In his first few days in office President Obama probably thought it would be cool to greet his military guards with a salute - and a handshake. Once Pentagon advisors convinced him that that was a no-no, Obama followed protocol and now extends his hand only to salute military guards and escorts.
Months into office the President must now accept another fact of life: An American president - especially if he or she is African American - shouldn't say publicly that police act stupidly even when they do, and especially if the issue involves race. His political advisors and a nation, still unwilling or unable to fully understand the black experience, undoubtedly will continue to drill that reality into his psyche until it sticks.
Two good things about our President: he's willing to admit that he's made a mistake and he attempts to move in the right direction, not for political gain, but because deep inside, he believes it's the right thing to do. That's why he's hosting the professor (Henry Louis Gates) and the policeman (James Crowley) today for an afternoon drink at his Washington D.C. resident. Let the gentlemen involved sort through this thing, not the politicians or pundits.
President Obama repeatedly has said that if by the end of his first term he hasn't performed adequately, let the people elect someone else to do a better job. And he knows that we, the voters, will do just that. Despite fear-monger hysteria and dooms day predictions from the far right, the world and these United States seem to be on a steadier, surer course.
In a short time the President has calmed the seas of a stormy world financial system that was left swirling dangerously close to an abyss by the previous Administration. No one on the far right talks about that. Indeed, too many of our politicians and pundits - on the extreme right and left - know what is right but do what is wrong for political gain, monetary gain and/or higher tv/radio ratings. Rush Limbaugh openly wants the President to fail, even if it means most of the citizens of this nation will suffer in that failure. Pundit Pat Buchanan in a rambling message of racism says this country was founded and built by whites and should be run by whites. Buchanan declares Hispanic judge Sonia Sotomayor, a summa cum laude Princeton (1976) graduate and Yale Law (1979) graduate, unqualified to serve on the Supreme Court judge, yet he's confident that Sarah Palin is qualified to be President in 2012.
Brings to mind a line from one of Marvin Gaye's hits - "Politics and hypocrites is (sic) turning us all into lunatics." How true, how true.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Obama Holds "Racial Summit" at White House
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5 comments:
Excellent article Mr. Smith,
It appears President Obama does what he must do to maintain a reasonable minded government while those on the far right work to dismantle every bit of support our country needs to grow. With words like “He’s a racist,” and the Healthcare plan is just another form of reparations! The far right seeks to weaken America through separation and blame it all on President Obama. While we all know the obvious, Obama was right when he said the Cambridge police acted stupidly!
--DC
Hey DC,
I often wonder if Rush Limbaugh,
Sean Hannity, Glen Beck or anyone from the extreme right believe in trying to see the other side, to believe that there could be merit in arguments presented by those who search for middle ground. It shouldn't be my way or the highway on every issue. Should it?
I now have a diffrent opinion about the Prof. Gates incident, Apparently america has shown the complexity of its two worlds one world Black (privileged, middle class and poor) and then there's the White world. Prof Gates may have thought he was a member of that third option.
--Don
You're right, Don. Pro. Gates straddles two worlds at least, and Obama straddles many more(black,white, etc.). Undoubtedly, Gates was motivated perhaps a bit more by his position at Harvard than his status as a black suspect at that moment. But just as Rosa Parks was too weary to move, Gates was probably too tired and also haunted by the past to resist fighting back. International flights tend to beat up the body, as well as the mind.
After the beer is gone, I still have respect for both men, Prof Gates and our President, Barrack Obama, and I do understand both men position in handling this situation. I also know we as a nation are slowly moving in the right direction, after all, long ago Sgt Cowely’s arrest of Prof. Gates would not have been thrown out and Gates would have been severely beaten or worst and none of the previous presidents would have invited both parties over to the white house for beers.
--DC
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