an open letter to rich, dan, and randy

Having been emotionally destroyed by 9/11 I am a one issue voter and that issue is national security. I did not feel that Obama was the strongest candidate for this item so he did not get my vote. That’s not to say that I did not strongly consider him as our next president. However, now that I’ve had a few days to reflect what occurred on Tuesday I would like to forward a few thoughts and comments.

As a small boy in New Jersey I remember Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists on the medal platform at the 1968 Olympics. This gesture, for the most part, ruined their quality of life for years to come, but I’m sure to this day they would not change what they did.

When I first started watching baseball, and Reggie Jackson was my guy as you know, I recall reading about his struggles as a young black man from Philadelphia playing minor league ball in the Deep South. He was not allowed to eat or sleep in the same establishments as his white teammates, a la Jackie Robinson, and this was upsetting for me to hear.

Not long after that I recall two elementary school classmates at William Strong School in Southington, Mark and Paula, who as the only black kids in school were often ostracized. Not overtly, but covertly, which at times is more hurtful. When kids would not play with them or eat lunch with them or volunteer to be their partner for projects I would.

As a middle school student in Maryland I, along with seemingly the rest of the nation, was glued to my television for one week. The event was the ‘Roots’ miniseries. I have not been the same since I watched that program.

I do not allow my kids to describe people by the color of their skin. To me this is cheap and lazy and demeans the person you are describing because their qualities as a human do not begin and end with skin color. My first job out of college was at a residential treatment facility for emotionally disturbed and learning disabled children. The racial makeup of the staff and kids was such that I was a minority and was often referred to as ‘the white guy’.

As an adult I, on a few occasions, walked out of family events when my former father-in-law spouted his racist views, tossing the car keys to Karen and then walking the few miles home. (I am happy to say that I have been able, in a small way, to change his way of thinking)

All of this being said, I have watched all of this from the outside and although I have attempted to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem I have no idea how this type of discrimination must feel.

In our election I am certain that a number of people voted for Obama for the simple reason that he is black, just as I am certain that a number of people voted for McCain simply because he’s white. Both decisions, to me, are wrong. I can, however, based on our country’s history, understand the former.

To see the faces of the people (specifically those of color) who gathered in Grant Park – their jubilation and their tears – was truly astounding and something that I will keep with me for quite some time. But, like I said above, I am watching from the outside so I cannot completely imagine what these formerly (and presently) marginalized Americans must be feeling, but I will continue to try. The proverbial icing on the cake was Rich’s text discussing how energized his students were over Obama’s election. These kids live in a different world than we do. To them, Red Sox championships and black presidents are part of your youth, not something to wait for.

It is my hope now that he does a great job – for all of us. Not just because we need him to, but because if he fails miserably we may not see a minority even considered for this role for the remainder of our lives and that would be devastating.