Ken Matthews, married to just one woman, has an interesting take on Rev. Joseph Lowery's insulting benediction ending Barack Obama's inauguration.
"Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around...when yellow will be mellow...when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen."
Barack Obama was not, as near as I can tell, being told to sit in the back.
27 comments:
Ken's correct.
I disagree, unsurprising though that people think a black president means discrimination is a thing of the past.
Yes, bigotry is certainly alive and will never cease. Bigots come in all colors; their statements applauded by the highest levels of government.
While completely wrong, this guy deserves to be cut some slack. He is from a different time.
He probably can't even comprehend the fact that what he has wished for has largely been realized. Its just the way he will always see the world for his few remaining days.
There is no fire here! It cracked me up when he said it and the crowd roared! Relax Francis!
"While completely wrong, this guy deserves to be cut some slack. He is from a different time."
That makes sense to me.
the civil rights leaders that are still alive continue to see race and the conflicts surrounding race in our culture. That is less the case for my parents' generation (boomers) and more so for my generation. The viciousness of racism still exists but the accepted norms of racial conversation are very different today than 40 years ago when this guy was in the midst of that struggle.
I think when he spoke, the language he used served as a reminder of the conversations of the civil rights movement. It was crass, defiant and yes, a major political conflict. MLK spread a message of passive resistence and love for ALL people, whether they hated you or not. It carried with it emotion for ALL races. The colorful language the pastor used on tuesday brought that language back. I think he did it with love, and it was the very strong language and love that reminded people that we can move past a very dark history. If the message of love overcoming hate and life overcoming death doesn't make a crowd excited, then nothing will.
Oh, and how cool was it to the men with the Tuskegee Airmen hats. Their tears were the tears of "we shall overcome," not someday, but today.
gsbrace..fantastic post! You have captured the moment completely and truthfully! God bless.
What you heard was who BHO and the people he surrounds himself with really are, what they really believe. Put your head in the sand if you want. So many have, as evidenced by the election of the racist hypocrit.
If that speech had been delivered at the inauguration of a white President, perhaps worded "blacks get on track", as Bill Cosby has advised black males to do, Keith Olbermann's head would have exploded, and there would have been articles of impeachment drawn up by the end of the day.
the words were horribly inappropriate and reflect a context that has changed dramatically. Now we have to make sure that the context that this man saw race is never deemed acceptable again, by Keith whoever or anybody.
Don't insult the reverend by making excuses for him. He chose carefully and said what he meant. He fully understood the context and many got a real kick out it. His words were boilerplate race-baiting, the MO of the race hustling crowd (Jackson, Sharpton, et. al.) You'd think (wish?) this low rhetoric would go away, given the achievement of the day. Obama would do well to marginalize racists of all stripes and truly strive to be the first post-racial statesman he has the opportunity to be.
You WASP's are really taking this hard! Lighten up and get into the spirit of things! We might have a leader the whole world looks to for reason and hope instead of fear and loathing. Ease into it and you'll be fine.
the anonymous troll is looking, grasping at something to marginalize the President of the United States.
Race is all he's got. And that's sad. If the best you can do is an old man and the rehash of a bunch of people (Sharpton/Jackson) who have little/no power, then our anonymous friend has nothing. He can't attack the agenda of prosperity and equality. He can't attack the strength of foreign policy based on values. So he resorts to pointing out a bunch of old racial crusadors.
Dear radical right: rather than hoping the President fails (Rush's words, not mine), how about working toward something that improves the country. The inability of the right to focus on the big problems and instead dwell on the little controversies (which never go resolved) is why you are out of power.
Let's not forget that when Obama talked about black men accepting responsibility, Jesse Jackson talked about cutting of Obama's balls. Does that sound like somebody who has the ear of the president?
It's a new era. Race conversations will never be the same, so bringing up sharpton/jackson is just a sign that some people are still stuck in the past.
Bernie
Thanks for the post-plug
Dave- did you read my entire post?
The guy gets props until he takes it too far
We are a multi-party republic. It's funny to read the Obama-moonies' pleas for dissent to go silent. Good luck taking the heat for the next four years, as you're whining like schoolgirls after just two days.
President Obama's political opposition should grant him the same patience, cooperation, and rhetorical restraint that was afforded President Bush: absolutely none. Stiffen up and get used to it - and get a sense of humor. You'll need it.
