Respect Our President, Please!!!

Black Athlete Sports Network ^ | April 29, 2011 | Gary Norris Gray

[2ndDivisionVet]

OAKLAND, CA.---Years ago we mourned the loss of Rosa Parks, Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, also the death of Congressperson Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to run for the presidency of the United States. These events were devastating for African Americans.

Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The First Lady or Matriarch of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States passed away in December 2006.

The contributions of these three powerful, educated, and influential African American women caused them to be a positive permanent part of American history.

Mrs. King was the founder and main supporter of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Following in the footsteps of her husband, she focused on the philosophy of non-violence throughout the world.

In 1983, she was the prominent leader in creating the Reverend Doctor King’s birthday as the first African American National Holiday. Also she was one of the few African Americans that supported same sex marriages, which drew ire from the African American Christian Community. She always stressed human rights first then civil rights.

Americans celebrated Mrs. King’s home-going with great honor-- music, historic reviews, and preaching. Many political and social leaders attendant that service. They came from around the world to show their respect. She had the honor of lying in State at the capitol building in Atlanta.

Members of the King family sat in the front row (which is traditional at Baptist Home-going Celebrations) with four of our nation’s presidents: Former presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, George Hubert Walker Bush, Sr., and then current President George W. Bush and his wife Laura.

Bernice King (youngest daughter of Coretta and Martin) Assistant Pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church helped with the eulogy. This hallowed event was to be a tribute to Coretta Scott King’s life. However some individuals lash out and used it as a political forum against then sitting President George W. Bush. It is happening again with right wing, Tea Party, and Birther members in regards to our first Black President. Southern California Republican (Orange County) Marilyn Davenport posted pictures on the internet of President Obama with a chimpanzee face. This is not the first time and it probably won’t be the last.

They are disrespecting themselves and the President of the United States, our leader of the country. Dehumanizing another human being only dehumanizes yourself.

The Roots of Racism run deep in this country and it appears that the Obama administration has exposed it and brought it to the surface. It has been stated that The Right Wing political movement in the States of Wisconsin, Arizona, and Southern California are fueled by race and class based issues.

African Americans have always been polite, correct, and reverent in church services. At Mrs. King’s service someone forgot to tell (SCLC) Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Reverend Joseph Lowery and President Jimmy Carter to mind their manners. Both of these caring men may have been correct, but this occasion was not the place to air their political grievances.

Most African Americans agree that Mr. Bush was not attentive to their needs or their communities. This should have never happened.

The Birther, Right Wing, and the Tea Party should reflect on this sad moment and how they felt five years ago. The fact remains that African Americans have seldom publicly attacked a sitting president en-masse and when they did, they were politically ostracized. Example, Kanye West, at the Katrina Hurricane Fund Raising Telethon. West has never recovered from his public comments. West stated that President Bush did not care for African Americans.

The American political divide has deepened and it has created two worlds, two economies, and two classes, not communicating with each other. This has to change to create a better America.

In our short 280-year history African Americans have always respected the office of President of the United States. Protocol, respect, and courtesy to an incumbent president were not shown at Mrs. King’s funeral. Many have stated that The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. nor Mrs. King would have approved of the unacceptable actions taken that day.

African Americans have disagreed with many sitting Presidents-- President Richard Millhouse Nixon is a classic example of African Americans not siding with our nation’s leader or it’s leadership. African Americans have composed songs and written books about such rifts. They have always maintained a level of respect for the office of the presidency. Clearly times have changed, just as our leaders have changed. Political pondants like Donald Trump, Sara Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Fox News, Marilyn Davenport and some other GOP leaders do not play by the same rules, nor do they have the same moral compass.

Finally, African Americans may not respect the man that sits in the oval office, but have always respected the office of the President of the United States. This should be given to President Barack Hussain Obama. Respect should be shown whether agreeing or disagreeing with his policies. African Americans had done so for many years it is time for Right Wing Americans to be civil and do likewise.

This is what some right wing political activist don’t understand because they have never had to share power. Maybe these fringe leaders need to look in the mirror.

Respect is for everyone and right now the United States is not doing very well with respecting a Black man in the White House.

[AFreeBird]

Gee, Gary, you blithering twit. It’s not the fact that there’s a black man in the WH; no, just the fact that he’s an incompetent, racist, American hating stooge.

If you want, Gary, i’ll give you the names of two black men I would vote for the office in a heartbeat. And I’d trust their love of country and econmic acumen, intelligence and common sense, without hesitation.

