Friday, March 11, 2011

“The Divided States of ObamAmerica”

Barack Obama’s election to the highest Office in our Country is undeniably historic; he will forever be known as the first black man elected President of the United States.  And we’re the generation that finally surpassed this racial threshold signifying how far we’ve come as a Nation.  His election reflects the fulfillment of what Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed about so many years ago, where all men would be judged only by the content of their character and no longer by the color of their skin… as it should be.  

Obama’s election is also historic for what he can uniquely do in the job, as no other President before him.  Having won the highest platform of power and influence in the land, he could bring closure to the wounds of racism in America, and take us to the next level of rising above the sins of the past.

I grieved the night Obama won the Presidency, for two reasons, the second dovetailing the first, and neither had anything to do with objecting to a black man in the White House; on the contrary.  I 100% do not agree with his ideology, his policies, or his desire to “fundamentally transform America.”  I am not disappointed or surprised by his Presidency; it’s exactly what I expected and feared, and therefore why I grieved – I knew what was to come and didn’t want to go there.  Now that we’re here in the thick of it, I feel all I never wanted to feel.  I became part of the TEA Party to express that.  The dovetail is I felt robbed of the joy of fully celebrating the first black president because I couldn’t celebrate Obama being the president.  A black president is something I had longed and prayed for America and always believed I would see in my lifetime, just not someone as far left as Obama.  

After I finished sobbing, I got on my knees and thanked God that at least we could finish healing the wound of racism in our Country.  What an opportunity Obama would have to make that mark on history, something in which I could participate, support, and be grateful from the bottom of my heart.  

How is it, then, since Obama’s election that it’s all been downhill?  There’s never been such racial tension so ratcheted up, let alone from finally having the first black man in the White House.  Shouldn’t the converse be the case? 

Instead of feeling the joy of closure and the dawn of a new day, leftist blacks are feeling unabashedly emboldened to lash out at every perceived opportunity, exposing the stark contrast between how far we have actually come and sadly, how little they yet believe we have.  Therein lays a huge part of this unresolved problem manifesting in projections of racism onto anyone who opposes the policies and agenda of the president who happens to be black.

Since before Obama’s election, the race card has been played at every turn.  Regardless of polls showing that most of the Country is conservative to moderate, opposing his far left policies is blamed on racism.  From musicians and celebrities, to politicians and talking heads in the very liberal, biased, main stream media, constantly crying “racism” wolf has become the disgraceful staple of their strategy to undermine and silence opposition. 

At any time, the president could step forward with a genuinely meaningful exhortation, like the one he gave after the Arizona shooting tragedy, challenging everyone to step up to the better angels of our nature, putting an end to the divisiveness.  He could historically finish the job Martin Luther King Jr. started.  

Cue the crickets from the White House.  

Unfortunately, Obama’s tacit approval has only fomented the ongoing problem, condoning the accusers who are ironically emboldened by his presidency.

Racism is racism whether it is white against black, black against white, or any other racial combination; it is not an exclusive club.  It’s wrong, all of it.  Given America’s history, white against black is understandably the most volatile, but it is not the definition.  

“You white patty!”  This was my first introduction to racism at age 7, racism hurled at me from two little black girls who didn’t want me to play with them.  I had no idea what they meant, but their rejection was crystal clear and hurt me deeply.  This engendered sincere compassion for anyone hurt in like manner.  This vivid experience gave me a keen awareness and a special sensitivity to racism.  I’ve since endeavored to both understand it and help abridge the divide.

To subsequently and falsely be called a racist cuts to the heart.  Three years of it wears out the heart.

Admittedly and obviously, whites will never completely understand what it is like to be black, especially considering the stigma of slavery in America’s past and the subsequent struggles to get from there to here.  I won’t pretend to ever know because I will never get the chance to walk in those shoes.  

Conversely, many blacks do not understand what it is like to be white in today’s America, ashamed of our forefather’s sins, compassionate towards those so offended, yet grateful to live in a day and age where we’re all free to be that one great big melting pot of diversity.  

At the height of this ultimate opportunity, Obama’s failure of leadership, missing perhaps this most significant opportunity to unite all Americans like never before, instead, has divided us more. Instead of this being the defining moment that takes us over that final hump into a higher level of American unity, and a proud celebration of that historic achievement, led by our first black president, we’ve taken 40 years of steps backwards.  We’ve become the “Divided States of ObamAmerica.”  What a legacy; the exact opposite of what it could and should be. 

Now, on the eve of hitting the re-election campaign trail, trying to invalidate opposition, Obama has disgracefully thrown his own voice into the voluminous mix of shameful race-baiters, accusing “race is a key component of the TEA Party,” thus, further validating and encouraging this behavior when he should reprimand it and lead everyone above it.  For any U.S. president to misuse racism for political gain is beyond offensive – it is reprehensible and completely irresponsible.  It’s an egregious offense, undermining the very healing that otherwise lies in his hands and the power of his teleprompter.

My question to the president, and to all who continue to cry “racism” wolf, do you really want to heal racism in this Country?  Or would you rather keep it on life support because it’s an effective tool to obtain the things you want, and that, much more than you want to heal racism in this Country?  

“The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf” learned a harsh lesson: when liars do tell the truth, they are never believed.  Playing the race card in like manner has the same undermining result.  With every false accusation comes the lack of credibility for legitimate cases.  Is this the price anyone wants to pay for political gain?

The truth is revealed in the choices made, not in the accusations laid.  And if the latter choice is the answer, then sadly, the dream was nice while it lasted.