So Dave, did "white get it right"?
Scott Armstrong
Dave and liberal Anonymous -
It's clear WHO the racists were on Inauguration Day. The whole world saw it no matter what spin you put on it. EVERYONE KNOWS IT WAS DIVISIVE AND COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE OCCASION.
I said this the other night and was ATTACKED and told THERE'S THE DOOR by you, Dave. You liberals are so warm and fuzzy.
The only honorable thing to do is apologize, Mr. President Obama. A NEW ERA OF RESPONSIBILITY. Set a good example for Dave.
People's feelings have been hurt and no one will take responsibility. WE ALL KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SOME OTHER GROUP'S FEELINGS WERE HURT.
The REAL racists should apologize. Now we know who they are. We all saw who played the race card at the Inauguration.
I am a registered Democrat (look it up) and ASHAMED.
I'm also sick of this!
BH, I must admit that when I heard the "infamous rhyme" (which by the way is NOT new, it has been known in the Black community for years) I winced and hoped that maybe it would go unnoticed, but alas...
The bottom line is that even with Obama's presidency and the strides that have been made to end racism, my Dad, who marched with Martin Luther King and actually babysat his kids, and the other 'Freedom Riders" who were killed, beat, spit on, abused, jailed, etc should not be expected to "all of a sudden" forget EVERYTHING they went through and sacrificed for. There are MANY who still have hard feelings and bear the scars, mentally and physically, of fighting for justice and equality. They sacrificed their lives and livelihoods so that MY generation wouldn't have to, but that does not mean they are now irrelevant. The Pastor's words may have been inappropriate to many but to those in his generation, they were "on time." Many feel that because Obama is now President, racism and unfairness for Blacks is over and nothing could be further from the truth. We do have more opportunities but stereotypical thoughts and assumed actions still reign supreme. I know many people want us to be quiet about slavery and the 50's and 60's but it is a VERY real part of American history and it CAN'T be denied.
Now, MY generation was brought up on inclusiveness, tolerance, and limited bigotry and unfairness, while my Dad's literally felt the billy club of the racist police, heard the racial slurs hurled at them from mobs of hating people, and witnessed people, literally, killed for believing that they had a right to be treated equal. This was just 60 years ago, so perhaps the Reverend and those who applauded have a RIGHT to be angry about the past but, perhaps, they are hopeful about the future.....
Alfonso Todd
"Waaaaah. Someone disturbed my white male sensibilities!"
Get over it.
Wasn't there recently a killing not too far from here simply because the guy was Mexican? Killed in cold blood on the street. It still exists.
I think we are missing the context of what he was saying.
Alfonso was right in that this has been a "National Anthem" for the black community for a long time. The Reverend reciting it up was a pointed reference from a time not so long ago. Yes, we as a country voted in our first minority president, but racism still exists.
Addressing the past is a way of embracing the future. If we are going to get our dander up over a rhyme such as this, maybe we should address why this bothers us.
Disagree. Victim culture is convenient and ingrained.
Racism and bigotry are alive and well here in the Valley..and it is young white men that I hear utter the N word on a regular basis in the closed company of their peers in all male situations such as bars and other gatherings. The struggle goes on to erase ignorance and hate in this country. It ain't over and it lies always just below the surface. We still got a LONG way to go!
Disagree. Victim culture is convenient and ingrained
So says the white man.
Go read the mcall forums for christ sake.
I'm Korean. My family came to America fourteen years ago when my father's business brought him here.
I guess my family and I are members of the "yellow" that the Reverend mentioned. (Although, "yellow" is a term use almost entirely in a perjorative manner when applied to people of Asian descent.)
I was hoping that Dave and some of the other enlightened anonymous posters on this issue can relate to me what the Reverend meant by saying the "yellow will be mellow?"
I and my family would really like to know.
Anon 1:12,
You are Korean? Ahn-nyong-ha-se-yo? Asians are the forgotten minority. I have a lady friend who is Asian. Sometimes people in stores make disparaging remarks about her, especially her thick accent, not realizing she is with me. What they don't know is what she went through to come here and all the sacrifices she made for her children.
I have no idea what mellow has to do with yellow except that it rhymes.
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