Head of a Negro - By Albrecht Durer 1508
As a man of African-American descent, I am confounded by all the drama over race in America. On the one hand, we are one of THE most liberal nations in the world. On the other, we are Iran. Think about it. We live in a hyper-sensitive, racism-infused culture where people like Sen. Harry Reid are blasted for saying what MANY of us in the world (black, white, or other) were already thinking.
The Statement: President Obama would win over John McCain, because he is "light skinned" and has no "Negro dialect."
While I would not have used the term Negro, we have to remember that Harry Reid is about 150 years old and much more familiar with that term than any other. I believe he made the statement in the same vein as Asian people being called Orientals. The terms have all been changed but the meanings are really still the same. I've said for a long time that the reason people like Jesse Jackson could not win a bid for President is because he was too "black". I am, however, much more direct when it comes to these type statements. Jesse Jackson doesn't relate to the majority. We all know that candidates are elected, to some degree, because of their ability to connect with the American people. If we think otherwise we are kidding ourselves. With Jackson, everything is about being black. Well, in the real world, not every damn thing is about being black. Sen. Reid's comments about President Obama's lack of Negro dialect is TRUTH. We speak English in this country, not Ebonics. Barack Obama shows a stunning level of intellect and eloquence that is evidenced by his CHOICE to speak in an articulate manner. Notice the word CHOICE. Ebonics or "Negro dialect" is a choice. While I see nothing wrong with it, there is a time and a place for it. Does this mean President Obama can't be "ghetto" when he wants to be? No. He's can do that. He should do that. It's high time that everyone quit making everything about race and start moving on from this political correctness garbage that is about as genuine as costume jewelry. We are a nation of people who say what we are supposed to say instead of the truth. We continue to lie to ourselves. Is there genuine racism? Of course. Should that be tolerated? No. Harry Reid wasn't being racist. He was making what is actually a very good observation about American culture. I think some people are just bent out of shape because the truth can hurt. I can't wait to live in a world where white people can talk about black topics without Al Sharpton reminding us all that "we" used to be slaves. I wasn't on the Mayflower. I wasn't a slave. I am NOT a slave. While I have and probably will always run into racism now and then, I refuse to be defined by it. I will never forget the profound sacrifices of people like Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King. I will always appreciate the terrible price that was paid by my ancestors. In contrast, I will not live in a "me versus the white man" world which is neatly manicured by people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
The Bottom Line:
I am sad to see people like Harry Reid forced to apologize for speaking the truth. It saddens me more to see others use the opportunity to label someone as a racist who is not. This was a Negro nation before Barack Obama and will be well after he is gone. Negroes will always be a part of this nation's great (and not-so-great) history. Just like the Jokers in a deck of cards... there are only certain games in which the cards can even be played. It's time to take the Race cards out of the deck and start enjoying the game.
