The trouble that some people have with trying to decide things like whether they should support a particular candidate may come from their desire to simplify things that are complex. The commercial media knows this. Look how they reduce content to short sound bites. Rarely are complex issues given a thorough examination. That would be too “boring”. There is a whole segment of our culture that wants quick, simple answers. This way of thinking spawns statements like ”you are either with us or against” and fails to recognize that sometimes we can be both with something AND against something at the same time. Thoughts about race and whether or not someone is racist is not something that can always be answered with a simple yes or no type of answer.
Remember when the Iraq war started? There was a group of people who called themselves Patriots for Peace. How could anyone be both patriotic AND against the war? Some people thought that if they were against the war, they were going against the United States. Most of those who were against the war simultaneously expressed their appreciation for people in the service even though they voiced their opinions against the war. This seemed like a contradiction to supporters of the war and they couldn’t understand it.
History has shown us that there have been great leaders that had the ability to hold two seemingly contradictory opinions simultaneously. The most famous was Jesus who directed his followers to “love your enemies” and “turn the other cheek.” In modern times we see the Dalai Lama holding similar approaches to conflict with his “middle road” approach.
This duality of thinking is not an attempt to avoid dealing with problems but rather a recognition of the fact that conflicting opinions exist and that often the best way to make progress is to accept both sides of an argument so that the problem can be worked on from both sides. Failure to do this results in one side or the other winding up bitter, unhappy and resentful.
How can a black man not hold negative views about race issues in America? How can he not feel that his race has gotten the short end of the stick? Is it possible that someone like Barack Obama can feel this way AND also be a good President? Is it possible for him to acknowledge his racial heritage AND act in the best interest of the country as a whole?
I think that Obama has eloquently demonstrated that the higher levels of intellect that are required to hold this quality of duality when it comes to dealing with complex and important problems is something he is naturally accustomed to because he has had to do it all through his life. This is the type of thinking that is required if we are to work through our differences as a nation and unite in a common direction. Barack Obama understands this. This is why he will have the necessary insight and perspective to lead the entire country to a better place and why his candidacy is, to quote Bill Richardson, a “once in a lifetime opportunity” that we should not pass up.
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Filed under: Politcal Rants
