In this spot was a post I wrote a few weeks ago which talked about Obama (and the failure of good health care reform) and Woods (right after his debacle was revealed) as heroes who had been fallen by pride.
Many people saw this as offensive and racist, although many, again, did not, and completely understood where I was coming from. But because the post took on a horrible viral life of its own and I was, as the saying goes, denounced from pulpit to pew, I decided to remove it. It is, as is the internet's wont, available in other places. I will not repost it here.
What I will post here is a variation on my response to Mike Barber's piece of January 4 which again took me to task:
You are right that I should have apologized. I have been thinking about how to write something that would incorporate an apology and begin a new discussion, but I let it sit too long. I do apologize to you and others for offending you.
I am glad, however, that I happened on this article by accident; it might have been nice to alert me to it so that I could respond, as I am doing here.
Yes, I took the piece down. It was clearly stoking fires I did not wish to stoke and the comments were degenerating into personal attacks on me and my writing (as happens frequently on the 'net, especially under the easy clock of anonymity) See my article on same here :http://blogcritics.org/scitech/article/the-painful-art-of-blogging/
However to, in your tags, linking me with the KKK, is the height of hyperbole and one good reason that a national dialogue about race, which Eric Holder called for last year, may be a long time coming.
We clearly need that dialogue even if it makes the majority of Americans uncomfortable (as evidenced by reaction to Holder's call). Americans would like to THINK they live in a post-racial society, but we are not even close. Incidents of anti-Semtism, misogyny, racial prejudice, sexual orientation prejudice and every other kind of prejudice one can think of, still plague our country.
As a Jew I have been subjected to a huge amount of anti-Semitism and I would like to think I understand discrimination a little. I don't see myself as a victim and never have; I do put down a lot of it to sheer ignorance and misguided assumptions. My experience with anti-Semitism means that I am much more than a white woman of privilege, as some have decided to describe me.
But I, in no way, wished to speak for black people in America, and did not presume to do so in my article. I was trying to talk about role models--and as America in general idolizes sports figures, it was not an idle assumption. In addition, Woods had received praise for his mentorship.
Putting Woods and Obama in the same post was ill-advised. Obama is a different kind of role model and rightly so. A majority of our country--including progressives, the young, and first-time voters-- put him in office and as such have a right to be disappointed, as I am, in his leadership. That has nothing to do with his being black: it has to do with our expectations born out of his promises. And using the word "hubris" was certainly not meant to signify uppity-ness, as some have claimed. In fact, a Washington Post editorialist used the same word to describe Obama just last week. I stand by my statement that the president's sense of himself does not jibe with what he is doing for the people who elected him.
Right now, criticizing Obama has become a polarizing issue: those who wish to hold his feet to the fire are fighting against those who wish to support him, no matter what his decisions are. ( I have written about this before: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-solod-warren/dear-president-obama-with_b_162588.html ) It is a difficult time for both the President and the country. I sincerely believe that many of those who are disappointed in him do not wish to say so out of a white guilt. That's another reason for a dialogue on race.
Assuming, as many have done, that because I say I am not a racist, I therefore must be, is illogical at best. It is akin to being sure that someone who protests that they are not crazy therefore must be insane. And because I wrote an article that many people took as racist does not mean I am so... and further investigation into my writing on both race and class might have proved that:
Postmortem: Morning, Not Mourning, in America
The Measure of a Man
Character, Assassinated
Campaign Journal: The Randomness of the American Dream
Instead, some one reader found one review of my book, Desire, which was somewhat equivocal, and dismissed me completely as a writer.
Mr. Barber's assertion that he tried to reach out to me by tweets gives even more credence to the idea that Twitter is set up to allow a free exchange of ideas between people: much too much to expect of media that allows a mere 140 characters. I do not sit on my twitter account 24-7 and I had no idea the article had even gone viral, I had no idea why people were following me until hours had passed, and I also did not tweet the article myself. He assumes that I did not care about how my article was seen, which is not true at all. His description of my defenses illustrates to me, a woman bewildered and genuinely confounded by some of the reactions to the post. Under attack, I tried to protest but each protest was met with more attacks. It is hard to start a conversation that way, which is why I chose to back off and sit tight for awhile, rather than keep the "conversation" going.
That the article took on a life of its own, an unintended life to be sure, is unfortunate. That it provoked comments about both me and my skill as a writer was unnecessary. But that the article was found offensive by many is accurate and, again, for that I apologize.
Clearly, we are not the post-racial society that many seem to think we are and many more wish we were. And there is much more to say about race in America--and people from all races need to say it--but this comment is not the place. I will try and write more soon. But, suffice it to say that I heard you, Mr. Barber, and I heard all the others.
