I try to steer clear of anything that is not beautiful, funny, helpful, or insightful on my blog but the statement above bugged the heck outta me. "We're not ready for a Black president." This was the assertion made by a male caller into C-Span radio last night. For that reason he was voting for Hillary in the primary and then if she were the nominee, he'd be voting for John McCain in November. This guy said he is a Democrat (not that any of this matters for my point. Just wanted to let you know where he was coming from). Apparently we're not ready for a woman president either.
So when, pray tell do you think we'll be ready? This is just absurd to me. Putting aside the whole race thing for a second and the fact that it's 2008, it's mostly absurd to me because I don't know how many people are ever ready for change until it actually happens. What I mean is, you adjust. My husband had this quote on the wall for the longest time that went something like this:
Three stages toward acceptance of a new idea:
1. ridicule
2. opposition
3. obviousness
So let's have an example shall we? Let's use me and cell phones:
1. "What a dumb idea to carry a phone on your person"
2. "I refuse to carry one. I don't want to be accessible ALL THE TIME."
3. "Well, duh. Of course I have a cell phone. How else would you reach me when I'm not at home?"
So to that gentleman caller if Senator Obama is indeed successful in becoming our next president, "You'll get over it."
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
We're not ready for a Black president?
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5 comments:
This guy's got a screw loose. This has been the most exciting primary ever.
Sigh. I really wish the race/gender thing wasn't being played up so much for two main reasons:
1. I think it's irrelevant. Let's stick to the issues people. We don't need to get caught up in who is more oppressed. We are moving FORWARD.
2. Please don't start this flame war NOW when Dems doing so essentially is just handing the Republicans ammunition for later. (Not directed at you, just the world in general).
Watching from the Uk I have to say even we're interested in whose going to win - both my husband and I really like Senator Obama - I just don't understand why colour has to come into anything - surely its to do with what a president he will make - they could say the same thing about there being a woman in office too :/
I'm hoping hoping HOPING that more people think that we are ready for a black president. My first choice (edwards) knocked out of the race early, but Obama is fantastic, and it keeps frustratiing me to hear Hillary Clinton talking about all of her experience when most of that is her husband's experience. Sigh. Anyway, here's to hoping that the world is as progressive as we think it is, now I'm off to make some shiny things, and I hope you are too, nina :)
You're absolutely right. But I also think you're missing the big point: what does this statement even mean? This statement is so vacuous, that I could convey more information by saying "the island went north highway"! I think if you define what it means to "be ready", you'll see it hinges on racism in one form or another.
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