Obama speech calls for talk between races - a good thing
Mike Dougherty

Much has been made of Sen. Barack Obama's speech on race in Philadelphia on March 17.

I first heard it described later that day by a retired white man whom I know to be usually much more conservative than me. In fact, if I don't get a forwarded joke about Sen. Hillary Clinton or former President Bill Clinton from my uncle, then I usually get it from this man, whom we will call Norm, like the beloved character in "Cheers."

Norm was telling me, a liberal friend and a conservative friend how he was rather frustrated on not having a presidential candidate whom he really liked that he could vote for in November. He said he couldn't vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton, he didn't want to vote for Obama and, like a lot of Republicans, he didn't really like Sen. John McCain, either.

But then he began telling us that he had just come from home that morning where he had watched Obama's muchanticipated speech on race in America. He added that, though it wasn't easy to admit, he had actually liked what he had heard and that Obama had made a pretty good speech, talking about aspects of racial differences that we all, from time to time, may think, but don't like to discuss or acknowledge publicly.

Norm even admitted that might vote for Obama, after hearing that speech. I don't know if he will. It would surprise me if he did. But the fact that Obama reached Norm with this speech was an encouraging thing for me.

I don't mean it was encouraging because I'm a supporter of Obama because I'm not. As mentioned here before, I voted early for John Edwards on the day he withdrew from the race. If the election were today and I had to choose between the three remaining candidates, I'd likely vote for Clinton.

But what was encouraging was that a candidate took a chance and said some things about the racial divide in this country that needed to be said. He spoke of things that exist between the races that need to be discussed, and I don't mean by candidates, but by people together in a room, talking face to face, exchanging honest emo- tions.

Norm mentioned the fact that Obama talked of his white grandmother's fear of black men whom she didn't know, walking down the street near her. I noticed the same remarks when I listened to the speech on the computer later in the week.

Granted, Obama has been criticized for the speech, as he knew he would be. The Rush Limbaughs, Bill O'Reillys and other blowhard, right-wing loudmouths have tried to make the speech about something else. But what did you expect from that crowd?

They deal in fear. If they can get you to come to their side of the table by scaring you about someone else, that's what they do. But Obama discussing human emotions on a personal basis, such as his grandmother's fear of black men, though she loved and adored him, who was part black, makes race something that can be discussed … that should be talked about between people of different skin colors. When that starts happening, the blowhards lose control because their scare tactics fail to work anymore.

When Obama made the remarks, he opened himself up. He had to have trust in the American people when he made the remark.

If I have a discussion during an interview with a black woman - call her Kay -- and tell her how I had sweet, gentle, but prejudiced grandparents, I don't know when I say it how she will react. If Kay tells me that, as a girl, a white friend said a new girl in class said she was afraid to get near Kay because her dark skin might "rub off" on her, she doesn't know what my reaction will be.

Having such dialogs is a necessary part of establishing trust to the point that such vital conversations can be held. That's what communication is about.

And it is an encouraging thing to see a candidate risk that during a speech. Was it a political decision on his part? Absolutely. But when he made the decision, he didn't know what the reaction would be, from potential voters or from known critics. So it still was a good thing to see.

Establishing new lines of communication is a good thing, no matter what the goal or ulterior motive might be. Improving racial relations is a good thing, whether it is a goal or a political motive. We all eventually will benefit, whether or not we ever acknowledge it.

Mike Dougherty is the editor of the Saline County Voice. His column appears weekly.