Good night and good luck

Can Barack Obama win? I have no idea but the prospect of it sure is scaring the hell out of some white people. This has been one ugly year for politics...not that most years are beautiful. Maybe it's just that I've been paying more attention than I ever have before in my life. I think my dislike for the current administration and its blatant disregard for "the human experience" has forced me to become more aware. So don't let anyone tell you that nothing good came from the Bush Administration. I think he woke a lot of people up who have been sleeping for a long, long time.

Why are some white Americans so afraid of Barack Obama? I'm sure there are several answers to this questions. The answers range from his name (I shit you not) to his lack of experience in the game of politics. There are people who are afraid of his name. It's just too weird for them. They don't know what to think. What kind of name is that? Is it Muslim? Whatever it is I don't like it so I can't vote for someone with a name like that. Now you take his name then add that powerful element of race and you have an explosive situation in United States. What an interesting way to divide a party that prides itself on its own diversity. Democrats have shown that they are not that different from Republicans after all. I have long believed that the Republicans and Democrat's are different sides of the same coin. I might be disgusted by the actions this administration but I do not think they are unique only to the Republican Party. We are all products of our environments. This does not mean that we don't have the ability to change, but it does mean that when people are saturated in messages that tell them one thing is bad and another thing is good that is going to make an impression on them. Hilary is having similar problem with some men (and women) who just can't imagine a woman....A WOMAN leading the United States of America. But I'm not talking about Hilary right now.

I remember reading a story about a older white couple who had marched along side Martin Luther King Jr. during the era of the civil rights campaign and was pro integration of public schools. They had black friends and held meetings at their house for organizing peaceful demonstrations. This couple was ahead of their time. They believed in equal right for all human beings regardless of their color, race, religion, etc. But....when their son decided to date and get engaged to a black woman they freaked the fuck out! This is what is happening for some Democrats. They are freaking out. Some of these folks are actually saying that if Obama is the parties nominee they will vote for McCain. Others are saying they will leave the party all together. They will vote for McCain because they are afraid. Would these same people have such a strong reaction if it was Edwards instead of Obama? Of course not. First of all, John Edwards is a strong, God fearing, American name. I never met a Muslim with a name like that. Secondly, John Edwards is white. It really is that simple. Some Democrats don't want to vote for a black person to be the president of the United States. I appreciate the ones who are honest about this.

On a recent episode of Jon Stewarts, The Daily Show, people were interviewed from the great state of West Virginia. One woman stated very simply, "I won't vote for him because of his race...it's just too different" Thank you lady, thank you for being real about your personal shit. We need more people to be honest like this woman was. You don't want to vote for Hilary because you think women are not as smart as men, say it out loud. You don't want to vote for Barack because you think he's going to paint the White House black, say it out loud. Get all your stereotypes, prejudices, bigotries, hatefulness, ignorances, fears, etc. out there on the table. There is more harm done by the people who harbor these views in secret then by the ones who shout their message out loud.

It's past time for the United States to be honest with itself in relation to the idea of race and gender. I'm not talking about freaking 60 minutes news cast honest, I'm talking about David Chappell show honest. Even though the show was funny it touched on something real and honest. He didn't just hold up a mirror for white people to see themselves in, he held up a mirror for ALL people to see themselves in; Black, White, Brown, Man or Woman, it didn't matter because we all carry our shit with us. Chappell was just as hard on Black people as he was on White people. The reason why I have so many friends (some of you are surprised by this) is because I make fun of myself and point out my own flaws just as much as I make fun of theirs. Although some of my friends like Alex are total fuck ups, the majority of them are regular folks just like me. It's important to remember that we are all connected by this condition I like to call being human. This connection inflicts every single one of us and no one on the planet will escape from it. I've said this before but I think it bares repeating. We are all connected to each other and that connection can not be broken no matter how hard we may try. Monsters are created when people start to view each other as "the other" as not quite worthy of being human. History is littered with examples of the atrocities people have done to one another.

Race, religion, gender, sexuality...people have used all of these as reason to kill. Think about that. Simply killing because someone is different. The arrogance could fill the Grand Canyon. Thinking your better than someone else because you have lighter or darker skin, because you have testicles instead of ovaries or vice versa. Thinking your better than another person because out of all the worlds religions, out of all of them, yours is the correct one and everyone else wrong. When I decide I'm better than someone...take Alex for example, it's because I know that person very well. I've spent time with them and developed the very real sense that I am actually a better human being than they are. To date, I believe I am better than two people. One will remain a secret and the other, as you know, is Alexander Deussen. If you've met him then you know it is not really that hard to be a better person than he is. But I'm getting off point here.

These are interesting times that we live in and the United States needs to put its house in order. Some people feel so threatened by the possibility of a "non white male" being elected president that they will vote for against their own interests. All the complaints that I have heard made against Hilary and Barack pale when you look at the real life example which sits inside the White House at this very moment.

Can Barack Obama win? I don't know. Can Hilary win? Again, I have no idea. Could John McCain win? Anything is possible. I'm still wondering how the hell George Bush has spent the last 8 years in the White House. When choosing the next president of the United States, this fact should not be forgotten...but...it will.

Good night and good luck.