Music of the Day: Metro, One a Day

My last two eruptions here elicited some comments from one DrT-Hag—it’s always nice to observe some lucidity from “Today’s Youth.”

With respect to the notion that Mr. Ludacris is writing “songs” because he wants Mr. Obama to win, that is clearly his motivation and, even more clearly, he seems to have it in mind to connect with those folks, black or otherwise, young or otherwise, who listen to rap and/or hip-hop. That’s all well and good, but as DrT-Hag has noted, what is likely at work here is that Mr. Ludacris supports Mr. Obama because Mr. Obama is black. That’s okay, maybe—but it seems to reduce Mr. Obama’s campaign, and the support of it in certain segments of our society, to the merely racial. This is a curious notion, especially in the year 2008; in most respects, American society is not nearly as racially divided as in previous times.

Furthermore, I would not vote for Mr. McCain simply because he’s white and I’m white, nor would I eschew voting for Mr. Obama simply because he’s black and I’m white—and frankly, I don’t know anyone who thinks that way. Perhaps there are white Americans who will not vote for Mr. Obama simply because he’s black, and while that’s bad enough as it is, perhaps there are black Americans who will vote for Mr. Obama simply because he’s black. And perhaps there are black Americans who will eschew voting for Mr. McCain simply because he’s white; and perhaps there are white Americans who will vote for Mr. Obama simply because he’s black. What makes all of this weird and unsettling is that it’s all based on skin color, the most superficial and obvious attribute that each of us has and it therefore reduces the presidential election to a matter of simply being able to tell the difference between one skin tone and another. That’s weird and I don’t think it’s good for our political system or for encouraging true citizenship.

With respect to DrT-Hag’s comments about European reactions to political speeches and postures by American political candidates, it’s too bad that so many on the Continent seem to read only our most liberal newspapers or, worse even still, watch some version of our wretched “news” from ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS, all of which is laced with, at best, mere liberal bias or, at worst, outright virulent opposition to all things Republican and/or conservative (both here and abroad—the calumny heaped upon the conservative leaders of France, Canada, Germany, and Australia is a familiar reprise for American conservatives). It does not surprise me, therefore, that many Europeans might have the impression that Mr. McCain is George W. Bush Redux. It also raises the questions: Why is Mr. Obama “campaigning” in Europe? Do those guys get to vote?!?! Since when?

The larger, and more important question, of course, for Europeans is will Americans come to their rescue, again, as we did in both WWI and WWII? It is conceivable that again, we’ll ask ourselves, “What’s in it for us?” and this time, we may not be able to come up with an answer sufficient to justify the sacrifices necessary to save Europe from its (and America’s) Islamic enemies. We were able to answer that question in the affirmative twice before, but perhaps the third time is the charm. . . .

And on that dour note, I now have to acknowledge the gift I received today from some good friends, some Americans who visited the beaches of Normandy and who brought me “sacred ground” from Omaha beach, some rock and sand from the place where so many Americans gave their lives to liberate their European brothers and sisters from the oppression of the Nazis and their ilk, and who simultaneously saved the cause of freedom around the world. What a wonderful gift for me and for them and for us. . . .

AJ

TO LIVE IN FREEDOM’S LIGHT IS THE RIGHT OF MANKIND.