Obama tackles race anger in major speech

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

... yet those things probably wouldn't be well received if uttered by a white candidate. I don't even mean accepted by the black community, I don't think the MSM would be falling all over themselves to celebrate this honesty.

Shiner...I think that the problem is....no one white that i can think of in recent memory tried...the closest I can think any white person ever got will Bill Clinton's aplogy for slavery.


In my own brutally honest opinion, I think that the reason why no one white and in the high echelons of power has ever really stepped to the plate is either fear of looking like a fool or losing some kind of credibility among his or her own people.

Heck, this would have been even a good time for Bush to step up to the plate and address some of the issues.

This is the biggest problem today....no one wants to step up and ADMIT that there are still problems!

[shinerbock]

A couple of things:

I think you're right that it isn't attempted. However, I don't think that changes how it would be received. Hell, the entire GOP is labeled by even mainstream democrats as a racist party. I'll get to the lack of trying in a moment, but I just don't think you'd have big time media outlets getting starry eyed if McCain had made a speech that included some of the things Obama's did. Even worse, actually, I think they'd reject it and trump up the controversy, fueling the cries of racism and prejudice that would surely come. Look at the people who speak out about busing and affirmative action now, almost all are granted no credibility by the mainstream media, regardless of their motivations. So in that regard, I certainly think society rebukes white people who make statements like Obama did.

However, I do think you're right that white folks are afraid to try. I'm not particularly concerned about the issues Obama raised that bother whites, but I think our failure to speak openly about them is indicative of the racial fear that plagues white America. We're so focused on not looking racist that we'll not only avoid speaking our mind, we'll throw other white folks under the bus so that we can point to them and say "look, I took out one of my 'own,' surely I'm not prejudiced!"

I just don't think the environment is favorable for that kind of speech from a white person, unless it is completely safe and merely represents the white community taking responsibility for the problems encountered by black Americans. But, ultimately it is the white people who cower in the corner, they're the ones who make the final decision to stay silent and not engage in honest discourse.

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Shiner...I think that the problem is....no one white that i can think of in recent memory tried...the closest I can think any white person ever got will Bill Clinton's aplogy for slavery.


In my own brutally honest opinion, I think that the reason why no one white and in the high echelons of power has ever really stepped to the plate is either fear of looking like a fool or losing some kind of credibility among his or her own people.

Heck, this would have been even a good time for Bush to step up to the plate and address some of the issues.

This is the biggest problem today....no one wants to step up and ADMIT that there are still problems!

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

A couple of things:

I think you're right that it isn't attempted. However, I don't think that changes how it would be received. Hell, the entire GOP is labeled by even mainstream democrats as a racist party. I'll get to the lack of trying in a moment, but I just don't think you'd have big time media outlets getting starry eyed if McCain had made a speech that included some of the things Obama's did. Even worse, actually, I think they'd reject it and trump up the controversy, fueling the cries of racism and prejudice that would surely come. Look at the people who speak out about busing and affirmative action now, almost all are granted no credibility by the mainstream media, regardless of their motivations. So in that regard, I certainly think society rebukes white people who make statements like Obama did.

However, I do think you're right that white folks are afraid to try. I'm not particularly concerned about the issues Obama raised that bother whites, but I think our failure to speak openly about them is indicative of the racial fear that plagues white America. We're so focused on not looking racist that we'll not only avoid speaking our mind, we'll throw other white folks under the bus so that we can point to them and say "look, I took out one of my 'own,' surely I'm not prejudiced!"

I just don't think the environment is favorable for that kind of speech from a white person, unless it is completely safe and merely represents the white community taking responsibility for the problems encountered by black Americans. But, ultimately it is the white people who cower in the corner, they're the ones who make the final decision to stay silent and not engage in honest discourse.

Part of the reason why I hate hearing someone say, "I'm not racist...I have black friends..."

There will never be such a thing as a 'safe' environment...MLK and Malcolm spoke out in far more dangerous environs back in the 60s and ultimately sacrificed thier lives....40 years later if there are those who are still afraid to speak may only have themselves to blame for the environment to come out and speak on it.

Regardless, something must be done...we are at a point where there are more minorities here than there ever was...more people of differing beliefs and if it's not addressed now then someone else will set this country back.

Now and tomorrow is not the time to be afraid to take step

[shinerbock]

I agree, people should not be afraid.

However, I think we need all aspects of society to help. White people would be celebrated for admitting that people in their family were scared of black guys on the street, and that they thought such fear was irrational. The problem comes on the back end, are we ready to really get into part of that fear which isn't so irrational? Thats what I don't think would be well received by either the black community, the ivory-tower liberal community, or the MSM.

But you're right, opposition isn't an excuse. I just hope that we can at some point have an honest discussion, where people can speak their minds without being ostracized by society for controversial viewpoints, which obviously repels those ideas it finds uncomfortable.

[Drolefille]

I liked his speech because it wasn't just an explanation of his own relationship with race, his pastor, etc. (and jon he's not saying that his pastor was right to say those things, in fact quite the opposite, he's saying that his pastor is an important figure in his life despite the facets he disagrees with) but it was also a challenge to the general public to move forward with racial relations not be stuck in the past.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

I liked his speech because it wasn't just an explanation of his own relationship with race, his pastor, etc. (and jon he's not saying that his pastor was right to say those things, in fact quite the opposite, he's saying that his pastor is an important figure in his life despite the facets he disagrees with) but it was also a challenge to the general public to move forward with racial relations not be stuck in the past.

exactly drole...and let's ask ourselves...do we not have someone on the family or someone that we know that we aren't particularly agreeable with everythign that they say?

Do we just disown them?

Or do we sit and listen to what they have to say and either agree or disagree with that and learn from that?

[shinerbock]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

exactly drole...and let's ask ourselves...do we not have someone on the family or someone that we know that we aren't particularly agreeable with everythign that they say?

Do we just disown them?

Or do we sit and listen to what they have to say and either agree or disagree with that and learn from that?

I'm fine with this mindset, as long as the same reaction comes from the same people when the circumstances are different.