President Obama spoke to the nation last week regarding the Trayvon Martin case and the resulting verdict that acquitted George Zimmerman. Although some Americans welcomed his words and the personal connections he made to being an African-American, others are crying foul and claiming that his words did not go far enough.
Many African-Americans were touched to hear the first African-American U.S. president relate to their everyday occurrences, including white women clutching their purses closer as a black man passes by, or Caucasians locking their car doors as a black person crosses the street. Surprisingly, Republican senator and former presidential candidate John McCain praised the president for his carefully thought out words. Other white Americans also applauded Mr. Obama for making a personal connection to the anger African-Americans are feeling regarding the Zimmerman verdict. But not everyone was so supportive.
PBS talk show host and long time Obama “hater” Tavis Smiley called Mr. Obama’s words “weak” and “sweet as Kool-Aid,” claiming the speech to be mere rhetoric that did nothing to calm tensions and make a difference moving forward. Hmmm…
Tavis Smiley is partially right, but mostly wrong. What exactly did he expect the President of the United States to say or do?
Mr. Obama is between a rock and a hard place on this issue, or in the words of my grandmother, “damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.”
As the FIRST black president of these United States, he has had to walk a very fine line on this issue and a boatload of others. He can’t put on his “black hat” and lead one of the many protests proclaiming the Zimmerman verdict to be inadequate, because he has to wear his “presidential hat” to uphold the laws and the constitution of the United States, no matter how flawed they may be. He can’t just be a black man and riot against Zimmerman, the jury and the “Stand Your Ground” law of Florida. But he can be the President of the United States who also happens to be black, and use his position of power to bring a civil rights case against George Zimmerman and/or bring down the controversial “Stand Your Ground” law in Florida.
So to Tavis Smiley and all the others who feel last week’s speech was inadequate, please remember this: his name is not MISTER Obama — his name is PRESIDENT Obama.
Points well made DJ.
But here's the deal with Tavis and his ilk: None of them are dummies. Every point made by DJ, they already know to be true. They just can't seem to help themselves. They *Hate* the President as much, if not MORE, than actual White racists.
But *WHY?* you may ask…..
I believe the root causes to be the following:
First and foremost: The President IS African-American NOT Black-American. I say there is a difference.
2nd: Envy
3rd. Jealousy
Sadly, I suspect that their (Tavis and West) hatred of Pres. Obama runs so deep that they will continue to try to discredit his legacy long after he's left office…smh.