Thought for Today

"Racism" is not my first thought when I hear something negative, or even a lie, about President Obama.  But it's there, ever-present, even when manifesting in subtleties or coded words and images.  One case in point:  The GOP ad proclaiming Obama has removed the work provision from the "welfare to work"requirement.  First, it's blatantly false; quite the opposite is true.  The new provisions give states (something Republicans generally love) more latitude and incentives to strengthen the work provision.  But the ad is in keeping with the usual tactic of repeating something often enough and people will believe it, regardless of its proven inaccuracy.  Sadly, even intelligent people are buying it as truth.

The racist thing here is that "welfare" is a well-known buzz word for "lazy people" here in the South, and maybe in other parts of the Country.   It's is part of the mythology that somehow persons of color are lazy and enjoy taking advantage of the public assistance program called welfare.  Truth is, pale people like me make up the majority of welfare recipients!

Another example:  How many past presidents have been thought of as foreign,  as "not one of us," and had to have the place of his birth relentlessly questioned (Hawaii was a state when Barack Obama was born there, people.)  Someone said something like he could have been born on the 4th of July inside an apple pie in the middle of a Kansas wheat field as a country singer crooned "God Bless the USA" —and still be seen as foreign!  And the "He's not really a Christian" thing.   Any other presidents had that accusation dogging them for years?

 Much as I've respected Clint Eastwood's talent, his performance at the Republican Convention last week was loaded with racism.  Talking down to an invisible man isn't in and of itself racist; it's been done before (although it took me back to the days when black people felt, and sometimes, to white people, WERE invisible.)  But to portray President Obama as angry and vulgar was to invoke the myth of the "angry black man" to me.  Our President is neither angry nor vulgar.  I'd like to see him get angry more often and channel the anger into more liberal action. Into less efforts at bi-partisanship—which the Republicans consistently reject and the Democratic base often resents.   But acting out of anger isn't in his nature.  Our President is a gentle man.  A gentleman.  It's refreshing thing to see in contemporary politics, even though it doesn't always serve his best interests.

I could go on about more instances of racism, but to ramble on about it serves no good purpose.  You got the point.  I have learned that some people simply can't come to terms with a black man being in the White House, especially a black man who's likely brighter and more successful than they.

 No doubt racism is learned; I like to believe it also can be unlearned.  Maybe this President is here to teach the lesson of "unlearning."