The American Saga of Senator Barack Obama & the Reverend Jeremiah Wright (7)

by RLee Cook

It is true, as has been acknowledged virtually by consensus, that by addressing the subject of America’s race problem, Senator Obama did a brave and salutary thing. And that he talked about it with a constructive candor that has been sorely lacking for some decades now. Virtually everyone has acknowledged it is a dialogue worth having. But Senator Obama cannot conduct the dialogue on this subject by himself alone, and nor should he be expected to.

And ultimately how the Rev. Wright controversy is addressed, as well as managed, by all the affected parties during the upcoming fall presidential campaign is not just a concern for Senator Obama and his political strategists, but represents a looming challenge for all Americans. If, as many conservative political pundits and Senator Clinton cynically, almost gleefully suggest, the issue of Rev. Wright and the matter of race does take front and center stage this fall playing out in an ugly drama, before Americans decide whom they will elect as their next president, then all of us may be called upon to define who we are as individual citizens of this present age in a way previous generations have been called upon at other critical junctures of our history. Indeed, this could be our ultimate fate as Americans during the upcoming national political season.

Staunch Obama supporters say that certain elements among the American people simply are not going to vote for him anyway; and that he will just have to fight the unscrupulous attacks when they come as best he can and hope, if not pray most white Americans can withstand this old-style political onslaught and vote for him anyway.

But the issue of American race relations is not the issue of Barack Obama alone, we must remind ourselves. It is our signal individual and collective issue as Americans. And we must, individually, face up to our responsibility to be honest with ourselves and each other across the racial divide, if we as a nation and a society are ever going to secure an effective grasp and handle on this ancient and peculiarly defining problem.

Senator Barack Obama, in making his speech on February 14 in Philadelphia did his part. He faced the music and owned up to his own shortcomings---acknowledging the “problem” with Rev. Wright, while admitting that he understood the “reason” it was an issue to some. He implored Americans also to see and realize that Wright has been grossly mischaracterized in the media and is much more than the distorted creature he’s been portrayed to be.And lastly he called upon any with doubts remaining about his stance to grant him the benefit of their trust.

Whatever anyone may think of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, surely few among us can honestly believe that his are values and purposes that Barack Obama himself could possibly share and believe in, simply on the basis of his association with the man. But Barack Obama’s stance can only be validated if we as Americans are really ready to be honest within our own selves on the subject of race.

For truly how can any of us dare to ask Senator Obama to handle all of his relationships perfectly well in this regard, when we have not done so ourselves? Can any one of us, particularly those who remain stalwart critics of his decision not to sever complete ties to Rev. Wright either earlier or until now say that we haven’t faced similar circumstances in our own lives? Who among us truly have not heard or do not now hear racial slurs and prejudice expressed in our own spheres of influence, whether on our jobs, in social affiliations or in neighborhoods or even in our homes?

And some of us not only have heard and hear these destructive things but indeed are witnesses and complicit even to acts of prejudice, whether past or present, be it against blacks, whites, Hispanics, women or gays. Yet what have we ever done about it, truly, we must all ask ourselves if this now is to become the “current standard” by which Barack Obama is to be vetted? Must we now all quit our jobs, move out of our neighborhoods, switch our country club affiliations, even though we strongly ourselves disagree with the views and actions of bigoted associates in our midst?