Little Things Matter

Y'all know I don't write about politics much anymore.

I made the switch for a variety of reasons, with the main one being work-related. However, I still try to keep up a little bit with the latest political news, and I've seen how criticism for President Obama has grown as the country has continued to flounder. I've also noticed how some black folks are growing disenchanted with the president.

Honestly, I'm not one of those folks who think it's traitorous to criticize President Obama, although I do think some folks are too harsh in their critiques. I think the man has strengths and weaknesses, and his administration has reflected that reality.

Some black folks have criticized Obama for failing to live up to the promises of his campaign and deal with longstanding discrimination against black folks. I don't agree with that. Yes, the president has not made black issues the rhetorical focal point of his administration, nor has he made any grand gestures to black folks. But, I've noticed that he's done some little things that are very important.

A few months back I read how the Justice Department was rededicating itself to handling civil rights complaints, which had fallen out of favor under the Bush administration. Then I saw this article about Obama's plans to address the wrongs done to black farmers. I've seen other stories about small changes in how government works to make it more inclusive and more equitable.

And I think this matters.

Yes, I would prefer it if Obama was more boisterous and challenging to his racist foes. I too get frustrated with his centric positions. But, I also understand that real problems with government went far deeper than the surface. Previous administrations worked very hard to undercut black people's access fair and just treatment. Behind the scenes they made far-reaching regulatory changes that stripped black folks of rights that we had fought hard to obtain, and most of us were unaware of the changes.

Those changes didn't get a lot of media play because most media folks weren't aware of them. Reporting on regulatory changes requires a serious knowledge of system, and the time to pull string on issues. Those things are at a premium these days, and most media outlets aren't going to spare them to report on injustices to black folks. It just isn't sexy enough.

So, Obama's decision to quietly right these wrongs is important. It won't eliminate the damage done, but it may prevent it from occurring again in the future. Most of us don't deal with politicians, we deal with faceless workers who only follow the policies set forth in their rules books. These people wield the real power, not the talking heads scurrying to their next press conference.

Making sure government works properly for people regardless of the their race should be the goal of every politician, but sadly that's not the case. While some folks think Obama has done too little, I take a different view.

I think little things can add up to big changes.



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Eating and Pooping

If you're angry, disillusioned, disappointed, or just plain unhappy that President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Price recently, I want you to raise your hand.

Lift it a little higher please.

Okay, now that I've got your measure, I want to refer you to two of my favorite Jay-Z lyrics of all time.

"Nigga respect the game, that should be it
What you eat don't make me shit - where's the love?"

"You don't even know me and you mad, how it feel to be a hater.
Now I know exactly how it feel to be a Laker"

And, since I don't really listen to rap like that anymore, and I'm trying to be a better Christian, I'm also going to refer to the parable of The Workers in the Vineyard.

Now, some of y'all might be a little upset at my flippancy. Truth be told, I had planned on avoiding this entire topic cause y'all know I don't do politics like that over here any more. I've got a hands off policy on all this political wrangling, plus I'm more interested in other stuff.

With that said, I felt like I had to speak on this thing. Not because I wasn't surprised that Obama won, I was. In fact, my initial reaction was "Well, what did he do?"

Nah, I felt like speaking now because while my initial reaction was without rancor, it was based in ignorance. It seems that Obama has done more than enough to qualify for the award given the standards set forth by the Nobel committee.

We can debate whether there were other qualified candidates, but I refuse to entertain the idea that Obama was wholly unqualified. And, given this fact, for anyone to still question whether Obama "deserved" what he got, or to be upset that he got it, well that's crossing over into some unsavory territory.

That's Hater Land.

And, when folks cross over into Hater Land, I think of those Jay-Z lyrics and that parable. The lyrics are easily understandable, but everybody might not be familiar with the parable. It's about a master who hires some workers to do a job, and they all agree to get paid the same amount.

However, the master hires each worker at different times of the day, so they all work different periods in the vineyard. So, one worker might have agreed to work 10 hours for $100, while another only worked 1 hour for his $100. At the end of the parable, the owner of the vineyard chastises those workers who are upset that some folks basically got paid $100 an hour. He notes that it's his money and he can do what he wants.

The parable is designed to discuss salvation and the fact that God bestows salvation on whom he chooses, when he chooses. But, it also works in this President Obama issue. The simple truth is that most people in the world are completely unaffected by the president's victory. It has no impact on their lives, and they are still getting everything they were getting before.

Yet, for some folks it's unacceptable that somebody else can get something they think that person doesn't deserve. It's ironic that these feelings seem to be most prevalent among the media and Republicans. Obama's succes irks them to no end. Not because it affects their lives, but because it affects their sense of fair play. Guess what?

Ain't no fair play.

Fairness is a concept created by humans to justify their attempts to make the world work the way they want it to work. Justice is a concept created by God to explain why the world works the way it does. God doesn't care about what you think is fair.

There is no reason for most people to be upset at President Obama's good fortune. None. So I feel justified in labeling those folks who are upset "haters."


What do y'all think?



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Watch Your Company

During the presidential election, I watched a lot of MSNBC.

Channel 356 was on so much in my house that I knew instantly when they changed Olbermann's hair helmet, and speculated on why they decided to add a little more blush to Rachel Maddow's makeup. Given the choice between the three major cable news stations, MSNBC, despite their ridiculous liberal bias, was the clear winner over the drivel on CNN and the vile hatred on Fox News.

Anyway, one of the frequent commenters on MSNBC is Pat Buchanan. For those of you unaware, Buchanan is an old school racist. He and Strom Thurmond probably exchanged trade secrets back in the day, and Buchanan's never been shy about letting everybody know the world is a better place when white men are in charge.

He recently caught some flack for tossing some red meat to the Republican base and letting them know that it's white folks who have kept the world, or rather America, safe for all these years. He pretty much said that you inferior races, that is everybody who is not white, have been freeloading on the white man's back since they got here. It was typical Buchanan fare, only he made it a little more plain than usual. Check out this article at Racialicious for more details.

I've bristled at Uncle Pat's shtick for quite some time. His entire attitude reminds of just how close we are to the white sheets and snarling German Shepherds. But, what's bothered me the most is the topic touched on in the article. Mainly, why are other white folks so convinced that Uncle Pat is harmless?

One of things I noticed watching Buchanan is that while he may sometimes forget himself, often he's in control of his emotions and his tongue. Basically, when he says some hateful, racist stuff, he knows EXACTLY what he's doing. It typically ain't a slip up.

Yet, I've found that his white colleagues tend to brush off his comments as just "Uncle Pat being Uncle Pat." He's minimized, while at the same time given a national platform. We're told what he has to say isn't important, but he's allowed to spew it to the masses.

But that's not the worst thing. Nah, what's really bad is that the public is fed the ridiculous argument that Uncle Pat is really a swell guy. Several times I've heard Maddow and others talking about having a drink with Pat and enjoying themselves. About how he's really a nice guy behind the gruff, racist exterior.

That is getting old.

