Forget Me Not

So commentator Chris Matthews forgot President Obama was Black…for an hour. I believe Mr. Matthews is in the minority as you can believe that the rest of White America has definitely not forgotten our president is Black. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reportedly remarked “The country is ready for a Black president. Especially one that is light-skinned and doesn’t have a Negro dialect unless he wants to have one.” Racist? Perhaps but far more insulting was the comment reportedly made by former President Bill Clinton who made it clear how he sees President Obama when speaking of him to Ted Kennedy before the 2008 election, he stated “A few years ago this guy would have been getting us coffee.” Really Bill a Harvard grad top of his class would have been getting you coffee? Far more racist, in my opinion. From the date of his statement, 20 years ago would have been 1988 and I’m fairly certain that at that time future President Obama would have told future President Clinton he could kiss his black ass and get his own coffee.

The simple fact is folks no one has “forgotten” the skin color of our 44th President least of all President Obama himself. Republicans pundits and Right-Wing Whackos remind him of the fact daily. Those who claim he was not American born or that he is a Socialist bent on destroying America. Those who claim they want to “take America back” and put it in the hands of “real Americans” remind him of the fact. The Republicans whose answer to all things Obama is a profound NO remind him. Disrespectful Senators and Justices who interrupt or mouth indignation during his speeches remind him that not only is he Black but that he doesn’t deserve the respect traditionally reserved for any man in his position. They remind him daily.

And what about us, Black America? Have we forgotten? Have we forgotten the sense of pride and accomplishment we felt on November 4, 2008? Have we forgotten what followed? The humiliating and racist characterizations and cartoons, the all out attacks from Conservative commentators and the vicious and virile assaults on his character and his allegiance to America. The websites, the email attacks, all designed to malign him simply based on his color. No for African-Americans forgetting President Obama’s color is not an option and certainly not one I would choose if given the chance.

Finally, Chris Matthews also suggested that President Obama was “post racial”. Just what the hell is post racial anyway? By definition it would suggest that racism has become a thing of the past and is no longer prevalent in American society. Really? Tell that to the promoters of the white only basketball league. Tell that to 18 year-old Jordan Miles of Pittsburgh, PA who just last week while walking from his mother’s to his grandmother’s house was ruthlessly beaten by the police who mistook a soda bottle for a gun. For that matter tell that to Professor Henry Louis Gates a personal friend of President Obama who was arrested for breaking into his own home just last year. If in fact we are in “post racial” America as Mr. Matthews suggest, then why would he have to remember or forget that our President Mr. Barack Obama is indeed a Black man? Why would it matter?

Goodbyes

I’ve always thought there’s nothing worse than saying that last goodbye and I’ve always regretted it and in fact I’ve often gone out of my way to avoid it. You know the goodbye where you know you’re never going to see that person again or the one where you may think it’s best to end things so you say goodbye. There’s just something about the finality of the moment that has always made me uncomfortable and it’s not something I thought I’d ever miss. Well, my best friend died unexpectedly three years ago next month and I never got a chance to say goodbye and it still hurts. I was never able to tell him how much I valued his friendship and the confidence we shared with each other. I would have thanked him for all those times when I needed someone to talk to and he was there. I would have let him know I appreciated the silent moments we shared and the way each of us instinctively knew when the other was in need. I never got the chance to ask him why he felt so hurt and unloved at the end and why he felt he couldn’t talk to me about whatever was troubling him. I would have done my best to reassure him everything would be all right and done anything I could to restore his confidence. I would have reminded him that our friendship had lasted almost 30 years and there was nothing he couldn’t tell me. I would have let him know that the two of us never judged each other and always counted on the other for an honest opinion. Had I known he was leaving I would have done my best to prepare and to be there to hold his hand at the end so that he wouldn’t be alone. I would have let him know how much I would miss him and that not a day passes without a memory of him. Memories of the times we laughed and the times we cried. Memories of the silly things we did and the fun we had doing them. I would have told him of the void his absence has left in my heart…there’s nothing worse than saying goodbye and yet there’s nothing worse than not saying it.

365 Days

So now a full year to the day President Obama was inaugurated the Democrats have lost control of the Senate and already there’s talk of dropping the Healthcare bill. The fact is the Healthcare bill should have been a done deal by now and I know this may sound strange coming from me but the problem is with President Obama. How is it that for a full year the Democrats had control of both houses yet they were unable to pass the Healthcare bill? The problem began with President Obama trying to play nice with the Republicans and although it was commendable of him the fact is that they had no plans of supporting anything he introduced from the get go. This should have been obvious with his efforts to pass the stimulus package. The Republican plan form the outset was to feed the idea to the American public that Obama was responsible for the country’s mess, a mess that was in fact created by the Bush administration, and it worked. Just think about it, President Obama is now being blamed for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the worst economy since the depression, record unemployment and the bank bailouts all of which occurred under Bush’s watch.

