Posted on 05/17/2008 3:09:33 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Both the race for the U.S. presidency and the race of one of the candidates have now become the main focus of many Americans. This is truly an exciting year in national politics and one that will determine just how far America has come in bridging the racial divide.
When women state that they will vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman, there is no great outcry. But, somehow, when blacks state that they will vote for Barack Obama because of his partial African heritage, all of a sudden it becomes a negative issue.
In 1980, when I first ran for mayor of Hartford, many, including the NAACP, said I would be wasting the black vote — that it would be impossible for me to win. Historically, there might have been some rationale for that.
I was born in Hartford and grew up in a time when I knew the first black elected officials, teachers and police officers in our city. My ancestors on my mother's side were slaves in Middlesex County, so I could understand why some thought that even 1980 was not the time, even though I was serving as a state representative.
As I look back over that history, I begin to wonder just how far we have come and just how far along we are in realizing the dream that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. laid out back in the '60s.
No, I am not supporting Obama just because he is black — I am supporting him because he is a qualified, dignified and able candidate who happens to be partly of African American heritage. That part of my decision comes from pride, not only in my race but in my country — a country where even the thought of electing one of African American heritage or a woman was not so long ago an impossible dream. Today it is finally a reality.
America has moved closer to the true meanings of its Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Yet we still find many who say they will not vote for someone because of skin color, and others who cannot understand the difference between racism and racial pride — the reason so many blacks are supporting a qualified black candidate. We even hear, in a last desperate attempt to win the nomination, the Clintons stating that Obama cannot win the white vote even though he has proved otherwise.
I think of this as I remember my own campaign in Hartford, when an elderly woman with a thick accent, someone who could not have been in this country too long, walked up to me and said, "We don't need your kind as mayor of our city." As one who was born in Hartford, with relatives who were enslaved in Connecticut, I could do nothing but walk away with a smile on my face.
Today I have that same smile for those who say that America is not ready for a highly qualified, dignified and able candidate, who happens to be of color, to be elected president of the United States. Are we one America or are we not?
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The writer was mayor of Hartford from 1981 to 1987.
America certainly is ready...however, show me the highly qualified person of color that's running.
Hmmm,
I won’t vote for a woman, because she’s a power hungry lying capitulating communist whore.
I won’t vote for a black man , because he’s a power hungry lying capitulating communist whore.
I’m neither racist nor sexist as you can clearly discern by my even handed treatment of a man, a woman, a black , and a sexually non descript person all at the same time.
He's (partially) black, articulate and "clean", so why does he need qualifications, you bigot?! /s
There certainly should be!
Blah blah....blah blah blah blah.
“No, I am not supporting Obama just because he is black — I am supporting him because he is a qualified, dignified and able candidate”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Wouldn’t it be more fun to support ME because I am the world’s strongest, smartest and most handsome ex-sailor? Nah, that would be too close to reality.
One thing that really bugs me with BHO is his lack of communication skills without a teleprompter in front of him. He stumbles, fumbles and mumbles unless he has that teleprompter in front of him. If you think W can’t speak, watch and listen to BHO without any help. He is disgusting and has no reason to be POS. Oh, is this a racist comment?
Are whites allowed to h ave 'racial pride', too? If not, then it is just racism. Hypocrite.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Let's see anyone who is a natural born citizen and is 35 is qualified. So now what we have is he is voting for him because he is dignified and able............
Oh, for Pete’s sake. The libs were the ones who pushed making history over qualifications. Now they’re paying the price. And this ‘qualified candidate’ does more putting-down of people and whining about unfairness than discussing issues. Any criticism toward him is given a roundabout response that doesn’t address the criticism. The President needs to be stronger than that.
I need a history lesson. Did CT have slaves?
Not that I would vote against a black man because of his skin color. 90% of the time, I wouldn't have to even if so inclined.
Nor would I vote for a white man because of his. The most conservative candidate of the most conservative party that has a chance to win is who I always vote for.
This most generally means th Republican, but for local elections I could see voting for a third party candidate.
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