Thoughts on Kamala Harris, an excellent, historic VP pick, from an Old Idaho White Guy

I look for every little thing that is a sign of hope these days, a sign of a better tomorrow, when things can be close to normal, from both a pandemic and a political sense. I look for the day when our nation is led by someone with a moral compass, someone with an interest in uniting America — and the ability to do so — someone who doesn’t use the president’s office as a cash register to improve the family business.

The day I’ve been waiting for finally arrived this week, when former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, selected U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris to be his running mate. Biden’s decision itself was a measure of the man, considering that Harris was pretty tough on him in the Democratic debates. Unlike his 2020 opponent, who chose a marshmallow for vice president in 2016, Biden wanted a candidate who would be a strong campaigner and a strong partner in the White House, ready to assume the presidency if or when the time came.

This moment marks a turning point in American history and politics, as Harris is the first woman of color — she is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants — on a major party ticket for president/vice president.

When I look back over the course of my life, growing up in racially divided St. Louis, I think of my African-American high school friend who would become a college buddy. In a previous column, I wrote about our getting kicked out of a restaurant in the 1960s because Ivan was the “wrong color.” That happened to me only once, a long time ago, but it pops up from my memory bank often, and all I can imagine is how it must have been to live regularly with that kind of discrimination — discrimination that can last a lifetime. Today, I can rejoice in knowing what an important moment this must be in Ivan’s life.

I think of a high school nun from Mobile, Alabama, who would help me and my fellow students understand the importance of the Selma marches — something our white parents could not comprehend — and justify the nonviolent marches led by Martin Luther King Jr. seeking racial justice, even though they often were met with violence from the haters who inherited racial prejudice from their parents.

I think of my mother, the matriarch of an extended Irish family that was hardly the most enlightened on the subject of race. But she taught me never to judge people by the color of their skin, and I will never forget how pleased she was when I threw a party in my college years at our home — in our racially polarized neighborhood — and invited Black friends to join us. I know she would be so pleased to see Harris running with Biden, whose Irish credentials alone could have made him her pick all along.

I think of my wife, daughter and grandson at Boise State, who compare notes daily on whether it’s possible for an American president to stoop any lower as he insults, offends and attacks fellow citizens from all corners. Trust me — there’s now a note of optimism in my household and family that’s been missing since 2016.

I think of the black parishioners at St. Agatha’s parish on Chicago’s West Side, where my late friend, Father Mike Ivers, served as pastor, and where my family and I attended Mass during my years as Illinois’ lieutenant governor. I can only imagine how elated St. Agatha’s parishioners must be to see Kamala Harris break yet another of the many racial barriers that have held back so many talented Americans.

I think of Barack and Michelle Obama, who led the way in helping Americans get to know the struggles it takes for an African-American family to achieve their dreams. I think of meeting Obama, then a state senator, on the floor of the Illinois Senate, never imagining for a moment that he would become our first Black president. Michelle Obama, who has served as such an inspiration to women of color, must be so proud of Kamala Harris.

As I reflect on the Obama years in the White House, there is no doubt in my mind that he paid the price for being Black. Republicans, led by Sen. Mitch McConnell, schemed to put roadblocks in the way of any progress Obama made, and their strategy was undergirded by the racist and cleverly concealed motives of many GOP members of Congress.

If revenge — or call it justice — is a dish best served cold, then it’s particularly gratifying to know that McConnell and his Republican senators are about to meet up on the campaign trail with a smart and tough competitor they know only too well from her Senate days. Her reputation as a senator in committee who is tough on those who employ subterfuge to avoid honest answers is icing on the cake when it comes to her value in the campaign — not to mention her value in a fall debate with VP Mike Pence.

This is also a moment for me to acknowledge how fortunate I am for the privilege of writing a column like this, an opportunity to look back over my own life and career, where a mere scratch of the surface will find the issue of racial justice at so many important turns. Thanks to the Idaho Statesman for allowing me to greet you weekly with thoughts on life, politics, books and whatever else comes to mind.

I look forward to writing my column in the weeks and months to come, but I do think it’s time for me to step aside from my position on the Statesman’s editorial board to give someone with another point of view the opportunity to serve. Statesman readers should have to take only so much of Kustra’s spin on things, and I think the column is enough.