Racism: Lingering and subdued

This picture, which I took in front of a house near the University(of Akron), mirrored the underlying feelings of hate and prejudice some still harbour. It might have been just a prank, but it was not in good taste.

Background: Displaying the Confederate Battle Flag, whose emblem is still used in the official flag of the state of Mississippi, is considered to be siding with racism. The Confederate States of America were the losing side in the American Civil War, fought mainly over slavery.

Now the person who created this sign used duct tape to replicate the X of the Confederate Flag.

Initially I thought it was a neat Obama sign which was vandalised by someone. Note in the photo the sign is slightly bent; later that afternoon when I returned home the sign was straightened. That mean the sign was intentionally made and wasn't an act of mischief. True enough, the next day the sign had disappeared, leaving only the frame: someone didn't like it.

Confirming all of this, a McCain-Palin sign now stands in place of that modified Obama sign.

Now I initially wanted to believe that the person making the Obama sign didn't really mean it. I also thought it was just harmless. But, the first time I saw it, an African American who was walking behind me, shook his head and said, "Man, that is...."

Clearly the US has come a long way from the segregationist policies, so much so that race doesn't seem to be a problem for most for the top job(as of this post, touchwood), but some people still do not want to get over the fact that an African American could be their President. There are videos doing rounds of liberal websites of some openly stating their reservations against 'a black man'.

Analysts impress upon the point that most of the persons with such views are elderly voters in rural pockets. But in my case, this sign was outside a possibly college-going student's house. Maybe it is a personal grudge; a bitter experience; a family view. Whatever it was, it was provocative enough for another person to remove it.