I wish President Obama would stop trying to befriend his enemies. He’s losing momentum and credibility on health care reform. He hasn’t done a very good job at making his case for reform. The lies and rumors have much more credibility than they should. From the rumored death panel lies to the abortion on demand rumors, the more preposterous the lie, the more likely it is to be believed. When is the President going to learn that you can’t always make nice with your enemies?
The lies spread by opponents of health care like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the GOP are simply astounding, no matter how ridiculous or absurd the lies are, you are going to find some people who believe them. If you don’t believe me, just listen to some of the comments made by people attending a health care reform meeting last week. The ignorance from the people is just astounding. They don’t read, don’t listen and don’t know what the hell they are talking about.
I’m assuming they are all employed, have health insurance and are happy with it. I know people like Beck, Limbaugh and Republican members of Congress don’t ever have to worry about whether their health insurance is going to pay for their gall bladder surgery or cover that new prescription. On the other hand, the nearly 44 million of uninsured people in this country don’t have this option.
The people interviewed for this video are too angry for this to only be about health care.
In a story that sounds like something out of the 1950s, about 60 children were expelled from a private pool club in Philadelphia. Children from the Creative Steps Day Camp were told by a pool attendant that minorities weren’t allowed in the club. So much for the end of racism.
Afraid that the black kids were going to “do something” to their precious children, club members complained about the sudden appearance of black children in their pool. Obviously black people, specifically black children do not belong there. I was thinking that club members were afraid that their blackness might wash off and pollute their pool. I wonder if they got to use the water fountain?
Those private pool folks weren’t having any of that race-mixing in their club and those black children had to go. The children were promptly expelled and the day camp’s money was refunded.
John Duesler, The Valley Swim Club president, issued a poorly worded, inappropriate statement citing a “concern that a lot of kids would change the atmosphere and complexion of club”. Didn’t he really mean that a lot of black kids would change the atmosphere and complexion of the club?
Are we really still doing this kind of thing in 2009? Obviously so. I guess having a black president is one thing but having a black child in your pool is something else.
Uncle Rush says President Obama didn’t know that the Somali pirates were young black Muslim men, if he did, he would have handled the situation differently. I’m sure he doesn’t really believe this but since he’s made a career out of entertaining people with his bigotry, ignorance and bitterness, he can’t let his audience down, the show must go on.
In his world, the dangerous black men with big knives and automatic weapons terrorizing the high seas a few days ago are now defenseless Muslim teenagers and community organizers. This would be funny if people didn’t believe everything Rush Limbaugh says.
Houston Texan Ryan Moats got off pretty easy compared to Terrence Jones, a retired former police officer. Both were stopped by police, but Jones’ story and outcome were quite different.
Citing cultural ignorance and outright cluelessness, Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose will be stepping aside on Monday. That email he sent to small group of friends ignited a hailstorm of criticism and brought more attention to the Mayor than he really intended.
Mayor Grose says didn’t know that people would be offended by the email and had no idea that watermelon had any racial connotations. Did I mention he was sorry? Of course he is!
Wouldn’t it be funny to send out an email of the White House with watermelons on the lawn? Los Alamitos, California mayor Dean Grose thought so. It was an adolescent attempt at humor that he thought he’d share with a few friends. Not everyone thought it was funny. I know there’s absolutely nothing wrong with watermelons growing on the White House lawn but now that Barack Obama is President, it has special significance.
Now I know Mayor Grose didn’t mean anything by this email and is surprised that anyone would be offended by it. It’s only watermelons, what’s the big deal? From Tim Rice, a prominent anti-racist commentator, comes the best observation:
White Denial once again…so this guy says, “Oh sorry, I didn’t know watermelons had a racial connotation…”
I guess the next thing we’re going to see is cotton in the Rose Garden or Michelle Obama as Aunt Jemima. But of course, nothing wrong with that since Aunt Jemima is on the shelf of every supermarket and grocery store. Aunt Jemima is an American icon and cotton is a natural fiber. Next up, 40s, nooses and black Sambo dolls.
Anyone who thinks that it’s okay to compare our President (or any black man) to an ape or a chimpanzee is terribly wrong. Call it satire if you want New York Post but I ain’t buying it. This is not only cruel and insensitive but is wrong on so many levels. The comparison of black people to monkeys is nothing new in our uncomfortable racial history. Is the President supposed to be a monkey, dumb as a monkey or like the Connecticut chimp on a rampage?
For whatever reason, the folks over the Post thought they were being clever and witty and responded with the following:
“The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist.”
Just because we’ve elected Barack Obama as President doesn’t mean our ugly racist past is behind us. Do we really need to have Rev. Al Sharpton mixed up in this? Of course not, but as usual, Sharpton feels he has dominate selective stories about race and racism as if he represents all black people. Have a seat Rev. Al, we’ve got this one. For other opinions about the Post’s cartoon, visit The Swamp.