Like Bill Parcells, I'm a firm believer in the idea that you are what your record says you are. You can't convince me that when the camera is off, Uncle Pat is a jolly character who doesn't think niggers should keep their mouths shut. No matter how many times you say he's a hoot, it's not going to convince me that he would have no problem reinstating the Fugitive Slave Law and the institution that went along with it.

Honestly, I don't think most of those white folks believe that themselves, at least not deep in their hearts. They know Buchanan ain't right, they just don't want to admit it because that would raise the question of why are they hanging out with a racist prick. Since Uncle Pat actually does remind them of their uncles, and grandparents and even their parents, they don't want to admit that he probably gave Bull Connor tips on how to run the Birmingham Police Department.

We all know that the company you keep reflects your personal values. The people you spend time with influence you, and are a representation of what type of crap you're willing to put up with on a regular basis. So, if you don't mind shooting the breeze with Uncle Pat, what does that say about you?

Well?

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La La La, I Can't Hear You

"Now, I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact," Obama said.

"That doesn't lessen the incredible progress that has been made," he added. "I am standing here as testimony to the progress that's been made. And yet the fact of the matter is, is that, you know, this still haunts us. And even when there are honest misunderstandings, the fact that blacks and Hispanics are picked up more frequently and often time for no cause casts suspicion even when there is good cause. And that's why I think the more that we're working with local law enforcement to improve policing techniques so that we're eliminating potential bias, the safer everybody is going to be."

Those were the words President Barack Obama spoke at his press conference Wednesday when he was asked about the incident involving Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates and a Cambridge police officer. As you can see, they are measured, they are calm and the try to provide a fair assessment of what happened. Nobody is called a racist and police officers are not arbitrarily condemned. Yet, Obama manages to convey a simple truth about life in America for black people and Latinos.

Now, I would encourage those of you with strong stomachs and minds to check out the comments section on this article to get a sense for how the president's comments were received by some people.

Those of you brave enough to follow that link saw that despite Obama's attempts at fairness, it wasn't enough. The vitriolic comments left at Boston.com made it clear that many folks believe that anybody who mentions "race" or "discrimination" isn't worth listening to, particularly when that person is a big-eared, purple-lipped Negro pretending to be this country's lawful president.

I long ago learned not to assume that comment sections represent the thoughts of the "masses," so I'll just assume that those comments represent the feelings of a vocal minority. Either way, they are disturbing.

I touched on this theme in this blog back during the presidential campaign. As you can see, it discusses the phenomenon of the "Good Negro" and even provides some helpful rules for those of you seeking to adopt that mantle.

In truth, Obama has shown himself to be quite skillful in navigating the murky racial waters of America. He follows the "Good Negro" rules most of the time, and rarely manages to let his mask fall. Yet, often it seems like with certain folks, he still can't win. No matter what he says, not matter what any black person says, they just don't care.

If you're talking about race, you might as well shut up.

Like many black folks, I've grown cynical about racial discussions. They seem to be the ultimate no-win situations. People don't listen, they get angry, and ultimately, they blame you. Often, it seems like the only reason to engage anyone with a dissenting opinion on race is if you have hankering for a good argument.

Responses like those the president receive only confirm my view. Though Obama tried his best to speak from a middle ground that everyone should be able to agree with at least partially, to many folks it was as if he was a raving black lunatic calling up the hounds of Hades on all good white folks.

Even the police officer got in on the act, telling the world he was disappointed that Obama commented on his actions without all the facts. How ironic coming from a man who readily accosted a crippled old man in his home on a vague tip that turned out to be ridiculously false. How often do you think Officer Hurt Feelings has called a suspect a scumbag, or assumed guilt, without "all the facts?"

This whole race thing has become a farce. It's damn near pointless to discuss it with people because most folks have no interest in looking at the world from a different point of view. When comments as bland and unassuming as Obama's can be twisted into Black Power rhetoric, it's obvious that there is a real problem. It appears that most Americans, particularly those with a lack of melanin, are running around with their fingers in their ears remarking on how quiet things are in the world.

And I have no idea how to fix things.







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Save It

I didn't write anything about this when it first broke, but after watching some of the confirmation hearing for Sonia Sotomayor, I decided to make a little comment.

All those politicians jumping all over the lady for her comment about how a wise Latina woman can make better decisions than a random white man can do one thing for me.

Save that noise.

I don't want to hear about it. I don't want to hear your pontificating about how unfair it was, or what bad judgement she showed. I don't want to hear your idiotic questions where you ask her how she would have felt if the situation was reversed. I definitely don't want to hear your sad spiel about how this proves that racism affects everyone.

Save it for somebody with a lobotomy.

Some of my contrary white readers (looking at you Darth) might be shaking their heads right now. They probably feel like those types of comments are justified, that they make sense. Y'all might even be wondering why Sotomayor's comments didn't disqualify her completely because they clearly show some sort of "racial bias."

Guess what? Y'all tripping like a blind man at a gopher farm.

Eugene Robinson already ate up this whole premise in a recent column where he pointed out that all these angry white dude's are upset that Sotomayor believes her identity gives her an advantage when it comes to making decisions, but they don't even acknowledge that they feel the same way about being white and male. You know, basically they think white and male equals objective and fair.

(Sidenote: Robinson noted in his column that one politician had the nerve to say that if he had said something similar to what Sotomayor said, his career would be over. That's the type of BS that pisses me off. White folks have been saying stuff like that for CENTURIES and have had careers go along just fine. Remember Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond? How about Senator Klansman from West Virginia? Don Imus anyone? I hate when these bastards rewrite history to make their points better.)


Like you, I find it amazing that any white person could arrive at that conclusion given all of the historical evidence to the contrary, but that's the basic premise that Robinson skillfully attacked.

Anyway, I don't even want to talk about that here. I want to talk about something I've been touching on a lot lately. Basically, I'm tired of all this outrage from certain white folks when they feel slighted and their comparative silence when they or their friends are the ones doing the slighting. It's not that this isn't a normal and understandable reaction, after all I do it, it's that these white folks don't even want to acknowledge that their reactions differ based on who is making the accusations.

I run into this so much that it sickens me. White folks who can make complex (but stupid) racial arguments explaining how they are being discriminated against, but are still blind to the discrimination other groups face. It's like they have these colossal race blinders that prevent them from seeing anything that challenges their worldview.

So, as long as these cats insist on this course of action they can miss me with their complaints about hurt feelings. I couldn't care less if they were Klansmen on fire and I had a full bladder. I'm not trying to hear their noise, and I really don't care about their feelings.

Save it for somebody stupid.



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My Bar is Low

I read this story that had me chuckling the other day.

It was about President Obama attending a Wizards game and getting into a friendly trash talking match with one of the fans sitting near courtside. The heckler, although he said he wasn't really "heckling" the president, was actually wearing one of those bootleg Obama t-shirts that are so popular among black folks. Anyway, the Wizards eventually smashed Obama's team the Bulls, and the guy says that going back and forth with the president was easily one of the most important moments of his life.

That's so cool. (Y'all can check out the full story here.)

I told that anecdote because it made me think about way Obama affects folks, particularly black folks. I've written about it many times, but every once in a while I get reminded of how proud black people are of Obama, and how invested they are in his success. You can almost feel the emotional connection people have to this man they have never met in their lives, the way they feel empowered by his accomplishments. In addition, it's impossible to ignore how many black folks want him to do well.

