Department of US Race Relations John F. Kennedy, on June 11 1963. Now that was a bold and courageous speech, one which many see as the motive for his assassination by dissenters who couldnt stomach his views and initiatives as it concerned race in the United States. The unfavorable comparison in certain quarters of President Kennedys reaction to the issue of race in his time, to the current-day reaction of President Barack Obama to the same issue of race, is as misplaced as it is misguided, never mind unfair. First, although race as it affects equal justice remains a major issue in the American society, the problems that minorities face in the country today is by no means comparable to what the same society faced in the 60s, when Kennedy gave the speech in that video clip. A radical speech as Kennedys [as required to attend to the peculiar situation of that era] may therefore not help todays situation as much as an Obama speech that highlights the gains of the past while encouraging America to shed the remnants of institutional prejudice and build on such gains on the way to ending the problem of race-induced injustice in the society. The other issue addresses the fact [and this might be seen as rather unfortunate] that it is usually easier for a section of the society to pay attention to one with whom they can identify in terms of culture and identity. We tend to be biased towards our own, and as such it is easier for a Kennedy to lecture his fellow Caucasians as it is easier for Obama to do the same with his fellow African-Americans. In other words, Obama doing what Kennedy did in that video is likely to do more damage than good, as it may awaken all manner of repressed prejudice in a way that will undermine the little gains so far made in American race relations. All said, Obama does not enjoy the privilege of the kind of blunt-talk that Kennedy enjoyed in that video. He is more suited to deploy a nuanced approach, a more nimble touch, to navigate the treacherous waters of race relations which continues to be an issue in the American society. Of course many would disagree with this view. Heck it may even cause some may to burst an emotional gasket. In the end it is only an opinion among many others.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 02:53:27 +0000
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