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FORUM The New American Ernie Pitt This & That Sen. Barack Obama's ascention to the Democratic Party's presidential nomination marks a historic event in America. Obama is the mani festation of everything the Civil Rights Movement was about. The struggles of African Americans, the oppression, the sacrifice, the lynchings and the decades of slavery have all come to a head. At the beginning of his campaign, the question was asked, "Is Obama black enough?" Now, the question is, "is he too black?" What really is black? I mean how is one's racial identity classified? Is it based on the usual "one drop theory," which states that if a person has just one drop of black blood, he or she is con sidered black? I don't know if that makes a whole lot of sense anymore. If one parent is white and the other one is black, how does the black part outweigh the white part? Don't get me wrong, I'm just kinda' thinking out loud. I know that if a per son has a white parent and a black parent, probably his or her ethnicity will be deter mined by how light or dark skinned the person is. To me, that seems to be how identities are formulated. And it really is a primitive way of thinking. What does this have to do with Obama? Everything. Obama has a white mother and a African father. Not an African- American father, but a Kenyan. Although I suppose every black person in America has African roots, 1 dare say that they, for the most part, aren't as direct as Obama's. Obama's life experiences do not really reflect the typical black person's in that he is not a product of the black experi ence. He was actually reared by his white grandparents in the Midwest and spent much of his formative years in racially diverse Hawaii, not the Southside of Chicago. He was n't an active part of the Civil Rights Movement. I mean no dogs were let loose on him or his parents and neither were he or his folks jailed for marching against injustice. Obama, in my humble opinion, represents the "New American." Neither white nor black nor African-American, just simply an American. As our society continues to mix and match, which is happening to a much greater extent than anyone realizes, it will become harder and harder for these color distinctions to be made. Additionally, it will become more and more irrelevant. How can anyone question Obama's qualification's for president when Bush has been in the White House for nearly eight years? Does anybody believe tjiat Bush is more qualified than Obama? ; ?_ I believe that all Americans regardless of skin color, creed or ethnicity are absolutely sick of this division. This categoriz ing of people h.as been used to control and confuse the American public. Young and educated people Are drawn to Obama because they don't share those antiquated views propagated during the Willie Lynch era. The Willie Lynch game is playing itself out. Thank God that more Americans are realizing this. How else can you explain 75,000 white people showing up for an Obama rally in Portland, Ore.? How many black folk live in Oregon? I hope the American public will get aboard the Obama train and end this stupid divide and stop the ignorant games that some people seem deter mined to play. God bless America. Amen? Amen! Ernie Pitt is the publisher of The Chronicle and the presi dent of the N.C. Black Publishers Association. Hillary won't be the VP Harry Alford Guest Columnist The Clintons will not play second team for anybody or anything - not even the nation. It is not their style or character to listen to orders or wait for direction. Frankly, Hillary Clinton playing Vice President with Bill walking around the White House with nothing to do would be a blueprint for total chaos and disaster. Also, I would fear for Barack Obama's life. The Clintons have a remarkable history of losing political and business associates to untime ly deaths. It hasn't been proven but sometimes people wonder if it is just a coinci dence. This nation does not need that.. Most importantly, the selection process for vice president will naturally require a strict vetting process and here is where the Clintons would have much trouble. A presidential candidate doesn't have to go through that which is why she gave it her best shot this time. The "bones" in their closet are quite immense. She comes with a bunch and her husband is car rying an "18 wheeler" full of bones. Let's start with the dis graceful exit from the White House in January, 2001. Ms. Wanna be President stole the White House china in front of the whole world. China that had been used by first ladies for over 100 years and she ripped it off. I guess that leads to the "entitlement theory" about her, It is as if it belongs to her and not the taxpayers. While she was overseeing the movers hiding the china, her two brothers were auctioning presidential pardons for six figure amounts. Drug dealers, life long criminals - it didn't matter because they had juice through their sister's husband. Bill's little brother also participated. It must have been discussed one evening around the family dinner table. In all. President Clinton gave pardons to some of the slimiest individuals who have walked on this land. It didn't seem to matter as donations for Hillary's senate run, his presidential library were fill ing up the coffers. No presi dent, governor or anyone else with pardon authority has ever abused the privilege the way the Clintons did. They are so secretive about the Presidential Library fundraising that it appears they will never divulge the sources of the money. No, they aren't ashamed as they have no shame. It would raise legal, ethical and con flicts of interest questions that would kill any chance of someone passing the vetting standards. How many drug dealers, dictators, and mass murderers do we have on this list? Maybe we don't want to know. en. Clinton Then there is the matter of what Hillary once referred to as "bimbo eruptions". Bill's legions of mistresses who go public from time to time will start showing up again during a vetting process. It never occurred to Hillary during her 30+ years of marriage that you can control your husband. That is the sign of a strong marriage and spouse. No one is perfect and if they stray make it clear that it is intolerable and whip them back into shape. It appears that Bill hasn't changed much and will not be whipped back into shape. , How could a President of the United States, leader of the free world, find time to masturbate an intern with a cigar during the afternoon in the Oval Office of the White House? His body fluid is embedded in the floor of the Oval Office - yuck! In sum, the man has a serious problem and his spouse is incapable of dealing with it. How about that $30 mil lion in debt? She desired to run our national treasury but ran her primary campaign into the hole with a vengeance. Who is going to pay for this - her creditors, employees? She doesn't pass the managerial expertise phase of the vetting process. I guess in the end they will have to call on the people of ill repute who put up the library money. That is if they still have any juice. After allj they were selling the "fact" Biat they were going to get back into the White House and run across the ethical line for contributors again. Shall we talk about the race card being played during the primary? No, that's enough. Let's forget about that ugly scene. ~ What I am saying is this: Senator Obama has to make his most important decision yet in picking a vice presiden tial running mate. Hopefully, he will go slow and meticu lous. The vetting process must be complete. If that will be the case, no one with a track record like the one above will stand a chance to clear. Senator Obama, please do it right. Manage it well, as you have already proven that you are capable of doing. Then, maybe, we will see an African- American president in our lifetime. Praise the Lord! Harry Alford is the co founder, president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Website: wvi>w.nationalbcc .org . The Chronicle, the Choice for African-American New*, la located al <17 N. Liberty Street Winatoa-SalcM, NC 371*1 336-722*624 Fax - 336-723-9173 news QwschronicU xom www. wtehronicltfom The Chronicle wai established by Emeat Pitt and NdubM Egemonye in 1974, and b published every Thursday by Winston -Salem Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc. The Chronicle is a proud member of : National Newspapers Publishers Association ? North Carolina Fnss Association ? North Carolina Black Publishers Association ? Inland Press Association .The i&t) Home Delivery Subscription Order o YES, Pleue send me The Chronicle o 2 yean: $40 95 o lyear: $30.72 o 6 months: $20.48 c*r O VISA O Mastercard o American Express O Check enclosed 0 Please bill me EirMoiDMt Send to: The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636, Winston-Salem. NC 27102 Bmtmat Office 7, 214421, rxL 100 Paviitti Moode Bubua Office 723-1421, ext HI And>ea Mosts I T H f ELLISON / Eric S. Ellison AttuntfAtlMi ? Residential Real Estate ? Traffic Offenses ? Child Support ? Divorces ? 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June 12, 2008, edition 1
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