Jimmy Carter is not Helpful Again
When I heard that former president Carter had said that some opposition to President Obama was race based, I thought would have to agree with him. I too believe that some of the passionate and over the top ad homonym attacks on Obama are only slightly coded racial attacks. Comparing him to a monkey or Michelle to an ape is racist. Portraying him as a monkey--as several mainstream newspaper cartoons have--is racist.
I don't know if Joe Wilson is a racist. I can't read his heart. We all judge people by externals and make assumption according to our perception of their race, class or geographic origins. I'm no exception. I have impulses that I try to stifle. One of my problems is with southerner accents. The sound of Jimmy Carter's sanctimonious voice sets my teeth on edge.
So when I read Carter's full quote, I knew that I had to part company with him yet again. Carter said, "I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American."
I don't agree. I think it's harmful and inaccurate to believe that an "overwhelming portion" of Obama's critics is racist. Some number, yes, but overwhelming? No. Does the proportion rise in the south? Yes, the election data make that clear. Obama carried some 43% of the white vote nationally, but in the states of the Deep South he received only 11 to 14% of the white vote. Clearly race is an issue but given the angry animus towards Bill Clinton, who only called himself the first African American President, some poison is political and not racial. Still, it is disturbing that death threats against this president are 400% higher than against Bush*. It is fair to wonder if such anger is policy based.
* According to Ronald Kessler, author of In the President's Secret Service
©2009 Jonathan Dobrer
www.Dobrer.com
Im not a big fam of obama,Nor former president carter..but i still think he shouldnt be eacist like that to pres.obama.
That death threat statistic is highly suspect, for a number of reasons that don't bear going into right now. Certainly, public calls for the president's assassination are down since Obama took office, so you can just relax there, Jonathan.
Again, you confuse politics with race. Just because the South didn't vote for Obama does not mean they are more racist. I feel like I'm explaining this to a small child, who has his fingers in his ears and doesn't want to listen. I'm glad you "outed" your prejudice against the South, Jonathan, but practically in the same breath you made another statement based on nothing BUT that prejudice.
And by the way, with his ears and head shape, Bush was also ripe for the monkey analogy, and it was used often against him. Just pointing out a fact, there.
Diane, because we will probably never agree on much in terms of politics, I mostly do not argue with your points. I have to, however, on the monkey issue.
It is different because of historical context to use monkey images with white people and black. Call me an ape or monkey and I might be annoyed, but there is no centuries long historical loading of that image for me. Call me "boy" and I might take it as a compliment, but my black family members and friends would not. It isn't the letters, the sounds or the pictures but the context.
Jonathan
I am fully aware of the historical context of the image, Jonathan. That's why I said I was just pointing out a fact. I did not state that it was more or less offensive; just that it WAS. A fact.
Is this where we get into the Darwinian racism that helped fuel the beginnings of Planned Parenthood? Because those are facts, too. LOL. Planned Parenthood has killed a much higher percentage of black babies, which is exactly what ol' Margaret Sanger was aiming for. Eugenics and all. Hey, if you really are on a hunt for racism... why don't you look at THAT history.
Oh, and I am just fine with you not responding to any of my well-reasoned arguments, although I think it is because you can't, not because you won't. Nevertheless, feel free to continue giving me the last word. I have no problem with that. But you really should be nicer to me, because I am such a faithful reader.
Dear Diane,
I do, in fact, appreciate that you take the time to read me, write me and argue your positions. I honestly believe that my truest enemy is not the one who disagrees with me but the one who doesn't care about the world. My fondest memories of Berkeley in the 60s is driving with my Roman CAtholic priest best friend to march and picket in San FRancisco. Half the time we marched with each other and half against. But we always had lunch and drove home together.
I do think that we talk past each other and it is not a question of not being able to respond but rather I don't think you hear me. I take my share of responsibility for that.
You are, as you know, right on the history of Planned Parenthood and the horrors of eugenics. Truly a shameful part of American cultural history. We agree.
Cheers!