Which brings me to my point.

I would like to see Obama succeed, mainly because he's the first black president, but also because I live in America and if he fails, my life is going to get a lot more difficult. Yet, I realized recently that my criteria for his success have changed recently.

See, during the election, I kind of wanted him to right all the wrongs of the last eight years and make America into the country I know it has the potential to be. But, that's changed.

Now I just want him to prevent the collapse of civilization.

I'm not saying that's going to be easy, considering all the problems we have in this country, but y'all do have to admit that's definitely not setting the bar too high. I mean, I'm not worried about universal healthcare, or prison reforms, or the black family structure. I just don't want the world to turn into what Octavia Butler described in the Parable of the Sower.

Some folks may claim that I'm moving the goalposts, that I'm giving Obama a pass on his campaign promises and that I'n not being fair or smart. Those people may be right. But, I'm not worried about what they think.

The world is rapidly spinning out of control and I'm not really interested in testing my mettle in a post-Apocalyptic America. I don't want to find out if I can scrounge for food, or hunt game or protect my family from marauding bands of crazies. I don't want to find my inner Mad Max.

I just want to go to work, get a pay check and live what I consider a normal life. Increasingly, that's beginning to look a lot like paradise.

Y'all think I want too much?

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A Thousand Words

What does that say to you?

Is it a funny pun about rampaging chimpanzees and the ridiculous size and scope of President Obama's stimulus plan? The kind of joke that pokes funny at those always idiotic politicians we seem to send to Washington every year?

Or, does it say something darker. Does it seem to you that this cartoon is advocating that a "monkey" like President Obama should be shot for even attempting to pass something like the stimulus package. A reminder that this "monkey's" tenure as president has barely begun and already he's out of control and needs to be put down.

What do you see?

I'm sure most of y'all can guess what I saw in that picture. And, those of you who have discussed racism with folks in the general public can probably guess what the many commenters on blogs and websites across the country saw as well. Obviously, they were not the same.

On my sidebar, I have a famous quote from W.E.B. DuBois that talks about life as a black man in America; the masks we wear, the double consciousness we must possess. This photo reminds me of the existence of that double consciousness.

After all, without trying, I was able to understand both potential meanings of this cartoon. I instinctively knew how the New York Post would respond to any criticism of the commentary and I knew how the general public would react and what their explanation would be. A chimp had just gone crazy the day before, bitten off a woman's hands and been shot by the police. Obviously there was obviously a valid reason for connecting chimps and police shooting.

My ability to predict the future wasn't some mystical gift. It's not that I'm blessed with an incredible amount of foresight, it's just that discussions of race have become so mired in a morass of recriminations and denials that it's hard NOT to predict the future.

I knew how many white people would react to this picture because it's in my best interest to know that information. Conversely, many white people seem shocked that a black person would have a problem with this picture because it's not in their best interest to have that kind of double consciousness.

Honestly, what benefit is there for most white people in knowing what offends or bothers black people? What benefit is there for people of any race? It probably won't you get a job or buy a home, it won't make you money, and it'll probably just make your life more difficult. If you worry about what black people find offensive, then you have to change your jokes, have uncomfortable conversations with family and friends, and generally interrupt your very settled and comfortable life. Who wants to do that?

It's much easier to say, as one commenter on TMZ put it: "Only a person who can't see past race would see this photo as racist." That neatly shifts the blame for being offended to those kooky people who go out of their way to find reasons for offense. So smooth. That way, you can feel superior and brave. You're telling an inconvenient truth and black folks and their sympathizers need to understand how the real world works. Lovely.

Truthfully, there are some legitimate questions to be asked about the response to this pic. After all, President Bush was compared to a monkey and black people didn't think that was racism. Here's a refresher, if you don't remember:



Only, from where I'm sitting, none of those pictures involve the former president getting shot. I mean, he looks funny, but he's not dead after being shot by the police. Just an observation. And, while the actual chimp was killed, that was only after he attacked an officer inside a patrol car. Originally, he was led away alive and in shackles.

See, that makes all the difference in my mind. It's not about me searching for a reason to be offended, it's about me having an understanding of the subtle messages society feeds us about the lives of black people and how to handle black people when they get out of line. Furthermore, my feeble mind is struggling to see how the shooting death of a rabid chimp relates to those people who worked on the stimulus.

Are they being compared to rabid chimps? If so, why? What about their actions shows that they are engaging in uncontrolled violence? There are far easier ways to make the point that the individuals who constructed the stimulus package and championed it were bumbling apes. I don't quite understand how comparing them to a violent monkey that was eventually shoot serves that purpose. A friend of mine posited that it might be an allusion to an old mathematical theorem about a chimp pecking away at a typewriter. But, that seemed a little too abstract for the Post.

Being attuned and informed about historical and current events makes it impossible for me to look at that cartoon and not see the connection between President Obama and a dead monkey. That would be like me seeing a picture of Lil' Kim today, and not being reminded of the damage European beauty standards do to black women everyday.

Unfortunately, that picture doesn't speak to everyone the same way, and neither do most things in the world. It's unlikely that we'll ever reach a consensus on subtle racial matters.

The monkey business will continue.




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What's In A Name?

Buddy, Ramsey and Smiley

Those were the names of the White House ushers that the Bush twins mentioned in their letter to Sasha and Malia Obama. I'm sure most of you have heard about this letter since it made the rounds on all the cable news stations and was written about by most newspapers. If you missed it, you can check it out here.

The letter was an unprecedented attempt by the Bush twins to offer the Obama girls some advice on life in the White House. It featured practical advice on how to live in America's brightest spotlight and also some heartfelt words on how the Obama girls should deal with criticism of their father.

I'll admit that when I first heard about it, it seemed like a fairly nice gesture.

Then, my pops brought the names of the ushers to my attention. Anybody whose paid attention to the ins and outs of the White House knows that most of the lower level support staff is black. The cooks, the ushers, the maids, these are all black men and women who often have had these jobs in the White House for decades. Obama isn't the first black man in the oval office, he's just the first one to sit in the big chair.

My father was miffed by the names of White House ushers. Actually, what he was upset by, was something that was missing from the names of the White House ushers.

The word "mister."

Black folks know what's up. It's almost unheard of for us to call older black people by only their first names, let alone nicknames, unless they're related to us. It's just not done. There is a certain respect level that is assumed with our elders, no matter how menial their jobs may be.

Some folks may think I'm reaching for something to complain about, and I'll admit that I can see their point. Honestly, when my father mentioned this issue to me, my initial reaction was to blow him off and tell to stop being so sensitive. After all, we have a black man in the White House, it's time to stop sweating the small stuff. Plus, I'm sure those three men encouraged the twins to call them by those nicknames.

But, then I thought about it some more. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I began to question the casual manner the Bush daughters assumed with the ushers. It seemed particularly egregious when I considered the fact that the girls came into the White House fairly young. They weren't adults when they crossed that historic threshold, they were just teenagers. For teenagers to blithely call grown men by nicknames like Buddy, Ramsey and Smiley just felt wrong.

