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Showing posts from October, 2008

A Presidential Debate on Domestic Policy That Does Not Mention Issues Related to Race Or Class.

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As I watched the second of the three scheduled presidential debates last night, I thought to myself, “what a charade.” I’ll probably end up holding my nose and voting for the Obama-Biden ticket, but nothing the Senators from either Illinois or Arizona said last night made me feel confident that they really understand or care how race and class continue to shape life chances and opportunities in American society. The lack of a substantive discussion of issues related to race or class was very unsettling and should disturb anyone seriously committed to racial and social justice in American society. For example, consider that the subprime mortgage meltdown has a huge racial dimension. This fact has been ignored by both candidates. As I’ve mentioned in this blog before, for the last 40 years, homeownership has been the ticket to middle-class stability for many black and Latino families. Studies show that the subprime meltdown is disproportionately affecting people of color: their total los