I Must Admit…It’s True

I haven’t taken the time to sit down to leave a few words in quite a while. It’s unfortunate that I had to be angered to compose this piece. Teddy makes a great point in this quote. Since my early years, I’ve been a student of the politics of the day. I’ll never forget the surprise on the face of Jerry Hickman as I was describing the layers of government in civics class (and correcting the textbook on at least one occasion). I believe that, while it isn’t perfect, we have the greatest governmental machine in the world. We allow, to a certain extent, the people to choose their leaders, their laws and their fate. No other country in the world allows as many freedoms as are allowed in the United States of America. So my next position will bring pause to some of you. I personally believe we have too many freedoms in this country and, to a certain extent, we allow the people to be involved in too much that they’re uninformed about.


This quote says a great deal, especially when you reflect on those you know who either were vehemently opposed to President Barack Obama and couldn’t tell you why, or those who were staunch supporters and couldn’t tell you what his platform was. I mean I literally heard a woman argue that she didn’t like the president because he sat under the pastorate of Jeremiah Wright and had to know he was racist. She then said her issue was that he was a Muslim and didn’t back down from either when exposed to the contrast between the two, adding that he was an atheist because his father was one. So I guess that made him an Islamic Christian atheist. On the other hand I spoke to a woman who was upwards of 45 years old who admitted that it was her first time voting when the president ran in 2008. She went on to admit that she was only voting for him because she wanted to see a black man as president in her lifetime. I went on to tell her she was dishonoring the lives of those who dies for her to have the right to vote. I am of the mindset that neither of these people deserves the right to vote as they aren’t exercising the spirit of the vote in choosing whoever is best for their community and best for the position they are running.

I was one that argued against the statement that folks were opposed to our current president due to the hue of his epithelial coat. I was living with the notion that we are more intelligent, as a country, than that. However, with the compilation of events dating back to 2007, I must admit…it’s true. We’ve had folks oppose a president in the past and manage to still do what needs to be done for the country. We’ve had members of the senate and congress who didn’t agree with the president and put it aside to make sure the country’s best interest was first. We’ve had men and women in uniform not agree with the commander in chief but still carry out the orders presented to them. However, folks calling the president a liar on national television, governors verbally chastising a grown man in public (complete with the wagging finger) and now because he won reelection, utilizing the primary system set forth in this great country of ours (no supreme court intervention required), you have students burning effigies, signs and causing disturbances on college campuses and secession petitions being filed by some residents of the state of Texas (and over a dozen other states). With over 40,000 Texans signing this petition, I must admit…it’s true. This isn’t even scratching the surface on all of the other disgraceful antics displayed by members of the media, celebrities, sons of presidential opponents, etc that went unmentioned. On this day, I’m convinced that a great deal of the tom foolery allowed to go on with regard to the disrespect shown to the man sitting in the office of president of the United States is due to the his ancestral origin, I must admit…it’s true. When has it been allowed for a school to choose to not display the picture of the sitting president? When has it, or should it be, allowed for someone to lynch an effigy of a sitting president? At no time in American history have we seen a president, sitting or otherwise, disrespected at the level this one has. I, for one, am ashamed that we as a country cannot come together and do what needs to be done because some folks don’t want to follow someone that doesn’t look like them. I’m not saying everyone against him is against him because he’s black (that would be foolish and irresponsible), but I will say there is a contingent that’s making a noise that is wearing a brand new pair of these shoes and yes, they fit nicely, I must admit…it’s true. There are some who may be offended by this as there are others who think the same way but won’t say it.

Let’s be clear, I’m sick of folks thumping the racism card on the table every 10 seconds. I’m normally the last to make a claim of this nature (those who know me know this to be true)but in this case, I must admit…it’s true. It pains me to make this assertion in this case, but if you don’t see it the perhaps you need to take off the rose colored glasses. We, as a country, as a society, and as a people (American people) need to reexamine our relationships, our outlooks and reassess our allegiances. Do we really love our country, or are we for or against a particular person (or party)? Let’s all work together to stand firm for America, regardless of who sits as commander in chief. Respect the office, the man is just there for four more years.