I don't know about y'all, but it's pretty much a reflex for me to call older men and women, "mister" or "missus." When I was kid, my parents, particularly my father, constantly reminded my brother and I to say "yes, sir" or "no, ma'am." I'm pretty sure I could get comfortable enough to call the ushers "Mr. Buddy" or "Mr. Smiley," but dropping the honorific completely seems unlikely. It would feel disrespectful.

My father definitely saw it as a sign of disrespect. He thought it was proof that Bush could never truly see a black person as his equal, and that the former president had passed that mentality along to his children. I'm not sure if I'd make it a racial issue, although I'm not ruling it out either. I think it's just another example of the casual way Bush viewed life in general.

The White House, and by extension America, was just a place for the Bush family to have fun and feel comfortable. President Bush never saw his position as a sacred trust. Instead, he saw it as a way to pad his resume, burnish his father's legacy and enrich a few cronies. The tragedy of September 11th was the only thing that pushed him from his projected path of footnote in American political history, to arguably the most infamous president ever.

I'm sure Bush didn't see anything unusual in his daughters calling grown men by nicknames, hell, how else do you address the help? Just as I'm certain that Bush left all of those folks fairly nice parting gifts upon his departure, I'm also sure he never once saw them as fully formed individuals. And clearly, neither did his daughters.

It's all in the names.

A Confused Farewell

History will be the judge of my decisions, but when I walked out of the Oval Office this morning, I left with the same values that I took to Washington eight years ago. And when I get home tonight and look in the mirror, I'm not going to regret what I see -- except maybe some gray hair," - Former President George W. Bush.

When does stubbornness and self-confidence become a curse?

From what I can remember, and from what my parents tell me, I've been a pretty stubborn child most of my life. When my brother and I would get whippings, I would defiantly refuse to cry until I couldn't hold the pain in anymore. Think Denzel Washington in "Glory." My brother would start crying as soon as the best was revealed, which typically meant his session ended much sooner.

I always argued with my parents, I always tried to convince them I was right. When my father told me I had to pay for my own car insurance if I wanted to drive his car in high school, I told him I'd rather catch the bus. And then I waited for him to ask me to drive to the grocery store to pick up something and blackmailed him with "So this means I can drive the car again, right?"

My father once told me an interesting story. He said that if he needed my brother and I to cross a lake, he knew that if he gave my brother good instructions, my brother would make it across easily if he never had to deviate from the guidelines. He said that if he gave me the same instructions, I would completely ignore them, but I would make it across the lake no matter what.

George W. Bush is pretty stubborn as well.

He won't let go of this mantra that history will prove he wasn't that bad. So, not only is he stubborn, he's the eternal optimist.

Back in 2004, when I first got engaged in national politics to a small degree, I was one of those liberals who couldn't understand how anyone could support Bush. Then, I watched a speech he gave and realized that if I didn't already understand that he was a blithering idiot whose policies would hurt me immensely, I might be drawn to his personality and cocksure nature. I kinda sorta understood why so many people liked him.

Of course, that was before the next four years.

What I'm trying to say is that it's kind of hard for me to decided what I think about Bush. Part of me, the stubborn part, is impressed with his ability to cling to his beliefs despite any opposition. Another part of me, the sensible part, wonders if Bush's stubbornness is a sign of an enormous ego that is the true cause for all of his failed decisions. And, finally, one last part of me wonders why Bush can't just exit the stage quietly.

Because it really doesn't matter whether he had good intentions when he led this country into this morass. It doesn't matter if he loves America the same way he loves God.

Good intentions are the asphalt on the road to hell.

And, what's love got to do with it?

Sidenote: This whole flap about Obama and the oath is funny. What I'm hoping is that a black person with a national platform will put forth the theory that John Roberts purposely sabotaged Obama because his latent racism wouldn't let him swear in a black president. That would be a great charge to force conservatives to refute. Don't you think?







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Hard Hat Time

New Day.

New President.

Back to work everybody, and welcome to the most difficult job of your life Mr. President.

I don't know if any of y'all have been to a construction site, but at everyone I've visited they have this annoying rule about hard hats. If you want to walk around the site, you have to wear the hard hat. Now, anybody who has ever worn a hard hat knows that given their flimsy design, if something actually did fall on your head a hardhat would be little protection. But, you have to wear them anyway.

Well, Obama is wearing his hard hat now.

I'm sure that Obama already had some idea of the scope of the massive American "construction" project he signed up for because he's been receiving official briefings on the state of the country since he was elected. But, I would be shocked if those reports were as detailed as the information he's receiving now that he's actually the president.

People are offering him advice, he's probably drinking coffee and by the end of the day he might be puffing on a cancer stick. Right now, Obama is quite busy dodging the buckets of shit that are raining down on his head thanks to the incompetence and corruption of his predecessor. It's definitely a hard hat kind of day.

But, that's just the way life works. Typically, once you finally climb the mountain and reach the summit, you find that it's just as difficult to maintain your perch as it was to attain it. Obama knew what the job he sought would entail, and if there's one thing that gives me confidence, it's that this brother is unlikely to be shocked or surprised.

He'll just get to work.

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Pass That Good Stuff, Dubya

George Bush got the chronic.

That sticky-icky.

That Death-Star, lung-clearing, slap-yo-mama weed that makes the world a better place with every single puff. That boy's weed is so good, even Snoop be like "No thanks" when the blunt comes around.

I mean, George W. Bush has got to be high, right?

There is no other explanation for his recent comments about Katrina. When asked about his administration's abject failure following the storm that destroyed my city, Dubya actually had the nerve to swell up and tell folks that his people did a good job.

That's either good weed or pure insanity.

No objective observer has said the federal government did a good job. Sure, some folks have tried to spread blame around to local and state agencies, while also blaming residents who didn't evacuate, but nobody, NOBODY, has tried to exonerate Dubya and his cronies. That's because it's effing impossible.

Look, Dubya effed up. It happens in everybody's life, and during his tenure as president it happened to him a lot more than most people. I think we all understand that. It doesn't make Bush look good to deny that his presidency has been one massive clusterfuck from start to finish. It makes him look whiny, dishonest and delusional.

That's not a good look when you're trying to burnish your legacy.

I wonder if Bush realizes that claiming that Hurricane Katrina wasn't really a big deal makes him look like a pompous, callous imbecile? I wonder if really cares? After all, he's allowed nearly 5,000 American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens to be killed because he won't admit that the Iraq war was a ridiculous endeavor. Maybe he actually does believe that his administration did everything it could after Hurricane Katrina.

Well, at least when he gets high in the future only the cattle at his Crawford ranch will have to deal with it.

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Out of the Mouths of Babes

So, I'm walking through a discount grocery store the other day.

Yeah, I shop at discount grocery stores all the times. Can't trust the produce that much, but everything else is fair game.

Anyway, as I'm walking the aisles looking for random cheap treasures like chocolate Chex, I see a little boy walking behind his mother a few feet away. Like most kids, he's looking up and down the aisles to see if there are any items he can persuade mommy to buy him.

His eyes spotted a wooden guitar on sale for $60 or $70, and he began his sales pitch. Here's what he told his mother:
"Oooh Mama, I know what I want for income tax, this right here."

