Down in the comments of a prior post, Commenter barnstorm expressed concern about the potential for racially motivated violence directed at Barack Obama. This was met with incredulity and rather accusatory admonishment. I confess I was rather surprised at the turn in the conversation. Not offended. I just didn’t see it coming.

I’d like to leaven the conversation a bit here and in the process open it up a bit. We probably ought to discuss this. I have heard the concern that barnstorm expressed from very early on in the primary phase and as recently as last week (sometimes expressed as a belief) by people of color I know pretty well that Obama would be assassinated if he got close to winning. These are not hysterics, this is a product of their experience and beliefs. These individuals expressed this with a matter-of-factness that I find a bit disconcerting.

In the last several days, the media has broadcast - not only instances of flagrant bigotry mentioned here on our blog from Palin’s rallies - but one egregious incident that made McCain himself raise his eyebrows and puff out his cheeks in a wince of surprise during one of his speeches, where some male shouted something out as clearly as you need to hear it. He appeared momentarily flabbergasted, and did nothing to address it. [Incidentally, I recall a comparable incident where a female supporter in a You Tube Moment asked McCain point blank (in reference to McCain friend Hillary Clinton) “how do we stop “The Bitch”?”, back when Hillary was the front runner for the Democratic nomination.]

And, I’ve heard white males joke and state with a degree of seriousness in my presence that they believed that Obama would never make it to the White House, clearly stating he’ll be shot first. Let me be clear that I’ve never personally heard anything that I thought remotely resembled a real threat to Obama, so I don’t need to talk to the Secret Service. Speaking of whom, I firmly believe has too much pride and mastery of its mission to permit anything to happen to Obama or anybody else they’re charged with protecting.

These are things I have heard with my own ears, often enough that there is simply no denying it. Racism is alive and well in America, as is sexism, btw.

IMHO When Barack Obama is sworn into office, it will deal a fatal blow to the cause of bigotry, as JFK’s did for the Irish and Catholics.

This is a subject that is at a minimum fair game. Please discuss, responsibly.

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