Hopefully this will be a wake up call to both the Democrats and to President Obama. The Democratic representatives need to end the disarray and stop getting in their own way and President Obama must realize that the time for him to begin playing hardball is long overdue. He can start by continually reminding the American public that the Republicans under the Bush administration created this fiasco instead of playing nice. He needs to point out to the nation that he and the Democrats are trying to correct the situation and the Republicans are continuing to play politics and refuse to do anything to help. He cannot continue to allow the Republicans to define his agenda and continue to misinform the American public. Lastly President Obama must concentrate on visibly rebuilding the economy by the time of mid-term elections lest the Democrats lose more seats.

In the past I have been one of President Obama’s most vocal cheerleaders but it’s time for him to step up and show some leadership. He may be a personable and likable guy but that’s not going to do it. The fact that the Republicans were able to put one of their own in a position the Kennedy Dynasty has held since 1972 should be a tremendous wake up call to all. The Republicans are feeding on the fact that Americans are nervous about the economy and need jobs so how about actually creating some. Healthcare is equally important but the Republicans along with their talking heads have convinced a lot of Americans that President Obama is trying to push through socialized medicine, socialized being the key word here used to destroy the plan and terrify and intimidate the ignorant. Their plan is to continue to push through and reinforce these ridiculous notions about President Obama and to shoot down and now possibly filibuster any plans presented. The best way to get the American public confidence back is to show some results. The healthcare bill is not a loss and can pass if the Democrats act quickly. Step up and tell the House to pass it now as is. Period!

It’s only been 365 days but this President is judged as if he’s been in office for eight years. This President is judged on a magnitude the likes of which have been never seen before. This President is being judged as the first African-American President and there are those who would have preferred to find him guilty on day one.

Looters?

I’ve remained silent for the last week and chose not to comment on some of the ridiculous comments made concerning the Haiti earthquake such as Pat Robertson’s punishment for devil worshipping statement and Rush Limbaugh who stated “We’ve already donated to Haiti. It’s called the U.S. income tax,” I think the absurdity of such statements speak for themselves. More disturbing to me are the images coming from Haiti through the media. The depictions of Haitians as savage barbaric criminals and uncontrolled looters are demeaning and insulting. It reminds me of how the media portrayed African-Americans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when whites were called survivors and African-Americans were referred to as refugees. Yet this somehow seems much worse.

While there are no doubt many criminals attempting to profit from the disaster my bet is that the majority of these “looters” are Haitians attempting to feed and clothe their families during what are no doubt chaotic circumstances. Images of “uncontrolled” Haitians running wildly through the streets with soiled clothing covered in soot while dead bodies are piled all around only reinforce the ideas of the Pat Robertson’s of the world who think Black people are uncivilized animals who cannot police or govern themselves.

According to the Sunday edition of the New York Times, as of that date tons of supplies had arrived for distribution from around the world yet they chose to run photographs of looters and riot victims rather than those of the supplies being rationed or emergency medical centers that have been set up. They preferred to editorialize the pandemonium of the moment with photographs of “savagery” versus the humanitarian efforts to restore order. This was the preference of editors in newspapers and online reporting throughout the country. I think this speaks volumes more than Robertson’s or Limbaugh’s statements ever could.

Tigga What?

Tiger Woods just made the cover of Vanity Fair and I have to ask is this what a Cablinasian looks like? If so I’ve never been prouder to be a Black man. As a person who regularly works out to stay in shape, I don’t know if I’m more offended by that beat up body (what’s up with those nipples and that obviously sucked in gut) or the stereotypical image presented. He looks like some incarcerated thug from the prison yard. Shirtless and apparently in the midst of pumping iron (again with that body there’s not a whole lot of pumping going on) a menacing glare and a knit ski cap he could be on the cover of Black Criminals Monthly. Famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz took the photos prior to the recent Tiger Woods sex scandal but the intentions of Vanity Fair are clear. To exploit Tiger Woods and terrify and alienate white America. It reminds me of The O.J. cover of Time magazine immediately following his arrest. Uh, that would be his arrest for the double homicide and not the arrest for that stupid burglary thing which eventually landed him in jail…idiot. But unlike O.J., Tiger is not accused of a crime other than that of infidelity so what’s up with the mug shot?

After years of trying to convince the world that he was Cablinasian it seems that in the eyes of Vanity Fair, Tiger is just another Black man anyway, at least the Vanity Fair vision of a Black man. Is this the only photo they could come up with for the cover or just the most exploitive? And even though Annie Leibovitz recently shot the beautiful Christmas photos of the first family she doesn’t get a pass either. Is this how she views Black men, as common criminals? With his menacing glare, these purposely-darkened mug shot photos paint a clear picture of the violent sex addicted black bogeyman that conservative white America has warned their daughters to stay away from for years. And Tiger doesn’t help his case any with quotes from him in the article referencing the penis size of Black men and bragging about his sexual prowess.

