Arnaldo Jabor e Obama

Dear Arnaldo,

One of the things that I have always liked and admired about you is your continuing youthful outlook (in spite of your obvious weariness of lambasting Brazilian politicians and other thugs). And, of course it is true that we are all strongly affected by the experiences of our youth, which in your case you spent in St. Augustine during a period in U.S. history when events loomed large in the collective imagination.

But, don't forget that you lived in the South, and there are other regions in the U.S. with vastly different ways of doing things.

And, although I hate to remind you of this, your generation is not the same as the present generation. Many Americans are proud and pleased to see a black American well on his way to becoming President, as this has the effect of letting them off the guilt hook somewhat.

Personally, I don't believe Obama's skin color leaves him more at risk of being shot -- we have had lots of U.S. presidents shot -- and all of them were white, as I recall.

The only thing Obama really has going against him is the impression he makes of being a snooty intellectual. Lately, Americans have preferred to look down on their presidents, not up to them (well, except for Monica, that is).

Times have sure changed since you went to high school in Florida.