Obama started a needed conversation

Friday, President Barack Obama walked into the White House briefing room and gave the American people his thoughts on the Trayvon Martin case.

His comments were striking in their honesty and in their personal nature.

He didn’t lecture. He wasn’t angry. He was reflective. He spoke about his personal experiences, and the shared experiences of so many others. He called for respect for the process and the verdict, but used the remarks as an opportunity to help others understand why so many people were angry.

And — in the most predictable and disappointing fashion — he became a lightning rod for criticism from his political opponents. Within moments of his speech, cable news and Twitter was full of comments from the right questioning the president’s motives and words.

He was called divisive. He was accused of fanning the flames of discontent. Some said that by raising this issue, he was not being a president for everyone, just for African-Americans.

Those criticisms could not be more sad. Nor could they be more off base. Because while Obama’s comments may have been focused on some of the racial divisions we face as a nation, to me his remarks were about so much more.

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