Before you read any further, be forewarned that my comments will be controversial to some of you. I've waited a while to voice my opinion since the fallout from Sen. Reid's comments about President Barack Obama. Actually his comments were made while Obama was yet a senator and had just begun his quest for the White House.
I have no issue, for the most part, with what Sen. Reid said. Shocking, I know. (LOL) The sad truth is that his remarks about Obama being more acceptable to the white majority because he has fair skin and no "negro dialect" is accurate. You may not want to outwardly agree with me, but deep inside you know it's true. I hate to say it and of course I would love for that not to be true, but we know we have not yet come that far in this country. Just look at all the detractors to this day that say Obama isn't an American citizen or that he is a Muslim. Watching footage from the tea bagger events is enough to make anyone cringe with all the openly racist signs on display for anyone to see. Yes, we have come a long way since the days of Dr. Martin Luther King who we will celebrate this coming Monday, but we can not wear blinders and ignore the distance we have yet to go.
Sen. Reid's comments were inappropriate and he should have known better than voice them. Some things whether true or not should not be voiced. However, I do not think he is a racist. IF you want an example of someone who is a racist, look no further than the likes of Rush Limbaugh who made ignorant remarks just today discouraging people from donating to Haiti relief efforts.
The part of Reid's comments that I find offensive is about the "negro dialect." That comment almost suggests that most people of color speak Ebonics and not the king's English. I beg to differ and am just one example of that remark being inaccurate.
So instead of throwing tomatoes at Sen. Reid, make this an opportunity to evaluate your feelings on the matter honestly. Ask yourself whether or not Obama would have as easily received your vote had he been dark complexioned and not have been the great orator that Obama is. I pose this question to people of color as well because we can be notorious self-haters which I do not begin to have time to address in this blog.
If you can honestly say that he probably would not have gotten your vote, then you need to evaluate your issues with race and deal with it. It's an opportunity to recognize a character flaw and fix it.
J
