When we first encountered Obama, we thought he might indeed be the transitional figure he claimed to be, a bi-racial man who eschewed the race-baiting of Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Then we all heard about Rev. Wright. We discovered, that although we might not harbor any ill will toward black people, many of them hated us with a deep and disturbing hatred. And they hated us just for being white.
The Van Jones affair once again reminds us that Obama has deep racial resentments, and identifies with others who agree with him. This is the kind of thing that does make whites afraid of black politicians: those who are obsessed with reparations for past slights, real or imagined, and whose governing philosophy is “payback”.
The mask slipped recently with the Skip Gates affair. The Van Jones imbroglio brought it out again. Ironically, those who protest against Jones’ blatant racism are themselves labeled “racists”.
Obama hasn’t helped race relations progress in this country. He has shattered the illusion that while whites move to reach out to blacks, many blacks are determined not to reach amity and brotherhood with whites, at least not until there is massive wealth redistribution and the destruction of perceived white institutions (the American Government, Bill of Rights and Constitution, to name a few).
Racism in this country will end when black leaders get up, as white leaders did during the ’60’s, and denounce ALL racists, including ones like Van Jones and Rev. Wright (whom, oddly enough Obama seems to surround himself with).
If Obama really _were_ a healer and a revolutionary figure on race, he’d speak up and denounce the patently racist things Jones said about white people. But he will not, and he’s doing incredible harm to race relations in this country. I believe he’s actually set them BACK- he’s everything bad that extremists feared from a president of colour, and that’s very bad for all races.