Obama...first african american...would you vote for him?????

[gadgetlady 4]

I wouldn't vote for Obama, but not because he's black. I DID vote for Alan Keyes.

[green 6]

Green: When I worked for the Attorney General in Richmond, VA, I was shocked to learn that there were laws around the Commonwealth that said that for legal purposes, anyone with one drop of Negro blood was to be considered a Negro.

Boy doesn't THAT rock your world? It did mine. Just think about the implications of that. Holey smokes!

One of the issues that the assistant attorneys general were dealing with was red-lining and "white flight" neighborhoods. I had moved there from Oklahomaa where everyone was of mixed blood, or at least most of the population. I never understood about the prejudices that I saw when I moved around the country. Not that there weren't prejudiced bigots in Oklahoma, there sure were, but it was not in a league with some of the other places I've lived.

What I've never understood is how one person can look at another person's skin and think that their skin color in someway denotes the morality or goodness or badness in that person.

All of this is extraordinarily shocking for us politically correct moderns but this is part of history, of recent history at that. Indeed, I do believe that there is a kind of latent racism in all of us, even the most carefully educated and liberal folks.

I guess I base this not only on the Jewish Holocaust, which directly affected my own family, but also on the histories of the two Armenian holocausts which happened towards the close of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the mass starvation of the Ukrainian people as ordered by Stalin during the 1930s, the fate of the Kurdish folk, and of course the tragedies in Rwanda and in Bosnia not so long ago.

I guess I also base this on the fact that the city that I live in, Toronto, has become kind of dysfunctional over the past few years. As you may or may not know, Canada's laws regarding gun ownership and use are extremely illiberal compared to those of the states. We follow the British approach with respect to gun laws; this is to say that few Canadians have ever seen a gun let alone own one. Canada is, by and large, a gunless society.

We have become a multi-cultural city, a city of immigrants and this has been, by and large, a success. What we have, however, is a disproportionate number of young black men, men who have their roots in Jamaica, who belong in gangs and have guns. Over the past four or five years there have been a lot of shootings, and while the number of deaths per capita would seem low by American standards, they are high by our standards.

Most of the victims are black. Those who do survive don't talk. If you are white and live in my city your chances of dying a violent death are remote. I would dare to say that living in my city is kind of an Eisenhauer experience in many ways. There is, however, a young urban black male culture up here that is exceedingly violent for those who are players.

And for those who stand outside this mess, well, it becomes easy for them to drift into judgemental, racist attitudes. This isn't what we wanted to see, you know.

[ousooner 1]

I wouldn't vote for Obama, but not because he's black. I DID vote for Alan Keyes.

I was just talking to my wife about him last week. I voted for him in the primaries as well. I haven't heard anything from him in a while. Talk about one of the best orators around. Wehter you like what his message is or not, the man can give a great speech! :confused:

[gadgetlady 4]

I was just talking to my wife about him last week. I voted for him in the primaries as well. I haven't heard anything from him in a while. Talk about one of the best orators around. Wehter you like what his message is or not, the man can give a great speech! :confused:

Ain't that the truth! I'll never forget when the pundits used to say he clearly won the debates he was in, but of course it didn't matter because he couldn't win the nomination. I know their saying this affected the way people voted. What the heck is the point of the debates if you won't allow the winner to win?

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Green: When I worked for the Attorney General in Richmond, VA, I was shocked to learn that there were laws around the Commonwealth that said that for legal purposes, anyone with one drop of Negro blood was to be considered a Negro.

Boy doesn't THAT rock your world? It did mine. Just think about the implications of that. Holey smokes!

One of the issues that the assistant attorneys general were dealing with was red-lining and "white flight" neighborhoods. I had moved there from Oklahomaa where everyone was of mixed blood, or at least most of the population. I never understood about the prejudices that I saw when I moved around the country. Not that there weren't prejudiced bigots in Oklahoma, there sure were, but it was not in a league with some of the other places I've lived.

What I've never understood is how one person can look at another person's skin and think that their skin color in someway denotes the morality or goodness or badness in that person.

There was a time when all of the states in the deep South had rules saying that a white boxer could not fight with a Negro boxer. But being Negro was defined differently in many states.

One of four grandparents being Negro and the boxer was defined as a Negro in some states.

One of 8 great-grandparents being Negro and the boxer was defined as a Negro in other states.

One of 16 great-great-grandparents being Negro and the boxer was defined as a Negro in still other states.

And then there was the one drop rule in some.

I am talking of the 1950's.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

I was just talking to my wife about him last week. I voted for him in the primaries as well. I haven't heard anything from him in a while. Talk about one of the best orators around. Wehter you like what his message is or not, the man can give a great speech!

