The Perils of Barack Obama

Man, I like Barack Obama. I really do. I think he's an intelligent human being. But as president, I have to say he has absolutely no power. Last night while giving a speech on Capitol Hill, Republican Joe Wilson's accusatory outburst demonstrated the respect Americans have for the man. For reasons I don't agree with, people feared Dubya. When Joe Wilson (no relation to the aforementioned Republican congressman) reported that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and went against the Bush administration's position, his wife was outed as a CIA spy. Now I don't agree with what I considered then, and consider to this day, an act of treason, but publicly no one stood up to Bush and his war hawks. I don't believe anyone should be controlled by fear, but the highest office in the United States deserves respect, regardless of who occupies the office and rude, accusatory outbursts on the House floor while the president gives a speech demonstrates a lack of respect for the institution of government.

Everything Obama does is subjected to the highest form of scrutiny. Policies designed to improve the lives of American citizens are labeled socialist. There's no question the source of America's uneasiness lies in the color of Obama's skin. America has a negative image of the black male in their minds and having one, even though he doesn't have the blood of former slaves coursing through his veins, occupying the highest office in the land is unbearable.

Here's a secret I think many white people know, but many black people don't. Most white people understand that there is a caste system in this nation. It has always existed and extends as far back as America's association with indentured servants. Many immigrants, both black and white, came to this country as indentured servants. But the indentured servants began to outnumber the ruling class and something had to be done to separate them. White indentured servants were assigned overseer duties and ruled over the darker servants. And while blacks in this country walk around thinking we're all equal, non-ruling whites know that the system grants them privilege and know better than to bite the hand that feeds them. Theoretically, Barack Obama poses a direct threat to that privilege. Whites fear he'll redistribute the wealth (read-transfer it from whites to blacks and minorities).

If you doubt historically there are/were systems in this country that favored whites, google discrimination in housing, hiring, etc. and do the research for yourself. Discrimination in housing, justice, employment, education, and access to health care are all examples of a system designed by whites for whites.

Barack Obama strikes fear in the hearts of those Americans who understand that they have benefited from a system that, through policies of discrimination, slowed the overall development of minorities in this country, and they fear a reversal of fortune. But let's be real-what is it that they really fear? Is it the fear of competing with an opponent on a level playing field? Could this nation as a whole and whites in particular have benefited so greatly if it not for the contribution made by slaves and the restrictive and regressive institutional policies of Jim Crow that afforded whites unfettered access to higher institutes of learning, jobs, land ownership, etc.? This is a question many white Americans should ask themselves. Blacks faced roadblocks every direction they turned. Those who managed to acquire wealth always ran the risk of being lynched, burned out, arrested on trumped up charges and incarcerated indefinitely. On July 30, 2008 America took it upon herself to officially apologize for slavery and the subsequent Jim Crow policies. Each white American should, as a part of their atonement, let black Americans know that they truly recognize and appreciate the involuntary sacrifices of our ancestors. It would go a long way in healing this nation.

The rank and file Blacks of this nation expect absolutely nothing from Barack Obama-politically, socially, economically, or otherwise (in fact, blacks didn't take his candidacy serious until he won a major race in the primaries indicating support from whites). We know that it would be political suicide for him to direct as little as $1 of tax payer proceeds to programs benefiting the black community. You think he's labeled a racist now? Let white Americans dream Obama's helping the black community with their taxpayer dollars and he'll be a lame duck before his first year in office is completed.

I admire the fact that Obama stands fast in the face of a lot of necessary opposition-and let me explain why I say necessary opposition. This country's political system was designed so that citizens and lawmakers would have a tough row to hoe enacting laws and instituting policy. In my estimation the system is once again working in the manner it was designed. The question of the day is why is it now functioning properly? I'll answer that-because white Americans fear Barack Obama and it is out of this fear they are paying attention to his every move,(something we should have been doing all along). Had we been this attentive during the Clinton and Bush administrations, we probably wouldn't be faced with the current *economic crisis, and we wouldn't be fighting two wars, the cost of which will take us a couple of generations to repay. Obama has caused the nation to once again pay attention to politics and policy. Sure, we may be out of touch with the proper political decorum, but Americans have once again focused their attention on Washington and I hope we maintain that focus for generations to come.

History will most likely be kind to Obama. As a leader, he's only as effective as the people he leads and if Americans continue to scream SOCIALIST every time he proposes a




*During the Clinton administration restrictions governing Wall Street were lifted triggering the sub prime mortgage crisis and the destructive era of predatory lending and credit default swaps.