Obama’s saving grace

I find myself increasingly critical of President Barrack Obama's policies and leadership style. Looks like he won't (can't?) pull the country together. Instead, he's going to hunker down and govern from his ideological left. He could still prove me wrong. For now I must say: "More's the pity."

But, there is one thing about the Obama presidency for which I remain very hopeful. His presidency has a good shot at transforming America into a country better able to cope with its racial past. He said some good things on Friday when asked by the national media whether opposition to his health-care proposals were racially motivated. He said, essentially, "of course not". How could it be since the last time similar proposals were made in the Clinton Administration, the same amount of heat was generated.

The debate is about health care and government involvement. Not about the color of the president's skin. The only reason race is a question is because the national health care advocates use it as a tactic to knock down opposition. It's a disgusting tactic.

Thanks to the president, most Americans see it that way.

At any rate, this a round-about way to also draw your attention to the St. Louis bus violence in which some teens (who were black) beat up another rider (who was white). Initially, police said the beating was racially motivated, and that set off a firestorm of hate crime debate.

The follow-up, however, shows that it was not racially motivated and not a hate crime. Police now say:

"On the issue of a hate crime: 'No evidence is present to suggest that the motive for the conduct was the race of the victim. Illinois law requires such evidence in order to support that charge. Illinois law is clear that the fact that a defendant and a victim are of different races is insufficient without more evidence to support a hate crime.'"

It was just bully kids on a bus doing what bully kids do. Looks like they will get their due. But it's nothing more than that. And that should be the end of it.

So, if you hear anyone trying to make more out of this incident than is really there, call their cards on it. Just like the president is denouncing those on the left who would use race to further their health-care agenda.

If there is a saving grace to the Obama Administration, it is that perhaps, just perhaps, we can see things that contain racial elements more clearly and more objectively.