Obama: the biggest victim of white racism ever
Irv P. writes:
“This is something I received today from a former colleague who is black and still works as a teacher in the NYC system. It is probably a good window into the thinking of the more intelligent black citizen.”
The document Irv sends is one of those items that circulate through e-mails and blogs, but seem to have no original place of publication. Here is one of the blogs where it’s been posted. It’s written by Gerald McIntosh. Though some have identified him as white, it doesn’t really matter either way, because the thoughts expressed are those of many blacks and white liberals. However, the particular focus on the lack of respect given Obama would seem to be more a black concern.
Being President While Black
by Gerald A. McIntosh
I don’t think anyone was under some real illusion that the election of Barack Obama actually meant the end of racism in America. I’m pretty sure that the president-elect knew it better than anyone. After all, he saw it every day, from the moment he announced his candidacy. To some degree, he saw it within his own party during the primaries. And he saw it in all ugliness during the general election. For half of this country, he was “That One.” No matter how big and clear his victory was. No matter how smart he is. No matter how decent he is. No matter what a true patriot he is. No matter how optimistic and positive his vision for America was. All that didn’t matter. Because at the end of the day, he was still black.
I’m quite old. I remember, vaguely, where my parents were on November 22, 1963. I’ve seen so many presidents. Some were feared, some were hated, some were adored, some popular and some not. But all of them, without exception, were treated with the highest respect deserving the office of the president of the United States.
That is until a black man won the right to occupy this office. It’s been 13 months now, and in the eyes of so many, Barack Obama is still that one. He is being disrespected and at the same time being held to the highest standard of any president I’ve ever seen—and not just by the Republican side! He has to perform three times better than any president in history, and even that may not be enough.
For the media, he is many more times just “Obama” than “President Obama.” They create scandals out of nothing issues. It took them at least 6 years to start giving Bush a small part of the sh-t he deserved. It took them 6 months to begin crap all over Obama because he’s yet to fix the catastrophe that was left for him.
They use condescending tones when they talk about him, and only mildly less condescending when they talk TO him. With anyone else, CNN wouldn’t dare go to commercials every time the president speaks, like they did during that summit on Thursday. They wouldn’t dare be counting how many minutes George Bush or Bill Clinton were talking. Chris Mathews wouldn’t dare make an issue out of Ronald Reagan calling members of congress by their first name, like he is not actually the president. They fully cooperate with the Right-wing smear machine when it comes to president Obama’s national security performance—even if almost every independent and military expert actually thinks that he’s a terrific Commander-in-Chief. You’ll never see them on TV, and virtually no one from the Left, in congress and outside, defend the president on this matter.
I don’t care about the Far-Right. They’re just crazy ignorant Neanderthals. It’s the way the beltway and the mainstream treats this president that is shocking. On Thursday, almost every Republican had no trouble interrupting him in the middle of a sentence. They looked like they’re going to vomit every time they had to say “Mr. president.” They all had this Eric-Cantor-Smirk whenever he spoke. Then they went out and started to spit their stupid talking points, to the delight of the media. Sarah Palin, a woman who can hardly read, thinks that he was “arrogant” towards John McCain, and somehow this is an important news. Because you see, “Obama’s Arrogance” is the talking point of the day.
Oh, those talking points. He is arrogant (because he knows the facts better than all of them combined). He is an elitist (because he uses big words that they don’t understand). He is weak on national security (because he actually thinks about the consequences). He divides the country (well, he did that the day he had the audacity to win the election). Worst of all, he actually thinks that he’s the president. He even dared to say so on Thursday. How arrogant of him. You’d think that previous presidents didn’t have any ego. Somehow it turned out that the one president who treats even his biggest opponents with the utmost respect—is the arrogant one. I wonder why?