1. Notice how he made himself seem extremely excited to see a random toy in a store.
2. Notice how he began his conversation with the assumption that he was already entitled to a present.
3. Notice....

Wait, hold on.

When did income tax refund season become a gift-giving holiday?

My people, my people. It's shocking how many of us view income tax season as our Second Christmas. I don't know if this is exclusive to black people since I don't have any friends of different races who I could poll. But, I do know that black people look forward to income tax refunds the same way fat kids look forward to lunch time.

I'll admit it, there was a time when I got that same sense of joy from income tax season. After all, who doesn't like the idea of a lump sum payment coming to them? Of course I was disappointed that one year I actually had to PAY Uncle Sam money, but for the most part I was happy to sit back and collect my free money.

Free money.

I guess ignorance is bliss. My whole perception of tax season changed once somebody hipped me to the fact that I was not getting free money, but rather the government was finally paying off an interest-free loan that I gave it the year before. They pointed out that if I hadn't overpaid in the first place, I could have just kept that money in my paycheck and used it earlier in the year.

That kind of put a damper on my tax season celebration.

I guess I wrote all this because it's amusing to me the things we as Americans celebrate, and how little we understand about how our government serves us. We're all sitting at home anxiously awaiting our checks, when we should have had our money a long time ago.

That seemed funny to me.


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Now That's Gangsta

I hope y'all enjoyed yesterday's brevity because I'm thinking about making it a habit.

Anyway, did y'all see how Roland Burris got gangsta with the United States Senate on Tuesday? Even though he wasn't formally "invited" to the Senate's "party" for incoming members, Burris reminded everybody that he had purchased a ticket and just showed up anyway.

Like, "Where the food at?"

Now that takes a set of brass ones. How you gonna just crash a government party? This wasn't some random house party at your second cousin's roommate's apartment. This was a party being thrown by political bigwigs and Burris basically dared them to throw his black ass out. Then he had a press conference about how they threw him out!

I said when this Burris appointment first broke that Blago was a sharp cookie for playing this game of racial chicken, but now I have to admit that he probably didn't think of this all by himself. Considering the way Burris has handled this whole fiasco and his longtime connections to Governor Felon, I'm beginning to wonder if maybe this brother isn't the real mastermind.

After all, old black people understand better than anybody how the game of racial politics and quid pro quo works. Maybe Burris realized a long time ago that black people might be pissed if Obama's elevation to the presidency meant that no black people were going to be left in the Senate. I wouldn't be surprised if he lay back in the cut, waited for that crooked sucker Blago to get popped, and then whispered in his ear about a great way Blago could stick it to that Uppity Negro Obama and all his fawning white friends.

Seriously, if this brother could get elected to statewide office, I'm guessing he understands the way white folks' minds work. Maybe he's been playing Blago like a fiddle from jump street.

That would be foul, but it would also be quite gangsta.


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Peep Game

I'm about to put y'all on.

I mentioned this in my last post, but I wanted to elaborate on it and leave y'all to consider my reasoning over the weekend.

Barack Obama needs to worry about being labeled a coward.

Before some of y'all come at my neck, take your time and read my thoughts.

For the past two years, Obama has mastered the art of avoiding conflict without appearing too weak. He's sidestepped most of the controversies his opponents and the media have tried to involve him in, and he's been amazing at keeping his cool and refusing to be angered when insulted or discriminated against.

In the words of the immortal Andre Benjamin, the brother ain't cool, he's ice cold.

But, while Obama's laid back demeanor won him the White House, it also exposed him in other ways. African Americans voted for Obama overwhelmingly, but I think we all can admit that our votes were as much about the moment as the were about the man. Sure Obama was the most qualified candidate, but he also represented a major racial checkpoint. His election was a definite sign of black people's progress and that drove the massive support he received from us as much as his attitude and intelligence.

In fact, I think more militant black people wavered constantly in their support of Obama. I'm not even a militant, and I know I was conflicted at times. I wanted the brother to be more fiery, to call attention to historic wrongs and demand redress. I wanted him to call out sniveling Republican operatives on their racist attacks, and dress down the pandering media that never challenged mainstream mindsets. A part of me was disappointed that Obama didn't use his platform to finally force America to honestly assess itself in a mirror, even though I understood that there was no way he could do that and get elected.

Eventually, I got over it.

The thing is, now that the media and white people have watched Obama succeed despite their doubts, they now are questioning his placid manner. Some of this is in response to Obama's constant promise of change, but most of it is because the media thrives on controversy and they want to maintain the ridiculous ratings they enjoyed during the campaign. Obama is being goaded to take broad and decisive action because the media understands that no matter what action he takes, or whether he's successful, it will be news.

And that's why I think he's going to be labeled a coward.

I see the media quietly laying the groundwork for this meme with stories about whether Obama has the "mettle" to lead this country in a time of distress. I see them belaboring the point that now is not the time for a president who considers things from every angle before acting. Slowly, the media is creating the narrative that Obama is so afraid of conflict and drama that he will never take a stand on any controversial issue. Despite the fact that Obama has yet to be officially sworn in as president, they are criticizing him for not doing something to solve the world's problems.

This is actually a fairly predictable ploy.

Over the past eight years, the media have been repeatedly bitch-slapped by President Bush and the Republicans. Initially, journalists went along with most of the president's policies because the decision makers in the media shared his beliefs. As public opinion has shifted, the media has pushed back against Bush, but for the most part it's been too little and too late. The average American has far less trust for journalists now than before Bush took office, and it doesn't appear things are getting any better.

Logically, the media sees an Obama presidency as a chance to regain their stature.

Obama is still vulnerable to negative press, and unlike most politicians, he does not seem interested in buttering up the media to control his image. Sure, he's benefited from positive coverage for the past two years, but that was the result of what he represented not his own savvy. Obama has decided that transparency does not mean media access, and that stance has not endeared him to journalists dependent on leaks and anonymous sources to break news.

Truthfully, I don't see a way for Obama to avoid being labeled a coward without violating many of his key political principles. The media must create that narrative, so that they can justify the outpouring of criticism that Obama is sure to receive once he dons the presidential mantle and the country continues its descent into economic hell.

There is no way Obama can correct Bush's screwups quickly, but that won't stop the media from demanding he do just that. And in order to justify their critiques, journalists will have to create a narrative that places the blame on Obama because continuing to blame Bush just won't capture the public's attention.

Keep watching and reading and see if I'm right.


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Better Not Blink

Governor Comb Over ain't no joke.

Just when everybody thought he didn't have any more power moves left, what did Gov. Consonant do? He challenged President-elect Barack Obama to a game of racial chicken.

Crafty.

Tell me y'all see it. The disgraced governor decided to thumb his nose at everybody who advised him to resign quietly and allow somebody else to appoint a replacement for Obama's senate seat. Blago not only appointed somebody for the seat, but he appointed a black man with a sterling reputation who has already held several statewide offices. Well ain't that a bitch.

Obama is now in the unenviable position of having to decided whether to support a well-deserving brother who is getting a promotion, or to rail against a man accused of trying to sell a senate seat for profit. If Obama supports the nomination, he gives Blago's claims of innocence credence just by his association, and throws red meat in front of the Republican dogs.

