Racism Lurks In Presidential Campaign Background

I am of the opinion that if Barack Obama was an ordinary white fellow, that the Dem candidate would be leading the GOP candidate by about 15-20% points in any unbiased poll. But of course, Obama is NOT an ordinary white fellow. In fact, he is an EXTRAordinary fellow! Raised by his mother with much help of all kinds from her parents, Barack nevertheless managed to matriculate at Harvard U. with honors. 99% of all people - regardless of color - cannot get into Harvard! Generally acknowledged to be America's premier educational institution - as Oxford is to England - and certainly it's richest in terms of its endowment. Yet, Obama shrugged off offers from many high profile law firms which meant an entry level salary in low-medium six figures, to go into the poverty stricken neighborhoods of Chicago TO GIVE BACK what the world had given him! A good brain and great parents. And here we are today. America's leading humanitarian political party - you know which that is - has given him the honor of being its standard bearer for the highest post in the Free World.

But it had to happen.

Newberg, OR
Officials at George Fox University, a small Christian university founded by Quaker pioneers in 1891, say a life-size cardboard reproduction of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was hung from a tree on the campus, an act with racial undertones that outraged students and school leaders alike . . a custodian discovered the effigy early Tuesday and removed it . . the commercially produced reproduction had been suspended from the branch of a tree with fishing line around the neck.

Taped to the cardboard cutout of the black senator from Illinois was a message targeting participants in Act Six, a scholarship program geared toward increasing the number of minority and low-income students at several Christian colleges, mostly in the Northwest. The message read, "Act Six reject."

At the end of the college's regular chapel service Wednesday, school president Robin Baker told students he was "disheartened and outraged. It has been my dream to establish a university that more adequately represents the kingdom of God," he said. "This act causes some to question our commitment." Baker added, "What I've learned [today] is we still have work to do."

Newberg police Sgt. Tim Weaver said officials are working with the university to find out who was responsible. He also said the police department has notified the U.S. Secret Service, although it's not clear yet whether the act was a crime. "It doesn't fit as a hate crime and it doesn't fit in as intimidation, necessarily," he said. "If it's not a crime, we're not going to be involved."

The school has 17 students in the Act Six program, whose name derives from the New Testament book of Acts. All but one are members of minority groups, Felton said. Students in the program receive full scholarships and are selected on the basis of leadership potential.

"To me, I just felt like they weren't ready to have a black person be president," said Courtney Greenidge, a sophomore. "We're trying to bring change. Obama's trying to bring change." She described herself, like Obama, as biracial: half black, half white.

She also said that overall, the campus has a welcoming and positive environment, but that she has heard comments along the lines of, "Oh, I wish I was black. Then I could get a scholarship like that."

Obama spokeswoman Sahar Wali said the effigy hanging was "an unfortunate incident but you know we have had a very positive response from Oregonians across the state." Obama is widely considered to be ahead in Oregon. In the run-up to the state's May primary, he drew a crowd of about 75,000 people in Portland.

George Fox University's campus is in the Willamette Valley south of Portland. About 1,800 students are enrolled. President Felton said that about 2 percent of the students are black and about a quarter of the freshman class belongs to minority groups. That number includes international students however, largely from Asia and Africa.
news.yahoo.com...

Let us sincerely hope this is the LAST instance of RACISM in America.

[edit on 9/25/2008 by donwhite]

In a rare act of bipartisianship, I'm going to agree with Geraldine Ferraro on this one.

If Barack Obama was a white "fellow" he would not even have the Democrat nomination.

Once and for all it is not racism if you do not like what Obama stands for. Even though it is being set up for the reason for his loss.

Originally posted by RRconservative
In a rare act of bipartisianship, I'm going to agree with Geraldine Ferraro on this one.

If Barack Obama was a white "fellow" he would not even have the Democrat nomination.

Once and for all it is not racism if you do not like what Obama stands for. Even though it is being set up for the reason for his loss.

I have to agree with you. If Obama were white, Clinton would surely have had the nomination at this point because none of Obama's stands on the issues are any different and he trails her in experience by a wide margin.