Obama and the "Race Card"

This is not a commentary on the politics of the Democratic party of of Barak Obama... I'm not even really sure what he stands for, other than "change" anyway. But rather an observation about race.

Why is it that the Clinton campaign seemed to bring up the "race card" first? Is it perhaps because Barak Obama is not really black? Let me further explain.

Barak Obama's father is from Kenya, so he is part black. But his mother is a white-girl from Kansas. To say that Barak Obama is black is a slap in the face to the 50% of his genetic makeup that did not come from Africa. He is every much a white person as he is a black person... he is biracial.

My two children are biracial. I never refer to them as black. They are not. If I need to refer to them by description, I'll say something like "he's the little tan boy over there" or "my daughter is the little tan girl." Tan is a color that describes their color.

They are not black... in fact, they have more European DNA in them than African DNA. I'm about as European as they come... every single one of my ancestors have been in America for five generations, and at that point, some of them immigrated here from Germany in the 1800s. Some of my ancestors have been here in America for 15 generations... they came from England to Jamestown in the 1600s. I've been an amateur genealogist for about 15 years, and I know that I'm about as European as they come. One of my ancestors did come from Italy in the 1100s, lol. But that's still Europe. My husband, on the other hand, is NOT as African as they come. He does have some French DNA floating around him. His family comes from Louisiana, and that's where the French comes in. So to say that my children are black is a lie... they are more white, more European, than they are African.

In Barak Obama's case, his father comes from Kenya, so he might not have any European blood on his father's side. But he is 50% white.

Sometimes I wonder, what are we, back in the slave days? Because back then, if your great-great grandpa was black, and every other member of your family was white, you'd still be considered black. That's not black, that's mostly white.

I know that it's easier for most of the media, and probably for many Americans, to see the world in terms of strictly black and white. But it's not that way, especially now. Even those little demographic boxes that ask you what race you are are starting to catch up. 15 years ago, most of them would say "check one", but now, more increasingly, they're starting to say "check all that apply". Which is how it should be... if you're going to bring race into the equation at all.

The country might be fawning all over themselves, congratulating themselves on how enlightened they are to have a "black" person running for president, but they have a long way to come. Maybe when we stop forcing people into boxes that they only half-belong in, we can start congratulating ourselves.

Sex Education for Kindergarteners?

The other day, Senator Barak Obama told a group of Planned Parenthood members that he supported sex education for Kindergarteners.

Now, I don't believe in lying to children. Before ds was born, I bought my daughter a Happy Family Midge doll (you know, the Barbie doll with the baby in the belly). She is not stupid, she saw my stomach get bigger. She went to all my ultrasounds. She got to use the little doppler machine to hear her brother's heartbeat.

Furthermore, I think that children should be taught that there are places that nobody should be touching them. My daughter knows that nobody should be touching her where a bathing suit covers. It's the responsible thing to do whenever you hear a news story about some pervert touching little girls in the aisles of Toys R Us, or dd is in the bathtub asking daddy to "tickle my butt"... the response to that one is "no honey, only you are allowed to touch yourself there".

But the problem with teaching all this stuff to Kindergarteners is what to teach them exactly. Parents are not going to agree on that. Some parents want correct terminology used. Some parents are going to want their child to be taught that sometimes two mommies love each other, or two daddies. Other parents will want their children to know that you are supposed to be married when you have a baby, and of course the single parents don't want their children being taught that.

So while there are things that Kindergarteners should be taught, the proper place for them to learn it is at home. I think the schools should just teach "good touch bad touch" and leave the rest alone. I knew a 4 year old who was touching the other 4 year olds in her class in inappropriate ways... they need to know that. The other stuff is just too controversial.