Quote Originally Posted by apocolips31
And other Europeans made much of Obama's ethnicity. "It's a sort of pardon of America for its slave past," said Alain Barret, a bank teller in Paris. "It lets America turn an important page in its history."

"It would be fantastic to have a non-white president," added Letisha Brown, a Londoner.
Quote Originally Posted by apocolips31
Like whites that are alive today owe blacks anything. Did I have slaves? My parents have slaves? My grand parents have slaves? My great grand parents have slaves? How far back are we going to go? If we are going to go back hundreds of years how about we start telling blacks to make amends for what their ancestors did to each other. I hate when someone plays the we owe them something card. It is just bullshit. I am not racist in any way and have family that is half black namely my nieces. It just pisses me off when someone actually thinks this is a reason to vote for Obama and believe me I know many who are doing it just for that.
I don't think that is what the quote is really about. It's not that America OWES blacks a president. It's the idea that we SAY we are a nation of equal rights, but no one but white people have ever won the presidency. Having a black president would show that we have moved beyond that. So it's not about voting for him BECAUSE he is black --- no one OWES him the presidency for being black. But if he can win the presidency on his merits DESPITE the fact that he is black, it would show the world (and ourselves) that we are past the time when we let race hold a deserving person back in this country.

It would be stupid to vote FOR him because he is black. It would also be stupid to vote AGAINST him because he is black. I am voting for him becasue of his policies, character and temperment. The fact that he is a black man is totally beside the point. But the fact that the person I like for policies, character and temperment also happens to be a black man is something I am very happy about because I think it is time America fulfilled its promise to ALL of its citizens. It is a turning point.