Wednesday, November 05, 2008

From the other side of the fence

[Alberto]: As a Hispanic that views himself outside of the black or white distinctions and lives in South L.A., I may have some insight as to how race is being viewed in this election.

I know that it was white Americans that voted Obama in, but I think such a thought is more prevalent in the mind of white Americans than it is in the mind of black Americans. White Americans may view this as a large step towards a less racist and more tolerant society, but I think in general black Americans think of this more as black victory and progress. I don't know the kind of neighborhoods the readers live in, but I live in a largely black neighborhood where people were screaming for joy last night when Obama was declared the winner; I think some people were even using fireworks.

In general, young blacks view this country as fundamentally racist where I have grown up. Some emphasize this so much, they have no time to reflect their own racism which is very much open for others to see and is many times the type of racism they denounce in others. It has been a mystery to me how people can proclaim black power or brown power and view white power as being uniquely wrong. Don't get too hopeful about the future of race relations.

Without being specific about anyone so I don't get a response, it is clear that you can be in the right camp theologically, and yet still hold to foolish or even destructive beliefs in the civil realm. I think everyone can agree with this.

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