Please Stop Pointing out the Cover of People's Skin, When the Conversation Is about the Content of Their Character

While many Democrats and liberals may not understand this, for a conservative who closely follows politics, Barack Obama is a nightmare.  This is a man who stands for the killing of babies and consistently refused to support legislation that would define an infant who survives a late-term induced-labor abortion as a human being, believes in socialism and writes in his book that he sought out his Marxist professors, tries to portray the Bible in a controversial and questionable light (see his speech from Jun 28 2006), and has now appointed a judge who believes that prayers spoken before legislative sessions should not say “Jesus” or “Savior”. While these viewpoints may delight some, they are the antithesis of my beliefs, and those of many across the nation. I don't understand how any Christian or conservative could feel differently. 

However it's interesting to note that people of color are regularly suggesting that folks who do not agree with policies of Barack Obama are racist. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best, that we should judge a person not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I understand and empathize with the deep feelings of emotion that people of color feel when they see our first black president.  In fact I believe that it's high time our country put our money where our mouth is when it comes to race and politics.  But as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. alluded, the color of the man's skin should not be the reason he is supported. 

I think that many have lost sight of this.  I have repeatedly heard African-Americans say that they voted for Obama because they wanted “someone that looked like them”.  Is this the right reasoning? I also repeatedly heard during the election that Obama would not win because “they aren't going to let a black man win”.  This was clearly an absurd statement, and did not reflect the opinion of the majority of Americans, black, white or otherwise. 

Recently my wife was discussing policy issues she does not agree with that the Obama administration holds, with a black friend.  It wasn't very far into the discussion when the question came up “is all this about 1 man/woman or is this a racist statement about a President that happens to be a Black man?” I was shocked.  If you are a diehard conservative, you are unlikely to ever support a liberal, and vice versa. 

America needs to regain focus here.  Other than an interesting historical fact, the color of Barack Obama’s skin really doesn't matter, except perhaps to a few radical people who either love or hate him because of the narrow viewpoint.  The rest of us need to come together and understand that it is the content of his character, the things that he does, the beliefs and viewpoints that he holds that can shape the destiny of this country in a very positive or very negative way. 

And for God's sake, please stop pointing out the cover of people's skin, when the conversation is about the content of their character.