Blogger Oliver Willis puts our challenge in crystal clear perspective.
Running Vs. History
Published September 20, 2008 in Barack Obama, Newsweek, Race and Racism.
The big takeaway I get from this poll about racial attitudes is that we’ve got a long road to go still for people to be dragged into the 21st century and leave their prejudices behind. I mean, the idea that there are still some people who just go, yep, blacks are boastful, lazy and shiftless in 2008 is kind of sad. Real sad. Maybe the message some get is that the Democrats should have played it safe and nominated a white man.
And maybe Dr. King shouldn’t have rocked the boat… right?
Oh, hell nah.
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not only because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.” - John F. Kennedy, 9/12/62
“Yes, we can.” - Barack Obama, 2008
http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/09/20/running-vs-history/