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For those of you who have heard it, I would assume most would feel the way I do. That being that not only was it beneath the First Lady of the United States to make such a divisive speech, but that she herself seems to be full of resentment (maybe even hatred). That in and of itself is a worthy topic for discussion.
However, while not discouraging such a discussion in this thread, I want to also focus on something else that is troubling in this country. Let me explain.
I consider myself a fair minded person who is willing to listen to the other side of an issue provided it is based on fact rather than emotion. By and large I need to know that emotion is not a deciding factor that cause fact and pragmatic action to be subverted.
When I hear a speech by the First Lady and it strikes me in the manner it did, I assume most other reasoned people would feel similarly. So it surprised me to be watching a report on the show "Today" where a black female reporter characterized the speech in a completely different way, almost praising it.
Granted being a white man I do not know what it is like to be a black woman, but how could we have heard that speech so differently
This was the First Lady, yet she sounded almost like a female version of the race merchant Al Sharpton(though not as bombastic). She made it seem as if she has held grievances (real and perceived) and that she has a massive chip on her shoulder.
Sure she has made some similar comments along the way, but I have tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. Now I am not so sure.
For example feeling it was a slight or racially motived when a fellow shopper asked her to reach up and get something off a store shelf that was high. Michelle Obama is after all a tall woman, so it would seem perfectly natural for a shorter person to ask a taller person for assistance. With me being 6'7", I am regularly asked for such favors/help, and I don't think anything of it. I guess if I were to think about it, my assumption is that being tall is the reason. She instead apparently defaults to race as the reason.
The point of discussion I am getting at is that aside from the partisan koolaid drinking supporters of the Obama's, how can people see that speech in any type of a positive light?
Are we so polarized as a nation now that what I perceive to be a poor example of our countries First Lady's speech, can be seen by others as something positive?
Is it related to race, in that 6+ years of racial animus stirred up by Barak/Holder/Sharpton has caused black people to see things strictly through a lens of grievance?
I have not had the chance to discuss this with my black or liberal friends yet, so I wanted see what my fellow CD posters think of the this.
Wanted to start out with the fact that at a commencement ceremony, someone usually gives a speech .
Practically all the speeches at commencement ceremonies are about overcoming obstacles. This one was no different, and it brings me to the comments below:
Quote:
Originally Posted by halfamazing
Let me explain something to you. Her speech is coming from an NON-educated person's point of view. I am not talking from an academic stand point but from a worldly point of view. I would have been pissed off and found that speech irrelevant (unless I was living in a bubble like she does)
As a black man, I grew up with a world mentality. My haitian father's side grew up in France and west africa. My father worked for the United Nations in NYC and married my jamaican stepmother who is an OBGYN. My mother's side were from Haiti and I grew up dirt poor while living with them. I grew up in queens and NJ of all both white/black/hispanic/korean neighborhoods.
In an all white college, I was called a N.. As police officer working the beat, I was told by white folk that they wanted a white police officer instead. I policed all black neighborhoods as well.
But all this didn't not stop me from deciding on my own to leave the US and live in 7 different countries and landing a federal job and contributing to the implementing of new communication systems a few blocks from the WH. Setting up and owning my own retail business.
I am also a dj with a channel on youtube. When I speak on videos, I don't speak to black or whites or hispanics. I speak to the world. My mind doesn't think black or white. I consult djs and nightclubs from all around the world of different races and colors.
Now, while I don't agree with that speech, I am not closing my eyes to the reality of things on a larger scale. However, speeches like that is what really keeps us in a bubble and black folk don't realize that it ACTUALLY DOES MORE HARM. I was never given the "black speech" even though my father experienced racism in west africa and had to dig dirt holes in the back yard to take a dump...
It's all these speeches that is keeping the black folk at bay....
In regards to the black bold above, this is the stuff that Mrs. Obama was talking about. Something that ironically, you also experienced even though you see yourself as "different" from other black people.
In regards to the blue, I would inquire - how do the nightclubs and other djs see you? Do you really think they don't see you as a "black" DJ/VJ first and foremost, especially if you speak about racial issues, you are perceived first as a black man. If you don't realize that, then that is on you.
