Posted on 08/22/2011 4:15:28 AM PDT by Kaslin
Election of our nation's first black president is delivering an unexpected message to our black population.
Blacks are discovering that what a man or woman does -- their actions -- is what matters, not the color of their skin.
It seems ridiculous to point out that this was supposedly the point of the civil rights movement. Purge racism from America.
But blacks themselves have been the ones having the hardest time letting it go.
It is not hard to understand why black Americans were happy that a black man was elected president of the United States. It was kind of a final and most grand announcement that racism has finally been purged from America.
But for the highly politicized parts of black America this was certainly not the only message. Because for the highly politicized parts of black America, the point has always been to keep race in American politics.
For black political culture that dominated after the civil rights movement, the point was not just equal treatment under the law, but special treatment under the law. Plus the assumption that more black political power -- defined by more blacks holding office -- would mean that blacks would be better off.
In other words, post-civil rights movement black political culture embraced an agenda exactly the opposite of what the civil rights movement was about. Its agenda was to get laws and policies that were not neutral but racially slanted and to put individuals in power based on their race and not on their character and capability.
So, according to the script of this political culture, election of a black man as president meant more than an end to racism. The conclusion had to be that if the man holding the highest political office in the nation was black, it must follow that blacks would be better off.
Now blacks have a dilemma. We have a black president and blacks are worse off. Not just a little, but a lot worse off.
In the words of longtime Congressional Black Caucus member Maxine Waters, D-Calif., "Our people are hurtin'.."
Blacks now grapple with two possible conclusions.
One, our black president is a traitor to his race. Our struggles put him in power and now he's not taking care of his folks. He's become, in the words of left wing professor and activist Cornel West, a "mascot" of Wall Street.
Or, two, that the man's performance reflects his views and his capability, not his race. He's not delivering for anyone. Blacks are hurting more because they were already in worse shape when Obama got elected. Bad policies hurt the weakest the most.
And it happens that the bad policies that have always failed are the big government liberalism that has defined modern black politics.
With further thought, blacks might realize it's this same flawed idea -- that growing government and electing black politicians would make blacks better off -- that explains why blacks have remained disproportionately "hurtin".
Take the Congressional Black Caucus itself. The average poverty rate in Black Caucus districts is almost 50 percent higher than the national average. Yet, these black politicians have 100 percent re-election rates.
Maybe a real bonus that will have come from electing a black president is that blacks will take seriously Dr. King's dream that we judge men by their character and not their color.
The Civil Rights Movement took blacks to the edge of the Promised Land. But political activism can only remove barriers to freedom.
It's up to the individual to embrace freedom and take on the personal responsibilities that go with it.
Maybe blacks will realize that they should blame Barack Obama. Not because he is black, but because he is a liberal. And because he has grown government to the point where the oxygen necessary for freedom and prosperity is being squeezed out of our nation.
Best. Article. Ever.
It should be in a black-circulated venue, and best if written by a man of color.
In this case it’s a woman of color!!!
For at least 70 percent of blacks, not a chance this will happen.
I generally like Star Parker but I believe she and many others expose themselves as unconscious racists by accepting Obama as “black”. He is as much white as he is black and I understand he self-identifies as “black”. All they do with this is acknowledge and accept the old “one-drop rule” of the Jim Crow laws. I don’t understand why they make this choice.
Star Parker is a black woman and successful writer.
President Obama is a failure because he is a liberal, not because he is black.
As long as color of skin remains in the argument over American opportunities, nobody has to worry about being individually asked to work hard to achieve personal goals.
Or, by a woman of color (i.e.Star Parker).
Not holding my breath for this to happen.
What are the odds she can get this material in front of a lot of black people?
Most black people I talk to still yank out the victim card on behalf of Obama. It’s not that Obama sucks, it’s that the whites in Congress are trying to make him fail to make a black man look bad.
I’ve begun to think it’s hopeless.
Blacks are discovering that what a man or woman does — their actions — is what matters, not the color of their skin.
Uh huh, and where is the evidence of this? After the 2012 election, we will find out that 94% of blacks voted for the skid mark instead of 95% in 2008?
Black’s? Is that like Blacks’? < sigh >
Just how many "blacks" in this country do you think are pure black with no other blood mixed? The truth is most blacks have some white, or other type, of ancestry. White is the predominate other blood mixed with black. All people who look black call themselves black. Could you see some one like Bozo trying to pass as white? Nope, wouldn't work. Regardless of their ancestry, people with brown and black skins and with negro blood are called either black or, misleadingly, African American.
Sadly, that almost seems correct.
And don’t forget that Star Parker used to be on welfare
From the article:That will never happen.
Maybe blacks will realize that they should blame Barrack Obama. Not because he is black, but because he is a liberal. And because he has grown government to the point where the oxygen necessary for freedom and prosperity is being squeezed out of our nation.
The only way that could even start happening is if the Pres__ent himself would take some responsibility. Instead of admitting his policies are causing these problem, he places the blame everywhere else. First, it was George W. Bush's fault. He inherited a bigger problem than he thought. I'm not sure how that's possible when he and his VP campaigned on statements like, "Our economy is in the worst shape since the Great Depression." That was in 2008, when it actually was a big exaggeration. But if he believed his own words, how could it have been worse than he thought.
Recently, he still blames a lot of it in George W. Bush, but he also blames the Republicans in Congress, along with Japanese tsunami's and earthquakes, European banks and a big list of other events, organizations and people.
As far as racism being dead, that doesn't mean that blacks can't claim racism. That actually inoculates them from any responsibility from their actions. If they make a mistake, and white people try to point it out, they claim racism. And that's another part of the problem. You can't criticize Obama for his policies, or you'll be called a racist. That's why Obama isn't challenged on his policies and his blame game. And it's also why Holder will not face any consequences for the Fast and Furious gun running scandal. If any consequences reach up to Holder, that will be racist. It doesn't matter if he's guilty, you can't make the accusation. Blacks believe that your criticism of any "black leader" is based on racism, not on substance and reality.
The race card will not easily relinquished because it is, in practice, a free get out of jail card for their failures or transgressions whether self inflicted or not. Thus, a young black male can voluntarily drop out school at sixteen and later in life claim his poverty is due racism. Young blacks standing trial for committing a felony or felonies use the race card to excuse their transgressions.
The trouble with this article is that most blacks, sadly, are blind to facing the reality that it states.
One of my best friends is a black conservative, and because of his stands and statements exposing Obama (he is very articulate & well-educated, from the Bronx), he has had many of his fellow black friends and family totally reject and diss him. He is bold in his declaration of truth, using his facebook page to tell all how it really is - and many have un-friended him there. He is truly being persecuted by “his own”.
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