I expected that his winning the Presidency would bring out some ugliness, but it’s been far worse than I imagined. The racism coming from the Right is obviously clear and shameless, but there’s also some hidden and maybe subconscious and disturbing underline tone behind some of the things that I read here and throughout the Left blogosphere, even before the end of Obama’s first year—‘He’s weak, he’s spineless, he’s got no balls, primary him in 2012.’ It’ll be dishonest to deny that.
The fact is that for millions in America, Barack Obama is this uppity black man (Not even a “real” black), who received good education only due to affirmative action, and has no right to litter the sacred Oval Office with his skin color. They just can’t accept the fact that the president is a black man, who unlike his predecessor, was actually legally elected. But what’s really sad is that it’s not just the fringe, its deep in mainstream America.
President Obama’s ability to remain above all this slob, to keep his optimism and his strange and mostly unjustified faith in people, while continuing to gracefully deal with an endless shitstorm—is one of the most inspiring displays of human quality I have ever seen. And I can only hope that the Cosmos is on his side because God is and He never makes a mistake.
- end of initial entry -
Alan M. writes:
Quote from article: “But all of them, without exception, were treated with the highest respect deserving the office of the president of the United States.”
Quote from article: “They just can’t accept the fact that the president is a black man, who unlike his predecessor, was actually legally elected.”
When I read the first quote, I was wondering how long it would take him to disrespect Bush, and he only surprised me that it took him almost to the end of the article.
Thucydides (the VFR reader, not the ancient Athenian historian) writes:
This screed does not concede that any criticism of the President whatsoever might be legitimate. With its call for obsequious deference, it is an exercise in sheer tribal loyalty to the headman.
Our democracy is founded on the idea that the citizenry should pass informed judgment on its leaders, never mind how much in actual practice this ideal is traduced. If the citizenry cannot discuss the performance of a black president because that would always constitute “racism,” then in principle no black should be eligible for office.
Whoever wrote this, and whoever circulates it with approval, is obviously incapable of discharging the civic responsibilities of a citizen under our form of government.
Karl D. writes:
That article is incredible. And yes, I would hazard to say that most blacks and many, many liberals think the same way. No wonder they see the Tea party as akin to the Klan. It is not surprising though. I know a guy who is a big UFO and conspiracy theory nut. So it should come as no surprise that he is ALWAYS seeing UFO’s and government cover ups just about everywhere. Sometimes I wish I could crawl inside the heads of these types for a couple of hours. Just to see how they see the world, in all its oppressive and paranoid glory.
William D. writes:
A few observations on the McIntosh e-mail:
” … under some real illusion … ” This is not only awkward (a real illusion?), it’s unidiomatic. I pricked up my ears immediately. The next four sentences use “it” without any clear indication precisely what “it” refers to.
” … he was ‘That One.’” That One? The expression is “The One.”
“I’m quite old. I remember, vaguely, where my parents were on November 22, 1963.” This barely makes sense. If the writer “remember[s], vaguely, where my parents were” when Kennedy was assassinated (as opposed to where the writer himself was), I would guess he’s in his early fifties. That’s “quite old”? More to the point, what’s the significance of where his parents were? What is this sentence supposed to mean, except establish bona fides he’s probably not entitled to?
“I’ve seen so many presidents. Some were feared, some were hated, some were adored, some popular and some not.” Name them. Tell us which was which.
“But all of them, without exception, were treated with the highest respect deserving the office of the president of the United States.” Nixon? Ford? Carter? Reagan? I could go on, but you get my point. “[A]ll of them, with exception … ” Really?
” … a black man won the right to occupy this office.” He won the office. He didn’t win “the right to occupy” it.
“He is being disrespected … ” The author is black—the expression “is being direspected” settles it.
“He has to perform three times better than any president in history, and even that may not be enough.” He’s going to fail—and it’s going to be entirely the fault of white people. More proof the author is black.
“No matter what a true patriot he is. No matter how optimistic and positive his vision for America was.” These sentences speak for themselves.
Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 16, 2011 11:40 AM | Send