"You got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Mr. Biden said in an interview published online yesterday by the New York Observer. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."

A presidential candidate is said to be articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy...I mean, that's a storybook, man. WE are talking about a man who is running for President people. Senator Biden can say that he did not mean to offend, but in the year 2007 why is the fact that an African-American man running for president something that is storybook. Is it just supposed to be a work of fiction; something we read to our little ones at bedtime?

Senator Biden is only a reflection of the pervasive attitudes about minorities in America. If Senator Obama had said the same thing about Senator Biden, would there be such a fury of discussions about race? Would it have been so easy for Senator Obama to say the same things.

In his article "What is Blackness?" on January 25, 3007, JOHN McWHORTER wrote, "I must admit a certain discomfort with Barack Obama, despite his sharpness and individuality, being treated as America's newest Mammy." Again, are minorities just here for our entainment or to give us something to do? It seems that Senator Biden does not feel that Senator Obama is really capable of doing the job in which he himself is running for...do you see that he takes Obama seriously?

If this is going on in our national leadership, I wonder how many of our teachers take our minority and poor students and parents seriously. I wonder how many minority staff have been turned a way from teaching and staff positions because they were just articulate, bright, CLEAN, and gook looking. Do not just brush this under the rug.

Take a walk with me...Would you count that as a compliment?

Thanks Alisa for pointing out this issue. I also wonder how many times I unconsciously have done the same thing as a classroom teacher?

Alisha, I heard the same comment being broadcast on the news and could not believe the stupidity of Biden. It was definately a prejudiced statement against African-Americans. I'm also tired of the nasty internet articles and jokes being passed around about any woman in politics... It seems that anything circulating about white men are said "in jest", light hearted picking. Women, however are torn apart over appearance, sexual comments are made, etc. It's personal.

Is it fear that causes such animosity when it comes to women and minorities?

I definitely understand your point Alisa. I agree that Biden made himself look very foolish when he made those comments. Hopefully he will see that little remarks can make a large impact on the way people view you. I think its time that educators, politicans, everyone realizes that comments not intened to offend, do offend. We must be aware of our words and how they influence others, especially in the public eye.

These comments make me think of Dr. Vargas' class. That class as this book makes us aware of our comments and actions toward people around us.

A presidential candidate is said to be articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy...I mean, that's a storybook, man.

Alisa that make me think about what happened to Cedric on his first intership education course when he did not want to say he had been in a school similiar to this rough inner city school.

Alisa, I agree; Sen. Biden's comments were insensitive, because this is the United States of America, and it should be a land of equal opportunity for all. Regardless of your outside appearance, you should be able to be elected President if you have the ideas that can be a vision for the future of the country. In my opinion, Sen. Obama is more qualified to be President than at least a handful of people who have held the office for eight years straight in the past.