This is just my opinion after reading sooooo many diaries about electability and Pastor Wright and Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro.  I am a Senator Obama supporter just so you know right up front.  I posted this on Daily Kos buy was inspired by my readings at the Cafe yesterday.

FEAR.

I believe that we, the American people are victims of a misled furor of patriotism that led us into Iraq where we killed the head of state and his family members, tortured, maimed, and have Iraqis and Americans dead and wounded in the thousands.  The person and persons who sent us there wear flag lapel pins and probably put their hands over their hearts for the National Anthem and the Star Spangled Banner.

Faux News are these peoples' propaganda machine. And people trusted them.  After 600,000 pages, billions of dollars, and thousands dead and wounded, they find there is no connection between Al Queada and Iraq.... which people in this community have been saying for years.  Project for the New American Century is their religion.  GWB served 2 terms.  And he has nearly destroyed this country under the weight of debt.  Where did all the money go?  I guess we were so busy being scared that we didn’t notice? You want someone that 'safe' in office?  One you can have a beer with, and the beer is spiked with FEAR?

See where FEAR got us?  See what FEAR fueled?  From FEAR we will inherit many awful things.  I bet there are many Iraqis who are really angry.  This FEAR led us as if we were blind.  FEAR of not having electability probably had a smart woman vote for the Iraqi war.

So, after the video on youtube of Senator Barack's ex-Pastor, are you not voting for him now? Because it was scary that he said those things about America not being blessed, that chickens come home to roost and that the White Man has screwed us?  (translation: White Man=Establishment.  That's the dated part for me.  Historically for us it was the White men hosing us down in the streets of the south or stripping us naked on a major street to search us, for making us sit in the back of the bus, not drink from the same water fountains, come in the back door, not serve us at gas stations and lynching us.... I am not yet 50 but I have memories of some of this as a child. )  Was any of it lies?  The Establishment has screwed us and I do have a difficult time getting a cab in NYC and Washington DC.  It got so bad that my White friends hailed the cab, I tell you no lie and I was sure mad as hell about it.  And embarrassed and appalled.

So all of this makes Senator Obama less electable. Correct? Or is this just some Senator McCain or Senator Clinton talking point that you've embraced and are running with because there is unease that Senator Obama is an unknown?  Your doubts are creeping in.  Is he too good to be true?  Probably, he's just a man, a smart man.  There is FEAR.

For Senator Obama supporters and people who are still trying to decide, (IMHO) I say that it is time for us to be brave, really brave.

This Pastor Wright is sermonizing (lessons) to his church.  At my church I don't embrace everything my Priest tells me. Do you?  Does Senator Obama?  Is he smart enough to have his own thoughts?  You're unsure because you still don't know who this African-American is; who African-Americans are.  We are all of you.  We are of African descent.  We can also be part Hispanic, Native American, Irish, French, German, Indian, Arab, Japenese, Chinese, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish, Italian or any mix there of. We are Americans, a motley crew just like the rest of the country. Our skin ranges from pale to dark.  We are beautiful just like everyone else. We all have our stories.

America is not just pretty, it is beautiful, but there is anger.  The anger of Pastor Wright who saw his family members hanging from trees is nothing compared to the anger of generations of people from Native Americans who were here, to African Americans, some of which were dragged here, to Immigrants who fled here.  This anger is piled up and simmering, just below the surface.  And why is everyone angry?  Injustice, and lots of it.  Because the establishment has played us off each other from the beginning of American time to keep those that have, in power, and those that don’t, fighting amongst each other.  Having fear of each other.  I truly believe that a mother in the Bronx has the same desires for her children as a mother in Utah.  Safety, good health and education.  Just from that, we can find more things in common. Build on our sameness and not our differences.  We are a beautiful people from Brad Pitt, to Halle Berry to me, my Europeon husband to Markos’ baby, Denzel Washington, to all of you.

What are we going to do about it?  Shy away in FEAR from each other?  Or will we not fall into this trap yet again.

