Let's be clear about the effect of the racism directed against President Obama and his family

[rtassi]

61. Big Tree ... a very fine piece of thinking ... and writing ...

If it were an Italian or Jewish American President (which by the way we haven't had yet) ... they'd be called equally demeaning names I'm certain ... The fact the a black man won the Oval office in advance of those particular ethnic groups, considering the amount of influence and power they have been capable of exerting, is extraordinary in my view ... Perhaps one of the defining traits of the President and First lady, is not devoting their thinking to the "what is" but rather to the "what could be" or what they "intend" things to be ... Most of us spend our time thinking about, and accepting what we have been taught to think, and then complacently accepting only what we see now .. as reality ... not much evolution in that!

I believe President Obama and his family have elevated to a great extent the ability of any person in this country regardless of accepted, acknowledged, or even self imposed limiting factors, to become who they want to be ... It's a matter of knowing, choice, and then focus ... On that alone, they have been enormously successful, and all have benefited one way or another!

The issues of racism, as with all other things, are multi faceted ... victims, oppressors, active or passive participants ... are all required for it to thrive!

That your writing was even questioned as to its originality, though back peddled artfully, was not so subtly telling ...