Barrack Obama’s Speech on Racism

For two hundred and twenty one years, the United States of America has long been haunted by the blunders of racism. Within the past years, racism has caused a divisive line that sheltered hatred, anger and injustice within the hearts of Americans – whites, blacks and browns. And though the American constitution has promised the American people justice and liberty, the ideal of attaining an equal citizenship amongst the people has not been made possible.

And yet, despite the years of struggle for fair race treatment, the vast land of America has still been tied to the bondage of racist commentaries and visions. And Barrack Obama’s speech has been keen on pin pointing the areas of blunders wherein racism waved stronger. Barrack Obama’s speech indeed fueled the issue of racism, not only through keen observation of what has happened in his environment, but also due to the fact that he was also part of the circle that harbored the evils of racism.

The speech is keen on presenting the controversies and atrocities brought by upholding too much for one’s own race, unmindful whether it damaged and wounded the principles upheld by other race. Racism is not merely the fault of either the blacks or the whites; but rather, racism has been for ages an intense issue because both of the two sides were biased enough to hold grudges in their hearts. Racism is indeed endemic. It has caused concerns ranging from education, poverty, inequality and war.
Adults and children of both genders and different hues, have suffered widely due to biased racial views. And it is even more heightened due to the human’s tendency of keeping angst and hatred in their hearts, and their natural tendency of pointing the bluff and blaming the other race for their sufferings. Although it is indeed true that at some point of their lives, the blacks suffered from extreme biasness and racist judgments. History has shown that blacks have been deprived of equal opportunities that whites enjoyed.
On the other hand, at some instances, whites have also been neglected and their growth impeded. But nonetheless, it is never proper and just to point the blame on neither of the races. If the people coming from different races will continue blaming other races for their misfortunes and lack of opportunities, their nation will be put into the deepest of slump. Prosperity and progress shall never come to a nation divided by color, gender, race and ethnicity. Racial issue is a part of the nation’s history; growth or demise; success or failure. As such, it is an issue that no one can ignore.
And given that it is becoming more and more elated and heightened, the nation should come to a point of putting a decisive end against racial issue continuing to divide the people and the land. And as Obama stated, it is never possible to throw away a part of your personality. Being white or black is never one’s choice. It came from birth and from it, comes also the opportunities and challenges – positive or negative – that came uniquely with one’s identity and race. And whatever one has achieved in his/her life is due to his/her own choices and own calls.
Indeed, America has come to a crucial point of ceasing racism and ethnocentrism from ripping off the country. As Obama stated, the people is entitled for an option. The people can opt to choose on having to shelter guilty feelings and hatred towards the other race or citizens of a color different to theirs. Or people can choose to embrace the differences and march along a line towards equality and cultural relativism. Equality reaches far more concerns other than giving education to children and youth, provision for jobs, and assurance for proper healthcare to all of the people.
Equality should mean that each and every person in the country recognizes each other’s differences in color, race and ethnicity, and not minding those differences at all. If this is achieved, then the nation is ought to move towards progress. And this time, a kind of progress that extends to every citizen, every individual, regardless of gender, ethnic or race. This time, a nation that grows stronger in union is to be built. Reference Obama, Barrack. 18 March 2008. Transcript of Barrack Obama’s Speech. CNN. com. Retrieved April 14, 2007 from <http://www. cnn. com/2008/POLITICS/03/18/obama. transcript/index. html>