Over the weekend, I overheard some old men talking about the election. One of the men said that he had already voted for “the only choice” he could make, McCain and “that pretty girl, Sarah.” Another commented that he was going to vote for McCain because he was absolutely convinced that Obama would “reverse civil rights” and “make us all white slaves.”
You’re joking, right? How could any rational person believe that slavery could ever be revived in this country? The Thirteenth Amendment to the constitution specifically states that “[n]either slavery nor involuntary servitude … shall exist within the United States,” and the president has neither the power to propose nor to ratify an amendment (in this case, ratify an amendment overturning a previous amendment). Besides, the American people would never allow a reinstitution of slavery. Imagine the reaction! People would riot! So where does this “white slaves” thing come from? The disturbing, yet obvious, truth is racism. That anyone could be so influenced by racism to believe that Obama would enslave white people (or anyone, for that matter!) reveals a troubling reality about American society. It makes regular white people look bad.
As if racism influencing the election wasn’t bad enough, several of the men were voting for McCain because they liked “pretty” Sarah Palin. What should the physical appearance of a candidate, man or woman, have to do with voting for him or her? Are Americans really that incapable of looking past age, skin color, and gender? If this group of old men is a reflection on the entire country, it would seem that “politics” has come to mean beauty and popularity. But are those really the best criteria for choosing the next President of the United States of America?
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