Quotes of the Day

Caught Between Color Lines
I agreed in general with what randall Kennedy had to say in "The Right Shade of Black," but I thought it odd that he referred to Senator Barack Obama's "adopted racial roots" [Jan. 28]. According to his skin color, Obama is black, but his mixed parentage dictates that, strictly speaking, he is neither black nor white. Nothing about his race has been adopted. In any case, why should we care about Obama's race? We should support candidates who approach problems intelligently, without adhering to racial — or any other — biases.
Arthur C. Echtemacht,
Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.

Why must we label people at all? Obama is just as white as he is black. Why is Obama's father considered African American while his mother is usually referred to as white rather than European American? This is where our society's tendency to label people becomes a problem. It shouldn't matter whether Obama is black or white. What does matter is whether he will be a good leader and work with Congress to get something accomplished. When election time comes, I will not vote for an African American. I will not vote for a white person. I will vote for the best candidate. After all, every one of the candidates is an American.
Glenn Ireland,
Sykesville, Md., U.S.

I enjoyed John Cloud's "Breaking Down the Black Vote." I am from Tanzania, and like many foreigners who come to the U.S., I found out — to my surprise — that I belong to a pool of supposedly disadvantaged minorities. I struggle with the skewed concept of race in America. For some reason, having black blood is almost seen as some kind of contamination. How would this racial-political dialogue play out if, say, Obama were one-fourth or one-eighth black? I am reminded of the Christian teachings on original sin. However good, intelligent or capable a person you might be, there is something that still taints your righteousness. Whether we like it or not, Obama's black half will ultimately lead to the demise of his presidential aspirations.
Yohanne Kidolezi,
Boston

Greasy Imperialism
As a diabetes nurse-educator, I am gravely concerned about Yum Brands' impact on global health [Jan. 28]. On a recent tour of hospitals in China with a delegation from the American Association of Diabetes Educators, I saw the detrimental results of fast food's rise in overseas markets. As the industry pushes its high-fat, high-cholesterol, meat-based foods, rates of diabetes, heart disease and stroke are skyrocketing. Obesity rates have tripled over the past 20 years in countries that have adopted the American diet, according to a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine in January 2007. Rates of diabetes are expected to reach pandemic levels by 2030. Given all that Americans have learned about how diet affects health, shouldn't we export that knowledge rather than buckets of fried chicken? I'd love to see creative marketing minds work on exporting meals that we can be proud of.
Caroline Trapp, M.S.N., Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,
Washington

Other than the growing profit margins for the food industry, the only good thing about fast-food companies' pushing meat, fat and sugar on the developing world is the financial boon it will create for another ethically challenged U.S. industry. As those chicken nuggets start clogging arteries and aiding the global obesity epidemic, millions of people will develop diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. What an untapped market for the pharmaceutical sector!
Simon Chaitowitz,
Washington

Friends of Hill
Joe Klein postulated that senator Hillary Clinton has a constituency among the women of America [Jan. 21]. Clinton clearly showed us how she treated the working women (and men) in the White House travel-office scandal — they were fired without a thought. Similarly, Whitewater and the apologies for Bill's philandering hardly showed a concern for the little people. If working women expect Clinton to look out for them, they are in trouble.
Patrick Johnson,
East Helena, Mont., U.S.

After working for many years in information technology, where I found advancement for a woman could be difficult, I better understand what Clinton is up against. She will have to redefine the role of President. Men have defined the role. Can a woman be the Commander in Chief and feminine at the same time? I believe it's possible. Clinton would be wise to consider Golda Meir and Margaret Thatcher as her role models.
Crysti Klinker,
Seattle

It seems that Clinton really did find her voice. It is the voice of a shrew: harsh, aggressive, accusatory. It shows us who this woman really is and what a mistake it would be to vote for her. It also shows us the desperation of the Clintons, who have planned so long to extend their dynasty but now face a real threat in Obama. Let's hope this is one shrew that Obama can tame.
Alan Moen, entiat,
Wash., U.S.