Pajamas Media

298 Comments

1. AJ:

YES, she is a racist, and a devout one. She is a bad person, and a hypocrite, who is all about herself and her race. It was be more of a tragedy to have her as first lady than her naive husband as president.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:18 am 2. Joanna:

I would no more vote *for* Obama because of his race than I would vote *against* because of his race. I’m voting against him because I don’t trust him any farther than I can throw him – and his wife’s behavior is doing nothing to improve my distance.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:43 am 3. patti:

Can’t quite figure her out. What a waste of time. She could use her talents and education in much better ways then stiring up race relations for no apparent reason.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:43 am 4. Concerned Citizen:

She’s a racist.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:43 am 5. SwingShiftCEO:

Just remember: a vote for Obama is a vote for hope, change, and…hopeful change.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:44 am 6. » If Michelle Obama Isn’t Racist, What Is She?:

[...] You can read the rest of this blog post by going to the original source, here [...]

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:44 am 7. My new WordPress MU Site » Blog Archive » If Michelle Obama Isn’t Racist, What Is She?:

[...] liza wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptMaureen Dowd fears Michele Obama will be tagged an “angry black woman.” With good reason. [...]

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:48 am 8. huxley:

The online dictionary defines racism:

1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2: racial prejudice or discrimination

I can’t see charging Michelle Obama with the first definition, but she and the members of Trinity church, and even Obama himself, focus way too much on who’s black, who’s white, what that means, why blacks must be understood, and what whites must do in return, for this not to be some form of racism, albeit a subtler sort than Jim Crow.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:48 am 9. havefun:

Hope y’all can hold back your anger when she’s sitting in the whitehouse. And please keep attacking her and making false claims about her husband. Everybody but you republicans and rednecks eat that up and spit it back up on your stupid faces. Good thing you are too dumb to realize that throwing mud is only helping Teflon Barry. But please continue I am sure attacks on his wife will win over Hillary supporters.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:51 am 10. orter:

We’ll be glad to continue. Stick around. The fun is just starting. All it’s going to take is for her to open her gaping pie hole again.

Jun 12, 2008 - 10:01 am 11. A Dane:

Take all the crap coming from both her and Obama, switch the words white and black. Then tell me that they would not be considered white racists.
Apparently it’s okay to be a black racist. That’s considered progressive, but white people who value their race are just plain evil.

Jun 12, 2008 - 10:12 am 12. george:

The irony is that she appears to have this belief that being ‘black’ means one is poor and helpless and lumps them all into one group time and again. Talk about an elite racist removed from reality, and apparently she sounds even more racist towards black Americans then white ones. What a lovely couple they make…

Jun 12, 2008 - 10:14 am 13. Juju:

Asian-American woman here. Since Michelle chooses to arrange white people in front, I’ll move to the back. Waaay to the back, as in OUT THE DOOR to McCain’s camp.

Signed,
Asian supporter of Hillary who’s voting for McCain

Jun 12, 2008 - 10:35 am 14. Michelle Obama: A Racist By Any Other Name:

[...] article on If Michelle Obama Isn’t A Racist What Is She? is up at Pajamas [...]

Jun 12, 2008 - 11:06 am 15. RE:

There’s no point in beating around the bush.

She’s a racist.

Jun 12, 2008 - 11:08 am 16. Bill N:

Obama wants to decide for us if and when we get access to health care. He wants to take money away from those who work for it and give it to those who don’t. He wants to bring the troops home from Iraq, thus guaranteeing an Iranian victory and “hope” for further jihad on American soil. He chooses as his advisors the most vile America-hating people around, including some who pray to God to send Americans directly to hell and others who advocate the violent overthrow of the government, including some who have actually tried to accomplish just that. He is a tramp, a thief, a thug and a traitor. Who CARES what his wife is?

Jun 12, 2008 - 11:33 am 17. Moultrie:

M. Obama’s pitifully written thesis is very clear on her thinking…it’s absolutely 100% racist. The thought of having this arrogant, ungracious woman as the 1st Lady will repulse many voters.

Jun 12, 2008 - 11:43 am 18. lora:

I am trying to figure out how she is a racist because of her thesis, I am a black woman and married to a white male and I went to a predominatly white school and felt very isolated and had strong feelings about this issue, I am not a racist, Michelle is a strong black woman and she is not meek and passive, and for some reason this is a threat to certain people. I do agree with one of the posters that attacking her is going to backfire. Believe me, there are plenty of real issues to address and even attack Obama on, stick to the issues folks.

Jun 12, 2008 - 11:49 am 19. S. G. Hayward:

First off, there’s no such thing as race, black or white.

Secondly, the concepts of race and privilege and their existence still exists today, and it’s extremely hard for anyone living under them to identify their existence. Having a national discourse about their continued presence and effects is necessary for this nation’s health. For instance, white supremacy is much harder to pick out now. It is simply unbelievable that white people who were racist and grew up in a racist, and continue to live in white-majority areas, have all simply forgotten years of hatred and prejudice. We did not conquer racism in 1964. It is still alive and well, and it’s being controlled by the same people who have always controlled it.

When Ms. Berry goes off to smear the Mr. and Mrs. Obama with such phrases like “yet another Ivy-league educated millionaire (as both she and her husband are)” and then continues to tell us how they can’t understand what it’s like living “paycheck-to-paycheck,” she leaves something gaping unsaid. Namely, that everyone in the positions of power in the government today, the policy-makers and the politicians, are millionaires. They might not have been when they started, but they are now. Simple fact, there is no one in politics who has not been somewhat removed from poorer Americans, or even lower-middle class Americans, as the majority of the people in this country are.

Now, Ms. Berry describes herself as “a typical white person”. Typically, white people are racist. But we can’t see it. I grew up in a Northeastern city, went to public schools, lower-middle class college-educated parents. And yet, even though I went to a white-minority school for every year of my education; that “white fear” is still in me. I see a black man and I’m afraid and suspicious. I should be more afraid about the drunken white kid in any car hitting me, or the rich white businessman screwing my job over by stealing from the company I work for. Those things are more likely to happen.

Furthermore, I’d suggest you take the time to watch this video and listen to what this man says. Even if you sincerely disagree with it, listening will not harm you, and it will only make your future arguments that much stronger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UJlNRODZHA

Jun 12, 2008 - 11:54 am 20. dem in chicago:

Oh please. She’s NOT a racist. What she IS is your next first lady of the U.S. Get used to it.

Jun 12, 2008 - 12:24 pm 21. Arius:

“Typically, white people are racist” (spoken by a true racist). This is only true if you admit that typically, black people are racist in the same manner, often worse. White liberals want to think that white people are racist and that black people can’t be racist to assuage the sense of quilt that has been drummed into them. Black people want to think that only whites are racist as compensation for their inferiority complex, a historical artifact that black people must themselves work through.

Jun 12, 2008 - 12:35 pm 22. john:

I agree with Bill N. Racism is the least of Obama’s problems. You can start for example with him being the MOST liberal senator then add on him being a socialist maybe even communist. Add to that his despicable associations and willingness to sit and chat with our enemies. Yea, I could care less about his wife. He’s enough to destroy this country.

Jun 12, 2008 - 12:40 pm 23. huxley:

Having a national discourse about their continued presence and effects is necessary for this nation’s health.

So Obama said in his big race speech, pointing the finger at whites much as you are doing, then he promptly dropped this supposedly important conversation, and later the Rev. Wright, whom he said he couldn’t disown, and finally the whole Trinity church.

Typically, white people are racist.

According to current DOJ statistics, blacks murder whites at a rate 25x more often than visa-versa. That sounds racist to me.

Can we also say, “Typically, black people are racist”? If not, why not?

Jun 12, 2008 - 12:55 pm 24. Ryan:

This blog article is filled with ridiculous statement after ridiculous statement. Mrs. Obama might say some inoppurtune things that are in turn blown up and taken out of context as to portray her as a typical “angry black woman”. It states that Mrs. Obama claims to understand “the plight of the Black lower class”, when her thesis explicitly uses the word speculation in the quote that the author of this article used as support for her bashing. Also, Mrs. Obama states that she grew up in a working class family on the south side of Chicago, all of which is entirely true and you some how try to say she is fabricating information to better show her compassion for the lower class blacks in America. Katherine Berry represents the portion of America who inevitably will try and turn the Obamas into the stereotypical type of black people who hate whites and America in general. Well, Ms. Berry…there are enough educated and ignorance lacking Americans who can see through race and vote for whom they feel is the best candidate to lead the FREE world and they have proved it by making Obama the Democratic nominee. Right when I had almost lost faith in America, the country I love so much, they nominate a black man for President and he will more than likely win the election. It is a true sign that maybe America is still the hope of the world, the trend setters, the revolutionary thinkers.

Jun 12, 2008 - 1:04 pm 25. Donash:

If you can´t keep your big mouth shut then why open it !!
Michelle is just another typical stupid nincompoop else she wouldn´t be his wife !!
Donah////

Jun 12, 2008 - 1:09 pm 26. OneOfMany:

Katherine Berry, you are not a typical white person. You are a blantant racist desperately hoping that your own ignorance is shared by the majority. You are quite wrong in that assumption, and the fact that Senator Obama is the nominee should be proof of that.

Your hack piece of writing is worth no other comment other than to say that I feel sorry for you. You must harbor such resentment in your own life to lash out at a candidate’s wife. That is truly pathetic and speaks volumes more about you than anything you’ve written about Michelle Obama.

Jun 12, 2008 - 1:11 pm 27. Sandra M:

Michelle Obama’s comment about being proud of America for the first time in her life or proud to be an American for the first time in her left because of her husband’s candidacy shows a self-absorbed narcissism that is stunning. I’m proud of being an American and proud of America several times a week, thank you.

The woman has no gratitude at all even though her race not her grades got her where she got. And, that earmark of a million dollars to the hospital she worked at ended up TRIPLING her salary.

Her comment about what Obama “will allow you to….” whatever chilled me. That’s the thinking of a collectivist, a tyrant. He looks so nice like Nelson Mandela. She seems so rancorous and fierce (like the notorious Winnie Mandela).

And then there is Obama’s half-brother, Abongo Obama, and his cousin Odinga, who are using mass violence (locked men, women and children in a Christian church and burned them to death) to overthrow a pro-American duly elected government in Kenya and put Muslim Sharia law in place. Obama went to Kenya to help out with the election they lost. There are pictures (google Obama Odinga). and Obama called them during the New Hampshire primary telling them to cool it lest their violence reflect on him.

Obama’s friends, his minister, his family and his Princess Ticked off, finger-wagging shrew of a wife will all help defeat him.

Jun 12, 2008 - 1:24 pm 28. Keith:

You call yourself “venomous” and you’re right. Get a life!

Jun 12, 2008 - 1:38 pm 29. Linda Kearney:

I like Barak but I won’t VOTE FOR HIM due to his wife Michelle’s antics.

She was compared the last few days to Jackie O. Please…I am almost 60 years old and I saw and watched Jackie O. before and after JFK died and Michelle wasn’t born till after JFK died.

Jackie was southern born, gentle, kind, quiet, small size, shyed from publicity even taking her kids out of the country for years and away from the Kennedy family influences. She was well educated and soothed public opinion about her “skirt chasing Pres hubby”. She had dignity and charisma and worked for all races equally.

Michelle is tall, big boned, well educated yes but loud, brash, insulting and definately has BLACK agenda over everyone else on her front line issue. “Poor black raised” she was not so she has NO idea how the rest of us grew up let alone SURVIVE from paycheck to paycheck. Oprah had Barak’s back and money support since day 1. She should be his VP/first lady.

Carolina Kennedy and others support Barak. I doubt Caroline made the comparison between her mother and Michelle and if she did SHAME ON HER.
I don’t like McCain either but I won’t vote Obama….if he looses the Pres. Michelle will be a main cause.

Jun 12, 2008 - 1:48 pm 30. ALEXISTAN:

And Brutus is an honorable man.

Jun 12, 2008 - 2:15 pm 31. LisaP:

I’m so looking forward to McCain’s historic landslide victory in November, when I’ll no longer have to listen to Oblahma’s naive boot-licking supporters prove their idiocy minute by minute. Oh, and that (w)itch he’s married to, ditto for her.

Jun 12, 2008 - 2:26 pm 32. C'mon:

Blacks can indeed be racist. But to call Michelle O. racist for her statements is simply embellishing. Why is it racist to have a bad taste in your mouth for a place that in your life time championed segregation? Why is it blacks can’t show disdain for a period of our history in which they were the victims, without being called racist. That is not directed at the citizens. It is directed at past policies. She is a woman who grew up black in America.

And if whites were not represented fairly in America it would be fine to swap black for white when you protest. But that is not the case. Also blacks don’t have a problem with white pride or power. Blacks have a problem with white superiority or oppression.

According to current DOJ statistics, blacks murder whites at a rate 25x more often than visa-versa. That sounds racist to me.

That makes no sense. First of all Blacks kill Blacks when you talk violent crime. Also your stats fit your argument if they are real. Your not counting all the blacks killed by cops “legally” compared to whites. Not to mention liquor stores, inferior schools, and everything else in areas with a large black populations.

Jun 12, 2008 - 2:33 pm 33. kathy berg:

Reading this blog, I’d say you are the racist Kathryn….!

Since you think you are so balanced, when are you out Cindy McCain for being arrested for stealing drugs and committing adultery with another woman’s husband…that would be Mr. McShame first wife Carol!

Jun 12, 2008 - 2:52 pm 34. LA Progressive:

I am amazed at the nonsense people will say in these comments. Michelle a racist? Give me a break. Has she experienced racism towards her in her lifetime? Most definitely YES! The only problem with Michelle is she is honest and open and those are two things we don’t expect out of politician’s wives. I prefer her any day over Laura’s stupid, doting expressions or Cindy McCain’s plastic exterior. For once, a real woman and you are all scared to death because she isn’t 100% what you are used to!

Jun 12, 2008 - 3:00 pm 35. Concerned Citizen:

Hey C’mon….I want to mention the Vietnamese Boat people. The boat people came over with nothing. Zero. They took whatever menial jobs they could get and their kids worked like slaves to get an education. They didn’t sit around and collect welfare, they wanted to work and work hard. They lived in dumpy, crime-ridden neighborhoods because that was what they could afford and they received the same education available to anyone else in this country. And they have succeeded in spite of racism, not speaking the language and a litany of other challenges. Why can’t everyone else do this? Did I miss something here or did they succeed in spite of “White Oppression”?

Not everyone gets the same opportunity or “fairness” in life, whatever that is. It’s up to the individual and the community they belong to to do something about their own situation, not wait for someone else to “make it right”. Quit complaining.

Jun 12, 2008 - 3:04 pm 36. S. G. Hayward:

I’m calling my own “race” racist, and thus I must be the racist? That’s seems impossible.

Murder statistics do not prove racism.

There are many more white people than black people in this country. It seems quite probable that anyone who has killed someone has killed a white person. But what are the murder statistics for white people killing white people?

As for asking for a discourse, and then asking us to examine ourselves, I simply have this to say: I am white. I have been defined that way. I have a moral duty to criticize myself and my “race” as it is defined before I go about criticizing others and their massive and diverse groups. I have been blessed with the skin color and the introspection to have an inside glance at why white culture thinks the way it does. Forget Reverend Wright. He is merely someone to provoke us. There are many white equivalents of Reverend Wright. He spoke from a culture far removed from any place of whiteness.

As Ms. M who mentioned that it was Mrs. Obama race, not her grades that got her her education, the fact is that there are many ways white racism still pervades society.

As an example, I respectfully as you to watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uH0vpGZJCo

If you can find examples as insidious as these of black racism then by all means, bring them up, drag them into the light, so that they may be disinfected.

But for us to tar and feather a black women with “racist,” especially as white people, seems more like revenge than an educated discourse on what racism is. After all, do black people control many institutions other than those that serve their communities? Because people who are racist are not problems as long as the institutions they embody are not racist. For instance, even if we were to elect the first black racist (if that is what he is) to president in the form of Barack Obama, then it appears unlikely that he’ll be able to push through anti-white legislation that is not supported by whites. And certainly no white person would support something that is racist against them? Furthermore, a black racist as president would have to counteract all the white racism already present in the system, which probably would make things more equal. And in four years, one can elect a white president to undo any slight damage done.

Finally, to the person who used liberal as a dirty word. I see no reason to use conservative in the same way. After all, this country was founded by what we today would term conservatives and liberals alike. We are all an integral part of the greatness of this country, and assaulting one section of the country in attacks is an assault on all. This does not mean we should be blind when it comes to the evils done by all sides, but we should seek to make fewer enemies than we do when we divide ourselves.

Jun 12, 2008 - 3:19 pm 37. racist AA:

it amazes me how racist white people like this kathryn can be and how they will never know what it is to be a black person.

Jun 12, 2008 - 3:27 pm 38. cv:

She is definitely a drag on the campaign. Why are the Obamams protesting so much? Obamas baby mama! Now that was funny! Now SNL can’t use it!

Jun 12, 2008 - 3:29 pm 39. Roy M:

“According to current DOJ statistics, blacks murder whites at a rate 25x more often than visa-versa. That sounds racist to me.”

Well it sounds like a lie to me.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/tables/ovracetab.htm

Jun 12, 2008 - 3:37 pm 40. david levavi:

Michelle Obama’s attitudes are the wages of affirmative action. Casting aside merit and replacing it with race-based preferences has created a generation of racist and seditious African Americans eager to bite the generous American hand that feeds them.

Affirmative action winners are ashamed and uncomfortable about their unearned success. Ashamed before White peers whose success is legitimate and ashamed before Blacks who they feel they’ve left behind.

Barack and Michelle are an affirmative action success story writ large. Their accomplishments are as fraudulent and corrupt and hollow as the racist policy that raised them far above their worth.

If your freedom or finances were in the balance would you hire either of these two lawyers to represent you in court? Can you define “community organizer?” Is it a qualification for any job you can name? How much does a community organizer earn and who signs his paycheck?

Why are Harvard and Princeton concealing Barack and Michelle’s theses? Is this ethical? An example of academic freedom and openness? Why such fear of honest American sunshine by our elite universities? After the spectacle of Harvard and Princeton rolling in the gutter like scrapping dogs for the honor of having Cornell West on their faculty, no one bothers to raise such questions.

Affirmative action underlies the success of the Obama’s friends in Chicago as well. Their racist and seditious church and their racist and seditious minister are funded by American tax dollars in the millions. Likewise Pfleger’s church and Farrakhan’s mosque.

Wright, Pleger and Farrakhan may be racist America haters, we are told, but they do a great deal of good for the community. They help the homeless, fight prostitution, get addicts off drugs and kids off the street. Who provides oversight to insure that this is so and that public moneys channeled through their shrines are not misspent? Their Holy Reverends. Metrics? Ya gotta be kidding.

In Iraq, General Petreus distinguished himself by traveling around with sacks of cash to bribe gangster Muslim clerics to our side. Our politicians practice the same policy right here at home. The Revs Wright, Pfleger and Farrakhan are living high at the expense of the American taxpayer. And they’re as loyal to America as their bloodthirsty brothers-in-the-cloth we buy by the bushel in the Baghdad.

Not to raise questions about Obama’s wife and Obama’s associates is simple gutlessness masquerading as civility. Obama’s wife is fair game and the Republicans are derelict in their duty to their party and the nation if they don’t expose her every racist and anti-American utterance. Likewise Obama and every single one of his grotesque associates.

Hold them up to public scrutiny and keep the public eye fixed on them continually until November. McCain can take sunshine. Obama can’t.

Jun 12, 2008 - 3:50 pm 41. colagirl:

I like Obama. I think he seems like a genuinely nice guy. I also have no intention of voting for him whatsoever, because I think he’s too inexperienced and strongly disagree with him on his stance on Iraq, among other things.

Michelle? I read a comment on her once — can’t remember where — that indicated “she displays a combination of bitterness and entitlement that is quite disturbing” that I find fairly accurate. Comments such as “for the first time in my life I can be proud of my country,” or such as “I’m married to the answer” or her enumeration of things Barak Obama is going to *require* us to do, don’t endear her to me either. She didn’t convince me *not* to vote for her husband, but she sure isn’t helping.

I’ve heard the argument that ” can’t be racist” before, paired with its fellow “women can’t be sexist.” To me, it’s always sounded like a way to give members of said ethnic group who buy into it a free pass on being as vitriolic and hatefilled as they want (as well as giving a secret, guilty thrill to those whites/men who buy into it, by flattering them with a vastly exaggerated notion of their own power). It’s a sick game that ultimately benefits no one. Hate is hate and bigotry is bigotry, no matter the skin color or chromosome type, and one truism about hate is that the hater always seeks for validation and justification for their hatred.

Jun 12, 2008 - 3:56 pm 42. Billy:

I don’t think she is a racist but she does have a grudge. Yes, her thesis was poorly written and she knows that quotas got her into her schools. Having a hard time with the bar exam also made her feel that “The Man” had stacked it all against her and intensified her grudge.

Jun 12, 2008 - 3:56 pm 43. C'mon:

Huh?

I want to mention the Vietnamese Boat people. The boat people came over with nothing. Zero. They took whatever menial jobs they could get and their kids worked like slaves to get an education.

In your eyes. Choosing to come to the U.S. for a better life as immigrants with an identity of their own is similar to forced slavery and forced ignorance.

I wasn’t complaining. I was simply explaining her right to express her pains. To people like you.

I hope you are not in public service CONCERNED CITIZEN (teacher, police,ems,fire,judge) because you are dangerous.

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:01 pm 44. Dave II:

Michelle Obama’s view of AMERICA is what gets me. I could care less what she thinks on race relations.

Listen to her descriptions of “life” in America sometime. It is nothing but sad, negative, whiney, pathetic garbage… clearly out of touch with the mainstream, middleclass person out there.

Of course…not identifying with “middleclassness” is a badge of honor for Michelle. Wouldn’t want to appear “too white”!

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:06 pm 45. Billy:

David Levavi, Her this is here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2305083/Pri…

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:09 pm 46. budo:

Racist is VERY correct. Check out her thesis at Princeton entitled “Pronceton-Educated Black and Black Community” by Michelle LaVaughn Robinson (her maiden name). IT IS VERY ENLIGHTENING and SCARY!

Wow, how did this fraud get to where he is?? A smile and “change” can get some people a long way! I watched him again today making a speech and he reminded me somewhat of his last debate in PA where he stumbled, stuttered and ‘AHed” himself silly. This clown is OK when prescripted (not always) but obviously loses his composure even under the slightest of pressure.

He would be a DISASTER as a governor much less President. As a DEM voter for 40 years I am DISGUSTED with this choice and WILL NEVER vote for this media created narcissistic novice.

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:13 pm 47. Be open minded:

David
I am a human resource manager for a very large Co. Fortune 10. I know for a fact that affirmative action helps and is needed in some forms. Our main facility is in a urban area. every 3 years we hire 30 new employees for the past 32 years. We use a standard test to screen potential candidates. Then we do a through background check. At that point we interview the remaining. I know for a fact as a company we did not call people perceived to be minority’s no matter if they made the cut or not. Not to mention the majority of applicants were minority’s. This practice didn’t stop until the state began to investigate. Now we hire a handful every now and then. Actually the state had us hire some of the minority’s that were qualified as part of a settlement. So when you blame a minority for taking your job think about blaming the people who should have been legit the first time around.

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:19 pm 48. Kay:

“S. G. Hayward:

First off, there’s no such thing as race, black or white”

Agree 100%. There is only the human race. The color of the outer layers of skin is just a physical characteristic, nothing else. Try to think of how you would explain ‘race’ as its defined in the mainstream to a person blind from birth and you’ll realize how stupid the idea is.

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:27 pm 49. The problem:

The problem is we associate disappointment with America as white hate. That is no more silly than supporting America being considered black hate. It is okay to disagree with government. And if you disagree you just disagree.

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:36 pm 50. david:

If you’re an educated person you understood what Michelle Obama meant when she said she has never been proud of her country as she was today. What was she talking about?? duhhhh, maybe she was talking about the fact that Iowa, an all white state, just overwhelmingly voted for her African american husband. I don’t think a black woman who went to Princeton then Harvard is not proud of her country you idiots. Maybe she left out the word “”more”" duhhh. for those of you that don’t understand this blog, God help you.

Sincerely,

The educated people

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:37 pm 51. Anna-Lee:

I agree with everyone who says that Michelle Obama is racist. She doesn’t like whites. I’m very concerned about being in this Country if B Obama is the president.

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:38 pm 52. tell em:

S.G
people won’t watch because they prefer plausible deniability. Then they would have to admit to themselves what they already know.

In case you missed it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uH0vpGZJCo

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:49 pm 53. DrRay:

To all you right-wing conservative bigots:

Michelle is fine. Here’s one non-African American and his family all of whom will be voting for Obama. Now combine all the tens of millions of our votes and you have no option but to choke on your own hateful venom against the wife of one of the nicest Presidential candidates we ever had!

Obama-Gore ‘08 or Obama-Sebilius ‘08!

Jun 12, 2008 - 5:07 pm 54. david:

beware of great whitey, for great whitey will always prevail. God help us

Jun 12, 2008 - 5:11 pm 55. douglas:

Talking about a waste of time, lady you have done it because your article said nonething of any value. Since you are so interested in 1980s research you should write about Mrs. John McCain’s indicement on drug charges in 1987,which she entered a consent decree plea with the justice department to avoid prosecution.
Just what we need in a First Lady!!