Jonathan
Diane wrote: >>Certainly, public calls for the president's assassination are down since Obama took office
Diane, could you please offer some evidence for this?
Sure. The most widely-chronicled example may be columnist Charlie Brooker of the British rag "Guardian." The amazing thing is this was actually in print, not just a "blog" (not that there's that much difference, I guess). Allow me to quote; his topic is the coming re-election of Bush (written in 2004):
"The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance, and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr -- where are you now that we need you?"
Granted, this was from a "far left" writer. But imagine the firestorm if a "far right" writer put that in print about Obama. Brooker also compared Bush to a toddler proudly showing off its first bowel movement and said he should be "tarred, feathered and kicked in the nuts" calling him "selfish, reckless, ignorant, dangerous, backward, drooling, twitching, blinking, mouse-faced little cheat."
Whew! What about the nasty Hollywood attacks on Bush all along the same vein... he's stupid, so stupid in fact that he's dangerous, he's Hitler, nobody would have cried if Hitler died... etc.
A gentleman named Adam Gadahn -- an American, in fact -- received some notoriety for encouraging the killing of Bush during a Middle East trip.
How about signs (hey pay attention here, Earl -- I'm about to quote a REAL hate placard) saying "Bush is the disease. Death is the cure." Those showed up throughout the Bush presidency, sometimes even on bumper stickers.
Speaking of those signs that Earl is always getting all worked up about (although in all fairness, he's very easily upset, since even the Texas flag and Republican senators not looking too friendly all offend him)... take a gander at this here site, with ACTUAL pictures, including the one I just quoted. Yeah.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/08/20/media-didnt-care-about-protest-signs-threatening-bush
Now, your turn. Show me all the "I want to kill Obama" signs and be sure to include information on all those calls for his assassination.
Oh, and why aren't you two calling out Earl for his overt racism? Because that's what it is, when a person uses race to define all issues in their life. Earl is every bit as guilty of this as David Duke.
Haven't bothered to check to see, in a long while, if this forum is still being monopolized by the Right-wing, "I'm right because I say so" SOS Diane Schrader. Nothings changed, bye.
Dear Diane
In the immortal words of John McEnro,"You cannot be serious" in quoting self-hating Taliban spokesman Adam Gadahn without context.
You know I'm not going to defend hate speech that calls for violence against W or any other politician. But you ask for a citation on preaching violence against Obama. Ok:.
WOMENSENEWS:
"Rev. Steven L. Anderson is the pastor of the man who made
national news for carrying an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle at an August
protest outside a hall where President Barack Obama was speaking to the
Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix.
Anderson made news himself when it turned out during what is termed an
"imprecatory prayer," he had, the night before, repeatedly called on God
to kill the president because, he believes that among other things,
Obama is leading the nation away from God's laws; has "wrought lewdness
in America" and especially, because by virtue of being prochoice, Obama
is a "murderer.""
Jonathan
Diane -- would you say that the examples you cite are *statistical* evidence for your claim that "public calls for the president's assassination are down," or did you simply mean that calls for assassination from Adam Gadahn are down? As for Earl, he is no concern of mine at this moment. But I'd love for you to show me more about how your "well-reasoned arguments" hold up.
In all honesty, Rob, my initial comment was somewhat tongue-in-cheek ("calls for assassinations are down"). However, I would stand by the essence of it. I do believe, based on what both the MSM and the non-MSM has reported, that there were years of "hate speech" directed at the former president, including numerous calls for his assassination, some of which were quite public, and I mentioned (I noticed Jonathan took exception to one of them, but nevertheless it did happen)... and I have seen a lot of TALK about "Obama assassination speech" but I have not actually seen too much of it. And since Earl is constantly harping about "flat out calls for assassination" and whatnot against Obama, I thought it would be interesting to show some real signs that people have actually held and have actually been publicized. The "hatred" against Obama that is so worrisome to many is really just a disagreement with his policies...and I think the same was true, the other way around. But let's not pretend that this is somehow "more uncivil."