8 comments:

  1. Wow, powerful words I have to say I wholeheartedly agree it is sad. Even worse he is not a citizen. He was not raised with the same values he can not really represent black or white or any American. It has been more than proven he was not born here and spent much of his life growing up in other parts of the world. Even his education leaned toward socialism and communism as do his family friends in his childhood. I to feel cheated and I feel sad for the black folks who have been cheated as well. As Americans I pray we find our common bond, love for our Country. Nothing could be more healing then uniting as true Americans and throwing him out.

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  2. I liked everything you said because you said it the way I'd like to have said it, only from my male perspective. I grew up in the 'melting pots' of all melting pots (NYC), was taught throughout my formitive years that good citizenship entailed accepting everybody at face value first while learning who they are inside until their true character was revealed to me. If I liked it then we became good friends; if I didn't like it it wasn't an automatic rejection but one where trust had to be earned as a basis for personal relationships, afterall, there are degrees of friendship with everyone.
    I particularly like where you spoke about your disappointment in this 'annointed one' since it mirrored my feelings exactly. I never liked him as a person who wanted to lead my country (my selection was independent of color, he was too superficial to me, insincere and had no track record that I could discern, he set off alarms in my head)he was too good to be true. In fact I knew nothing about the man nor did I care to learn because I backed another candidate who was more grounded in constitutional principles and strong Christian philosophies of our Founding Fathers, Chuck Baldwin. I was never that deeply interested in politics most of my adult life until these last few years when I saw my country going down the tubes on a daily basis because of this guy and his decidedly anti-American policies. I didn't like Bush, didn't trust him nor Chaney and 9/11, don't get me started there. I'm an engineer by profession located in Silicon Valley, too, by choice. I chose California twenty some odd years ago after traveling across this beautiful and broad country because it represented my dream of the way things should be, but that dream too has been crushed repeatedly by regressive State Government regimes one after the other until what is left is a mere shell of what was the most perfect of all States to me. I first settled in Orange County, probably the most Republican of all counties in California and began realizing then that my politics were Conservative Republican their root and I've remained loyal to that calling ever since, although I retain my independent streak that surfaces every now and then, I've never voted Democrat in my life.
    Today I was blessed with an offer to become a freelance writer, something I've wanted to do for a very long time and now in particular since I can write from home and maybe one day write as well as you, Wendy. Keep up your good work and I look forward to the next chapter from you.

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  3. I don't think Obama was voted in based on the content of his character, because it is lacking.

    He's a liar, a socialist, and he is Anti American... Yes I said it! (hat tip to Mark Levin)

    He was voted in BECAUSE of his skin color. Because people got behind the idea of electing the first American President who had an African Background. Obama isn't African American. His Father was Kenyan, and never an American citizen.

    Obama grew up in Hawaii as the child of privileged rich white grandparents, and lived in Indonesia a short time.

    He doesn't share the life experiences of true African Americans. Everything in life has been handed to him, unearned. Not the least of which was the 2008 election.

    The chaos in our Government, and the world is the result of electing an unaccomplished, inexperienced, incompetent, ideologue, empty-suit as President, rather than treating the election as the world's most important job interview.

    The whole point of judging people based on their character is to judge whether their character is good. when you judge based on skin color, whether for good or ill -- you make a wrong judgement.

    A wrong judgement was made in 2008, and the world pays a heavy price.

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  4. Excellent column, Wendy. I agree with you 100%.

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  5. Wendi, very eloquent and heartfelt. I too was experiencing those emotions. I was hoping (against hope, I think) that at least on SOME issues he would at least be a moderate. He DID have the chance to FINALLY heal the racial strife but instead opened up fresh wounds that only God can heal. He has doubled down on the race card and has used it at every turn. What was it that Martin Luther King said, that we shall not judge a man by the color of his skin but by the content of his character? Sadly, Obama's character is sorely lacking, and there is no leadership abilities to speak of. I agree with Al Hartman that everything's been handed to him, including the presidency. I'll take that one step further: McCain's lame campaign HANDED the presidency to Obama.

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  6. Beautifully crafted and well written. Makes a lot of sense. Should "My guy" Herman Cain gain some traction over the next year, it will send the liberals into coniptions.

    Keep them coming !

    -DH

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  7. Excellent job, Wendi.... The only thing I disagree with, at least from my perspective, is the shame about our past part. I, as a white person, feel absolutely no guilt or shame because our forefather's owned slaves. At that time in human culture, egalitarianism had yet to take root, and the fact of the matter is that blacks enslaved blacks, perpetuating slavery, as well. There are practices to decry, for sure, but generational shame is ridiculous. Playing victim to history prevents people from moving forward. It also makes them jerks.

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  8. Great job, and I echo the comments above! Many of us DID know exactly who and what 0bama was before the election - perhaps not his academic and work history per se, but certainly all his most famous associates and mentors. It is inexcusable for any 0bama voter now to cry "but we didn't know!" Anyone with a working brain and curiosity knew. I'm convinced the faux media knew and covered it all up so that the drones who only follow the MSM would be clueless (drones! Mark Levin :-) Thank me!).

    We as a nation are hanging by our fingernails for the next 20 months until, God willing, we get 0bama out of the WH. For those of you who really follow the news (the real news, not the fake news), it will be a miracle if this country survives until then. Many of us are convinced he doesn't need and likely doesn't want a 2nd term because he can easily complete the destruction of America during this one. We are really in for some very scary times.

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