Let me preface this by stating that I am a fan of Barack Obama's, and that I believe that our current health care system is in dire need of reform. I'm disgusted with sky high premiums for insurance companies who refuse to pay claims when their customers actually get sick (so their executives can get paid exhorbitant bonuses). I'm disgusted by a system that treats illnesses without addressing prevention and healthy lifestyles (perhaps because someone is profiting greatly from illness?). So I was inspired watching Obama's address to Congress last Wednesday, grinning as he said all the right things, perhaps distracted by the constant applause and ovation after ovation, but nevertheless inspired.
My feelings upon hearing the cretin shout out “You Lie!” were mirrored on the mortified, and yet furious face of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Was I looking at a Town Hall meeting, or were these supposed to be elected officials listening to an address given by the President of the United States of America? When did it become okay to be that disrespectful of your colleagues, or the American people? When I learned who the offensive Congressman was and where he was from, sadly, I chalked it up to plain old racism, especially after seeing the picture of him with his face contorted with straight-up hatred that he couldn't be bothered to contain. But then I talked to my sister, who told me to take another look at the photograph and to look at the faces of the Congressmen seated on either side of the infantile Joe Wilson, and when I did I skipped a breath. Again, pure, unadulterated hatred. No, not just an “I disagree with you” look, not a rolling of the eyes, but a look of “Screw you, President Darkie, you MF. I hate you.” No, this is no ordinary political disagreement. It is unrestrained, ugly, disheartening hatred of some so-called human beings against the Leader of the Free World, not for political reasons, but for purely human reasons. It has a name – Racism.
In spite of my Pollyana-ish attitude about life in general and faith in the human spirit, I have concluded that there are people out there who just don't like a Black Man as President, no matter how good a leader, how educated, smart, inspiring, and faithful and loyal to a beautiful family - admirable values for anyone. What else can I conclude? In my lifetime, I have seen reactions to politicians before, but never anything even remotely at this level. I have never seen people who call themselves “Men of God,” e.g. Pastors of churches, tell their sheep-like flocks to pray for rain for a Presidential Address, or worse, admit that they are praying for the death of the President. In my eyes, that ought to be labeled for what it is and punished accordingly – treason. I've not seen irresponsible radio talk show hosts transform “Black Man,” to “Socialist,” tell bald-faced lies on the air and get away with it. I literally threw my hands in the air when I heard about people threatening to keep their children out of school to avoid hearing the Presidential Address to schoolchildren (not a new idea) about the value of an education. How sickening to know that uneducated people are continuing the cycle of stupid with their children; even more so knowing that these people are allowed to vote and procreate.
I take refuge in the knowledge that these people certainly don't represent the majority of the American people. After all, Obama was elected by a clear majority. What does worry me is that people appear to be getting crazier. I can't imagine how anyone thought it was okay to go hear the President speak while packing heat. Why? More importantly, why would such a lunatic be interviewed on a television news program instead of thrown in the slammer face down with a boot to the back of the neck? I mean seriously, the last President spied on citizen's private telephone conversations, and you could have been arrested for just speaking disparagingly about him. Elderly people's cookie swaps were raided. Teenage boys with “Islamic sounding” names were put on terrorist lists that caused them to be stopped at airports. Wars were started under false pretenses that plundered the Treasury. I didn't like any of it. But hatred? C'mon. The former administration included human beings just like the rest of us (with a few aliens mixed in, I'm sure). I feel that we were lucky more damage wasn't done before they left. And to his credit, the former President has kept a low profile since he left (unlike the aliens).
My feelings upon hearing the cretin shout out “You Lie!” were mirrored on the mortified, and yet furious face of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Was I looking at a Town Hall meeting, or were these supposed to be elected officials listening to an address given by the President of the United States of America? When did it become okay to be that disrespectful of your colleagues, or the American people? When I learned who the offensive Congressman was and where he was from, sadly, I chalked it up to plain old racism, especially after seeing the picture of him with his face contorted with straight-up hatred that he couldn't be bothered to contain. But then I talked to my sister, who told me to take another look at the photograph and to look at the faces of the Congressmen seated on either side of the infantile Joe Wilson, and when I did I skipped a breath. Again, pure, unadulterated hatred. No, not just an “I disagree with you” look, not a rolling of the eyes, but a look of “Screw you, President Darkie, you MF. I hate you.” No, this is no ordinary political disagreement. It is unrestrained, ugly, disheartening hatred of some so-called human beings against the Leader of the Free World, not for political reasons, but for purely human reasons. It has a name – Racism.
In spite of my Pollyana-ish attitude about life in general and faith in the human spirit, I have concluded that there are people out there who just don't like a Black Man as President, no matter how good a leader, how educated, smart, inspiring, and faithful and loyal to a beautiful family - admirable values for anyone. What else can I conclude? In my lifetime, I have seen reactions to politicians before, but never anything even remotely at this level. I have never seen people who call themselves “Men of God,” e.g. Pastors of churches, tell their sheep-like flocks to pray for rain for a Presidential Address, or worse, admit that they are praying for the death of the President. In my eyes, that ought to be labeled for what it is and punished accordingly – treason. I've not seen irresponsible radio talk show hosts transform “Black Man,” to “Socialist,” tell bald-faced lies on the air and get away with it. I literally threw my hands in the air when I heard about people threatening to keep their children out of school to avoid hearing the Presidential Address to schoolchildren (not a new idea) about the value of an education. How sickening to know that uneducated people are continuing the cycle of stupid with their children; even more so knowing that these people are allowed to vote and procreate.
I take refuge in the knowledge that these people certainly don't represent the majority of the American people. After all, Obama was elected by a clear majority. What does worry me is that people appear to be getting crazier. I can't imagine how anyone thought it was okay to go hear the President speak while packing heat. Why? More importantly, why would such a lunatic be interviewed on a television news program instead of thrown in the slammer face down with a boot to the back of the neck? I mean seriously, the last President spied on citizen's private telephone conversations, and you could have been arrested for just speaking disparagingly about him. Elderly people's cookie swaps were raided. Teenage boys with “Islamic sounding” names were put on terrorist lists that caused them to be stopped at airports. Wars were started under false pretenses that plundered the Treasury. I didn't like any of it. But hatred? C'mon. The former administration included human beings just like the rest of us (with a few aliens mixed in, I'm sure). I feel that we were lucky more damage wasn't done before they left. And to his credit, the former President has kept a low profile since he left (unlike the aliens).
The elected officials who can't contain their hate need to be voted out. They are an embarrassment to themselves, their constituents and to our country. They are supposed to be role models and they are supposed to represent everyone, not just the people who share their skin pigment. I was ecstatic to hear that Joe Wilson's former-marine opponent in the next election was given a $500,000 windfall the next day after Wilson's ridiculous outburst by an enraged public. It made me proud of my country.
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