Race-Based Protests Directed At Obama Go Beyond Health Care Town Halls

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First Posted: 08-28-09 10:06 AM   |   Updated: 09-28-09 05:12 AM

What's Your Reaction?

Race-based attacks and criticism of President Obama have been on the rise during the dog days of August. And they're not just happening at health care town hall protests.

A reader sent over a picture of a group of protesters camped outside Rep. Susan Davis's (D-Calif.). "Neighborhood Day" event this past week, brandishing signs calling the president a Black Supremacist and suggesting he's a Nazi disciple.

"Black National Socialism Is Not Utopia," reads one poster.

Another has a picture of Obama's former preacher, Jeremiah Wright, juxtaposed with a picture of Adolph Hitler and one of picture of Obama and Wright together. "Obama's Church: Black Supremacist," it reads.

The protesters, the reader writes, were small in number. But their presence outside the event indicates that four weeks into August, the highly personal and often racially tinged vitriol directed at the president shows no sign of abating.

Earlier this week, Idaho Republican gubernatorial hopeful, Rex Rammell, said he'd buy a license to hunt Obama. Meanwhile, Rep. Lynn Jenkins, (R-Kans.) expressed her wish that the Republican Party would find a "great white hope" to take on the president in the next election.

Asked about Jenkins' comment on Thursday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton gave the freshman congresswoman a pass for the eyebrow-raising remark.

"I saw that report," said Burton. "I also saw that her spokesperson backpedaled and said that that was a poor choice of words. We obviously give Congresswoman Jenkins the benefit of the doubt."


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Race-based attacks and criticism of President Obama have been on the rise during the dog days of August. And they're not just happening at health care town hall protests. A reader sent over a picture...
Race-based attacks and criticism of President Obama have been on the rise during the dog days of August. And they're not just happening at health care town hall protests. A reader sent over a picture...
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- Rainmakr44 I'm a Fan of Rainmakr44 18 fans permalink
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Racism is dead. From here on out blacks must get used to being treated as "The Powers That Be"..no more phoney accusations of racism, One look at America is proof that blacks can do and be what they want. Expect to be treated as equals and not victims, except by Liberal whites who have used and taken blacks for granted for decades. Know that disagreeing with a person of color has nothing to do with race. Shouting racism has become so stale and over used it's almost comical . Time to man up, and look inward at your own culture. Whites did it, and now it's time for blacks to drop the wearisome tactic of blaming race as a factor for black failure. I'm glad we have a black President, but angry and ashamed he's turning out to be weak and apologetic. 9 TRILLION dollars??? I'm sorry, I don't care what color your are I'm not remaining silent when a President tries to bury us with that much debt. I turned against Bush because he turned his back on Conservative values. Blacks are going to have to learn when you get to the top people don't care about color, it's culture. Every President is attacked for their policies. Bush was demonized. Sorry, game over. Any arguements, and angry meetings, are all a part of the game, and race is not a factor. He's "my" President, too. I have every right to attack his strategies without that tiresome old racism charge.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:33 AM on 09/01/2009
- KidMohair I'm a Fan of KidMohair 82 fans permalink

RepubliKLAN nimrods keeping the lie-machine cranking.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:11 PM on 08/31/2009
- Rainmakr44 I'm a Fan of Rainmakr44 18 fans permalink
    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:40 PM on 08/31/2009
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Ranmakr44, keep up the posts, I appreciate them.

How is your situation?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:22 PM on 08/31/2009
- Rainmakr44 I'm a Fan of Rainmakr44 18 fans permalink
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Hey Brother,
Ditto on your posts. I appreciate intelligence and style combined. I don't know which is going to kill me first...this cancer, or the Liberal mindset. lol. I'm happy I stayed alive long enough to see a black President, but am "really" disappointed in his policies. People like you give me hope. Take care, Ray..

