Presidential hopeful Obama confronts racial issues in US
Tuesday, 18 Mar 2008 19:33
Barack Obama said the US could not ignore the issue of race
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Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has sought to address issues of racial divide in the US following inflammatory remarks from his preacher.
In a speech that is the first to directly address race during his campaign to be the Democrats' presidential candidate, Mr Obama said the US needs to "come together to solve a set of monumental problems – two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change".
He said these problems are "neither black or white or Latino or
Asian, but rather problems that confront us all".
His speech follows comments from his preacher, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who suggested the US had brought the September 11th attacks on itself.
The Illinois senator said he condemned the remarks in "unequivocal terms" and called them "wrong and divisive".
Turning away from the issue, Mr Obama said "race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now".
"The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through – a part of our union that we have yet to perfect," he said.
"And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American."
Mr Obama added: "This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected.
"And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation – the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election."