I've written and posted here before about how race is clearly the 800-pound gorilla in America's communal living room. I'm tired of that analogy; it offers a cartoonish version of a problem that I see more in the horrifying vein of a Francis Bacon painting. So let's instead see it that way -- as a raw and open wound on every citizen's back. We look in the mirror and we don't see it. We could if we turned just so and tried, but we don't really want to. Few people in the public eye ever want to acknowledge or talk about this wound. To do so is to risk accusations of "playing the race card," among other criticisms. Well, the whole idea of playing cards is that, in order to have a successful game, everyone playing needs to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each card in the deck.
So maybe now, finally, it's time to reframe the discussion. Let's stop the game so we're not "playing" any cards, and simply examine this race card in the light and try to understand how it fits into the deck that constitutes America's political landscape.
Morally, now is always the opportune time to have a national dialogue about race. The problem is, moral leadership often bends to political expediency.
Still, every time some racially-charged event unfolds in real time (more and more these days than any time since the Rodney King riots in LA), whenever some egregious incident makes headlines, we're told this at long last is an opportunity for a national dialogue on race. Yet that dialogue never happens.
Most recently, it very publically didn't happen with the kabuki theatrics of the "White House Beer Summit" featuring Prof. Gates, Sgt. Crowley, the President and Vice-President. Much to my disappointment, that turned out to be a dressed up photo-op falsely addressing the issue that was its raison d'être. I wouldn't be surprised to find out the beer was non-alcoholic.
Finally, though, moral urgency and political expediency may have intersected, and now might actually be the time to have this national dialogue we're always believing is just around the corner. My thanks go out to South Carolina's Joe Wilson, whose frat-boy cockiness and inexcusably ill-mannered behavior at last week's Special Congressional Session managed to shock the complacent established media into tackling the subject of race head-on.
At least the mainstream media in the form of Maureen Dowd, who has come around to seeing the painfully obvious when she wrote in her New York Times column:
I've been loath to admit that the shrieking lunacy of the summer -- the frantic efforts to paint our first black president as the Other, a foreigner, socialist, fascist, Marxist, racist, Commie, Nazi; a cad who would snuff old people; a snake who would indoctrinate kids -- had much to do with race.But Wilson's shocking disrespect for the office of the president -- no Democrat ever shouted "liar" at W. when he was hawking a fake case for war in Iraq -- convinced me: Some people just can't believe a black man is president and will never accept it.
"Dowd found the courage to state explicitly what so many of us have been thinking," writes Lindsay Beyerstein at her blog, Majikthise. Its one thing when liberal bloggers say that Joe Wilson has issues with a black man being president, it's quite another to see it spelled out on The New York Times Op-ed page.
As media and political pundits were reacting to Maureen Dowd's statements, the voice of former President Jimmy Carter has the audacity to cut through the noise and directly address that idea we're all so seemingly afraid to consider:
I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely-demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man. I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that share the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African Americans.And that racism inclination still exists. And I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of the belief among many white people, not just in the South but around the country, that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply.
Hello! Of course, race is a factor. That we may not be able to measure it statistically doesn't mean it is not significant. Andrew Sullivan wrote that:
The right is projecting its shadow onto Obama. The same qualities that make him a saint to the left make him the devil to the right -- he is easy to project onto.That is why he is the out-of-control spender when they sat on their hands through all of Bush's malfeasance. That is why his talking to schoolchildren is dangerous when our government wiretapping its citizens wasn't. That is why saving the financial system from years of Republican regulation is taking away our future. The more evil revealed about the right's excesses on torture, or wars of choice, or nearly destroying the economy, the more evil Obama will look in their eyes, as they cannot tolerate owning responsibility, because in their own minds they are only good.
85-year-old Jimmy Carter knows the South and our country. Even though Obama was elected with 43% of the white vote, he received only 10-14% of that vote in the South. And that isn't because his platform runs against those states' interests. Something else is clearly at work here. But knowing that and acknowledging it are two vastly different things.
Through his press secretary Robert Gibbs -- himself a white southerner -- Obama was quick to respond to President Carter's comment.
The president does not believe that that criticism comes based on the color of his skin. We understand that people have disagreements with some of the decisions that we've made and some of the extraordinary actions that had to be undertaken by both this administration and previous administrations to stabilize our financial system, to ensure viability of our domestic auto industry. [Emphasis added].
That was a press statement that reflected neither the truth of the situation nor the honest appraisal of the man in whose name the statement is being attributed. Just because he's black and President does not mean he must "recuse" himself from commenting on obvious reality: the racist placards and signs of the right wing protesters are not only a call to action for white supremacists and Klansmen, they are a clarion call to those being attacked.
President Obama and his advisers act as if race is a political "third rail." Yes, it is. But third rails rarely electrocute cautious individuals. What they do far more successfully is power the trains.
