In Defense of James T. Harris

James T. Harris is a man who has the courage to think outside the box. He holds conservative views and he speaks his mind, even when it's unpopular - and boy, has it been unpopular! Mr. Harris has been called all kinds of names (which I will not repeat here) all for the "crime" of being a black person who holds conservative views, who doesn't support Barack Obama, and who has said so publicly.

I applaud Mr. Harris's courage. He reminds me of those twenty percent of Catholic voters who resisted the temptation to vote for John F. Kennedy in 1960. As much as Catholics wanted one of their own in the White House, especially after years and years of living through anti-Catholic bigotry, some Catholics had reservations about Kennedy's strict separationist interpretation of the First Amendment (the effects of which we can still observe today) and accordingly they didn't vote for him.

Regarding the upcoming election, I can appreciate the historical significance of America getting it's first black President, and I can imagine how much this would mean to black Americans whose ancestors have suffered through slavery and who continue to experience forms of unjust discrimination today. But some blacks have reservations about Barack Obama because they don't agree with some of Senator Obama's moral and political views. And these issues are even more important to them than having "one of their own" in the role of President. And accordingly, they are not planning to vote for Obama, much like the twenty percent of Catholic voters in 1960 who didn't vote for Kennedy.

I admire the courage of anyone out there, whatever their race or gender, who publicly stands up for true conservative values, especially in today's political climate. Mr. Harris definitely has courage...