hearts like these. Sometimes it even moves in totally.
But how to solve the problem? I don't know. For one thing, though, I am sure. We cannot continue to tolerate a community which teaches its children to fail, while failing to teach them to read or think.
We cannot continue to tolerate a community which teaches its children (for the way to conquer any society is through its children) that they have no choices.
And I think, personally, that one of the best, and most underutilized areas for change, is the public school system. It's a place where educated, right-thinking people can influence the children of that closed community. Teach them there are other ways, teach them to think.
But our public school system is such a clear, dismal failure...and it is perpetuating, and adding to, the problem, rather than helping. Overall. And that breaks my heart. For the children.
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