Letters to the Editor
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No, we can't talk about race unless we talk about class!!!!
Here is an interesting question. What percentage of African Americans make 96K dollars a year, which is the very low end that Hilary uses to describe the middle class...the higher end is 250K? Could it be that since the median family income is 42K, which means HALF make less than 42K, that they identify with Obama not just because of the color of his skin?
Maybe it has something to do the criminal justice system in that many more AA have contact- either directly or indirectly thru family members with the criminal justice system. All AA, either directly or indirectly thru family, have had EXPERIENCES with the criminal justice system that can only produce resentment and suspicions that the middle and upper middle class Salon readers have NO experience with.
I hate this part of posting here, but I have worked in the "criminal justice" system in Indiana for 3 years. It is so messed up that us white middle class folk become frustrated with the irrationality and power relation problems why wouldn't the black community be at the least bitter but completely alienated from the political system. In this county black kids are picked for WWB...You don't have to drive to be pulled over. Friday afternoon cops go out cruising and if you are WALKING and don't have a driver license you are taken in for false reporting and are held until Monday morning.
Now the question becomes how did Obama get so many votes in this state and in a county that hasn't gone to a Democrat since FDR?
Perhaps one shouldn't be so hard on Salon readers because these issues are never the object of investigative journalism. Instead resourced are allocated for other things...which is fine, except when the editor wants to have an intense discussion of race, when the facts needed to discuss it are systematically ignored.