Thank You, Mr. Obama

Okay, let's get this out in the open. I'm a white (European American?) Christian male in my early 40s. I was fortunate enough to have been raised in a family that was decidedly colorblind, and I'm delighted to note that my children are probably even more colorblind than my wife and I are. Skin color really doesn't seem to matter to them when they play with other kids and that fact always gives me hope for their future.

In my years I have made a lot of friends, several of whom are African American (black?). I think one of the first times I really encountered racism however was several years ago when I started dating a black woman. (This was before I met my lovely wife.) Black men I had considered friends suddenly didn't want to have much to do with me, especially when my girlfriend was around. It never bothered me (or them) in the least when one of them dated a white woman so it never occurred to me that the reverse would be a problem. She and I both felt hurt by this and really didn't even know how to address it.

She and I obviously went our own separate ways for non-racial reasons, but that taste of racism (reverse racism, if there is such a thing) did leave a scar on my soul. For God's sake, I wasn't responsible for what happened in the 1800s! I'm repulsed by the very idea of slavery! How could someone be arrogant enough to think they could actually own another person like property? If I judge someone, it's always based on their merits, not their skin color! So why was I suddenly being treated this way by black men? I didn't deserve it any more than they did.

Listening to Reverend Wright's words made me angry. Not because they were anti-American (which they were) and not because they were anti-Christian (which , quite frankly they also were), but because they were completely racist and wrong. Reverend Wright's words made me think of how many Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees came to America with no friends, no family, and nothing but the clothes on their back and immediately started businesses, took advantage of opportunities and made themselves wealthy beyond their wildest dreams! It made me contrast their outlook on America with the black maintenance worker at a motel I stayed at in New Orleans (pre-Katrina) who was willing to fix my room's toilet that ran over (All I did was take a leak, honest!), but refused to clean the floor or help me get a new room simply because it wasn't his job. Oh, and by the way, the cleaning staff was gone for the day, so tough turds! Reverend Wright's words made me angry because I have always tried to treat people with dignity, regardless of skin color, but at the end of the day most African Americans have rarely given me (a white male) the same consideration.

Mr. Obama, the speech you gave Tuesday morning may very well have been the very first time I have ever heard a black man recognize the hurt that racism has caused people like me. For too many years, I have listened to irrational and insensitive rhetoric from the egotistical likes of Jessie Jackson and Charles Rangel who insist on reopening old wounds. For too many years I have watched the black community attack Bill Cosby for suggesting they take responsibility for their own lives, a man who has arguably done more for race relations than most black congressional leaders. It was refreshing to hear a black politician (or any politician for that matter) actually talk about the issue of racism in adult and rational terms with a decidedly forward-looking vision. Mr. Obama, I may disagree with your ideas regarding Iraq and America's health crisis, but by God, you have earned my respect!

My greatest hope is that you will back up that tremendous speech with actions that will really inspire change. One of the things I have liked about you, Mr. Obama, is your ability to inspire others to meet you at least half way. It's a welcome departure from Hillary Clinton, who seems more interested in fighting than inspiring. People like me will be depending on you to inspire other African Americans to take note of the opportunities around them and take advantage of them, to take note that American society is always evolving and to look to a brighter future, to love their neighbor as themselves and realize their neighbor just might be white.