If Obama criticizes the move, he could further alienate segments of the black community while angering some black power brokers in his home state. He could potentially face a racial backlash and gain the label of "Uncle Tom." Finally, if Obama tries to follow his usual path of staying above of the fray, he'll still get lambasted by the media and Republicans for being a coward.

What to do, what to do?

First, I think we all have to tip our hats at Blago's impressive political maneuvering. Even without the Obama angle, Blago's pick masterfully interjected race into the discussion of his indictment and case. I think he's banking on the idea that black people will want a black senator no matter what, and that we will be pissed at anybody who prevents this from happening. So, Blago hopes to either rally indirect support to him by forcing people to allow his pick to go through, or he figures that if this thing actually goes to trial at least he will have some sympathetic black people on his jury.

"Serbian gangster" doesn't do him justice.

I'm hesitant to speculate about what political moves Obama should make because I am woefully unqualified. What I will say, is that I don't think Obama needs to put too much weight on the racial backlash issue.

What Blago and most white people don't understand is that Obama is holding the ultimate racial trump card. Like I said in an earlier blog post, Obama is going to have to get caught snorting coke of a white girl's titty to lose the support of black people, and even that screwup might not do it since a lot of black folks would blame that "scheming white heifer."

Most black folks are so invested in Obama's presidency that we view all obstacles in his path as the byproducts of the evil machinations by the long-dreaded cabal of rich white guys who run the world. There is a distinct possibility that Blago's attempt to put Obama on the hot seat will only infuriate black people because they will see it as an attempt by a white man to hurt Obama's presidency before it even gets started.

And we will not be grateful.

So, while Blago's move was somewhat crafty, he is still operating from the typical white man's position of ignorance regarding black people. He only has a surface understanding of how black people view race and success. He thinks we're still focused on how many checkers we have left on the board instead of worrying about whether we have a king. While we would like to see a black man in the Senate, honestly, we've been there and done that. The goal now is for Obama to be the greatest president of all-time.

By any means necessary.

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I Don't Like Doing This

This is kind of uncomfortable.

I'm about to write a post that rebuts something another blogger I respect wrote in their space. It's not having a dissenting opinion that I dislike. Rather, it's the difficulty in finding a way to express my opinion powerfully without being insulting, that's a problem. Anyway, here goes nothing.

So, the Christian Progressive Liberal over at Jack and Jill Politics took Obama to task yesterday because she felt he was allowing a double standard regarding Rev. Jeremiah Wright to flourish. She said that Obama needed to be called out because he dumped Wright from his life after embarrassing statements about him surfaced, but decided to allow Warren to speak at the inauguration despite the furor regarding his comments about homosexuals. Here is a link if y'all want to check her argument out.

There is no doubt that Jeremiah Wright was treated differently than Rick Warren. While Warren has been criticized and condemned, the outrage is nowhere near as great as the outrage and attention paid to Wright. That's an indisputable fact. Moreover, it's absolutely true that this is partially due to the color of their skin. Again, I can't dispute that.

But, I'm still trying to determine why it's Obama's fault.

Let's recap: Videos of Wright preaching sermons that roughly 80 percent of black folks agree with surfaced during the primary. White people went bat shit. Obama, running for a position that needs the support of white people, told America that he didn't agree with what Wright had said, but cautioned people not to judge the man by a few small soundbites. White people continued to go bat shit. Obama gave the best speech on race ever given by a politician, and most white people calmed the fuck down.

Then, after spending a few months chilling in an undisclosed location, Rev. Wright resurfaced and decided to go bat shit crazy himself. This dude was getting jiggy in interviews, showing out in speeches and then damn near had a fit during a press conference. That's when black people got angry. They questioned Wright's motives and his timing, and urged Obama to cut his old ass loose. Obama, feeling hurt and betrayed, gladly obliged. The end.

I'm still waiting to get to the part where Obama threw his spiritual guide under the bus.

In my eyes, Obama handled the Wright situation pretty well. He refused to give in to pressure and call his pastor a raving black lunatic when the initial videos surfaced. He then urged Americans to move beyond their trite discussions of race. Finally, he only dumped Wright when the pastor clearly did not have his best interests at heart.

Where was the betrayal?

And that brings me back to the Warren issue. Obama is handling Warren the same way he handled Wright. Warren said some crazy shit and Obama made it clear that he does not agree with those comments.(By the way, comparing homosexuality to bestiality is going too far. Here's a question, how come preachers never compare homosexuality to adultery or fornication? They're all in the same sexual sin family, yet preachers always skip right over adultery and fornication when they talk about actions that should be illegal. Just a thought.) Obama then pointed out that Warren has a right to his opinion and asked people to consider where his viewpoints come from.

Now Obama is ready to move on and is urging everybody to do the same. Once again, I don't see the double standard.

Obama has clearly stated that he supports civil unions and not gay marriage, just like the majority of Americans. He has made it clear that he believes that homosexual civil unions should have all of the financial and health benefits of heterosexual marriages. When has he wavered from this position? He has not compared homosexuality to bestiality or pedophilia, so why is he suddenly being held responsible for the words of Rick Warren?

See, this whole convoluted issue would be funny if it wasn't so serious. People are becoming upset because of Obama's ASSOCIATIONS! Didn't we rail against the media and white people for doing the same thing? Didn't we tell them that you can only hold Obama responsible for what he says and does, not for what people he knows say and do? Strangely, while Warren may hold views that many liberals disagree with, the Philadelphia pastor chosen to do the benediction falls right in line with a liberal Christian doctrine on abortion and gay marriage. Yet, Obama has not gotten any credit for that.

Obama is allowing two preachers with vastly different opinions to speak at the same event. They are being given the same profile and the same honor, and basically people on the left are saying that since they don't agree with one dude he should just shut up. Seriously, people don't think that there are conservatives appalled that a preacher who believes in gay marriage and abortion is being allowed to do the benediction? Don't liberals think that is a big deal for conservatives?

I guess liberals have learned some valuable lessons from the Bush presidency. They've discovered that the best way to deal with dissent is to minimalize it and drown it out. They've learned to force everyone you vote for to think exactly the same way you do by threatening them with banishment. They haven't learned to treat opponents with respect, instead they've decided to rule with an iron fist and kill anyone that fights them.

Wonderful.

I know some gay marriage supporters will compare opposing gay marriage to opposing interracial marriage or opposing basic civil liberties for black people. They may wonder how I as a black person would feel if a politician invited one speaker who thought blacks were fully human to speak and then invited a speaker who thought blacks were sub-human to speak. Good point. I would feel like both sides had their chance to speak and now people need to make up their own minds. I would also look to the politician and see what he believes to decide if I still supported him.

That's the main issue here. If gay people want to use gay marraige as a litmus test, then Obama fails. He has already said he doesn't support it. He was not vocal in opposition to Proposition 8. This is who he is and who he has been since the campaign began. Gay marriage advocates sound ludicrous saying Obama's selection of Warren is a betrayal when Obama is basically holding true to his own previously stated beliefs!

