I just listened to Michelle Obama's speech, and was floored. (Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell)
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Wow, so aside from the discussion I want to have, you think that the schools audience should factor in to a commencement speech. Most commencement speeches are suppose to be uplifting and send positive messages to the graduates of all the great possibilities this country has to offer, and to make the most of the education the graduates have earned. I'd think the same speech could be given to Community College grads as to Harvard grads.
As to the shelf comment, I thought everyone had heard about it. I guess only certain news stations like FOX report anything that might show the (D's) in a negative light.
She wanted to go shopping at Target as the First Lady, but didn't want all the attention (understandable). So she dressed in disguise and according to her encountered someone who requested help to get something off a shelf.
Uh-oh; I guess I will have to be more careful about asking tall black people to help me get something off a grocery shelf that I can't reach (being short) - I haven't cared about color or gender up to now, just as long as the person is tall and appears reasonably fit; and said something like "Help, I need a tall person, I can't reach"; and then definitely thanked the person every time. It would be nice if I could always find a store employee, but there are usually none around the aisle when I need them, and asking for the help of a nearby tall person is quicker than having to drag my cart to the customer service desk. I never thought that anyone would take offense.
If she thinks things are bad here why not emigrate back to Africa?
Why would she emigrate to a continent that is not hers. I've been reading this thread, learning from both sides but this post is, is... So ignorant to say the least.
I heard nothing wrong with this speech, nor do I feel it was in any way divisive. All in all she probably should give more speech's, and hopefully the black community listens and pulls its collective head out of its posterior.
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
Those statements in bold totally belie any sense of rationality.
You "consider yourself a fair minded person" who simply "assumes" everyone feels as you do. WTF? That does does not even make sense and makes you sounds nothing like a "fair minded" person.
No everyone does not feel the way you do, which is most likely why you cannot possibly empathize or relate to the feelings of others.
Sorry, I must've missed the part where she said, "Kill the Crackers!"
She was speaking at a historically black university and her topic was about overcoming adversities by staying true to yourself and to God. The speech doesn't seem out of place in that context. If you give a commencement speech at Jerry Falwell's school, Liberty University, I suspect that your topic will cover Christ, the Bible and so on. If Mitt gives a commencement speech at Brigham Young University, he'd probably talk about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.
No, she didn't have to mention race at all, I suppose. Denzel Washington gave a speech at another historically black college and only talked about God, not race. But don't overlook the fact that commencement speakers often ask the university the topics they would like him/her to talk about or touch on. It would make sense that a black college would ask Michelle to talk about having to overcome obstacles, but I am just speculating, like many other people here are.
Would you be outraged as you are now if Sandra Day O'Connor, former Supreme Court Justice, gave a commencement speech at Stanford Law graduation, and she spoke about all the slights she experienced as a woman? How she graduated 3rd in her class and as the managing editor of Stanford Law Review, and absolutely no one would interview her? With those credentials, a man would have waltzed into ANY job he wanted. She had to take a non-paying government job, sharing an office with a secretary. Would she be considered being divisive? Shoot, she has every right to share her experience, it's goddamn outrageous.
It's great that some of the white folks on this forum somehow know exactly what it's like to be a minority in this country. It's fantastic that there is still a great number of whites who think that there's no longer racial discrimination, and that we live in perfect harmony in a post-racial world. But guess what, real minorities would say, Whatcha talkin' bout Willis? I wish we could all do the thing where we have to be _______-Amercan for a Day, with make-up and special effects. Then maybe we can empathize with each other and be real. Kinda like Eddie Murphy's classic SNL skit called, "White Like Me." Remember that?
Why would she emigrate to a continent that is not hers. I've been reading this thread, learning from both sides but this post is, is... So ignorant to say the least.
I missed that post, but agree with you. What does going back to Africa have to do with anything related to Michelle.
Maybe Barak, but not Michelle.
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.
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Why would you assume that? As others have pointed out, that's not rational. And what was divisive about it? Why aren't you concerned for the college grads she was addressing, and the unfair obstacles they'll fact to initiating and advancing in their careers?
There's a frequent poster here on C-D whose parents tried to register her for the gifted kids program in a public school in the Bay Area, after they moved there when she was in middle school or so. The school principal insisted her test scores were either in error, or her school records had been falsified, and refused to let her into the program (she happened to be Black). Eventually, they were able to get her in. Lots of students of color are automatically placed in the slow "track" in school, and told to prepare for trade school, not university. I've seen this happen to bright students myself. This is America's talent, going down the drain, if they're not able to overcome these hurdles. Why wouldn't you be concerned about that, OP? I don't understand your reaction to the speech.
Those statements in bold totally belie any sense of rationality.
You "consider yourself a fair minded person" who simply "assumes" everyone feels as you do. WTF? That does does not even make sense and makes you sounds nothing like a "fair minded" person.
No everyone does not feel the way you do, which is most likely why you cannot possibly empathize or relate to the feelings of others.
I said "most", as in at least 51% or greater, not everyone.
As to relating to others, I certainly do not understand the mind of a self proclaimed liberal/leftist/progressive. This despite the fact I might have a few views that would be considered liberal minded.
Regardless, I expected people to object to a few parts of her speech, even if they found the majority acceptable.
I have come to understand from this thread that many posters want to say that due to her audience (predominately black, though I did see a few white faces), she spoke to what they might have experienced.
Maybe my expectations are too high for the office of the president and the First Lady, but I'd like to think speaking to new graduates should not involve assumptions that they prepare for racism.
As I asked in an earlier post, would a distinguished black woman like Condi Rice have made such comments to the same audience?
Personally I don't think she would, but then again based on this thread, what do I know.
I am getting the distinction you are making, and maybe that is part of my disconnect with likeminded posters such as yourself.
I guess I understand targeted political speeches, though I abhor them if they pander to one, then turn around and say almost the opposite to another group just to lie and get votes.
Yet when the First Lady is speaking at a college commencement, I would not expect her to treat it like a political rally. Remember, gone are the days that speeches at small events do not become open for the general public to see.
Here is something that just popped into my head regarding another well educated and prominent black woman. Do you or anyone else reading this thread think Condolezza Rice would have made similar comment regarding racism?
Perhaps you shouldn't put in writing everything that "just pops into your head."
Are you saying that because they are both black women, they should think exactly alike? Rather racist isn't it? I can tell you that as a white woman, I hear many white women make statements that I totally disagree with, and may even think are idiotic. Why would two black women have to make similar statements?
I said "most", as in at least 51% or greater, not everyone.
As to relating to others, I certainly do not understand the mind of a self proclaimed liberal/leftist/progressive. This despite the fact I might have a few views that would be considered liberal minded.
Regardless, I expected people to object to a few parts of her speech, even if they found the majority acceptable.
I have come to understand from this thread that many posters want to say that due to her audience (predominately black, though I did see a few white faces), she spoke to what they might have experienced.
Maybe my expectations are too high for the office of the president and the First Lady, but I'd like to think speaking to new graduates should not involve assumptions that they prepare for racism.
As I asked in an earlier post, would a distinguished black woman like Condi Rice have made such comments to the same audience?
Personally I don't think she would, but then again based on this thread, what do I know.
You aren't making your point any stronger. Why would anyone assume that 51% of the country should think what they think? Maybe your thoughts are marginal.
Once again, what you "expected" people to object to may be off the grid from what even 51% of the country objects to.
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