Race Relations and the President Elect
Nov 6th, 2008 | By art rogers | Category: Church, PoliticsOne of my great hopes for race relations in America is that there will be healing now that someone that is not a full blooded white dude has been elected. The best case scenario is that minorities will feel that they are included in the leadership of America and that minority children will really believe the saying, “In America, you can be anything you want to be.”
Nevertheless, I have heard some skepticism on this issue. That President Obama will not be able to meet the expectations put on him by minorities and frustration will grow.
Do you think that race relations will get better or worse in the next few years?
Why?
Can the church help? If so, how?
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
I think the relationship will take the direction the church leads it toward. For too long evangelicalism has reflected its political counterpart: fat, white, with a penchant for abusing power. This I write knowing it’s a broad generalization, but one based on truth.
Joe Kennedys last blog post..A Prayer for the President…
Yes, they will and they are already changing. As the pastor of my church, I told them that there will be NO politics talked, from the pulpit, in meetings, none. So I’m finally using this as my forum to go political.
I’m proud of myself, our country, and Obama. I’m proud of myself, a lifelong resident of the Old South, primarily Mississippi. I did not vote for Obama, but his race never was an issue with me. It was not because I disliked him. It was all on principles. I’m proud of myself that I’ve been able to eliminate race completely.
I’m proud of our country because they used the system to bring about change. Tomorrow I’ll begin two weeks on another continent where change only comes by brute force and the guys with the biggest guns. Most of the world still marvels at how we can change leaders, wake up the next morning, and continue to be the greatest country God has yet raised up.
And I’m proud of Obama. On the issues, he and I would probably agree on less than 1%. But he handled himself exceptionally well. Considering all things, he has had to probably accomplish more to get to his position that almost any other person who’s ever reached the presidency. My initial reaction to his acceptance speech is reconciliation. Not only race, but the also red/blue thing.
I’m ready to give him a chance. I have many African-American friends, and for them this is monumental. For them, Obama’s election validates their race as American. They now feel part of the process.
My one concern is that Obama will receive tremendous pressure from those groups that worked to get him elected. We’ve seen what pressure can do to white presidents. I feel Obama will receive much more. That’s where my prayers are targeted. I pray that Obama will not succumb to pressure that could potentially reverse any racial gains we see right now.
Rob Westbrooks last blog post..Gearing Up
I, too, am glad the race barrier is finally broken. I never thought it would happen.
I’m concerned about the future. I would have been just as concerned if John McCain had been elected – just in different areas.
As Rob said, the real problem will be with unrealistic expectations. I think Obama is spinning this already though. In his acceptance speech he said, “we may not see it in one year, or even one term…”
Already running for his second term on election night… Now that’s a smooth operator.