19 March 2008 - One game in and I was as wrong as Wright
I picked Coppin State. Ooops. Well, I knew they were not good, but I saw some highlights from their conference championship game and thought (that was my mistake) that they were ready for one win in the tournament.
Nope.
Mount St. Mary's got the first win of the tournament.
Not really that concerned. No bracket contest counts the "Opening Round Game" (not play-in..so says the N C Two A..not N C Double A...) anyway, so I am not worried.
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I entered several NCAA Men's Tournament bracket contests. All for prizes. No money has been bet.
All of my brackets are the same. Easier to follow that way. And a bit more sincere.
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I did not see the big speech yesterday. I did read the transcript of Barack Obama's speech.
My thoughts...well...here goes...
A quote from the speech...
"But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America – to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality."
Exactly my point. Race is an issue. Racism exists. It need to be addressed. Senator Obama gets it and acknowledges that Rev. Wright only emboldens those who would oppose him with his comments.
Senator Obama makes my point for me. And he continues.
"The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through – a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. "
Exactly.
The United States Constitution is not a living breathing document as many want to believe. It is not a perfect document either. But, it sets forth a blue print that must be followed. Wrongs of the past have been corrected in the Constitution. 3/5th rule is GONE, minorities are now citizens. Gender bias was removed with the 19th Amendment. All good things. But, not conventional wisdom back in 1787.
So, institutional racism existed then. If you read the works of Jefferson, Madison and Hamilton, among others, you get some insight in to that conventional wisdom of that era. And you can see why they felt some ambiguity when it came to slavery (blacks sold other blacks in Africa...if it is OK by them, how can it be wrong for us - that is what you were dealing with).
Today, "institutional" and "legal" racism is gone. And it is a good thing. The last major hurdle was cleared with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But what has happened since then.
Well, a racist killed Dr. King. No one, and I mean NO ONE, could fill the void left on April 4, 1968. Voids have to be filled. Sadly, those who sought personal gain are the ones who filled it. You know the names, I do not need to list them here.
That lead to a change over the last forty years where we have see segregation creep back up. VOLUNTARILY!!
I have been fortunate to have been friends with African-Americans throughout my life. When I played with my grandparents neighbors as a toddler, I did not even notice, nor care that they looked different than me. My brother looked different than me because I was blond headed and he had brown hair. Didn't matter. I worked with several African-Americans throughout my adult life. The morning show host I worked with in Knoxville is black. Hallerin has been a great mentor that I can turn to with a question whenever I have it. Maybe I need to call him and get his thoughts on this now.
Spewing hate breeds more hate. Period. Whether you are an Austrian corporal, an Islamo-Fascist terrorist, a redneck in South Carolina, or a preacher in Chicago. All it does is breed more hate. It is like a cancer. Just ask an oncologist for the best way to treat a cancer. (I am referring to the ideas of hate here, not the people.)
That is why what Rev. Wright said is clearly wrong, and inexcusable. That is why Senator Obama, a man who is as much white as he is black, has to distance himself from him.
My only complaint with Senator Obama was he did too little too early. His flippant dismissal of his long time spiritual advisor was a joke. He knows this now. So he had to make a speech. The speech was good. He made great points. I agree with him on the state of race in America...it has been ignored too long and must be addressed. (That is why I never refer to a child by their appearance/ethnicity when talking to my children. Period.)
I hope this speech was not too late. Our nation deserves more than TWO good options when it comes to choosing a President. Sadly, with our two party system in power, two is the best we can hope for. So far, we have one good choice for November. I hope Senator Obama can hold on and give us a second. Or will his own party throw him under the bus first.
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The response to the speech has been directly attached to the political direction of the receiver of the message. Now, you have seen my response. What are your thoughts? Share them via e-mail or by posting comments here.
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And finally, a parting though for the day.
I never found her attractive. But I know everyone has different taste. Maybe she is right, this may be a bit much.
I really don't like whiny celebs. But I got a chuckle out of this.
Enjoy!!
