Looks like we Americans are going to be having our first black pres.

[Darius871]

Originally posted by Theben
Darius#

Originally posted by Theben
Reisstiu#

Originally posted by Kidicious
Poster#

[Theben]

Originally posted by Darius871

Nobody insinuated any such thing; we were just making fun of what Kid had to say on this thread.

Oh, I see now. That was a foolish claim on Kid's part.

[Vesayen]

Re: Looks like we Americans are going to be having our first black pres.

Originally posted by Lancer
Anyway, my point is, we can forget about programs that give preference on the basis of race now, right?

I do not know which case this is from. I am paraphrasing. I learned this before I had any in depth knowledge of the legal system.

In one of the cases which really allowed affirmative action, one of the supreme court justices said that the choice was not constitutional but that the social harm was so great that it demanded some sort of action and that while it is acceptable today, it won't be forever.

I really need to look up what case that was and if that was part of the majority decision or not..... anyone know what case that is from?

[History049]

Though I disagree with Obama on most of his policies, I won't be that upset if he wins. Undeniably his election would prove that we are moving past racial injustice of the past, and it will make millions of African-Americans and others very happy if he wins. Meaning, it will break the glass ceiling that holds minorities down. Though his message of "hope" is probably just more socialist bureaucracy, it's not like Bush and the Republicans of the past 8 years have adhered to a truly Reaganite philosophy. So Obama it is, and fair enough.

[chequita guevara]

The election of a Black president will not change how other Black people are viewed, just as the fact that the number one brain surgeon in the U.S. was Black didn't change anything, or how Colin Powell didn't change anything, etc. America will still be racist.

[Jon Miller]

His election won't prove that we are past the racial injustice of the past. It will prove that we are beginning to get past the racial prejudices. I would guess that at best it won't become a minimal effect for another 30 years at least. Probably more like 40.

And before I moved to Maryland and especially Virginia, I would have guessed that we were close now, and would reach there in the next ~10 years.

JM

[Impaler[WrG]]

When 13% of all Presidents are Black then we can talk, according to my math we just need to have 5 additional black presidents in a row after Obama to hit that target, you know what they say "Once you go black you never go back".

[Imran Siddiqui]

On the other hand for the next 4-8 years, blacks will be overrepresented in the Presidency as there are 12% blacks in the general population and 100% blacks in the presidency .

[Jon Miller]

There haven't been that many presidents, especially since the civil rights era.

However, there have been a lot of congressmen and senators and african americans have been underrepresented there.

JM

[Imran Siddiqui]

A small bit in the House though. 42 black congressmen means about 9.5% representation in the body.

The Senate is, though, pretty underrepresented 1 out of 100 is only 1%... but then again the Senate is a bit strange in that it represents states.

[Lancer]

I just looked at my wall map and all the states are different shades of pink. I always thought that was kinda gay but now I understand.

[Pekka]

Well, it might be a bigger problem than relief. Now people might think OK well, a black man is a president so it's now equal. The rest is "their fault". That is, assuming, that it isnt' equal now. Presidency changes nothing regarding things like these. It's just one guy elected to this one position. How it relates to other things is zero. So the danger part is the feeling of everything is now equal, when it isn't, assuming this is the situation. So I don't see how this relates to prejudice at all, in one way or the other. Obama does not represent black society as a whole, or the part that has problems with equality. After all, he is rich. He isn't black, he is green, and those who are green always have more equality than others.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, it might be a bigger problem than relief. Now people might think OK well, a black man is a president so it's now equal. The rest is "their fault".

I think that's the big fear. This may make people complacent that is still a bit more to go (however, it isn't as bad as some on the left thing, nor is it perfectly fixed as some on the right believe).

[DaShi]

Someone would have to be pretty dense to think that electing one black man president would end racial inequality. Make the next 16 presidents black, and we'll talk.

[Pekka]

dashi, I still don't know how that would make a difference. How does presidency relate to racial inequality?

On the other hand, this also means that if McCain was elected, it still wouldn't mean racial prejudice against Obama directly. Of course there are votes that go for McCain because Obama is black, but there are also votes goign to Obama because McCain is white.

And of course there are tons of more whites than blacks, so this would be rather saying "we let you have one". That's power, that's not equality, that's power. But this is, fortunately, not what is going on. THere is no collective "we'll let you have one" vote. Just like there is no collective black vote, even if you argue that black vote is usually a democrat vote.

The ONLY thing this gives is a good example for black people that hey, it is possible to reach these heights (given that you are rich, have a high education and every other privilege). So no, I don't see this as a racial issue at all. Just political. Money has more to do with it than race, those with money will always have more votes, regardless of their race. But of course it's a good thing to have a bit of feel good from this. Just have to keep in mind that this isn't going to change anything. That change can be regulated only through policy making, that's what matters.