For centuries race has been the very thin line between love, hate, and acceptance. Whether we like to admit or not the color of ones skin becomes the first and lasting impression in many public settings. Take the current political bonfires in both the Republican and Democrat party hopefuls who have begun their 2008 campaign for the White House. I recently came across several articles on whether or not Barak Obama the Democrat party presidential candidate was black enough to run as a black candidate. Because a man who is running for the office of President of the United States who just so happens to be bi-racial there is an implied notion that because your half of one ethnicity, it completely negates the other half. As a multi-racial American myself who is Filipino, Russian, Irish, and German it is incredibility demeaning to say because part of you this one race, your other race is void.

Traditionally speaking, it is understandable at the same time there has been so much of a frenzy over the issue, since for so long a large portion of America has been hoping for a successful African American candidate who has the same level of publicity as Obama but who wasn’t half white. Which I guess would mean they are electing his white side rather than his black ethnicity? But, the controversy basically is another way of saying, “You aren’t black enough.” Which is really wrong on so many levels I can barely wrap my head around it.

Never once during the Presidential election in 2000 and 2004 did I hear President George W. Bush get criticism for not being white enough or not being Texan enough. I don’t see what the hustle and bustle is all about, really. If someone is capable and qualified for the particular position why base their abilities on the color of their skin or where they may or may not have come from? I suppose that’s too much hopeful, progressive thinking on my part.

When we are still very young, and fresh faced to the world we are taught not to judge people by how they look and to accept everyone for who they are on the inside. But apparently that only applies if you aren’t applying for a highest ranked civilian position in the country. —Eming Piansay