Kristol on Race

In Bill Kristol’s column, “Let’s Not, and Say We Did,” he asserts that a national conversation will do little to promote racial tolerance, and that my generation is closest to sharing Dr. King’s dream of judging on character rather than color.

But while Senator Obama speaks of bringing together both sides of the political aisle, so too must we bridge the aisle between generations.

Many older people simply will not vote for Senator Obama because he is a black man or because they cannot pronounce his name. We have consistently seen record voter turnout among members of the youngest voting generation – an advantage largely benefiting Democratic candidates, especially Senator Obama. But his grandmother, and those of many others I’m sure, hold deeply-rooted prejudices that evolved because they never discussed them. I say a national conversation on race should take place, if not in schools and on television, then in retirement communities, VFW halls and bingo parlors.