Jun 12, 2008 - 5:16 pm 56. Nahanni:

The Obama’s are proof positive for the fact that racism, like stupidity, is an equal opportunity employer.

But I do have a memo for them and their supporters.

Please keep calling everyone and anyone who does not worship at the altar of Obama a racist. It is backfiring on you big time.

Jun 12, 2008 - 5:22 pm 57. Cranky:

I don’t care if she’s racist or not. I can’t stand her or her smug husband and don’t want either of their liberal selves in the White House.

Jun 12, 2008 - 5:25 pm 58. DrRay from Ohio:

Michelle is a lot better than the Botox-filled Cindy McCain, btw. And why the heck did McBush divorce his first wife after she had an accident and marry a rich woman for her money and power? A sign of things to come perhaps: now he’s surrounded by lobbyists with their offers of money.

McSame should retire instead of fighting for more tax cuts for the rich (I am one of them by the way) and a needless war that cost us billions and thousands of lives and plunged us into a recession.

God bless the USA! Obama ‘08!

Jun 12, 2008 - 5:33 pm 59. The mighty whitey:

Your argument is specious. She is no more a racist than my very melanin challenged self.

Get ready Kansas. There will indeed be a Black Man in the oval office come January.

Jun 12, 2008 - 5:43 pm 60. Ger:

Roy M:

“According to current DOJ statistics, blacks murder whites at a rate 25x more often than visa-versa. That sounds racist to me.”

Well it sounds like a lie to me.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/tables/ovracetab.htm

It sounds like a lie, but if you look over the
statistics for the past 30-40 years and factor
in that blacks over that time have represented
just 11.5% to 13% of the population then it
starts to come out to 20+%. Let’s say that in a certain year the black population was 12%. That means the non-black was 88% (7.3 times as
much). You then get the equivalent black on white crime for say 1993 of 10169(7.3*1393). That is
23.5 times the white on black crime of 432

Jun 12, 2008 - 5:47 pm 61. Sharon:

Michelle is a racist! I am a former Hillary supporter and it is not that I dislike Obama so much, but it is his lack of experience, him being a left-wing liberal and married to that “Big Mouth racist Michelle”, that I will vote for John McCain in November.

Jun 12, 2008 - 6:24 pm 62. Angry African:

It seems as if the Republicans are getting their knickers in a knot over Michelle Obama. And getting ready to take aim at her over the next few months. But maybe they should take a look in the mirror and ask themselves what are they so “proud” of? Maybe they should revisit what Michelle Obama has seen from her American leaders since she was born the year after President Kennedy got killed. And then, no matter what they come up with and manage to spin, I’ll still take a straight shooter who doesn’t mince words – the Michelle way. That’s American. That’s the American way. And the choice of spouses also tells me loads of the candidates themselves. And not the way you think. http://angryafrican.net/2008/06/12/michelle-not-a-stepford-wife/

Jun 12, 2008 - 6:42 pm 63. David P:

The America hating left will fulfill it’s grandest ambitions if our nation refuses to examine the catastrophic legacies of democratic foreign policies. Carter & Clinton’s reckless & naive decisions have led to nuclear Mullahs in Tehran and an Israel devastated by blood thirsty Arafatnicks.

Iraq is a foothold for the United States, no longer welcome in Saudi Arabia, we needed to set up shop somewhere. It wasn’t going to be like our welcome in the kingdom, the end goal was to establish ourselves, and at the same time hopefully settle the country. In time those logistics would work themselves out, the primary threat was and has always been Iran. Tis better to establish forward operating bases sooner rather then later.

Jun 12, 2008 - 6:46 pm 64. Arius:

The specifics of Obama and his wife are less important than having the Democrats in control of the House, Senate, and White House. I don’t think any of you have started to think about the consequences. Look anywhere in the country where there is single party rule and you will find corruption. Chicago is an example. Clinton was singularly corrupt but had a Republican Congress that pulled him to the center. If the Democrats win everything then there is nothing to pull them to the center. This is the worst time for this to happen since we are heading into the biggest credit contraction since the last Great Depression which was caused by Hoover and Roosevelt that both upped taxes again and again which turned a recession into a depression. It may already be a fait accompli. Congress is already pushing windfall tax legislation against the US oil industry. Only Congress would answer the country’s need for more oil and gas by legislation to reduce oil and gas and further drive up energy costs. Congress is already taking about tax increases of nearly one trillion a year for ten years. I follow the markets in commodities, currencies, credit, housing, and equities, and you should be afraid. Everything I read coming out of Congress and the two parties shows abject ignorance of the markets. The government will drive the economy into a Hyper Inflationary Depression. I guess then all you partisans will be happy.

Jun 12, 2008 - 7:11 pm 65. Paul:

Raciest? Like ‘typical’ black people?

Jun 12, 2008 - 7:56 pm 66. huxley:

I brought up the murder statistics.

See Percent of All Stranger Homicides by Race from the DOJ. Blacks kill ~4x as many whites as whites kill blacks. Adjusting for the fact that there are ~6.5x as many whites as blacks, therefore blacks are ~25x more likely to murder whites than visa-versa. And comparing black-on-white rape to white-on-black rape is astronomically worse.

Jun 12, 2008 - 8:22 pm 67. S. G. Hayward:

I’d argue that the al Sauds in Saudi Arabia are very fond of the United States, as we’re a stronger supporter of them. If we do have tenuous position there, it is because of American blunders that included Iraq. The Western world has a duty to the Middle East to ensure its peace, mainly because we have helped fuel the conflict there, in more ways than one.

I do not think Americans should be the people to “settle the country” if that is Iraq or Arabia. We are, after all, the Land of the Free, and it is our duty to be the beacon of Freedom throughout the world. We should not be withdrawn isolationists, like the Republican senator President Bush quoted who believed that he could have just talked to Hitler and solved the war. But neither should we bring democracy to the world by way of force or by establishing ourselves abroad in any way beyond allied assistance and cultural diplomacy. An American force should be wise and smiling. After all, diplomacy might very well be the art of hiding one’s strength. The clean looking great America is more appealing than the America that drops bombs.

My personal belief is that the current administration has severely crippled the myth of the mighty American military. It is now known that the most powerful military in all of history can be stopped and severely bloodied by what amounts to little more than well-armed bands of thugs. The loss of the belief in the eyes that American force was overwhelming has been catastrophic and has only emboldened our enemies around the globe. We must retract and rebuild.

I do not think however, that there is a perfect candidate before us. John McCain is a man with questionable health, from a rapidly aging generation, and is running on a reputation that has been diminished by pandering for the last four years. What makes it worse for McCain is that his economic package is undercut by the fact that Obama’s tax program actually saves money for those of us who make under $112,000 a year (the majority).

Barack Obama is a shrewd politician, has garnered unpopular support from radical elements of the left, is backed by a juggernaut of a grassroots campaign, has an inspiringly vague message and powerful speaking qualities. However, he has not committed to discontinuing the use of the unconstitutional signing statements that were created by the current administration, making me fear an expansion of the executive branch beyond the current increase it has gained in the last eight years.

That said, Congress has a duty to check any radicalization or increase in the President’s power, and I rather wish that the way politics worked was that legislators didn’t all want to be president, but were proud of representing the people directly. The fact that we our top candidates were all senators makes me fear a continued diminishing of Congress’ power in exchange for a stronger executive as no senator will check the the power of the presidency in case they should find themselves in the position to use such power. In fact, I venture to say that Congress only comes to battle with the president when there are party politics in the mix.

Which brings me to the next point: we do nothing to decrease the vitriolic atmosphere of this political season by calling one another names distinguishing between liberal and conservative, left and right, republican and democrat, as though we are all not Democratic Republicans. The Obama-McCain showdown was predicted in January to be the most civil of the possible scenarios in this General Election, and instead, I can imagine no scenario worse. I am sickened by the venom on both sides, whether it’s the idiocy of those pretending to be proponents of the Republicans, or those masquerading as supporters of the Democrats. Both do their party harm.

Racism is not distinct to one party, as anyone who has studied American history can tell you. We did not slay racism in 1862, nor did we slay it in 1964, and I can guarantee it will not be defeated in 2066. But we have the ability to recognize what racism we can find in ourselves, and we should thus be aware of it.

As Jesus said, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” There are none among us who have the right to cast our stones at Michelle Obama. If you cannot appreciate that, perhaps you should choose a less free nation.

Jun 12, 2008 - 8:37 pm 68. Justin:

@ Democrats on this thread

You know what the Democrats remind me of? There was this one episode of South Park where a gay teacher tried to get himself fired for being gay so he could sue the school for 12 million or so in court for discrimination. He then went through the entire episode doing one outrageously perverted thing after another in front of the students. When the students complained everyone was angry at them for being homophobic. Finally, at the end of the episode it dawned on the parents that they didn’t hate gays, they just objected to this one creep who just happened to be gay. I REALLY WISH THE DEMOCRATS COULD UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON’T OBJECT TO OBMAMA FOR BEING BLACK. THAT WE HAVE JUST SEEN HOW THIS FREAK IS AND WE DON’T LIKE HIM FOR WHO HE IS.

Unfortunately that will never happen. The Democrats have a deep seated need to believe that the opposition is racist. It helps make them feel more comfortable with not examining their own party too closely.

I say to all of you who are like me, those of you who does not like Obama because of who he is, keep trying to convince the other side that we are not racist. Keep telling them the truth. This may seem futile at first, but understand that it was because we gave up on trying to communicate with them while they have never stopped spouting one outrageous slur after another that has allowed them to have any strength at all in this country. Don’t quit talking to them. Giving up on them is what they want. The Democrats want to be able to curl up with their comfortable happy illusions of being the good guys that are fighting against horrible racists. Don’t let them have their lies. At every chance, at every turn, explain your feelings to them. Be forceful, be blunt. Don’t give the Democrat scum the chance to turn around whine about how you are just covering up your racism. Don’t be tolerant of their slanders. Don’t show them or their point of view an inch of respect. The Democrats are SWINE who thrive off of believing these sorts of things about the people who oppose them. It makes championing concepts that time has consistently disproved, such as Marxism, that much more comfortable. The Democrats are the racists and the villains in this argument and this election. Don’t let them believe otherwise.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:05 pm 69. huxley:

Hayward — You seem to forget that Michelle and Barack Obama attended an arguably racist church for 20 years in which America was damned and libeled and white people blamed for all the ills of the world, while the congregation danced and clapped and the Obamas praised their church and its pastor to the sky.

Racism is not distinct to one race either, which is something that has become quite clear in 2008.

You also seem to forget that in a free society people speak their minds as they see fit without asking permission or being asked to move elsewhere if their words don’t fit the requirements of people like you.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:09 pm 70. Kathy:

Michele Obama is raising her kids to hate white people. She is definitely a hater……..hater of the country and white people…there is no controversy here. And her husband is a product of Affirmative Action. He thinks there are 57 states, that kids with Asthma use breathalizers and inhalators?????????? That’s just a start.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:12 pm 71. Justin:

Dear educated people aka David,

““For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country,” she told a Milwaukee crowd today, “because it feels like hope is making a comeback.””

Also, I have a college education. My Chemistry teacher is voting for McCain and so am I. After all, only a freaking brainwashed idiot would vote for Obama. Either that or a person who was simply racist against white people.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:19 pm 72. Justin:

@S. G. Hayward:

“I’m calling my own “race” racist, and thus I must be the racist? That’s seems impossible.”

Only if you believe that a person cannot have a racial prejudice against his own race. Which you clearly do.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:26 pm 73. theresa:

my god, most of you sound utterly ridiculous. it just eats you up that michelle was a bright student who excelled at not one, but two elite institutions and had the gall to point out that she felt like an outsider, doesn’t it? i’ll type this in a way that i hope you can understand. an. ivy. league. degree. DOES. NOT. exempt. one. from. racism. got that? DOES. NOT.(for women, it doesn’t always exempt them sexism). nor does it improve the plight of a WHOLE group, especially when that group has historically and continues to be at an economic and social disadvantage. what exactly has she done that deserves the title of racist? telling the truth that some white people suck? (eloquently of course)should she grovel before the people who, despite her impressive pedigree and accomplishments, imagine themselves better than her? people are a trip. they don’t have a pot to pee in, poor and uneducated (lacking book smarts and common sense), yet they’ll look down on others because all they have to cling to is their race. i’d laugh, but i sense your paranoia is quite real, leading you to make these crazy remarks , so i’ll pray for you instead. the heck with it, i’m still going to laugh at you because scary, stupid white people are a source of amusement to my friends and me. carry on.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:29 pm 74. Jennifer:

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

This is awesome satire. Sometimes it takes putting things this ridiculous in print to make people see just how silly they sound. Kudos to the author!

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:33 pm 75. S. G. Hayward:

Mr. or Ms. Huxley, whichever it may be,

I am entirely aware of the church of which you speak, and its rhetoric, including the “god damn America” statement. I am not ignoring it, I find it hard to condemn though. I was lucky enough to attend a panel discussion on the Black Church in America, and I can say that it certainly opened up my eyes. The racism against whites in the Black Church is a direct result of racism against blacks in the rest of society. It was the only place black people could turn to without fearing attacks from whites.

I have also not spoken a word against white pastors of white churches who spoke similar words about God’s condemning or punishing or damning America for other sins, besides the call by Wright that God was damning America for its treatment of blacks. How many times did we read that God was blessing America, and a few of the pastors who support McCain, and McCain sought, have said things that are quite unsavory. Both the rhetoric of Wright and Falwell is a nuisance. If I am guilty of ignoring Wright, I am guilty of ignoring those that advocated a similar punishment. As are we all.

Racism is certainly not specific to majorities or minorities. However, the harm from racism is when powerful institutions use it to oppress others. However, there is no institution in America other than Black Churches that are controlled entirely by blacks, and thus any authority that the Obamas might use to use racist power against will ultimately be executed by institutions made up of predominantly white people. We all have the ability to defend ourselves against oppressive forces as is given to us in the Constitution. Exercise your rights. Those who are the instruments and tools of power have the strength and the ability to do those who misuse them great harm, and they should do it if that power is used unconstitutionally.

Finally, I admit my the last sentence of my last comment was a tad out of line, and soiled the rest of what I said. I am sorry for using it, and it was as close-minded as many of the less savory responses here. I just wish for a more civil debate. I feel increasingly turned off, the more I read of those who attack and attack relentlessly without thought or tact, tarring one another with words we should all be proud of. We are, after all, a proud country.

Jun 12, 2008 - 9:56 pm 76. whatsername:

Only someone mired in their own privilege would be ignorant and unobservant enough to call Michelle Obama racist. That’s an absurd thing to say.

Jun 12, 2008 - 11:21 pm 77. schnargley:

How dare all you Nascar hillbillies so viciously attack a woman, especially this tall, strong, proud, defenseless black woman! Just because Michelle is proud of her blackness, advocates that they stick together and avoid whitey’s influence, taht they get even for 300 years of oppresion by the white man, and is disgusted with white culture and its domination of her race does not make her racist. Those who stated that there is no race but the human race are the real racists because it is indirectly attacking the black race. If people like Michelle hate you and want to get away from you or get even politically by getting power, it’s all your fault for being racist to her and her race. Although I am from north European stock and cannot dance or jump, I am profoundly disgusted by my race and will gladly see Sen. Obama and Michelle as POTUS in order to balance out the white man’s hateful history. I say with Rev. Wright, “Godamn America! God damn her!!”

Elect Obama and Michelle!

Jun 12, 2008 - 11:49 pm 78. Today’s Ma.gnolia Links : Slobokan’s Site O’ Schtuff:

[...] Pajamas Media » If Michelle Obama Isn’t Racist, What Is She? [...]

Jun 13, 2008 - 12:01 am 79. Sotally Tober:

Maureen Dowd is nothing but a race baiting wannabe journalist. You sound exactly like Hillary Clinton…”Oh, I’m not saying that Michelle Obama’s a racist”…yet your headline is exactly what you meant it to mean. Just look at the comments. Every female name who posted is a sore Clinton supporter. What a bunch of pansy-ass cry babies. Get over it! You too DOWD!! Maybe you should switch over to the “Enquirer”…I hear they need ‘reporters’ and you’d fit in perfectly.

Jun 13, 2008 - 12:49 am 80. Muyiwa:

Oh Great Katherine!! she is Racist, so u wont vote her husband? This is interesting, a white woman calling a black woman racist? i do not mean tos ay racism is teh exclusive of whites, no, we blacks are very much racist also, we do have our prejudices, but I dont think these prejudices stand alone, they r a product of stimulatiion to our environment!! we became racist coz we were at the recieving end of racism

Jun 13, 2008 - 1:05 am 81. Roy M:

Huxley,

That analysis of murder statistics, explained by Ger (thanks) is just a meaningless number salad.

Why do I say that?

Well, using your method of analysis red-haired people kill normal people at a rate 32x the rate that normal people kill Gingers. “That sounds like racism to me!”

An individual randomly chosen white person IS less likely to murder someone than a black person, but so what? White people are so much more numerous and, more worringly, THEY ARE EVERYWHERE I GO. If *I* get done-in the probability (about 90%) is that it’ll be another white person that pulls the trigger. When that day comes at least I’ll be able to say ‘Look, see, another white person did it. Told you so.’ before the lights go out.

If it is a black person who kills me I will be really annoyed, I mean ABSOLUTELY LIVID “Doesn’t he realise I was in my colleges anti-racism society” will be my dying words. Maybe I should protect myself by telling every black man I encounter that “I was in my colleges anti-racism society – bro, repsect”.

Anyway.

Here is a nicer dubious statistic for you. When you meet a person of a different race they are (roughly) 75 times more likely to marry you than they are to kill you. In my case its even higher “I was in my colleges anti-racism society – sista, repsect”.

Jun 13, 2008 - 3:00 am 82. Andrew Ian Dodge:

The vitriol directed against the author is symptomatic of the college-peddled PC view of race. Its basically states that the only people capable of racism are white people. Its clearly ivory tower nonsense to anyone who has experience living with people of other races but there are those who persist in believing it.

I am not sure if Mrs Obama is a racist but she certainly holds large sections of her country in utter contempt.

Jun 13, 2008 - 4:06 am 83. Lorne Progosh:

I find it interesting when I read these blogs how many of the bloggers on the left are so militant, so angry, and so adebt at changing any meaningful dialogue into cause for attack on anyone who has opinions that differ with their own. If I had written an opinon that I thought Michelle had said something I beleive to be racists, – based on what I have read here I would be considered 1) a racist myself 2) stupid 3) uneducated 4) absurd etc etc. Those who are professing to be fair minded and thingking well rounded individuals clearly need to take a long carful look in the mirror. If you have any honesty left you might see something you don’t agree with.

Jun 13, 2008 - 5:24 am 84. Steve in Boston:

People of African descent are treated poorly throughout the world. They have been slaves on all continents in all time periods and hundreds of thousands are currently enslaved today by their fellow Africans. African Americans are descendants of people who were sold by their kin to Europeans. They have every right to be angry and ashamed….of their own history and current plight. So called “black leaders” like Sharpton and Farrakhan and now apparently Wright and Michelle Obama perpetuate the victim mentality on their generation in order to promote their own personal agendas. Wake up fools. Asians and Mexicans had it just as bad, if not worse than Africans when they first came to this country. The Irish didn’t have it much better. The difference with Africans is that they continue to wait for some sort of reparations or hand outs because of their ancestors suffering and every other race has moved on and prospered. You want a discussion of race…how about the fact that blacks (13% of the US population) commit 52% of the murders in this country and 41% of other violent crimes. Most of these crimes are committed against other blacks. Let’s start there.

Jun 13, 2008 - 5:48 am 85. Bill in NC:

She’s no Halle Berry, but still kind of cute when she smiles!

Jun 13, 2008 - 5:49 am 86. Jason:

Just wait for her to go on The View and open her mouth, again… then we’ll have even more evidence of the Obama Agenda. Anyone defending her saying that she has no right to be criticized is ignorant in thinking that a wife of a Senator, and presidential candidate (which is hard to believe he’s gotten that far considering his background) shouldnt be held accountable for her actions and words. Then again, a lot of Obama supporters are very ignorant to the facts about him, his campaign, his policies, his history, his friends, his advisers, his faith, the list goes on… for more about how he’s bad for this country visit http://www.iheartmonkey.blogspot.com

Jun 13, 2008 - 5:55 am 87. LorraineS:

When Katherine or any other white woman can walk in a black woman’s shoes, and experience what we face in this society, then you may have something valid to say. Until then, try to get a clue and understand that you don’t share our experiences. I am thrilled that we are in a place that we can actually see a black man represent a major political party and that speaks volumes compared to our shameful history. Having said that, it doesn’t mean that we still don’t face daily discrimination and are ever combating stereotypes from people who simply don’t know for whatever reasons. I differ with Obama’s Democratic and Liberal views, but ………..

I say that you don’t understand the contexts of Michelle’s statements not having the least bit of knowledge of her life experience so it is near impossible for you to see them from her perspective. No she is not racist. Neither am I —— an ultra conservative card carrying Republican BLACK American woman!

Jun 13, 2008 - 6:05 am 88. Christofer:

What is it about M. And B. Obama that requires everything they say to be parsed and interpreted by experts to understand what they really mean?

Obviously there will be problems if Obama is eleceted as president as it is evident that no one can understand what he says or means without careful study.

:=)

Jun 13, 2008 - 7:31 am 89. John:

LorraineS – What is it with this “our experiences” garbage. We all have unique experiences and believe me things have never been easy for white folk either. Blacks in turn do not specifically share the white experience or the Hispanic experience, so you cannot speak to it. Since you cannot possibly understand the experiences of the other races you have nothing to compare your own experience to. Intelligence, hard work and perseverance trump prejudice and discrimination any day in this country which makes us unique in the world. There is true racism and slavery happening right now in many parts of the world. To spend so much time crying about racism in America is a joke. America has provided all races a better shot at equal opportunity than any other civilization the world has ever seen. This is especially true for those of African descent. Our American history has some bad chapters in it, but hundreds of thousands of “white” people fought a civil war to ensure that Americans of African descent would be treated as equals in this society. What more do you want or expect from us?

Jun 13, 2008 - 7:43 am 90. John:

Sorry….millions of people fought and hundreds of thousands of “white” people DIED in a civil war to ensure that American of African descent would be treated as equals in this society.

Jun 13, 2008 - 7:46 am 91. John:

Sorry correction…millions of “white” people fought and hundreds of thousands DIED fighting a civil war to ensure that Americans of African descent would be treated as equals. At no other time in the history of mankind did one race sacrificed so much to ensure the equal treatment of another race. This is a uniquely American experience. As far as I am concerned the sins of our past legacy of slavery were paid in full with the blood of our compassionate and courageous ancestors.

Jun 13, 2008 - 7:50 am 92. Roy M:

Lorraine,

Hi, I was in my colleges anti-racism society.

Jun 13, 2008 - 7:51 am 93. PLT Arizona:

I’m not sure Johnboy McCain wants us to air his wives dirty (filthy rich) laundry….
If thats the way grandpa wants to play he better be ready…

Jun 13, 2008 - 8:32 am 94. Wood:

Katherine Berry,

You apparently missed the home schooling sessions that you’re treating your son to….

I hope you have a plane ticket to leave the country at once, after the democratic victory in November. And stop cutting holes into your bedsheets. You need them to sleep on..

Jun 13, 2008 - 8:36 am 95. huxley:

White people are so much more numerous and, more worringly, THEY ARE EVERYWHERE I GO. If *I* get done-in the probability (about 90%) is that it’ll be another white person that pulls the trigger.

Roy M — Probability is trickier than it seems and often at odds with one’s gut sense, as your post demonstrates.

According to the 2005 statistics I cited, your odds of being murdered by a white stranger are 70%. Whites comprise 74% of the population so this in the ballpark of what one would expect.

However, your odds of being murdered by a black stranger are a shocking 28.7%, even though blacks comprise only 12.2% of the US population. That’s so high, it’s statistically significant…and tragic.

Jun 13, 2008 - 8:44 am 96. J.G.:

To Katherine Berry: Now I know what is wrong with Kansas. The twisters are causing twisted Republican minds. Who doesn’t say silly, even stupid things (check the silly statements on your blog). Michelle has to understand that she is in a fish bowl and that people like you love to pounce and twist every syllable she utters.

Jun 13, 2008 - 9:07 am 97. Rubicon:

I wonder how many will want to come back to these comments in 2012? Seems to by then we will know what kind of person our next president is, no matter who wins.
I won’t argue the white v. black thing. Its pointless & it leads many to decide to oppose someone on just those grounds alone.
I will argue that I want nothing to do with redistributionist socialism. That is oppression in any form. Just ask the average $20.00/ month salary Cuban, or those in Venezuela who are now beginning to suffer the effects of Chavez, w/ much more pain to come.
I do not oppose a black, I oppose a socialist. Talk Sowell & his ilk & then we have someone of substance to lead!

Jun 13, 2008 - 9:08 am 98. PoliGazette » Very Well Said:

[...] interesting article was published at Pajamas Media about Michelle Obama, and her views on race. What distinguishes [...]

