Posted on 11/01/2012 11:07:08 AM PDT by Kaslin
What do I tell my black child if Barack Obama, America's first black president, loses his bid for re-election? This is a question many parents are asking themselves -- especially those who would blame the loss on racism.
Jubilant black parents on the front pages of newspapers, the day after Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008, said things like, "for the first time" they could "sincerely" say to their children that a black person could realistically aspire to become president of the United States.
The New York Times wrote: "That a new day had dawned was immediately apparent at breakfast on Wednesday at Eagle Academy, a young public school in the spot where the often hard-edged Brooklyn neighborhoods of Brownsville and Ocean Hill intersect: The sixth-grade boys sat in silence over their eggs, biscuits and apple juice.
"They were too busy poring over the transcripts of President-elect Barack Obama's speech that teachers had handed them as they walked in. Too tired, perhaps, from having been awoken at midnight to hear the news from their tearful mothers. ...
"The 30-year-old principal, Rashad Meade, pushed his proteges, asking why they thought ... this moment was so important ... why their parents had woken them the night before.
"Isaiah Purcell, who is 11, started to say something about the issues, then trailed off. He picked up again, asserting that Mr. Obama's ascendancy to the White House 'makes us think that we could accomplish anything when you put your mind to it (emphasis added).'"
Goodness! Pre-Obama, what were these parents and teachers telling these kids about their future? What would the teary-eyed parents have said had Obama lost? Would they have told their children that racism remains a major force in America and Obama's defeat proves the point? And assuming he loses his bid for re-election, what will this defeat say about "race" in America?
My father, a former Marine, World War II vet, was born to an illiterate single mother in Athens, Ga. An only child, he never met his biological father. He was a 14-year-old teenager in that Jim Crow South when the Great Depression began. Hard, hard knocks.
But as I write in my new book, "Dear Father, Dear Son," my father taught my brothers and me that the only barrier to success is lack of effort. My Huntsville, Alabama-born mother also taught us that, through education and steady application, goals could be achieved -- no matter how lofty.
Yes, even the presidency of the United States.
I write: "Mom made me feel like I could spit lightening and make bullets bounce off my chest. She sat me down on the front porch when I was about 6 years old. She had an illustrated book of all the presidents from George Washington to Dwight Eisenhower. We talked about their achievements and disappointments.
"'Larry,' she said, tapping the book, 'if you work hard enough and want it bad enough, someday you can be in this book.'"
My parents told us that no one can make you feel inferior without your permission. In high school, we read a sad, bitter poem about racism in a black literature course:
"While riding through old Baltimore, so small and full of glee,
"I saw a young Baltimorean keep a-lookin' straight at me.
"Now, he was young and very small, and I was not much bigger
"And so I smiled, but he put out his tongue and called me 'nigger.'
"I saw the whole of Baltimore from May until September,
"Of all the things that happened there, that's all that I remember."
The teacher angrily talked about the permanent damage done to this little boy's psyche. The permanent stain of racism. The assault on the little boy's dignity. The boy, said the teacher, will never be the same. By the time the bell sounded, everyone was angry.
When I got home, I read the poem to my mother. She was in the kitchen, cooking a pot of greens. When I finished the last line, she turned, big spoon in hand, and looked me in the eye.
"Too bad," she said, "that boy let something so trivial spoil his vacation."
If Obama loses, how many parents will tell their children that his race did him in? Already, The Associated Press published a poll supposedly showing that the negative "racial attitudes" people hold against blacks could likely cost Obama 2 points in the election.
Really?
Not only does Obama benefit from a near-unanimous black vote, but also from the many whites who voted for Obama because of his race. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, explained in 2008: "This is (their) chance to demonstrate that we have been able to get this boogeyman called race behind us. And so they are going to vote for him, whether he has credentials or not, whether he has any experience."
Hall of Famer Frank Robinson became the first black manager in the modern major leagues. There have been many since. Robinson's hiring made a statement about the irrelevance of race. Years later, when his team underperformed, Robinson was fired.
Obama can be fired, as well.
If a President does a good job they may get a second term. If they do a poor job they get fired as many people do for doing poor work in the real world.
Race has NOTHING to do with anything. They need to get over themselves if they think being black is why, if so, how did he get elected to begin with?
“Regardless of skin color, Communists suck.”
That should be the lesson.
Tell them, “Honey, a race can only have one winner”. However, if your child watches “Barney”, where everyone wins on his show, your are on your own. :-)
What do I say to my black child? “Gosh, you look alot like your mom’s boss at work.”
That the loss has nothing to do with the color of his skin; it’s all about the content of his character.
You didn’t read the article, did you?
Those who would blame the loss on racism are racists who do not have the integrity or self-awareness to admit it.
That iz whatz happens to you when you lie. You gets taken to the wood shed and get yo azz whooped but good.
Do not grow up to be a lieing, cheating no good community organizer marrying someone lowlife uppity from the hood, then trying to scam the American peoples on the lo.
Yes, scanned enough to see it was based on race....I’m tired of hearing ‘black’.....
That affirmative action may help you get a job despite your inexperience and lack of qualifications, but soon your incompetence will be revealed and you will get fired.
Good flick.
We chose not to renege.
Some black people are wonderful. Some are not.
You, my dear child, are wonderful.
Just me or does just posing this question smack of imploring whitey to please give OBAMA another chance?
naw couldnt bethat
It’s a very good article. You should have spent the time to read it instead of skimming. It’s not based on race - that was his whole point.
“Regardless of skin color, Communists suck.”
DeadCorpse++
What do you tell your black child if Obama loses?...
You tell your black child that a black man had the fortune to become president of the greatest democracy on earth and he squandered the opportunity. Unfortunately he did not succeed due to his inexperience. Like any job you must have qualifications. The proof was in the pudding for Obama. Because you can be president doesn’t mean you should be president. Because Obama is black does not qualify him for a second term. His job history as president is failure. This fact alone gets him fired. As in any job, he is getting his review from the American people and they have decided he must go. After all, he is our employee.
tell him outcomes are not based on the color of your skin..hard work, honesty, and love of people and God will take you the farthest..
1. That America was non-racist enough to hire a black man in 2008 and
2. America was non-racist enough to fire a black man in 2012
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.