Hard to Believe in 2008

I've always been known to be very vocal about my political stance. Not only do I take pride in knowing what's going on around me, but I feel like it's important to know what the political landscape is today. I don't want to be another young American statistic that does not vote, that does not care, that does not get involved. With that said, I ran across a CNN article that truly disturbed me: "Most Clinton voters in Kentucky not willing to support Obama"

The article points out that more than two-thirds of Clinton supporters will not back Obama if he wins the Democratic Party nomination. They would rather vote for McCain or not vote at all.
Can you believe that? Not vote AT ALL.
Do they feel Obama's campaign is that off scale that they would not vote for any candidate?

Granted, you all know who I am supporting in the 2008 election
(Barack Obama), if Hilary Clinton were to win the Democratic Party nomination, I feel so strongly about the Democratic platform that I will support Clinton if she does indeed win the nomination. But for some reason or another, some other Democrats don't feel the same way. And I've been trying to avoid the feeling that this all boils down to one thing -race. I'd hate to say race is what people are basing their opinions and drawing their conclusions from, but I can't escape the thought that race is playing a tremendous role in this election. Is America ready for a Black-American President? In my mind -what's the difference? In other people's minds -it's all the difference in the world.

I listen to NPR on a daily basis and last week they were conducting interviews with voters after the Tuesday West Virginia Primaries. A woman who voted for Clinton actually said she would not vote for Obama because he's a Muslim. Another person stated they could not possibly vote for someone who was not Christian. Other people had a tone of disgust in their voice when rejecting the idea that they would vote for Obama in the fall if he were to be the Democratic nominee.

Although Obama is a member of a Christian congregation, let's say for argument's sake is Muslim. So what? Is America still not separating Church and State? Are we still that ignorant of a nation that we cannot embrace all religions in this melting-pot we live in? So a Muslim American kid growing up in American Suburbia today can't have any hope of being the president one day? If it's not religion, then is it because Obama is a Black man? No, it can't be, because if it was because he was black -we'd all be considered racists right? So let's blame it on his religion and no one will say a thing. Strange isn't it? Think about how contrary that is...how we justify our prejudices...

It's so hard to believe this type of thinking exists in the 21st century...2008. Where we have hybrid cars, we know the exact topography of Mars without ever going there, we can split atoms, we can buy groceries online! How can these issues fall at our waist side without ever questioning our rationale and our thinking? Just food for thought...