If we are going to go into this walk together, and I hope that we do, if we are going to take responsibility on this changing of America...all of us Americans, are going to be in for some inconvenient truths, everyone.  There are racists, there are sexists, there are some not very nice people abounding.  And another truth is that there are many angry people, African Americans as well.  And have been for generations and out of that rises a gem like Senator Obama whom I believe has taken what is excellent from his background and translated it to where he can be a wonderful President of our country.  He is bright, engaging, and has experience.  He is cool, calm and collected.  He is inspirational for many people and we are going to need a good dose of inspiration to get us through the next years. Americans across the country thought so as well.  He is in the lead of the primary.  So if you are going to vote for an African-American, know that there are angry people around. But we have lived with this anger for centuries. I bet everyone is angry though. You probably got angry people in your family, so it is not a strange concept.  Geraldine Ferraro is really angry.  GWB, I’m not sure if he has feelings at all.... But here is a chance for Americans, to work together to make a difference and a video of a Pastor blows us off track and plays to whatever FEARS the MSM can use to make us dance like so many puppets.

Is the Pastor a bigot?  That is a hard one for me because I know his anger.  I have lived it myself and I am not a bigot. But I do not want to portray that it is only one group of people’s fault.  The Status Quo is at fault and it oppresses many of us, African American, European Americans, Gay, Lesbians, women...anyone who is not in lock step with the Status Quo is road kill.  But the Pastor is angry.  And my take on it is that he is angry about Injustice.  Maybe it is the same way for Geraldine Ferraro.  She’s of that age where things were different.  Is she a bigot?  The fact is that Senator Obama is qualified and has worked hard to get where he is and to lessen that with an affirmative action statement sounds like a talking point to lessen his electability and play into the FEARS. But is there fairness in politics or is it just always politics?  I think she was playing politics and that is my take on it.  An African American or woman or any other minority has to somehow prove that they are worthy beyond affirmative action and as a activist for equality for woman, I found her comments disturbing because she threw another minority under the bus to bolster up her raison d’etre.  Senator Obama has not done that.  Senator Clinton, well she endorsed the Republican Senator John McCain over Senator Obama and that was just in so many ways very wrong.  Senator '100 more years in Iraq?' McCain, need I say more?

I believe that this is the real deal for all of us. I am not voting against anyone.  I have a candidate that I can vote for.  And that is really refreshing.  And it is not with FEAR.  It is with HOPE.

Senator Obama has distanced himself from his ex-Pastor a few months ago.  Will he have to do it every time? Every week?  Everyday?  Just to make you feel safe?  Does he have to wear a flag pin and eat Freedom fries?  If he does, then you best vote for John McCain or Senator Clinton.  I believe that they will give us the same ole same ole shit. FEAR.  

I believe that Senator Obama will give us a challenge to rise above our differences and reach a great potential the we as Americans are capable of.  But we have to really want it in order to not get sent off track by the MSM who loves to trip us up.  We have power.  But only if we stand united.

The President cannot do anything alone unless we give up our power to them.  Under FEAR George Bush Jr. was able to tap our phones, go to war, spend billons of dollars (and who knows whose pocket that is in).  While we were in FEAR, many people died in our name.

We have to help by staying involved.  All the passion that we see in the primary season should not end in January 2009.  We need to take responsibility and vote and be on top of the issues of our communities.  Be informed.  We have to help each other as well. We have time to watch TV, write diaries, comment and play World of Warcraft  (ok that is my time sink...), certainly we have time to educate ourselves about the issues of the country and pertinent issues of the world. I do not believe that the primary, the general election or the Presidency will be a cakewalk.  In fact I believe it will be damn difficult.  Senator Obama will not be able to do a quick fix.  We are in deep kaka for a time, but I believe that he will put us on track to move away from a FEAR based country to a country empowered to make change and do change.   He was ready on day 1 of his campaign and I believe that he will be ready on day 1 of his Presidency.

Positive change. And with that energy we can do wonders and make this country great for us.  It is a long-term goal for the sake of future generations.  And we can truly be the home of the brave.  In fact, we are pretty brave already...but somewhere along the way we got distracted.  Let us not get distracted now.

Peace