Thursday, January 1, 2009
Saturday, December 27, 2008
What about Palestine?
Its painful to watch the images coming from Gaza. The suffering, its just heart-wrenching.
How can this be allowed to go on? Why is the whole world on stand-by? Is there not a single powerful nation with the moral compass to try and resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all?
We've heard the recycled statements of alarm and concern issued by the big organizations so many times over the years. And the Bush administration response that seems to suggest missile attacks are an adequate response to rocket attacks.
Finger-pointing will not solve the conflict. This is clearly a vicious cycle of unfortunate events.
I long for the day Israel and Palestine will live side by side in peace. In the meantime, in the face of Israel's military might, the people of Palestine need a voice. Palestine needs a hero. Someone, a group of people, a nation, willing to act to end this conflict peacefully. For the sake of all the innocent people caught in the middle of politics and all the other factors fueling this conflict.
How can this be allowed to go on? Why is the whole world on stand-by? Is there not a single powerful nation with the moral compass to try and resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all?
We've heard the recycled statements of alarm and concern issued by the big organizations so many times over the years. And the Bush administration response that seems to suggest missile attacks are an adequate response to rocket attacks.
Finger-pointing will not solve the conflict. This is clearly a vicious cycle of unfortunate events.
I long for the day Israel and Palestine will live side by side in peace. In the meantime, in the face of Israel's military might, the people of Palestine need a voice. Palestine needs a hero. Someone, a group of people, a nation, willing to act to end this conflict peacefully. For the sake of all the innocent people caught in the middle of politics and all the other factors fueling this conflict.
Friday, October 31, 2008
What do you mean not ready for a black president?
I can't tell you how many times I have heard discussions or read articles about how America may not be ready for a black president.
This as an argument for why Barack Obama may not win the 2008 presidential election.
That has got me thinking. What is meant by "not ready?" I personally interpret this to mean that intelligence, competence, character and many other admirable qualities we look for in our leaders, as well as sound policy proposals would not count for much if you are black.
If color of the skin is the definitive factor here, why not call it racism? Why sugarcoat and repackage it using an, in my opinion, evasive phrase like "not ready for."
Here are a few questions directed at this "not ready for" reasoning. So what is it about black skin that may influence people not to vote for a black candidate? Is there a stigma attached to having black skin? And why, if that is the case.
Could it have something to do with the history of slavery where black people were considered to be inferior, and the resulting stereotypes?
If it does, and people are not ready to elect a black candidate in this day and age even after such inferiority theories have been disproved, when will they be ready, if ever?
And what would it take for them to do so? Because if it all comes down to dark skin, that's not going to change is it?
I am well aware that there are people that would never vote for a black candidate just because of the candidates skin color. Regardless of the candidates array of stellar qualities. And this is called racism in plain language: "A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race". (Dictionary definition).
But I refuse to believe that the vast majority of human kind is racist. I am convinced that gifted individuals, who prove themselves worthy of the offices they seek to hold, will ultimately triumph over bigotry. There is evidence to support this from the past, such as Barack Obama being elected the first African-American candidate of a major political party in the USA. A feat he would never have achieved with only the African-American vote.
And so I wish to dream with Martin Luther King. I dream of a world where people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
This as an argument for why Barack Obama may not win the 2008 presidential election.
That has got me thinking. What is meant by "not ready?" I personally interpret this to mean that intelligence, competence, character and many other admirable qualities we look for in our leaders, as well as sound policy proposals would not count for much if you are black.
If color of the skin is the definitive factor here, why not call it racism? Why sugarcoat and repackage it using an, in my opinion, evasive phrase like "not ready for."
Here are a few questions directed at this "not ready for" reasoning. So what is it about black skin that may influence people not to vote for a black candidate? Is there a stigma attached to having black skin? And why, if that is the case.
Could it have something to do with the history of slavery where black people were considered to be inferior, and the resulting stereotypes?
If it does, and people are not ready to elect a black candidate in this day and age even after such inferiority theories have been disproved, when will they be ready, if ever?
And what would it take for them to do so? Because if it all comes down to dark skin, that's not going to change is it?
I am well aware that there are people that would never vote for a black candidate just because of the candidates skin color. Regardless of the candidates array of stellar qualities. And this is called racism in plain language: "A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race". (Dictionary definition).
But I refuse to believe that the vast majority of human kind is racist. I am convinced that gifted individuals, who prove themselves worthy of the offices they seek to hold, will ultimately triumph over bigotry. There is evidence to support this from the past, such as Barack Obama being elected the first African-American candidate of a major political party in the USA. A feat he would never have achieved with only the African-American vote.
And so I wish to dream with Martin Luther King. I dream of a world where people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
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