Maybe now it will be clear to many why there is such a paucity of capable people running for public office. In recent years, many would-be-candidates begged off a political run citing the intense and sometimes seemingly unfair media scrutiny.
On the surface, many of those folk appeared electable, but a deeper look would reveal some long-hidden transgression or character wart. And a deep, intense look into the background of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has yielded no such moral lapses or blatant missteps.
While he is the first to tell you he’s not perfect, his character, intellect and candor have made him the most appealing presidential candidate in decades%uFFFDif not longer. However no presidential candidate in memory has undergone the baseless and unrelenting attacks our state’s junior senator has.
His perseverance and unflagging ability to continue to be unbowed by the attacks speaks enormous volumes as to why it is time for Black folk to step up and intercept some of the slings being hurled Obama’s way. It is past time for us to hope he will handle a snarly situation only with his advisors, or that it will go away.
It is sad that as Black folk we know the truths and seem reluctant to share them. Rev. Jeremiah Wright has been castigated in the right wing news outlets and Obama has been asked to distance himself from the recently retired pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.
But we know and are remaining silent that Rev. Wright’s theological teachings are not new and began long before Obama gave thought to living in Chicago. Doesn’t the question come to mind as to why Wright is being tagged a “racist” and/or “separatist” by many, although the United Church of Christ denomination is not predominantly Black? And officials at the denomination have yet to censure him, so what credibility do those who neither belong to the denomination nor Trinity have in the matter of sermon topics?
Why are we remaining silent and not willing to step up to the fact that whether it was at Trinity, on television, or during a revival we stood and unhesitatingly gave rousing amens to Wright’s words? But now we opt to hold our breath and hope Obama stands by him%uFFFDwhich he did. Obama doesn’t do what is expedient.
He does what a man of character should do%uFFFDrepeatedly. Shouldn’t we be flooding the Department of Justice’s e-mail box with missives expressing our disgust for allowing the senator’s passport records to be rifled through by those who aren’t even government employees%uFFFDnot that it would make it right if it were? W
e have been assured some basic levels of privacy in this country, yet those who infringed on Obama’s privacy made prison inmates look as though they have more rights than the man who might well be our next president.
Rev. James Meeks, a state senator who preached a sermon three years ago and used the “Nword,” had no idea then he would be a super delegate supporting Obama’s presidential run.
But for fear of an Obama victory or some unstated reason, we are allowing Obama to be painted with Meeks’ words. Meeks, like Wright, has done far more good than harm in working to uplift the conditions of Black folk and should have the full backing of our community and not even be tied to anything other than one super delegate vote for Obama.
The attacks on Wright and Meeks beg the questions of whether any of their sermons would have been run up the flag pole if Meeks were a Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) super delegate or if Wright were a timid, mealymouthed preacher with a congregation of 75. Both men have built congregations that require arena-sized sanctuaries.
It is the potential sway they hold over so many Black minds that bothers those on the other side? Obama’s wife, Michelle, a top performer in corporate America, was branded as “un- American” for a portion of a speech she gave last month. The statement of not feeling like an American is one millions if not tens of millions of Black folk are able to understand and identify with.
Through it all Obama has endured, never wavered, or responded harshly. Yes, he is the kind of candidate everyone should want. But to be treated the way he has and the people of his hometown who look like him are almost mute in their defense and his support, can we understand why so many capable people make politics a spectator sport?
Obama’s potential nomination will be the most historic event for Black Americans in more than 100 years. It is beyond time we treat it like such and not allow anyone, whether they look like us or not, to disparage the work of Obama or the legacy of others who have done so much.
______ Copyright 2008 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
