Obama As Seen From Another Planet
Mark Davis listened to another speech than I did yesterday. His characterization of Barack Obama's speech on race relations bears no resemblance to the reality I saw and heard.
Mark Davis heard "a flimsy attempt to excuse" the Rev. Wright's legacy of venom. I heard Obama condemn Wright's remarks.
Mark Davis heard Obama urge America "not to reject [black] anger without understanding its roots." I heard Obama urge America to BOTH reject AND understand, as a necessary means to overcome.
Mark Davis says "hate is not to be endlessly analyzed." I heard Obama say that if we simply condemn each other and retreat to our respective corners, then the conflict will indeed be endless.
Mark Davis says that Obama should have said that the members of his church are not "well served by the spreading of racial hatred." I heard Obama say exactly that.
Mark Davis says hate is to be rejected without reservation, but then hypocritically drops a suggestion that Trent Lott was "undeserving" of criticism for his nostalgic memory of segregation, that Don Imus was "undeserving" of criticism for calling African-American female college athletes "nappy headed hos."
Maybe Mark Davis ought to return from whatever planet he listened to yesterday's speech from. His reception wasn't good. He ends by condescendingly saying he wishes "to give Mr. Obama credit and benefit of the doubt as the first black presidential candidate striving to move beyond the 1960s." Mark Davis wants to marginalize Obama as nothing more than an ethnic candidate. But Obama isn't running to be president of black America or white America. He's running to be President of the United States of America. And his speech was a powerful call to action towards that goal. Too bad Mark Davis didn't hear it.
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