It’s just my opinion, but I’m not wrong.

State of the Union…WOW!

I was elated when I got out of class early this evening so that I could have the opportunity to make it home to watch the State of the Union address. Unlike many folks who just started watching it this year, I make every effort to witness this speech every January…regardless of who's in the White House. I originally intended on addressing specific issues that I found with the address itself, but I perused Facebook prior to starting on this offering. After reading many of the posts on people's status update I must say that I'm not only appalled, but disappointed. We have folks making statements like, '…they don't want to respect OUR president…they already had their turn when THEIR president was in office…they just racist cause they don't want to stand up and clap for Obama.' While these status updates and the sentiments that fueled them may not be a big deal to some, I find them majorly offensive and, might I say, trifling. Here we are in 2010 and we're placing ourselves (black folk) in a self imposed segregationist situation. Let me educate you morons who insist on making these types of statements. If you were born in America George Bush (both of them) was YOUR president and when you see them they still carry the title Mr. President. President Obama is every American's president. What really pains me about this crap is two things (1) if someone white had made the statement that he is y'all president and our president was the last one then the National Action Network, NACP, SCLC, ACLU, and a bunch of other initials would be picketing, boycotting, and protesting. (2) Every time you refer to President Obama as Obama, you're disrespecting the man, the office and the title he earned by virtue of winning the election. Call the man President Obama…it's only proper and fitting. George Washington and his advisors toiled with a fitting title for the president of the United States. They toyed with Your Excellence, Your Majesty, and others, but settled on Mr. President. This is a title that is earned for life by simply serving one term. Give him the respect due his office.

On another note, I would be willing to bet a dollar to a dime that all of these short sighted, rabble rousing hooligans who are running around screaming racism and posting this idiocy in their status updates didn't watch any of the State of the Union addresses that Clinton, Bush or Reagan gave. Let me educate you on something. The republicans never stand for a democrat and the democrats never stand and applaud a republican. Besides, what awe inspiring statements are really made in the State of the Union address (including this one)? It's generally a bunch of rhetoric and either promises of what I want to do, reason I didn't do what I said I'd do or like tonight a tongue lashing of the house of congress and senate for not doing more. If you don't know anything about politics, government or and manner in which things are done, please learn something before you open your mouth and exhibit your ignorance. There was even one person making light of the fact that the Supreme Court justices simply sat there and didn't applaud anything. Again, I say…educate yourself. I've not seen the Supreme Court justices react to, applaud or even appear to be listening to any State of the Union address since I started watching them when I was in middle school. While the political machine that we call our government is one that has many cogs and wheels, it has but two major organs, and they are opposed to one another even to the detriment of the greater good. Sometimes being contrary for the sake of being contrary [I believe]. This transpires on both sides of the aisle.

Rather than me taking the time to assess the things that President Obama put forth. Rather than me dissecting the republican response, I'll issue a challenge. I challenge every American who reads these words to get involved, get educated, and don't miss an opportunity to cast an educated vote. Whether for dog catcher or president of the US your voice needs to be heard. Please stop crying racism when it is apparent to Ray Charles and Ronnie Millsap that it isn't. What will happen is when it really is, no one will pay any attention. Just like the boy who cried wolf. So I say this. Do what you need to do to make sure this country remains the best in the world [I believe this to be true] and that we continue to meet and surpass our goals as individuals, members of various organizations, and this country as a whole. Presently the state of our union, from a social perspective, is on life support. We are no further along than we were in 1967. Not because we haven't been educated, but because we're refusing to let go of things that took place in the past and we work to keep the division between the races going. Let it go people…let it go.

It's Just my Opinion, but I'm Not Wrong!!!