Faith or Racism?
I have been completely stunned by a response I got over the past couple of days regarding Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night. The statement made, by someone I considered a friend, was so blatantly racist and inappropriate that it has changed my view of someone I considered a good, decent man - and a friend. I don’t know why this sort of thing still catches me off guard - I do live in Georgia, the heart of the bible belt, and a state that is filled to the brim with people of a Southern Baptist persuasion.
I’m not going to go into my own political views here - those who know me are aware enough of my leanings. But some of what I’ve heard lately - from people who wear their church affiliation on their sleeves - is frankly quite shocking to me. Why do people go out of their way to profess their faith, and constantly discuss the things they do with their church, and then act completely racist without hesitation?
Can you really believe in God and the teachings of Christ, yet hate a man or woman because of the color of their skin? I must have missed that chapter - or perhaps it just isn’t in the King James version of the bible. Truthfully, it’s the hypocrisy behind this type of faith that has pushed me to agnosticism. I don’t see color when I look at people - I see people. And even though I’m certain that any candidate from the democratic party - whether it was a white or black person, male or female - would have been seen from behind a most venomous set of eyes by most Bush supporters. The fact that the next President might be a black man has taken a dislike of liberals in general and turned it into a hatred I can only imagine I might have seen first hand if I had been around when public lynchings were still allowed.
It’s really sad, and completely pathetic. And I have to wonder - how much of this hatred is driven by the fact that a white man who played the faith card to the hilt has turned out to be the most morally and mentally bankrupt person to ever hold the highest office of this great country? Is some of it really contempt for putting all their faith in a leader who has tripled our deficit, bogged us down in a wrongful war, failed to find and punish Bin Laden, lied to the American people and trampled the Constitution? Maybe so. But let’s keep race out of it. The next person who tells me how doomed we are “if that Obama gets elected” is going to get a real earful from me.
And believe me - eight years of George Bush has given me plenty of verbal ammunition.
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I’m standing at my desk giving you a standing ovation!!!!
My email is barraged everyday from a certain few with lies about Obama being Muslim or planning on taxing everyone and everything including water, or emails stating how anyone who is an immigrant and can’t speak English should be arrested and sent back to their country, or how proud they are to be white, then the next minute sending those sappy emails about how great it is that “we’re friends” with some quote from the bible and a picture of Jesus Christ attached. In fact as I’m writing this, that “friend” just sent me one more of the aforementioned emails. They will never get that they are far worse than the people they disparage.
In the past, I’ve just ignored this crap, but not anymore. I rebut every lie that crosses my computer and with gusto.
Thanks for expressing so eloquently what I’ve been feeling for years.
Thanks for the standing O! The last time I got one of those I think it was for finally leaving the stage!
My family was less than perfect in many ways - but I will forever be grateful that I was raised to judge people for who they are, and not what.
TWO Standing O’s Michael.
Not on the subject of racism, but simply Obama, one of the so-called experts interviewed on CNN this morning said that the reason there are so many undecided’s is that they don’t know enough about Obama and are waiting to hear more. My opinion is that they are waiting to be spoon-fed. Obama has written two brilliant books about his life; if folks want to know more about the man, pick up a book and READ!!!