As I write this I have just finished watching Senator Obama give his acceptance speech. I must admit I had not watched much of the Democratic convention this year, but I did watch Senator Clinton motion to nominate Senator Barack Obama by acclamation as the Democratic candidate for the office of President of the United States of America. There were thunderous cheers, as though fans of ten superbowl games had suddenly witnessed a game-winning touchdown. At that moment I felt a sense of joy.
The commentators spoke of American history. That slavery had ended less than 150 years ago and Jim Crow laws were still in place as late as fifty years ago. Barack Obama had become the first black man to become the presidential candidate of a major political party in the United States of America. No one can deny that this was indeed a great moment in American history.
When the cheers erupted I felt joy, elation and pride, yet at the same time I felt despair and fear. Despair that this man who admits he does not know when life begins will do everything he can to support the killing of what he does not understand. I respect Senator Obama for admitting that he does not know when human life begins, but I am confused as to how he can reason that because he does not know when life begins he therefore can encourage the continued policy of abortion on demand. Even a hunter does not fire his gun until he knows what he is killing.
I felt fear because Senator Obama has not found it right to provide medical care to children born alive after an attempt on their lives through abortion. Surprisingly this seems to mean that Senator Obama does not want to protect the lives of our newest citizens. Yet Senator Obama spoke of the promises of this nation in his speech. He spoke of the promise of a good education, of health care for everyone. He spoke of ending our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. He spoke of many promises of his own, and what he would personally do for America.
Senator Obama did not speak of the 4000 unborn who are killed every day in the land of the free. He did not speak of the children left to die in soiled laundry bins of medical facilities. He did not speak of the women and men who suffer from the after-effects of abortion or how abortion affects families and our society. Perhaps Senator Obama did not speak of these things because he does not understand what abortion does to us.
I choose to believe that Senator Obama does not understand because I do not want to believe that he does not care about the fifty million children who have died over the past thirty-five years, or their mothers who have suffered. I choose to believe that Senator Obama has failed to study the fact that although black Americans are a smaller percentage of the population they kill themselves more often through abortion than their counterparts of European descent. I choose to believe that Senator Obama has not spoken with women and men who have come to regret their choice to have their children killed through abortion or grandparents who took their daughters to the abortion centers and will never hold their grandchildren in their arms. I choose to believe that Senator Obama would change his support of the killing of innocent unborn babies if he only knew what abortion is and what it does to our society.
I urge my white brothers and sisters to not let yourselves be bullied by accusations of racism for not supporting Barack Obama, and I urge my black brothers and sisters to not let yourselves be blinded by racial association. There are things unseen that are greater than this world, things of spirit and of Truth.
I choose to pray for Senator Barack Obama, that he may open his heart to God's grace, that his mind may be changed and his soul may be converted. But in the meantime, I, a black man,choose not to vote for the first black man to come this far, in this great moment in American history.
May God forgive us, for we know not what we do.
