Letters to the Editor
Undercover Mother
Published Letters: 6 Editor's Choice: 1
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Don't Be Sidetracked From The Issues
[Read the article: The crazy uncles in Obama's attic]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]People have been making controversial statements since time began. Statements as harsh as Rev. Wright's are nothing new in American life. Because Barack Obama is running for President is why this issue is STILL drama in the media. I can pretty much guarantee that many non minority people have heard and/or know another non minority person who has espoused racially charged rhetoric that was harmful to African Americans, or Spanish Americans, or Asian Americans. While you can't always compare apples and oranges, ANY TIME a Black person speaks of racial and/or governmental injustices and speaks passionately about these injustices, non minority people become afraid. Today's generation does not want the responsibility for the past. That's more than understandable. However, if we don't speak of the unspoken, situations like this will continue to cause a panic.
What Rev. Wright did was speak the unspoken. I don't say that in defense of his statements, rather, I say this because Rev. Wright touched on a subject that non minorities do not want to address because with all of the advancements that African Americans have made, it is assumed and believed that African Americans should be grateful for those advancements and "get over" any racially charged issues that are rooted in the history of racism.
I can more than understand why non minorities would feel threatened and uncomfortable with Rev. Wright's statements. But the same way African Americans are "expected" to "accept" that injustices happened and deal with the emotional fall out from it, it's time that non minority people begin to accept that injustices did happen and that there is some truth to the very statements that Rev. Wright mentioned. But that doesn't mean that every Black person secretly wants to hurt White people to get even with them for slavery. Many African Americans DO feel that way. However, there are probably many non minorities who harbor racist beliefs and who run public offices. We've seen this before. EVERYBODY has racial opinions.
These fears of "the unspoken results of racism" MUST be addressed, ... just NOT in this forum. This is a Presidential election and there is no time to digress from the immediate issues at hand (i.e. health care, jobs, the economy, etc.)
Rev. Wright's statements do not belong in this forum. You can do a Google search and probably find groups that are willing to address these issues. And you'll find that people have been criticizing America since it's inception. While Rev. Wright has a right to his opinions, it would probably be best for Obama if he distanced himself from his friend because in this political forum right now and because the issues of race transcend the political arena and because the Democrats are divided enough, voters will not be able to hear where Rev. Wright gets his validation for justifying his statements. All voters have is a sound bite, which probably doesn't show the context in which Rev. Wright was speaking.
Again, please don't allow the fear of the unknown and racial fears cause us to throw out the baby with the bathwater, so to speak. Obama has all of the qualities that would make a good president. And just like past leaders, he too has controversial friends. Let's keep the focus on the issues that are relevant to this arena.