Published: May 08, 2008 11:37 am         

Why judge one man by what the other man says?

My husband and I, like so many other Americans, have been watching this year's political race, with intense interest. It's a historical election.

We have John McCain, an American hero, who would be our oldest elected president. Then we have Barack Obama, who would be our first African-American president. And we have Hillary Clinton, who would be our first female president. What concerns me is the way we are looking at and treating Barack Obama.

This man is honest, loyal, dignified, and truly wants to make a difference in Washington and in this country. He tries to speak about the issues and his vision for America, but all we hear on the news is about his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Are we so easily influenced that we can't think for ourselves? Have we not grown and learned anything?

For all our denials, race is apparently still a huge issue in our country. A lot of people grew up during the civil rights movement. Reverend Wright lived it. I've talked to people in our community who lived it.

One woman told me that when she was a little girl living in Keyser, the white children walked on one side of Main Street to go to school and the black children walked on the other side to go to their school. For these people, this is their history. This is in our lifetime. Reverend Wright speaks about it because he lived it.

Who are we to judge his experiences? We are all products of our pasts. Who are we to judge Barack Obama for what Reverend Wright says and does? Don't we all have people in our lives who make outrageous remarks? How often do we tell them we find it offensive? Do we turn our backs on them or do we overlook their remarks? Listen to what Senator Obama has to say about his vision for our country. Read his books. He has shown true strength of character.

Wake up, America! Are we so used to being pandered to and lied to that the truth scares us? Changes need to be made in Washington and in America soon. We need Barack and more politicians like him who will work to make America better instead of working to boost their bank accounts and their egos.

Terry and Beverly Fuller
Keyser, W.Va.