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:34 PM on 08/31/2009
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Great video Rainmakr44! Loved it. Thank you so much for the YT link.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:13 PM on 09/01/2009

Well, this is certainly no surprise......there are so.....many people (and you see who they are from the picture) who are upset with President Obama for the mere fact that he is black. Everytime I think that this country has made some strides against ignorance, I'm reminded that we really have not. It's really sad. What I find and know to be true, is there is a fear that since the President is black, he is going to somehow change the course of our country to where blacks are on top and take over. That even sounds ignorant, but it is so true. I just don't understand how people can be so silly. I knew that this would happen, one minute some are about to burst a blood vessel speaking about healthcare reform, then THE REAL DEAL COMES OUT.......IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT THAT AT ALL....IT'S ABOUT HAVING A BLACK PRESIDENT. That's what is been about all along.....some are just getting brave at this point to lash out and voice their racist rants using healthcare reform as a platform. Those of you protesting are just showing how TRULY IGNORANT and UNEDUCATED that you are. Why don't you picket about some of the REAL injustices going on in our society...how about domestic violence, child and elder abuse....why not picket and lend a voice to those things.......oh I forgot, those causes can lead to positive results and many of you want to "stay in the negative.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:42 AM on 08/31/2009
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Well stated. Co-sign.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:14 PM on 08/31/2009
- Rainmakr44 I'm a Fan of Rainmakr44 18 fans permalink
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Forgive me for talking to you like a "equal human being." What you are seeing is the "End of Racism." Whites have been so afraid to criticize blacks for any reason, for fear of being labeled Racist, especially Liberal whites. It's over. For years we have allowed blacks to accuse, demean, insult all because they felt white guilt. We now have a black President, A black on the Supreme Court, Secretary of State, there are Mayors, Congressman, blacks are Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, CEO's, in every branch of our Government, interracial marriage is hardly even noticed. America, through years of fighting, changing laws, and cultural attitudes have almost totally eliminated racism. I see more racism coming from blacks towards whites. White America looked inward and saw it's ugly flaws,then took on the task of changing them, now it's time for blacks to take that same inward look. You have redefined racism so many times it has become almost comical. The accusation of "Racism" is ineffective, and stale. There is a path that awaits blacks that will demand courage, and new strategies. What you see now is "Culturalism."
Whites are going to treat you as equals.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:20 PM on 08/31/2009
- Rainmakr44 I'm a Fan of Rainmakr44 18 fans permalink
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Swarn, you just will never get it..will you? lol. No-one cares, and that "You must be a racist" is so warn out. Hell, my Boss is black, his Boss is black, his Boss is a woman. I don't care if the President is black. I don't care if God is black. My son married a black woman, my brother-in-law is black. You are caught in a "Cultural Web." Some Congress woman was saying the same thing today. Then she said that Fidel Castro was the smartest man she'd ever known. I about died laughing. We will just do you like we did the old red neck whites that wouldn't accept change. We ignored them, and they became meaningless. We changed attitudes and culture and they became relics of another time. Look around you...Blacks are every where. You know what the deal is. I bet you didn't yell racism when Clarence Thomas wasn't allowed to speak at a an all black college. You will end up like all those bitter old white men "Damn people are all no good." lol The world is changing, and what use to work, now sounds like an old 78 record of Rudy Valley. Don't you feel kind of silly yelling racism with blacks in the top positions all over America? I know it's scarey to have people now treating you as equal, but you'll get use to it, or end up with cobwebs on you. Peace out.. :)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:32 PM on 09/01/2009
- ladydragon I'm a Fan of ladydragon 12 fans permalink

To my White Brothers and Sisters:
these kind of people were always there, don't try to act like you didn't know. You knew as well as African Americans that this was going to happen if Barack Obama became President, that the worst of the worst was going to come out into the open. Sarah Palin and John McCain during their campaign rallys made it ok for this type of language and racial hatred to come out into the open, they said nothing and did nothing to stop it. You have the "birthers" such as that lunatic from Az talking about how terrified he is of Pres. Obama, to Limbaugh whipping up the crazies out there on the edge and just waiting. this IS your fault ! if you stand back and say nothing or don't report someone to the authorities for making "vailed" threats to the President than you are just as guilty. I don't see anybody of color standing on the street calling the President a Nazi, Hitler, Socialist, or the "N" word