I believe he lost to Obama in the Senate race two years ago.

[ousooner 1]

I believe he lost to Obama in the Senate race two years ago.

Very possible. Although I like his views, I don't think he could ever win because his views are very far right and not moderate enough to appeal to the majority.

[BJean 16]

Alan Keyes: Maybe a great orator, but one scary dude.

[ousooner 1]

Alan Keyes: Maybe a great orator, but one scary dude.

I can see that. He is very right wing and those that aren't could be scared of him polically. I think the same of Diane Feinstein because of her extreme leftist views. Just depends on what side of the isle you stand on

[gadgetlady 4]

I can see that. He is very right wing and those that aren't could be scared of him polically. I think the same of Diane Feinstein because of her extreme leftist views. Just depends on what side of the isle you stand on

Ain't that the truth! Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton -- all scary to me!

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Very possible. Although I like his views, I don't think he could ever win because his views are very far right and not moderate enough to appeal to the majority.

I know that there are many Christian Conservatives (like I assume you are) who would vote for a man like Alan Keyes.

 

However, there are a lot of Christian Conservatives who are not like you, gadgetlady, etc and who are racists. There are White Supremacy groups, Skinheads and Neo-Nazi groups who are headed by Christian Ministers, and while members of those groups would vote (and probably do vote) for White Conservatives, I doubt they would vote for a Black Conservative, like Mr. Keyes.

That might be enough to quash his chances against anyone other than a Democrat who is asleep at the wheel.

[ousooner 1]

I know that there are many Christian Conservatives (like I assume you are) who would vote for a man like Alan Keyes.

 

However, there are a lot of Christian Conservatives who are not like you, gadgetlady, etc and who are racists. There are White Supremacy groups, Skinheads and Neo-Nazi groups who are headed by Christian Ministers, and while members of those groups would vote (and probably do vote) for White Conservatives, I doubt they would vote for a Black Conservative, like Mr. Keyes.

That might be enough to quash his chances against anyone other than a Democrat who is asleep at the wheel.

 

Point well taken. Not that you were impying it, but there are also those types that are democrat as well. Plus I could never be racist, I would be going against my own son who is bi-racial. My ex-wife is African American. And like a previous post you made, dispite him being half white, he will always be considered black. I don't resent that, but its a fact.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Ain't that the truth! Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton -- all scary to me!

I saw some election campaign adds last year that were being run around the different states in which the Republican Party asked the voters to vote for that Republican Party congressional candidate even if the voter had a gripe with the Iraqi war policy, because unless the Republican Party held the house majority, Nancy Pelosi would become "Speaker of the House".

 

These adds were not really for the Republican Party candidate as much as against Nancy Pelosi. This was not denied by a Republican Party spokesperson on a TV political talk show.

 

The ad went on to list why Nancy Pelosi would be bad for America.

 

The #1 Reason: If Nancy Pelosi is "Speaker of the House", she will attempt to make a new cabinet department and cabinet level position, to be known as SECRATARY OF PEACE.

 

How could anyone want a SECRATARY OF PEACE?

 

Why would the US government want someone to work on World Peace full time? That is outrageous.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Point well taken. Not that you were impying it, but there are also those types that are democrat as well. Plus I could never be racist, I would be going against my own son who is bi-racial. My ex-wife is African American. And like a previous post you made, dispite him being half white, he will always be considered black. I don't resent that, but its a fact.

You had better be careful what you write.

 

Someone might assume that you and I are agreeing on some points, which could get you in a whole lot of trouble. You might lose your right to counted among the Right.

 

When they take me to Guantanamo Bey, they may look to see who my cohorts were and too many agreeable replies by you to me, might make you a candidate to join me in Cuba.

[gadgetlady 4]

I know that there are many Christian Conservatives (like I assume you are) who would vote for a man like Alan Keyes.

However, there are a lot of Christian Conservatives who are not like you, gadgetlady, etc and who are racists. There are White Supremacy groups, Skinheads and Neo-Nazi groups who are headed by Christian Ministers, and while members of those groups would vote (and probably do vote) for White Conservatives, I doubt they would vote for a Black Conservative, like Mr. Keyes.

That might be enough to quash his chances against anyone other than a Democrat who is asleep at the wheel.

Saying there are Christians who are skinheads and Neo-Nazis is so incredibly offensive to me. It is impossible to follow Christ and be a skinhead or a Neo-Nazi. It goes against everything that Jesus taught. If someone claims to be a Christian but does not even follow the basic tenants of Christianity, despite the fact that they call themselves a Christian, they are not. They may use quotes from the Bible in their speeches, but that does not make them Christians. They also use quotes from our Founding Fathers, who also were not skinheads or Neo-Nazis.