Demonizing and Denigration of Nation's First Black President Casts Pall Over Time of Tribute

[bigtree]

from Colbert I. King at WaPo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-demonizing-of-barack-obama/2012/02/23/gIQALnFfYR_print.html


February 24, 2012

February is African American History Month. Yet these are days of sadness.

The brilliance of hope, so blinding a few short years ago, has dimmed. The dreams of a 21st-century America, where achievement is based on skills, determination and merit, free from an arbitrary color standard, have been replaced with injuries inflicted by present-day haters as malevolent as some of our worst enemies of the past . . . more

In this political environment, there is no invective too repugnant, too vicious to throw at this president of the United States.

It is in this climate that we celebrate African American History Month and the achievement of generations against all odds. The demonizing and denigration of the nation’s first black president cast a pall over what should be a time of tribute to indomitable Americans.

But we soldier on . . .


read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-demonizing-of-barack-obama/2012/02/23/gIQALnFfYR_print.html


(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

[Number23]

1. "It’s never about race"

Nope, it never ever is. As we are constantly being told... by white people.

[nofurylike]

2. "It’s sad, and infuriating." to the extreme. thank you for posting that, bigtree. nt

[JustAnotherGen]

3. The author hit the nail on the head

How will observers of African American History Month many years down the road regard the time in which we now live?

Ah, but these things are being said about Obama, we are told, because of his policies, not because of the color of his skin.

It’s never about race; it’s all about the defense of great traditions and storied principles . . . as in cases of the Civil War, Plessy, Brown, lunch counters, bus travel, the poll tax, Jackie Robinson.

It’s sad, and infuriating.

Even at DU we have 'white liberals' who defend the South, believe the loss (Civil War) was punishment enough, and whine about bullying and how it leads to violence - yet only gay kids can be bullied and retaliate - let a black heterosexual teenage male experiencing racism as bullying (Jena 6)? God forbid they punch back.