It's still the biggest elephant in the national living room

[cali]

Race. How we talk about it, how we deal with it and mostly how we don't deal with it. It's still a huge contentious divide in the national conversation. It's obscured by the type of language that's socially permissible, but one has to wonder how much things have really changed in the last 30 years or so. Under the surface, white America is still largely frightened of black America, and particularly "the angry black man". Black America is largely still bitter and distrustful of white America. The two sides speak different languages. Some people are still willing to exploit tensions and fear, and it's not just republicans.

Not that this is anything new or revelatory, but it is being highlighted now in another way, just as Katrina brought a focus on racism a couple of years ago.

It's depressing.

[Fredda Weinberg]

1. Asians must feel so out of it right now ... like race is about blacks & white n/t

[cali]

2. really? now you speak for the Asian American community?

Don't bother replying. And yes, the thorniest race issues in this country are between African Americans and Whites, though certainly latinos are more and more in the mix.

[Fredda Weinberg]

5. You gotta make it about me? Sweet

No, the thorniest race issue is where it matters ... where we mix. Jews, Asians, Latinos ... it's white guilt that makes you blind.

Don't tell me whether or not to reply. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[cali]

7. Another disgusting remark from dear Fredda

who's always made it about her. I know all about you.. from YOU. All about the shoe in the head. You've only told that tired tale a few dozen times, dear. All about your brother and your father, and what a hero YOU are- according to you. I've seen your borderline and not so borderline comments.

You know nothing about me but say that I have white guilt? Shove your shame on you crap back in the orifice you yanked it out of.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. Obama's the only one who can address it and bring poeple together. It's not depressing . . .

it's uplifting.

[panader0]

4. Obama is the perfect candidate for this elephant

He's half black and half white.

[better tomorrow]

6. soon whites will be the minority when....

they are outnumbered by the Hispanics and then they will feel the Black pain.... That will happen as it is projected by 2030 something or other.

Obama to be speaking in major speech on race within the next hour.

Disclaimer: This is not intended to put any Hispanics down. I welcome your culture and diversity. Just remindin' all the others, ya know...we are now a global world.

[Bullet1987]

8. I agree Cali...that's what people are missing from this Wright story

Blacks have put so much faith in Obama...if his candidacy is destroyed over some bullshit his Pastor said, there's gonna be all kinds of chaos and anger.

[JDPriestly]

9. I'm looking forward to Obama's speech on this.

He is doing the right thing by simply talking about it.

I campaigned for Edwards and was shocked to learn as I talked to voters that they were voting based on race, gender and age. Obama got the votes of a lot of young, white people as well as people of color (non-Hispanic). Hillary got the votes of voters of Hispanic ethnicity and women, especially professional women whose husbands sometimes voted with them. Kucinich got the votes of the really hip and well informed, leftist types. Obama got the votes of the really hip not so politically savvy and experienced types. Edwards got the votes of extremely strong Democrats who were focused on Democratic values -- lots of teachers and very well educated people plus strong union folks. It was very interesting, but race loomed large.

A lot of people including me have been afraid of Obama's stand on race because of his church affiliation. After reading Obama's explanation that Rev. Wright's viewpoint on race was due to experiences that Rev. Wright had in the 1960s and 1970s, and that Obama is of a different generation and has different views, I felt reassured. Obama's statement about how Rev. Wright's views differ from his own also clarified for me what Obama meant when he ascribed Reagan's success to the "excesses of the 60s and 70s." As a white political activist, I see the liberal activism of the 60s and 70s very positively. But, he may have been, through his church, exposed to an activism that seems uncomfortably extreme today.

I'm still an Edwards supporter, but Obama's clarifications on this issue even so far have made me have a lot more confidence in him.

[cali]

10. Well said, but I see this as a lot bigger than an individual candidate

Sure he's a lightening rod but it's the larger picture of a great divide that's so discouraging. We'll see if Obama can do anything to change it in any way.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. today at work

the boss took the uniform delivery man into the warehouse to talk politics. I had to go file some things, and heard worried whispers about "white people FOLLOWING him". Boss knew better than to talk in front of me. His excuse for being anti-Dem is that "Obama is a Muslim" which I tried to refute--silly me, I forgot that, as a woman, I'm to shut up and smile and look pretty. Anyway, I know that the whole "Muslim" smokescreen is simply that--these white men are scared that a black man might become president.