You have all heard about Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack's pastor, and his outrageous outbursts condemning the U.S. All of us have been taken aback by the pastor's inflamatory language. Some have condemned him and others are trying to explain him.
Obama thinks it is a question of attitude. The Republican attitude that most of us, even Democrats, have absorbed stresses the importance and value of competition in everything. Just listen to Hillary Clinton whose every other word out of her mouth is "fight." If you want anything you must "fight" for it. If you are mistreated you must "fight" for your dignity. If you are losing your job you must "fight" to keep it.
This attitude of rugged and self-interest competition is everywhere. Gregory Rodriguez, who I thought would be sympathetic to Obama's explanations, wrote an op-ed piece in the L.A. Times that shows he does not get the real Obama message.
Rodriguez says that Obama had orginally asked for a racial dialogue and now that Rev. Wright has started one Obama doesn't like it because it is not going the way he thought it should. According to Rodriguez, we can't bring races together simply by talking:
But lovely as it sounds, apart from the elite spokespeople, that's not the way race is lived and felt in America. For most people, it's not about statistics or civil rights cases, politics or access to healthcare. It's not even about redress or reconciliation. Rather, it's about something much deeper and more visceral, less quantifiable and more heartfelt. It's about memories and respect, hurt feelings and long grudges, fears and expectations.
All of this is true and well said. But this is what Rodriguez does not understand: Yes, dialogue between groups that believe in the primacy of competition will engender the type of talk indulged in by Wright. This attitude leads to constant emphasis on self interest and to our "fighting." It leads to the vituperative language of Wright. This in turn, is replied with more vituperative language.
This is not the dialogue that Obama seeks. Obama, first and foremost, wants to change our attitude towards each other, our constant adherence to our self-interest, our idea that we must "fight" for everything and that what benefits you hurts me. Once this happens we will talk to each other with more empathy and understanding. We will get to know each other better. Instead of "fighting" we will be enjoying each other. The idea of race would fade.
It is this type of dialogue with empathy that Obama stands for. If he is elected president U.S. will go a long way toward healing the racial divide.
Comment here.