Jun 13, 2008 - 9:31 am 99. P. Ami:

@TellEm and SG Hayward,
I did bother to watch the debate you’ve linked to and have various questions I would ask Tim Wise regarding some of the details and data he uses in the debate. But, his whole notion regarding affirmative action is flawed. First, he labels the fact that whites were not slaves in the US as a form of affirmative action towards whites. He also names the Homestead Act as another form of affirmative action biased towards whites. He also considers the supposed 300 year head start that whites had in America as a sort of affirmative action. All these arguments actually redefine the term Affirmative Action and assumes the role of the American government to be something other then what it is.

Regarding the Homestead Act. Free blacks could and were allowed to participate in the Homestead Act. The fact that today some 40 million Americans are descendants of Homesteaders and are currently living on land purchased under that act is a figure I highly doubt. Even if it were true, we are talking about 13% of the American population who currently benefits by the Homestead Act. Seeing that Mr. Wise focuses on people of color, I’ll just mention that since blacks are 13% of the American population I wonder what the sense is in evening the playing playing field of 13% (blacks) of the population against the interests of a current majority of the population (those of us who came to this country much later then the Homestead Act’s provisions or never benefited from it in the first place) because of long ago benefit provided to what is currently also only 13% (the percent of white people who are still reaping the benefits of the Homestead Act) of the population? I would say the benefits are for the bureaucrats and their equally ugly step-sister, the college professor/lecturer.

The real issue here is that the role of Government is to keep the peace, defend the nation and maintain individual liberty. Racism exists but the government is obligated to transcend racism. Americans are not under the same obligation. The government may not discriminate according to race, color or creed. The private sector has that right. The private sector should not need to hire anyone other then those they would like to hire, for whatever reason they might hire anyone. The government must hire according to merit and merit alone. The government must equally protect the public from violence, theft and other crimes, whatever the motive. Not hiring someone, not selecting someone for entrance to a private institution, or behaving uncivilly is not a crime and should not be punished, whatever the motive. Affirmative Action is a system enacted by the government by which it enforces on the private sector a level of fairness which only the government is obligated to uphold for itself. It is an infringement by the government on the liberty of the private sector and should be ended.

Mr Wise brings up another interesting point. He stated that the bureaucracy put in place isn’t anywhere near large enough to actually enforce Affirmative Action. It is interesting that even with the nearly ineffective enforcement of this illiberal system the society has managed to become generally less racist, more integrated, and black individuals who work hard, are skilled and have a little luck have an opportunity to live the American Dream. Maybe statistically a black person is less likely to achieve the American Dream. Perhaps black people need a little more luck, or work a little harder in order to achieve many of their goals. Its just not that important to some of us that we would want the government grown large enough to infringe on our right to be bigoted so long as we are not criminal.

One sees all the “rednecks” and “uneducated” readers and posters on this site, some of whom are black and some not, who in spite of their status as uneducated rednecks have managed to get a hold of a computer, an internet connection, and just enough education to express themselves in a public forum. This is all in spite of, according to Mr. Wise, the ineffectiveness of Affirmative Action. Seeing this unwashed mass making its way onto this technologically sophisticated forum, bringing blacks, whites, educated liberals and bigoted conservatives together to argue over the intellectual history and personality of the first Arab-American candidate for POTUS’ wife, well, seeing this makes me so proud of the steps America has taken in leveling the playing field even as Affirmative Action, according to one of its advocates, is nearly unenforced. Here we can post our words on the Great American forum where dozens or even scores of readers might have a look at our ad hominum attacks, our false logic, our play with census figures, our best political guesswork and the occasional cogent and relevant point. Only in America!

Jun 13, 2008 - 9:51 am 100. Hello:

John-Steve Boston

I won’t dare challenge the sacrifice of any Civil war veteran Union or Confederate. But you are using there sacrifice in vain for your argument. And I hope your a descendant of old America.

Crime in poor community’s is real and disgusting. But it is not racist nor is it relative to blacks only. All over the world people kill people.

You have to realize that there has been and in some cases still is systematic oppression of blacks. It’s everywhere.Your better off just saying “screw them, I don’t care about there issues”. instead of doing your best to ignore all the information that is available that directly shows the benefactors of U.S. policies.

The Aristocrats and Victorians use the the more recent generations of Americans. Since they didn’t benefit directly from the stolen labor, they really feel they had to work as hard as minority’s and are the perfect propaganda parrots.

Would it be wrong to complain to the waitress if you didn’t get what you paid for. If not why is it wrong to protest when you are not represented fairly.

Jun 13, 2008 - 9:52 am 101. huxley:

I am entirely aware of the church of which you speak, and its rhetoric, including the “god damn America” statement. I am not ignoring it, I find it hard to condemn though.

S.G. Hayward — Thank you for a respectful response. However, I just don’t agree. Getting past racism IMO should mean equal standards of behavior for all regardless of race. If it’s not all right for whites to caricature, abuse, and slander blacks, it’s not all right for blacks to do so to whites. Period.

[The Black Church] was the only place black people could turn to without fearing attacks from whites.

How does this justify making the Black Church the place for racist attacks on whites? I consider it tragic that black churches are inculcating racial anger and hatred rather than a higher moral standard which is the normal function of a church.

Jun 13, 2008 - 9:57 am 102. newguy40:

“…Systematic Oppression of Blacks. It’s Everywhere.” according to Hello. Please cite examples of current Black Oppression currently under way in the US.

Jun 13, 2008 - 10:00 am 103. Michael Canzano:

Facts show more Blacks hate Whites than Whites hate Blacks. Since there are more Whites in America than Blacks the hatred is disproportional. Of course the Obama’s are racists. When I heard the standing ovation Pastor Wright got from the NAACP and his herd when dissing Whites, I wasn’t surprised. Its a one way street. The new racism is anti-racism.
I am racist and anyone who claims to be a rainbow is just a plain lier. What’s up with the Blacks is that they are obvious. First they protested segregation and now they embrace it. We lowered test scores so they could get to college with out an athletic scholarship. I’m an American of Italian decent and would be outraged if the rest of the nation lowered test scores for Italians because we were considered dumber than the Anglos. “Free lunch” is the Black Mantra and Michelle and B.O. participated with both hands. Then she dissed Whites for not considering her “The Black Cinderella”.
American Christian Infidel

Jun 13, 2008 - 10:39 am 104. kwh:

I don’t know if Michelle O. is a racist, but her hatred towards white society is palpable.

For the last 50 years, whites have been instructed that racism could only be legitimately judged by the target of said racism; hence, all evaluations of “racist behavior” were properly made by the putative target while the accused’s denials were given little weight.

Apparently, this standard is racially based, so Michelle’s hatred of whites can’t be used by whites to infer racism. This is indeed curious.

One thing is very clear however: If ever you publically criticize a African American Democrat for anything, 99% of the time you inevitably will be called a racist.

Jun 13, 2008 - 11:11 am 105. If Michelle Obama Isn’t Racist, What Is She? Maureen Dowd fears Michele Obama will be tagged an “angry black woman.” With good reason. « Tizona’s Weblog:

[...] Pajamas Media [...]

Jun 13, 2008 - 11:18 am 106. Hello:

The prison industrial complex. You have lobbyist for the private prisons influencing lawmaking. Which in return result more minority arrest( i.e loitering). Now while in prison inmates work for all different types of industries. Inmates are paid less than minimum wage. That would be o.k. if the profits paid to the prisons went back to the taxpayers but they don’t. The prisons keep what they make on top of what the govt. pays them per inmate. This is a example of modern oppression. Here are some stats you can research.

African Americans represent 12.7% of the US population, 15% of US drug users (72% of
all users are white), 36.8% of those arrested for a drug-related crime, 48.2% of
American adults in state, and federal prisons and local jails and 42.5% of prisoners
under sentence of death.
Statistical Abstract of the United States (1999), Sourcebook of
Criminal Justice Statistics, (1998), National Household Survey of Drug Abuse (1998) and Bureau of
Justice Statistics Bulletin: Prisoners and Jail Inmates at Midyear 1999.
African American women (with an incarceration rate of 205 per 100,000) are more
than three times as likely as Latinas (60 per 100,000) and six times more likely than white
women (34 per 100,000) to face imprisonment.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2000
(Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, August 2001).
The United States imprisons African American men at a rate four times greater than the
rate of incarceration for Black men in South Africa.
Craig Haney, Ph.D., and Philip
Zimbardo, Ph.D., “The Past and Future of U.S. Prison Policy: Twenty-five Years After the Stanford
Prison Experiment,” American Psychologist, Vol. 53, No. 7 (July 1998), p. 714.
In 1986, before mandatory minimums for crack offenses went into effect, the average
sentence for an African American convicted of a drug-related crime involving crack
was 11% higher than for whites. In 1990, four years after the implementation of harsher
federal drug laws, the average increased to 49%.
Meierhoefer, B. S., The General Effect of
Mandatory Minimum Prison Terms: A Longitudinal Study of Federal Sentences Imposed
(Washington DC: Federal Judicial Center, 1992), p. 20.
Due to felony convictions, 1.46 million African American men out of a total voting
population of 10.4 million have lost their right to vote.
Thomas, P., “Study Suggests Black
Male Prison Rate Impinges on Political Process,” The Washington Post (January 30, 1997), p. A3.
One in three black men between the ages of 20 and 29 live under some form of
correctional supervision or control.
Maurer, M. & Hurling, T., “Young Black Americans and
the Criminal Justice System: Five Years Later (Washington DC: The Sentencing Project, 1995).
Latinos represent 11.1% of the US population, 10% of US drug users (72% of all users are
white), 22.5% of sentenced state prisoners convicted of a drug-related crime, and
18.6% of American adults in state or federal prisons and local jails.
Statistical Abstract of
the United States (1999), Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, (1998), National Household
Survey of Drug Abuse (1998) and Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin: Prisoners and Jail Inmates at
Midyear 1999.
African American children (7.0%) were nearly nine times more likely to have an
incarcerated parent in prison than white children (0.8%). Similarly, Latino children
(2.6%) were three times as likely as white children to have a parent in prison.
Bureau of
Justice Statistics, Incarcerated Parents and Their Children (Washington, DC: US Department of
Justice, August 2000).
Native Americans represent less than 1% of the US population. Over 4% of Native
Americans are under correctional supervision (compared to 2% of whites). Native
Americans are the victims of violent crimes at twice the rate of the general population
and 60% of these victims describe the offender as white.
American Indians and Crime,
Bureau of Justice Statistics (1999), Statistical Abstract of the United States (1999), Sourcebook of
Criminal Justice Statistics (1998) and Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin: Prisoners and Jail

Jun 13, 2008 - 11:28 am 107. Crazy:

Mike C.
Get a grip. Your full of Sh*t.

Jun 13, 2008 - 11:38 am 108. jvon:

I’d vote for change but it’s such a hassle to have to roll it and bring it to the bank.

I hear McCain favors extending the Bush tax cuts, which will save me the trouble of counting all that Change.

Jun 13, 2008 - 12:23 pm 109. dave:

hate is ugly. some of you are really ugly people.

michelle doesn’t hate whites. you folks are willfully deluded.

this article is garbage.

Jun 13, 2008 - 12:24 pm 110. A. C.:

a racist, a hater of America.

Jun 13, 2008 - 12:34 pm 111. Moe:

Wow. As if the post wasn’t bigoted enough, we have posters more than willing to pick up any slack left by Ms. Berry.

First off, her thesis was written over 20 years ago. You are either naive or plain dumb if you think that interracial relations have not vastly improved from the 80’s. Factor that into an Ivy League school that wasn’t used to seeing black faces on campus, and you have the situation in which she wrote about. Even her roommate admitted that she was a bit sketchy about having a black roommate…but M.Obama’s just making this all up, right?

Second, the southside of Chicago is a mix of all types of economic situations living in one neighborhood. So it is VERY possible she could’ve been a middle-class family living around those who were not. Which means she would know something about their plight.

Third, you don’t know Obama, Ms. Berry, so how can you possibly know what she “thinks”??? What if I said to you that while you aren’t “racist”, you *think* all blacks are??

Fourth, black history is not well taught in public or private schools. White history is everywhere. Sorry to burst your bubble, but blacks have been involved in this country since its inception. The real crime is that she should have to take a specific class directed at black studies in order to get a good grasp of the role that blacks played in this nation.

And I’m black. And I was also surprised that Obama won Iowa. Guess that makes me racist, hunh? Or, whoops, I mean, I guess that means that I think all whites are racist.

What a horrible article. The world is that much worse for having had this blatant smear (with horrible racial undertones) in print.

Jun 13, 2008 - 1:18 pm 112. LivinginNC:

Yes, it’s very simple: Michelle Obama is a racist. As one of the previous commenters (A Dane, Jun 12, 2008 – 10:12 am) said, if you switched the use of the words ‘white’ and ‘black’, would her speech be considered racist? You betcha!

I am very sick and tired of being told that only whites can be racist. There will not be racial healing until everyone, including liberal whites, truly realize that every race can be ‘racist’. It is the words that are important, not the skin color of the person saying them. If you view Michelle Obama’s words using that premise, you would have to conclude that, yes, she is a racist.

Jun 13, 2008 - 1:34 pm 113. Roy M:

ACI

I’m not a rainbow, but my family is. You would be amazed how easy not being a racist is when that is the case. Having said that it seems pretty damn easy for many people I know so maybe there is a more basic reason for me not being a racist. Never really thought about it much. Maybe its because my parents didn’t bring me up to be racist. Thats got to be a big influence, or rather an important absence of a negative influence. (Thanks parents. Good job.)

I can kind of see a basis racism in some other countries. You know, the blood and soil thing, but racism in America is just so…..well, un-American. And yet, as you and some others here and elsewhere demonstrate, very American.

Jun 13, 2008 - 2:07 pm 114. P. Ami:

Micheal Canzano and others,
I consider myself racist in the sense that I am aware of race and I think that this awareness is generally informative. I also consider myself of a race and tend to support the efforts of that race of people and feel myself closely associated to the land from which my nation comes. If that support comes at the expense of other groups, so be it. The only country which I give equal support to is the US and consider the interests of both my countries, both my people, and our common G-d to be congruous and mutually beneficial. I do not, on the other hand, consider myself a race supremacist. I don’t think that any one race is better then the other. I relate to individuals, as they are, and do consider some individuals generally superior to others but this is not related to race. Some individuals are more worthwhile to me then others. On the other hand, I have met many “superior” individuals who are not as good at specific tasks as some folk who are generally “lesser” people. Still, all people, no matter their race, color, creed or level of success in any field, are equal under the law and equally loved by G-d. So long as the law remains blind then we are as liberal as we are likely to be.

As an aside, Zionism is racist and should be. On the other hand, Zionism is not Jew supremacist. It is an ideology in which a religion/race of people should have a homeland. If that comes at the expense of another group who would like to be given the Jewish land for their own racist/religious use then so be it. Might sometimes is right.

Regarding the prison issue. If people, be they Black, White, Latino, Asian just took responsibility for their actions, didn’t break the law and tried to make something of their lives through some hard work and proper organization then those people would not put themselves in a position to get screwed over by the system. Stop smoking crack or dealing it and you won’t contribute to the figures quoted by Hello. The system is not victimizing innocent people. If that system is rigged against certain people then the argument for them would be valid if not made in defense of convicted scumbags. Take the mirror image of what Hello’s argument tries to prove, that the system is rigged, and instead choose to say that Blacks are more likely to commit crimes, to have cases which a jury of their peers are less likely to acquit them of, and less inclined towards recovery from their criminal behavior. With that mirror you are simply using the same facts to suggest an equally valid point. The way to alter those arguments is to make them moot by living a law abiding life.

What is in Michelle Obama’s heart? I don’t know. I find the quotes I have read and heard her to utter to be contra my view of this country, my community and my desires for the direction our country should take. Her college papers indicate a thinking full of twisty thoughts and convoluted logic. According to her thinking nobody can really understand anybody else seeing as none of us have had the experiences of the other. According to her logic, as well as the expectations created by the misunderstanding we all seem to share of her husband’s words, no one is really expected to understand what anybody says, what they have done, or what they think. To understand the Obama’s we should have to have had a wealth of experiences that could then contextualize what it is they really mean to say. Seeing that I am not an underprivileged, black woman who managed to survive magnet programs, the Ivy League school curriculum, the hard work of community organizer or have faith in Black Liberation Theology, I have little hope of understanding Michelle and ditto for her husband. Seeing that I am looking for someone who I can relate to, whose ideas represent mine to as great a degree as can be, and who I can understand, I think I’ll vote for McCain. At least I’m not expected to have been a prisoner of war, a navy pilot, a US Senator, or a white guy raised in a military family to understand what McCain says, means and wants.

Jun 13, 2008 - 2:13 pm 115. Roy M:

Moe,

“The world is that much worse for having had this blatant smear (with horrible racial undertones) in print.”

Surely just an insignificantly tiny bit worse.

I must admit I am wondering if I really would defend TO THE DEATH her right to say it.

Jun 13, 2008 - 2:24 pm 116. An Idiot Defending A Racist By Any Other Name:

[...] publishing my piece on Michelle Obama at Pajamas Media, I remember why I so seldom write political stuff anymore. Idiots, like mosquitoes in the [...]

Jun 13, 2008 - 2:34 pm 117. David Gillies:

Isn’t it rather cringe-inducing to hear a woman with her educational background saying, “ain’t no?”

Jun 13, 2008 - 3:09 pm 118. Catch Me On The Radio:

[...] now that I’m somewhat nervous. I had no idea when I wrote that piece that it would generate that kind of response, much less three separate death threats (and counting) and one of the first Fiskings I’ve [...]

Jun 13, 2008 - 4:00 pm 119. John:

Capitalism and the free market care not what race you are or what language you speak. All with good ideas and perseverance have an equal chance to make your life what you want it to be in this country. Take control of your life because in the end excuses will get you nowhere.

Jun 13, 2008 - 4:19 pm 120. P. Ami:

David,
We get it. The Left only defends the right to say what the Left agrees with.

Jun 13, 2008 - 5:09 pm 121. Hypocrite:

What is the education of. George W. Bush., Bill Clinton, ect. I have heard plenty of grammatically incorrect speech my entire life from “well educated people”.

Jun 13, 2008 - 5:11 pm 122. Katherine Berry:

Personally, I find the willingness of so many commenters to vilify me as an ignorant, uneducated person unfamiliar with life as a racial minority to be terribly amusing.

I’ve already torn up one of you. http://www.electricvenom.com/idiots-bite/an-idiot-defending-a-racist-by-any-other-name/

As someone who was born half-Native American and half-Iranian, but whose appearance has led others to classify her as white throughout her life, I find the claims that I don’t “get” the minority experience to be specious. And you want education? Fine, I’ll match my law degree, my ABT Masters and my doctorate-in-progress (along with my twin B.A.’s and 9 minors) against whatever you want to bring on.

But as to those of you who suggest that my reluctance to vote for Obama means I must be siding with McCain, let me just say: I’m an Equal Opportunity Bitch.

Lay off with the death threats. It’s an opinion people. And while mine was well researched and documented, the majority of the “Hate Kate” responses, well, my kids could come up with something more informed.

Jun 13, 2008 - 5:32 pm 123. navyvet48:

In my opinion, MO and BO are racist. I haven’t forgot the comment from her aide that said get me more white people. That was so staged that I was sickened about it. The reverse racism and belief that they deserve things like Affirmative Action seems to part and parcel of their existence. The shame of it is they are raising another generation of themselves.

Jun 13, 2008 - 7:31 pm 124. Cant we all just get along:

What is with the name calling on here? It seems to be “ok” to categorize conservatives as Nascar watching Rednecks and worse..To me thats a sugar coated,racist insult…I would most definately be considered racist if I were to make a similar statement about liberals….Purple “flavored” Kool-aid drinking Thugs….(Just typing that sickens me….but I mean…Its that same sick stereotyping mentality.) I consider myself to be a conservative liberal…(I know!) I am quite torn because neither nominee impresses me. They both scare the hell out of me. I was really hoping for Hillary…Now I find myself leaning toward McCain. And seriously…calling the person who stated that there is only one race..”the human race”, a racist..is just absurd…petty…That was not the implication..Its not that deep…

Jun 13, 2008 - 9:56 pm 125. Ger:

http://www.electricvenom.com/idiots-bite/an-idiot-defending-a-racist-by-any-other-name/#more-9519

Does Tim Wise have any persuasive arguement why
Barack Obama, who is half-white with an African
father, should be the beneficiary of Affirmative Action? I mean where is the history of slavery and discrimination in his background? This reminds me of some years back
when a student who was the recipient of a
minority scholarship to Harvard was met with
a stunned reception when he showed up to claim it. You see, he was white. Was there fraud involved? Nope. It turned out he was an American citizen who had been born in South Africa.

Jun 13, 2008 - 10:44 pm 126. Truth:

Katherine;

While I strongly disagree with your assertations and observations in your article. I stand by you in defense against threats and hateful bullying. Don’t give in and respond angry thats what feeds them. When they think they are under your skin they rejoice.

Jun 14, 2008 - 8:54 am 127. William C.:

Michelle Obama is so ashamed to be black
she can’t stand herself…

“She felt like a guest at her university”

It was stated best by a previous comment: If she
were white she would undeniably be a “Racist”.

I hope she keeps opening her mouth, as more
voters turn to the Republicans.

Go Michelle…

A Patiot

Jun 14, 2008 - 9:29 am 128. Javelin:

Let’s dig up some dirt on his daughters too, as well as his in-laws. I’m sure some of them are communists, enviros, rappers or black liberation theologists or something that the right minded upstanding folks here would find abhorrent.

Jun 14, 2008 - 12:06 pm 129. Dee:

Hi Kate,

I read your blogs and love them and to those who think you are uneducated well that is clearly not the case. As for the death threats please take care. There are a lot of crazy people out there.

Let me state that I am black but I am not American and I don’t live in the US but my son goes to school there and for the first time in his life he has encountered racism. On your blog you state:

“The repeated trudging up of things like Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech as if it were still applicable ignores the progress that’s been made — how most kids don’t even notice or care about skin color, for example.”

Unfortunately while you are right that progress has been made there is still a far way to go. My son grew up in a country where his skin color just was not an issue. Now it is. He lives in a country and goes to a school where he is a minority and made to feel it. Sure he has white friends but imagine his disappointment when he entered a room to hear his while friend declare loudly “Yuck she’s black” as he skimmed a magazine, then recoiled in embarrassment as he saw my son enter the room; so my son rolls his eyes but he doesn’t forget. Yes Kate kids do care about skin color. Imagine his disgust when a parent leaves her table to hand him a tray as if it is his job to clear tables when those (many of whom are white) on waiter duty are standing at every table to collect dishes, so he stares down this white parent. Imagine his disillusionment when his white teacher tells him he cares too much about his grades and then his college counselor tries to steer him away from applying to Ivy League school, so he studies hard, gets excellent grades, makes sure they are recorded and downloads applications to every Ivy League School. Imagine his sadness when he and I sit on a train and are told by a white, former employee from Princeton that while Princeton is a wonderful educational institution the culture is quite difficult to deal with given their social clubs and their classism and racism.
Imagine my amazement when I discover a son who before attending school in the US didn’t even notice or care about skin color but who is now more than ever conscious of his “blackness” and who wonders whether he should study African American studies instead of Biotechnology.

So yes I may not agree with some of the utterances of Michelle Obama. But observing my son’s reaction I do recognize that there is some degree of truth to the claims of not getting the minority (black) experience. I can understand anger emanating from those experiences; I can understand resentment growing from those experiences; I can understand hate springing from those experiences. I can understand voting for Obama because finally some hold the hope that the progress that has been made will not be eroded and that America can finally move on.

I can also understand working hard to counter negative presumptions and to truly strive to be judged not by the color of one’s skin, but by the content of one’s character. Unfortunately there is a plethora of evidence to show that that day has still not come in America. That is what I am encouraging my son to do. If you think Michelle Obama’s statements are wrong engage is respectful discussion; don’t fight anger with anger, it only encourages more divisiveness. Perhaps if Kate met Michelle (both lawyers) they would learn that neither of them is racist but maybe they haven’t yet determined how to talk about race.

Jun 14, 2008 - 12:07 pm 130. Javelin:

Can’t people here see just how shallow and insignificant, as well as just plain mean, the attack on Obama’s wife is? Or are you just so addcited to this sort of pettiness instead of substance that this seems normal? Unless she committed some huge scandal or crime, I think she should be left alone. But maybe I am being slow and old fashioned. After all, this is the MO of most of this blog.

Jun 14, 2008 - 12:28 pm 131. venividivici:

Clearly Michelle Obama views the world through a racial prism and assumes everyone else does, hence her surprise that whites would vote for her husband. She and her husband are clearly in over their heads in trying to understand how the world actually works, which I do chalk up to their inferior intellects. I see no evidence that either was intellectually qualified for the schools they attended and, having attended similarly ranked schools, I know what it really takes to be “smart” in a place like Princeton or Harvard, and both of them lack it. What they have is theatrics and rhetoric, but definitely not analytical capability.

Jun 14, 2008 - 12:45 pm 132. Josh in Seattle:

What a hateful and misinformed opinion this article represents. It shows, even more forcefully, that the GOP has nothing to stand on and the only real shot they have is to take pages from the Nixon play book.

Terrible writing, and a very shaky premise earn this article a D- in my opinion.

Obama 2008!

Jun 14, 2008 - 1:56 pm 133. amba:

I can answer your question, what is she if she isn’t racist? When she wrote that thesis, she was insecure. Now that she is successful, she’s guilty. That is not a response unique to black children who surpass their parents and peers socially and economically. High-achieving white kids of uneducated parents, too, feel pressure not to get too high and mighty or to forget their roots.

