A break from our coverage of Tibet

I just watched the first 15 minutes of Barack Obama's Tuesday night speech. More than the snippets that played on the radio this morning, and more than was conveyed to me in class today, the full words of the man are perhaps the most accurate and moving testimony I have heard about what it must be like to to be black in America.

He admits to being incredibly privileged. And indeed, his experience is not typical. But Christ--he's running for president. That's only typical of a few dozen people in the whole country. But he embraces and explains for those of us who aren't black the contradictions and paradoxes and pitfalls of being an African-American.

Mr. Obama continues to grow on me. Starting in 2004 with his democratic convention speech where he spoke to the librarian in me by saying that we must "eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white," to his ALA conference speech in 2005 where Mayor Daley, unannounced, introduced Senator Obama's speech in which he stressed the importance of reading to his children, I have felt that Barack is somehow speaking directly to me and my values.

Do I wish he was more strongly against the war? Of course. But there's not a mainstream politician around who matches my objection to, not just this war, but all war.

So Eugene: get to Mac Court on Friday night and see Mr. Obama. And the rest of you: watch the speech. Hear someone develop a theme and make a point. It's better than any other sermon you will hear this Holy Week.