Dear Senator Obama:
I applaud your speech to the American people on Race, over national
television on March 18, 2008. It was fitting, proper, necessary and
timely, for you to stand tall before this nation, and condemn, again
the incendiary statement "God Damn America" made by Dr.
Rev. Wright of your church.
Given the nationwide 24-7 publicity to Rev. Wright's statement, over
radio, television, newspapers and the blogs --- Your response could
have been the "Shot across the bow" to open up a fundamental,
non-confrontational discussion on, what I call, --- The Whole Truth
on Race --- in the United States.
Such a discussion would have shifted the focus of the people in our
country, away from the hypocritically, and politically interjected
distraction --- "God Damn America" and turn the Spotlight
of the Whole Truth, onto the Never-mentioned Truth: The extent to
which Millions of white men, women and children in the United States
are victims of the severe, economic "Collateral damage"
caused by racist political propaganda and programs intended to cut
down blacks, --- but millions of innocent white folk are caught in
the Crossfire. Sen. Obama, you are a United States Senator, you have
the power, prestige and staff to check any points of facts with which
you disagree.
Since your speech, there has been a lot of public discussion in favor
of a national dialogue on Race. I don't know whether you remember,
but President Bill Clinton launched his famous "Initiative on
Race" in the late 1990's. He appointed a stellar Board of Directors,
with the well-known Dr. John Hope Franklin, as Chairman. But at the
end of their tenure --- they had made no significant impact on race
relations in the United States.
In my opinion, they served well. The problem as I saw it, was the
Perspective, the Board chose the Conventional approach to dealing
with the issue of race --- Victimized blacks and Racist white folk.
In the 1960's, such dialogues were dubbed "Sensitivity Training"
sessions, in these kind of inter-racial sessions; they boil down to
being bumper-to-bumper antidotes, and experiences across racial lines.
And whites do not have a dog in this kind of a race.
But there are fundamental questions about race, in which white people
could have the biggest dog in such a race: and from which white people
would develop a new perspective and a fresh perception on how they
have been betrayed by racist and conservative politicians. This awakening
process would auger well for white voters and for our country.
Because, according to the public record honest and misled white voters
have been the political staircase which carried those politicians
into office---with an annual salary of six figures, fat pensions and
Comprehensive Health Insurance for the entire family---from "Cradle
to grave." Here again the record shows, that from this lofty
peak, these politicians never look down nor back at the problems of
the people who elected them to office.
Perhaps, one of the most mis-understood facts about racism in the
United States is the belief that individuals are responsible for it.
This is not the place to discuss this point at length, but the fact
of the matter is - Institutions foster racism. White individuals do
not have the power to racially segregate a city: but Banks, insurance
companies, real estate companies and land developers---these are the
institutions that causes racial segregation in American cities.
An Addendum to enclosed Open Letter 4-14-08
Dear Sen.. Barack Obama:
The politically initiated, artificial frenzy regarding your remarks
recently (which you admitted were " clumsy" ), is positive
evidence that for You …. There will be No " Peace in the
valley". The manifest destiny of those who oppose you, is to
" nit-pick ", and in the fog of this diversionary "
Smoke Screen " they will try to mis-lead whites to vote against
you
Sen. Obama, there is no legal way for you to stop these people from
making a political "Mountain out of a Molehill", but you
can get them off your back, by changing the subject on a national
scale.
Raise on National Television the grave economic problems of white
men, women and children, in the United States: Provide the statistics,
in raw numbers (Not in percentages); No Health Insurance, Poverty,
Welfare, Food Stamps, Bankruptcy, Home Foreclosures. Specify the sources:
U S Dept. of the Census, U S Labor Dept These are the cold, hard facts.
The indisputable, hellish, poverty-ridden conditions that white folk
are forced to live under, here in the land of the Free and the Home
of the Brave.
Please note: The above conditions persist while white racist and conservative
politicians are Now, and have been holding, for eight years, a mechanical
majority in the significant offices, of the national government in
the United States: President, Supreme Court of the United States,
United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
The question is, who is directly responsible for the problem of the
white people above??
Sen.Obama, here is where you "Do your Thing": Who has been
in the above-elected offices for practically eight years?
What programs have they passed to solve the problems?
Where on the record have they even mentioned " white poverty"?
Talk Radio Host: We know what they think about blacks with problems
(to hell with them, get out of bed and go to work) But What about
the millions of whites with the same problems. Maybe radio host did
not know about them.
Or could it be that the conditions of white people, shown above,
was ignored because the people who had the power to solve their problems
(Eight years in office). …Heard an inflammatory statement coming
down from the Mountain Top, declaring …". GOD DAMN AMERICA".
And they (the Obama " Nit -Pickers") put the Curse on white
folk--- from the struggling white middle class, to those trapped in
the quicksands of white poverty, in the United States..
Sen., Obama, this new subject, will not only change the subject, it
will profoundly change the national agenda. But that is not all: Your
raising the problems of white folk will put the racist and conservative
politicians on an embarrassing, vote threatening defensive. Because,
now white voters will look at politicians from point of view of their
Own Self-Enterest, and demand to know, what the Hell these politicians
are going to do about them.
Be Well, keep up the good fight. Trust to hear from you soon.
Ernie Dillard