The truth is that Tiger willingly posed for these photos long before the scandal broke. So I have to ask what were his intentions? What did he hope to gain from the exposure of these photos? Was he attempting to bust the good boy squeaky clean all American image his father had so carefully carved out for him? That certainly would explain the sex scandal. Maybe Tiger finally realized that he is in fact a Black man and if so perhaps this is Tiger’s image of what he thinks the Black man is, a thugged out pumped up womanizing criminal. What’s next a rap album from Tiger using the alias Tigga along with a video showing him grabbing his crotch and calling women beyotch? Uh-huh uh-huh. I’m not sure if I should be defending him or admonishing him. Whatever. One thing I know for sure, that body is just offensive.

The Friendly Skies

Thanks a lot Mr. Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. Thank you and your underwear bomb hiding, terrorist plotting Nigerian ass. It wasn’t bad enough that African-American men are profiled daily in America on land simply by virtue of being born Black. No now, thanks to you, we are set to be profiled in the Friendly Skies as well. I say this because Umar looks just like the kid who works bagging groceries at my neighborhood Ralph’s. A fact no doubt picked up by Law Enforcement agencies all over America both on the ground and in the air. And yes he is officially Nigerian but isn’t that just a variation on the word nigger? More important than what he looks like though is his skin color, as in the eyes of these officers we all look alike anyway. Already the Right Wing Whackos who phone in to Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Becks shows are calling for the immediate detaining and full body search at the gate for any “Muslim” boarding a flight. Of course “Muslim” implies anyone who looks like Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. Again, thanks Umar.

In case you haven’t heard Umar decided he was going to blow up a plane headed for Detroit on Christmas Day. Detroit? I don’t know if you’ve been to Detroit lately, it’s a pretty destitute city with all the unemployment, poverty and resulting crime but blowing it up? And what exactly is his problem with America anyway? The man comes from money. His father is a leading banker in Nigeria, which in itself is no small task in a country over run by corrupt government officials. In fact Nigeria has been called the most corrupt country in the world. A country rich in oil resources yet the majority of it’s people live in poverty. So I ask why Detroit? What’s so good about your own damn country? How about blowing up that dictatorial government you got in charge over there buddy?

Of course the Republicans have wasted no time in using the attempted attack as a means of stoking the fears of conservative America and attacking the Obama administration. Encouraged additionally by idiotic statements from Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, who announced immediately following the aborted bombing that “the system worked.” Really Janet? A man pays for his one-way ticket in cash at the airport with no luggage to check, his father had warned U.S. authorities about his son’s “extreme religious views”, this man passes through security with a bomb in his underwear and the system worked? How about waiting until you have all the facts next time before releasing ridiculous statements Jan. A more appropriate statement came from President Obama who conceded to flaws in the system stating there were “systemic failures”, something to which Bush would never have admitted.

Of course by that point it was too late. Dick Cheney had already launched his attack stating Obama is “trying to pretend we are not at war” and “he seems to think if he gives terrorists the rights of Americans, lets them lawyer up and reads them their Miranda rights, we won’t be at war.” Oh Dick what a short memory you have. Remember the shoe-bomber Richard Reid who tried to blow up a plane by detonating his shoes? Well, the Bush administration sent his case to a civilian court…but I guess that’s different. And this is the same Dick Cheney who authorized the release of suspected terrorists from prison at Guantanamo Bay to his Saudi friends from whom they quickly escaped. The same terrorists who now train and recruit in Yemen where one Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab trained recently…hmm.

Bottom line is this, I don’t know about you but I don’t feel any more or less safe than I did on Christmas Eve before the attempted bombing. The fact that this man was able to slip through checkpoints put in place to avoid such an attack worries me. But I’ve been worried ever since 9/11. You know 9/11 the terrorist attack on American soil that happened on Bush’s watch. Adding additional screening procedures may help but the idea of X-Ray machines or full body searches sounds intrusive and unappealing. Anyway one thing I know for sure is I’ll make sure I have on my good underwear for my next flight out of town, you know me being a “Muslim” and all.

From Merriam-Webster

Oxymoron

ox•y•mo•ron
Pronunciation: \ˌäk-sē-ˈmȯr-ˌän\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural ox•y•mo•rons also ox•y•mo•ra \-ˈmȯr-ə\
Etymology: Late Greek oxymōron, from neuter of oxymōros pointedly foolish, from Greek oxys sharp, keen + mōros foolish
Date: 1657
: a combination of contradictory or incongruous words: something (as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements as in “cruel kindness” or “to make haste slowly” or “Rush Limbaugh had a heart attack”