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:25 AM on 08/31/2009

You are absolutely right. All Americans, and especially our spineless media, should stand up and expose these people (Limbaugh, Palin, Fox, etc.) as racists or worse - people who pander to racists in order to further their career ambitions.
But we all must also do what we can to show our support for the work the president is trying to do. By quietly standing by we are allowing these lunatics to dominate all news coverage. I attended a town hall meeting on health care reform last week not to ask questions but just to counter the hordes of crazies that showed up to disrupt the proceedings. There were at least as many pro-Obama attendees as anti-Obamas however a small but loud and crazy band of Limbaugh dittoheads managed to give the impression that the entire community was rabidly against any health care reform. And out of the entire crowd of about 1,000, I only saw 2 or 3 African-American brothers and sisters in attendance.
In order to counter these well-organized racist groups that show up everywhere with their hate-speech signs next to their American flags, we also must communicate, organize, and demonstrate-in all colors and in far larger numbers.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:23 AM on 08/31/2009
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It will never happen, unfortunately the same people who line the pockets of Limbaugh and Palin also fill the coffers of our esteemed media. So I highly doubt they'll come out in fully expose the loons and racists for what they are...while the neo-cons have their Great White Hope to look forward to, we only have Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and MSNBC on a rational news day.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:19 PM on 08/31/2009
- sybergirl I'm a Fan of sybergirl 2 fans permalink

I wonder what kind of signs these people toted around in the sixties... Especially the older ones. I'd dare guess they didn't exactly "fight" for civil rights...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:35 AM on 08/31/2009
- Rainmakr44 I'm a Fan of Rainmakr44 18 fans permalink
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Note to sybergirl:
I never carried a sign...ever. How old are you? Do you even know what the cultural war was about? It was about hundreds of helmeted Police marching down High St in Columbus, Ohio. It was about being dragged by your hair to a Paddy wagon, and cop cars being destroyed with bricks, ribs broken with nightsticks. You wouldn't have lasted with your professional signs. They would have been ripped out of your hand and beaten with them, by a Society not ready for change. You will never experience being in a Black Panther's house and having a Redwood, Calif Swat team with their cop cars on the lawn..shotguns aimed at the front door, Bull Horns yelling out threats. I have to laugh at what you now call a violent protest. I don't think you believe in anything enough to put your life at risk. You are typers. Your idea of protest is writing a scathing post.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:23 PM on 09/19/2009
- boredwell I'm a Fan of boredwell 8 fans permalink
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Though there is no mass reverse discrimination as a result of Obama's election and presidency, these protesters BELIEVE the reverse, IE, Sotomayor's nomination hearings; the birthers. The problem is they don't FEEL it. Though it's a collective ad hominem, I would suggest that the only discrimination which these placard carriers have experienced is due entirely to their lack of larger world education. The boilerplates tropes scrawled on these placards attest to an all-encompassing provincial "I vs Them" literacy.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:58 AM on 08/31/2009
- sparkandy I'm a Fan of sparkandy 29 fans permalink
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Just curious. What exactly is 'reverse' discrimination? To me that's like saying 'reverse' cavities, or 'reverse' sleeping.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:30 AM on 08/31/2009
- MaeS I'm a Fan of MaeS 6 fans permalink

It is a way of describing the racism of the powerless against the powerful. For example, slaves probably didn't think too highly of white people as a group. This is technically racist, but so what?

Plus, the whole notion of reverse racism really upsets the average conservative, so that is an added bonus.

