An outsider can never really relate

Tony Ares
Published: May 6, 2008

I grew up white and Puerto Rican in an all black neighborhood.  Based on that experience, let me give some advice to Mr. Clinton: when you are not of a particular race or community, don’t ever get too comfortable with your position within that community. While we are all basically the same in God’s eyes, to the naked carnal eye, we are different because of one centimeter of pigmentation. 

Throw in the fact that human beings are always looking for an excuse to compete and compare themselves against one another, and your belief that you are “in” can lead to embarrassment. So rule number one Mr. Clinton, no matter how cool you think you are and no matter what Toni Morrison said, YOU ARE NOT BLACK! 

The reverse of this rule applies to Sen. Obama, though I think he has already discovered this the last four weeks. Yes, all of us who dare to cross the color lines in America get our various wake up calls!
We should continue to cross those lines though. 

Those are lines drawn long ago by mere men and not God. Jackie Robinson is a prime example of wise action while over the line.  Because he behaved wisely while over the line, in baseball at least, the line has been erased. We should all speak and think wisely while over the line. 

TONY ARES

Woodbridge