Democratic Pride

In response to the following in the New York Times:

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/obama-aide-criticizes-ferraro-comments/

I am a middle-aged, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant male southerner. I suppose that means I’m lucky to be who I am. Perhaps I shouldn’t be shocked to find out that so many persons who present themselves on this thread as Democrats are such obvious racists. But I am shocked. Having been a Democrat since as far back as memory carries me, to Adlai Stevenson running against Ike, I was brought up to believe that we are the party of civil rights and a fair opportunity for black people, women, and all who are oppressed by discrimination. We were for JFK, LBJ, and HHH but not the KKK. I was proud that my parents didn’t believe that blacks were inferior and wanted to allow black kids to go to school with white kids and to be able to eat and sleep and ride and drink and watch movies anywhere they could afford to. I was proud when Kennedy sent Nicholas Katzenbach to make George Wallace get out of the doorway and let black students into the University of Alabama. I was proud when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act. I’ll always remember watching him sign a little bit of his name with a pen, then hand that pen to an aid and write a little bit more of his name with the next pen. I was proud to cast my first vote for George McGovern as the candidate who wanted us to get out of the morass of the Vietnam War. My parents slipped up and voted for Richard Nixon, but they soon regretted it and vowed never to vote for another Republican. I was proud to vote for Jimmy Carter from my home state of Georgia and incredibly proud when he actually won the election. I was proud to vote for Fritz Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro, the first female on a major party ticket, and would have gladly voted for Ms. Ferraro had she been running for the top spot. I have voted in every Presidential election since I turned 18 and have never voted for the GOP or any non-Democratic candidate. Today, I am proud to support Sen. Barack Obama for the office of President of the United States of America. I am not a racist or a sexist. I am not supporting Sen. Obama because he is black and I have a need to cleanse my guilt about actions taken by my ancestors. I am not supporting him because I believe he is entitled to the job. I am supporting Sen. Obama because I believe he is the best human being and the most qualified person for the job out of the three major party candidates left standing. I respect those who disagree with me and who support Sen. Clinton or Sen. McCain for President. However, I do not respect the views of anyone who thinks a woman or a black person should not be elected President simply because of race or gender. Reading the comments on this thread is a rude awakening to the reality that many Democrats are racists and sexists. I already knew this abstractly from studying the results of the primary elections but it’s much more jarring to know it from reading what people choose to post in a highly visible public location. The comments made by Geraldine Ferraro were racist and sexist and they have no place in the Democratic Party or any reputable party. They should be repudiated strongly by every Democrat and not allowed to stand. If the Democratic Party cannot get this one right, many of us will have to ask ourselves in all seriousness whether we still belong. For me, the answer will be no.