Politics.bm

Ending a racial stalemate

This is the way race really needs to be dealt with by politicians (Youtube clip at end of this post).

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.

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. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.

While it was a political speech, it is actually much more than that.

It is impressive not just in its content, but in what it says about Obama's temperament in particular. It is unusually nuanced and appeals to people's intellect rather than their prejudices. It's realistic yet idealistic.

This is where we are right now. It’s a racial stalemate we’ve been stuck in for years. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy – particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.

But I have asserted a firm conviction – a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people – that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice is we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.

Most importantly, it explicitly rejects the easy point scoring with which race has traditionally been used and abused in political discourse.

On the other hand this is what a speech on race should not be. Race is not a weapon; nor should it be deployed as a defense mechanism for poor ethics.

To borrow a paragraph from Obama:

That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician’s own failings.

A lot of people, including our own Premier, are trying to piggy back on Obama for their own political purposes.

But, after listening to this speech, seeing Obama campaign, and understanding what he has experienced and worked for in his life, it should be clear that Obama is in fact the antithesis of Ewart Brown and the PLP's identity politics.

Obama explicitly rejects using race as a wedge issue. He explicitly rejects identity politics. He challenges all sides to find the middle ground, not scorching the earth to mask his own inadequacies.

This was a remarkable speech by a remarkable candidate.

Our leaders and aspiring leaders would do well to consider Obama's words and emulate his approach; rather than try and simply ride his coattails without a little introspection.