Posted on 12/30/2014 12:25:40 PM PST by Osage Orange
The first lady's disappointing story revision by The Oklahoman Editorial Board Published: December 30, 2014
MICHELLE Obama’s tale of a shopping trip she made in September 2011 is still generating some head scratching.
In 2012 on national television, she was laughing about going almost unnoticed during the trip to Target. Months later, with some time to think about it, the first lady has told People magazine that she was perhaps the target of some mild bigotry.
Her first version of the story, told to late-night host David Letterman, was probably the most accurate. To recap, most believe she made the trip to show the world that the Obamas were just average folks. After all, there was an election around the corner in 2012. She didn’t enter the Target with all the trappings of first lady. Photographs of the trip show her dressed incognito.
Most likely, Obama was still worried about being recognized and the embarrassment of dealing with the attention. Yet just one woman approached her. That woman asked Obama to help her reach a brand of detergent from an upper shelf. Here’s account No. 1, told to Letterman in 2012:
“I reached up, ’cause she was short, and I reached up, pulled it down — she said, ‘Well, you didn’t have to make it look so easy.’ That was my interaction. I felt so good. … She had no idea who I was. I thought, as soon as she walked up — I was with my assistant, and I said, ‘This is it, it’s over. We’re going to have to leave.’ She just needed the detergent.”
And here is the second version, as reported in People two weeks ago:
“I tell this story — I mean, even as the first lady during that wonderfully publicized trip I took to Target, not highly disguised — the only person who came up to me in the store was a woman who asked me to help her take something off a shelf. These incidents in the black community, this is the regular course of life.”
The magazine also quoted her husband as saying, “There’s no black male my age, who’s a professional, who hasn’t come out of a restaurant and is waiting for their car and somebody didn’t hand them their car keys.” Yes, said the president, it had happened to him.
As usual, President and Mrs. Obama have it wrong. It’s common for many people, regardless of race, to be mistaken for an employee instead of a customer. And so what if they are? In Mrs. Obama’s case, she went into the Target hoping not to be recognized. The customer she helped had her attention on the shelves and shopping. She wasn’t there in search of a celebrity sighting.
The Obamas’ comments smack of trying a little too hard to become part of racial bias narrative that’s been flaring since the Ferguson, Mo., killing of a black youth by a white police officer. They too, you see, have experienced racism — albeit in the mildest form.
Back in 2011, Michelle Obama did a good deed for someone. Bless her. She should have left it at that. But the supreme self-regard the Obamas have wouldn’t permit her to do so.
This makes the Obama's strident racists seeking to empower themselves by demeaning others.
The white community is intensely committed to fairness and the repudiation of racism. How is it that the most powerful person in the world complains about being treated like a servant?
He should learn to be a servant, as should all government employees whether elected, appointed or hired.
Nonsense, Michael. We paint you as an angry black Tranny. . . .
Being 1st lady doesn’t preclude her from helping someone. Her choices were:
a) Help, it’s what most of us would do.
b) Don’t help as obviously this person didn’t know she was the high and mighty Queen of the USA. Maybe she wasn’t carrying her scepter and wearing the tiara.
c) Don’t help and claim racism - because obviously a tall woman being asked to help with something on a shelf is waaaaaysis.
A couple months ago while walking through Home Depot an older gentleman in a wheel chair asked me where something was located in the store. I said, “Sorry Sir, I don’t work here and don’t know” The man said, “Well dammit you should, it’ll keep you busy and out of trouble” Laughed with him, talked a moment, and left the store thinking what a cool old guy he was. I suspect in the same scenario, Mrs. Obama would have asked Eric Holder to launch a civil rights investigation...
I had on a business suit the day after Christmas and went shopping at Bloomingdale.
A lady walked up to me seeking assistance.
Informed her I didn’t work there and we laughed.
Stupid contrivance.
Racism can be a ‘thought crime’, evident to the offended but not necessarily to the ‘perpetrator!’ Yes, history has shown us OVERT racism in ‘de Jure’ laws, separate facilities and inferior schools, but that is NOT what is spoke of today as racism. Now it is the victimhood, the police violence against violent youth and adults, the ‘subtle’ denial of prejudice when confronted with statistics about black-on-black violence, rape culture in rap music and other evidence of self-suicide! Uncle Tom accusations of the ones striving to make it better for themselves and their families by succeeding academically.
Yes, we must all make the effort, but the current leaders of the ‘racism’ causes must look, in THEIR mirrors for those making the situation worse, not better. I seem to remember a President who claimed ‘stupid cops’ as a cause before even hearing the full story! Almost all religions (I don’t know all so I keep from absolutes) council that one must FIRST look in the mirror before charging evil to a perceived antagonist!
I politely said no, I wasn't but what did she need.
If people want to be offended they will be.....
Black people are hair-triggered for it...........
It would be a pleasure to have you as a friend!!
HAHA!!!
Many....and it seems many black people are hair triggered to to cry racism. Not all...frankly don't know the percentages,...
I've seen the same in the Native community too.......
fwiw-
New rules? What if you can’t find an employee, can you ask a fellow shopper for help? Not if they are black? If you are white, you can’t ask a tall black person to help you get something down? If I’m black, can I ask a tall white person for help? If I’m black and a white person asks me for help, I should rant a rave and claim racism?
Perhaps Target should post the rules.
We are each greatly beFRiended here by our lights. Let us so shine before our fellow men that truth will pierce the darkness and drive out the demons of hatred and fear.
Yeah, but she prolly took Air Force One to get there!
The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!
Oh good grief. As a short person, I ask the nearest approachable taller person to reach stuff on the top shelf. But, sure, go ahead and pretend you’re insulted because you seemed approachable.
That’s one fine post!
Some people just walk around in life....wanting to be offended.
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