Jun 14, 2008 - 2:50 pm 134. huxley:

Ah, the usual psychologizing from Amba.

Not too useful for this discussion, however, and in a way disrespectful to Michelle Obama, who I assume would prefer that her words be taken seriously on their own merits, and not through the prism of imputed psychological deficits.

Jun 14, 2008 - 4:02 pm 135. carlosbas:

Here’s the catch, this statement that follows misleads your readers, Katherine, and you know it:

“Or, to rephrase her (Michelle’s) hypothesis: if highly-educated blacks look down on lower-income black Americans it’s the fault of whites and their white institutions like Princeton.”

Nice try, Katherine! But her thesis simply seeked to prove (or disprove) a causal relationship between spending time with persons from the black community and being compassionate with the less successful in that community.

Look, there’s nothing racist about that. If anything, in my view, simplistic, and she herself seemed to acknowledge it in the last chapters. A serious and objective reading of her thesis reveals a natural understandable tension between Black’s upward mobility and the fear of lossing close ties to the ones left behind.

Jun 15, 2008 - 10:34 am 136. james:

“If you go looking for the bad in a man, expecting to find it, you surely will.”

–Abraham Lincoln (who was perfect, BTW).

Jun 15, 2008 - 2:18 pm 137. Iris:

Think about this one very carefully. Has there been any other so called racist wives’ of presidential nominees or racist presidential nominees? Please research this very carefully or do you care only about this particular wife and presidential nominee? If, you haven’t researched the other wives or presidential candidates, then you need to ask yourself WHY. Do not ignore the truth, because the truth shall make you free. Also, remember we are to love our neighbor as ourself. Would you e-mail such harsh criticisms about yourself? Why do people work so hard at dividing races and our country? Remember, united we stand and divided we fall. Also, just look at the state of our economy and are you doing anything to help or are you working so diligently to create more division. I am not certain who would be the best man and neither are any of you. I can not believe that with the state of our economy and the war issues, you would want four more years of the same. But, there is also the fear of the unknown. Notice, I did not use any names. I don’t like criticism with my name and I would be certain that you do not either.

Jun 15, 2008 - 5:14 pm 138. J95:

Obama fans are right in their insistence for us to “Stick to the issues.” We’re not voting for first ladies, after all. I heartily reject Barack Obama for his dubious policies.

Here’s the real kicker – I’m a minority (Asian) and I have a college degree! Gasp, I’m supposed to be part of the Obambi demagogue! Wh-what’s that you say? I was supposed to hate the GOP and Mccain because they hate non whites? I should subscribe to socialist big government nonsense of the democrats are the party of racial equality? More affirmative action? I should ignore Obama’s “windfall profit tax” and “I’ll raise minimum wage” every year” because he’s the great spokesperson of race?

Well, ok. IF you say so.

Jun 15, 2008 - 9:41 pm 139. Steve:

Dee – What country do you live in where skin color is of no consequence? You must be joking.

Jun 16, 2008 - 6:55 am 140. Vegas:

Michelle Obama is not a racist. I believe people who keep picking on this lady are racists. They are closet racist who feel that can’t really say they are racists, so they grab for anything else they can use to clobber this woman over the head. Michelle Obama is an intelligent, decent, proud American citizen, she’s a wonderful mother and wife and hasn’t done anything to anyone. People finding fault with this are corrupt and nasty. I will be ignoring every single negative thing said about this lady who I would be proud to call our First Lady. Stop the lies, the bearing false witness, the fake outrage about nothing, and talk about yourselves or someone in your own family who isn’t perfect. Everyone on here writing this and that are acting as if they are Holier than Thou with their stone throwing, etc. And you are sincerely less than perfect and probably have lives that would make people look down on you. Enough already. I am one who is not going to hear anything negative about this beautiful American woman, Michelle Obama.

Jun 16, 2008 - 10:08 am 141. Pro Obama:

Things in this article are taken out of context. Berry bases her article on a document written by Michelle Obama 23 years ago, when she was 22 years of age! This article is nonsense and only shows that Berry truly is a “angry white woman” who’s not just “a bit” bitter.

Jun 16, 2008 - 11:16 am 142. Rob:

Of course the Obamas are racist. What other rationale can there be for his candidacy?

He isn’t running on the basis of his experience.

He isn’t running on the basis of his leadership abilities as he has yet to show any.

He isn’t running on the basis of his voting record in the Senate or the bills he sponsored since he was nearly invisible there.

His only claim on the presidency seems to be that he is an attractive young black politician with a great voice and a good line of BS.

A young white politician with an identical record wouldn’t have the remotest chance winning the nomination. So of course it comes down to race.

Jun 16, 2008 - 11:43 am 143. Eleta:

I have spent hours reading all the comments here to get an overview of opionions about this topic.

Political Correctness (which is destroying this country) is the reason most people don’t consider blacks to be racists. However, anyone who can read Michelle Obama’s comments and NOT think she is racist is so completely engulfed in PC, they can’t think outside THAT box. Sometimes being truthful will raise the hackles on those obcessed with PC. For one, I am so sick of it (PC), I could scream. SOMETIMES WE JUST HAVE TO TELL IT AS IT REALLY IS!!!!! She is a racist!

Some has mentioned that her theisis was written over 20 years ago. That is one very good point. If she can’t see that racism (whites to blacks) is better than it was 20 years and adjust her thinking, SHE is the one who is wrong. I have worked with black people with whom I have a great working relationship with and then have overheard them talking with others of their own race talking about how bad whites are. I always wondered where this was coming from. Now I know. It is from the black churches. The hate they are apparently preaching is no less destructive than hate preached in mosques. In fact, it is MORE destructive, because it destroys from within.

Regardless of the unity BO talks about in prepared speeches, his and his wife’s actions indicate something totally different. They hate white people and Republicans. From some of the quotes I have read, I feel like a win by him would be the beginning of a socialist dictatorship, since we have a Democratic congress to put a rubber stamp on all his ideas. By the time they realize what they have helped create, it will be too late.

Katherine, keep on telling us like it is, even if some don’t consider it PC. They have drunk the kool-ade and won’t believe it till it is too late. Others, who aren’t so closed-minded, will understand what you are saying and keep us away from a future of disaster.

Jun 16, 2008 - 11:43 am 144. CT:

Interesting. The word “racist” seems to have taken on a broad meaning. It used to apply to people who lynched other people, denied other people access to lunch counters, jobs, or houseing, or keep other people out of the voting booth. Now, it appears someone like Michelle Obama can be a “racist” too. Neat trick, separating racism from its historical underpinnings. How very politically correct Pajama Media has become.

Jun 16, 2008 - 12:53 pm 145. Brandi:

What is Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter? No one speaks on those two, who are clearly racist!

Jun 16, 2008 - 1:11 pm 146. Girvan:

Yes Eleta I guess Mrs. Obama is telling it like it is too.

Steve I suspect that would be a country where blacks aren’t in the minority. That would scare you huh?

Racism is alive and strong in America as is obvious right here. How sad. Ms. Berry has, if she achieved nothing else, brought that out to the fore. No wonder Obama’s cross racial base support is causing such a furore. Oh well interesting times are ahead.

Jun 16, 2008 - 1:29 pm 147. superchunk12:

Eleta,

I have worked with black people with whom I have a great working relationship with and then have overheard them talking with others of their own race talking about how bad whites are. I always wondered where this was coming from. Now I know. It is from the black churches.

You *wonder* where this is coming from? And your hypothesis is the black church? Have you been to enough to have an educated sample? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the pastor of a Black church and he believed in this country enough to take crumbs of equality from it. And yeah, some white people are racist, because Racism is at the heart of what makes America America. And a group white people got to decide that. Racism isn’t the same as calling people who benefit from a power structure on their shit.

Jun 16, 2008 - 3:07 pm 148. venividivici:

And yeah, some white people are racist, because Racism is at the heart of what makes America America.

This is an ignorant comment. At most, racism is a relatively small aspect of what makes America America. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs, as I said above, to explain why, if racism is at the heart of America, America didn’t collapse with the repeal of slavery and the Jim Crow laws. It is absolutely, positively impossible for a country to continue to exist if its “heart” ceases to function, which is essentially what has happened to racism in America. If racism is so subtle as to be found in the lettering on a child’s pajamas in a Presidential campaign ad, (the “nig” on the child’s nightshirt in the Hillary 3AM ad), it certainly isn’t functioning as the “heart” of America. At that point, it’s more like the “appendix” of America.

5,000 years from now, historians of America won’t write about racism. They will write about industrial and scientific innovation, as well as the origins of the principles of individual liberty, including the history of the process by which non-Europeans were able to finally break free of the strictures of their inherently conservative and quasi-collectivist societies. And if they aren’t, history will probably have reverted back to the mytho-history of pagan days, in which case the human race will have devolved and anyone like me, who doesn’t believe in the kind of BS that people like you apparently eat for breakfast, will have died off long ago.

Your problem is that your a small-minded, historically illiterate individual. It must suck to be you in the worst kind of way.

Jun 16, 2008 - 5:52 pm 149. lp:

- Again I ask anyone reading these posts. Individuals like Brandi – Girvan – superchunk12 or for instance Keith Oberman (MSNBC) etc – are so militant, so obnoxious and so hateful to anyone who voices there opinion that they really do not not warrant much thought or consideration in a forum such as this. They are EXACTLY what they preach there opponents to be. They are in fact pityful, dangerous mind you, but pityful

Jun 16, 2008 - 6:00 pm 150. teacher:

Why does the word “racism” create such a malignant anger in so many individuals? Racism has existed since the beginning of time among and within every race, but does not dwell in the heart of every man and woman. Every individual that has expressed such hostility at the mere mention of the word racism is racist indeed. Each of you need to find a new heart and a new hobby. Your obsession with this topic of discussion only fuels your hostility and racism. Just because you are social to someone of a different race or cultural does not make you non-racist. God help you all. Love is the greatest gift of all.

Jun 16, 2008 - 8:00 pm 151. answering "havefun":

Hey “havefun”,

Obama has all of 143 days of experience in the Senate. 143 DAYS. Now, if I were deciding who gets a promotion at my company, I would sure as HELL not promote a newbie of 143 days to the CEO/President of the company…..but you democrats seem to think he is prepared for the most important job on the planet. And you claim Republicans are stupid?

Jun 16, 2008 - 9:21 pm 152. yomoma:

hes a man baby yea!

Jun 17, 2008 - 1:33 am 153. Cleveland:

Michelle Obama is not a racist. She is a Black woman in America dealing with race. The more people try to paint Michelle as some black radical the more it becomes apparent that white people simply don’t understand the black experience and its complexity.

You can be a proud American and still not trust or be unhappy with government. You can be open to diversity and still place importance on preserving and immersing yourself in black culture.

Michelle Obama is not going to fit into mainstream’s cookie cutter of what the all american happy wife of the candidate or what a good american is period. Because she is a real person.

Jun 17, 2008 - 9:01 am 154. OhBoy!!:

Hitler had the philosophy of change that people could believe in.

Jun 17, 2008 - 9:11 am 155. Truth:

venividivici
You just don’t get it. This country was able to thrive and prosper from it’s use of free labor. That is a major factor in our capitalist democracy. There are many U.S. companies that benefited and started directly from that labor. So not only did individuals and families generate wealth but it was a huge tax revenue. And yes I know all whites didn’t benefit financially. But they all were able to use all the public institutions available from that labor.

With that said yes things are much better than they were. And simple prejudice we can live with. But there are still racist groups who donate money to abortion clinics specifically to abort minority babies. Thats racism. It’s still out there. And I don’t mean the imagined or wishful racism of Ms. Berry. You people really have a broad definition of racism. Stop trying to cloud racism. there are no degrees of racism. Racist, prejudice, bias, and bigot have different definitions. learn them. And Michelle if anything is biased. In her thesis where are the whites are inferior parts or the go back to Europe parts or the clean the pool whitey was swimming parts?

Our history is us. I wish they would teach more of it. So when a person meets a person like you they don’t walk away confused. (vvv)

This country is only 230 years old. Your jumping 5000 years in future. What will the earth look like? Will man be here? Let alone our politics. Where is the stargate? Beam me up.

Obama may not have the years in Washington. But from what I have seen The people with the time in haven’t figured it out either.

Jun 17, 2008 - 9:28 am 156. turtlenuts:

answering “havefun”:
Hey answering. Republicans are stupid. Just look who you elected TWICE! Talk about stupid!

Jun 17, 2008 - 1:00 pm 157. turtlenuts:

“Ain’t no black people in Iowa! Something big, something new is happening.”

Maureen you are fricking liar.

Now way did Michelle say that!

She doesn’t use the word “Ain’t”, only ignorant people like you use the word ”
Ain’t”

You are the scourge of the earth!

Jun 17, 2008 - 1:04 pm 158. turtlenuts:

What a boat load or racist there are on this blog.
It makes me sick. You people will get reap that which you sow.

Bye bye!

Jun 17, 2008 - 1:17 pm 159. teacher:

navyvet48 What are you raising? The only things that I can detect is anger, hate and hostility. Were is the love? I hope you were fighting for what was RIGHT and not just what was WHITE. Love covers a multitude of fault. Love you brother. My prayers are with you. By the way my brother is a NAVY man.

Jun 17, 2008 - 3:35 pm 160. venividivici:

You just don’t get it. This country was able to thrive and prosper from it’s use of free labor. That is a major factor in our capitalist democracy. There are many U.S. companies that benefited and started directly from that labor.

Baloney. Please tell me one major corporation existing today that WERE IT NOT FOR FREE SLAVE LABOR would not exist? If slave labor were so productive, people wouldn’t have invented machines to take the place of slave labor. If slave labor were so productive, why did the South lose the Civil War?

The country didn’t actually start to really thrive and prosper until after slavery was abolished. Therefore, slavery can’t be the “heart” of what makes America America, which is your claim. I’m saying that hypothesis doesn’t survive an analysis of the actual historical data. If you don’t understand that, or don’t have an empirical rebuttal of that, just keep your opinions to yourself.

Our history is us. I wish they would teach more of it. So when a person meets a person like you they don’t walk away confused.

“Our history is us”? What claptrap. History is other people. Otherwise, it’d be autobiography. Sorry, but I don’t do pseudo-profundity. And the reason you’re confused is because you haven’t taken the time to actually think about something someone told you once and explore its implications to see if they comport with reality.

This country is only 230 years old. Your jumping 5000 years in future. What will the earth look like? Will man be here? Let alone our politics. Where is the stargate? Beam me up.

If you truly understand human nature, 5000 years is no different from 50 years because human nature doesn’t change.

Jun 17, 2008 - 5:24 pm 161. Ladedada:

The Obamas are ambitious opportunists. They know how to play the race card gracefully and effectively. A lot of people are going to buy their brand because the Republicans have come up with a candidate who is just more of the same. I don’t see either candidate doing much good for America. But if McCain wins, at least I won’t have to listen to Michelle Obama’s flapping mouth or her husband’s grave and oh-so-serious lectures on what we should think and feel.

Jun 17, 2008 - 6:00 pm 162. true american:

My concern is that we are worrying too much about what she did say or didn’t say! The fact is that she and her husband both have a proven track record of racist beliefs. It is not that we are all going to reap what we sow, the Obama campaign is going to reap what they sow! The truth will set you free, so what you hide in the dark will come out in the light, especially in a presidential campaign. Being a racist is also calling people rednecks by the way. Who is ignorant now!So you need to check yourselves before throwing stones! Those without sin cast the first stone. I am definitely not voting for Obama. I live in Obamas’s home state and I am considered poverty level he has done nothing to bring change in healthcare or jobs for Illinois as a senator, why would he do this for the country as president? I have lost my job, health insurance and have a newborn baby and student loans to pay back. As far as I am concerned Obama has done nothing as a senator and will do nothing as a president!

Jun 17, 2008 - 9:31 pm 163. Audra:

I truly wish that those who sling mud, and sling the mud of calling Michelle Obama a racist would define the term. By the most subtle and basic definition she is not a racist. She has not made any statement that would entail such a claim being made against her good name. What is was at the time of the writing of the Princeton paper was a student of sociology and a student of African-American Studies. She was examining a phenomena. For those of you who have little to no knowledge of research and the techniques utilized in academic research you should not make statements of that which you simply do not understand.

rac·ism (rā’sĭz’əm)
n.
The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

Furthermore a response rate of 22% is very good for any survey instrument that sought to gain insight.

Jun 18, 2008 - 12:33 pm 164. Pumagrams for fellow friends o’pumas (It’s too late)! « Valentine Bonnaire:

[...] The piece is called “If Michelle Obama Isn’t Racist, What is She? [...]

Jun 18, 2008 - 1:04 pm 165. GIGI:

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Jun 18, 2008 - 4:14 pm 166. Rev.CRM:

Cultural pride is not racism. Many people are proud of their national origin, Italian, Chinese, AFrican, etc. Racism is a system of preference and systemic domination which delivers or denies access to goods and services based on an individual’s cultural group or race.
It also uses race as a reason to oppress or limit the progress of another cultural group. Cultural identity and self-awareness is the key to personal maturity and an ability to respectfully interact with other cultural groups. Michelle Obama’s interest in consciously exploring her own culture and how she has been influenced by America’s dominant culture is an admirable journey. It demonstrates her willingness to know and accept herself and her own history. More of us, Americans from all cultural groups, should take the time to do the same–to become aware of how our views of ourselves and others have been shaped by the institutions around us–families, schools, churches, etc. WE

Jun 18, 2008 - 5:36 pm 167. worley:

She’s a racist and so is her husband.But that’s not what I fear…We’ve had eight without the seperation of church and state!Do you really want four more? When that church is a crazy one.

Jun 18, 2008 - 8:35 pm 168. Becky:

Michelle Obama is NOT a racist. She is no more racist than any white person in America. For a country that has “changed” so much we sure are putting a whole lot of emphasis on the wrong areas. Race is not an issue when there are two white men running for office. Michelle has been called a “Baby mama” by the media. What other potential first lady has ever been referred to in such a way. It is funny that white folk can talk about race and not be racist however, when black people talk about race, then they are considered racist. This country is great because we have the freedom to speak; so every white person say what you say but shut up when intelligent black people have a rebuttal for it. OH, was that too racist????

Jun 18, 2008 - 9:14 pm 169. Liz:

I love Obama! Looking foward to November!

Jun 18, 2008 - 9:16 pm 170. Jerry Tapper:

I read all the comments,believe me i always suspected that the Americans were dunce and stupid (your President is a perfect example); i am now 100% sure.

Jun 18, 2008 - 11:15 pm 171. M Diaz:

MyHell and Dear Nominee have thrown race relations back 50 years. Before they came on the scene I never knew about Black Liberation Theology. I thought black Christians sang Amazing Grace and black pastors preached about family values and the work ethic. I thought that integration was working just fine and have always had friends and associates from diverse backgrounds. But now, I feel so isolated and confused. Do they really believe that “God” is only for black people and must destroy white people? This is what James Cone (Reverend Wright’s mentor) writes: (too scary that MyHell and Precious Nominee sat there 20 years Amen’ing away)

Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community … Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love.

Jun 18, 2008 - 11:33 pm 172. Cheryl L:

What is everyone so afriad of? Is the same thing going to happen when someone of another ethinc group runs for President? and it is going to happen. Hatred has never stopped progress, it only slows it down a little. The hands of time are never going to turn backwards. God is just he said the last shall be first and the first shall be last.

Jun 19, 2008 - 12:20 am 173. 2befree:

Why do whites lash out at blacks for no reason? Why are blacks lashing out at whites? Why do so many have grudges/beebs against another man/woman? Is the World a powder keg waiting to explode in all our faces because of racists?

Jun 19, 2008 - 1:56 am 174. sbourg:

Katherine Berry: Excellent article, well-researched and well thought-out. I’d phrase it simply, by saying M.O. is race-obsessed, and apparently always has been. That’s not the type of person who should be in the White House after 1965 when our country became the most color-blind country in the world. She’s so obsessed that she and Barry forgot to learn the basics about economics and national defense and what should be the limited role of our federal government. That’s why they’d make a disastrous team along with the Democrats in Congress. Everything they’d do would hurt our economy and hurt our national defense. And the sad thing is that our Mainstream Media wants a Dem in the White House so badly that they ignore the disaster in the making.

Jun 19, 2008 - 4:12 am 175. big red:

to all the haters, and racist people, I know it is a hard pill to swallow that a black man is running for president. But, he is not just a black man he is a educated, intelligent, qualified, family man, and most of all he is the democratic nominee. Times have changed, and when the Government was ran by white people, we black people voted for them to. we did not talk about their wives, children, and church. Try and show some class and be respectful. Dont hate, APPRECIATE. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Jun 19, 2008 - 6:19 am 176. Kendra:

All I can say is look out! I’m black and I do not trust the Obama’s, period. I have my reason’s, but I can not talk about it.

Jun 19, 2008 - 7:03 am 177. big red:

Kendra, if you dont have something nice to say, dont say nothing. Just because you say you are black, what is that, is that suppose to validate your statement. Anybody can cast doubt, put trust in God. Be proud of obama, because of the struggle to get here, if nothing else.

Jun 19, 2008 - 7:47 am 178. Anthony Tei:

I’m 75 years old and think I have seen and heard quite a lot in those years. I could never get myself to believe how stupid we americand are. I mean all of us including myself. The war against racism will NEVER end. It is a sickness like an incureable disease. White people will always, in a matter of stress situations think “that black %$#*” and black pople wil also think the same. It’s human nature. We all must thank the laws that keep us in check with each other. Yes I believe that the wife of our nominee is a racist. I will never vote for Obama not because of her but because of him. He is a very bad risk for our country. I would not want to vote for McCain either. He has worked too closely with our president in office. The person I would have voted for is a women that had 18 million voters behind her. But that is a closed issue now. In my heart is still for her and hope she can get in there and be the leader of this country. So what do I do???? I vote for the evil that will protect our country. If our country goes down Black or White does not matter anymore. Mrs. O. must learn to keep her mouth in check in public where it is most vulnerable. In check until her husband is in office (which I hope that never happens) I don’t like the opposition but there is where my vote will go. To the opposition if I vote at all.

Jun 19, 2008 - 7:51 am 179. Lydia:

The racial comments are ridiculous. This country is economically destroyed by this long war in the Middle-East. We cannot afford a third Bush government.

America needs the world to succeed. In the 21st century it is outrageous to be so segregated. I truely believe that Obama has inspired many in this country. Looking forward to having him elected as our new president.

All men are created equal, so let us get used to other prominent leaders. It is time. Stop racism.

Jun 19, 2008 - 8:21 am 180. big red:

Kendra, just shut up. what does im black mean, is that suppose to validate your crazy statement. Put your trust in God. And whatever your reasons are keep them to yourself.

Jun 19, 2008 - 8:38 am 181. geni:

I think, as a democrat, that if this country allows a self absorbed, tyranical nutbag such as Michelle Obama and her naive, ill equiped, inexperienced husband Osama…oops i mean Barrack Bin Laden…oops Obama to be the first family, then i may actually give up completely on the whole electorial process. I have been a democrat my whole life, a conservative one, but nonetheless a democrat and for the first time ever I will vote for a republican. It’s a sad day that we as a people can’t see past the race card, not the one that says to ignore race but the one that says this whole election is based on it. Which by the way, is in fact the ONLY reason people are voting for him. I am not a racist and never have been. I’m not an idiot either. If we keep pretending that a majority of voters out there aren’t voting for him because he is a black man then we are kidding ourselves.
I truly feel that if perhaps Colon Powel were running as a democrat then absolutely yes. Barrack is a toddler when it comes to politics, he hasn’t even served a full term in his own Senate Seat. How can we give Ours, our children and children’s children future to a man with absolutely no experience in foreign affairs and most importantly domestic policies. Would you let the guy on fries at McDonald’s operate on your family members or yourself? I would hope not..so why would you put the guy on fries in the Oval Office? I think there are to many issues he has “skated by” on. If you really believe that all of a sudden his Pastor just started ranting these “hate whitey” sort of comments, your crazy. His wife is the biggest tyranical racist out there. She is militant in her beliefs and willing to clips his *@ts to get her way.

I’m not going to give this country up to any terrorist organization, or racist for that matter. White, Black, or any other hue you can find. As sick as it makes me, vote McCain, vote for the man with more experience. Lesser of two evils i say is better than the other option.

Jun 19, 2008 - 9:45 am 182. Eugene:

WELL, IF WHAT SHE IS SAYING HURTS YOU, THEN YOU ARE THE RACIST HERE. WHY IS IT THAT TRUTH ALWAYS PAINS WHEN AIRED. I THINK “WHITES” ARE AFRIAD TO BE CALLED RACIST. WHETER MICHELLE OR WRITGHT, THE TRUTH REMAINS AMERICA IS STILL A RACIST COUNTRY, THR RACISM IS DOMIINATED BY THE WHITES. COME TO THINK OF IT HOWMANY BLACK ARE EDUCATED. ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO THEM IS TO SEND THEM TO PLAY BASKET BALL.

Jun 19, 2008 - 10:56 am 183. Girvan:

SBourg: “…………… after 1965 when our country became the most color-blind country in the world.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

If there is one place in the world that is NOT color blind it is NOT America.

