What I am hearing from some of the people around me is that, while it was a good attempt to calm the racial tensions, that “America is just not ready for a Black president” & “the Republicans will win if we nominate Obama”. We will have to scarifice him this time around, maybe in another 10 or 20 years we will be ready………

I was originally a Hillary supporter, I think possibly because I feel that ” (white and black) males” are too ready to go to war, to used to lording it over women and other opressed individuals in societies around the world. I thought maybe a woman could lead us down a gentler path. I personally am one of the more fortunate of my gender, white, middleclass, in a stable long term marriage. But, I feel empathy for women everywhere hiding under veils, murdered by their male relative in “honor killings.” Earning lower wages, raising families alone, watching their husbands of 25 years dump them for a younger model. Only in recent history have women in America fought for and earned the vote and some measure of equality, legally at least. Women have a lot of pent up anger as well. So I thought, give Hillary a chance to show what a woman might be able to accomplish.

I can’t say that Obama’s speech made any of that anger go away for women, or blacks, or anyone else. But just the fact that he was willing to talk about these things honestly, to acknowledge we are not all happy campers, living the American dream, sparked a little bit of hope in my cynical soul. He spoke mostly of the racial rather than gender issues, but I think he might be willing to listen to all of the oppressed among us.

So now I am conflicted, I worried about Hillary’s tactics, but rationalized that she was doing “what she had to do” to secure the nomination. Then when she was elected, we would see some real changes.

Now I think that Obama is the one who might make a difference. But I am afraid that we “the people” are going to pass on this historical and hopeful chance to change our direction.

By the way, I would vote for the tooth fairy before I would pull the lever for McCain.

This speech was about race in America. It was about the great racial divide that still spans the American landscape, decades after it should of ended. It was about the racial fears that still..and very sadly..engulf Americans.

He began it with acknowledging that he is a son of a black Kenyan Man and a white Kansas woman. He knows both sides of the race issue and he spoke to it at length, with, as an example, the remarks about his white grandmothers fear of black men, and her use of racial slurs…even with him at her side.

It was a great and glorious speech, that should be heard by every college and high school student in my humble brown opinion. It should rank right up there to MLK’s I Have a Dream speech, which still gives me goose bumps when I hear it.

But I still don’t know if I can vote for him

Actually one New Years my father was ranting about all the black groups on TV that night. I yelled at him and walked out. He’s never done it since.

“We all seek council from people who hold various ideas of their own. We may not agree with their ideas, but simply hearing them and then continuing to communicate with the speaker does not make our judgment poor. It is silly to say it does.”

So your suggesting that the candidates put white power and nazis on their staff so they can get a well rounded opinion. Perhaps we also need so anti-semites as well.

It may be that America in general isn’t ready or willing to hear and/or accept the truth, but for a major political candidate to speak so candidly may move the ball of political discourse a little away from the inane and back towards reality.

That alone is refreshing.