Once upon a time, in another century, in another America -- an America where an African American president would seem more like a hallucination than a possibility -- Nelson Rockefeller shared with me that he found nothing more despicable than "men who had real power without the courage or conviction to use it."
This is a lesson President Obama should really take to heart. Openly discussing the problem of racism in America at the highest offices of government isn't stooping to the racists' level, it isn't taking the bait. In fact, protesters and certain senators do what they do precisely because they can reliably predict Obama will not call them out on it.
Maybe it's time for a new take on that strategy, one with some teeth.
Strategically, I agree that the immediate possibility of meaningful health care reform is more urgent than Obama focusing on the national importance of a serious dialogue on race in America. But leadership goes beyond tactics. Every parent knows you can mash up aspirin in a child's applesauce and avoid the Sturm und Drang, but at some point kids are better off understanding the medicine they're taking and realizing the benefits outweigh the taste. That's what true leadership is, treating the soft citizenry like they're adults. And boy, it's as rare today as it is necessary.
The political reality is that Obama and his advisers must know that racial tension and the absence of national leadership fostering a national discussion of race issues in our country is the Sword of Damocles dangling over this presidency. If the mere act of a reporter like Maureen Dowd reconsidering her ideas and coming forward with an indictment can cause a media frenzy, how much more so the first African American president? It will be worth it. Long after medical care has changed to the point that this era looks like bloodletting and leaches, long after the US economy has shifted and adapted, gone through reforms and reboots, this administration and this president will be remember for one thing above all else:
Obama will forever be either the man who healed this septic wound that runs across the back of this nation, or the man who turned away from the mirror to solve more "practical" issues.
Yes, I remember well that Dr. King often "turned the other cheek" rather than encourage a violent response in kind. But, I also remember that he would exercise his leadership to "kick ass and take no prisoners", non-violently, for what he believed was right. He did not remain silent, appease, or kowtow for the sake of keeping peace. The man led by speaking his mind. (Yeah, I know. He was not an elected political leader).
President Obama can have health care reform and heal our nation's racial ills. Now that's strong medicine. I can think of no greater calling and enduring monument to his Presidency in the twenty-first century.
Carter again cites racism as factor in Obama's treatment - CNN.com
Wilson's son disputes Carter's claim of racism - Yahoo! News
Carter's Racism Charge Sparks War of Words - The Caucus Blog ...
My parents were raised in the segregated South and they carried the scars until the day they died yet taught me to love and accept everyone based on character not color. I remember watching the dogs and water hoses on TV as a child and being hurt, terrified and confused; the other night my granddaughter read those horrible signs and through her tears asked me why they hate Obama and Black people? Freedom of speech, civil discourse, debate on the issues is fine and an integral part of democracy but this is the anitihesis of what America stands for. We're showing the world just how far we are from a post-racial society. I happen to be Black but all of my friends, regardless of their race, can see this for what it is. It demeans who we are as a nation and demeans the office of President.
A while back a group of work mates were together in an English pub. One person began telling jokes. An example:
"Q. How to you get 55 Pakistanis into a punctured tire? A. Advertise it as a flat (British for "Apartment")"
He told many other even more blatent racist jokes. It would have been very embarrassing - except that the joke teller was a Pakistani! I approached him and asked why he told such jokes about his own nationality. He replied that the best way to tackle to stereotypes and misconceptions was head on. How right he was. His attitude went a long way to destroying any lingering prejudices amongst my fellow workers.
If all of us in the USA - black, brown and white - tackled the prejudices and misconceptions head on in this way, I am sure we could start to improve the understanding in this country.
There is an element in this country that will never accept an African-American President. They are in an inconsolable rage and are doing everything in their power to make President Obama fail at everything he undertakes. Their spokesperson, Rush Limbaugh, has said it: "I hope he fails."
The "birthers," "teabaggers," mobs of nutjobs shouting at town meetings, and a congressman shouting "Liar!" at the President before a joint session of Congress, would never have happened with a white President. No American President has ever been accused of tryng to indoctrinate schoolchildren. Of course not. All of the prior Presidents were white.
The plain truth is that there are unfortunately all too many Americans (or folks who call themselves Americans; they don't believe in what America stands for) who have no respect for President Obama because he is African-American. Period. It has nothing to do with his views or actions. I have no respect whatsoever for George Bush, but it isn't because of the color of his skin: it is because his policies have led this country into a terrible situation with a failing economy, and he started a war based on lies that has resulted in the deaths of millions of brave and innocent people.
Barack Obama is not a man to flinch at this backlash. He will prevail over the bigots.
President Obama must cease listening to his professional advisers and listen to the will and needs of the people! Those mamby pamby, over paid, primarily white males cannot and do not have the pulse of the people of this nation! I would charge that they only exist to find ways to accomodate the wants and greed of corporate America and one of corporate America's greatest weapons; RACISM!
