***I don't usually put new commentary on my old blogs but considering what is going on now I figured I had to point out how old this blog is...
The number 1 thing that I remember from college was learning that despite all the other surface differences the main difference between white men and other races and genders always came down to perspective. There are always other factors depending on your personal experience in terms of what pushes a person and what pressures they must take on, but in general "minorities" face greater scrutiny and pressures to succeed and trailblaze and capitalize on opportunities.
Case in point was the Chris Matthews show today where Matthews was going off on another one of his Hilary fetishes, when at the end a panelist brought up the idea that Hilary actually might not run for President. She might not want to risk the success she has had in the Senate on what would likely be quite a Bruising Presidential run, to which Matthews answered that he believed she should just stay in the Senate and just become president of the Senate and have a 20 year career. That sounds perfectly fine I guess and president of the Senate would be a major accomplishment but it struck me that this was the answer of someone who never had the perspective of having to carry a class of people.
Let me say this clearly right now, whether in 2008 or later Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama will each HAVE to run for President in order to maintain any semblance of respectability. Yes its a high price to pay but the fact is that Hilary Clinton is the first female candidate that seems a legitimate contender for the Democratic Nomination and even general election victory. The decision to run is no longer just about her, its about little girls and even grown women everywhere who wonder if their can ever be a woman President. When you have the opportunity to grasp an outstanding place in history you have to take it or be labeled a coward and have respect taken. Don't believe me, look at Colin Powell.
Realistic or not, I tend to think not, most people believed that he had a great chance at being the first Black president. Yet, he never ran. Then he proceeded to destroy his legacy by joining the Bush administration and standing by while being a good solider to men who were destroying the things that he believed in. He let down Black America. It was expected that he would take his responsibility as being a viable Black candidate and run for office and he didn't, and for that more than anything else I believe his numbers with Black America suffered. He has now been completely replaced in the hope of a nation category by Barack Obama and once again the pressure is on. As coy as he may play with it, Barack must run for President for all the Black children that need a hero. That need someone with a legitimate chance to win that is not running a token candidacy to show that we actual do compete, that there can be a minority president somewhere other than Hollywood.
Last thing to remember is that neither one have to win, but they have to give it what seems like a legitimate effort. The best example of this is Ted Kennedy. After the deaths of his two brothers America needed him to run for President. He is one of the few "privileged" (for lack of a better term) to feel the pressure to have to go above and beyond what your may personal want to achieve. In 1980 he ran, I pretty much figure that he threw that race running against an incumbent, but he lived up to the weight of the Kennedy name. From then on he was able to make a respect career in congress as a person who took his shot and lost but he stepped up nonetheless. And in America, regardless of race, class, etc. that is what matters.
No comments:
Post a Comment