Darya Aslamova: "African Americans fear Obama will be assassinated like Kennedy" Part One
It was a hot autumn day in New York. Traders dressed in "Obama" and "McCaine" T-shirts sold condoms with portraits of the presidential candidates on Times Square. The McCaine condom read proudly: "Old, but not expired. Approved for veterans." The Obama condom carefully advised buyers to: "Use wisely."
"Well, which one is better then?" I asked the man selling the condoms with a smile.
"Take the Obama. It has better lubricant," he replied laughing.
"What about you? Are you going to vote?" I asked.
"Of course!" he said instantly. "I'm going to vote for Obama. I believe in democracy." He emphasized the word "democracy."
Can you imagine meeting a Russian student on the streets of Moscow or Voronezh, who would tell you: "I'm going to vote because I believe in democracy!" I can't either.
The days are numbered until the election day and the temperature in the American melting pot is approaching the boiling point. For me, it's interesting and even upsetting to have to stand by helplessly observing their emotions. My husband summed the situation up well (the citizen of a small republic), when he said: "I understand these are their elections. But the future of the entire world depends on who becomes the next U.S. president. That means they're our elections, too! Why don't we have the right to vote?!"
"Drinking liberally!"
If you don't like drinking without a cause, and prefer getting inebriated for the sake of soul-inspiring ideas, like the aforementioned democracy, then make sure to stop by Rudy Bar in Manhattan Thursday evenings.
Crowds of Americans meet in the courtyard each week beneath an open sky — students, teachers, bank personnel, managers, journalists and businessmen — the backbone of the U.S. middle class — to talk about politics. These "Drinking Liberally!" parties have become popular as of late all throughout the country.
Every single person who walks inside buys a pitcher of beer. Strangers meet each other quickly and unceremoniously, and the party is so happening that everyone is already yelling at each another from across the table by 21:00.
Some pleasant fellow, after learning that I'm Russian, yelled with a big accent: "Molodets-molodets! Kak soleniy ogorets!" Then he asked me thoughtfully: "But why is it so good to be a pickle? And who is he, this 'respectable' pickle?"
"I never thought about it before..." I muttered in answer. "Pickles are good with vodka, but not with beer." He laughed, patted me on the shoulder and went to the bar for another beer.
The "liberal" drinkers have three main issues they discuss actively — how we got to where we are today with the financial crisis, if Obama be the next U.S. president, and, of course, what is the true meaning of democracy.
"You're asking how Americans, who are raised on strict Protestant ideology, managed to get into such debt?" Cathrine Baker asked. "Do you remember what Bush said during his speech after Sept. 11: 'Go and shop!' Think about it! An incredible tragedy occurred and the president told the people to go shop. His summons paid off. Shopping is a way of life for Americans!"
After talking with Catherine, I met Thomas, a gloomy young man leaning against the wall who repeated constantly: "They're going to kill him!"
"Who?" I asked.
"Obama. Because he's black," he said. "They'll kill him like they killed Kennedy. The FBI told him he could ride in an open car, and wham, a shot was fired. The same will happen to Obama. White people won't stand for a black man running the country. Some of my friends, who are African American, didn't vote for Obama in the preliminary elections because they didn't want him to look too popular. They were afraid he'd get killed before he even became president. I would have voted for Hilary Clinton, but she would have gotten killed, too."
"Why? For what?" I asked in disbelief.
"Because she's a woman," he said. "American men don't like it when women order them around at home, and we're talking about an entire country here!"
Read the following installment.
Читать русскую версию: Дарья АСЛАМОВА: «Афроамериканцы боятся, что Обаму убьют, как Кеннеди»