"I don't have anything against Blacks, but I'd lose business if I hired one . . .

[beaconess]

since some of my customers are racist. So, as much as I'd like to hire a Black salesman, I can't because it would hurt my business."

"I don't have any problem selling my house to a Black family, but if a Black family moved into this neighborhood, some of my neighbors would object. They'll start selling and the property values would go down and it would hurt a lot of people, so I'd better not sell my house to these Black people."

"We have no objection to admitting a Black student to our medical school, especially this applicant who has outstanding credentials, but some of the faculty are so racist that they'd never give him a chance, no matter how smart he is. If we admit him, we'd just be setting him up to fail, so we'd better not put him in that position."

"I have no problem voting for a Black man for president, but there are too many voters who would never vote for a Black man and he'd lose in a landslide, so Barack Obama shouldn't run."

We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this 'hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.

---Dr. Martin Luther King, "Letter from the Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

[last1standing]

1. Hehehehe!

Thank you. That was a perfect post.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Barack Obama will get my vote

since he is a democrat and his opponent will be a republican. I don't care what color or religion you are; if you are a democrat I will vote for you, if you are a republican I will vote against you. Taking a real close look at today's republican party I can't imagine anyone rationalizing a vote any other way.

On a sideways view of your post; my neighbor and I had a little feud a few years back. He's a holy roller asshole racist motherfucker and I can just imagine what he thinks of me. (He doesn't like how I maintain part of my lawn.) I told him I'd move and sell the house to a black gay couple with three teenage sons. I thought he was going to have a coronary. He was content with a white guy living next door. He's still a pompous ass and the other neighbors have caught on.

[beaconess]

3. That's HILARIOUS!

So, what's the problem with part of your lawn? :-)

[BOSSHOG]

5. We have a one acre lot

the south end of which abuts a large undeveloped tract. I keep our lot slick except for ten feet of brush and trees on the south end to give us a natural privacy fence. It also provides a habitat for birds and squirrels and my wife has a sanctuary of sorts down there for the animals. The neighbor in question is off to our west. He's a good "christian;" he just has to bitch about something. He's told the neighbors I have a drinking problem; he recently got a DUI. He also recently incorrectly displayed the American Flag in front of his house. The National Guardsmen in the neighborhood brought that to his attention, so the Guardsmen is also now on the shitlist. I guess we live in a typical neighborhood.

[beaconess]

7. Wow - he sounds like a real piece of work!

But it also sounds like he's met his match in you!

[BOSSHOG]

8. I apologize for getting off your topic

I wave to him and be as cordial as possible and get no response whatsoever. And I don't really care; but I do chuckle inside.

Another attempt at your topic. If you are a black republican, don't ask me to vote for you. At my retirement ceremony, my Commanding Officer was a black man who presided over that ceremony. Four years later we remain friends. He was the good cop to my bad cop; we made a great team, keeping our Sailors on their toes, out of trouble and getting educated.

[beaconess]

9. I agree with you about voting for a Black Republican

I can't for the life of me understand why a Black person would want to be a Republican, unless it's for purely selfish reasons - i.e., they think it's easier to advance themselves.

Perhaps one day a Black Republican will come along that I will feel comfortable voting for, but so far, I haven't seen any.

[BOSSHOG]

10. Its silly

but to the point. I can't recall which black man said it but the quote was "blacks voting for republicans is like chickens voting for Colonel Sanders." Funny yes, but oh so true.

Wasn't there a black senator from Massachusetts several years ago who was a decent person and legislator?

[beaconess]

11. Yes - Edmund Brooke - a great man

But that was back in the day when Republicans were sane.

Brooke was an old-school Republican - as were many African-Americans during that time.

Times have changed, though, and today's Republican Party is very different than the party of Ed Brooke, Everett Dirksen, Howard Baker, etc.

[savemefromdumbya]

12. we have problems with Republicans and leaves

they are always complaining that OUR leaves blow onto THEIR yard. I suggested that they control of wind direction and other suggestions which were so pleasant!

[trof]

20. I had NO lawn for 16 years and LOVED it.

We were on 3 acres in the woods.
I didn't OWN an effing lawnmower.
Now we're on a suburban lot with grass.
bah

I continue to expand mulch beds around trees.
In a few more years I hope to be able to trim what little grass is left with an elbow grease powered push mower.

[stevietheman]

4. There are plenty of good reasons to oppose Obama's nomination...

his being black has nothing to do with it.

[beaconess]

6. I agree - and have no problem with people opposing him for substantive reasons

But sadly, there are plenty of people here who think he shouldn't run simply because he's Black.

[savemefromdumbya]

13. it's unbelievable that some people here would think this

[silverojo]

15. It's not because they're racist

It's because they fear that racists won't vote for him. (I think the Michael Richards incident illustrates how racism still exists, even in the most surprising places.)

But, quite frankly, racists won't vote for ANY Democrat, so...

Run, Barack, run!

[beaconess]

16. I didn't say they're racists

But, unfortunately, they're playing right into the hands of racists - in fact, they are allowing racists to get their way without having to actually take any overt action.

It's an old phenomenon, as Dr. King pointed out - when good people fail to do the right thing out of fear that the bad people will prevail, they help to perpetuate the "forces of social stagnation." Saying that the country isn't ready for change in the form of a Black president and thus a Black person shouldn't run for president implies that Blacks should wait for the country to get itself ready for such a change before doing something as audacious as try to mount a serious presidential campaign. But this is exactly what Dr. King was talking about when he said that "human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God." Change won't come on its own - we have to push for that change and the only way to do it is to just do it.

But falling back into complacency and refusing to help to make change by claiming "it's not ME, it's THEM," while not not necessarily driven by racism, does have the same result. And, in my view, the argument that Obama shouldn't run because racists won't vote for him is equivalent to the many other excuses we've seen over the years that do little more than enable the worst forces in our country in achieving their goal of thwarting progress.

[Guaranteed]

14. One of the main reasons I'd actually support Obama if he got our nom is THAT he is black...

I think he'd do a lot of good toward getting minorities involved in politics. That would be great for our party and our country.

[beaconess]

17. Along those same lines, I think that the fact that he's Black enhances his qualifications

While some differ about whether Obama's experience qualifies him to be President, the fact that he is Black enhances his qualifications, in my view. Unfortunately, it is still a reality in this country that a Black person must be three times as good as his White counterparts in order to be thought half as good. Obama's achievements - Columbia University, president of the Harvard Law Review, U.S. Senator - would be tremendously impressive for anyone, regardless of race. But the fact that he has managed to accomplish these things as a Black man in America, in the face of enormous obstacles, makes me think that he is extraordinary.

[Little Star]

21. What you said!

[ContraBass Black]

18. Very nicely said.

[pooja]

19. There is only one race... its the human race. Color, religion, and sex

have been used to divide our unity and justify killing within our own species. Its disgusting. So, I'm with Colbert, I don't see color... I see humanity.