Indiana

My Brother From Another Mother

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

I’m wrapping up my business trip to St. Louis this morning, but I had to share this story from dinner last night.

My old law school friends and I got together and started talking about the Presidential race. One of my good friends who is a true-hearted conservative from Kansas asked me who I thought was going to win the Presidency? I told him, with the appropriate caveats included, that I thought the race was Barack Obama’s to lose. Two main reasons that came to mind was first the national trends; the polling data shows him ahead in five of the seven key battleground states and winning the Electoral College, 331-221. Second, John McCain doesn’t work weekends.

My friend told me he was disgusted with the GOP at the national level, but couldn’t bring himself to vote for Barack. He was also somewhat hesitant to share his opinion because he didn’t want to come across as racist. I told him genuine disagreements don’t make a person racist. Although I think some of the attacks against Obama can be construed that way when they have nothing to do with policy.

However, I told my friend if he really wanted to fight bigotry, he should vote for Barack, because if Barack was elected President, Blacks would have nothing else to complain about and could no longer point the finger at white people for their troubles. I told him when someone calls him racist he can say, “Hey, I’m not prejudiced, I voted for Obama.” Barack can’t win the Presidency without white voters so what better way to get people to shut up about racism.

In addition, Blacks can no longer complain about the man, because as one comedian put it, President Barack Obama means we are the man.

The same people who complain about white rice being “enriched” and brown rice being “wild” will have to go somewhere and sit down.

The same people who complain about white cake being called “Angel Food cake” and black cake called “Devil Food cake” will have to shut up.

And the best thing about electing a Black President, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will have to go find real jobs.

My friend from Kansas is giving Barack a second glance. I’m back in town tomorrow.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on June 29, 2008 (boomark / email).