Just a couple of questions before I tell a story.

One, who's Ashley :dontknow: And, again I ask this, when did hope and change become dirty words?

Now my story. I had a best friend, not just a good friend, my BEST friend, disappear in the middle of the night about 4 years ago and I haven't seen or heard from her since. Now keep in mind, I saw her every week, sometimes 2 or 3 times a week, for almost 20 years. She saw me through hard times, during my father's stroke, through my father's death, she came out in the middle of the night to help me, she was my shoulder to cry on, she was my confidant, she bought me inspirational books and cards when I needed them, she was every inch a Best Friend. She was my Vanessa. Nessie. And she just happened to be black. She is one of the dearest souls that God has ever put on this earth. She put herself through college in New Orleans and held a great job as Asst. Mgr. to one of our suburban villages in Illinois. I watched her raise her two sons without the financial help or the physical presence of their father. I went to their graduations, and to one wedding. And in 20 years, there was never talk of race or race issues between us. Not once. Until her youngest son went for his driver's license. Her oldest son spent lots of time with his Grandfather in Tennessee, so this issue never came up. But when her youngest son was going for his driver's license, she was scared to death and I didn't know why. "Why?" she said, "I'll tell you why. A young black boy driving a car is a target, not talkin' about gangs, but of the police. It's never touched you, so you wouldn't know," she said. And to look at this good woman with tears in her eyes, broke my heart. Well, her worst fears came to be. Her youngest son was picked up by the police, beaten within an inch of his life, and she was called to jail to pick him up. He was doing NOTHING WRONG! Just driving through a predominately white neighborhood around midnight on his way home from a concert. "Mistaken identity," the police mumbled. After that day, I felt a subtle tension between us. We still loved each other. But I could feel her anger and I think she felt my overwhelming shame. It just never was the same. Soon after, her oldest son, came and took them away in the middle of the night because wanted his brother and his mother safe. They had become targets because she had the audacity to start to sue that police department. We never said goodbye. She just disappeared. And I miss her everyday and pray she's safe. And this was only 4 years ago folks! This isn't a movie -- this is the here and now! There is an anger that this country just won't face. I applaud Barak Obama for his speech. Bravo! He was telling you like it is and you don't want to believe it. Do I agree with his pastor? NO! Of course not! Do I know there's an anger? YOU BETCHA! I don't believe Obama spoke like a politician, I believe he spoke from his heart. I'm still in the Hillary camp, but Obama has always had my respect, now even more, and if he wins the nomination, I'll vote for him. If you want to talk about angry white men, (a despicable term) you don't have to look very far. Just turn around and look at McCain. His temper tantrums are on record. That's one short fuse too near the button for me.