When someone lives as a minority, they experience the world differently than those of us who live in the majority.
We may occupy the same physical space, but we don't occupy the same psychic space. I think it's important to look at the issue through the eyes of experience.
Let's start with a review of some of today's stories:
Today on Fox News, Geraldo Rivera blamed the hoodie for the killing of Trayvon Martin.
Today in Louisiana, a woman at a gun range yelled to Rick Santorum to pretend that he was shooting president Obama.
Today in North Carolina, we learned that a cartoonist from a conservative think tank resigned after drawing a chained Obama wearing high heels and standing over a bucket from Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Today, a mother in Detroit instructed her 10-year-old honor student, "don't ever run down the street. Keep your hands out of your pockets, son. It's not your fault. It's just the way it is."
Every day in America, African Americans are reminded of their race in ways large and small. Every day. Today in America we are no more "post-racial" than we are "post-partisan." We have a long way to go.
But today in America, something else happened. In a garden surrounded by roses, a leader said this: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."
Ten words. Those words opened the ears of some and soothed the hearts of many.
And unfortunately, those words rekindled the rage of others. The usual suspects all came out to squeal.
Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin accused Obama of "political opportunism" and trying to "pour gas on the fire" for empathizing with Trayvon's parents.
Conservative Matt Drudge's Web page stoked fears of "retaliation," and cited Louis Farrakhan. And there were more.
It's got to be frustrating to be so predictable.
Cross-posted at "The War Room" blog. Follow "The War Room" on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JenGranholm
I would wear one frequently and proudly in my CONservative town.
If you, Keith and Cenk were to take this idea, talk it up on air and have someone start an 'all proceeds to a Trayvon charity', offering 'TRAYVON' hoodies for $25, I myself would buy a few and they could really raise awareness everywhere OUR society - is NOT post-racial.
AKA NoFactsJustTruth (previous HuffPost pseudonym)
AKA noisydesperation (Current-Countdown pseudonym)
We are now more divided than ever in my lifetime. Divided ideologically, philosophically, racially, economically, by religious beliefs, by where we live, by what kind of work we do, educationally, by cultural background, by residence status, by heritage, regionally, by sex, by age, by political affiliation, by sense of morals, by values, socially, psychologically, etc. Surveys and studies within the social sciences and by the media ensure that we are continually reminded that we are in some demographic within the USA, but rarely, if ever, are we considered to be one homogeneous society and civilization of Americans...
It is way past the time to get over our differences and to pull together to help each other, our communities, our states and our nation to reach our fullest potentials - rather than acting like crabs in a bucket...
I grew up in a predominately white suburb of Boston. A local high-school had just played us in football. As they were leaving someone through a rock through the bus window seriously injuring a student. My parents were called and requested that I be brought to the station for questioning. We complied. It became immediately obvious that they were trying to pin the rock throwing on me. They said that a black kid had been seen throwing the rock. Naturally I denied doing so . Later on they busted some other white kids for the act. For the longest time I wondered how if a white kid threw the rock how could I, a black kid, be seen doing so.
FYI, While my pen-name is African (a word from the Ewondo language), I am a white guy.
Jennifer Granholm is the best argument for changing the Constitution to allow people born in Canada to run for and become elected President.
Mike:
Mike: