International Law

Barack Obama's Speech On Race Relations

By Garry J. Wise, Wise Law Office, Toronto

Like so much in this U.S. Presidential nomination cycle, reaction to Barack Obama's speech yesterday on race in America was all in the eye of the beholder.

My friend, Barry Brown, was exuberant:

I said Barak Obama had to give his inaugural address now and that's just what he did.

His speech on race had been compared to King's Dream for the modern era. Flanked by the flags, he looked completely presidential. He set the tone of what his Administration will be about. Completely consistent with everything else he's said and proposed.

Let's reason together and understand together.

What a novel concept after the Bush years. How tragic that it is so. But how wonderful the long night is ending and a new dawn emerging.

My reaction...

What's all the fuss?

I absolutely agree with everything Barack Obama said.

I've also heard it all said equally well before - by American leaders on race relations from Bill Cosby to Bill Clinton - and I agreed with them too.

It was a good speech, but hardly electrifying, hardly groundbreaking. It was not even one of Mr. Obama's most inspiring, in my view.

I do not see this speech as changing anything in this election.

Or in America.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Full post as published by Wise Law Blog on March 19, 2008 (boomark / email).