8.06.2008

What Happened to Africa?

Obama is very cool. I support him because of his experience. For the first time, he has the experience of growing up overseas. For the first time since the days of Thomas Jefferson, he has a parent from another country. For the first time, that country is Africa. No one can match that.

So, what happened to Africa? In this election cycle, about that continent, I have heard . . . nothing. I've heard a lot about Europe, and the Middle East, and a bit about South America. And that's as it should be. But Africa is a country in great need, and usually ignored by this nation. I kind of thought that we would hear more about it with a President who is half-African. Not half African-American; rather, half-African.

I don't think Obama needs to worry about white voters or the electorate in general turning on him if he discusses Africa. Maybe if that was all he focused on, or if he focused on it too much. But the occasional mention would not injure, and would greatly help us in remembering the Forgotten Continent, where there is today so much misery. Barack Obama, where is your Africa Policy Statement?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Too true. Untill we in the west start to recognise and ACCEPT the tragedies of our policies towards african countries for the past few hundred years, nothing will change.
Its kind of funny how we've decided to just ignore the continent as a whole politically untill theres a famine or genocide.
Also, fifty years after the civil rights movement, why has the US or european governments not apologised to the African Countries who's people we stole for so many years? Its an outrage, but probably another reason why we live in privilaged wealthy societies and most of the rest of the worls doesnt, due to our colonial past and the economic and trade conditions we have forced on the world with our free market policies.

Jed Carosaari said...

Well said. I blogged on a similar issue just in the last few days- how McCain rejects recompense for the centuries of slavery, as more socialism.