More and more, I'm starting to suspect that folks on the left are just as bad as folks on the right when it comes to wanting people to follow there views in lockstep. These folks love to crack down on politicians who deviate in the slightest from a staunch liberal platform. Well that's bullshit. Dennis Kucinch did not get elected president!

We elected Barack Obama. He's a politician who has embraced some liberal economic policies, but has also been fairly close to the middle of the road on social issues. He is not staunchly ANYTHING except for his own man. That's who we elected. Holding him to some random standard that has nothing to do with what the majority of Americans, or black people think, and then basically calling him a traitorous coward seems ridiculous.

Obama has treated Warren almost exactly as he initially treated Jeremiah Wright. There has been no double standard from Obama.

The real double standard is from folks on the left crying about the hardness of Republican hearts and then unveiling their own granite tickers as soon as they smell power.



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Dirty Double Standard Drama

Yo, I need y'all to ponder something for me.

So, Barack Obama picks Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. In response, a whole host of homosexual lobbyists get pissed at him because Warren is opposed to gay marriage. Like many other people on the left, these individuals now accuse Obama of betraying them, and wonder if he's lost his moorings. They note that they helped him get elected, and he owes them something for their support.

Y'all with me so far?

Here's the million dollar question in my mind.

How would the media be handling this if it was black people complaining that Obama wasn't looking out for us enough?

That question isn't totally hypothetical. I watched a program on CNN Wednesday where Donna Brazile was discussing that very same scenario with Wolf Blitzer. Blitzer asked Brazile if black people were out of line for complaining that Obama hadn't done enough to show his support for our community. He didn't say "some" black people, he lumped us all in there together.

I'm still waiting for him to ask that question about homosexuals.

This is a perfect example of how black people are insidiously denied equality in this country. Our concerns are minimized or ignored because the larger society deems them superficial and selfish. We are chastised for expecting loyalty from politicians or political parties that we support at overwhelming rates, while other groups with far less consistent support see their concerns hailed as earth-shattering issues.

We get told we don't really count.

Sidenote: I wouldn't have picked Warren to say the invocation because I think he allowed McCain to cheat during the Saddleback "debate," but that's just me. I'm also sick of people saying Obama shouldn't be buttering up the religious right because they won't support him no matter what he does. In order to be successful Obama must minimize his opposition by their support, and selecting Warren helps with that.

I've noticed that mainstream America has become increasingly less willing to critically examine racial issues, and things have only gotten worse with Obama's victory. I'm not talking about placing a camera and microphone in front of the usual suspects and telling them to discuss the current most popular racial issue. I want Americans to examine their basic assumptions about this country. I want black people to have the freedom to shake free of our role as constant complainer, and instead be seen as people raising valid issues.

If black people were criticizing Obama because we though he wasn't doing enough for us, it would be taken as further proof of our greed and innate racism. (That's right, many white people think black folks are the real racists.) Our protests would not be considered legitimate, not would Obama feel the consistent heat from the media that would compel him to respond to them. It would just be another example of black people showing their ass in the minds of the mainstream media.

This issue reminds me of the hoopla surrounding the passage of Proposition 8 in California, particularly the quid pro quo relationship implied by many gay people. Opponents of Prop. 8 seemed outraged that black people would heavily support that measure considering the fact that the majority of gay people supported Obama. (However, Obama received less gay support than John Kerry. Gays were one of the few groups he lost to McCain and it didn't matter what age they were.)

At the time I was outraged that some gay people felt like black people were being ungrateful by supporting Prop 8. That paternalistic mindset is not uncommon among white people, but it's even more galling when it's coming from people who are arguing that they are the victims of an injustice. It's one thing to disagree with black people's support of the proposition and to be appalled at the levels of anti-gay sentiments in the black community. It's quite another thing to tell black people they need to be more grateful to you because you were willing to let a black guy be president.

The recent uproar has the same undertones. Yet, very few people seem to find this mind set troubling even as black people are continually reminded that we don't have any special claim on Obama because he's everybody's president. If he's everybody's president, then why are gay people getting so angry that he's trying to appeal to everybody?

Makes no damn sense.

Scratch that, it makes perfect sense. It makes perfect sense in a country where double standards regarding black people are accepted with little critical thought. Some might wonder if I'm seeing the racial bogeyman where he doesn't exist, but they are wrong. This situation is exactly the sort of racism that black people face most often today. The subtle demeaning and undervaluing of our worth that erodes confidence and excuses injustice.

Same drama, different day.


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Three Black Men

O.J., Dollar Bill Jefferson and Barack Hussein Obama.

The killer, the crook and the politician.

The Holy Trinity of blackness in today's America.

At first glance, these three men don't have much in common. They aren't friends or confidants. You don't think of one when you mention the other.

But, there is a connection there.

First, let's discuss the killer. Most people in America believe O.J. did it. They think he killed his wife and her lover in cold blood and then skated at trial because of crafty lawyer and black people's racism. That's the popular explanation of why O.J. was a free man the past 13 years instead of sitting on death row.

O.J., and his trial, became a rallying point for white people who wanted to harp on black racism as a way to disguise their own prejudices. He was the ultimate bogeyman. White people, with the help of the mainstream media, hounded this man year after year in what they felt was a fair exchange for his acquittal. They believed he didn't deserve to be free, so anything that happened to him was his own fault.

And then he decided to take his shit back. Yep, that's what his case boiled down too. He went to a hotel room to get back some stuff somebody stole from him and he brought some friends and a gun. He made a choice that many people can relate too, and he was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping. He now faces at least 9 years in prison, and possibly 18. White people across the country must think Christmas came early.

Now, let's discuss Dollar Bill. I won't say much about his case or its merits, but I do want to talk about the mood surrounding this election. Jefferson has been in Congress for generations and was once one of the most important black people in my city. He is no angel, but he was always a well-known and respected figure.

He's just a joke now. Someone to be gawked at and disdained. There has been a concentrated effort by many white people in this community to turn him into proof that evil surely follows allowing black people to gain power. Without being convicted, he has been labeled a common criminal by the same folks that love to discuss the mishandling of the Duke lacrosse case.

So what does that have to do with Big Homie? I think his election means we'll be seeing a lot more of stuff like this.

Some might argue that none of this is connected. They would note that the only reason Jefferson survived his run-off against Helena Moreno was because people came out to vote for Obama. In truth, they would say that it's amazing that an indicted politician survived so long. And of course they'll point out that O.J. was a simpleton who stretched his luck one too many times.

But, that's not considering the big picture. Those of us who have paid attention have noticed a steady increase in the targeting of black people as bogeymen in recent years. Sure, that practice never disappeared from American culture, but it had waned a bit. Things are now heading in the opposite direction.

It's evident in the way the foibles of black athletes are covered by the mainstream media and the missteps of white athletes are glossed over. It's clear in the way the coverage of corruption changes depending on the color of the suspected politician. Black criminality has always been a money maker, but these days, people are searching high and low to make that criminality a big issue.

And, it's because of Obama.

