In Aftermath of Zimmerman Trial a Disappointing Poll About Race

      There are lots of reason for optimism about the country in recent years. Just the very act of electing President Obama as our first black President shows how far we've come as has the astonishingly quick turn the country has made in support of gay marriage-including in the African-American community.

     Back in May 2012, many pundits were claiming that Obama could hurt his standing with African-Americans if he came out full throttle for gay marriage. Rather than change their assessment of the President, the African-American community changed it's assessment of gay marriage. The country has also gone 180 on immigration reform since 2007 when public sentiment against amnesty enabled the GOP to kill reform.    As Paul Krugman has said, we're a better country in so many ways today. 

     However, progress doesn't move in a straight line. Clearly, we still have a lot of growing to do in many areas. I must say I'm disappointed to see that there is such a disparity in views regarding the Zimmerman case. I understand there are differences of opinion. That's understood and healthy. However, that the polls on this case are so divided on racial lines shows us that the country still has significant racial divisions. 

     "Findings released Monday by Pew Research Center showed a massive divide in the public's reaction to the acquittal of George Zimmerman along racial and partisan lines."

     "The survey found a split to the verdict overall: 39 percent said they were satisfied that the jury found Zimmerman not guilty on all counts in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, while 42 percent said they were dissatisfied."

     "The divide can be seen even more starkly when the responses are broken down by race. For example, a whopping 86 percent of blacks said they were dissatisfied with the verdict while nearly half of whites — 49 percent — said they were satisfied. Democrats and Republicans were divided on the question, as well. Sixty-one percent of Republicans said they were satisfied with the verdict, compared with 68 percent of Democrats who said they were dissatisfied."

      http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/poll-shows-massive-racial-partisan-divide-on-zimmerman?ref=fpb

      Yet, you know me. I tend to be a glass is half full type of a guy. This really isn't that bad. Yes there is a divide. However, whites basically divided 50-50. That's really not so bad. 

      Compare it to the divide we had during the OJ Simpson trial. Full disclosure: I'm a Mulatto-that is mixed, black and white. To digress, it's always a frustration for me that forms that ask about your ethnic and racial makeup want you to choose between 'black' and 'white.'  

     I usually just say I'd rather not say-though that's not true. I have no problem saying but I don't want to leave out either of my heritages. You could argue that someone in my position should go with 'black'-even though I'm only about 20% of African origin as we have the history in this country where 1 drop of blood is supposed to defile-plus, maybe it's worse to deny your blackness in principle with such a history. 

      Yet, it's not really right. I don't see why I have to deny my British heritage-which I have on both sides of my parents-my Mother is herself a Mulatto born in Jamaica at at time when the Island was under British rule-she has a lot of English and Scottish in her background on both her parents side. 

     As for 'African-American' I respect this heritage but it's not mine. To say it is would also be false-I have an African heritage but not African-American. 

     Ok, enough venting on that. For the record I disagreed with the OJ verdict-so I agreed with White America in that case but with Black America in this one. 

     Hopefully Zimmerman's fate will be similar to OJ's-basically get him on 'tax evasion.' President' Obama's comments on race were very welcome and well said. 

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/07/19/obama-takes-on-race/

    For the most part I don't really tend to identify myself with other races too much. As I said while I respect African American history it isn't mine-though my ancestors were slaves in Jamaica. Obama, on the other hand I tend to feel close to. Even when people like Cornell West attack him I especially identify with him. I know what it's like to feel you don't fit in with anyone. 

   

   To be not white enough for white people or black enough for black people. Sometimes Io'm mistaken for Latino-which while I love that culture especially the rice and the women-I have no affiliation with either.   Also, Obama isn't African-American either-he's African. I think of myself as kind of the ultimate cosmopolitan-a Citizen of the World.