A Minority Among Minorities

Friday night, I sat in a room full God-fearing black women who all spoke excitedly of Barack Obama and his chance to become America's first black president.

I so badly wanted to be a part of that excitement. I wanted to tell my son, "Here's a black man doing things that you can do, too." But I sat there feeling sick, and lonely.

Before I want my son to be a strong black man, I want my son to be a strong man of God. That's where Barack Obama and I part ways.

What does he believe in?

Andrew has been intrigued by Obama since he saw his picture on the cover of Ebony magazine. He's seen Obama's book in our home. During our talks about the candidates and their views, my son was particularly interested in Obama. We spoke honestly about his beliefs. However, because Andrew is only 7, I didn't go into the detail with him that I will for you.

Barack Obama believes unwaveringly in a woman's right to kill babies. If you are uncertain as to whether or not they are actually babies, view the photos here. Obama is one of the most liberal democrats on this issue, even moreso than Hillary Clinton.

Obama voted against BAIPA, a measure in the Illinois Senate which would have prevented withholding medical treatment from aborted babies who were accidentally born alive. More on that here. And if you don't believe this really happens, read Baby Rowan's story.

Obama was also against a ban on partial birth abortion. If you don't know what that is, see LaShawn Barber's description here.

So why does this matter? What can a president do about abortion?

The next president of our country will have veto power, and he (or she!) will appoint Supreme Court justices. However, beyond that, and more importantly for me, this man or woman will be the leader of our country.

I can no longer vote for a leader who supports killing the unborn, just as I could not vote for a leader who supported slavery. That debate also centered around property "rights" and whether or not slaves were fully human (or only 3/5ths).

It was also suggested that blacks were better off economically as slaves. I reject that argument, just as I reject those who suggest babies are better off being killed than being born into poverty. Babies born into wealthy families are no more valuable than those born to the poor.

We don't have the same goals.

I remember seeing Obama on television a few years ago. He said that when it comes down to it, we all really want the same things. I thought, "No, Obama. We don't want the same things. I don't want women to have the right to take innocent lives."

I care about the 4,000 soldiers who have lost their lives in the war. But I also care about the 50 million babies we have lost to abortion.

I care about those without health care. But I also care about the 95% of unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome who are aborted. These beautiful children also deserve health care. So do the potentially healthy babies who are aborted at the recommendation of doctors due to faulty test results.

I don't believe in embryonic stem cell research any more than I believe in medical experimentation on black males.

And while I would love to see our country have it's first black president. I would also love to see an end to black genocide. It is no accident that 78% of Planned Parenthood's clinics are in minority communities. Its founder, Margaret Sanger, was a racist who advocated eugenics. Here's evidence that Planned Parenthood is still a racist organization.

For me, it's a matter of conscience.

When I talk to my son about abortion and tell him it is in fact murder, how can I then turn around and vote for someone who actively fights for others to have that right?

I have thought long and hard, and I wish I could find away to justify supporting Barack Obama. I know others have, and I don't judge them for their choice, but I cannot.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right."

Though I'm feeling lonely in real life, it is some consolation to know that I'm not the only black woman in America who's not supporting Barack Obama. Special thanks to Terry for encouraging me during a season when I'm feeling gun shy.