Barack, and well, just all of them

So, I'm putting aside my grading to create a post, which I began formulating while rollarblading this morning.

I was forwarded an email this morning about some apparent quotes taken from the books Barack has written. I do hesitate to include this because I do doubt the authenticity; however, I'm only inserting it to discuss some issues to follow. My brother-in-law forwarded some more trustworthy data to be found at: http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_obama_write_that_he_would_stand.html

From Dreams of My Father: 'I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa, that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'

From Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

After all of that these are the thoughts and questions I have...

First this, I want to know what percentage of blacks are NOT voting for Obama.

Last weekend a black girl (I'd honestly say no more than 25 years old) arrives at my house asking if I'm registered to vote (I am, but in Virginia). She asks if I've decided who I'm voting for and I said I hadn't. She then asks me how I feel about the last 8 years or the price of oil. So, in response I say, "Well, I don't feel like I know enough about what's been going on to really make an informed opinion about how I feel about what's been going on the last eight years." And, my thought, as she is asking me this, "Is how in the hell do you have any idea what's been going on for the past 8 years. You were 17 years old 8 years ago, most likely worrying about what party you were going to that weekend. I also mentioned that maybe the problem isn't the cost of oil, but the fact that we use too much of it. It's only then that I see her huge truck parked on our street (I actually pointed to it, because I saw it, but only then realized it must be hers).

I actually feel incredibly fine about my life the last 8 years. Now, I realize I have huge advantages that some people haven't had. However, I also don't see how the economy, war, and etc., etc. really could be affecting this girl.

With that said, I've been reading Lies My Teacher Told Me (I have to), which takes a very liberal stance on pretty much everything (Columbus, American Revolution, Civil Rights, and more I haven't gotten to yet) and thinking a lot about racism in the United States. Blacks are angry, and I think they are rightfully so. The effects of racism are so incredibly hurtful and debilitating, and I don't think we've come far enough. I think there's a very high liklihood blacks will vote for Obama strictly because he is black. Maybe having a black President would help race relations and equality.

Now, I just finished watching the V.P. debates, and let me just say that I LIKE Sarah Palin. There I did it. I trust her and I trust her judgement. I don't think I trust Obama. He seems to propose drastic measures to improve the state of middle-class America, but once in office I don't believe he'll be able to do it. I also doubt his judgement on foreign policy and the war.

Okay, that's all I have to say.