[Peace-discuss] Language

[C. G. Estabrook]

Uh, why didn't Al just laugh, then?

What I actually said was,

"In spite of this record, there seemed to be a notable hesitation on the 
part of some members of AWARE to call Obama on his support for the war. 
Prompted by the complaints of one black Democrat after the town meeting, 
several members decided that leafleting Obama's rally had been 'rude' 
and that the leaflet 'demonized' him. They took the uncomfortable 
position that AWARE needed to treat black politicians differently from 
white politicians.

"With respect for my colleagues in AWARE, that's nonsense -- it's 
patronizing or hypocritical, if not racist. A senator in favor of 
continuing the war, as Obama is, has blood on his hands, whether he's 
black or white, from voting for continued appropriations and 
confirmation of the executives who make war. Anti-warriors who fail to 
say so because of the senator's race find themselves covertly supporting 
the war."

You can read my account of the incident in CounterPunch for 29 September 
2005, "Obama the Enabler: Illinois Anti-Warriors and the Attractive 
Senator" <http://www.counterpunch.org/estabrook09292005.html>. --CGE


Bob Illyes wrote:
> I grant your points, John. Susan's letter, which was in the News Gazette 
> last Sunday, follows my comments. Perhaps Mort should reconsider some of 
> his vocabulary. Not everyone we need to reach will understand it.
> 
> Al Kagan used to be a member of AWARE. He left because Carl claimed that 
> Al's ideas were racist (Al made the mistake of speaking well of Obama 
> and of liberals), and Al did not receive the sort of back-up from AWARE 
> membership that he deserved. Al is a professor of African Studies at 
> UIUC. His home is filled with African art. Carl's claim was laughable. I 
> wish you hadn't asked this, because I prefer to concentrate on the 
> future rather than the past, but since you did I can only speak plainly. 
> AWARE lost a number of other valuable members at the same time, 
> including Susan Davis.
> 
> Bob