Obama and Black People

Opinion by Jay B. Adams, AMPEC Contributor

I want to add some points about the unfortunate attitude in the country regarding Barack Obama. I’ve never met Senator Obama and probably never will. But, as a black man trying to make a positive impact in my own community, I had to speak up for his behalf. He is not the first viable black candidate to run for president of the US, but he is an exceptional man that I believe would do a great job leading this country. Before George Washington became president under the constitution of the US, John Hanson (a black man) served as president of this country from 1781-1782 and he was the one who originated the Great Seal of the United States that George Washington used which is currently on the back of the $1 bill. There are tributes to his history in Washington, D.C., which are said to show him with European traits rather than that of a black man. Do blacks even know or care about this point of history?

I prefaced that paragraph to say if a black man was president of this country in 1781, why the hell are well-educated black Americans stating that America is not ready for a black president in 2008? Why are they calling Bill Clinton the first black president? What is that about? Why are the elders of the black community so avidly against a young accomplished black man serving as the leader of this country? Did the Willie Lynch letter along with modern media work so well to last into the 21st Century? Everyone was certain that General Colin Powell would have been an easy win for president some years ago. Because Barack Obama doesn’t come through the approval of an established elite class of people in Washington, he is rocking the boat and will get all of (us people) in trouble. HOW DARE PEOPLE ALLOW THEIR IGNORANCE, FEAR AND THE MEDIA TURN THIS INTO AN ISSUE OF A PERSON’S RACE!!! HOW DARE ELDERLY BLACK MEN AND WOMEN FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA CHASTISE A BLACK MAN FOR DOING WHAT THEY SUNG AND DREAMED OF ACCOMPLISHING WHILE IN THE STREETS GETTING HOSED AND BEATEN…’WE SHALL OVERCOME’!!

He (Obama) believes along with his magnificent wife that he can overcome the hoses of hatred, the attack dogs of the media and the tear gas of prejudice to lead what many call the greatest country in the world. If this is problem, why even keep the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday functional? Give me a break black America!

Black women are leading the country in the category of single parenting homes. No positive role model of a man in sight. Yet, they don’t want to show to their sons and daughters that black men are and can be of great integrity and leadership in spite of the current circumstance by uplifting Barack Obama. I’ve heard many say that a white woman has to do it first and then maybe they’ll allow a black person to do it. What the??? Bitterness and anger, amongst other issues have turned black women against black men in an alarming manner (in my opinion). It sickens me that every time a black man or woman takes on a great challenge they have to be called the first black anything. Last I checked, (for the record) our skin is brown, tan, or even cream and our hair is black – the same as many other ethnicities. For some sad reason, this country has to lead the way in keeping everyone separate in some category. However, no matter the skin color, I believe the people of this great country will no longer continue to be swayed by the ignorance of evil and prejudice as it once was. IOWA, Nevada and South Carolina have proven that thus far. There is so much I want to say about this, but I will end with a few facts to ponder. Since those persons filled with divisiveness want to make reference to situations of leadership ability, let’s take a look at only a few historical points.

Here’s what all that ‘white experience’ has lead us to (whites and blacks claim Obama has no experience, I say he doesn’t need any)! Under the presidential leadership of white men:

1. Slavery of Blacks, Indians and Asians (Legal public hangings and lynchings of non-white men and women).

2.There was a Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War and the now infamous Operation Iraqi Freedom. Kill Saddam Hussein, but the leader (alleged Osama Bin Laden) of the attack on our country still goes free. What’s that about?

3. The Great Depression and now another recession.

4. The only use of a Nuclear Bomb on human beings by any country in world history.

5. The creation of the Federal Reserve Bank (you do the research).

6. Women, rather white or black, had no real equal rights in the work place until the second half of the 19th century.

7. The Genocide of African Nations, American-Indian Colonies.

8. CEOs making more money in one day then their employees make all year long.

9. NAFTA (American companies have left hundreds of thousand American people jobless by moving their businesses to foreign countries for cheaper labor and still getting American tax breaks).

10. Social Security funds have been slmost doomed for future generations.

11. Millions of Americans still have no healthcare and cannot get treatment as a result.

12. Blacks are leading the country in Foreclosures, HIV-Aids, Heart Disease, Premature deaths in newborns, Prison Inmates, Highest school drop out rates.

13. Native Americans are living on Reservations because of the obliteration of their people who were here prior to anyone else arriving to this land. How did that happen?

14. Lastly, the borders of this country have been left unprotected by the most powerfully equipped military in the world. Our military is protecting borders for countries around the world and Congress has debates on whether or not to have military personnel protecting border states. Remember 9/11? We now have millions of illegal aliens living in our country with many unknown to their cause for being here.

YET, AMERICA IS NOT READY FOR BARACK OBAMA? I BEG TO DIFFER.

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