STILL JUST A DREAM
By T.A. Niles, 1-17-2007

This is the month that Americans have set aside to acknowledge the role that African Americans have played in the history of the United States. It is also the month that Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream is celebrated. It is quite appropriate, then, that this is the month and yesterday the day (the closest to MLK’s birthday that he could file) that Barack Obama, the highly touted senator from Illinois, chose to announce the first step in his bid for the United States Presidency.

Hopes and dreams are the kindling that fuels the fire of human striving. They form the springboard from which we spring into life, from birth through death. Whether or not they come to fruition in no way diminishes their import in our daily lives. We play the lottery scarcely believing that we will win, but we savor the sweet flavor of fantasy with each unredeemed dollar that escapes our grasp at the corner gas station. Despite the condition of our society, our planet, we continue to propagate little self-replicas whose futures extend our hopes and dreams. Hopes and dreams have little to do with the tangibles that permeate our lives. They seem to survive almost blissfully free from the fetters of facts.

Corporate executives, advertisers, and politicians know this…the media thrive on it. And so it should be no surprise that Senator Obama’s presidential bid is all the rage, despite the fact that 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW is less likely to become his address than is my winning the lottery (and I do play sporadically when jackpots jump high enough to fuel my fantasies). Senator Obama’s becoming the President of the United States may be the dream of a portion of the US population, but is more than likely the nightmare of the majority.

What makes me believe the above? Well, after reading about Senator Obama’s presidential bid on page three of the local newspaper this morning, I turned the page and read that a 24-year old mother of African descent who killed her three sons (ages 16-months to six years) by throwing them into the San Francisco Bay, in plain sight of witnesses, was convicted of second-degree murder. This tragedy reminded me of Andrea Yates case, who killed her five children and is now in a mental institution. It reminded me of Susan Smith, who killed her two sons and claimed an African American man had driven away with them. It also brought to mind Charles Stuart who shot his wife and claimed that an African American male had done it.

I don’t believe the two convicted killers who blamed a man of African descent for their crimes would have done so were they not aware of the culture of racism that exists in our society. Some may argue that racism is passé or certainly much less present than it was in the past. I contend (in accord with many who consider the issue) that a culture of racism persists in the United States, and that Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream, is still but a dream. It is that belief which raised immediately in my mind the question, “Would LaShaun Harris have been convicted of murder if she were not of African descent?”

The answer to that question isn’t of utmost relevance (Both Susan Smith and Andrea Yates were convicted, although Yates’s conviction was overturned). What is relevant is that the belief exits and is shared by most of the country’s population of African descent, and I suspect a sizeable portion of the country’s population of European descent as well. Relatedly, the article that pertained to Senator Obama’s potential candidacy also mentioned Hilary Clinton’s. In a society where biological and immutable human traits, such as skin color and gender, play such a major role in perceptions of worth and character, it is highly unlikely that either Obama or Clinton will ever call the White House home…much less as presently as 2008.

Many seem to have forgotten, or behave as though they have forgotten, that Martin Luther King, Jr. called for evaluating individuals by the content of their character rather than by the color of their skin. Those who are trumpeting the pending campaign of Senator Obama are either unaware of the millions who continue to ignore Dr. King’s message, or are pretending that the racist tide that has flooded all elements of life in this country has ebbed. The pretense is patently disingenuously and almost criminally condescending. Yet, they are peddling dreams and pushing hope, products we can’t help but buy. Even those of us who know in our core of cores that Senators Obama and Clinton have less than the proverbial snowball’s chance of being president will be sucked into the media whirlpool from time to time. After all, we’re no less than human, and our hopes and dreams, no matter how dormant, live as long as we do...and sometimes beyond.

I totally agree.

But can we not come a bit closer to the ideal by dreaming ?

No time for much, but wanted to say that we absolutely need to dream and to pursue the dream in order to come closer to the ideal Pie .

I disagree

Obama will be our next president if he gets the nomination.

The only thing I fear is that he is not independent of the fix, and if so nothing shall change afterward. (You might need to go back and read 3 years of old posts for my views).
That is the most important thing, to ensure nothing happens in the future like happened 12-12-2000

Last thing we need is Bush44(Hillary) in office to allow Jeb45 in office.

But then I voted for Jesse Jackson in the NY primary when he ran, so what do I know? And Jesse Should have been on the ticket, he earned it.
were it not for the unfortunate smear campaign, Jesse would have won the NY primary, and then been #1 in the total delegates that year.
Shame it was sabatoged, but so is everything.

besides, Rudy is an Italian.
Mitt is a Morman.
and McCain is plumb crazy

They say neither of those groups can get elected

And Dr. King, had he not been taken out by bushfamilyinc would have already been President.

Hmm, what makes Jessie Jackson a good candidate for president? Not saying he wasn't or isn't, but just wondering what made him so in your eyes.

Tamaj13

Well, now, really, that would be something, 'eh, G4A?... President Dr. King...

Personally didn't think at the start the Democrat had the chance, what with Reagan probably being able to win a 3rd term were he allowed.

Ted Kennedy was who I was hoping would run, but he didn't.
Mario Cuomo didn't enter (thinking Bush was a sure shot I guess) (not knowing "they" wouldn't let him)
I didn't like Gary Hart at all, he scared me in 1984 and was happy he left the race this time.
Al Gore in 1988 was way to the right for me. That young Al Gore, I would never vote for.
Paul Simon couldn't win but I loved the bow ties.
I liked Bruce Babbitt, (he should be on the Supreme Court), and I proudly stood with him for more taxes (if you remember the campaign)
Biden I didn't like then (and don't much like now)
Dukakis, who I ended up voting for in the general election, just didn't do anything for me in the primaries

Rev. Jackson, I felt deserved to win. Believed in his campaign, his run was an historic campaign, the timing was right, and it amazed me how the party itself (especially Al Gore and others at the time) sabatoged his
campaign. (back then who knew "the fix was in".

His supposed slur was a private statement, had nothing to do really, and any other candidate would have been given a pass
(and I am Jewish, it bothered me none at all and in 2007, it is funny, because basically what he said was /is true and ruining America today)

As Dukakis was slaughtered, Jesse couldnot have done any worse, could he?
And if he was on the ticket, who knows how many more votes, plus it would have made Obama's run this time even easier.

But he opened the door for a major campaign run by a miniority.

I would vote for him over Bill Clinton any day of the week, let alone any republican.

But in 2008, the Rev. Jackson is not running, Obama is a much better candidate (if he is independent), because he doesn't have all the past, thanks to people like Rev. Jackson opening the door
in Presidential politics. While he is not the Rev. King, by any means, he is the best there is in the 70s,80s,90s...

And he really could have won the whole thing, had he won NY. (Of course, 4 years later, had Jerry Brown won NY, he too would have won and America would be much better off today).
I would have loved for Jerry to run in 1988, but he didn't.