The election is over, and most everyone I know is happy with the result, but I personally know of a few out there who are not. Ideally, the way it's supposed to work is that now that the election is done, everyone gets behind the president, and we get on with the business of living our lives and addressing what needs to be fixed. Yet that's not the case this time. Why not? I have a few theories on this, and yes, race is one of them. How can it not be?
I believe that a good portion of this country is forward thinking, and believes in equal rights for all races, ethnicities,and homosexuals. But there is another portion of this country that is accepting of only some of these groups, but not all, or worse yet, Americans who flatly reject all of these groups and are stuck in a time warp of backward thinking. Half of this country is spiritual, but not particularly religious, while most of the other half believes if you're not religious, you're amoral.
Obama's election in 2008 was truly an amazing achievement. Something, I personally didn't think I would see in my lifetime. I remember watching his inauguration with such hope, and yes, a few tears streaming down my cheeks. How far things have fallen since that day.
Since being elected, President Obama has been treated with flagrant disrespect and venomous hate. From Governor Jan Brewer wagging her finger in his face, to Neil Munro the conservative blogger who kept heckling the President during a press conference, to John Boehner refusing to return his phone calls during the fiscal cliff fiasco of 2011, to Donald Trump with his silly and childish ultimatums demanding birth certificates and college transcripts. The tension and dislike is so palpable you could cut it with a knife.
Lets go back to the not so distant past. Remember Reagan and the Iran-Contra scandal? Yet the GOP holds him as the gold standard of presidents. Then there's good old Bill Clinton. Now I'm going to be fair here. I loved Bill Clinton as president, but Bill just couldn't keep his pants on to save his life! He was impeached as we all know. Yet neither of them was treated with the measure of disrespect that has been shown to President Obama. Whether you agree with his policies or not, he deserves at least a modicum of respect for the office that he holds.
President Obama is called a Socialist and a Communist. Well, which is he? He can't be both, because they're two different things. If you're going to criticize, at least get your argument right! I think to compare Obama to Stalin or to Hitler is a slap in the face to those who suffered and died under those horrible regimes. The morons who use those comparisons have no idea what those people suffered and are taking for granted the freedoms we enjoy on a daily basis. Moreover, we have already lived under 4 years of the Obama administration, and I don't see anyone herded into death camps, jailed in gulags, or killed by the millions, so lets not be so fatalist, shall we? It seems people wish to create drama where there is none.
I suppose it never occurred to any of his critics that President Obama might be an inspiration to people, particularly in the minority community. Indeed his background is not too dissimilar to mine. I too was raised by a single mom. My grandma helped raise me and was like my 2nd mother. My mom is Mexican-American, and my father is white, of French/German ancestry. My mom has olive skin, and I have fair skin. Because she and I look so different, everywhere we went, people would stare at us, or make comments. I often witnessed her treated rudely, and she was even followed once at the store because they thought she was going to steal something! The kicker is that the lady didn't even work at the store! Yet still, I can only imagine what it must have been like for President Obama growing up and the prejudice he undoubtedly faced. His story is my story, and the story of anyone else who faces discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. When he is disrespected, I happen to think race is a factor, despite any protestations to the contrary. His demeanor -- cool and confident, is interpreted as smug and condescending. The black man after all, is supposed to be the comedian -- the fool. Not a man in power, certainly not the one in charge of an entire country! He is exceedingly intelligent, witty and understands both what it's like to be poor and what it's like to be financially successful.
Part of me wonders if perhaps this country was truly ready for an African-American president. But then, again, 51% of this country has shown that at least they are. We have to move forward. Those who do not wish to move forward will just have to be left behind. For those of us who wish to progress, we cannot allow the rest to drag us down with their negativity, divisiveness, and hate. Our country has made advances in towards social justice, but we still have a ways to go. What is certain is that we cannot go back, and we cannot be like Mayberry or something, nor should we want to.
It's easy to get caught up into the whole "us vs. them" thing when you read the news, and the subsequent comments which are breeding grounds for trolls and racists. What's nice to know is that the majority of people, if you look, really are accepting, tolerant, and open minded. I think the best and greatest weapon one can have is common sense.
In this country we have the right to criticize the President, our government, or anything else we choose. Brave men and women throughout our history, both military and civilian have fought and died for the virtue of freedom. What we don't have the right to do is to treat anyone as less than a human being. That goes for the poor, our disabled, minorities, and yes, the President of the United States.
