Once a Marine...

Once a Marine...
Every year or so, I get together with my Marine Officer buddies. We're not as lean, not as mean, but we're still Marines. That's me, with the long hair.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Thoughts on Racism


On January 20, Barack Obama became America’s first black President.

It was a day for the history books, not just for America, but for the world. Blacks comprise a mere 12-13% of the population, and yet we the people elected a black man to lead our nation— the entire globe should take note of what human rights and equality can make possible.

At President Obama’s inauguration, civil rights leader Reverend Joseph Lowery prayed these words: “…in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right.”

People, I can’t take it anymore.

We just elected a black man as the PRESIDENT, and this black man prays for the day—future tense—when “white will embrace what’s right.”

Reverend Lowery, let me give you a little nugget of truth: Remember your work back during the Civil Rights movement?

How y’all took on the racist policies of the country through peaceful resistance?

This may come as a tremendous shock to you, but not only were you right—you prevailed.

Yes, change came slowly, and affirmative action was needed for many years, but ultimately the righteousness of your cause prevailed.

You succeeded.

Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream has been realized, and in 2008 men are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Of this I am positive.

Why? BECAUSE WE JUST ELECTED A BLACK MAN AS PRESIDENT.

Your problem, Reverend Lowery, is that you don’t want a man judged by the content of his character. Or by how hard he works. Or by his intellect.

Why? Because you see men only by the color of their skin: They are either white, or not white. And for some reason, you believe that being black should be a meal ticket—a get-out-life excuse, where unemployment, out-of-wedlock births, crime, drug use, and laziness are accepted as an acceptable response to past injustices and current self-image.

Well, it ain’t.

And the folks I feel sorry for are the MILLIONS of middle and upper-class blacks who have to listen to you, year-after-year preaching your broken record message that “the Man is keeping us down.”

These folks have long since broken free of the shackles that bind YOU, and decided to succeed—in spite of the fact their great-great-great-great-great grandparents were slaves. Despite the fact that America was a largely racist nation up until the Civil Rights movement opened so many eyes. Despite the fact that some percentage of America still believes those racist views.

What else could they do? It was either succeed, or spend another generation in poverty.

Thankfully, these Americans decided it was time to move on—from you, and the insulting policies of the liberal elite, and the ghetto mentality espoused by the Rap music community.

Let me tell you the story of a black man in America, born at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement.

He came from a broken home of mixed-race parents, who largely abandoned him. Despite this, he studied hard, and graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, magna cum laude.

He worked a low-paying job as a community organizer, got married, had two children within the confines of that marriage, and got into politics.

Along the way he learned to orate like an educated man, eschewed the “coolness” associated with being “one of the homeboys,” and kept his eye on the future. Oh, AND NOW HE’S THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

It is clear, Reverend, that you believe all of us bigoted whites get up each morning and before leaving for work make out a list of People-to-Oppress Today.

But then how do you explain Obama slipping by? Was he so super-human that he simply overcame, through force of will, a nation of whites committed to his destruction?

Did he get to take his law exams in ebonics?

Maybe he has a low testosterone level, thus children with multiple women wasn’t necessary?

Or do you think it’s possible he put his best foot forward, every single day for 47 years?

And that he ignored the teasing about “talking like a white man?”

And that he resisted the advances of comely young admirers because he was committed in marriage?

Do you think it’s possible that even some of us white bigots “embraced what is right” and encouraged this promising young man to strive for great success?

Because of you and your supporters, Reverend Lowery—from Al Sharpton to Jim Clyburn, millions of young blacks will miss the entire point of President Obama’s election.

You will be so wrapped up in reaching for hand-outs, and trying to norm ghetto life, and discussing Barack’s blackness that you will cause these young people to miss the story of his excellence. Barack didn’t overcome racism—he overcame an unstable home life, and a ton of extremely hard college classes, and the poor pay of being a social worker, and the boredom of shaking hands to win votes.

He didn’t overcome white America… he overcame life.

I did not vote for barrack Obama. I cannot think of one thing we agree on.

I believe he is the most unqualified President since Ulysses S. Grant.

And I think a huge chunk of the people who voted for him couldn’t have told you the name of his running mate on a bet.

But I do admire him. And I hope he’s the greatest, most successful President in history, because he’s inherited a hell of a mess from President Bush, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.

And while he may have stood on your very shoulders to even see his dream of becoming President, he’s there now. And he’s no longer standing on your shoulders. So don’t make him serve his term with you and your fellow racists on his back.

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