In My Opinion Caroline
Porter
People trying to convince us they are intellectuals
are always sticking their noses in the air and saying, ÒI never watch TV,Ó or
ÒI never watch TV in the daytime.Ó
I have news for you. Today I watched a speech on the subject of race by
presidential candidate Barack Obama that will go down in the history books.
After that I listened to an audio on C-Span of oral arguments before the United
States Supreme Court on a case involving the Second Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution, (the right to bear arms). A man from Washington DC is objecting
to a local ban on hand guns in the District of Columbia. It was fascinating to
hear the judges argue with and question the attorneys on both sides of the
issue and most of the discussion was comprehensible to a layperson. So, daytime
television is not all soap operas and game shows. It can be most educational.
Now to the
speech of Barack Obama. I wonÕt pretend to detail all the points of his speech,
but what prompted it was the flap about inflammatory snippets of sermons of the
Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the former minister of ObamaÕs
Chicago church, his mentor and dear friend for at least 20 years, that have
been played all over televisionÕs 24/7 stations and the Internet. First of all,
itÕs not important what bigots think about Barack Obama. They are going to say
he is a Muslim and will have racist attitudes towards him no matter what he
says or does. Today he acknowledged this in his calm and intelligent discussion
of race relations.
He
emphasized that Reverend Wright is another generation and comes from another
place than he. Frankly, I didnÕt disagree with many of Reverend WrightÕs
remarks. This country has a rotten history when it comes to race relations, and
the disenfranchisement and mistreatment of minorities, and itÕs not un-American
to say so. There are lots of people in this country who believe our foreign
policy in the Middle East has fueled the hatred many citizens of those countries
have for America and Americans. To want to make ourselves and our government
accountable and demand equal rights and treatment for all is in the best
interests of this country.
But most of
all, I liked the fact that although Senator Obama
disapproved of Reverend WrightÕs remarks shown in the edited snippets on TV, he
remained loyal to his friend. Good grief, donÕt we all have friends and family
who donÕt agree with us on politics and other subjects close to our hearts? If
our friends and family are important to us, we either stay off certain subjects
or argue respectfully with each other. I know I have friends who disapprove of
my political affiliation, some of my writings and political actions, but they
remain my friends. All I ask is their respect, and I certainly offer mine.
Obama said the Golden Rule is practiced by most major religions, and a darn
good one it is.
My good
friend Marcia Johnson took the photo above in 2004. IÕve known her and Craig
since 1971 and we are the best of friends. Craig supported President Bush, but
both of them consented to have my county board sign in their yard. The photo
speaks volumes. The Johnsons have always supported me in my political runs
because they are loyal friends. IÕm assuming they also think IÕm competent, but
I wouldnÕt want to press the issue.
As an
often-controversial political figure, I particularly appreciate the loyal
support of my friends. They respect my freedom to speak my mind and stand up
for my beliefs. ThatÕs what Obama was doing for his long-time friend and
mentor, Reverend Wright. True friendship is a treasure and trumps politics,
thatÕs for sure.
Caroline Porter is a freelance writer and has been a
political activist for 50 years. She can be reached at
caroline.porter@insightbb.com.