Racism starts young

My 5th grader came home from school and told me that all the kids were saying that people should vote for Obama because he’s black.

I asked, “Do they know anything else about him?”

“No,” she replied.  “They’re just saying [read:  their parents are just saying] that people should vote for him because he’s black.”

My next question:  “Should people vote against him because he’s black?”

“Oh, no,” she answered.  “That’s racist.”

“Then why,” I asked, “is it any less racist to vote for him simply because of the color of his skin?  Any decision we make about someone solely because of their skin color is racist. People should be voting for him based on his experience, skill, and beliefs, not because of his skin color.”

Either because she’s smart, or because she’s a “yes” girl when it comes to her own mother, my daughter agreed that I had a point.  That’s good.  What’s sad is that it seems as if a substantial number of kids in her school are being taught that the only thing that matters is a person’s race.  Martin Luther King is rolling in his grave at this inversion of his Dream.