Reality and Dreams!

I heard a story on NPR today regarding members of the "white supremacist" movement who hope that Obama will be elected president. They argue that his election will energize their movement and convince the general public that they have been right all along. This NPR report includes the following, "Part of the problem is that Obama is playing into the neo-Nazi and white supremacist narrative, said Brian Levin, who studies hate and extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.
What the groups were saying — "Jews and blacks coming out of the urban areas are going to take over this white nation of ours" — has occurred, he said.
You only have to look to the Internet to see how white supremacist leaders such as David Duke are using Obama to rally their troops. Duke has called Obama a "visual aid for hate groups."
He says an Obama presidency would provide indisputable proof that whites have lost control of America.
"This is a cultural and racial battlefront," said Levin. "Barack Obama is symbol No. 1 of the worst the future has to offer."

The degree of hate and ignorance in the land creates a great saddness in my heart.

On the other hand, we just completed a 3000 mile road trip that took us to the "heartland" as the pollsters refer to the midwest. Everywhere we traveled...Ohio,Indiana,Illinois, Iowa...we encountered people who were kind and welcoming to our interracial family. We visited the "Field of Dreams" movie site in Dyersville, Iowa where thousands still come every year. For 14 weeks in the summer of 1988 Hollywood invaded this corner of Iowa to make a movie about dreams and fantasy and baseball that became a Academy Award nominee for "Best Picture of the Year" in 1989. The house, the cornfield, and the baseball field are just as they were depicted in the film. There is no admission, no video displays, and no guided tours. There is a simple sign telling the story of the site and a small building where one can purchase a baseball, hat, or t-shirt. The site is beautiful in its' simplicity. John and I hit a few balls and ran the bases. "This field, this game, is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that was once good, and it could be good again. Oh people will come. People will most definitely come." Those words were spoken by James Earl Jones in the film and you can see the video clip by clicking here.