Dr. Thomas Sowell & Dr. Walter E. Williams.

Go back to sucking your thumb, Gary.

[FrankR]

I'll start here...you can't buy respect, your can't demand respect, and you can't even beg for respect it has to be earned.

I'm tired of all the references to people like MLK and Rosa Parks for a person like obama who had no dog in the hunt...his mother was white, his father (we think) was from Africa. Even Jesse Jackson said he has no slavery background.

Slaves were slaves for over a hundred years before they got around to demanding and fighting for their freedom, that's not impressive.

But, taking away the colored glasses and looking at character, scruples, and actions of obama leave no room for "earned" respect...none, nada. Being one color or the other is not a pleateau for respect to rest upon, it's merely an accident of birth.

His actions, deeds, and ideology are more closely aligned with those of past white and brown communist dictators more than they do anything associated the black race. It's it policies and ideology that we impune, not his race.

The same people who are being called "racist" because they don't like his actions greatly admire Col. West, Herman Cain, and many other black leaders and orators - even the common sense of a lab rat could see that if "race" was the factor, then the people who admine the colonel and Mr. Cain would logically hate them because of color.

While the libs are waiting for their turn to ride the unicorns, America is drowning in debt from an adolescent p-resident who can't say "no" to his sweet tooth or his supporters, and is handing out OUR money like a drunken sailor - not to impune the sailors as obama has never even served in the military and does not RESPECT the military.

Respect obama? No until he does something to be "respected" for...so far, he's only damaged America and shamed us in front of the entire world, and I will never respect him at the bequest of some black journalist or black TV star with judgement based on color, publicity and personal gain.

[RichInOC]

Respect is earned.

[dforest]

The man is a communist and a liberty robber. He deserves no respect and he will get no respect.

I would respect him if he resigned.

[theDentist]

I respect the Office of the President of the United States. But I have no respect for the man in the office now who so blatantly has no respect for me, for the citizens, for the workers, or the nation. He should be impeached.

[Grunthor]

“Respect Our President, Please!!!”

I’ll give him every bit the support that the left gave Bush.

[red-dawg]

We had to put up with 8 YEARS of nothing but insults, disrespect and even death threats of George W. Bush while he was in office.

I will show the Marxist in chief the same amount of respect.

NONE WHATSOEVER.

[kevao]

The fact remains that African Americans have seldom publicly attacked a sitting president en-masse

ROTFLMAO!

[truthkeeper]

Respect is earned.

[COBOL2Java]

African Americans have always been polite, correct, and reverent in church services.

"Not 'God, bless America'! 'God, DAMN America'!"

[PzLdr]

I respect the office [and even that’s wearing thin], but the occupant of the office has to earn respect. The tick turd hasn’t. End of story.

By the bye,anybody recall the author, or group’s crie de couer when ‘W’ was being savaged? I don’t. Wonder why.

[Renderofveils]

TOTUS sent one of his charges (LTC Lakin) to jail for six months and had him discharged from the military after simply doubting him. That circus could have been ended in a single day by his lawyers instead of dragging out the situation for a YEAR while @#$%head sat back "amused."

[PzLdr]

Noting the author misspelled “Hussein”?

[MichiganCheese]

I only respect him the way I would respect any enemy. He must be defeated. Yes, he’s my enemy because he declared me as his enemy.

Any other respect is not deserved. How would anyone respect someone when they don’t know who he is?

Unearned respect based on skin color is as racist as hate based upon skin color. These morons are getting old.

[SMARTY]

Respect is one of those things you can only GET if you GIVE

[Colonel_Flagg]

Respect is for everyone and right now the United States is not doing very well with respecting a Black man in the White House.

Respect is not demanded, it's earned. While I'm not going to make a chimpanzee graphic of Obama, he has not earned my respect.

He's neither my leader nor my President. Sorry.

[July4]

I am not concerned in the color of Mr. Obama’s skin.

I am concerned about my country, because the President is a Marxist and, probably, at heart a Muslim.

[shield]

I have a great deal of respect for President Bush...he was actually the last legal president we had. We now have an usurper...how can you respect that...pretend president...a mongrel who has become a joke to the whole world...

[July4]

Sorry, the first line should have read, “I am not concerned ABOUT the color of Mr. Obama’s skin.”

[TribalPrincess2U]

Fascism meaning:

a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.