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Richard Chandler New Chandler Blog Here Introduction Commentary on "A More Perfect Union" Speech on Race in America While this short commentary might appear to be political, that is not my intent. And the recommendation I’ll make shortly is based on appreciation for some newfound insights that you'll gain by clicking the link that follows and listening for yourself. We all have thoughts, beliefs and experiences around issues of race and ethnicity. The recent controversy surrounding the Reverend Jeremiah Wright and Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s 20-year association with pastor Wright helped produce an outcome that I believe will be helpful for all Americans. For the first time in many years we are having more in depth public discourse on this subject of race, which has the possibility of increasing understanding and tolerance and softening the more polarizing objectification of people and stereotyping that so often occurs when difficult issues like race aren’t intelligently explored. In my recollection, this is the first time since the years of enacting civil rights legislation that there has been a major address devoted to race in America by a major political leader. The short excerpts from Obama’s speech that you may have already heard on news outlets do not do justice to the depth, breadth and insights contained by hearing the speech in its entirety. The speech is like a compelling essay, inspiring us to reexamine our own beliefs and values and perhaps embrace a more complete understanding of how our experience and the very differing experiences of those with racial backgrounds other than our own may still find commonality, shared purpose and enlightened respect for our history, views and perspectives. Minnesota Public Radio’s news service rebroadcast his talk a short time later that same day. It is preceded by a very short introduction by the MPR host and lasts just over a half hour. The following link is a downloadable audio file of the speech. I highly recommend it. Here is the link: A More Perfect Union Speech on Race in America   - Richard Chandler ~   ~   ~   ~   ~		Barack Obama Senator & Presidential Candidate   “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” - Martin Luther King Jr.  (1929-1968)     “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” - Martin Luther King Jr.  (1929-1968)   “Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naive as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy – particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.” - Barack Obama (1961- )   “In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world’s great religions demand – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother’s keeper, Scripture tells us. Let us be our sister’s keeper. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well.” - Barack Obama (1961- )   “For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism...But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we’ll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.” - Barack Obama (1961- )   “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Martin Luther King Jr.  (1929-1968)   “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” - Martin Luther King Jr.  (1929-1968)   “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” - Martin Luther King Jr.  (1929-1968)   “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” - Martin Luther King Jr.  (1929-1968)
~   ~   ~   ~   ~ Martin Luther King Jr. One of the main leaders of the American civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. organized and led marches for blacks' right to vote, desegregation, labor rights and other basic civil rights. A Baptist minister by training, King became an activist early in his career, leading the... More of Dr. Martin Luther King's Biography and Quotations Here ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Commentary © 2008  Richard Chandler & Bonnett Chandler

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