I want to believe Obama

I read the transcript of Obama's speech, and I cried. I cried because he said much more eloquently anything I've ever tried to explain about race relations in this country. I cried because it resonated with me. It resonated with me because I have had that cringe moments for family I loved. I understand the tip-toeing around conversations about race, because I'm afraid to face my own racism, and I'm afraid to expose my own ignorance and bigotry. I can remember when I was still religious, and when those bright moments of hope that I got from being part of a community were blighted by the horrible things the pastor said. And I understand the crushing cynicism that I fight against every time I read about this or that thing, or feel the sting of sexism, or hear about racism.

I want this to be the dominant discourse of American politics: not the sloganeering, not the focus testing, but real conversations about the problems in the United States.