Posted by
Bryn T. Jones on Monday, January 19, 2009 10:17:39 PM
We stand tonight on the eve of an
historic Presidential Inauguration: The first bi-racial man to take the
oath of office will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United
States. For many, this signifies an end to racism and a beginning of a
post-racial world prophesied by Martin Luther King Jr. I would like to
join in the exhuberance of this momentus occasion, but something holds
me back. Something about the overt display of glitz and hype seems
anathema to a serious transfer of power.
The inauguration, the most costly in
history, feels like another grand show from the campaign, an elaborate
prop to distract us into thinking something beneficial is happening.
Yet the reality is that President Elect Obama falls short of Martin
Luther King's vision. He was not selected due to the content of his
character. In fact, his campaign ran a slick counter-offensive using
race and his name to foster an outpouring of media favor. He became the
outcast with a stadium cheering him on. Songs were written about him
and the mantra of hope and change became a religious belief in a man
who came close to describing himself in mesianic terms. Nothing about
the man's character, from his drug using youth to his radical days in
Chicago would recommend him to high office or cause one to see past his
race.
Rather, his race sat front and center,
and still does. Had this election been a step into a post-racial era,
we wouldn't be commenting on his skin color at all.
If his character was the reason for his
election to office, ads would not be touting the event tomorrow as
'starring our Commander In Chief.'
So, while I recognize the importance of
Barak Obama's election, and tomorrows celebration, I simply wish the
pomp was not only due to circumstance. I wish we had not debased our
national leader to the level of a celebrity whose qualifications are
secondary if needed at all. The result is that history is being made in
symbol only and we must hope the world doesn't change too much for the
worse.