I want to say a few words to the black Americans in the audience. For too long, some have told us that we cannot succeed in America, that the problems with the black communities are the fault of "whitey" and a legacy of slavery. If so, it is an amazing thing that I have succeeded in becoming a serious contender for the highest office in the land. It is also amazing that two of the most successful media personalities are black -- Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby. In fact, it ought to make us question those who proclaim that we continue to be oppressed and disadvantaged. Of course, there remains some racial discrimination in the United States. In fact, we, too, are occasionally guilty of discrimination.
Nevertheless, we should thank our lucky stars that our forefathers were brought to this country. Their misfortune turned into our good fortune. Had they not been brought to America, we today would likely be living in Africa.
While we do not understand how slavery was accepted in the United States, we should understand that it was not unique to America. In fact, slavery still exists in some parts of the world. We should also recognize that it was in the United States that slavery was first abolished. The ancestors of most Americans came to America seeking refuge. Ours were brought here involuntarily. But in no other country in the world today do blacks have greater opportunity and freedom than in the United States.
Our communities suffer mightily from the worst social pathologies in America. Crime, unwed mothers, drugs, school dropouts, unemployment, welfare dependency. It has not always been so. In the '40s and '50s, despite the existence of real and often legal discrimination, the rate of intact two-parent families in the black community was as high as in the white community. The crime rate in Harlem was no higher than any where else in New York City. Black families attended church on Sunday at a higher rate than did whites. So it is hard to blame our current problems on "a legacy of slavery."
I believe that many of our current problems are the result, instead, of too many of us buying in to the victim mentality sold to us in the name of civil rights. The down-trodden from all over the world still look to America as the land of opportunity. Many seek to come here; some even at the risk of their very lives. We are here already. The opportunities are here for the taking. We can achieve success with the same formula that every other people have achieved success in America -- through hard work. Let's do it!
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2 comments:
Obama, you really are great! I have seen the light! The legends are true!
All good and true points, but unfortunately would turn off too many to be safe saying. What would liberal politics be without having victims to care for?
Next time keep it much more vague and a little less optimistic. But then trick everyone into thinking it is optimistic by peppering 'change', 'hope' and 'Yes we can' throughout the speech...
good stuff!
Although I personally think what you say is right on, from my very white, relatively privileged, Mormon upbringing, many black people don't (even some of the privileged ones) and THAT is the point. How a person feels, logical or illogical as it may seem, is how they feel and you can argue until you are blue in the face, but until you accept that persons world view, nothing will change.
You come from a great family, were raised in a gorgeous mountain valley, with good friends, rich traditions, and very little hardship. You were able to do whatever you wanted and accomplish whatever you wanted to accomplish. Many people of many different races all over the world come from crap backgrounds and still do amazing things and overcome great odds and become great leaders and completely refuse to allow their circumstances to hinder them. There are many many many amazing, inspiring, people who refuse to be victims. This is a great land of opportunity, but when your mom is a drug addict and your grandma (who raised her brood by herself) raises you (we have one of those in our ward and as much as grandma loves that boy and provides him with the best care and opportunities she can, it is clear the kid is WAY messed up, and even with lots of meds and counseling and a great school and the church, it is still clear he has some hardwired problems from having a heroine mom for the first massively formative 3 years of his life that are going to be VERY hard to overcome. It is a tragedy. Ask Court some of her Wasatch mental health tales. So tragic), and many of the men in your life are crap examples, and your school sucks, and you get knocked up at age 14, I imagine it ispretty tough, even if you have a spirit of steel. Of course we think people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get over their past and become Obamas or Oprahs or Denzel Washingtons, (or maybe we would even settle for them doing the best they can without feeling like victims) , because this is the land of opportunity. But, well, that isn't reality for every single person, white, black, purple, green or whatever. People's perception of things are their reality so it is hard to accept that other people don't think the same way we do. Having never been in anyone elses shoes but my own I certainly shouldn't presume that all black people feel like victims, because I'm sure many, perhaps the majority of the, of them don't. But some do. And perhaps they are. I don't know. Also I've never lived in the Bronx, but I've been there on several occasions, and it wasn't a place I really liked much. After visiting I know I would rather die than live there, so I don't know how I would have turned out with such a crappy environment.
So what do you do with a portion of the population, who feel like victims (and may well be), which seems irrational? Lecture them? Condemn them? Ignore them? Commiserate with them? Label them? Or just try and understand that their are many different points of view out there, and perhaps each persons view is valid, because perception is reality? All I know is, if there is one piece of advice I would give anyone before they married is that if your spouse feels a certain way, even if it seems totally illogical and stupid and completely unfounded, your spouse feels the way he/she feels and nothings gonna change that. You can argue until you are blue in the face over an issue, but until you submit and get beyond the I'm right you are wrong phase, and accept that your spouse feels how he feels you aren't going to get anywhere. In marriage, (and I suspect in all aspects of life) perception is reality and so I have to pay attention to how Rob actually feels rather than how I think he should feel, or nothing will be accomplished. So, I guess I may not feel like people should feel like victims, but they do, so that is where it stands. You simply can't tell a portion of the population to get over it, because they won't.
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