I just heard a news reporter say that many people were getting upset over this picture of Barack Obama visiting Kenya:
I disregarded this as yet another petty topic of controversy that actually should have nothing to do with the election, but then the reporter said something that really shocked me and made me think. He said that the picture caused many to wonder if Obama is actually Muslim and then went on to assure the audience not to worry, because he is, in fact, a Christian.
Not only did this make me livid, it made me question the judgment of many voters. The blatant prejudice behind this statement makes me wonder how separate church and state really are. Is it just a coincidence that every single president (and all of those in the current election) has been a Christian?
It’s sad if many immediately associate Islam with the extremists who are constantly seen on the news, especially when this country has 5 million to 8 million Muslim citizens. If we are to be an accepting and just society, we must at least understand that, just as a Christian radical is nothing like the majority of Christians, “Muslim” does not mean radical jihadist by any means. By the way, the two religions are actually pretty similar.
This election proves that our country has matured enough to consider a woman and an African American as the next president, but how long will it take for us to be truly open-minded?