You also said that you "don't close your eyes to the reality of things on a larger scale" yet the 'larger scale" is the fact that these college students have already been in most cases and will be in the future (not might, but will just like you have been) judged to be a certain way or treated a certain way due to being black. Like she said, they should move past that and not let them hold it back, just like you being called a N or having white people not want you to police their neighborhoods didn't hold you back. I don't see how you could have an issue with a speech when at a commencement, once again, people give speeches. Should they just go sit there? Not sure what you want to occur at commencements.
Quote:
Originally Posted by halfamazing
And let me tell you something else- to all the "I am black and I understand where she is coming from" type people. Don't forget, I too am black and experienced all kinds of racism to include my own PD. But remember, black folk don't own businesses. So when you walk into a building and all the working grade class minorities are on the bottom half of the building and all the educated white and black folk are on the top half of the building, you will remember that speech....
Yes, the black folk are the bottom floors hanging around taking extended lunches, been in the same pay grade for 20+ years, counting their pay checks, playing dominoes, talking about RG III, while us other black folk are busting our butts upstairs trying to figure ways to keep your jobs....
Keep listening to these speeches....
In regards to the black bold above, you do understand what she is saying and where she is coming from too. Otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned your own racism. Even when you are a "worldly" black person and try to leave race/skin color out of your mind, many times someone will bring it up to you, like call you a N or if you are a black officer people will try to get you to not patrol their neighborhoods.
And in regards to black businesses, that is pretty funny. There are a lot of black businesses. I own my own business. You said you are black and provide DJ consulting, consulting services is a business.
We do need more brick and mortar businesses run by black people IMO but to say there are none, is a falsehood. I know black people who own coffee houses, restaurants, stores, and night clubs and I have worked in government contracting for many years and I know plenty of black business owners in security, construction, building maintenance, IT, practically every category imaginable.
And again funny with the "keep listening to these speeches" thing. LOL. The audience was filled with black graduates. Educated young people with a bright future ready to do things in the world and they got some encouragement. If they, like you encounter racial biases, then they should keep working. The speech was what...10-15 minutes long. People watching TV or posting on this very forum spend more time doing that than listening to a speech.
Remember when Obama got elected and she said something like "today for the first time in my life I am proud of this country"...?
What kind of a person needs their spouse to be elected president in order to feel proud of their country? If you're not proud of your country that's fine, but then suddenly becoming proud when hubby is elected to the top office...wacko
Wanted to start out with the fact that at a commencement ceremony, someone usually gives a speech .
Practically all the speeches at commencement ceremonies are about overcoming obstacles. This one was no different, and it brings me to the comments below:
In regards to the black bold above, this is the stuff that Mrs. Obama was talking about. Something that ironically, you also experienced even though you see yourself as "different" from other black people.
In regards to the blue, I would inquire - how do the nightclubs and other djs see you? Do you really think they don't see you as a "black" DJ/VJ first and foremost, especially if you speak about racial issues, you are perceived first as a black man. If you don't realize that, then that is on you.
You also said that you "don't close your eyes to the reality of things on a larger scale" yet the 'larger scale" is the fact that these college students have already been in most cases and will be in the future (not might, but will just like you have been) judged to be a certain way or treated a certain way due to being black. Like she said, they should move past that and not let them hold it back, just like you being called a N or having white people not want you to police their neighborhoods didn't hold you back. I don't see how you could have an issue with a speech when at a commencement, once again, people give speeches. Should they just go sit there? Not sure what you want to occur at commencements.
In regards to the black bold above, you do understand what she is saying and where she is coming from too. Otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned your own racism. Even when you are a "worldly" black person and try to leave race/skin color out of your mind, many times someone will bring it up to you, like call you a N or if you are a black officer people will try to get you to not patrol their neighborhoods.
And in regards to black businesses, that is pretty funny. There are a lot of black businesses. I own my own business. You said you are black and provide DJ consulting, consulting services is a business.
