On more than one occasion, I have been witness to racism incarnate concerning the upcoming Presidential Election. I"m GLAD that both a woman and an African-American are trying for the highest office in the land! Unfortunately, many blue-collar and Senior voters do not share my enthusiasm.
My Italian grandmother, who has a fifth-grade education and came to America during the Civil Rights Movement, hates Barack Obama. She has no idea what his plans for the country are, and she doesn't care. Granny is a sworn democrat....but she claims that she would rather see John McCain elected than have a black man in the Oval Office. "He go in office," she told me, "and WE go down and THEY own us."
This is appalling. I can't believe that a member of my own family could be so racist! I had hoped that the US vs. THEM mentality had disappeared, but it appears that I am mistaken. I don't think that any one race could or should rule this country (although I must admit that most of our politicians are white, male Protestants). I do not think that my grandmother's fears of white oppession are well-founded, but they seem to be prevalent in my geographical region.
Most of my family belongs to the working class, and so do most of their friends. I found, with horror, that most of them are also racist to a degree. On Super Tuesday, one of my uncle's friends was sitting at our kitchen table, enjoying a homemade dinner and bashing Barack Obama. When I objected to his inane rantings, he responded, "Why? Do YOU want a black man in the White House?"
If he's the right man for the job, then yes. And John McCain is going to keep the US in Iraq indefinitely, so it's a no for him...
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