The race for president of the United States begins with Donald Trump as an early hat tosser. Jeb Bush has declared as has Chris Christie. Joe Biden will make a run as will Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama’s presidency has been a respite before the melee when he leaves office. I don’t look forward to the awkward presidential campaigns that are always one bucket away from mud-slinging. Nor do I look forward to the return of escalation of everything from prices to unemployment to troops overseas. Those are all inevitable consequences of electing a politician that believes the country should return to a kinder, gentler time where people of color work in the White House, not live there, let alone run things.
There are folks that want to return to the pretend magic of John F. Kennedy who’s first 1,000 days in office were seen as Camelot more because of the popular Broadway play that opened in 1960 than anything done during his administration. Barack Obama’s first 1,000 days kept more campaign promises than any other president I can remember and I’m old enough to have lived through 10 administrations. I’ve never heard a newsman compare Barack Obama’s presidency to John F. Kennedy’s but what was once a plum is not and being assigned to the White House is a slip in a reporter’s career when once it was the pinnacle and comparing the two would be political sacrilege and career suicide.
Barack Obama has suffered through a Rodney Dangerfield administration and should start every meeting with “I don’t get any respect”, but he’s a statesman, not a comedian and he soldiers on knitting and patching the American fabric as best he can. He just doesn’t get the what he deserves. After the killing of Trayvon Martin, Barack Obama, in a press conference said in response to, not in justification of violence, “How would you feel if that were your son?”
Leave race out and ask, how would you feel if your son was treated the way our fellow Americans behave towards President Barack Obama. Lots of folks don’t get it.They may have never had their opinions ignored or their ideas suppressed. They may never have been passed over for a promotion they felt they deserved. They may never have had a police officer draw a gun on them at a routine traffic stop. Odds aren’t 1 in 3 their sons will be arrested. To those Americans, respect is something that comes with the property not something bought extra. When the president of the United States starts a speech with “My Fellow Americans” I believe he is talking to all of us equally. If that’s not true than your vote in the next election is more important than you believe.
Filed under: African-American, Barack Obama, Blacks, Community Green, It Takes A Village, Politics, African-American, Barack Obama, Blacks, Community Green, It Takes A Village, Politics
Community Greens 