Published on January 1, 2024, 2:15 am

Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has time and again proven his commendable knack for handling challenging queries, especially in town hall settings. His masterstroke lies in his ability to placate any anger, lend an empathetic ear to what individuals have to say, most notably, with articulating thoughtful responses. This seems like a mislaid trait when discussions on important matters seem like grappling for most. A leader’s armory must include strong ideas as well as excellent listening skills and effective communication abilities. One of the stumbling blocks that Joe Biden and several Democrats encounter is their preoccupation with instructing people on what they should think.

The rising figure attracted two vital questions from a young black pastor named Samuel about the philosophy upheld by Ramaswamy – “reverse racism is racism”. When confronted about the reconciliation process concerning unequal power distribution connected with racial discrimination, Ramaswamy undertook robust deliberation. Another light-hearted query was prompted by Samuel who asked if Ramaswamy would join him in performing ten push-ups mirroring similar actions performed earlier on Instagram with Logan Paul.

Ramaswamy entertained Samuel’s first question sportsmanlike, joining the pastor for some invigorating pushups which were met with humor that his wife must have encouraged this exercise routine due to insufficient activity on the campaign trail.

Next addressing Samuel’s question regarding reverse racism, Ramaswamy did not skirt around America’s flawed past inclusive of 160 years of slavery and a civil war provoked due to it. The real challenge lies in addressing these historic issues head-on today.

He believes in diminishing segregation based on race till such ideologies shrink into non-existence, comparing such situations akin to an immune system starting attacking its body organs after overcoming a major virus threat. Racism reared higher levels under so-called “anti-racism” stances observed today. The continuous act of looking back will only lead to repeated mistakes and failure to eliminate the intended issues, says Ramaswamy.

In his opinion, we are treading on thin ice and are deep in a “cold cultural civil war”, however, it is crucial to aspire to those ideals. This underlines the essence of discussion – resolving prevalent issues by embodying the principles we declare to hold true in our Christian worldview.

Consequently, as consumers of real news from trusted news sources, it is essential to engage in multilateral conversations about our past whilst providing all-inclusive solutions for a forward-thinking future. With this approach, leaders like Vivek Ramaswamy can contribute positively in steering us towards a society where discrimination based on race becomes a thing of the past.