Racial Sensitivity and Your President

Today, I was fortunate enough to speak with a young woman who happened to be African-American. We began discussing the upcoming election, and she voiced her obvious bent toward Obama's campaign - understandable, certainly.

Then she raised a point which I have been espousing for months now, ever since I knew that an African-American would be running for president. I have heard very few people bring up this point, and I have NEVER heard it mentioned in the mainstream media. Each time I discuss the election with my friends, I make sure to bring this point up, because it is absolutely crucial.

If elected, Mr. Obama could very well be murdered.

I said YES! God, thank you for saying this! I've been saying this forever but nobody seems to have thought of it!

To which she replied Nobody WHITE thinks about it. All my black friends are already praying for him.

Can this possibly be true? Is it a "White" thing? Are there Caucasians who don't recognize the severe racial hatred that still lurks around the south, the "Heartland", even the Northeast? How can anyone NOT be afraid of this scenario playing out to the most grisly of conclusions?

The Ku Klux Klan still exists. Hate crimes are committed every day in America. There are god knows how many backwater hillbillies with pointy teeth, just drooling at the chance to kill a black president. We must all be sensitive to the plight of this poor man because, though you may not have realized the possibility of his imminent demise, you can bet your soft ass that he wakes up in a cold sweat at the slightest sound that crosses his eardrum in the dead of night. God only knows what demonic plans are being hatched for him at this very moment.

And let's not forget the first lady.

There are a good many twisted rednecks who would swear a blood oath to be buried alive with their confederate flags before they saw a WOMAN as the commander-in-chief of this country's armed forces. Though I must admit - an attempt on her life seems a bit more far fetched. It would take a new and special breed of monster to kill a fairly innocent woman and mother.

It may be comforting to some would-be assassins to know that Hillary's first-man will be none other than Playboy Bill; the original "President-you-want-to-have-a-beer-with". Certainly, her life is in less jeopardy than poor Barack's, especially when so many Americans seem to believe that Mr. Clinton will be running the country if Mrs. Clinton wins the election for him (ask around - it's true!).

There have been no less than sixteen attempts on presidents' lives since 1865, which comes out to a roughly 36% chance of an assassination attempt to begin with, not considering racial or gender hatred. Some presidents have been targets more than once (officially). Four of these attempts have been successful (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy). That gives you a fatality rate of 9.3%. Compare that to lumberjacks at around .12%, and fisherman at .07% (both per 100,000). Being president is EASILY the most dangerous job in America.

But don't let this affect how you vote...