I dont know if anyone has noticed but when most black people are asked if they feel Senator Obama will win they tend to be a bit reticent to say yes. Even DL Hughley on his show on Saturday said that he was terrified that some crazy trick would happen and everyone who voted for him would wake up the next morning and ask what happened. I have my own theories about this what do you think?
actually, i think what they will experience if he wins is called "Cognitive Dissonance".
I use this term because back in 1994, when i was desperately clinging to the hope that my beloved NY Rangers would finally win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1940, there were articles in the NY papers about what would happen if the Rangers indeed won, and "cognitive dissonance" was the term used...i.e. the joy of winning, the sheer ecstasy, but also surprise and disbelief, combined to form some sort of totally bizarre two-sided mindset...absolute joy and sheer disbelief, each making the other emotion seem totally bizarre...then giving into total confusion when you realize that this distant dream you have been waiting for for so long has happened, and now you have no other purpose :smile:
Ironically, this makes things worse later on, because now, there are no more excuses once the unbelievable and impossible has happened....now it should happen more often and excuses are not acceptable.
Strangely, for a large portion of the disenfranchised african american community, this is both one of the best and worst things to happen.
Best- because it will prove that in America, despite racism, and African American can achieve anything...even be the president.
Worst- Now, there are no more excuses for failure from that part of the community. MLK's dream will have come true...now, young previously disenfranchised african americans, will have to look in the mirror, and ask what they truly can accomplish, and if they are not, then whose fault is it now?
for me, the irony is, as a jew, america has gotten a black president before a jewish one...or even a jewish VP.
but frankly, i don't care, because to me, who is in the white house does not determine if i succeed...there has never been a jew in the white house...and probably wont be for at least another 4 elections ( i see no viable jewish candidates right now) and it has never determined jewish success in america.
i hope that many of the disenfranchised African americans will use this historic moment to truly stand up and throw off the excuses that have become endemic for failure in a community that everyone knows has the talent and intelligence to succeed, if they choose to.
Obama will certainly become the next president of the united states...but his arrival does not guarantee the success of his supporters. it guarantees only that the USA for all its problems, guarantees an opportunity to be anything you want to be, regardless of color, and now nobody can deny it.
so although i will not be voting for Obama (or McCain), from this perspective, Obama's historic election, is something i look forward to ending the nonsense of america as restricted, racist, etc. etc.
do those problems exist? absolutely. are there racists and mean bigoted people? Yes...but now, even with that, nothing can stop you if you work hard enough in the United States, and even if you don't become president, you can still be a success.
I think for african americans, this election means the most, and, more importantly, now, it does in fact leave them with the most to prove. It strips away the last impediment to success. the whole "you can only get so far in america" line...the question is....will african americans who have been so disenfranchised, emulate what has made Obama who he is?
america will have elected an african american president....now there is no reason, why any other african american cannot succeed.
frankly, i hope this is enough to help reinvigorate the african american population that has gone through such difficulty in recent years...but if this cannot help it move forward, strictly from an inspirational standpoint, before any policy changes, then truly, nothing will.
because let's face it...ultimately, Obama will not be able to change much on the ground (no president really can)...so what will happen to the young african americans in the failing inner city schools? Waht about the young african american male population beign raised without fathers, beinbg left to the harsh life of the streets? What about the problem of out of wedlock and underage pregnancy, combined with poverty?
I hope these things can be helped, but let's face it...i do not hold out hope for society...all of society is rapidly disintegrating to a certain degree...it has just been more noticeable in the black community because of the socie-economic problems and racism contributing to the rapid collapse of the social structure...
i really don't think anything can stop it, whether it is a black president, a white president, or any other type of president...there is only so much a president can do.
Let's face it...the president is mostly an "inspirational" figurehead....but in the long run, even the most inspirational do nothing but stem the tide while society continues its march to eventual unpleasant conclusions.
Washington was inspirational, Jefferson was inspirational, Lincoln was insprational, FDR was inspirational, JFK was inspirational...and we are still going to pieces.
ultiamtely, a president can't really do much in the grand scheme of things. Society and individuals and families that make it up still are the only thing that matters.