I spent most of my childhood, and therefore most of my basic schooling, in Virginia.
I have discovered that region dictates what you learn in school. I learned mostly about Thomas Jefferson, the founding fathers and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Those who know me know that I have a strong interest in the founding fathers. But only Dr. King holds a place in my heart.
He did more than anyone else to fill the hole left by the founders by demanding application of their principles to the entire population.
Virginia may not have been the front line in the war against segregation (that distinction belongs to the deep South), but it's large black population translated to a heavy dose of information about Dr. King during my schooling. I am thankful for that. I had seen video of speeches of his dating back to elementary school. Those speeches mesmerized me as a kid.
When I watch them today, they almost bring me to tears. I posted a few videos of Dr. King speaking to the left of this post. One of them (the only one displayed in color) was given the day before his murder. If you listen to the speech, you can tell that he must have known what was coming.
Do yourself a favor and give Dr. King a listen. It's good for the soul.
As for the state of affairs on Dr. King's birthday in 2008... I think Dr. King would recognize progress as well as the some of the same old problems. We've made obvious strides as a people, but certain events shine a light in the darkened corners. Events such as a minority candidate who makes a real run at power.
I think Dr. King would be proud that a black man is making a strong bid for the White House. Indeed, that Obama has gotten this far speaks to progress. I also think it would not surprise him at all that the nation is now discussing the increased likelihood of assassination of that candidate. It would not surprise him that poll numbers are more difficult to track when the candidate is black because the voting booth allows true feelings without scrutiny.
I began thinking of this issue when the Denver Post ran a story about Barack Obama and the Southern vote. A customer at a Tennessee store said the only thing he was sure of is that he would not vote for Obama. "It's regional, you might say," he said. A life-long and devoted Democrat in South Carolina said Obama's middle name (Hussein) might as well be Hitler. To me, such an argument smacks of someone looking for a reason. Even some black citizens seemed resigned to the electoral fate of a black man. The feel of the article was, "it was a nice run, but... we all know this won't happen."
Not even Hillary Clinton (a woman), Mitt Romney (a Mormon), Mike Huckabee (a Baptist Minister) or Rudy Giuliani (a lunatic) face such questions about the nation's basic acceptance of them in office. They face some, to be sure, but not many have watched assassination probability become part of the discussion.
I still choose hope. I still have faith in the dream. It's difficult sometimes to maintain that hope and I'm not sure what the American people will do. I just know that the fact these issues are being so widely discussed cannot be good news for Obama.
I support Barack Obama because he is the best man for this job, because his proposals make sense, because he will be a unifier, and because our country needs what he brings to this election.
Still, my political discussions with others ultimately and eventually always turn to whether a black man could be elected. As those discussions increase, and Obama's opponents climb back into the race, there is temptation to feel like maybe too many still only look skin deep.
I hope not. I pray not. I still choose hope and the message Obama brings. I hope any defeat he may face will come because of merit. I also hope his success will be purely merit-based. The problem is that we can never be too sure.
After all, this great man who preached non-violence was sent to jail and later murdered.