The bigots are getting bolder each day. They disrespect our president despite the fact that he has not led us into an immoral, unjustified war. They disrespect him daily despite the fact that he has not lied to us and the world regarding weapons of mass destruction. They continuously disrespect him despite the fact that he did not authorize the use of illegal and inhumane torture by military or CIA interrogators!
Fire is best fought back with fire. Playing along to get along doesn't work. Never has and never will. President Obama; YOU WERE ELECTED BY PEOPLE WHO WANT AND NEED CHANGE! ACT LIKE IT!
I grew up here from an early age, and you know what?
That's all it takes.
I hear it, and it makes me angry/sad/hurt, but... to be honest with you, I never quite know how to react. And it just doesn't occur to me to be confrontational. I h'te to admit it, but usually I'm just too stunned, embarrassed and angry to say much of anything. :(
I'm confident Obama has had a few choice words to say behind closed doors. But I can see the box he's in on this. He already made a speech on race. If he says any more, or gets too pointed, a LOT of his white supporters will be alienated; they'll think it's "too much." (rolls eyes) You know how it is; they just don't want to hear it. Yes, part of me feels like, who cares! They all need to get with the program! But let's face it, he's Black America's ambassador to white people right now. Like you said, he's not quite the (stereo)typical "black man" of popular imagination, and... that's working in his favor. It makes me cringe, but it is what it is. They're obviously not ready. [insert SUSPER sad-face here]
Pres Obama is focusing all of his energy on getting us Universal Health Care by 12/31/09. Regardless of his/her race, a POTUS may choose when or if he/she will do battle of this sort. Pres Obama has chosen to behave like a gentleman & to be above this fray-for now. In this instance, I must accept Pres Obama's decision.
My parents immigrated here in 1967 and being from an eastern European country, come from a history of oppression, my mother was neither sympathetic or understanding and pretty much hates everyone that isnt of white European stock. Growing up, I was always embarrased of her and as she got older, she got worse. If I can't get through to her, how is Obama, who she despises (lit candles praying every night that he not win, even though within our sphere of influence all agreed that McCain and (shudder) Palin would have been totally wrong for the country) going to make an impact.
If those of us that realize that our racial differences are superficial, if WE can't convince those in our immediate circles that rascism shows individuals to be small minded and fearful, then how can we put this on one man to reach millions of people? I do think that out-right denial is a mistake, it does need to be acknowledged and the rest needs to be up to us. Its a shameful legacy that needs to be made a part of our history. We need to own it, deal with it and then put it, once and for all, to rest, one mind at a time!
Yes, most Americans are projecting all manner of things on President Obama. He even noted this himself well before his election. Hence, no matter what he does, crazy responses abound.
I am a 66 year old white woman. I have spent most of my adult life dealing with issues of social justice, as a nurse and as an American. The Civil Rights movement involved black Americans laying claim to their rights as citizens. Black American acted. That did not mean that white America shifted. The work remaining in addressing racism was modeled by former President Carter: white Americans need to resolve the white problem. The first step in honestly naming it. Laying it at the feet of President Obama does not make sense to me. White American leaders need to take action and lead.
White Americans need to resolve the white problem.
There are still many of us who do not view anything about Obama through a racial prism, and are dismayed that others are viewing everything through one.
He has become the mirror.
We can all look at ourselves and others around us.
We earn ridicule and disrespect from allies and enemies who are also looking at the silent political opportunism of the Republican leadership, the evasive politically correct media and others who conveniently cannot connect the disrespect and contempt towards the decorum vital to the United States Congress ( the model of democracy at work) ) and the Presidency of the United States (which we boast is the most powerful position in the world).
Why is it assumed that it is incumbent upon the Black man to school the willfully unteachable racialist or to disentangle the web of platitudes developed by non-racialists or less-racialists to cushion embarrassments created by their less civil brethren?
If in the 21st Century we have parents who do not connect teaching disrespect and dismissiveness toward the President of their country with training children for future disrespectful behavior towards thoughts opinions and persons of others in leadership, why is it the President's responsibility to teach them? If Senators cannot behave in the Senate, why should they behave in school?
If Rev. Huckanee never understood from Sunday School that we "pray for those who have rule over us," and that it is inappropriate to go into another country to undermine the policies of the leader of one's own country, then who is to teach him now?
You see you want this BIRACIAL man to come forth and condemn Racism, well that's part of your JOB as well as the President, Sir, you are not paying attention, take heed to the President's name, his name alone is why the RACIST hate him, but, yet the President was BIG and BOLD enough to run for office with that name, and he WON!!!
Now I know where you are coming from, but, the more the REP/CON attack the President the more the really TRUE AMERICAN'S come forth in his defense! you see, the True American's can not stand the stench of Racism! the True American's will not fight against Health Care for the American people! we do not know what go's on behind the scene's, Robert Gibb's has to use Strategy, he can't say what he really want to say! he has to keep the President safe at any cost! he can't be as vocal as Jimmy Carter!