Supporters Clash At Campaign Rally

The story below reveals the ugly undercurrent of heated emotions that are coming to the surface in the closing days of the campaign. Let's hope everyone keeps their cool and nothing truly violent occurs. Some of us may remember the violence and riots that broke out in 1968 and although some may say it couldn't happen today, I beg to differ. There are some eerily strange similarities. In 1968 we were struggling to get out of a failed war in Vietnam, today it is Iraq. The youth of America was highly energized and involved in the campaign. Eugene McCarthy became a political figure espoused by many young people to represent a true change from the regular Washington politician and a promise of progress and social change in the future, today it is Obama's call for change.

Of course there were some other events that contributed to the violence and I hope and pray this never happens this year. The greatest Civil Rights leader in American history, Martin Luther King had been assassinated, a beloved candidate for the Democratic nomination, Robert Kennedy had been assasinated and George Wallace, a third party candidate, was frequently accused of promoting racism. The only remaining similarity is perhaps Sarah Palin's love affair with trailer park America and Joe Sixpack and her pointed efforts to divide rather than unite America through pointing out the economic divisions and manipulating them in a subtle racist way towards her twisted view of America's future.

Well there are 8 days to go, read the short story below and lets pray for peace and a united America.

Monday, October 27, 2008
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama clashed with people attending a North Carolina event featuring Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

The faceoff in downtown Asheville included loud yelling and vulgar signs. The event highlighted the tension between people who live in the liberal enclave and the others living in conservative counties that surround Asheville.
Authorities stood between the crowds, which included a couple of hundred Obama supporters and several thousand Palin supporters waiting to enter the event.

Both sides crowded the sidewalks of a downtown street, at times disrupting traffic as they spilled into the road to confront each other. Some heated arguments devolved into minor shoving.