Jun 19, 2008 - 11:23 am 184. pinky:

Just by reading this blog ican see that AMERICA IS SERIOUSLY RACIALLY DIVIDED. OBAMA CANNOT DO ANY MORE DAMAGE TO AMERICA in a 4 year term THAN OUR CURRENT PREIDENT HAS ALREADY DONE SO PLEASE LEAVE HIM ALONE.AS far AS EXPERIENCE WHO HAS THE MOST EXPERINCE THAN OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT(his daddywas president for 4 yrs and his daddy also vp for 8 years and bush himself was govermor of texas for a couple of years etc… he owns oil refineries etc… AND BUSH STILL Goofed up.as far as Michelle OBAMA SHE WONT BE PreSIDENT in THE WHITE HOUSE SO PLEASE DISREAGARD HER VIEWS.First ladies views are irrelevant in most cases.
Iactually admire the obamas for trying to openly speak out about the racial tension,discrimination,prejudices and mis information we have in america. Since the Obams are black americans than there experiences will come from a black american perspective. Is it really wrong/racist when educatedblack people speak about somce of the past and present injustices of being black in america? Keep in mind the era of jim crow, segregation,etc… were not that long ago. IS it really racist when a minister calls out the injustices that AMERICA has done to its own citizens and to foreigners in other countries? Do u really think God has smiled on America for those past
injustices? KEEP in mind the ministers famous sermon did not say anything about color.Also keepinmind Rev wright was quoting a military person from the nineteenth century when he said GOD d— America.
Yes america is a great country but it has its problems. the hypocrisy is when people want to beleive that America is ahh soo perfect in every situation which is trully not the case.

As i can see from this blog we AMERICA is seriously divided.

Jun 19, 2008 - 11:39 am 185. teacher:

Why was it NOT an issue for all of the other white racist presidents to be in office but, it’s an issue NOW? Are you afraid that Mr. Obama (a name you have difficulty saying)might be and behave in a manner that you have for years and years to come? It’s like the pot calling the kettle BLACK. Everything that you say about Mr. Obama is indeed true about you. How can you stand yourself? I don’t understand why any of you would even bother to vote. According to many statements, one presidential candidate is just as unfit as the other, but oh, yeah! Don’t vote the the Black Man who seems to be the most like each of you (Racist). It has been said that the only reason people are voting for him (Mr. Obama)is because he is BLACK. We have had a White president since the beginning and just take one moment to think about the state of out country. All I can say is whether it is Obama or McCain, they will definitely have their work cut out for them after 8 years of Bush. Personally, I do not envy either one of them. But, obviously many of you envy the BLACK man. Oh, yeah! A black man with a white heritage that many of you forgot about, maybe that’s where he learned to be racist.

Jun 19, 2008 - 12:03 pm 186. first ladies:

I am extremely concerned with the first ladies to be! On one had one is a snob and so is the other. They are both racist and I am very concerned about Obama’s wife because she has a huge chip on her shoulder and the energy that comes from her is purely negative but will this be enough to make me not vote for Obama? Now look at John’s wife snob – no smile and I could not believe she had the nerve to be on her cell phone when she was having her picture taken when boarding a plane – come on.

Michelle needs to get rid of her chip, do a real smile and take lessons from her husband because she is really showing up as a false person who dislikes white people which will cost her husband the white house. We all need to let go of the past and move on. I suggest we all act like rivers and move our flow upward – change your direction. I have done nothing wrong to any race but I am constantly reminded of what my relatives have done and a person like Michelle Obama could make my life worse. Should I take the gamble. But on the other hand John could destroy all of us with the war! Take your pick. Is Obama as wonderful as he displays? what a gamble.

Jun 19, 2008 - 12:10 pm 187. oop!:

Maybe you should vote for Obama, it seems you all stand for the same issues. RACISM. So you say.

Jun 19, 2008 - 12:31 pm 188. We_Count:

THANK YOU!!!! It is as if the talking heads on tv are to afraid to talk about it. Yes she is a racist there is no doubt in my mind. I am so tired of the hypocrisy we aren’t racists when it is quite clear they are.

Jun 19, 2008 - 2:18 pm 189. Lorraine Jones:

Interesting reading indeed…

Sad to say (for some) the Wife has always a huge impact/influence on the Husband…just look into the past at the History books…Michelle should relax and just go with the flo…her Husband is a mix of two different Cultures so I think he understands both sides of Life…Obama is well grounded…Michelle is as u say or comes accross as a very angry woman…which she should not be as she lives a very good life…She actually scares me in a way…America needs a first Lady that will be neutral and let go of all baggage…Her husband after all will be the Leader of the Pack…and the wife will not be the Vice President either…

…I have lived in Africa all my life and travelled Africa and believe me Life is a lot tougher in Africa than America …especially for Women…

…so why if people were so unhappy with living in the US – in the past stay…?

The World is full of injustices…and I do agree the Lady is a Racist…which makes me feel very uncomfortable – as I have lived with these situations my entire life which creates more problems in the long run.

If She was never proud of living in US which gave her a lovely life and good opportunity…why did She not go back to Africa?

We live in Africa. I was born here and now have to leave as being White one cannot even live a normal life or get good employment…as we are the minority…I have had to let go of many issues and I am not a Racist…

…Even though we are live in harmony and have forgiven and forgot…

Does America need to have more tension…? I think not….

Jun 20, 2008 - 3:19 am 190. Lorraine Jones:

…Anyway…I like Obama…his wife Michelle is very attractive and very confident and if she channels her energy in the right direction it would be great!!!She does come accross stronger than her Husband…

Forget the colour issue!!! It doesnt help and creates more problems in the longterm if you keep on about it!

I really find Mc Cain very attractive and nice(stong) his wife is lovely and obviously born into a very wealthy family which is her good luck…Cindy I think is not a snob at all. She has Class. Born into money is her business.

I just hope for the sake Of the USA …the right situation comes into place…Life is way to short for trivia and this colour thing…create employment…get Industries going…grow food…positive thinking! Not backward thinking…!

If this Racism thing carries on it will just bring more grief and decay into Society…more segregation….

I love the US and hope for the sake of the Country the Best Man wins and that his Wife whoever it may be tries to maintain a sense of balance…and stays in the background positivel!!!!

Jun 20, 2008 - 3:41 am 191. hello:

venividivici

On December 2, 1863, when the “Freedom” statue was hoisted atop the dome of the U.S. Capitol, it was due to the workmanship of a slave at the Bladensburg (Maryland) Foundry, Philip Reid. He was responsible for the bronze casting that is a symbol of freedom around the world.

Between 1790 and 1863, artisans like Reid comprised half the workforce that built the White House and the Capitol. America’s Capitol City was built on the backs of slaves: Those who worked Virginia’s quarries, digging and transporting the stones to Washington; performing work required to place the cut stones on the walls; digging the trenches and ditches; and hauling lumber and other materials.

Over a 70-year period, slaves toiled from dawn to dusk building the temples to represent a country were “all men are created equal.” Slaves cleared the trees and brush for the Mall and Washington boulevards that lead to the seat of a government.

Reid & Company never received a fair day’s pay, but the Irish and German immigrant workers who labored beside them were paid from $4.65 to $10.50 a week. Enslavers received $5 a week for each of their slave’s labors.

To determine the economic value of slavery, the population of slaves in the US was obtained from the US Census Bureau. It was assumed that, on average, slaves worked some 60 hours per week for 51 weeks during the years with the average pay rate over the 164 years at $.10 per hour. All of these assumptions are conservative since underreporting was a common practice since state and local taxes had to be paid on the number of slaves.

The results of the economic value of this free labor are, when inflated conservatively at 3% to 2006 dollars, a staggering value of 20.3 trillion dollars or to put this number in a more visual perspective; it amounts to $563,450 per African American currently living in the US. This amount is low since slave labor was counted from the year 1700 instead of 1619 and, the census data, in all likelihood, is low for various taxing demands and for those members of the Black race that were able to pass for white or elude the census.

The 19.7 trillion dollar slave contribution is still within the US economy since the dollar has constantly inflated in value, and money like matter in never destroyed; it can be wasted but not destroyed, in an inflationary economy. This slave-induced contribution is still working and funding new ventures, within the US economy as we speak.

It is known that Aetna Insurance Co., E.I. Dupont, and J.P. Morgan, Brown University, to name a very, very few, reaped substantial benefits from the grim business of slavery. For example, Pierre Bauduy purchased 4 out of the original 16 shares issued for the E.I. DuPont Company for $8,000. Pierre Bauduy obtained his money from the profits of a Haitian plantation which he was forced to vacate during the Haitian revolution.

The manufacturers of slave ships and cotton merchants heavily financed Brown University in its early beginnings. Aetna Insurance Co. sold insurance policies on slaves to protect slave owners from the losses of run away slaves. Don’t forget about the fugitive slave act: which gave way to hunting slaves at prices averaging $350.00 a head when the average salary was $40.00 a month. These men went on to start other ventures that exist today. The original capital for J.P. Morgan was derived from its cotton trading company in the South. So much fortune was amassed off the backs of the cotton, tobacco, and rice-picking slaves that J.P. Morgan loaned money to the US government during the Civil War.

Your argument. “Why did the south lose the war is irrelevant”? It lasted 250 years.It served it’s purpose. And public opinion on the issue changed. Oh my! You said human nature is the same whether it’s 50 years or 5000. Throw out those homemade text books.

Literally and figuratively, slavery is at the root of this country’s prosperity, you can have your own views and I don’t care whatever they may be. But you don’t have a clue. And if you wish to prove me wrong point me to your evidence not your imagination and the lies you were told all your life. Fact is Fact.

Jun 20, 2008 - 10:50 am 192. show me:

Geni

Your an idiot. Do me a favor. Show me where you got your information. You have strong views but, how did you come upon them. Fries Oval office. Your analogy is not the least bit fair.Vote the way you wish. But don’t use the Obamas as your excuse. At least most people here have real issues and policies they don’t agree with.

Why do you feel it’s ok to kick the dog and not expect the dog to growl?

Jun 21, 2008 - 5:16 am 193. Mills:

The US Army’s Equal Opportunity Program is probably wishing Michelle Obama becomes the co-president. Why? Because according to the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program, the white race is the only race capable of practicing discrimination, being prejudice, and being racist. In fact, every example in the numerous Army equal opportunity publications, place white soldiers as being racist and minorities as the victims. In addition, the Army teaches Soldiers that minorities contributed more to American society than White-Americans. Also, minority deviant behavior is caused by white-racism. Will a President Obama support the Army’s EO current EO program so will he support an EO program that is “EQUAL’ for all Soldiers? I have a website that the US Army does not want you to see: http://www.eodoublestandard.net.

Jun 21, 2008 - 10:28 am 194. tony:

Mrs. Obama has a large chip on her sholder and it has to be removed if she want’s to be a great first lady. all the first ladies that I remember in the past, had it all togeather and knew what was going on in the world. will she be able to converse with some of these people who visit the White House when the time comes?
Tony,

Jun 21, 2008 - 10:44 pm 195. Survey shows how race may affect election:

[...] there’s Michelle Obama, and as the usually objective folks at Pajama’s Media ask: If Michelle Obama Isn’t Racist, What Is She?, I’ll leave that for the readers to decide for [...]

Jun 22, 2008 - 6:00 am 196. A:

You would be hard pressed to find black candidates who have not been exposed to the ramblings of Jermiah Wright and that know nothing about “Black Conciousness.”

Jun 22, 2008 - 6:33 am 197. Huh?:

Tony are you questioning her education, knowledge of current events, or her “chip”? I hope not her education, or current events. If so do me a favor and check previous First Ladies credentials. Do you want a Stepford wife?

Jun 22, 2008 - 11:16 am 198. Help me:

A
Wouldn’t it be really strange to have “Black candidate” who was not aware of the Black experience in America?

That wouldn’t be a “Black Candidate” that would be Sean Hannity.

“Black Consciousness”? Is this another made up paranoia?

Jun 22, 2008 - 11:26 am 199. cozy:

If you want change vote for Obama if you think everything is going great in our country now than vote for McCain! Plain and simple. Most of y’all sound really scared right now for a black man to have a very good chance to become president of the United States.
Stop being so scared and open your mind.
To make a long story short most of the comments from the readers sound racist to me:)
Look at your self before you pass judgement on others.
~Peace

Jun 22, 2008 - 5:18 pm 200. Christal:

What is wrong with what Jeremiah Wright said??? Is it not true that black people were hung, beaten, murdered, raped and mutilated in this here country called America the free??? Are not black people still being killed, beaten and shot by the lynch mob, the Police Dept.??? And do you think that God will not avenge those who have been wronged??? Have you not read the Bible??? Obviously not!!!

The truth is a hard digest, but necessary. It’s easy to speak about a black person being racist and ignore the blatant racism of the U.S. government displayed during Katrina. Iowa didn’t have that problem and neither did the “whites” in the California fires. But you say that Michelle is a racist because she’s not afraid to confront the issues of race.

The truth is majority of the black lower class doesn’t have any “white” friends. Why, because they don’t live in the same neighborhoods. But none of you would know that because you don’t live there either. How familiar are you with the daily battles of poor black people in this country??? Besides what you see on TV or read about, you know NOTHING!!!

Jun 23, 2008 - 5:15 am 201. allbesure:

We need to keep an open mind. As the wives of the president candidates will be target even harder than their husbands. Both ladies are doing an awesome job, just in the public eyes. Think if it was u. Your tail will fold up. Anyway my vote to the leader who will do great things, and deliver outstanding results. Like at the polls. Obama is leading in the energy, monel and polls. Personal racial prejudice is out their, to vote for change is to accept an african american president according to nbc.com. So guess where my vote is going?

Jun 23, 2008 - 5:19 am 202. Christal:

Another thing, I am so sick of white people pretending that racism isn’t very much alive today as it was 100 years ago. Race is an issue in this election and all of you can keep your heads buried in the sand and ignore the truth. Everyone on here who has commented that Michelle is a racist is NOT BLACK…why is that??? Why are there no BLACK people on here saying the same???

And yes, this country has afforded people of many races a better life. However, that’s only to a certain degree. Regardless of how successful you are in this country as a person of African decent, you are still considered the “N” word by white America. People are caught all the time saying the “N” word amongst their friends when they think no one is listening. Look at how O.J. Simpson has been treated since his ACQUITTAL…yes, he was found INNOCENT, but he has been treated like he was guilty. Why is that America??? Do tell!!!

Jun 23, 2008 - 5:37 am 203. Ashley:

You know who seems to me to be the real racist, the reporter who wrote this stupid ass mess. The reason she believes that Mrs Obama is racist is because she is not a black women or a black man, and in our world no matter what it is about race. We are the minority and we face so many struggles and so much injustice but we it seems that other people fail to realize or acknowledge it. I don’t believe that she is racist at all, she is very educated and she choose to write about that subject because racial matters are something that we see and deal with everyday, so why not write about it. The people who are trying to make it seem like Michelle and Obama are racist are so ignorant and they realize deeply how powerful and wonderful these two people are they are afraid and mad because they are black. I am so frustrated that this is coming down to race and that false things and being spoke against these two people, but I guess when it all boils down it will always be about who is black and who is white. I hope you all look very stupid when Obama become president and we will see who is really racist then.

Jun 23, 2008 - 5:54 am 204. Mills:

Christal: Your right! Some black people were murdered, raped, etc (I assume you mean by whites). However, whites were and are still being murdered, and raped daily by blacks; in much larger numbers. So do not use that as an argument because it doesn’t hold water. However, your statement about God avenging those who have been wronged does, so keep that in mind.

Second, stop victimizing yourself! You and many others love to be victims because that is all you learn in many churches and schools. Blaming racism is just an excuse for failure. Most, if not all, successful minorities will say hard work is the secret to success; not blaming whitey. Stop blaming everyone but yourself. Doing so is in itself, well racist.
If any minority failure is the white man’s fault, then why (in my opinion) was black family structure and black people in general stronger prior to the 1960s? At that time, white on black racism was very rampant. So digest this fact: Today, blacks are far more free and more than equal opportunity today but they are (in my opinion) weaker today than they were in 1960? Racism was more back then but they were stronger. So again, stop victimizing yourself and stop blaming others. Instead of being part of the problem, start being part of the solution and help stop racism and help being an understanding of the real race issues. Read about the anti-white racism in the US Army at: http://www.eoboublestandard.net.
One more thing. About your comment about the Whites in Iowa and California versus Katrina. God helps those who help themselves.

Jun 23, 2008 - 6:49 am 205. Mills:

Sorry for the many typos in the above post, I am in a hurry. I have to run off and prevent a minority from becomming successful. I am running late.

Jun 23, 2008 - 6:54 am 206. Christal:

Mills, FYI, I am not a failure and am not nor have ever claimed to be a victim. Where did you get that??? Can you read??? I just stated the facts. How do you know what we are taught in school and church??? Have you attended a black school??? Have you attended a black church??? If you had, you would know that we are taught that we can do anything with faith in Christ and hard work. So, if all we are being taught is to be victims, how did B & M Obama get where they are??? So all of the black people who have changed history were taught to be victims too??? I think NOT!!!

Your ignorance is a disgrace to this country and your race. I have friends of all cultures but that’s not everyone’s story MILLS. Everyone was not raised with the same values and self respect I was. I lived next door to some of those same people. I’ve preached the same thing about stop victimizing yourselves and take control of your lives. But the point is, those conditions still exist and are being exploited by white America. Drugs are placed in the black community by who??? Nobody in the ghetto owns any airplanes or ships. Who’s bringing this into the community MILLS??? These people are then sent to prison and are not rehabilitated, but institutionalized. They get out and guess what??? They can’t go to college because of their record…they can’t get a real job….they can’t get a place to live…they can’t vote etc. And all of this because of a bad choice in their youth.
It’s as simple as Pavlov’s Law. But you can’t see that, because you don’t live it. How do you think I feel when I see my people falling away because of this conditioning???

I am an intelligent, educated black woman who is proud to be an American. You are a racist and it’s very clear in your statement.

You say that whites are being killed and raped by black people, that’s not completely true, there is more black on black crime than black on white crimes. But all you see is the white people that are killed by black people. I see both, because they are all people. But crime against an individual is not to be compared to crime against a people so don’t you dare play that card.

So those people who died in Katrina because the U.S. didn’t send help until 3 days later are to blame because they couldn’t help themselves??? Oh okay, I didn’t know they were suppose to have boats, rafts, water, shelter and food all while the city was under water.

You make no sense because you are the very racist that you call Michelle. And God will punish America for her atrocities against not only black people, but other countries as well.

Jun 23, 2008 - 7:53 am 207. Christal:

Ashley, very well said!!!

Jun 23, 2008 - 7:56 am 208. Mills:

Christal, thanks for your reply. I commend you on your success and on your pride of being American. Enough with the small talk. You labeled me as a racist. Why? What did I mention that is racist? Is it the mere fact that I disagree with you? Is it because you think I am white? According to popular black culture, only whites can be racist. I am a Korean female living in Korea so that means that I cannot be racist, right? Well, back on point—what did I mention that was racist? Was it when I wrote that whites are ”…still being murdered, and raped daily by blacks; in much larger numbers”? This is a fact. You also mentioned a fact. You mentioned that there is more black on black crime than black on white crime. That is true but that does not discount the fact that I pointed out: “whites are “…still being murdered, and raped daily by blacks; in much larger numbers”. Both are facts. So, does that make me a racist? How about this statement that I wrote: “You and many others love to be victims because that is all you learn in many churches and schools. Blaming racism is just an excuse for failure”. When you labeled me as a racist, was that it? For most of your post, you seemingly accuse whites for the drugs in black communities. That sure sounds like victimizing to me. Just because I pointed that out, does that make me racist? Does my opinion about stronger black families in the 1960 than today’s families make me racist? I guess that could be border-line but not racist-just observant. Anyone can disagree with me, but I would not call him/her racist just for doing so. I made one more comment that could be seen as racist. “God helps those who help themselves”. OK, I can see how someone can see that as being racist. Maybe my feeling got the best of me….but many blacks (in New Orleans) sat back and waited for someone to rescue them; to support them; to give them something; and to blame someone when they don’t get it. And they did blame… I even heard that whites caused the hurricane to strike the city in order to kill blacks. I even heard that whites deliberately blew the levees to flood the city. Why would whites or the government do that when everyone knows that it’s going to be the whites and the government that will fix the problem? The New Orleans’ black mayor warned the city several days about the hurricane as well as national news media but many people did not vacate. Their poor decision caused their issues, not the white man or government. As you mentioned yourself: “And all of this because of a bad choice in their youth.” See, it was their poor choice for not vacating that caused their issues in the city. Sure, not everyone could leave. I know. But the city could have used the hundreds of city buses and school buses to vacate the citizens. But the city did not make that choice. The city government probably decided that this would be a great opportunity to cry, “RACISM”. Again it is a poor choice. “Whites are not the problem but part of the solution. You too can be part of the solution. Come aboard and turn your hate into compassion and let’s fight racism and the twisted dilution of victimization. You apparently live a life of victimization. Blame the government, blame the white man, blame blame blame. Stop and come aboard, this country could use your intelligence and pride to fight this evilness. Now, about Michelle and Barack Obama. If he wins, then he deserves to win because he got the most votes and I pray to God that he is a great president. I hope that he is the man to change race relations for the better. I hope he starts with you.

Jun 23, 2008 - 9:02 am 209. Christal:

Okay Mills, if you are a “Korean female living in Korea, ” how can you possibly know anything about what I’ve spoken about??? And I called you a racist because that’s what you are, plain and simple. Please see your comments below:

Exibit 1

“Why would whites or the government do that when everyone knows that it’s going to be the whites and the government that will fix the problem?”

Why is it the “whites” and the government??? What are there no blacks capable of fixing the problem???

Exibit 2

“But the city could have used the hundreds of city buses and school buses to vacate the citizens”

So again, the people should’ve what, stole the buses (since they are black)??? It’s their fault because the city didn’t help them. Here in Houston, a storm called Alison flooded the city and rescue workers had to use boats the get people off the roof top of their homes. It didn’t take three days either. But it was their fault right???

Exibit 3

“OK, I can see how someone can see that as being racist. Maybe my feeling got the best of me….”

Your “feeling” huhh??? Would that be feelings of racism that got the best of you??? Stereotypes even???

I rest my case!!!

Oh, and to answer your question, no we black people are very much aware that whites, asians, hispanics…etc, are racist towards us. It’s just they aren’t willing to verbally admit it. Nevertheless, they show it in their actions just as you have today with your comments.

Jun 23, 2008 - 9:54 am 210. Mills:

Christal, to respond to your first exibit: blacks are capable of fixing the problem. I never said they are not. But why are they not fixing the problem? Fix it then. For exibit 2: People didn’t need to steel the buses. I never suggested that. The mayor could have ordered the buses to be used to evacuate the citizens. But he didn’t. How many people died because of that? Exibit 3: You accuse me of stereotyping but you stereotype me as being stupid, or as least in capable of knowing what you are talking about because I am Korean, living in Korea. I am sorry, I gave you too much credit. I thought you would be able to hold a simple, yet productive conversation but I guess once a victim always a victim that cannot be helped. But we need to try to help you and people like you. This is what my race and many others are like: we help one another and help others. We try to overcome issues ourselves; not wait for someone else to fix it. We also try to help others too. Even you. This will be the last response to you. I can see that this conversation, like many others, will not fix anything because some people benefit from being a victim and thrive in it. You seem one of those people.

Jun 23, 2008 - 4:36 pm 211. EB:

Come on, do you really think she likes anyone that is not black?

Jun 23, 2008 - 6:49 pm 212. Regina:

When Obama first started his campaign, I thought; “hmm, seems interesting. I’ll look into this guy.”
As things continued, i began to realize that Obama never spoke about the issues. The real issues. All his speeches were just filled with sugar coated lullabies to keep me day dreaming of a America that was as real as a fairy with chocolate wings.

Black? Never really bothered me that he was of a different skin color as me. I don’t even consider him “black”, I consider him Mulatto. My family is “mixed.” At Christmas, you’ll see both white and black people around the Christmas tree. That is what America is all about. “Free People” with voices to express their opinions. Not “I’m black, so vote for me” or “I’m a white Christian, vote for me.”

When I have to check a box on a application for my race, I cringe every time. Why? Because it hurts me to have to label myself. I am a human. A person. I don’t degrade myself by placing a racial label on myself. To me, M.O. is in some way raciest because she believes that her color somehow makes her batter then others. Its just ignorance in my opinion. All men are created equal. And as such, the president, wither he/she be black or white or any other race, should view this country based upon that very foundation in which makes America great.

I will not be voting for Obama come election day. Not because of his race or because of his wife. But because he, as a man, is not what “I” feel this country needs.

Jun 23, 2008 - 10:34 pm 213. Michael:

Mills- you know nothing of the problems of black america. When and in what country are blacks killing whites? It happens ocassionally but, so does does a white person killing a black person. You sound absolutely clueless as to the problems of the black community. where Do drugs come from? not from blacks. the reason for the decline in our nieghborhoods correlates a lot with the explosion of the prison business in america. that is the whole reason for this BS war on drugs. War on drugs is the equvilent to lock a black man up. Which correlated with the decline of the black family in the early 80’s. Mills get a clue. you may not be racist but your thinking is that of the status quo and only perpetuates what is wrong with america. it is no mistake that black business in america only makes up 1/3 of 1 percent of total business. it is no mistake that blacks make only 60% of what whites make. it is no mistake that drugs are allowed in black communities. where do white people get their drugs from? do white people use drugs? then why don’t they get arrested for drugs? And stop with the “we are victims” stuff- everything i just stated are facts. Now black america does hold some of the blame but, it is in not seeing the traps that are laid out by whites and ceasing to fall into them. You are blind, Mills.

