Roberts says that times have changed and things are different now. Yes and No.
Yes we have our first African American president. I see African American professionals in many places. It was especially poignant to watch the coverage of the recent tragedy in Philadelphia–when the building collapsed. The mayor, the head of the fire dept., and another official were all African Americans. That was a proud moment.
But, No, racism has not been eliminated. Roberts should know this….in his own backyard of Laporte County, Indiana, was a case of someone spraying racial slurs on the sidewalk of an African American church about three years ago. There was snow on the ground, to make tracking easier….but somehow the culprits got away….
Voting Rights Act was put into place because of the stuff we’re seeing yet today…
…like the attack on ACORN…an organization that sought to get the poor and others registered to vote…
…Florida thwarting voters…
…so to say that everything is just fine and it’s okay to let these states once again do as they please is just plain wrong.
Saying racism is “over” is like saying that sexism has been eliminated because we see *some* women in positions of power. And those women don’t necessarily speak for women who stay home, out of the rat race, so to speak. So it’s not a fair representation of all thoughts. It’s also not a representation of actual progress. When women who stay home are acknowledged as contributing to society as much as a woman who brings home a paycheck; when rape is no longer seen as the fault of the woman; when domestic violence is acknowledged for its devastating effects on women, children, and society; when tenderness is no longer seen as weakness….only then will anyone convince me that sexism is no longer an issue.
And racism and sexism are created from the same mindset of power-over.
Eagle 