Blown Away by Obama Comment

By: Carol Silva

Last night I was blow drying my daughter's hair. She was going to another Sweet 16 party - and it's something I do for her on those "special occasions." (There are a lot of those Sweet 16s this year - 2008 is when Connor's friends turn 16.)

So I was drying her long blonde hair in front of the television - I had the news on. It was hours before history was going to be made. Barack Obama was going to become the first black American to be nominated to run for the President of the United States. The leader of the free world.

Connor asked if she could change the channel.

What?  Are you kidding?  History is going to be made tonight kid. Have you missed that?  The first  ever African American is hours away from being asked to run for the President of the United States. The leader of the free world. He could actually become President. A guy whose father couldn't sit at the same counter as white people in America. You want me to change the channel? You're an honors student. Are you kidding? MTV, VH1 -- and not history as it happens? (Regardless of your politics, Obama's nomination is pretty incredible stuff.)

So I asked, "But Con, I mean, what about the history here?"

She said, "What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal? Con, he's the first black American to be nominated to run for the President of the United States. The leader of the free world!!!"

"No Mom," she said, "he's just a person. Just a person."

It took me a second to get it. She doesn't care what color or what sex a candidate is. She cares what they think about families, and how kids will afford a college education, and whether families like ours can afford to eat and put gas in the car and heat the house, and then go on a vacation once in a while. She cares about whether people like our neighbor James will have to go back to Iraq again, or whether her 14 year old brother will have to go there some day, and she cares about whether families are safe here at home. But she doesn't care about whether it's a man or woman - black, white, brown or whatever -making the big calls.  She just wants the right calls made.

Wow.  Maybe we're really doing something right in this country.  Maybe we're doing something right in my house.  Maybe both.  But wow.

Comments

[SUSAN L.RUDNICK]

DEAR CONNOR:YOU ARE QUITE THE YOUNG LADY AND I APPLAUDE YOUR HONESTY AND INTEGRITY!YOUR PARENTS HAVE GIVEN YOU A WONDERFUL GIFT; TO BE ABLE TO SEE PEOPLE @ FACE VALUE IS TRULY COMMENDABLE!I KNOW WE WILL BE HEARING GREAT THINGS ABOUT YOU IN THE FUTURE.CAROL : YOU GO GIRL TOO!!!! SINCERELY SUSAN L.RUDNICK OF AMITYVILLE.P.S.THE PERSON WHO COMMENTED IN REGARD TO BARACK OBAHMA DOESNT GET IT.I FEEL SORRY FOR THAT PERSON.

[John]

So...Is there any chance that News 12 can be on the forefront of NOT making a big deal about someone being the First Whatever-American to do something?

I'm all for celebrating and maintaining cultures of ancestors, and I'm not a believer in the "Melting Pot" that tries to stop it. But those stories always ring as patronizing in my ears. Like Governor Patterson (to pick a random recent example who isn't Obama) is somehow more a novelty than a person, or a gimmick more than someone filling an important position.

Disclaimer: I'm white. I will admit that, perhaps, seeing Obama as a Presidential candidate might remind black people that a career in politics is open to them. I don't understand that, but I've heard it from enough ethnic groups that I take it as a given.

But I also believe that harping on it as the media does makes it seem much more the exception than something that's supposed to be ordinary.

I seem to recall that, a few years back, many news shows got on a kick where race could never, ever be mentioned in relation to a crime. So we were to be "on the lookout" for a kid in jeans and a sweatshirt, because editors were terrified of mentioning that THAT specific kid was black, Hispanic, white, purple, or whatever. News 12 was one of the few stations where I don't remember seeing that silliness, and I applaud that as highly progressive to realize the difference between racism and description. If I need to recognize someone, I need to know if he or she is fat, blonde, Asian, or whatever else might be distinctive.

But I already know which one Obama is. I can also identify McCain, Palin, and most of the other major players. I might like to hear about their policies on, say, the economy or executive power, because that might help a decision.

For anybody who reads these comments and has some authority, let's see News 12 take that next step, challenge the status quo in the media, and stop treating successful persons of color as some sort of curiousity, newsworthy merely because of skin color. Add gender and religion to the list, too.

[tommy]

BTW, congratulations to you and your husband on raising a daughter who sees people, not skin. Tell her for me I'm glad there are kids like her. Go, Connor!

[tommy]

Connor nailed it right between the eyes, Carol. Who cares if he's black? Living in the 'Danch, it's amusing to hear the debate as to whether he's "black enough". Nobody seems interested in the fact that he has done nothing in his public life, has nothing to point to that he can say "I did this.", has zero executive experience and wants to go hat in hand to the people who want us dead and ask them to please be nice. Likewise, I don't care that the Gov. of Alaska is a woman. It doesn't matter. How has she been as the chief executive of a state thgat is I belive a quarter the size of the whole rest of the country? The city of Anchorage is larger than the state of Delaware. Her state shares hundreds of miles of border with Russia, whose dictator has revealed himself to be enimical to the U.S. Your daughter's right. Like her, I don't care what the DNA of the president is. Is he or she going to keep my family safe, do what's right and moral and do the best that can be done to keep us prosperous? The one who can meet those requirements has my vote.

[ree]

I really never commented on your blog either, but this was a good one. Your daughter is right. Obama and McCain are just people. Obama's color and Sen. McCain's age should not come into play. I am going to vote for the person who I think can do the job not color,age or Dem. or Rep. There has been enough name calling between both parties. You have a very smart daughter and should be very proud of her. You did a good job!!!!!

[Archie Bunker]

I've never commented on your Blog's Carol...but I hope for Barak Obama's sake he loses the election. Keep in mind that if he wins tax laws will be changed in this country...so if you want to take that house in Syosset or Bayville that was left to you 30 years ago by you're grandmother and sell it---well guess what--you're gonna pay twice as much in Capital Gains Taxes...The government has alrady gotten $362,426.25 from me since I started working in 1983...and quite frankly I don't want to give them anymore...Do you realize if I had half that money back I could go pay cash for a Ferrari tomorrow...I don't see what I got for the money I've given them---accept for the electricity used to pay to run traffic lights and I've been paying since 1988 to support the LVHS system and educate other peoples children. I wouldn't be surprised if the doctor I paid $350 in cash to Tuesday to remove a few moles from my body might just be one of the 3000 kids me and everyone else have put thru that school system in the last 20 years...I wonder of all the people who work for Obama...how many are really happy and believe he can fix up this country...and how many are doing it for the paycheck.