Jun 24, 2008 - 12:20 am 214. Regina:

Michael,

I just wanted to comment on some of your post.

In the early 80s, there was a spike in drug trafficking in the U.S. Most drug traffickers that were arrested and convicted in that time were from Mexico and Cuba. 90% of them illegal immigrants found bringing the drugs into the U.S through the south eastern states. Also during the past 20 years, population of African American communities grew in southern major cities by over 60% where the majority of these traffickers were taking these drugs. African American schools and communities started its decline around the mid 80s, around the same time some of the most controversial music started to make its show on underground music charts. Rap Music made its way into news about the same time as an increase in gang activity in major cities. By the mid 90s, rap had started to become more angrier in its lyrics, finding its way to mid stream radios, inciting more of the African American youth to join gangs. Gang related deaths and drug arrests began to rise at an alarming rate. During the mid 80s, when drug trafficking became wide spread, the DARE program tried to help kids learn to say “no.” As well as educate them on the reality of gang life. (I remember the lectures myself back in school)

Now, with all that said, I understand what you mean in some points. I myself was raised in a low income household with four sisters. Some may have called us “rednecks” or “hillbillies” or “white trash.” The older people in my family were extremely raciest. They tried to teach us, the new generation, to follow in their foot steps and for some people in my community, it worked. My eldest sister, however, changed the future of our family and even some of the minds of the people of our community.

She fell in love with someone of a different race. Yep. He was African American. And he in turn loved her. The race battle within my own family and community raged for years. My sisters life was threatened on more then one occasion. People would come to our house and throw bricks through our windows. My father, who at one time was as raciest as these people who now threatened all our lives, saw how ugly racism can be. I was never so much more proud of my father then the day he sat down with his new son-in-law and talked to him for the first time. I went with my sister to visit her new husbands family, and to my surprise, they acted in much the same fashion as the “white” people back home. They alienated her, people in the community called her many racist names. Death threats were given, and shots were even fired at our home. Eventually, what happened in my family soon happened in his. They saw how ugly it was.

Our family and his family united behind my sister and my brother-in-law. And we, as a family, began the hard road to educate those people around us in our communities.

I came from a raciest “white trash” family. A family that is now a loving and accepting family to all races and nationalities. A family that will never be raciest “white trash” again. My sister and my brother-in-law changed the future of a few people. the course of a few lives with the one single most powerful thing of all…love. In doing so, my children, her children and all of the children that is born in both families and those children that come after, will forever carry this new way of thinking.

There is no “black community” or “White Community” there is only people. People who hurt, cry, laugh and love the same. White people aren’t laying traps, black people aren’t falling into them. We are all the product of our own minds. Change the mind, change the future.
Until we as people can do this together and stop pointing fingers of blame at one another, but instead point at ourselves, then things will never change.

Mills, and you both in my opinion aren’t blind enough. You still see color and not what really matters.

Jun 24, 2008 - 11:06 am 215. teacher:

Regina, Mills, Michael, Christal and to anyone else to which this may apply. Christ has not been accepted by all people and neither will any of you accepted all people. Until each of you accepts Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can not possibly understand how to have a genuine and unconditional love for all people. It has to do with a heart thing and not a skin color thing.
Our world is truly in a critical state when animals have more rights than people.

Jun 24, 2008 - 1:01 pm 216. amy:

People need to get a life, honestly. If Michelle is a racist, than Cindy McCain is a Junkie and thats a proven fact. I think we should leave the wives out of the election and focus on what matters the most and thats getting Bush out of office. Obama 08

Jun 24, 2008 - 1:31 pm 217. Mills:

Teacher, and Regina: Thanks for your posts. I understand– I will consider what you wrote.

Thanks.

Jun 24, 2008 - 4:19 pm 218. teacher:

Everyone is so afraid of change. Change must begin within yourself. Try real hard to find some good in all people. The best thing we can all do is pray for each other, especially our enemies. Everyone who has posted a negative and hateful comment about anyone needs prayer. We are so busy finding fault and criticizing that
we fail to see our own faults. The only perfect one is GOD. Neither McCain or Obama can repair a hurt, torn or broken heart. So many of you have failed GOD and deviated from your true purpose in life. We were put on this Earth to encourage each other and do the will of GOD. I haven’t heard very much encouragement posted on this blog. It’s sad that this campaign has caused people to stoop to such a low level of love loss. People where is the love. Hated is the absence of LOVE. You can not love one race without loving all other races. That would be a form of racism. Love you all. A merry heart doeth good like medicine. Some of you need a large does of LOVE. Where do you find it. The one and ONLY JESUS CHRIST. Please excuse typos

Jun 24, 2008 - 8:05 pm 219. Michael:

Regina- god post. I see where you are coming from. but, black people have tried to be colored blind in the past. blacks have tried to integrate themselves into white society only to be looked at as second class citizens. I dont know the answers, all I know is that in america whites have all the advantages. gangs wer born as a way for blacks to make money because we couldn’t do it legally. wasn’t allowed and it is still not allowed(blacks earn 60% of what whites earn but we have the same bills), just not overtly said.
I want to be colored blind. I want to look at my white friends with the same love and respect i look at my black with. i want to be equal also in all ways and not just talk.
I also dated white women when I was younger and was called nigger by a white womans father. That incident and the fact i have been pulled over by white cops for things as small as having a high school tassel in my rear view mirror makes me very skeptical of white people.
I remember having white neighbors across the street from us. They had a pool and some kids our age. the kids got along but the parents were hell. we went swimming one day and for some reason my mother did not want us to go over there. we had no clue why. when me and my brother went over we were told we couldn’t get in the pool, we could only put our feet in the pool. other kids were allowed to swim but, not us. when i finally realized why we couldn’t get in the pool, I was hurt beyond measure. the two black kids could only put their feet in the pool while the white kids could swim.
I know not all white people are racist but when people don’t speak up about the atrocities of our system it leads me to believe you like the system that does injustice to blacks.

TEACHER- that message is lost on me. To many religions in this world for me to believe that. A muslim would say if we all just believed in Allah then and took him as our savior then you could not possibly have unconditional love for all people. I’ll pass.

Jun 24, 2008 - 8:13 pm 220. Mills:

Teacher-your message is not lost in me. Michael-it’s obvious that God’s message is lost in you. That explains your poor insight in life. Blame blame blame.

Jun 25, 2008 - 4:32 am 221. Tremone:

You people are the reason why Bush is still in office. Im an African-American and I wanted to point that out. Now, you’re happy because you got your little refund checks. Wow, but you all ignorant and retarded. Bill Clinton was too black for you. However, you forgot what he did to helped the economy. Last time I checked I was living fine until George Bush came into office. No, I didn’t vote for him. I saw it coming but you didn’t? You brought the war, gas prices, bad economy, and etc among yourselves. Well, Im tired of Republicans because they seem to make everything worst and want war everytime they come into power. With the Regans and Bushs, you should know better. You come up with 50 million excuses of why you shouldn’t vote for Obama only because he is black! Maybe if Obama was white it would be a different story do you think? Everytime a black man saids something he is violent, angry, racist, etc. When a white man saids something he is brilliant, educated, intelligent, etc. Its always been like that every since. You see color but I see change. Im f-ing tired of you fools complaining about this and that. Bush is f-ing white and look what he did to this country dumb ignorant b——! You all make me sick by voting for Bush. Thats okay maybe you will get the picture when you lose your jobs when your company move to Spain or somewhere. Or when you lose your house because of the high interest rate. Blacks help build this country because you were too lazy to do so on your own. Then you tried to get rid of us but we still are here. As a black man, I didn’t ask to come here. If you hate blacks so much then blame your ancestors not my black people or myself alright. You don’t say nothing about the Mexicans coming here and committing crimes then running to Mexico. You don’t say anything about Mexicans taking your jobs. They come into your country and you can’t stop them, lol. Illegal immigrants are about to run your racist country. But your focus is on nonesense? Oh, my gosh the good ole’ USA hit the fan and is going down but you are worried about none important issues. How many freaking white presidents weren’t racist? I know a few that were and I know Obama isn’t racist. Matter of fact isn’t he mixed with white blood. Why? Because your ancestors rape millions of negros during slaverly. Don’t forget the lynching either. But blacks are racist, lol. Okay, Im racist let me got hang a white guy. I be back in an hour or so, lol. ou cats are a joke. Shut up!

Jun 25, 2008 - 9:12 am 222. Christal:

@ Teacher, you are exactly right and Jesus Christ is the ONLY answer, NO DOUBT!!!

Mills, you’re laughable!!!

Michael, believe it, Christ IS REAL!!!

Regina, your family represents what we all hope for tomorrow…love, acceptance and change. But that hasn’t happened yet and the issues of today must be addressed. That can only begin with acknowledging the problems in the “black community.”

Jun 25, 2008 - 10:26 am 223. Vegas:

Michelle Obama is not a racist. The people writing over and over and over again about her being racist are actually the racists. Michelle Obama is a decent lady. A nice woman, a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter. She’s a hard working American woman who did in fact work her way from the bottom up. She can relate more to me and most Americans about how is this bill going to be paid, who’s getting paid this month and who isn’t, are we going to eat this month and if so how much or how little, etc. Cindy McCain can’t relate to that, I don’t care what story they try to tell. She has over 100 million dollars. Michelle Obama didn’t grow up like that, she’s still not there. The Obama’s know what it’s like to struggle and actually have to get up everyday and go to work. Not working isn’t or wasn’t an option for them. Anyone trying to paint Michelle’s family as a trust fund family, they have their work cut out for them.

Michelle will make a fabulous first lady. She can represent so many. She didn’t defraud and steal and do the drugs from a company she helped found, like Cindy McCain. If she did, she would’ve done some time. Ms. McCain is more special than the rest of us Americans, she didn’t do any jail time at all. If that was us, we’d be running from the cops, not running for the White House. Felons can’t even vote, much less think about being first lady. That’s not White House material. I don’t want her representing young ladies and girls. If I were Cindy McCain, I’d be running around talking about how proud I am everytime someone stuck a mic in my face. Why not? She’s more special than everyone else. The rules, the laws, don’t apply to her. It must be nice! Sorry, can’t vote McCain.

Obama 08!!!!!!!!!

Jun 25, 2008 - 1:26 pm 224. teacher:

Micheal, Jesus Christ is not a religion. I’ll be praying for you and Tremone. I hope you find some happiness some where along the way. You both sound like very unhappy people and well as many of you on this blog. We all need to get on on accord. My prayer is that GOD’S will be done. That would be the best for everyone. Oh, yeah! Thanks for acknowledging the truth Christal. People you are either doing the will of God or the will of satan. There is no grey area. Which one are you doing?

Jun 25, 2008 - 1:53 pm 225. teacher:

People there is not a perfect person. So, how can there be a perfect race? All races have poor people, racist, lazy, ignorant, sick, evil, hateful and etc. We need to stop trying to criticize and fix a race we do not belong to and work on the one we belong to. Sweep around you own back door. Every race has major problems, we seem to want to take the focus off our own and highlight the problems of other races. How can we be so blind to our own problems? Everyone on this blog needs a wake up call and a new purpose. Thanks to each of you I have a new purpose. That being not to follow the path of the individuals on this blog. Thank you everyone.

Jun 25, 2008 - 5:21 pm 226. teacher:

Again, very well said!!!

Jun 26, 2008 - 4:11 am 227. GUIDO A ECHEVARRIA SR:

THE OBAMAS ARE BULL.THE SENATOR IS COMING FRON THE MOST CORRUPTED STATE OF UNION.
AFTER 3 YEARS IN THE US SENATE HE BELIVE HE HAS A MAGIC STICK TO EVERY PROBLEMS.THIS BULL REMEMBER ME OF CASTRO WHO AT HIS TIME HE \CLAIN THAT HE WAS THE SOLUCION.THE YELLOW PRESS OF THE COUNTRY AND THE IGNORANT CAN BELIVE IN THIS SILVER SPOON AFRICAN/MUSLAN/BALCK/AMERICA CARTER PART 2).THEY DON’T KNOW ABOUT HISTORY O GEOGRAPHY. GOD HELP US.SEN CLINTON WAS THE REAL CHOICE WITH THE DIFFERNCE THAT SHE IS MARRIED TO ONE OF THE BEST PRESIDENTE OF USA

Jun 26, 2008 - 10:07 am 228. Brittany:

You know what yall need to get over it and get a grip of life you people are just finding anything bad on the Obama’s because you dont want to see an African American family run this country because you are afraid of losing power we yall aint got power no more and we shall strive whether you like it or not i bet damn well if mccain did some shit like that wouldn’t no one say he was rascist so once again get a grip of life and grow up your not in elementary any more and she is free to say or do what ever she likes hell is it wrong for her to love and look out for her people who have always been last in line? Say what you want but i voted for Obama

Jun 26, 2008 - 12:55 pm 229. Mills:

Brittany (including Christal and Micheal), from reading your post, I suggest that you vote for Senator McCain or at least don’t vote at all. See, Senator Obama has always said that he wants to bring the races together. If he does that, and I hope he does, it means that minorities, notably blacks, will then have power. In that case, blacks then can be racist just like whites. That also means that blacks cannot blame whites for their troubles anymore. Right now, I think the black community does not see this yet, but they will shortly after Obama becomes President. President Obama, if he does what he says, will being equal opportunity to the minorities (even though they already have it but don’t want to admit it). Under President Obama, minorities must work just as hard and stop demanding hand-outs. Minorities will no longer be victims under President Obama. At that point, minorities will realize they made a big mistake and wished they could be victims again with wide open hands saying, “give me, you owe me”. Christal and Micheal, this will be your worst nightmare and I suggest that you reconsider voting for Obama because doing so could mean your “victim” posts will end.

Jun 27, 2008 - 11:29 pm 230. Slap:

Mills
enough is enough! You may not be a racist, but you are definitely an idiot. Until you do some research on the Black American experience shut the F*CK UP. If Obama wins the presidency that does not mean blacks have the power. It means A minority can and has achieved the highest public office. And that means the people of America have come a long way. The presidents job is to run the country of the United States of America to the benefit of all it’s people. Whatever tribalism your culture is used to is not how it works here.

Based on percentage of population blacks disproportionaly have less wealth than there white neighbors. Also a fact not talked about is among whites and blacks whose generations date back to the Civil War whites have 500% more wealth than blacks. Blacks need to realize it’s not a level playing field. It never will be but at the same time stay away from the things that blacks are punished or vilified for more than our white brethren. At the same time not be angry at whites that don’t perpetuate the injustices.

And people like Mills who refuse to acknowledge 10 generations of forced labor and forced ignorance, to Jim Crow to 1968. That is 40 years of so called Equal Opportunity for it’s earliest contributors to the Union. Yes there were a few who learned how to read( it was very rare to find a black who could read). And of course you know that reading for blacks was punishable by death. So to sit there smug and think blacks should actually be socially and economically equal to whites is just plain ignorant and irresponsible. Don’t even try to compare immigrants who saved all they could to get here. To start a new life, because they choose to. They came with there culture and identity. They were not children of a people stripped of there dignity and bread to be ignorant slaves without any history.

Christianity? The excuse to conquer the world by the Europeans? It’s not real. It’s a story that has been told thousands of years before Christ allegedly existed. All people need to get off that religious crutch. All the people all over the world prior to modern communications like America, Africa, Asia and everywhere else who never got the message until the missionaries came around had it wrong? Thats the problem with people especially blacks. You do your culture a disservice by blindly following some faith that is alien to you and helped keep you in chains. Did you ever honestly ask how can this be real? Are you that afraid to die? That religious garbage just keeps you pacified. Just because Grandma said it was right doesn’t mean it is. Can granny do calculus? Love of neighbor and self has nothing to do with any religion. Most people don’t even read the religious text. They have someone interpret it for them(priest pastor, rabbi, Imam, whatever). How divine.

And before you disciples start. Let me say I love you. And I wish you the best. Also yes I am very happy. I became really happy when I saw the world for what is was and still is. Men or women with power trying to keep it.

Mike she has never looked at the other point of view objectively. Maybe her dad was a Black GI.

Jun 29, 2008 - 8:19 am 231. Slap:

After 400 years of slavery the Jews roamed the desert for 40 years.

I am not saying blacks are the new Jews(Liberia didn’t get weapons and nukes). I am saying after such atrocities people need to find there footing. And even though forced labor outside of prison ended after the civil war. All other forms of slavery did not end until the late 1960’s.

If you understand that you can understand blacks are still wandering. Well at least the people who aren’t really trying to eat Jesus and drink his blood.

Jun 29, 2008 - 9:25 am 232. Hal:

She is a horrible human being. She has worked as a collection agent for Cook County Hospital putting debtors out of their homes. Her husband is a slum landlord along with his sponser Rezko. Neither of themm even know anyone who might be classified as a patriot. They are pure snots, liars and bigots. And so are you, if you support them.

Jun 29, 2008 - 12:57 pm 233. Mills:

All,

Some individuals that made posts mentioned that I am racist before they knew that I was a Korean female. After I said that I was Korean, several posts mentioned that I was not indeed a racist! Why is that? Is it because only whites can be racist?

All of my posts were really geared to see how people would react to a “questionable” racist non-white person (Korean). The results were not suprising. I used this forum, along with ten others, to make the simular posts. I got simular replys, “Mills is not racist”. I made the same claim in ten other forums but I mentioned that I was a white male (which I am). every post in all of those forums mentioned that I was racist. Why? Koreans cannot be racist? Minorities cannot be racist? How many Koreans do you know that live in Korea named, “Mills”?

Thanks you for your time and please understand this was just a study to see who are the real racists in our society. Thanks for your input.

Mills, Out.

Jun 30, 2008 - 8:02 am 234. Rae:

It’s sad that in this day and time people are still mislead. They continue to be a part of the masses and they never think for themselves. Just because you say that you don’t like what policy makers are doing doesn’t mean that you don’t love your country. For that matter what does it mean for one to “love their country?” Does it mean that you love everything and everyone in it? Does it mean that you love the government? Does it mean that you agree with everything that goes on in the country?? No! You can disagree with things, people, policies and polititians without hating them. I’m sure you often disagree with your spouse, you family, and your kids but that doesn’t make you love them any less.
In all actuality your fears, your hopes, your beliefs will impact your feelings. If you already don’t like black people or the thought of them being a president then there is no amount of evidence that will make you change your mind. You’re going to scrutinize and over-analyze EVERY SINGLE statement, every thesis, every piece of information that you get. TheBottom line is that MOST black people aren’t racist. We don’t hold up flags or wear sheets or discriminate but we do recognize the differences in culture. Unfortunately there is a lack of understanding by many whites who live in predominately white neighborhoods who have no day to day contact with black people. If they did they’d see that there are all kinds of black people just as there are all kinds of white people. There are gang-bangers, rioters, theives and liars but there are also mothers, doctors and lawyers and teachers. Unfortunately, all you see on television and in the newspaper are the theives, gangsters etc so you believe that ALL black people act that way. There isn’t enough diversity in representation of black people. If we can change the way that black people are seen then we can change the way the world sees us. Not as black or white but human.

Jun 30, 2008 - 11:24 am 235. teacher:

Mills,
You really do not have a clue about real life. Have you actually sat down and had a real conversation with real people of different races? That would probably be a NO. Seems like you get joy by bring confusion and misery to others. Probably because your life is full of misery. You seem like a lonely person. Get help soon. By the way I am a counselor, I was a teacher first. You seem to enjoy being deceitful. Once again, I pray for your soul, that it would not be lost. GOD help your soul.

Jun 30, 2008 - 4:32 pm 236. Slap:

Mills

You proved your an idiot. Only one poster called you racist.

Your entitled to your views. You say “According to black popular culture only whites can be racist”. Thats bull. Where is that poll info? Thats a Rush Limbaugh stat. BLACKS CAN BE RACIST! But The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular racial group, and that it is also the prejudice based on such a belief. It’s not racist to point out injustice or disagree on politics. Don’t change the definition to fit your argument or “study”. Do some fact checking. We can tell your someones parrot.

Get a girl.

Jun 30, 2008 - 8:07 pm 237. Mills:

Slap, you missed my point. And that was precisely my point! This whole time, I was trying to demonstrate that blacks CAN be racist. But many blacks feels that they cannot. I have been in the US Army for a very long time and the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program actually teaches that whites are the only ones capable of racism. The Army points out that minorities are powerless to be racist, prejudice, or conduct any discrimination. The Army even goes as far to say that white soldiers are the only cause for all minority deviant behavior. Therefore, minorities cannot be held responsible for their ill actions because the white man made them do it. In all fairness, in 15 years of service, I have never seen that used in court, but I guess it is possible. One last point: according to the Army, White-Americans and White-Europeans contributed little to nothing to American society or history (including military history).
I know that whites contributed much to this country and so did all the other races. I also know that many contributions that minorities, notable blacks, made have been overlooked. We all know that. And it still is occurring today. I know that white history is filled with racism. I know that minorities were kept down for soooo long. But to the most part, those days are over. Not completely over, put close. In my opinion, we can’t completely close those doors by opening up other doors that allow racism towards whites. That since to be the case. For instance, look at the Army. The Army’s EO Program actually states that minorities cannot be racist; only whites can. The Army actually states that minorities do not have power. How is that equal opportunity? I am white, but hearing the Army’s EO Program telling minorities that they are powerless really makes me mad. It should make everyone mad. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Someone tells you that you are powerless and victims for a long time, you will probably start to feel that way. Just look at the posts in this forum. On the other side of the coin—If the Army tells white soldiers that they are the only ones that can be racist because they are the ones with power, they are probably believe it too. See, the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program does not benefit anyone. I tried to make an EO complaint with the Army but they refused to accept it. The EO advisor even threatened my career if I tried to file it. My commander even ordered me to stop making the EO complaint, which is a violation of military law. But he got away with it. White soldiers are not allowed to make an EO complaint but minorities can. This is wrong. Everyone can be racist. I can and you can. But according to the Army, only whites can. Only whites can have power—and this is wrong.
All I wanted to do is demonstrate this. I feel that I was successful. Unfortunately, I could not make an EO complaint to let all soldiers know that the EO Program is counterproductive. So, my wife decided to turn my EO complaint into a book. The book has been out for only a few weeks but I hope that the EO program can change. We need an EO Program that states that any race can be racist. We need an EO Program that actually brings equal opportunity. Once the Army finds out about the book, I will likely lose my career. If that is what it takes to get equal opportunity for all-then so be it. If you would like to read a few excerpts, go to http://www.eodoublestandard.net.

Mills.

Jul 1, 2008 - 4:52 am 238. teacher:

Mils, you missed the point and remarks of some. I made the statement of June 25. Racism is a part of every race. Much success with your efforts and GOD bless you. Obviously the Army teaches racism.

Jul 1, 2008 - 6:33 pm 239. Sue:

It is so easy to blame a “race” for the actions of a few. If the majority of whites hated blacks, or discriminated against them, Obama wouldn’t be running for President nor would black Hollywood celebrities, athletes, etc. be millionaires. Rev. Wright’s diatribe was an eye opener for me. A man of the cloth spewing hatred. Amazing! Imagine sitting in his church for twenty years listening to this! I think the vast majority of “whites” have blown past racial hatred BUT will not vote for a man who continues to bring up his blackness and the “differences” of blacks and whites. We all want the same things in life. He and his wife should speak of coming together, of our need to achieve prosperity for our country. The time has come for African Americans to look at their own and intervene to stop the killing of black men by black men, to promote lawfulness, education, family, marriage and jobs. Black men need to be held responsible for raising their children, for setting a good example. No more idolizing “gangsta” type behavior. Bill Cosby may be unpopular for telling the truth with the black community, but he’s a hero in my eyes for speaking out and offering a solution.

Jul 2, 2008 - 7:45 am 240. Slap:

Mills
I understand you, but you did not make any point.
You sound like a good dude. And I myself don’t know Military policies as well as you. But what I do know is of course blacks can be racist. But lets not change the meaning of racism. A lot of people today use the word out of context.

As far as the military goes. Thats messed up. But as screwed as those policies are that is Army policy. You can’t blame the black soldiers for that. I can see your frustration. And it must suck to be the person who is paying for years of sh*ty policy as the Army is going about there reparations the wrong way. So please focus your frustration on the policy makers. If you articulate your concerns better I am sure blacks will understand and agree. I think they would do what they could to help. Because as a black male I would not be comfortable sitting in any session where the topic was demeaning to any racial group. And Mills there are ignorant people and sometimes there is a group of them. Don’t worry about them.

You need to get that book out there. Write it well. Have your facts correct, get some recordings, GET A BLACK PERSON AND A WOMAN AND WHOEVER ELSE TO STANDBY YOU. Because you will be labeled racist especially with your sarcasm. Make some money and leave the Army. Take it easy. You should vote Obama because he would not like those policies if he knew of them.

“Who wants to be on the team when they find out dad pulled some strings”? Not many. Oh. Bush theres one.