We'll see if I can post on this thread again. Got scrubbed last night (for being too liberal?!? completely at random?!? who knows...)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:13 AM on 08/31/2009
- Anonani I'm a Fan of Anonani 58 fans permalink
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Citizens of the United States of America is this a country that in 2009 will silently tolerate bigotry and hate-filled rhetoric under the protection of our Constitution? These people wrap themselves in the flag and believe that they are untouchable. As a nation, we have got to do something about this!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:34 AM on 08/31/2009

I'm tired of the racism in this country.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:52 PM on 08/30/2009
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The president isn't black.

The president is an American who is colored black.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:53 PM on 08/30/2009
- SJBrown I'm a Fan of SJBrown 14 fans permalink

Colored? Who "colored" him?

BTW, there are Black Americans, you can be Black and American at the same time.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:12 PM on 08/30/2009

You Can?! Don't tell the pro-America parts of the country

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:55 AM on 08/31/2009
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Actually he's a biricial man of multi-ethnic origin, President Obama is THE MELTING POT, something we all should celebrate.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:21 PM on 08/31/2009
- SJBrown I'm a Fan of SJBrown 14 fans permalink

President Barack Obama is a black man. In this country, we self identify and he identifies as black.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:53 PM on 08/31/2009
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you sound like a 60s bufoon, colored? He is a American president who happens to be 1/2 BLACK and 1/2 WHITE.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:29 PM on 08/31/2009
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{.... You might not believe THIS ...}
Some of the Palin Fans are not even trying to hide their hate.

See what AKM posted today.
Bumpers sticker being sold at the Alaska State Fair

Look at the picture...Please send this story to everyone you know.

http://www.themudflats.net/2009/08/30/seen-at-the-alaska-state-fair/

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:46 PM on 08/30/2009
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Where's the tie to Palin? The Alaska state fair?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:54 PM on 08/30/2009
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No comment?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:59 PM on 08/30/2009
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Liar.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:59 PM on 08/30/2009
- bedfordny I'm a Fan of bedfordny 158 fans permalink

You're a class act.

Let me triangulate it for you:

Palin - Rabble rouser: "Who is Barack Obama? ..."Pallin' around with known domestic terrorists."

Angry Crowd (or Palin rally audience members as you would call them) "Kill him." "Terrorist."

Secret service steps up security for then candidate Obama AFTER Palin is placed on the ticket for increased threats against him.

Palin + Inciting Rage in Crowds + Dividing Country into Real America and the rest x Non-stop tweeter and Facebook rants against the President = Continuing Anger and Resentment at losing election thus: Vile Stickers against the President at the ALASKA state Fair.

See how simple that is?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:53 AM on 08/31/2009

Lord, that's horrible. We're descending about as low as we can. The rest of the First World thinks at least a good portion of our population should be committed, although they understand most of those committed would have difficulty with their insurance carriers...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:58 AM on 08/31/2009
- MaeS I'm a Fan of MaeS 6 fans permalink

Well, I guess I am out. My posts are disappearing and everything new I write seems to vanish.

Tanya and KidMo, I am fanning you on the way out the door. Keep up the good fight.

Mae

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:19 PM on 08/30/2009
- KidMohair I'm a Fan of KidMohair 82 fans permalink

Thanks Mae!

Ciao Bella!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:20 PM on 08/30/2009
- Tanyars5 I'm a Fan of Tanyars5 133 fans permalink
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all right Mae....catch u on another thread!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:24 PM on 08/30/2009
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Maybe you and kid can keep it civil next time and your posts wil get through.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:08 AM on 08/31/2009
- MaeS I'm a Fan of MaeS 6 fans permalink

I just got scrubbed for posting something you posted earlier as a test.

hahahahahaha

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:55 AM on 08/31/2009
- KidMohair I'm a Fan of KidMohair 82 fans permalink

Anything I can post that shuts you up is worth it!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:08 AM on 08/31/2009
- berrycooda I'm a Fan of berrycooda 25 fans permalink

Doesn't help when the Media shows the people with these signs.
Only perpetuates the problem. Why give them any attention.

