It needs saying...

I don't know about the rest of you but as for me I am a little concerned by what is going on in our country these days. It seems that we are a little more divided than we have ever been before, at least since the civil war.

Oddly enough I tend to think that lines are being drawn over similar issues, not about slavery but about race and racially related issues. That seems odd that we have come so far as to have a African American president and yet to sense racial tensions since his elections.

Everyone knows that the President courted and won the Latino vote and that Blacks voted for him in a 9 to 1 ratio. Of itself, that is a racially motivated action. At least it would appear so. That being so, President Obama was elected upon racial lines. It would seem that even a sizable Caucasian vote did little to calm the tensions for a great number of Caucasians. In fact, it is my opinion that the election of our new president has left this country more racially tense now than prior to his election and campaign.

Throughout the campaign there was little said about the race factor other than what a historically sensational thing this was. Little or nothing was publicly said about how those who did not vote for Obama did not feel at liberty to express their opinions. Those who did were so often called racists; whether by African Americans, fellow Caucasians, or the proverbial they (whomever they are).

I myself experienced this phenomenon and found myself reluctant to express my opinions and have until this blog. Now is the time to clear the air of this matter. Regardless of one's opinion of the president and regardless of one's race, we all have the right to express our opinions without racist judgements. Why I should think that now is the right time to vet these thoughts is beyond me for as I type away I realize that there will be those who will condemn me. So be it.

If America as a nation has not reached the point where we can have a civil conversation about what trouble us then I am afraid we may be long condemned in a situation of ignoring the "dead elephant".

The election of the first African American president should be something that we all admire and remember. It should not be I dare say because he is black or I do say because he is black. We should speak the truth allowing color to take its rightful place: in art.