Commentary by Wanda
I was always taught not to worry about the opinions of white people because at the end of the day you will always be a … well you know the pejorative term. I have also been told by many women and even some men , that women "get the job done." I am in many ways guilty of holding on to these “words of wisdom” …if I can speak honestly. Contrary to my "conventional" wisdom I began to wonder what white male democrats and even white gays were thinking about the current presidential nominees? Many political analysts, barber shop philosophers, fellow students, etc. have tried to debate the importance race or/and gender should play in the upcoming election. Yes, we want a candidate that is qualified but for us not to acknowledge that the way we understand who will do the best job is also influenced by how we see race and/or gender.(Editorial Comment: I am leaning towards Obama but if he wants my vote for certain he needs to begin to deal with more issues of racial/gender disparity and not just healthcare but also the economy, education, prison system, etc.) Now back to my initial quest, I began my research.
I called a friend who happens to be gay for a few credible white gay political sites and he replied “I don’t pay attention to what white [gay] people say” he was eventually able to provide me with one website. After a few other conversations clearly, this sentiment is pervasive among most of my black friends. FYI These were my findings: in the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) Republican community at one time they supported Kucinich but now that he has dropped out, I am assuming they might follow VP Cheney’s daughter’s endorsement of Romney and gay Democrats seem to support Obama and Clinton equally. Just recently in the South Carolina primary as many white male democrats voted for Obama also did for Clinton. I am fully aware there isn’t a unified gay voice or white male democratic voice, just like there isn’t a woman’s voice or black voice (Cantice will clearly prove this in just a few paragraphs).
In conclusion, and I am sure you are ready for this to end, I am fully aware of my race and gender biases unlike many of my fellow Americans who tote around this malarkey propaganda of color-blindness and gender equality… if you can see you aren’t color (race) or gender blind, particularly if you are an American. (I am reminded of the blind character on the Dave Chappelle show who is a leading figure in the KKK even though he is black! Hilarious!) I apologize for digressing …To continue my commentary from a few weeks ago I think that race and gender relations will worsen initially if Clinton or Obama become our next President. But this tension will prove beneficial for this country and maybe then we will stop the “we don’t see race or gender…we only see human beings" nonsense and actually deal with our issues head on!
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Response by Cantice
Wanda and I agree that the racial and gender tension might as well increase in order for real progress, healing, or acknowledgement of preference (prejudice) to take place. As for the next president, my candidate, Huckabee, hasn't been doing well. He is for tax reform and pro-life issues. He is also a governor, the significance of such being that he has had the charge of running a municipality, unlike Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain. Governor Romney, on the other hand, is Mormon. And since we're letting our prejudices fly, I automatically don't like Mormons, until they are proven normal. Believing that Jesus is the Spirit brother of Lucifer, that men will inherit godlike status in heaven and that it is ok to have dozens of wives, just doesn't sit well with me. Just to play the race card for a second, back in the day (I'm told) Mormons (probably like everyone else) made it a point to claim that black people didn't have souls. No I don't think Romney believes that now, nor do probably the vast majority of Mormons. Romney doesn't even have multiple wives, but he just isn't my idea of the best candidate.
As Wanda alluded to earlier, neither race, nor gender is pulling my vote this election. But I will have you know that my ability to resist these natural allegiances hasn't always been so pronounced. Just yesterday, I read a monologue that I had written about my college days that included the line, "I was hopelessly a black man worshipper then--forever for the progress of the black man in all his endevors." Ah, yes, but that was then. You wanna know what started me on my way to recovery? I'll tell you anyway. It was an incident on the bus before I graduated college. I was riding through southwest Atlanta on my way back to Spelman when an older man entered the bus with two bags full of wares. He settled into a seat in front of me and gave me his sales pitch. I should say that when the man boarded the bus, I thought to myself that he could be one of my uncles and a genuine smile had formed on my face. During this stage of my life I had learned to appreciate street hustling as entrepreneurial prowess that might have served our people more efficiently in a different society. After his sales pitch, I (politely I thought) shook my head no to indicate that I wouldn't like to buy anything. The man's countenance quickly changed to a scowl-like frown. Then he called me a bitch and got up to move away from me. I was so hurt and angry that I nearly cried. From that day on, I never again assumed that same skin color automatically stood for brotherhood.
As for my ability to resist the call to advance all things woman, honey, that is too long a story. I will leave it for phase two of the road to the White House. That is, if Hillary makes it that far--I hope she doesn't.
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