Rant #2,469: Ticket To Ride

Well, finally, the Democrats and Joe Biden picked their vice presidential hopeful yesterday and announced it to the world.

Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is the choice, and now the battle is on: Trump/Pence vs. Biden/Harris.

The Democrats generally applauded the choice, referencing that she is a woman and a woman of color, but others derided it as another example of pandering by the Democrats.

I will give Harris credit where credit is due. She can be fierce, was Biden's toughest critic during the Democratic presidential debates, and she is certainly the best looking of the four hopefuls.

But some people have some other problems with her, related to her handling of affairs in California as the state's attorney general, and some even question her personal affairs.

My question, and I ask this very innocently, and really, I ask this question for no other reason than clarity:

"Is Kamala Harris African-American?"

Or in current parlance,

"Is Kamala Harris black?

This question came to light when a group of prominent blacks recently demanded that Biden name an African American to be his running mate, pretty much saying that if he chose anybody but an African-American, "he will lose the election."

But is Harris African-American?

Her mother is Indian, her father Jamaican. Thus, she is Indian/Jamaican American, not necessarily African-American.

And are those whites who come here from South Africa and become citizens here African-American too?

And Jamaicans are considered to be black Caribbeans, not necessarily African, so how can an American of Jamaican ancestry be an African-American?

I would assume their roots are from Africa, but they are Caribbean, not African, per se.

It is a slippery slope when we define people by their race, creed and color, rather than what they can do.

I have been assured by African-Americans that I converse with that if she isn't blond, blue-eyed and isn't Caucasian, then she is African-American, no matter what her background actually is.

I have to accept that description--they would certainly know better than me--but it just shows how idiotic it is defining oneself by their race.

And in the past, she herself has said that she is Indian and Jamaican-American, but why split hairs, even though so many other people do?

She isn't white, so she is African-American.

But if Biden picked an Asian woman, or a woman of another race, that woman would not be African-American.

Well, at least there is no argument about her being a woman.

Personally, I really don't care about her race, but so many other people care, it just got me be be curious about how people define you.

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is also of Indian background, but her background is Sikh and she is light skinned. She is not Caucasian, but might look it to some people.

I am white. My ancestors eons ago were probably darker skinned. My more recent ancestors entirely come from Eastern Europe. I did the "Ancestry" thing, and found this out for sure, or as sure as that site can do it.

Yet I have what is referred to as "Black Man's Teeth," with my teeth having roots typically found in black males. This has led to some dental problems.

So can I call myself black, part black, African-American or something else?

It is very confusing.

Just call me an American, and I will be very happy.

Just call Harris an American, and I think that will tie this all up with a nice bow.

Why go anywhere else with this?