We do need more brick and mortar businesses run by black people IMO but to say there are none, is a falsehood. I know black people who own coffee houses, restaurants, stores, and night clubs and I have worked in government contracting for many years and I know plenty of black business owners in security, construction, building maintenance, IT, practically every category imaginable.
And again funny with the "keep listening to these speeches" thing. LOL. The audience was filled with black graduates. Educated young people with a bright future ready to do things in the world and they got some encouragement. If they, like you encounter racial biases, then they should keep working. The speech was what...10-15 minutes long. People watching TV or posting on this very forum spend more time doing that than listening to a speech.
It was over 1/2 hour long, and not all filled with message some of us find unbecoming a First Lady. Yet she and her husband seem to find a way to inject race and class into things on a regular basis. I wonder what the heck they mean when claiming he was going to be a post racial president?
I wonder because he has been the most racially divisive president in my lifetime.
Remember when Obama got elected and she said something like "today for the first time in my life I am proud of this country"...?
What kind of a person needs their spouse to be elected president in order to feel proud of their country? If you're not proud of your country that's fine, but then suddenly becoming proud when hubby is elected to the top office...wacko
Actually I don't think it is fine. If I abhorred my country to the point of never being proud of it, I'd likely have found someplace else to live like Ireland, Australia, etc.
I was raised to love my country, for better or worse. I've been proud of all the great things we have done since I was old enough to understand. Probably much of that was because I didn't have parents running the country down with chips on their shoulders.
Maybe that is where Michelle got her chip?
Or maybe it was from listening to Rev Wright all those years running America down with his Black Liberation Theology.
Who knows
Come on now. Would you really expect Mark Levin to support ANYTHING the Obama's did or said?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vector1
Actually I don't think it is fine. If I abhorred my country to the point of never being proud of it, I'd likely have found someplace else to live like Ireland, Australia, etc.
I was raised to love my country, for better or worse. I've been proud of all the great things we have done since I was old enough to understand. Probably much of that was because I didn't have parents running the country down with chips on their shoulders.
Maybe that is where Michelle got her chip?
Or maybe it was from listening to Rev Wright all those years running America down with his Black Liberation Theology.
Who knows
I just heard a clip of Condi Rice on Facebook telling students not to let anyone tell them the color of their skin should impact what they do . . or something like that.
Have you seen it? It's just a clip of a variety of commencement speeches.
Come on now. Would you really expect Mark Levin to support ANYTHING the Obama's did or said?
I just heard a clip of Condi Rice on Facebook telling students not to let anyone tell them the color of their skin should impact what they do . . or something like that.
Have you seen it? It's just a clip of a variety of commencement speeches.
I'm sure it would just infuriate you.
Yes, if Obama were to become pragmatic and compromise like Bill Clinton did, he probably would. Remember, despite liberal brainwashing of (R's) oppose Obama because he is black, they would support him if he were conservative. The fact he is a left wing radical might have something to do with their lack of support. I suspect Levin would say the same thing.
As to Rice, I will have to listen to her speech to make an assessment. However I doubt it was the same victimization tone as Michelle delivered.
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
Yeah...because Michelle Obama knows who Mark Levin is.
Dude has 3 listeners. Stop it.
He has the number 5 most listened to radio talk show in the country with an average of 8 million listeners per week. He is also a NYT #1 best selling author.
So deride him if you can, but base it on reality, not falsehoods.
Yes, if Obama were to become pragmatic and compromise like Bill Clinton did, he probably would. Remember, despite liberal brainwashing of (R's) oppose Obama because he is black, they would support him if he were conservative. The fact he is a left wing radical might have something to do with their lack of support. I suspect Levin would say the same thing.
As to Rice, I will have to listen to her speech to make an assessment. However I doubt it was the same victimization tone as Michelle delivered.
He has the number 5 most listened to radio talk show in the country with an average of 8 million listeners per week. He is also a NYT #1 best selling author.
So deride him if you can, but base it on reality, not falsehoods.
`
Mark Levin "The Great One" despised Bill Clinton. He was quite a regular on Fox News during the whole Monica Lewinsky saga.
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