I still hear a lot of comments by TV show hosts etc remarking that we
have a black President.
If we are trying to get past that, then stop bringing it up and giving people who don't notice it, reason to wonder if there really something to be concerned about.
God created everybody...not just one color. It is up to everyone,
black or white to stop making it a racial issue.
We are all different as far as culture and our habits, but yet we are
all the same in God's eyes.
So...stop making it an issue and maybe people will stop it as well.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:53 PM on 08/30/2009
- KidMohair I'm a Fan of KidMohair 82 fans permalink

So let's sweep rac~ism under the rug and maybe it'll go away, huh?

How's that worked so far?

I've got an idea, how about you get off your cowardly @$$ an do something?

How's about you MAN UP and STAND UP against the RogerOgdens hmmm?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:01 PM on 08/30/2009
- berrycooda I'm a Fan of berrycooda 25 fans permalink

Aren't you the smart a$$...
What have you done lately if you think nothing is working.

Racism is going both ways and it is up to the blacks and whites to change attitudes.
Some people carry a grudge and don't even know what they are carrying it for.
Some are just opinionated like you and comment on other peoples comments.
If you are so smart...try doing something about it instead of
showing your ignorance by trying someone else look the same as you.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:07 PM on 08/30/2009
- SJBrown I'm a Fan of SJBrown 14 fans permalink

Who didn't notice that President Obama is Black?
Making race an issue? This is America and it is an issue. It is what it is.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:09 PM on 08/30/2009
- ilse I'm a Fan of ilse 51 fans permalink

I don't understand why the media will take a picture of four ill bred racists and not pictures of the 3,000 people in New york for the pro healthcare rally.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:04 AM on 09/01/2009
- KidMohair I'm a Fan of KidMohair 82 fans permalink

I offer this to those folks that mono this site...

I am not in favor of having a President who thinks the End Times are likely to come during their term, perhaps triggering them to go into their End Times mode, Especially, I am not comfortable with the idea of a President with a religion whose End Times belief is that their church will rule the US/World as a theocracy as is the idea with BLT and Mormonism. Obama said in front of an adventist (Apostolic) church in South Caroline in Oct of 2008 that he was confident that they could create a "kingdom on Earth," which in BLT means the utopian theocracy which will be created after the defeat of the white man (Antichrist) and under the rule by the Black Messiah. His religion is supremacist in that sense that the black man will defeat the white man in the End Times.

This is just my personal preference. Apparently, many of you are perfectly fine with a President transforming the World into a millennial theocratic kingdom and that is your good right to desire to have this kind of 'change'. So, you may very well be in the same boat as the rest of us, when the black End Times come. That is really the only part that I look forward to.

This is an abomination. The person who spewed this is allowed to post here, while DECENT people are severely edited.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:22 PM on 08/30/2009
- Tanyars5 I'm a Fan of Tanyars5 133 fans permalink
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decent people need to start to boycott media that enable hate

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:36 PM on 08/30/2009
- mag68 I'm a Fan of mag68 15 fans permalink

you are the worlds biggest hypocrite

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:14 PM on 08/31/2009
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So Kidmohair, you are saying you were uncomfortable having George Bush as president?

Because he openly claimed to believe all those things.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:47 PM on 08/30/2009
- KidMohair I'm a Fan of KidMohair 82 fans permalink

I an saying that I was incensed to have George Bush as president.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:11 PM on 08/30/2009
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BLT = Bible Lunch Today

http://www.abbreviations.com/BLT

Actually, I would believe a black liberation theology person's definition of they think "kingdom" means more than I would believe an Evangelical Christian's opinion of what they think a black liberation theologists defines "kingdom" as.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:52 PM on 08/30/2009
- Rjchinook I'm a Fan of Rjchinook 52 fans permalink
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Are you for real?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:36 AM on 08/31/2009
- KidMohair I'm a Fan of KidMohair 82 fans permalink

Just a reminder that persecution of anyone by dint of their religion qualifies as sedition, a crime until recently, punishable by death.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:09 PM on 08/30/2009
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