In Response to Peggy Noonan's Critique of Michelle Obama

His [Mr. Obama's] problem was, is, his wife's words, not his, the speech in which she said that for the first time in her adult life she is proud of her country, because Obama is winning. She later repeated it, then tried to explain it, saying of course she loves her country. But damage was done. Why? Because her statement focused attention on what I suspect are some basic and elementary questions that were starting to bubble out there anyway.

Are the Obamas, at bottom, snobs? Do they understand America? Are they of it? Did anyone at their Ivy League universities school them in why one should love America? Do they confuse patriotism with nationalism, or nativism? Are they more inspired by abstractions like "international justice" than by old visions of America as the city on a hill, which is how John Winthrop saw it, and Ronald Reagan and JFK spoke of it?

First of all, I greatly admire Peggy Noonan as a woman, writer and American. BUT, I have a huge problem with her obvious misrepresentation of what Mrs. Obama actually said, which you can see/hear for yourself here. Do I think it was a stupid/irresponsible thing to say on the campaign trail? Hell yes. But I don't believe that I can fully comprehend, nor do I think Ms. Noonan could ever fully understand, what it must have been like for Michelle Obama to come of age as a black woman in a predominately male/white academic world. And I think that's what she was getting at when she said what she said.

Most of us white folk have never experienced black America. Most of us have never been to the third wards and ghettos in our inner-cities...because we've never had to. If we were aware of both the worst and best of what America has to offer -- and especially if our formative years were spent witnessing the corruption of Nixon years and the tragedy that was the Vietnam War in light of that knowledge, I think we would be a lot less proud of what our country looks like in her fullness.

This is not to say that I am not proud of America. Quite to the contrary, I am painfully aware of the privilege I've been born into, and what I/we have that so many billions of people will never experience. But I also know that we've got a ways to go to in terms of bringing the rest of the country -- the forgotten ones, one might call them -- into the light that so many of us know and appreciate. It's easy to become disillusioned when one becomes cognizant of the suffering occurring right here within the (un)protected borders of the US -- right here, only ten or fifteen minutes from my own home in Houston. It's disheartening when the country's leadership embarks on missions to "save the world," barging into Vietnam and Iraq when they can't even take care of the impoverished here at home. I think that, Ms. Noonan, is what Mrs. Obama was after. And even I -- a white Conservative republican -- can see that.

Comments

[bacaangel]

As Michelle Obama often states, Americans are means and our Souls are broken. That she does not want this for her girls and or for any children in America.

Give the lady a break. She is not a "consumate actress" like Hillary Clinton who has been on the Washington scene for years. However, she is genuine, authentic and truthful and She Cares about all of God's Children on this earth. Does that not speak for something.

[DemandTruth]

Has anyone in the Clinton Camp or on the hysterical Right ever watched that show "Intervention"? Have they ever had a deadbeat child or other relative that just seemed to get into trouble at every turn? Do they not realize that it's possible to FIERCELY LOVE someone, but NOT be proud of their actions at the same time?

We need to start thinking in more than two dimensions if we want to evolve in this world. We need to reject completely the "you're with us or against us" black or white mentality. Once we shed this constricting way of looking at the world and dealing with our neighbors, then we can get down to the business of working out our problems and living in harmony.

[BitJam]

Peggy Noonan isn't the only one misrepresenting the words of Michelle Obama. Right here on the Huffington Post, Susan Madrak did a similar thing in this article:

It's A Whole New Ballgame, Michelle

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-madrak/its-a-whole-new-ballgame_b_87274.html

She originally said:

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This is the second time Michelle Obama has said something really dumb (the first being her quote that she'd "have to think about it" when asked if she and her husband would support Clinton if she won the nomination).

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I posted a comment highlighting the error and an editor corrected the article but there was no response to my post. There was no retraction and there was no apology. This utter lack of civility makes it hard not to conclude that this mischaracterization was both intentional and malicious.

I cannot fathom what would cause people to stoop to such dirty tricks. If what Michelle Obama said was really as bad as they try to make it seem then why would they have to embellish the story? If they feel that Obama (with the support of his wife) is such a strong and faultless candidate that they must spread lies and distortions in order to attack him, wouldn't it make more sense to support him instead?

These lies, distortions, and dirty tricks in a primary contest make about as much sense as cheating on a placement exam.

[AWest]

Thanks for this.

I have been very proud of America, most recently in the way that many people are appreciating the Obama campaign's messages of hope and the need to work together again, as Americans, to solve the challenges we face. We used to know that together we could overcome whatever obstacles were set in front of us. It really feels great to feel that again.