Posted on 06/14/2009 4:32:36 PM PDT by LA Woman3
The realization recently hit: I voted for Barack Obama because of his skin color.
For a thoughtful, responsible voter, the admission was mildly jarring. Not that I regret having done it. I couldn’t be more proud.
I’ve never based my vote on superficial matters. I voted on the mandate, never the man (or woman).
Now I must admit that I mainly voted for Obama because he is black, like me.
This is not to say I didn’t like what he articulated for our sagging economy, our schools and for organizing the chaos of the Iraq war. But I have to admit that Obama’s race was important. He represents symbolic change in how our society perceives people like me.
The widespread image of black culture in America is discouraging. A Stanford University study last year found that 40 percent of white Americans polled held at least partly negative views about us.
Given a choice of positive and negative adjectives to describe blacks, 29 percent said “complaining” applied. Twenty percent said “violent.” Thirteen percent said “lazy.” Eleven percent said “irresponsible.”
And I certainly do not believe that most whites are racists. Rather, images of blacks in the mainstream media condition people of all colors to think, if not the worst, then certainly not the best about us.
Blacks don’t always help dispel these images. Examine our own culture and pop culture: Crayons in fist, we often draw, and then salute, a socially crippling caricature.
And so: Blacks make up roughly 11 percent of the population, but in the prison population they’re more than 44 percent.
Nationally, 93 percent of black men murdered annually will die at the hands of another black man. And more than 70 percent of black children are born out of wedlock.
Obama’s presidency can change so much.
Growing up in Tyler, I was nerdy. Worse, I wasn’t coordinated enough to succeed in where most African-Americans in my community got recognized: sports.
My dream? Not to be a pro jock but to be president. It sounded outrageous as to draw laughs. “You’re crazy,” my stepfather retorted. “America is never going to elect a black man president.”
For whites, Obama’s historic achievement occasions for them a chance to see and experience a side of black culture that runs counter to stereotypes. For blacks, it gives us a chance to rewrite our collective narrative.
I’m not so naïve as to think this president is the elixir to cure America’s race problems. I’m acutely aware of those who still face the deep-cutting sword of systematic oppression.
So I temper my hopes. But those hopes are now realistic — and largely because of this historic election. It officially has placed America on a path to fulfill and protect the boldest assertion of our founding principles, “That all men are created equal.”
That is why I voted for Barack Obama. It may seem superficial, vain, even pathetic. But it is change that I believe in.
Chris Scott, a 2004 graduate of Baylor University and a former candidate for the Waco city council, is pursuing a Master’s of Divinity degree at Princeton Theological Seminary.
A Master’s typically requires one to have learned analytical thinking. Apparently, Chris Scott fails in such because he voted for a man because of his color. =.=
For a thoughtful, responsible voter ...
This entire article is juvenile, and full of self-aggrandizing fabrications.
Princeton Divinity, eh? ROTFL.
Very good point. If Michelle would shout to young girls in this country that they should not be having babies to prove their love to some boy- stay in school, make a life for themselves and find a husband BEFORE starting a family, she would do a great service to us all. Instead she will just continue to push organic gardening and tell black school children in DC that she was made fun of because she talked “like a white girl”
Painfully naive. We accept your 2% apology. Now start thinking like a sentient being and consider how badly you just might’ve been fooled about every other aspect of this guy. And don’t tell us. Just think about it.
Congressman Billybob
“...sorry to the writer of this piece but IMHO Obma has set back race relations a decade”
I say the same thing but my estimate is FIFTY years.
sorry chris, unlike you i base my opinions of people on their character, not color of their skin
He believes in a ban on gay marriage, 9.5% unemployment and dropping missiles on Pakistan illegally?
I wonder how Mr. Scott will feel when it is inescapably established that the One has been a complete fraud from the outset and is the first president who is both a fraud not entitled to hold the office and a worldwide embarrassment as well as the first U. S. President to set out consciously to give victory to the other side in a war?
******** He represents symbolic change in how our society perceives people like me. *************
Bwaahahahahahahhaha what a joke. I perceive this guy to be just a hair past an IQ of a 75 watt bulb.
A few days after the election I was out to dinner with a group of women. One of the women proudly announced that she was so proud of herself because she comes from a family of racists and she broke the chain by voting for Obama. I repeated her claim back to her and said, “you voted for Obama because he’s black?” She replied, yes. I informed her that is the very definition of racism and congratulated her for carrying on her family’s fine tradition. She started to cry. I’m not making this up.
Chaos of the Iraqi war. Trying to justify his vote. He put race above nation. And that was bad for us all including blacks.
Be careful Chris, or your intellectual honesty will eventually turn you into a conservative.
“I informed her that is the very definition of racism and congratulated her for carrying on her family’s fine tradition. She started to cry. I’m not making this up.”
That’s great. Good for you! Amazing how many people don’t get it.
Then you are a racist.
You are also a flipping idiot.
But then, you knew that, didn't you?
“This is not to say I didn’t like what he articulated for our sagging economy...
“Articulated”!?! Everything this doofus ever said was borderline unintelligible; he never “articulated” anything. The writer is deaf and/or an idiot.
Obama actually helps with the negative stereotypes IMO. I don’t see the guy as being smart when it comes to being a president. I’m being kind
If he ever has a church what would it be called ? The justified black racist church.
Let’s see if he is as candid when he has to admit his great regret for casting such a shallow vote.
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