Wednesday, Boston, Massachusetts

Although she is still hanging in there, it certainly seems that Senator Hillary Clinton’s race for the presidency is over. Unless something shocking happens (and of course that could happen), the election will have John McCain face Barack Obama. Most of us are pretty exhausted from the protracted Democratic nomination race. Hopefully there’s some good news in this turn of events. It means that perhaps we now can discuss issues that are significant to the present and future of the United States. But the cold reality is that the campaign will be reduced to the usual foolishness.

Regardless of what inane distractions emerge, one of the most disturbing concerns has to do with the widespread racial animus that still plagues our society. My wife and I had each heard individuals make reference to their refusal to vote for an African-American. And that’s where their opinion begins and ends. Where the candidate stands on the issues; where the candidate desires to take the country, has little or no relevance to them. But the fact that he is a person of color means that it’s a nonstarter for them. Even if it means voting against their own interests economically and socially, a black man will simply not get their vote. If ever there was justification for rethinking the right of stupid people to vote, here it is.

In fact, how disheartening and utterly unpatriotic to consider that millions of people use their precious right to vote to vent their ignorance, based on their prejudice against all people of a particular race. Are you kidding me? What’s going on here? Let’s be candid. Because such people are utterly unreflective, they often make a bizarre connection between images of African Americans they see on television, mostly focusing on negative stereotypes like urban gang members, foulmouthed rap stars and disreputable civil rights leaders, and lump Obama together with images they find distasteful and even frightening. And again, it reveals limited thinking and an inability to use the tool of one’s vote with any degree of competence.

Every administrator and teacher in every high school in America knows well the kids, who for any number of reasons, essentially trashed their education without regard for its consequences later in life. And sure enough they are seen later on in their community living the predictable legacy of being rebellious, obnoxious adolescents. Do we really expect that these people, hostile to authority and education, will make an intelligent choice when they vote?

There has been a lot of coverage during his primary race about courting certain blocks of voters. We’ve heard about candidates pursuing voting blocs of white women, black men, working-class white men… on and on. Well good for them. Every constituency should be addressed, and issues that are important to them spoken about. But care must be taken with this approach, lest it be shallow pandering to the worst traits of the most ignorant walking among us. If all this sounds arrogant, so be it. I for one I’m sick and tired of the attention we give to the bigoted, the hostile and those too stupid to vote for what would help them and the rest of us. Whether you vote for McCain or Obama, are your reasons ethical? Is your vote moral?