finally, someone said it. said what dave and i have been shouting at the television like crazy people for weeks. colin powell, after coming out with an endorsement for barack obama yesterday morning, said that he was troubled by the racist and prejudiced tones coming from the republican side.
from the AP:
Powell also said he was troubled that some Republicans — he excluded McCain — continue to say or allow others to say that Obama is a Muslim, when he is a Christian. Such rhetoric is polarizing, he said.
"He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America," Powell said. "Is there something wrong with some 7-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?"
i feel as though no one -- no media, no one from the obama campaign -- no one has said this before. at least not outloud.
yes, barack obama's color has been brought up, and how the phrase "paling around with terrorists" plays into people's fears. and of course, all of that is true. but why oh why has no one said, no, he's not a muslim, but who cares if he was? to that woman who stood up at the mccain rally and said, "he's an arab," john mccain said that he's not, and said that he is a good man. i'm glad he finally said something to these crazy people. however, the phrase "he's not an arab, he's a good man," doesn't exactly give a ringing endorsement to arabs. since when are arabs NOT good people? well, for some, arab=muslim=terrorist, and to not put that comparison down is a way of fueling that fear. be it conscious or unconscious.
obama has to worry about losing voters due to racism and prejudice. but clearly, it's not just a black thing. it's a muslim thing. it's an arab thing. and i think that it's very sad but very true. and i fear for the way our children will be taught to see things.
dave and i will make sure we give the gift of diversity to our child. it's hard to escape, since we've chosen to move into a neighborhood that is extremely diverse. kensington and ditmas park are populated by pakistani muslims, orthodox jews, black, white, asian, etc. last tuesday night our pakistani neighbors down the hall had a celebration for breaking the fast for ramadan, and the next night an orthodox jewish gentleman actually came to our door and did a succot blessing with me, leading me in a prayer and explaining the ritual. i thought, wow, i hope all of this happens again next year when baby block is here! but not everyone is so fortunate to have so much cultural diversity in their lives. and i hope those people reinforce equality with their children. because the betterment of our world depends on it.
no matter who you choose to vote for, republican or democrat, i urge you -- for my kid's sake as well as yours -- to fight this prejudice. remind everyone around you that muslim or arab does NOT equal dangerous. remind them that this country is built on the ability for everyone from every background to have a chance at something great in their life. that does not exclude muslims, arabs, middle easterners any more than it would exclude jews, catholics, asians, black, white, etc.
and thank you, colin powell.
2 comments:
I have been particularly disgusted (also, by the way, yelling at the tv!) that nobody in the public eye has had the guts to say "SO WHAT IF HE WAS MUSLIM!!??" Racism comes in many shapes and forms, and while we probably can't ever expect it to disappear from our world, I hope at the very least we can all become more aware of it and, mainly, admit to it when we see it or feel it. Thanks to you too Nic for making that pledge.
Well said, Nic. =)
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