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I just don't like him.
What will white men think? Are they the only other people on earth? Is their opinion supreme? I know white men, by and large, decide presidential elections, and Obama is running for president, so I get HLG, Jr.'s point.
But it's pat.
And who doesn't know (or can't figure out) that all isms are economic at root?
Where's the independent and creative thought one would think becomes a man of his stature?
I think he has done a great disservice to the conversation by attributing racism soley to economic matters.
White privilege and elitism plays as large if not larger role in racism and the perpetuation of it.
and he's right. sorry to some commentators above, but he's right to speak about the economic policy as the key part to reach everybody.
and he's honest enough to point out that this is the way to go without offering any off-the-cuff solutions. leave the proposals to the candidates.
it's damn well their job.
The more interesting question to be addressed here is WHY the media continues to play the Rev. Wright clips. Obama was correct in pointing out they're doing it rather than giving people any real perspective on the issue of race; it's so much easier to wave red meat in front of a dog than to figure out how to teach him anything. The media is getting a real boost out of the red meat these Rev. Wright clips give them, which allows Pat Buchanan, O'Reilly, and Rush, to make "clever" and provocative comments to an audience which craves red meat.
But I have talked to some white Republicans who loved The Speech (and hate Hillary). They voted for Bush, but are ashamed of how he blew it and ran the country into the ground over the last 8 years. I think Obama may have gained admirers among Independents, moderate Republicans, and other fair-minded white males.
On the other hand, Obama's speech was not just a politically-motivated contrivance. He said what needed to be said, period. He opened himself up, and spoke from the heart. He put his character, and his soul, out there for anyone who cared to relate. Some folks got it; some couldn't.
yeah..I thought he really accused the media in his speech, but isn't it interesting how they didn't report on that in their analysis! The media is complicit in how it portrays race issues and is guilty of feeding the fires of divisiveness. Consider the way they used race stats from voter forms to create divisions with how people were voting. I wish the American public would rise up against the MSM and make them pay for causing strife rather than encouraging peace.
You are feeling me! The more I think about this, the angrier I'm getting. White males (and everyone else) are being TOLD what to think about the "controversy" (that the media invented in the first place). I watched The Colbert Report today, and they played a clip of Sean Hannity really speculating on whether electing Obama would put "an anti-Semite and racist in the White House"! (Colbert noted this is nothing new!) You've gotta ask why the media is trying to paint Obama as someone they should be afraid of, an angry Black man who, once in office, would send out a call to all African Americans and illegal aliens (I guess) to rise up and murder poor innocent white folks in their beds. (Stop me if this is starting to sound familiar.) I think what this all really means is that the media has determined to stop Obama from winning the nomination; they want Hillary to be the nominee, which gives McCain the best possible chance to win. Now when I say "the media" please note that I acknowledge that major corporations own and control the media and influence what is/is not newsworthy. Why would Corporate America fear an Obama presidency, one wonders? Hmmmm.....
You really need to explain this to me. Some white people seem to have their head in the sand regarding race relations. To say that this country is run by "rich, white people", to talk about white privilege, to ask America to take up for the many atrocities that they have commit and the way that they treat people of color as second class citizens in a so called democracy is not deragotory. I know how they feel and I hear them talk about the situtation. Its obvious to me that they are oblivious to the actualities of this democracy when it comes to race. I also dont think that Wright was upset at every single white person in the country. I feel that his anger was directed at a system that countinues to perpetutate social injustice and institutionalized discrimination.
Whites have told us to get over it havent they, havent they. I didnt head him say "kill crackas, kill crackas...nope", I heard a man that was angry about what he saw as hypocrisy and social injustice. That is what I saw.
P.S. Any black person who is going to tell me that this country isn't run by rich white people, or that their is nothing such white privilege, or that our country isn't and has never been hypocritical then you deserve whatever comes your way...dont look for me to back you up.
No. But they aren't really "upset". They are using every rancorous and libelous tool at their disposal to be as racist as they possibly can, within the arcane parameters of the biased and bloodthirsty press.
Virtually all of the leading white evangelicals have said much worse things. They have functioned as puppetmasters of the current administration, and never been subjected to a 10th of the heat that Obama is toasting under.
You claim Hillary Clinton has no reprehensible associates? The notorious Sheriff Lee of New Orleans who blocked black citizens from escaping the floodwaters of Katrina, was "a good friend" of hers. When she was asked to repudiate him (a de facto murderer), she refused. He is dead now, or he might be on her campaign trail.
If the majority of Blacks were more economically viable, then I wonder if the policies against Blacks and the incessant racism would be so virile.
But therein lies the rub. We were denied 40 acres and mule, then upper level service jobs, then upper level white collar jobs, etc for a reason. As long as you do not have the means then you are controllable.
People with means AND an education are less controllable. They have access to similar resources or they find those resources elsewhere. They can move to get what they need.
Since Gates considers himself one of the Talented Tenth, his comments on Smiley's show are not surprising.