Follow Lisa Solod on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lisasolod
PS As for him being a black role model? Do not tell me he isn't. Black students all over America were shown saying that they could now be president; saying they felt proud; black high school students stating how empowered they felt. If he isn't a role model to every African-American in the US, he sure is for a lot of them.
Thanks for posting a response! Due to the confusion you mention from old posts being retained, and character limit issues, I posted a reply in the comments section of the original post at http://www.race-talk.org/?p=1587
I hope we can continue a dialogue on this.
Mike Barber
While Woods' "indiscretions" affect only himself and his family, he has felt the sting of the media invasion and a permanent loss of privacy. His reputation as sport's good family guy is gone. For Barack Obama the honeymoon is really over, even those who wanted to give him a chance are getting tired of what is not getting done, what was promised and reneged on. There is disappointment enough in both of them.
It is tragic when an icon falls. When a black icon stumbles the tragedy seems doubly problematic. Mike Tyson, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jackson were all at the tops of their fields before revelations that made them less palatable as heroes and less of a role model for young black men. They have all been partially rehabilitated but not without a huge cost.
I'm curious. You've reposted (above) the first three paragraphs verbatim of Lisa Solod Warren's original article without appropriate attribution (quotes/link) to the original article - which has apparently been withdrawn.
Bonejaw, what's your intention in reposting these first three paragraphs without proper attribution to the original article? Are you attempting to reintroduce parts of the article to continue the discussion? Please explain.
Much appreciated,
Linda
I feel that you fully stand behind what you have said, and that's what's sad. I don't have to tell you that your connection of these two men was wildly inappropriate and thoroughly offensive.
Two analogies: Tiger had too many drinks and decides to drive his family home and gets into an accident. He has made some very bad decisions but in the grand scheme it will only affect him and his family. Obama, on the other hand, was more like a pilot that was flying a plane that got shot down by his enemies. Obama was on a mission to get people to a good place but was defeated in the process. Many more people will be affected. The two situations should not be compared.
Permit me to call you Lisa although I don't know you personally. I've read your article and the comments. I understand why the issues of race and racism have been addressed by so many. Quite simply, Lisa, you introduced race in your title, and race is a theme throughout. Would you have written an article on Bill Clinton, who also came from humble beginnings; who failed to implement Healthcare & Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and who was UNFAITHFUL as a 'WHTIE man done in by hubris'? Did you write on Bernie Madoff''s WHITE man hubris or Gov's Spitzer & Sanford's WHITE men hubris?
Lisa, the reason I know about this article is because I've received so many personal emails from people upset by your use of race as analogy. I don't believe you're racist, but I do believe you'd benefit if you accepted this as a teachable moment. Take heed of these responses. There are lessons to be learned. My gentle suggestion would be to acknowledge these readers' concerns. They are well-founded.
Analogizing Obama and Woods because they are of "mixed" race (as you say) is questionable at best. Would you analogize Bernie Madoff and Mark Sanford in an article and title it "Two WHITE Role Models Done In By Hubris"? As a writer, I've learned many lessons from readers. These readers want you to understand their concerns and hopefully re-evaluate your assertions. I think that's a legitimate suggestion.
His wife is just as comfortable and has little to no contact with black people.
Tiger Woods has publicly stated that he is NOT BLACK! He has no association or contact with black people.
So, white people, what ever their faults, blame it on their "whiteness", not on some false notion that either of these men are "black".
As an Black female, I have seen it happen too often. Be an articulate, assertive, confident black male or female and you get labeled as filled with hubris which is a PC way of saying that you are too d**m uppity. As I see it, both men are at the top of their game and deserve to be confident about their skills and abilities. No, we can't take that away from them.
American's want quick fixes on everything. George W. Bush provided this country with quick fixes. which lead us to the brink of a depression. Obama is charting a slow steady course of action.
Tiger Woods has succumb to what a lot of highly paid athletes, movie stars, politicians, business tycoons and even preachers have succumb to...too much money...poor impluse control...too many women who have no morals...too many people looking the other way. Money talks. Power seduces.
So, it is not two black role models done in by hubris. It's two men..with awesome gifts having difficulty in the court of public opinion for two entirely different reasons.
President Obama hasn't failed at anything and he's a role model for all people not just African Americans. And why are you lumping him with tiger woods? President Obama loves his wife deeply and it appears Tiger didn't feel the same about his wife. The only failure here is your lack of insight and knowledge about what failure is and isn't.
While I have black friends, I certainly am not going to speak for blacks, but I have to say...not a single one of my black friends EVER said Tiger was a role model. Those that loved golf, admired his game...but that was it.
I don't remember reading any articles about the affects of the hubris of Mark Sanford, David Vitter, John Ensign, John Edwards had on the psyche of White Americans.
Really,
I find it absolutely fascinicating that Tiger Woods and Barack Obama are know the defacto representatives for African Americans. Well, somehow I don't think either one of them got that memo.