Keep Dreaming

The general consensus in the media seems to be that the election of President Barack Obama signifies the realization of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. I say, "Keep dreaming."

Barack Obama is a black man, and he was elected president. That is a tremendous leap forward for a nation that only fifty years ago still struggled with racism and segregation. There is a very clear reason why this does not realize Dr. King's dream. It matters that Barack Obama is black. Until the day when a black man elected president is not a black man, but just a man, keep dreaming. Until the day when Americans look at one another and truly see Americans - and not African Americans or Latino Americans or Asian Americans - but Americans, keep dreaming.

Beyond this, when a man takes no issue with forging relationships with dubious characters or distancing himself from friends for political expediency, or with seeking to disqualify his political opponents rather than defeating them in a free and fair election, I find it hard to believe that more than half of Americans are judging their leaders by the content of their character. Keep dreaming.