2008 General Election:posted by: Political Pyro
June 29, 2008 at 10:59 pm

Obama’s Words Ignite Racial Firestorm

In my last post, Confessions of a White Man, I decided to use the words of Barack and Michelle Obama to apply to a white person. I believe their words and opinions to be racist, yet I knew no one would be upset until I changed "black" to "white". The following is a comment posted on that page — and then a response…

You stated, “Today, while the establishment is busy protecting black Americans from discrimination, they have turned a blind eye toward white people, women, and Christians.”

Please, spare us the victimhood. Until white people in this country are slaves for 200 years, forced to endure jim crow, seperate but unequal, terrorized for another 100 years, and attacked by the state for protesting equal rights in a country where “all men are created equal” (civil rights movement) there really is nothing to talk about here.

And so much for honoring MLK’s dream of racial utopia–you forgot about the Asians, Latinos, Muslims etc., that also make up this great country. But I guess they don’t count in your myopic black/white vision that is America.

You also stated, “Progress has been made regarding attitudes toward black people, but an over-correction is being committed.”

 
As an African-American I’m DYING to know how the US “over-corrected” the institutionalized marginalization and designation of blacks as second class citizens which persisted for over 200 years. Oh that’s right 30 years of Affirmative Action policies (many of which have since been dismantled and that benefitted white WOMEN) should have more than made up for those injustices.

As an African-American I should be grateful (and I’m stealing this from the PUMA playbook) and “fall in line”. I’m not suggesting we haven’t come a long way–we have, but man you reek of prejudice! And no it’s not cause you’re not voting for Obama!

Thanks for the confession, but no your racially misguided views don’t represent the “typical white person[s]” I know.

 

As an Irish-American, I am well aware of the issue of slavery. The English enslaved and mistreated the Irish for hundreds of years. In turn of the century America, Irish immigrants were treated like garbage. Fortunately, I don’t dwell on the past in an attempt to play the eternal victim.

This article is not an attempt at victimhood. Strange you would read it that way. It is simply a way of showing that the words and opinions of the Obamas are racist and offensive. Most of the words come from Michelle and Barack Obama except the 2008 closing paragraph. 

I knew Obamabots would not find Barack’s and Michelle’s words unacceptable until I used them to apply to myself. Also, I in no way left any group out of Dr. King’s racial utopia. Unless, you think he did. I said “until MLK’s dream has been truly and equally realized”. I even emphasized TRULY and EQUALLY.

I might have tried to list every possible group of people in this country, as you have, but space did not allow. Did you notice you yourself forgot to mention Pacific Islanders? and Buddhists? and millions of other Americans? I guess you put them in the “etc.” column. How nice of you. 

And I grow tired of you rabid racist types who constantly suggest that the only way to achieve equality in this country is to somehow subject white people to 200 years of slavery. Confronting THAT RACIST ATTITUDE is the true purpose of this article.

As I stated earlier, my ancestors already were slaves. I don’t need your lesson. I, however, was not. Nor were you. We HAVE come a long way, I just don’t want to see ANY of us go in reverse. But if the racist, hate-mongering, black separatist Rev. Wright’s comments are acceptable, whereas Don Imus’ are not… we might be beginning to do just that

Comments (10)
Media Firestorm:posted by: Political Pyro
June 28, 2008 at 8:33 pm

Confessions of a White Man

My experiences during this election year have made me far more aware of my ‘whiteness’ than ever before. I have found in America today, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of the black leaders and citizens try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor in this country; as if I really don’t belong. Regardless of the circumstances underwhich I interact with blacks in America, it often seems as if, to them, I will always be white first and an American second.

As a former Clinton supporter, the path that Howard Dean tells me to choose by supporting Obama rather than McCain, would likely lead to further integration and/or assimilation into a black cultural and social structure that will only allow me to remain on the periphery of society; never becoming a full participant.
 
You go into these urban areas in Chicago, DC, or Atlanta, and, like a lot of inner cities, the jobs have been gone now for 40 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Truman Administration, and the Johnson Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or drugs or gangsta rap or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them, or anti-immigrant sentiment, or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.                 
 
This realization has presently, made my goals to actively utilize my resources to benefit the White community more desirable. 
 
The point I am making is not that Obama harbors any racial animocity. He doesn’t. But, he is a typical black person who thinks that if I see somebody on the street that I don’t know, there’s a reaction that has been bred into our experiences, that don’t go away, and that sometimes come up in the wrong way.
 
Is it possible that other White Americans share these feelings?
 
The result of 2008 is a social climate that almost perfectly mirrors 1968, and yes, it is reversed. Progress has been made regarding attitudes toward black people, but an over-correction is being committed. Today, while the media establishment is busy protecting black Americans from discrimination, they have turned a blind eye toward white people, women, and Christians.
 
Until Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has been truly and equally realized, until the DNC fully recognizes that they have silently allowed sexism and reverse discrimination to fuel this year’s campaigns…
 
I say sorry, Howard Dean. NO DEAL.  
 
Senator Obama, you said we need an open dialogue on race in America. Exactly when can we get started?

 

 

Comments (23)
Media Firestorm:posted by: Political Pyro
June 25, 2008 at 6:23 pm

Is Michelle Obama a Racist?

Part of my problem with the media coverage of the Obama campaign has been its blatant hypocrisy toward dealing with the issue of racism in America. Somehow, white people can be racist, black people cannot. West Virginians are racist. South Carolinians are not.   
 
In truth, anyone can be a racist. One does not have to utter racial slurs to qualify as a racist either. It’s what’s in your heart and mind that counts… Or in your college thesis…
 
Here is a quote from Michelle Obama’s thesis at Princeton:
 
"My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my ‘blackness’ than ever before. I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don’t belong. Regardless of the circumstances underwhich I interact with whites at Princeton, it often seems as if, to them, I will always be black first and a student second."
 
By the tone of her writing, one would think this was written in 1965, not 1985. If it was actually true that Michelle was mistreated in any way, one would think she would provide evidence. She says — no matter how hard they "try to be open-minded toward me"… Very revealing. The key word here is try. They did try. Yet, her paper is peppered with vague accusations like "it often seems as if, to them, I will always be black first and a student second."
 
What? Perhaps maybe possibly they kinda perhaps sorta thought some bad stuff about her even though they accepted her into the college and tried to welcome her into the group? Sounds like Michelle alienated herself. Perhaps some of her own deep feelings of inferiority were beginning to show. Here is more: 
 
Michelle Obama writes that the path she chose by attending Princeton would likely lead to her "further integration and/or assimilation into a white cultural and social structure that will only allow me to remain on the periphery of society; never becoming a full participant."
 
WTF? What did MLK die for again? I thought this was a melting pot! Is there even a white social structure? Again, it is Michelle who seems to have a problem with white people, not vice versa, and the idea of her assimilating into "white culture" seems downright scary to her. Outrageous.
 
Barack Obama had no idea that Rev. Jeremiah Wright was preaching hate to black separatists for 20 years. Sen. Obama finally threw Wright and the whole church under the bus a few weeks ago. Did Michelle? 
 
 
Comments (9)