I'm going to get a lot of flack for this entry.  I kept my mouth shut during the whole fiasco because, until the Whitehouse released a transcript of the speech, there was nothing to discuss as no one knew what he was going to say.   But what disturbed me more than anything is how even the most educated of my personal acquaintances and Toledo educators believed the journalistic smear that started and escalated the entire situation. 

I am proud to say that the principal at my school insisted that our students watch the President's speech.  I am sad to say that some of my closest associates still insisted on not following through because "he quotes a prominant Nazi and his speech writer didn't catch it."

This is where my sadness and disgust rises to the surface.  I've only shared what I'm finally going to share here with one person, Ken, my partner.  I've only shared it with him because I know he gets it.  And once I say it, I'm sure I'll lose some readers.

I was fortunate my freshman year in college to have a group of African American students set up open forum discussions regarding the next level of racism that needed to be abolished.  Yes, it is great that polite society has evolved and segregation has been abolished.  The next step is to attack those minute racist attitudes that we learn from being raised in our respective race.  The attitudes we learn by observing our parent's reaction to racial difference even though they may have told us "red and yellow, black and white we are precious in His sight."  The attitudes that come from seeing "one race as superior and another inferior." (Thank you Bob Marley)  The attitude that it is ok to tell a racist joke because "there are no black people in the room."  The attitude that it is ok to make racial slurs because "there are no black people in the room."   The attitude that since someone is different I fear them.

But, ask yourself why what I'm about to say pisses you off so much.  It will make you mad because it is going to force you to look at things in a different way. And this will probably be the first time anyone has forced you to look at your world view in this manner.

And here we go (feel free to open your Favorites or News Feed now for easy deletion). 

I am disgusted because this all boils down to racism.  That icky, socially acceptable level of racism that we need to move past.  The level of racism that has escalated normal political controversy (the first President Bush addressed our school children with the same political controversy) into irrational accusations that fearful Americans are willing to parrot because they have been raised to fear racial difference by simple observation.

Today I am left wondering  how foolish those of you who fought against this via Facebook polls and gossip are feeling right now? 

And I leave you by quoting myself:  "This President is going to force white people to face their racism.  They'll either get it, or they won't."

You are so right, Latrelle. I don't think that Joe Wilson would have yelled at a white president or Republican parents would have kept their children out of school if Bill Clinton had spoken to them (pre Monica). Would the Birthers have even existed if Obama were white? There is a lack of respect because the man is black. Racism is alive and kicking.

Thanks Greg. I found out about Joe Wilson while researching this entry. Shameful.

But my hope is that Americans will grow from this and the only way we'll grow is if we start acknowledging where this is all really coming from.