African Americans should exercise their right to critique President Obama‘s policies at any time. But the reasons many African Americans like Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley and many others are now bickering with the president are ludicrous.
These people want a black agenda. And they want it yesterday. For the life of me, I can‘t understand why they don‘t get it. The very second that Obama is seen publicly appropriating America’s resources exclusively towards African Americans, his presidency is over. He would be scorned and stoned into oblivion. He wouldn’t even be able to show his face on the White House lawn.
I can see it now: Obama giving his State of the Union address and telling the country — the world, for that matter — that he is investing tens of millions or billions of dollars to rebuild the infrastructure of the black community. As soon as he finished that sentence, the entire chamber of Congress would dive over the podium to pummel Obama with their fists.
With all due respect to resident genius Dr. West, just what did you think President Obama was going to be able to do for blacks separately from what he is doing for the country? This country would rather see the North American continent sink into the ocean than witness blacks coming up — even if our come up benefits the nation as a whole. This is why so many whites in Mississippi voted to keep the Confederate symbol on their statehouse flag, despite the fact they had to know it would have negative economic ramifications.
Just like they use euphemisms and political rhetoric to say what they want to about us (ex: take back our country; gain control of the inner city), Obama must obfuscate or speak in political double-talk when addressing the needs of the black community. So when he says he wants to, for example, restructure America’s abominable educational system, he is doubtlessly speaking to us. When he enacted a new health care system because more than 40 million citizens have no benefits, he knew the benefit would impact blacks inordinately. When he is appropriating more government dollars to help small businesses or aspiring businesspeople enter into entrepreneurship, he is saying it with blacks in mind.
So, yes, by all means voice your displeasure with such and such policy or his decision to enter into the uprising in Libya or for prolonging the war in Afghanistan, or whatever. But asking him to address blacks specifically would be tantamount to political suicide. Understand this.
–terry shropshire
