Comments on: Inauguration Thoughts

By: Tom Sepper

Tom Sepper — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:04:52 +0000

Remember and never forget — absolutely.

Bring it up on such a historical, progress-making event? No.

By: mjp

mjp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:46:28 +0000

I’m just saying that it’s still an upsetting time. History has an effect on current times. You could expand “In order to move forward, you’ve got to think progressively” to mean that we also shouldn’t ever talk about slavery, or Nazi genocide. The Jews who lived through that horror show have a saying, “Never forget.” It’s important to keep talking about these things or we risk reliving them.

Marcus Garvey said, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” We have to remember the good and the bad, my brother.

By: Tom Sepper

Tom Sepper — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:54:15 +0000

I didn’t say racial inequality didn’t exist; I’m well aware that it does. That was the basis for my comment that “People have inherent prejudices that are extremely difficult to change.”

However, I maintain my belief that everyday, regular Joe America has moved past the color barrier.

In some situations, your examples of job interviews and apartment renting I’m sure do occur. I’ve seen the exact opposite happen too.. a white man and a black man of equal qualifications both applying for a job promotion and the black man getting it.. a black college student receiving scholarship money over a white college student.

Racism exists and it’s quite embarrassing. No, I don’t know what it is like as I don’t live in a different skin color. But racism does exist against every single race, creed, nationality, etc.

My beef with the benediction isn’t necessarily that race was brought up.. it’s the manner in which it was. In order to move forward, you’ve got to think progressively. Dredging up an upsetting time in the nation’s history is not my idea of forward-thinking.

By: mjp

mjp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:37:01 +0000

Come on, man. Racial inequality exists and has to be addressed when you’re doing something as unbelievable as handing over the white house keys to a black man. Don’t you think it would have been odd to not mention it and pretend it doesn’t exist? On a day like that?!

You might think everything is groovy – and it is getting better all the time – but recent tests in major U.S. cities proved once again that if you and a black guy who is your equal for the job in every way both go to an interview, you are still more likely to get the job. If you and he apply for an apartment, guess what – the majority of the time they are going to give it to you. It’s easy to say no one cares about color anymore, but we don’t live in their skin. We have no idea what that world is like.

No one has to sit on the back of the bus anymore, but until other kinds of everyday inequality don’t exist anymore we have to keep talking about it. Obama becoming president doesn’t suddenly mean everyone is equal. The reason things continue to improve is because we continue to deal with the issue no matter how unpleasant it may be.