Column in The (Shreveport) Times (12-2-08): Obama (family)sets new example

Your thoughts in a column in the local Gannett paper (The Times) this Tuesday, with the heading "Obama sets new example" is very timely.

You point out to people complaining that there is little "change" seen so far in the coming Obama administration, the change is Obama himself.

But it is your point that the Obama family is also a change. This young, black, happy family should not only be a good example for young black citizens who now see over 70% of black women having babies with being married, but it tells young black men who have been raised in a single parent family, without a father around, that another black child raised in such an environment is now the president of the United States, possibly the most powerful person in the world. And he got there by being intelligent, not ignoring educational opportunities.

I would like to direct your attention to how this also could be relevant to the issue of same sex marriage. It is clear that many black male heterosexual preachers have failed with their preaching to get their community to honor marriage. Yet these same men put their energy in opposing homosexual men and women whodo want marriage.

Is it possible that these men are on the defensive because they have failed and are jealous that members of another minority community do want to practice what they preach? What a thought-black Christians who seek a special right-to marry, that was denied them under Christian slave owners, and want to deny this right to homosexuals.