Jul 2, 2008 - 8:52 am 241. Slap:

sue

Those actions of a few resulted in societal way of life for all. That benefited a portion of the population and dehumanized another. Things are better and get better everyday except for the awakenings we have now and then. But those are still positive because it helps clear the air. Why is it that you feel blacks should not feel slighted and have the right to let there feelings be known. Go take a good look at how Obama has had to deal with race from the media. They remind you of his “Blackness” and he must respond. And realistically he is the first Black presidential nominee who at the time of his birth couldn’t eat in some places in the United States because of his “Blackness”. He has every right to be proud of that and America for making it possible. Trust me he is handling this like Jackie Robinson. Not in the sense of the first black but being able to handle the constant tribulations of being the first.

There have always been entertainers and athletes who have made money. But how does that translate into whites not hating them? (Hattie McDaniel won a Oscar and couldn’t attend the ceremony.) Thats just capitalism. Besides getting rich themselves they make others rich. When did you start your version of U.S. history? January?

Bill Cosby is not looked down upon by the Black Community. That is a myth read some publications like Jet and Ebony. I read Time. We know there are serious issues in the Community and people work to make the situation better everyday, but how did it get bad in the beginning? Could it have been domestic policy? Not blaming but not ignoring either.

As far as Rev. W. is concerned until you show outrage for all of the past presidential nominee religious associations your a hypocrite. Besides Tell me what he said that is so crazy but before you do research it. How many nominees have been Southern Baptist? A sect that wants to maintain it’s Whiteness. You know there was a organization that was trying to protect the community and investigate crime. They were the Black Panthers. But they eventually were criminalized.

Jul 2, 2008 - 10:03 am 242. lp:

Slap

Get on with life “ol” buddy. Use your energy to create a positive outlook for you and your community. If racisim confronts you then move around it , keep moving forward , do not make excuses. You can do it “ol” buddy. This is a great country and even a guy like me with only a high school education and a monority to boot, made quite a nice living by never letting anything like racial discrimination keep me down. My old father always told me I needed to work twice as hard as everyone else to get ahead. It was great advice and when I look back at it – it wasn’t that hard. So get on it with “ol” buddy

Jul 3, 2008 - 5:12 pm 243. Mills:

Slap, thanks for your posts and insight. My book only deals with Army policies, not minorities. I may not have made that clear in these posts, but it is clear in the book. Matter of fact, my book has been out and it’s getting positive reactions from all races, but mostly from black Soldiers. Slap, thanks for your insight.

Jul 3, 2008 - 8:43 pm 244. slap:

mills good luck. its great to be able to chat huh?

lp….thanks I’m in the one percent…….. I know what it takes……. I just don’t don’t let people rewrite history.. it matters

Jul 4, 2008 - 7:12 pm 245. kco:

Michelle is an angry black woman. She is a racist. She will be the cause of a racial riot in this country. It’s already started if you read the youtube and blogs. It’s sad. She’s putting this country back 50 years.

Jul 20, 2008 - 5:50 pm 246. NavyWife:

First of all, I am from Iowa and I can personally attest that there are black people in Iowa. Yes the state is majority white. For some reason, people of other races have no interest in raising corn, soybeans, hogs and cattle. Not everyone from Iowa is racist either. My hubby and I just adopted 2 biracial children and never have had a negative comment about white parents with mixed kids..

Each and every race in this world has racism. Living in all the of the places that we have since my hubby is in the Navy, we have seen racism alive and well all over. Its never ok for a white person to hate anyone of another race, as it should be But why is it ok for other races to hate us whites? I understand the whole slavery and civil rights movement, and agree that slavery needed to end and everyone should be free and treated equally.

My ancestors might have owned slaves and might have fought the civil rights movement. But I didn’t, why am I paying for their crimes? Why is it when a black person hates whites, its called assertiveness? Why is it ok to hate white because of things that happened long before any of us were born??? Can I hate blacks because they call me a cracker? Nope, that would be racist. I can’t fight it because racial crimes end a jail sentence. But they can hate me for my ancestors owning slaves?? WTH sense does that make?

Why can we celebrate African American History month but not allowed to have Caucasion History month? Why can there be scholarships for black students, but not white? Why can every race on Earth be proud of their race and heritage but whites? For if we are, we are racist.

Jul 27, 2008 - 11:21 pm 247. izmelda:

Michelle Obama is the perfect embodiment of what is wrong with our country. Why is it perfectly acceptable for her to be a racist, because she’s a minority? Racism is alive and well in the US, it’s just no longer Caucasians who are the responsible party. I honestly feel terrible, as a Native American Female (yeah, Michelle, I’m more minority than you are.), that Caucasians are treated the way they are now by minorities. If they oppose a minority even for a moment they are seen as racist. Don’t be afraid to choose a candidate for the right reasons – it’s not racist.

Racism in all its forms needs to be eliminated. People of “all colors of the rainbow” need to see it for what it is – unacceptable behavior for everyone.

Aug 4, 2008 - 11:26 am 248. Another View:

Do you realize how much of American History Credited To Blacks was left out history because of ignorance? That’s why there is Black History Month. Every month is white history month. I don’t personally like BHM. The history should be part of the daily curriculum. No American child should know more about Davey Crockett than Frederick Douglas. Especially a Black Kid. But that’s the reality.

Scholarships programs were created to help blacks go to college. The scholarships White kids got blacks couldn’t get. This is not the chicken or the egg. It’s clearly the chicken. Do you think these programs were created for racist reasons? Yes things are better now. Should we end the scholarships? That’s still X amount of more American kids in college. And guess what you don’t have to be black to qualify. Unlike those it was created to counter. In 2008 we have proof Banks steered qualified Blacks to subprime and interest only loans. You don’t think There was scholarship bias against blacks in the past?

People should stop calling everything racist which is not. Racist is you know that supremest thing you all love to gloss over. It’s not racist to point out the racism you have faced. It’s not racist to be informed or angry. If your black and disagree with some policies your a racist but if your white your a liberal.

Was Nelson Mandela “racist” when he expressed his happiness at the end of apartheid or his disdain for government because of the policies toward blacks. Was it racism when blacks lashed out due to there treatment. NO.

Blacks don’t own media or enough media stock. The stuff you see is such a microcosm of Blacks in America. Blacks are very inclusive and are way more forgiving than whites in America( not genetically, our unique American culture).The problem comes when you change the definition of racism. It angers people to hear whites cry racism when blacks point out all the hipocracy. When we know racism as police brutality, discrimination, lynching,segregation, and all the Black Codes( google it). But we are most bitter when people try act as if past policies haven’t shaped todays America or if we have no right to voice opinions on America.

Maybe when Whites admit out loud they feel America is for them. We will truly understand each other.

Aug 10, 2008 - 11:23 pm 249. Another View:

KCO A contrived racial riot like this and some Black History for Navywife.

Rosewood was a small community of nearly 350 people, mostly black, in Levy County in central Florida, USA. Today, it is remembered for the Rosewood Massacre of January 1923, in which over several days, white mobs attacked and killed blacks, and burned most of the buildings in the settlement, which was abandoned by residents during the attacks and was not reoccupied. It had been a “whistle stop” on the Seaboard Air Line Railway, located on the north side of State Road 24 half a mile east of the intersection with Levy County Road 345. After reopening of history of the incident in the late 20th century, publicity was given to the terrible events through a book, film and commissioned report to the Florida legislature. A bill was passed to compensate survivors and descendants. The site of the former village has been designated a Florida Heritage Landmark.

Nine miles east of Cedar Key, Florida, near the Gulf of Mexico, Rosewood was settled in 1845. The growth of the timber industry, plus farming of citrus and cotton, led to construction of a train depot and a post office in 1870. Local industry also included two pencil mills in Cedar Key. Initial residents in Rosewood were both black and white, who established both black and white churches. After closure of the pencil mills and outmigration by whites, by 1900 the population in Rosewood had become predominantly black. Some people farmed or worked in local businesses, including a sawmill in nearby Sumner. The village of Sumner, predominantly white, was part of a voting precinct in which its population counted together with that of Rosewood. In 1920, the combined population was 344 blacks and 294 whites.

In 1920, Rosewood blacks had three churches, a school, a large Masonic Hall, a turpentine mill, a sugarcane mill, a baseball team and two general stores (one of which was white-owned). The village had about two dozen plank two-story homes, some other small houses, as well as several small unoccupied plank structures.

The 1923 events took place in an environment where white mobs continued to use lynching to enforce white supremacy, often on the alleged grounds of a black man attacking a white woman. In the summer of 1919, there was an outbreak of mob mass racial violence in several northern cities, in part due to competition for jobs and place by returning veterans of both races. Migration of tens of thousands of blacks to the North in the Great Migration had unsettled labor markets. By 1940, forty thousand blacks left Florida, for jobs, but more importantly, to escape the oppression of segregation, violence, and disfranchisement.

In the mid-1920s, the Ku Klux Klan was reaching its peak of membership in the South and Midwest after a revival starting shortly before World War I. Its growth was in part due to tensions from rapid industrialization, growth and social change in many cities, where rural whites and blacks migrated, as well as the pressure of waves of new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. The KKK was strong in Florida cities of Jacksonville and Tampa, and Miami’s chapter held initiations at the Miami Country Club. It also flourished in smaller towns of the South where violence had a long tradition.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Florida and other southern states had passed laws and constitutions effectively disfranchising African Americans, creating barriers to voter registration and voting. This meant also they could not participate as jurors in local or state trials, had no representation in the legislature, and had no positions in local government or law enforcement. As did other southern states, Florida had also passed Jim Crow laws imposing racial segregation in public facilities and transportation.

White mob action continued to erupt in north and central Florida towns. In 1920 whites removed four black men from a local jail and lynched them after their being accused of raping a white woman in Macclenny. Two whites and at least five blacks were killed in Ocoee in a dispute over voting rights. A white mob then destroyed the black community, including 25 homes, two churches and a Masonic Lodge. In the central part of the state, a black man was lynched in 1921 in Wauchula for allegedly attacking a white woman.

In December 1922, a white mob burned a black man to death for the alleged murder of a white school teacher in Perry, and then burned down the black Masonic Lodge and other black institutions, including a school and a church. Such incidents both demonstrated and raised fears on both sides of the color line.

On New Year’s Eve 1922, the Ku Klux Klan held a parade and rally of over 100 hooded Klansmen in nearby Gainesville, Florida under a burning cross and a banner reading, “First and Always Protect Womanhood.”

On January 1, 1923, in Sumner, a 22-year-old married white woman named Fannie Taylor claimed a black man had knocked on her door in the morning and then attacked her. Her official report stated he beat her about the face, but did not rape her. Other sources (and rumor) claimed that she was both raped and robbed.

Nine-year-old Lee Ruth Davis, a black resident of Rosewood, later reported that Mrs. Taylor had been visited by a white man employed by the Seaboard Air Line Railway. Davis’ grandmother was Sarah Carrier, who did Mrs. Taylor’s washing and ironing once a week. Carrier and Davis’ young cousin, who was helping her deliver laundry, witnessed the white man enter the Taylor house and leave some time before noon. Other African Americans also contended Mrs. Taylor had a white lover.

Quickly, Levy County Sheriff Elias “Bob” Walker raised a posse and started an investigation. They found out that Jesse Hunter, a black prisoner, had escaped from a chain gang and started to look for him. Men used bloodhounds to find Hunter, but the dogs led a group of about 100-150 men to the home of Aaron Carrier. Rescuing Carrier from the mob, Levy County Sheriff Elias “Bob” Walker put him in custody at the county seat in Bronson, Florida. Sheriff Walker also attempted to keep all the black employees of the turpentine mills at work for their own safety.

The mob instead found Sam Carter, a black area resident. The mob, described as a “posse”, tortured Carter into admitting having hidden the escaped prisoner Hunter, then they fatally shot him.

Black survivors recalled that Mrs. Taylor’s white visitor John Bradley knew he was in trouble and had asked Sam Carter for assistance as a fellow veteran and Mason. They said Carter also had help from Aaron Carrier, another Mason, and covered Bradley in the back of a wagon. Carter took Bradley to a nearby river, let him out of the wagon, then returned home.

On January 2 in mostly white Sumner, armed men began to gather. On the evening of January 4, a mob of armed white men went to Rosewood and surrounded the house of Aaron Carrier (who was being held in jail). The house was filled with approximately 15-25 people seeking asylum, including many children. They were protected by Aaron Carrier’s cousin Sylvester Carrier, who had a reputation of being independent and proud. The group of white men had reportedly heard that Sylvester Carrier stated that the attack on Mrs. Taylor was an “example of what (Negroes) could do without interference,” although by the time the mob “heard” this, rumor was rampant. Reports conflict about who shot first, but after two members of the mob approached the house, someone opened fire. A number of shots were exchanged, but the whites did not overtake the house. A standoff lasted long into the next morning.

Afterward participants discovered that Sarah and Sylvester Carrier were killed inside the house, where several people were also wounded. Two white men in the mob were killed, and others were wounded. (A number of Rosewood survivors and their descendants claimed Sylvester Carrier was not killed, but escaped to Texas).

The white mob then burned a black church in Rosewood. Many black residents fled into the nearby swamps, some clothed only in their pajamas. Many of the survivors recall that it was uncharacteristically cold for Florida, and people suffered from spending several nights in the hammocks to evade the mob. Some took refuge with white families.

When the mob set her house on fire, Lexie Gordon fled from hiding underneath it, only to be fatally shot by the mob. Sheriff Walker pleaded with news reporters covering the violence to send a message to the Alachua County Sheriff P. G. Ramsey to send assistance. The story circulated in the St. Petersburg Independent. the Florida Times-Union, the Miami Herald, and the Miami Daily Metropolis.

On January 5, more whites converged on the area, creating a mob of 200-300. Some came from out of state. They fatally shot Rosewood resident Mingo Williams, although he was not connected to any of the previous events. Sheriff Wallker notified Governor Cary Hardee by telegram that he did not fear “further disorder”. Although the governor’s office was monitoring the situation, in part because of intense Northern interest, he would not activate the National Guard without Walker’s request. For some reason, Walker said he could handle the situation. Records showed that Governor Hardee took Sheriff Walker’s word and went on a hunting trip.

James Carrier, Sylvester’s brother and Sarah’s son, left the swamps and returned to Rosewood. He asked the white turpentine mill owner for protection, who locked him in a house. The mob found Carrier, however, and tortured him to find out if he had aided Hunter. Then they fatally shot him.

Black residents of nearby Sumner were forced to go to work in the mills. Those who did not work were required to stay at home.

On January 6, white train conductors John and William Bryce managed the evacuation of some black residents to nearby Gainesville. They slowed the train and blew the train horn, picking up women and children along the route. Fearing reprisals from mobs, they refused to pick up any black men. Many survivors boarded the train after having been hidden by white general store owner John Wright. Over the next several days, other Rosewood residents fled to Wright’s house, facilitated by Sheriff Walker, who asked Wright to transport as many residents out of town as possible.

Ruth Lee Davis described the experience:

“I was laying that deep in water, that is where we sat all day long…We got on our bellies and crawled. We tried to keep people from seeing us through the bushes…We were trying to get back to Mr. Wright house. After we got all the way to his house, Mr. and Mrs. Wright were all the way out in the bushes hollering and calling us, and when we answered, they were so glad.”

Several other white residents of Sumner hid black residents of Rosewood and smuggled them out of town. The Miami Daily Metropolis ran a headline reading, “Many Die In Race War, Hundreds of Whites Battle Negroes Ambushed in Cabin.” National papers also carried stories about the violent outbreak.

On Sunday, January 7, a mob of 100-150 whites returned to burn the remaining dozen or so structures of Rosewood.

Many people were alarmed by the violence, and state leaders feared negative effects on the state’s tourist industry. Governor Cary Hardee appointed a special grand jury and special prosecuting attorney to investigate the outbreak in Rosewood and other incidents in Levy County. In February 1923, the grand jury convened in the county seat of Bronson, Florida. Over a few days, they heard numerous witnesses, but found insufficient evidence to prosecute any individual. Jurors deplored the violence. Because of continued disfranchisement of African Americans in Florida since the turn of the century, all the jurors were likely white.

Newspaper editorials across the South and the United States condemned the violence, but with differing views. Some editorials in Southern papers suggested that deaths for an assault of a white woman, which they assumed to have been caused by a black vagrant as she claimed, were a kind of justice. Most northern papers condemned the violence, as did all African-American papers. Black papers held up for approval the example of African Americans who had resisted mob violence.

Officially, six blacks and two whites were the recorded death toll of the first week of January 1923. Historians, however, disagree about this number. Some survivors claimed to have seen or heard about more victims, up to 16 or 18, but these have not been verified. Many survivors fled in different directions to other cities, a few changed their names from fear that whites would track them down, and none ever lived again in Rosewood.

This happened all over the U.S. but I am the racist because I condemn these actions and remember them. I also remember being in a Mcdonalds last week. And the little girl in line asking her mother “was I a monkey?”. That didn’t bother me. She’s a baby. What was disturbing was the mothers reaction. She snatched her daughter away looked at me with disgust(I’m quite handsome)and never apologized or corrected her daughter. That was sad. She probably will grow up to be a manufactured bigot.

Aug 11, 2008 - 1:16 am 250. Fact-Checking Obama’s “At Least 4 Houses” Ad:

[...] fine, McCain has a rich wife who owns a number of houses and you have, well Michelle and only one residence. But it seems to me that the longer you campaign the more we find that the [...]

Aug 21, 2008 - 2:01 pm 251. Regina:

I think the bottom line is, people need to be more responsable for themselves. No matter the color.

Aug 23, 2008 - 11:19 pm 252. Mr_Conservative:

Michelle Obama is a separationist by her own Princeton thesis. What does that bode for a republic that has spent the last 200 years or more repairing relationships? The Obamas are not what they appear in the broadcast media.

Aug 24, 2008 - 1:55 pm 253. hashna:

Why cant anyone see their own suffering??!!!! Who cares about all this stupid ridiculous shit?!! really and honestly… have we not seen what all this does to children? It only perpetuates the hate. michelle obama is educated and beautiful, why do people (she) feel like they need to carry everyones burdens…imagined burdens at that?!! You are who you are for you… get it?!! and if you feel like you need to be there for someone else great! but why must it be against something or someone else? Just be strong for them…show them it doesnt matter what he she or they say. As long as you are a caring and considerate friend, showing how to stay strong internally will show the way. why does anyone and everyone have to point out the “but”s and the “what if”s and the “how could they”s. Why does michelle have to point out and remind other wonderfully educated blacks that they must be different, and not in a good way but in a continuously depriving negative way. Dont remind or really confuse them with words that they are different and dont belong where they are…that they are worthless and useless and at the bottom of the “food chain” cause they absolutely are not! “they” are “us” and until we agknowladge that fact we are all going to hurt, belittle, confuse, hate, each other till we die, and not make any lee way in “bettering America” we are all here now and we should be here now for each other. Ignore small minded people even “highly educated” ones and their comments, let them be with themselves. Let them find how happy they are at the end of the day with all that fighting against and not for the people….get it!!!!

Aug 26, 2008 - 8:14 am 254. john:

i think that mrs obama is full of air………

Sep 1, 2008 - 11:24 am 255. John:

I think that Mr. obama is a much better candidate than John McCain don’t think anybody in the United States should pick John McCain. That’s why I suggest for Republicans to vote Mr. Obama.

Sep 1, 2008 - 11:30 am 256. TED, MICHELLE & HILLARY: “FAMILY VALUES” By: Devvy « THE “G” BLOG @WordPress.com:

[...] up was the “selling” of “We need more white people,” Michelle Obama. While painful, I watched most of her carefully crafted pitch. Earlier this [...]

Sep 1, 2008 - 12:35 pm 257. Get Real:

Written by Steve in Boston:

So called “black leaders” like Sharpton and Farrakhan and now apparently Wright and Michelle Obama perpetuate the victim mentality on their generation in order to promote their own personal agendas. Wake up fools. Asians and Mexicans had it just as bad, if not worse than Africans when they first came to this country. The Irish didn’t have it much better. The difference with Africans is that they continue to wait for some sort of reparations or hand outs because of their ancestors suffering and every other race has moved on and prospered. You want a discussion of race…how about the fact that blacks (13% of the US population) commit 52% of the murders in this country and 41% of other violent crimes. Most of these crimes are committed against other blacks. Let’s start there.
Jun 13, 2008 – 5:48 am

If it was not for the history of slavery of their ancestors, guess where African-Americans would be right now? In Africa dying from malaria, AIDS, and starvation. So they have no excuses today to be on welfare and complain that they are where they are because of white oppression. Get with the program and make something out of yourself like some of your successful counterparts!!!!

Sep 3, 2008 - 8:33 pm 258. karen peters:

Did anyone notice Michele Obama’s face during both Clintons speeches? As she was clapping her true feelings were revealed thruogh her facial expressions of dislike for them. It trully scares me to think of this family possibly being in the white house.

Sep 5, 2008 - 6:01 am 259. Wake up and Smell the Coffee!:

I watched Michelle Obama closely during the coverage of the Democratic Convention. I agree wholeheartedly with Karen Peters, particularly concerning Hillary Clinton. Someone should explain to Michelle Obama that they don’t turn the cameras off once she stops speaking, as she certainly behaved as though she had no clue that candid shots of her were being consistently aired while the Clintons spoke. Then again, maybe she doesn’t care. There is such an abundance of information which indicates beyond any reasonable doubt that Michelle Obama is the quintessential angry racist woman, and yet she makes no discernable effort to control either her behavior or her mouth. When Hillary Clinton made comments that were highly favorable to Barack Obama, his wife stood and clapped and smiled, but numerous times the camera caught her when Clinton was holding forth on the general merits of an issue, and invariably Michelle Obama’s facial expressions reflected her true feelings. She quite obviously despises Hillary and doesn’t seem to care much more for Bill either. They were useful, however, and Michelle wants and intends very much to be the next First Lady of the United States. She’s not about to allow little matters like hippocracy and disingenuousness (basically dishonesty personified) to interfere with her determination to move herself and her family into the White House this coming January. Anyone who thinks the First Lady has no effect on the President’s decisions is either foolish or evidently slept through the Regan and Clinton administrations. My concern is that people generally marry people with whom they have a great deal in common. Is it realistic to believe that Barack Obama shares none of his wife’s very blatant, angry, racist feelings, or that those feelings will not bear tremendously on his actions as President if he is elected? Michelle gives the impression that she is gearing up to institute the long awaited season of payback, to which she believes she and all African American people are due, and that she basically thinks her husband’s victory is a forgone conclusion. “The first time I’ve ever been proud of my country”, “Whitey”, not to mention her now infamous thesis? (which, by the way, contradicts the story of her life as she told it at the convention- it would seem that Michelle was raised in a very middle class family which included a father who held a good and rather handsomely paying job and a stay at home mother- if she ever set foot in a ghetto, it seems it was certainly not intentional). The bottom line question here is: are we going to elect a man to occupy the highest office in our country, only to find that once the ball is over and the oath is administered, we’re in for 4 years of racial war? We have problems sufficient in our economy, our relationships with foreign countries and most importantly with an already active and declared radical enemy which seeks to see us all dead and our country annihilated- and they’re willing to die in the process to get the job done. We simply don’t have the time, the man power or the many and varied resources to endure and win both the war on terrorism abroad and a war based upon race here at home. The epitome of warfare strategy is to divide and conquer. If Barack Obama and his very angry wife intend upon dividing this country by instigating a racial war here, we might just as well surrender to the terrorists now. For if we find ourselves in a position in which we are incapable of standing united against radical Islam or any other strong, viable and hostile enemy, both we and the country we love and of which the vast majority of us have always been proud, may soon become severely compromised and therefore endangered entities. Think, read, research, do everything you can to becomed informed before you enter the voting booth. It isn’t enough to merely vote this time around. We need to vote realistically and intelligently.

Sep 7, 2008 - 3:18 pm 260. rusty:

Why are you assuming that what Michelle Obama wrote in paper at age 21 represents her beliefs now?

I’ve grown up quite a bit since that age, and society has changed as well. Treating her thesis paper as some sort of manifesto is pretty feeble.

Sep 20, 2008 - 1:32 pm 261. faith1tx:

I am so tired of the lies. If you dont want to vote for Obama then dont, but please keep your selfrighteous and condescending attitudes to yourselves. I as an African American have delt with it all of my life and I am sick and tired of it (the sense of entitlement that you have!!.) No one said thta you have to vote for Obama because he is black! But since you are thinking this way maybe you are feeling this. Get over yourselves!

Oct 7, 2008 - 6:36 pm 262. TY Freberg:

McCain and Obama both voted ‘yeah’ (Oct 03 2008) on ‘Eesa’: H.R. 1424 is an illegal attempt to force all American property owners with an FDIC bank mortgage gained before March 14, 2008 to sell the property to the US
Department of the Treasury for only the highest amount paid on the
principal of the note (interest payments not included): this means
a US homeowner–according to ‘Eesa’–might have to pay Paulson
to buy a citizens own home, or settle for as little as .05,
.04,.03 cents… No sense!? The rural schools will be
adapted and the children armed with bow and proper
arrows: for all those foreclosed will go where to
live? The real hateful harm is the fact of how
all those now forced to foreclosure sell
(p 9, 10: “the seller cannot refuse the
highest price offered” which cannot
exceed the highest price paid…)
STILL OWE the bank for the
original loan balance.
This means “seller” (US home owner) owes (for example) $250,000: Paulson demands the US homeowner pay the Treasury $12,000 to buy the homeowner’s property and the US Homeowner still owes the original bank mortgage
amount of $250,000 but can no longer live at the home…
I’ve taken the time to write great contempt and complaint to the US Senate Committee on Housing, Banking and Urban Affairs: I’m demanding Mr. Paulson and all those who voted ‘yeah’ (McCain and Obama included) be apprehended and curtailed for punishment to the fullest extent of the law (even the Supreme Court’s decision on ‘Imminent Domain’ does not allow such
thieving as this unreasonable act of illegal search and seizure).

