Is it Race or is it Fear?

So much has happened since we last wrote a piece: Gates was arrested, Palin has resigned,the House has waffled on health care as well as the Senate and finally there is a move to pass a law requiring all candidates to present a valid birth certificate to run for the highest office in the land : President of the United States. Before I go further, please excuse the length of the prior sentence!!! Anyway or as a dear friend would say: "moving right along", we are living in strange days. It seems that the more Obama tries to move the country forward, the more resistance he receives. An administration that started with so much promise of a unified country has begun to return to its old ways. No longer is there tolerance of the effort just complaints, murmurings and bashing from all sides.

At first it was simply the party of NO. The Republicans smarting form sever losses and a loss of power that reminds those of us who studied History or, lived it of earlier times. This loss of power and influence has long reaching effects and affects the majority culture. The loss is viewed as reduction is command of the agenda and the issues that will drive the United States for the next 30 - 40 years. Folks this is a long time. In fact to put this in perspective most of us will not be here or will be very, very old. And, there are dire consequences to turn the issues backward.



The reason for the two nouns Race and Fear (fear is an adjective but I use it as a noun because it describes a thing) is for most of American history these have been the twin pillars of this society. Race has been used to keep the other, the inferior,and the less than out of the main stream for 200 years or more. It does not take much to remind ourselves that there are those who benefit from this action. Or to use another example we can quote from the movie: "The Good Shepard". In a scene that was revealing of the nature of this country, a conversation took place between the mob boss and the CIA agent (played by Joe Pesci and Matt Damon) in this exchange when the CIA agent was asked what they(whites) had as their tradition(noting that Italians had religion; Black had music; and Jews tradition) the reply to the inquiry was: "we have the United States of America and you are just visiting." Again this is a quote worth remembering and teaching to our young people!! The arrogance is startling and the bases for the reactions that have taken place over the last few weeks.



Has Obama reached to far or have white people returned to their racist was out of fear that there will be some success. This is not about George Bush, or Dick Chaney or the "sins" of that administration. This is about the quote above, about whose country and who is in charge of this country for the future. This is the underlying catalyst for the past events: a fear of the shift of power, influence and prestige.



It is no surprise the Professor Gates was treated badly in his house. Let us be clear: the woman did the right thing! She called in and all of us want that kind of action taken when it comes to our own property!! The issue was that when the proof was given (it was his domain) that the end of the matter should have been okay: is all well and good night. Not the actions of come outside and you are under arrest. I personally do not blame Gates: I would have been more vociferous and probably more vindictive, especially if i thought that I was violated. The reason is not racial it is a respect issue. I believe the reaction of Gates was due to the lack of respect the officer gave him. This is all to common theme. The birthers are another pustule of disease coming to the surface in the country. Their sole purpose is to keep the canard of Obama birth certificate an issue for discussion. What is sad is that major commentators such as Rush Limbaugh and Lou Dobbs keep this on going. They say things like: I believe he is but why does he refuse to present a certificate and those who minds are infiltrated with hatred carry this water. This issue has now become a congressional cause celebre: to whit legislation is being considered (it pains me to think it has a chance to became law) to require documentation to PROVE one is a citizen. Funny, this did not become an issue until a change did come.

Is it racism of fear the answer is both! Now some will argue that I set up a straw man argument, no I have not. What I want to propose is that we as a people must think, process and demand attention to the work we elected people to do. Accept the change as God's Divine intervention, and be about our Father's business, lest as Pharaoh found out: the Army gets drowned in red sea or the Potomac...Later.