Obama is the opposite of a black male stereotype in so many ways. Educated, soft-spoken and non-threatening, he does not easily fit into the normal little box. And, unlike many other black men who challenge black stereotypes, Obama has maintained an air of authenticity that has endeared him to black folks across this country. He really does appear to have figured out how to play the game, and not get played.

And, I'm beginning to wonder what that means for the rest of us. The tightrope Obama walks is one he is uniquely suited to balance upon and I doubt the rest of could manage his highwire act. If all black people are expected to "be Obama" that is an unfair and unjust burden, just like expecting all white people to be John Brown would be unfair to them.

Truthfully, I expected a certain segment of the population to feel discouraged and angry about an Obama victory, but I didn't believe they had the power to touch most of us. Their petty insults or pranks would be nothing. Now, I'm not so sure.

I always suspected Obama's victory would be followed by a push by certain white folks to roll back some of the advances black people have made, particularly those aided by affirmative action, but I didn't realize how far-reaching that push might be. Even "liberal" white people felt vindicated by O.J.'s conviction. You know, the white folks who have tons of black friends and don't see color. Those same folks were ok with Jefferson being treated like a criminal despite never being convicted.

They were ok with perversions of the legal system because they figured the right "black" guy got his just desserts.

I think we will continue to see black people punished much more harshly when the mob decides that they have messed up. It will be justified with the lame explanation that everyone is being treated the same, that everybody who does the crime should do the time. We will be told that Obama's election is proof that racism is nearly a thing of the past and that white people should not have their motives questioned because "they" elected a black president.

We will be told to sit down, shut up and take our medicine.

Just like O.J. and Dollar Bill.


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King Coon Returns

That is the face of an uber-coon.

Study it. Learn it. Despise it.

A friend of mine referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as a "troubled man." He said he feels sorry for someone who is so obviously messed up in the head.

Sympathy for uber-coons is hard to come by in my house.

Why am I using such strong language for a man I've never met? Check out this story that I found on Jack and Jill Politics. That, my readers, is the work of an uber-coon.

For those of you allergic to links, the story details exactly how Uncle Clarence is trying to derail President-elect Barack Obama's ascension into the White House. The Cliff Notes are that Thomas is going out of his way to investigate whether Obama is a legal citizen of this country. Uncle Clarence is bucking (pun intended) some longstanding Supreme Court tradition to conduct his "investigation," and he's aligned himself with some kooky people.

Truthfully, this case has very little chance of progressing. Not only would stripping Obama of the presidency pretty much assure that the Supreme Court lost all public trust considering the Florida debacle, but it would mean that we'd have to have George W. Bush as president longer.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants that.

I'm not upset because this might prevent Obama from becoming the HNIC. Nah, I'm upset because this is such a flamboyant display of coonery that it makes me sick to my stomach. Really, I just had to swallow bile.

I only have a passing familiarity with Uncle Clarence. What has been written about him suggests that he is deeply troubled by feelings of inferiority that are rooted in color issues and were heightened by a mistaken belief that Affirmative Action's sole purpose was to promote unqualified folks. From my vantage point, he's a deeply disturbed individual.

But, if he was only disturbed, I would be loathe to label him an uber-coon. Maybe a regular coon, but not an uber-coon. Uber-coonery requires malice and evilness, not just an overwhelming sense of self hate or greed.

I have a friend who hypothesized that Thomas believes, mistakenly, that by taking a hardline stance against affirmative action he is really saving black people from a lifetime of victimhood. My friend saw Thomas as a Quixotic figure, tilting against a black pathology he has grossly overestimated. Someone deserving of pity, but not anger or disgust.

It's not the first time we've had a difference of opinion.

Clarence Thomas is the prototypical crab in a barrel. Sure he had a hard childhood. Orphaned and mentally abused, he definitely earned some leeway regarding his lack of social grace and even some of his color issues. But, that's as far as I can go.

Uncle Clarence has benefited from affirmative action at every stage of his life and he has the nerve to tell other black people that he's trying to prevent them from using the same tool because it's bad for them? Is he serious?

No, if Thomas really opposed affirmative action he would have refused that first federal appointment from George Bush I, the appointment that later led him to the Supreme Court to replace the court's only black member. If he really opposed affirmative action there was no way he would have replaced Marshall in what was clearly an affirmative action hire. In fact, there is no way Thomas would still be practicing law if he truly abhorred his tainted degree from Yale's Law School. If his feelings were that intense, he would have abandoned his pursuit of a career in the law and sought to make his mark in another career without the help of sympathetic white administrators.

He didn't do any of that.

Instead, he reaped all the benefits he could from affirmative action and then dedicated himself to insuring that no other black person could ever have that opportunity. He believes that any black person who has as much success as a white person must be unworthy of their position, and should be deemed inferior. He willingly claimed an uber-coon destiny.

Now, Thomas may actually believe that he is a martyr and that his courage and perseverance will be celebrated by later generations. He may have convinced himself that is his real motive. But, I have seen beyond that facade.

Uncle Clarence is looking out for Number One. He is protecting himself and his position, all while abasing himself at the altar of white superiority that is his real God. Thomas is willing to endure ridicule from black people because he does not care what we think, after all, we aren't white. As long as white people treat him with love and respect, and there are many white people who do just that, then he is fine. His life work is complete as long as he receives that figurative pat on the head from his smiling master.

He can die a happy uber-coon.



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I Hear Those Rumbles

The grumbling continues.

Across the political landscape, folks are wondering if the presidency of Barack Obama will be change they can believe in, or just $700 billion worth of the same old thing.

The streets are talking.

I'm not listening.

It's too early for me to get all excited about who Obama picks for what post. I understand the concerns folks have about Clinton, Holder and Geithner. The disappointment regarding Obama's backtracking on several issues, like tax cuts, NAFTA and ending the war in Iraq is understandable. After all, people elected Obama because they thought he represented certain interests and if he fails to hold up his end of the deal, well people have the right to stay home in 2012.

I get it.

Only, I guess I don't.

I've said this in several places, but it's worth repeating. There is only one HNIC, and he's the one who has ultimate decision making ability. It doesn't matter that much who is in his cabinet because they will be carrying out the vision he has set forth.

I know that's a gross simplification of how the executive branch works. I fully understand that the president is dependent on his advisers to provide him with information, and I know that the people who control the flow of information have a lot of power.

The point I'm trying to make is that nobody is going to take bold action unless Obama signs off on it. Conversely, nobody is going sit on their asses when Obama wants action taken. He's smart enough, and informed enough to stay on top of the people working for him.

Plus, homeboy has a vision.

I think that's what comforts me even as I wonder about some of the changes he's made to his rhetoric and actions. See, from what I've noticed, Obama is excessively pragmatic and somewhat obsessed with having his vision of the world come to fruition. He has definite plans for his legacy and the world, and I'm convinced his selection of political retreads is an attempt to hit the ground running and get his vision moving.

At least I hope so.

I really want the brother to succeed. Honestly, I'm not sure what success would entail, but like pornography, I'll know it when I see it. If Hillary and the rest of the crew can help him get this country back on the right track, I'm all for them joining the team. If they are standing in the way of progress, I fully expect him to jettison them quickly. He's cold-blooded like that.

Basically, I hear the rumbles, but I ain't listening.



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