Oct 8, 2008 - 9:49 pm 263. TY Freberg:

The coined media phrase for ‘H.R. 1424′ or ‘Eesa’: is the 700 billion dollar economic “bail-out” of the most recently approved 700 billion
dollar (2008 agreement) US budget; the ‘yeah’ voting House/Senate
and a supposed ‘yeah’ signing President are bailing on what was
authorized ahead of last Friday. The “bail” is the fact that the
dollar amount included amongst the legislation of ‘Eesa’ doesn’t
continue to fund the US Federal Government, nor the military:
the dollar amount declared as the total amount the Feds can
borrow during the next fiscal year is already lower than
the amount now owed for the national debt, leaving a
negative balance and a promise to borrow no more!
Typo? Oversight? Missed it… A criminal method
of declaring US Federal Government bankruptcy
via fraud (trickery, deceit: hidden agenda):
criminal insanity or incompetence. And that
explains some of what are the ‘mental health
and substance disorder’ clauses included
with the text.

Oct 8, 2008 - 10:20 pm 264. TY Freberg:

Voting for persons who have declared a public ‘intent to be criminal’ is not allowed under the laws regulating registered US voter responsibilities; the whole 2008 campaign of Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin is a hoax, it’s fraud. The two men supposedly via for the presidency did not have enough
votes coming out of the primary to qualify them as actual presidential
candidates…
The US news media would have (and most likely still actually will) lost
a great sum of taxpayer dollars, and the ill amongst the current
Congress would have missed the opportunity to attempt the
presentation of campaign fraud for the purpose of
prosecuting any who citizens tricked into voting
’subversive’ (those supporting the insurgency
and insanity of Obama or McCain: like Obama’s illegal promotion and public perpetuation of the crime that is ‘vaccines’. And the Governor of Alaska RUSSIA as a running mate?! Beyond as co-defendant CEO on a felony charge indictment with Cindy McCain as the defendant…)
The US Federal Government could have legally prosecuted any or all voters for treason (treason being voting for or offering financial support of those subversives to the laws of the US): if found guilty of treason,
a US citizen could suffer all personal property being seized, to
then be shot (in the head with a gun) to his/her death… But!
‘EESA’ (H.R. 1424) isn’t the legal way.
From no law degrees–bottom bumping and brushing, hand holding and face kissing–to failing to meet the deadline for solicitation of cabinet members, joint chiefs of staff: an astroid rock is heading this
way…
I’m trying to stop not just the bank robbery (and personal property theft) that is ‘EESA’ but that big rock or dirt-brained clods too.

Oct 8, 2008 - 10:42 pm 265. Dan:

I must agree with faith1tx, if you do not want to vote for Obama, don’t. As for me, I am a well educated (MBA and JD) African American Male, who has traditionally voted Republican; however, this time around I do not trust McCain -listen to his proposed programs – he has openly stated: (1)All federal programs, with the exception of the Military and Veterans Affairs will have their expenditure levels frozen – This means that the elderly will not get pay increases on their Social Security payments; Educational funding for either yourselves or your children will be capped; thus, it will not keep up with inflation; (2) medical cost paid by your employer will be treated as compensation to you and subsequently taxed; (3) he will add $300 billion dollars to the economy to buy back bad mortgages. For those of you who do not know, this expenditure, coupled with the already $700 billion dollars that will be introduced into the system, will cause hyper inflation and make the little money that you do have, almost worthless. So, I will vote for Obama.

I DO NOT vote for black or white, I vote for green.

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:57 am 266. Anonymous:

I think the Obamas deserve.

If anone wants to know about raceism,consider this. If in this country we had all white schools, we would be called raceist. There are probably 500 all black schools. If that is not raceist, I would like to know what it is. Thank you.

Oct 18, 2008 - 11:00 am 267. Jenny:

To all the idiots who say Michelle Obama’s is a racist are stupid. For one, I’m as you here grom my angry tone am a African American who has a direct line to slaves in United States have heard of her comments are upset. I also have a white grandma and multiracicial mother. We have called by white people the N word to all type of painful words. So are you surprise that African Americans can’t trust you. How dare you be upset when many African American have been treated like crap since the beginning for this great nation. I’m not saying she should had said that particular comment but coming from a woman who very eduacated with Bacholar Degree and working on my Masters in Business International had been turned down for position that I’m very qualify for because of color. I have also had white women come up to mother and me and say these exact word are you sure you pure black because I have long straight hair. Blacks and Whites feel in this election they are victims of racism, but you and me look in the mirror we realize we no victims. We allow our to be victims and that’s ashamed. So remember what you say because you don’t what to be judge and you don’t know how it feels to be black in America..

Oct 29, 2008 - 4:00 pm 268. A.Wright:

Hi,

It seems to me that there is a lot of racist comments here. So I ask you “If you aren’t racists…what are you?” You see the reason there is such a impact on the black community is for one reason, which is; we have been the ones at the very bottom. We have been looked at as less of person for so long, by many people, for so many years. How is it wrong for that to be acknowledged? As a young black male there has been a struggle, day in day to prove that we are worthy, not because I’m not respected as a man but because of a disrespect to my ethnicity. Years before my time Mr.King had said “a man should be judged on the content of his character not the color of his skin”, any respectable American should agree, unless you are a racist. I am from Cleveland, Ohio and we are considered one of the poorest cities in the country, and there has been many instances where I’ve heard “You, may very well be the president of the US one day”, it was almost a joke to me. Now it’s became a reality, and my children(in the future), and even my siblings, will actually now be able to “shoot for the stars”. It is now possible, not only for blacks, but also any other race who has felt belittled or that they could never become anything that great. If you think about it, I guarantee you many stereotypes that have been built upon us will decease, reason being; they will now have a purpose, a sense of hope. There will be more kids in urban areas in school learning, and actually interested. I support Obama completely, not because he is black, for the simple reason;he encourages peace. Peace will take this country or better yet this world, further than we could ever imagine. You have to respect the man’s dedication, everyone knows this has been a hard journey, and he has been successful. Without furthermore I would like conclude with saying, there is nothing wrong with acknowledging, that yes this was a race of races at the end of the day, and we have overcome. I feel that Americans at a whole should rejoice, this country is supposed to be built upon equality… Why not now when it matters? Accept him, he is now the face of the US.

A.Wright
Cleveland, Ohio
Dem.

Nov 5, 2008 - 7:27 am 269. HONKEY:

I HAVE NEVER SEEN RACE, COLOR OR HANDICAPS IN A HUMAN. BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT BLACK AMERICA HAS BECOME MORE RACISIST THAN ANY NATIONALITY. I OWNED AN APT. COMPLEX AND LET A CONVICTED FELON WHO WAS CLEAN MOVE IN, ONLY TO HAVE NO RENT PAID AND BE THR

HELLOO IM NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN I AM NOT WHINING ABOUT MY HISTORY. DO I HEAR RASCISM FROM OR I NEED ATTENTION??? GIVE ME A BREAK. IF I WERE A COMPLETE RACSIST I WOULD HAVE BEEN YEARS AGO WHEN MY SISTER WAS MURDERED BY A BLACK MAN. I AM SO FRICKEN SICK OF HEARING ABOUT THE PAST. YOU CANT CHANGE 5 MINUTES AGO, SO WHY DOES LIFE AND HUMAN ERROR HAVE TO LAST MORE THAN THAT???????????????????????/ GIVE ME A FRICKEN BREAK AND GET OVER YOUR GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDPARENTS LIKE I DID AND LIVE FOR TODAY WITH ALL RACES OF TODAY AND BE GLAD YOU HAVE TODAY;
T

FELLOW HUMANS

Nov 5, 2008 - 7:17 pm 270. HONKEY:

RACISM IS ONLY SEEN BY THE RACIST.. WHO WOULD THAT BE?

Nov 5, 2008 - 7:24 pm 271. HONKEY:

OH LET ME FINISH WHAT I STARTED WITH THE RENTER… HE NEVER PAID RENT AFTER HIS INITIAL MOVE IN AND I LET IT SLIDE FOR 3 MONTHS THEN WHEN I TOLD HIM TO PAY OR MOVE OUT I GOT THE RESPONSE. AND I QUOTE “I AM A BLACK MALE AND I WILL SUE YOU AND OWN THIS COMPLEX.” HEEELLLOOO WHAT THE HELL DID I DO WRONG HERE?????????????? UM NOTHING BUT LET A FAMILY THAT NEEDED A HOME MOVE IN ONLY TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AND HAVE THE RACE CARD PULLED ON ME… THATS WHAT MAKES ME RETHINK WHATS UP WITH RACISM… IS IT A, I MY GREAT GREAT HAD IT SO BAD THAT I CAN NOW LO0K AT YOU AS A FOOL OR YOU OWE ME SOMETHING???? YOU TELL ME

Nov 5, 2008 - 8:17 pm 272. smc341:

Wow, I am only 4 years older than Michelle Obama. I was 22 years old in 1982 when my dad died at the age of 54 of a sudden heart attack. At the time of his death he made about $18,000 a year, we lived in one of the outer boroughs of NYC. My dad could not afford to send my sister and I to college, let alone Princeton University which is commuting distance from my hometown of Staten Island, N.Y. I get really annoyed when I hear Michelle speak in public about how she had to “struggle” to come up in the world. I had a sister who was 2 years younger than I was who was “gifted and talented” yet no one offered her any education beyond public H.S. and unfortunately my parents did not see her potential for success. My Dad was an underachiever, my mother never graduated high school, they did not put a premium on education. My sister (now deceased due to a fatal bout with a rare form of cancer) went to work in NYC right out of H.S. and did eventually become a successful bond trader on Wall Street, but without a college degree it took her much longer to achieve that success. She could have gone to a school like Princeton, she definitely had the intelligence to do well in an Ivy League School. Also, the financial companies on Wall Street she worked for tried to tamp down her success. There really was a glass ceiling back in the 1980’s and 1990’s for woman, especially a woman without a “sheepskin”.

The point is that we were white people living in a middle class (lower middle class) family and any potential was ignored. No one ever offered us an Ivy League education, it wasn’t even discussed in our home. We were even discouraged from attending CUNY or SUNY.

Dec 3, 2008 - 10:58 pm 273. Pajamas Media » Michelle Obama and the New Face of Feminism:

[...] belief that Americans would continue voting based on skin color struck many, including myself, as racist. Her belligerent style drew so much flak, in fact, that Barack told the press to lay off of her. [...]

Dec 5, 2008 - 12:02 am 274. Beezer:

I predict that it won’t be long into the new year before Michelle Obama embarrasses her husband and the nation that elected the Obamas. She’s been called angry because she IS angry. This is a classic case of the Emporess’s clothes. We all trusted our first instincts about Michelle Obama until the Oba-media started its campaign to remake her image. She’s got anger issues which are not going to go away because she’s been elected Queen Bee. She did the same thing at Princeton, and her hatred of whites will resurface. As a wise man once said: “Truth, like cats, always lands on its feet.”

Dec 25, 2008 - 10:17 am 275. NextGeneration:

Yes I am a young black female in VA, and I can honestly say that it saddens me to even look at these comments from citizens that are suppose to be the ADULTS teaches the younger generation about the values that you need and should have. Not to worry about what color someone is or what class they belong to, but lets be realistic, candidates and their wifes’ make speeches that will suite the community or the “class” that they believe will win the vote…to get into presidency. They have to relate to get the support and the votes but I do want to mention and I am not at all judging anyone but jealousy and hatred are not going to get anyone anywhere. Accept the fact that you have an out spoken first lady that is ready to stand by her husbands side and HELP him run the United States!!!!

Jan 19, 2009 - 7:32 pm 276. Chris:

I hope all you racist “so-called” Americans are getting ready to Welcome the First African-AMerican President and his beautiful, intelligent, strong and outspoken First Lady. They are just what America needs. Get over yourselves and your racist beliefs. Hate can not grow if we do not feed it. I feel sorry for you racists. You will have until 2016 (YES 2 terms) to get used to the NEW AMERICA

Jan 19, 2009 - 9:34 pm 277. Alex M:

I’ve read all these posts and I find a reaccuring theme. It seems that most people (not limited to this thread) assume that if you are white and don’t like the outcome of this past election that you are racist. I will be honest. I am not happy with the results, but I am an American and will support my new president. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. I am by no way racist, so please do not lump all into your statements and accusations. You seem to forget that the beauty of being an American is the right to believe what you want. It doesn’t matter what one person says, because there will be thousands more who disagree. It’s comments and arguments that put this nation in a stalemate. No one seems to believe in compromise anymore. If no one gives, then no one moves; forward or backward. If you want change, then shut up, listen, and go DO something about it instead of arguing with strangers over who is right and who is wrong. If we continue down this road, that change that’s been talked about will never happen.

Jan 21, 2009 - 12:06 am 278. jean:

I could have listened to Barak If it were not for that slime he is married to,its my way or the highway in her book…his first mistake was her, the secound is his first two days in office that have displayed his nievetee.

Jan 22, 2009 - 3:50 pm 279. 12345:

“276. Chris:

I hope all you racist “so-called” Americans are getting ready to Welcome the First African-AMerican President and his beautiful, intelligent, strong and outspoken First Lady. They are just what America needs. Get over yourselves and your racist beliefs. Hate can not grow if we do not feed it. I feel sorry for you racists. You will have until 2016 (YES 2 terms) to get used to the NEW AMERICA”

^^^ People like this are the whole problem with this beautiful country.

sad…

Jan 26, 2009 - 4:24 am 280. cootchill nelson:

I noticed on this blog that most white people want Michel Obama to focus more on them not on the minorities. If you want to know how many red necks are out there, come to this blog. Like Wyclef Jean said: before black i’m first human.
P.S. Our next Black President will be C. Powell.
End of story.

Feb 3, 2009 - 8:55 pm 281. cootchill nelson:

To all the racist people in America, this is for you.

From The File
A “Black” Man, A Moor, John Hanson
Was the First President of the United States! 1781-1782 A.D.

George Washington
was really the 8th President of the United States!

George Washington was not the first President of the United States. In fact, the first President of the United States was one John Hanson. Don’t go checking the encyclopedia for this guy’s name – he is one of those great men that are lost to history. If you’re extremely lucky, you may actually find a brief mention of his name.

The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation.
This document was actually proposed on June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this document until Virginia and New York ceded their western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states would gain too much power in the new government from such large amounts of land).

Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by Congress (which included George Washington). In fact, all the other potential candidates refused to run against him, as he was a major player in the revolution and an extremely influential member of Congress.

As the first President, Hanson had quite the shoes to fill. No one had ever been President and the role was poorly defined. His actions in office would set precedent for all future Presidents.

He took office just as the Revolutionary War ended. Almost immediately, the troops demanded to be paid. As would be expected after any long war, there were no funds to meet the salaries. As a result, the soldiers threatened to overthrow the new government and put Washington on the throne as a monarch.

All the members of Congress ran for their lives, leaving Hanson as the only guy left running the government. He somehow managed to calm the troops down and hold the country together. If he had failed, the government would have fallen almost immediately and everyone would have been bowing to King Washington. In fact, Hanson sent 800 pounds of sterling siliver by his brother Samuel Hanson to George Wasington to provide the troops with shoes.

Hanson, as President, ordered all foreign troops off American soil, as well as the removal of all foreign flags. This was quite the feat, considering the fact that so many European countries had a stake in the United States since the days following Columbus.

Hanson established the Great Seal of the United States, which all Presidents have since been required to use on all official documents.

President Hanson also established the first Treasury Department, the first Secretary of War, and the first Foreign Affairs Department.

Lastly, he declared that the fourth Thursday of every November was to be Thanksgiving Day, which is still true today.

The Articles of Confederation only allowed a President to serve a one year term during any three year period, so Hanson actually accomplished quite a bit in such little time.

Six other presidents were elected after him – Elias Boudinot (1783), Thomas Mifflin (1784), Richard Henry Lee (1785), Nathan Gorman (1786), Arthur St. Clair (1787), and Cyrus Griffin (1788) – all prior to Washington taking office.

So what happened?

Why don’t we ever hear about the first seven Presidents of the United States?

It’s quite simple – The Articles of Confederation didn’t work well. The individual states had too much power and nothing could be agreed upon.

A new doctrine needed to be written – something we know as the Constitution.

And that leads us to the end of our story.

George Washington was definitely not the first President of the United States. He was the first President of the United States under the Constitution we follow today.

And the first seven Presidents are forgotten in history.

| List of Articles |

Feb 3, 2009 - 9:24 pm 282. cootchill nelson:

Hey Jean, because you don’t see part of your race in the First Lady, she’s no good all of the sudden. And because Obama is half white, he’s ok. Wow! that’s so racist.

Feb 3, 2009 - 9:33 pm 283. cootchill nelson:

Honkey, i like the way you think.

Feb 4, 2009 - 8:01 pm 284. m. birdge:

you all are crazy everyone in america is mixed no matter what color they are whites have black and indiand blood, blacks have white and indian blood so it is time for every body to shut up and go along for the ride.

Feb 28, 2009 - 3:11 pm 285. jja:

Yes she is racist, a big one.
She is also quite ugly
What a pathetic ‘first lady’, i’m ashamed when the world looks at us now
I’m jealous of the French who have Carla Bruni
Can we bring on Palint to compete?

Mar 2, 2009 - 6:18 pm 286. Dominique:

No she aint rascist and she aint ugly so back off she is realy beautiful so whoever said she is ugly
yall r ugly

Mar 9, 2009 - 10:51 am 287. lisa:

what makes me absolutely ill about this woman is that she chooses to make everything about race…even when it has nothing to do with it….obama was speaking in an interview about MORTGAGES and she butts in and leans over him to say if my husband was walking across the street as a black man he could be shot…WTF??????? number one if he was….its most likely by a black not a white, see above comments as well as my experience as a prosecutor…..this intentional stirring the pot that she insists on is ridiculous….recently my two children and my nephew, 2 six yr olds and a seven yr old went for breakfast..as the kids sat down my son looked around and noticing that it was about 60% black in the restaurant, said to his seven yr old cousin, did you know black people have both american and african ancestors…amd some live in the bahamas???? a 45-55 yr old black woman said WHAT DID YOU SAY??? i immediately walked away from the counter and got between her and my son..she looked at me and said did you hear what he said??i said yes and what exactly are you so offended by, that you may have american or african ancestry, what exactly is your problem,,she says he needs to go to school and learn something to which i replied he is in school, and this just happens to be black history month so he has had african history put in his face for the past two weeks..not irish american, german american, italian american, asian american..etc just african american…by this time i was very very angry, she had frightened my son by her loud tone and threatening manner..i told her are you really that stupid..i mean seriously, you cant pick up on this little guy trying to find something in common with you, that he was actually trying to reach out to you and say hey, i learned something about black people this week at school…RIDICULOUS and the point is as long as michelle obama makes everything about race and empowers these idiots who are pissed off at being bored and are jumping on the poor me i’m black bandwagon it will not stop..i wonder what the stupid wench i ran into would think about “her people in the whitehouse’s” story of the underpriveleged black people and her downward views on them….cant say it shocks me they are both as phony as a three dollar bill….she is a disgrace to this country and her race…shes ashamed of the “lower class blacks” but pulls her paper to hide her true views until after the election..so exactly who does she support, as far as blackness, if we are all equal why does it matter if anyone notices it? i’m certainly not holding up picks of my irish ancestors that were left to die at ellis island because too many irish were let in..or pics of the no irish wanted all over this country, every race has been exposed to slavery, poverty and discrimination, wake up michelle you cant scream we are equal and in the next breath scream poor me i’m black i’m different embrace my differences and oh by the way give me a break on the entrance exams because of the color of my skin..

Mar 13, 2009 - 9:34 pm 288. LeaJean:

I would just like to say that all white people in general are still racist themselves. See I am only 31 years of age and I am a bi-racial woman just as Obama is bi-racial, and we get to see both sides of the spectrum. When you are led to believe that you are not white enough or black enough, you tend to grow stronger and above those ideas that others put on you. Michelle has no reason to be a racists or “pick on white people”, what she has is every reason to believe that white people are finally turning around and understanding that skin color is just that, color, not what a person is made of, or their beliefs, or ideas. I am very proud to be an Obama supporter and I am glad he married a strong black woman and not a weak white woman. 3 cheers for Barak and his wife. STOP HATIN’ WHITE FOLKS, IT DOESN’T BECOME YOU!!!!!!!!!

Apr 2, 2009 - 6:50 am 289. Allen:

this is the stupidest thing on the Web. Damn it you McCainers yall lost stop making up stupid shizzz Its a waist of time get over it.

Apr 2, 2009 - 1:41 pm 290. Imani:

The claims made in this editorial are due to a complete lack of understanding and the inability to objectively analyze the stiuation, more specifically words of Michelle Obama. It suffers from misinterpretation of her thesis paper and it is taken out of context. It is extremely weak to use the above as evidence supporting the claim that our FIRST black LADY of the USA is a racist.

~Hunni

May 3, 2009 - 7:59 am 291. nene:

if you ask me the whole world is racist. i mean blacks whites asians chinese we are all equal no one is better jus different colors stop the racism

May 13, 2009 - 12:39 pm 292. madichon:

so what, she has a black agenda! isn’t it an agenda? what if she had a white agenda? wouldn’t it be an agenda as well? America, let’s vote for CHANGE.

May 16, 2009 - 9:05 pm 293. Vince:

I’m a African American male, raised in a predominately white upper middle class neighborhood. Growing up, the majority of my friends were white; German ,Italian and Polish. (Ich lerne zu sprechen und auf Deutsch zu schreiben.) I speak German. My point being, life for me as an adolescent was harmonious with the diversity around me because race wasn’t blared at us by family and those we knew in the community. It wasn’t until a Caucasian family, that was new to the area, who was seasoned in the belief that white is supreme over any other ethnic group that God created. “One drop of poison in a cup of water contaminates the whole cup” It wasn’t long at all before their abasing views had a negative effect on the community as a whole. How could one family of four embrace such venomous views towards any group of people? Such hate spawned the like of Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, Mussolini, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Timothy James McVeigh, Theophilus Eugene “Bull” Connor , Brian Raymond Hauth, Johnny Bangerter, Bonnie Sweeten and 88 year old, James von Brunn , just to name a few. A Japanese girl with two of her white girlfriends attacked with balloons filled with yellow paint on our high school grounds. “Zipper head and Jap lover”
was chanted by the attackers and some of the spectators.

My eyes were then wide open to the effects of racism. Being ostracized by individuals who once were my close friends for no other reason than the color of my skin, warrants vigilance. A word of wisdom to whites who are caught up in the color thing. You will find that folks of color, of any nationality, who endeavor to persevere and has reached a high caliber of success did not achieve it by wasting time in hating you. It’s simply counter productive; however, if you have been marked in anyway by racism, you learn to be alert
and very observant . Michelle Obama is vigilant !

Now if you can excuse me, I am on my way to Wiesbaden Germany to visit my life long friends!

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:01 am 294. anna:

Americans need to vote for freedom and what makes America the greatest country in the world not change. I love America and the freedoms I enjoy are not negotiable. Socialism is wrong and unconstitutional. Socialism is a form of slavery and I can not support any agenda (black or white)that will promote government tyranny. How dare the Obamas apologize for America’s accomplishments and disregard the constitution. I wish the American people would get over their slobbering love affair with the Obamas and realize they are dangerous and evil dictator wanna-bes. Just look at the people they call friends (Ayers and Wright).

Jul 6, 2009 - 3:10 pm 295. TOTESMARSHALL:

I am sitting here at work reading all of the comments posted, and I can’t help but to wonder if the people writting them can’t see that it is “YOU” who are racist!!!!! All of these ridiculous quotes allegedly made by our first lady are just plain stupid, as are those who actually believe them! I can assure that these derogatory comments posted where those of “african decent”! Get a life weirdo’s…lol! seriously oh and stop humpin’ your family members…country asses!

Aug 21, 2009 - 6:25 am 296. totesmarshall:

quick correction…All of these ridiculous quotes allegedly made by our first lady are just plain stupid, as are those who actually believe them! I can assure that these derogatory comments posted where NOT those of “african decent”!

Aug 21, 2009 - 6:29 am 297. totesmarshall:

AS IF 400+ YEARS BOUND IN SERVITUDE, WHILE BUILDING THE WEALTH OF THIS COUNTRY…FOR FREE, WASNT ENOUGH! THE BARACK FAMILY ARE OUR LONG OVER DUE FORM OF “REPARATIONS”!!!!! KEEP WEEPIN’

Aug 21, 2009 - 6:35 am 298. tknight:

The comment about Mrs. Obama’s thesis “if highly-educated blacks look down on lower-income black Americans it’s the fault of whites and their white institutions like Princeton” is ignorant and shows a lack of understanding about the psychological aspect of racial identity. People are healthier psychologically when they understand and value there culture. When a black person is taken out of there culture by attended a university such as Princeton they can lose sight of there cultural identity, White people do not notice them because they are the dominate culture and nearly everyplace they go is there culture. Although there is a fine line between racial identification and racism, Michelle Obama strikes me as a person who has an inclination to racial identification.

Oct 23, 2009 - 2:29 pm

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