Racist and divisive rhetoric from our leaders
By Felicia (Fee) Benamon (01/23/06)
On Martin Luther King day, a day when the nation pauses to reflect on Dr. King's struggles for harmony and racial equality for all, certain politicians decided to use the day for their own benefit and to further divide instead of unite. We should be grateful for a man who gave his life for peace. Racial and divisive rhetoric does not belong in the political arena.
President Bush stayed positive as he reminded us of two exceptional individuals, Dr. King and Rosa Parks, who stood up in the face of oppression. But both used love, and inner strength...a gentle method of getting their point across. Obviously Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) didn't follow the same path. Clinton spoke at a church of mostly black attendees, and mentioned that the GOP House of Representatives is run like a plantation! How racist is that?!:
"When you look at the way the House of Representatives has been run, it has been run like a plantation, and you know what I'm talking about," Clinton, D-N.Y., told the crowd at the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem. "It has been run in a way so that nobody with a contrary view has had a chance to present legislation, to make an argument, to be heard."
(see article link below)
As a Senator, shouldn't she be speaking on the positives that Dr. King did in his lifetime? Something uplifting and inspiring? Like how we need to work towards racial harmony? This reeks of political opportunism to slash your opponent! How nasty! And in a church no less! One thing that makes my blood boil is seeing Democrats discussing politics in the pulpit, but if a conservative did it, there would be an outcry about "separation of church and state".
When I think of Sen. Clinton's remarks, I am reminded of the trouble Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) faced after he mentioned at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party that Mr. Thurmond should have won the Presidency in 1948 (Thurmond ran on the Dixiecrat ticket which promoted segregation). The fallout caused Trent Lott, then Senate Republican Leader, to resign, even though he acknowledged that his statement was insensitive, saying "Segregation is a stain on our nation’s soul...segregation and racism are immoral."
Since Hillary Clinton wants to draw radical conclusions about the GOP controlled House of Representatives and say that it is being run like a plantation, perhaps she should step down too!
Another bomb that dropped on Martin Luther King Day came from New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. Mr. Nagin spoke about rebuilding the city of New Orleans, but his comments drew shock and disappointment as he said New Orleans will be a "chocolate" city!:
"It's time for us to come together. It's time for us to rebuild New Orleans — the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans," the mayor said. "This city will be a majority African American city. It's the way God wants it to be. You can't have New Orleans no other way. It wouldn't be New Orleans."
Yes I was SHOCKED! With a country as diverse as America, people of different cultures bring spice and make a city such as New Orleans unique. Nagin's comments were downright stupid and racist, and frankly, I'm embarrassed! Whether he meant for his comments to be racist or not, his words came across in such a horrible way. He later apologizes and tries to convey to the public what he really meant to say. Too late for that! I mean, how blatant can you get in regards to race? Perhaps he should have limited his comments to ways to rebuild the city instead of going off on a tangent speaking of a "chocolate" city.
The comments were made during a speech in which Mayor Nagin said that the hurricanes we've experienced last year were a sign that "God is Mad at America". I have mentioned in the past that when we sin, God removes His hand of protection and allows things to happen. I'm not totally disagreeing with what Nagin said about God being mad at us. God may be displeased with America, but surely it's not because, as Nagin says, "He doesn't approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses". That's politically charged rhetoric. As Nagin mentioned, God also wants New Orleans to be exclusively black. Pfft! That's ridiculous! God made people of all races, He loves variety! I think He would be more concerned about how we are treating each other.
Nagin also expressed displeasure with the black community:
"Why is black-on-black crime such an issue? Why do our young men hate each other so much that they look their brother in the face and they will take a gun and kill him in cold blood?"
The reply, Nagin said, was: "We as a people need to fix ourselves first."
Nagin also said King would have been dismayed with black leaders who are "most of the time tearing each other down publicly for the delight of many."
(see article link below)
Again, what Nagin said about the black community, I will not dismiss. I do hate the many problems black communities are facing, but perhaps Mayor Nagin should look in the mirror at his own faults. They are many. As the central leader in the middle of rebuilding in New Orleans, he should set the example, show how one should work with people of all races to solve problems. Because he certainly didn't display that shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck. He placed blame on President Bush's slow Federal Response and barely did anything to help himself. I remember the yellow buses sitting in water quite vividly. It's been accusation after accusation with Nagin. It's time for him to take some responsibility for his actions, and stop pointing out the faults of other leaders.
We should be coming together in love as President Bush has said. Not alienating ourselves and pointing fingers. Look at his message. He is trying to get Americans to come together and love each other, work together for a better future. Our children do not need to grow up in an environment in which people are hostile to others who are from different backgrounds. It's people like Hillary Clinton and Ray Nagin you wonder about. I don't think President Bush or any conservative is participating in any race baiting that I know of. If they attempted to do so, they are immediately slammed, told to step down, and you hear the typical "Racist Republicans" remark. But regardless of party, using racial language has no place in our government.
The racial comments echoed on Martin Luther King Day stir up more hatred and bitterness amongst people of different races in America. We've come so far in race relations over the years for a few politicians to put their foot in their mouth and cause an uproar.
When politicians stab at opposing parties and advocate preferential treatment for a specific race, it goes against everything this nation stands for. And they need to be voted out of office. If not, they will continue to be a cancer.
Dr. Martin Luther King gave his life trying for equality among all men. We need to remember that as we take a day off...it's not just any other day. This country prides itself on equal opportunity for all, and for all to enjoy liberty and freedom. We want our society to strive to be better in race relations. America needs positive influences, people who reach out to anyone ...whether they are Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, etc. We should be blind to color.
Please vote divisive people out of office! They are a disgrace to the positions they hold! They are certainly not helping Americans by their comments.
We can and must do better!
Related Reading:
Bush: King, Parks Believed 'Answer to Hate' Is 'Love':
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=\Nation\archive\200601\NAT20060116a.html
Hillary Clinton Blasts GOP 'Plantation':
http://www.newsmax.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/1/16/211637.shtml
New Orleans Mayor: Storms Sign 'God is Mad At America':
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181851,00.html
(Printer friendly version) Email: Felicia (Fee) Benamon