Tomorrow Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. His election was historic because of his message and ability to unite people from different ethnicities and backgrounds and more importantly because he is African American. Obama’s election signaled a change in attitude toward race, Obama’s viability as a candidate was not based on his race but his message. As bitter and as tough as the Presidential campaign was, race and religion were obvious undercurrents. There was and still is genuine fear of black men in society, Ivy-League educated or not.
The fact that Obama won by overwhelming popular and electoral college votes, doesn’t mean that we now live in a post-racial America and racism no longer exists. This is a myth! I was somewhat puzzled by Elliot Grazer’s rehash of “Member of the Club” by Lawrence Otis Graham. Grazer seems to think that racism like the kind Graham encountered while working undercover as a waiter at the pasty white Greenwich Country Club will evaporate upon Obama’s swearing in. He’s certainly got a lot to learn.
As the invisible waiter, Graham became privy to all types of racist musings by the club’s upper crust members(as if this should have been a surprise): “he speaks well for a Negro”, “it’s so funny to see a black man on the golf course”, “if you had your choice between a Hispanic woman and a Negro woman, go for the Negro, at least they speak English” and other nonsense. The election of Barack Obama is not going to change racist attitudes, if anything, I’m expecting a backlash. The era of the ‘Magic Negro‘ is upon us.
With the election of Barack Obama as our next president, our country took a small step toward facing its racist past. For the majority of us, it meant transcending skin color as the sole means by which to judge a person’s character and suitability for a job. It wasn’t so much about Obama’s race as it was about his message for change. After eight years of George W. Bush and a worsening economy, it’s time for something new.
The Associated Press reports that since Obama won the Presidential election the number of reported hate crimes has risen. I can’t say I’m surprised by this. I was expecting a small contingent of folks to be upset over . It didn’t help that McCain-Palin campaign in their desperation used smears to question Obama’s patriotism and incite fear. Instead of attracting mainstream Americans, McCain-Palin rallies attracted the fringe element of the party, those who believed Obama was a Muslim, communist, socialist and an Arab. Though their beliefs defied all logic and common sense, there was no way you could talk them down. They’ll be right there in 2012, cheering Sarah Palin on when she runs for President.
I don’t care what anyone says, John McCain owns some responsibility for this uptick in hate crimes. Civil rights legend John Lewis called McCain out on this and he was right for doing so. McCain tried to feign indignation but didn’t do a very good job. He was appealing to the lowest common denominator, fear. I would respect these people more if they just came and out said they don’t like Obama because he’s black, but the “go back to Africa”, fried chicken and watermelon jokes just aren’t funny.
One of the more idiotic hate crimes since the election comes from Standish, Maine. The Oak Hill General Store has an Osama Obama Shotgun Pool where customers can bet on the date when Obama will be killed. Not funny. It wouldn’t even be funny after a couple of beers or 40s. I’m certain the Secret Service will be taking a trip up to Standish to check this one out. The good thing about is they’ll have a ready-made list of suspects to work with in a town with less than 10,000 people.
I hate to make generalizations about folks in small towns but I’m pretty sure the people who signed up for this pool probably think lynching is funny too.
Photo taken from Rush Limbaugh’s website because it was too good to pass up.
I’ve had a strong dislike for Rush Limbaugh ever since I first heard his show in Northern California back in the early 90s. Rush exemplifies the ne’er-do-well, mediocre white male. He’s not well educated, he only managed to graduate from high school. What he lacks in education and intelligence, he more than makes up for in hatred and narrow-mindedness. He has become a millionaire spewing his own brand of conservatism.
Limbaugh appeals to listeners who have never advanced beyond 1960. America has changed since then but you’d never know it listening to Limbaugh. He never got over the fact that segregation ended and black people didn’t stay in their place. He’s bought into every possible stereotype about black people and can provide you with evidence that they are all true. And if you’re thinking he’s racist or bigoted, think again, he
will tell you he’s just stating the facts.
Rush Limbaugh does not like Barack Obama but it has nothing to do with politics. Obama represents his worst nightmare, he’s a smart, well-educated black man with broad based appeal. Neither Jesse Jackson nor Al Sharpton, Obama is a politician that transcends race. I’m certain this is what scares Limbaugh the most.
Politics aside, Barack Obama should be the poster child for conservative Christian conservative types like Limbaugh; they’ve been touting that “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” philosophy to minorities and the poor for decades. Rather than praise Obama for what he has accomplished, Limbaugh freely engages in and supports the lies, innuendo and smears about Obama. What better way to scare your white conservative listeners than to insinuate that if Obama is elected, he’s going to turn this country into the ‘hood?
If you don’t think this election is about fear, you haven’t been listening to Limbaugh, Sarah Palin or those kooky people who show up at McCain-Palin rallies. It’s fear of terrorists, funny sounding foreign names and the unpatriotic. According to Limbaugh, you should be very afraid:
“Of course McCain’s fighting for plumbers; he’s fighting for everybody. He has fought for everybody, Obama. Name one time you’ve fought for anybody — other than a bunch of leftist radicals who want to overthrow the country as it exists?”
