Warning - Some of the content of this article and it's comments may be offensive to some people. To be honest I could care less. I am tired of treating the racism issue like some kind of wet piece of toilet paper about to break. I plan on speaking my mind here and if you don't like it feel free to steer clear of this article.
I only have one request for those who plan on commenting on my article below. Please avoid using profanity and racist comments on this article. While I, and maybe some who plan on commenting, will be honest on how we feel and express ourselves here, I do not plan on spewing racism and will not allow it to be done either. Feel free to express yourself about the topic to follow but lets keep it as civilized as possible. I posted the warning because I know many out there love labeling everything as racist so be warned that there may be content that you could deem racist but does not necessarily mean it is. Anything truly racist will be deleted at my leisure. If you don't like it, take a hike, plain and simple. Now on to the topic at hand.Is this country truly ready for a Black President? I ask this question because in this century, our society is not dominated by a single race or color of skin. Today we live in a country where people of all races, all cultures and shapes and sizes have somewhat learned to co-exist together. I can't say in harmony because, let's be real here, there is still racism everywhere you go. What most people fail to see is that, unlike many decades ago, racism is sorta restrained to the few who refuse to let go of the past, who, as tradition I guess, continue to pass on the history of their family, including things such as racism (White's against Blacks and Blacks against Whites and even everyone else against Hispanics). Some, of course, will argue that Black people still don't enjoy equality like most White people do. Well of course not, White people don't have things such as Affirmative Action, the United White Foundation or White History month. How could there possibly ever be equality when we continue to maintain our multi nationality names such as Afro American, Cuban American, Latino American, etc. I though we were all Americans, at least that's what the terrorist call us. I don't ever recall seeing an Osama Bin Laden video claiming to wanna kill specific nationalities in the US. As far as he's concerned we are all Americans. Can you imagine him being specific on his videos?
"To all White Americans, Black Americans, Afro Americans, Cuban America, etc, etc, etc..."
By the time he's done, the attack will have taken place. BTW, has anyone ever heard of an Afro-French or a Cuban Italian, or a Arabnese (Arab Chinese for those who didn't get that) or even a Russian Rican? What is really sad is how easily many "Americans" (because that is who we really are whether you like it or not) dismiss the progress we have made thru out the decades. How relationships and marriages have crossed both the race and gender lines. How women have become equals (in a way anyways) in almost all aspects of life (let's face it, I don't see the WNFL as ever happening). When was the last time you went to a school? Ever notice how most children are color blind these days when it comes to making friends, falling in love or simply playing a fame of B-Ball or tag? It's ironic that as adults we are suppose to be the example for children yet it is from them that we can learn so much about what living life is really about.
The truth is racism is alive and well, as I once spoke of in a previous article of mine
If racism is still alive, who are the ones keeping it alive?, but nothing like it once was many decades ago. The problem is not so much racism, but those who continue to keep it alive. Those who see racism where there is none, who see racism in a few people and automatically stereotype an entire race or group of people by the color of their skin, who continue to teach racism generation after generation and then there are those who use racism as a form of weapon or shield to either advance their own agendas, to make profits or to commit crimes and get away with them.
What is truly sad (annd I don't care if the truth bothers you) is that time and again we find members of the Black community the ones who openly and out loud, refuse to let racism die. Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson are notorious for using racism as a front to any kind of criticism against their actions and comments. OBama's infamous Pastor Rev Wright spewed hate and racism as he God damned his own country, as if everyone in this nation was responsible for what happened to slaves many decades ago. And let's not forget Obama's white, Michelle Obama, who for the first time in her adult life she was proud of her country, and all it took was for the people of this country to allow a Black man to run for President, go figure. But this dislike for their country is more than mere "oops" comments, "I didn't know the camera was rolling" blurps and "no one really cares anyways" speeches. Ever since Obama began to run for President of the US, the truth about how some Black people really feel has become, not only common to hear, but acceptable as well.
The most recent story to hit the airways and websites? A video (of many) found on youtube.com that Schnitt from
www.schnittshow.com spoke about on his show today and has a link of the website he found it on,
The National Anthem? Josh Howard 'Doesn't Celebrate That S***', where Josh Howard, basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks, with out a care about what his honesty could cost him, makes (what I consider disgusting) remarks about the US National Anthem that was playing in the background during the Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic flag football game this past July. According to some websites and several videos on youtube.com his comments were as follow:
"The Star Spangled Banner's going on right now and I don't celebrate that shit. I'm black." (see video of his comments below)
He doesn't celebrate it because he's Black? I didn't get it, at least not until Schnitt began to take calls about this video to see what Black people though about Josh's comments. To his surprise, and mine, his first caller, a female listener of his, not only defended Josh and his comments but agreed with him. She claimed she, too, does not sing the National Anthem because this country is not about "all men are create equal". When Schnitt asked her if she did not like the US why was she still here? Her answer? Because "ya'll brought them here". Schnitt questioned her answer wonder what she meant by "ya'll". Somehow, according to the caller, Schnitt's ancestors were in part responsible for black people being brought to the US as slaves. Guess what, Schnitt's ancestors were not even in the US when this happened, Schnitt's ancestors happened to be Russian, German and another nationalities who actually suffered and were incarcerated due the past wars those countries were involved, yet somehow, because he was White, the caller accused him of being part of those responsible for her living in the US because her ancestors were slaves.
I still am in shock as I write this article, that there are people out there that think this way. That dare to accuse White people, regardless of nationality, of being racist all while being racist themselves for generalizing everyone who's skin is not dark like theirs. Hell, I have met many Cubans who could pass themselves as White Americans very easily who were born and raised here and do not have the Spanish accent that would give them away. Should they also be accused of racism simply because their skin is White? I, myself, have light brown skin, typical of many Hispanic races, but I am actually Whiter than I seem because my skin is darner due to the constant sun tanning that I have gotten thru out the years that I lived in Puerto Rico, but all it takes is to life up my shirt or even my sleeves to reveal my true color. But guess what, I believe I have African blood in me because my Grandfather from my om's side is Black. Does that mean I can say the N word too (I refuse to use it because I think it's very disrespectful even coming from a Black person)?
Is this nation really ready to accept a Black man as the next President when they themselves God damn this nation, they themselves have not been proud of their country till now, when they themselves are so unpatriotic as to refusing to sing "that shit" called our National Anthem? Why do Black people allow such things to be said in their name? Why does Obama allow such things to be said and done?
It is the opinion of this Hispanic man, born in the US, of Spaniard, African and Native Puerto Rican Indian blood, a man proud to call himself an American and proud of his nation that this country is not ready for this kind of change. It is my opinion that this country still has too much hatred, too much anger, too much disrespect and too much distrust in it's own citizens and it's Gov't. I am proud of my country because while we may still have many issues concerning racism and greed, we are still a better society than many if not most countries around the world. Our legal and illegal immigration crowd is proof of that. We still have a few wrinkles to iron out, but it's up to us to actually do the work of getting rid of the wrinkles, they will not go by themselves.
I will not vote for Obama simply because he is Black. I do not agree with many of his policies, his opinions and his tactics. But his race has played an important role in his campaign and as far as I'm concerned he will have to pay the price for doing so while all these people go around making sure racism is still alive, often in his name. As the comentators in the video said, this is a bad time to be unpatriotic, especially when your candidate is Black like you.