It’s pretty simple folks… If you don’t like the president or the country that much, Canada is to the North, Mexico to the South. If you can afford it, there are other nations not connected to the mainland. Hit the road Jack… and don’t cha come back no more no more no more no more!
Last night, when CNN officially called the election, announcing that Barack Obama had won a second term, I immediately burst into tears. I don’t mean I got a little teary-eyed, or that my throat closed in a little with the emotion.
Literally, truly, I was bawling tears of joy.
My reaction surprised me. Not the happiness- I knew I’d be thrilled if my President was re-elected- but my deep and utterly overwhelming emotional response caught me off guard.
I’ve always supported Obama, ever since I’ve known who he was. Like me, Obama is bi-racial, has a background in the United Church of Christ, and was raised by his white mother. We’re kindred spirits, it seems. When Barack Obama was elected President four years ago, it had a deep impact on me. I thought, “Now, when I tell my two beautiful Black-Women-in-Training that they can be anything they want to be when they grow up, I can finally mean it.”
What I only recently realized is how afraid I was. I was hearing- whether I wanted to or not- constant banshee cries from the Tea Party and racist right-wing America about how horrible Obama is; I listened to co-workers, friends and in some cases even family railing against him, calling him a nigger socialist, aradical Christian, a terrorist Muslim, anti-American (hell- they didn’t even believe he is an American) and anything else derogatory they could come up with. I watched the members of the Republican Party dole out more hatred and disrespect on their President’s head (he wasn’t just my President, after all) that it broke my heart, and I started to hurt.
For the first time in my life, my leader- my representative- was someone I truly related to on multiple levels. My love and respect was deep and unerring- and people hated him because he is black. When they realized they couldn’t get away with saying that out loud, they flipped the script and began to lie, accusing Barack Obama of horrible things, and none of it was true. I listened to elected officials tell the entire world that their number one priority was to make sure Obama was a one-term President- not dealing with failing banks, a corrupt Wall Street, rising unemployment, a healthcare crisis, ending the wars or bringing our troops home- but removing the Negro from office.
I began to feel afraid. I started to believe that maybe it was all a fluke. Maybe it wasn’t a sign of progress after all, that we’d managed to elect him. Maybe it was merely a case of the perfect storm- a crazy set of circumstances. Perhaps the nation simply refused to take its chances on another G.W. Bush, instead choosing- fleetingly- to vote a monkey into office out of desperation, so long as he name wasn’t Bush.
I didn’t think we could do it again. It was so sad, listening to Mitt Romney try to campaign “for the people” of America. If he wasn’t outright offending half of the nation, he was changing his mind, flip-flopping, and pandering to those who understood his fears better than anyone- White America. I knew the only reason the GOP could run an absolute parody of a politician like Mitt Romney and still have a close election was because of racism.
Pure and simple.
I really believed the hate mongers had it this time.
I thought they’d won.
When it dawned on me- slowly, after I realized Obama had taken Ohio on election night- that they hadn’t won at all, I was overcome. Hate and bigotry did not win last night. Yet again, Americans chose Barack Obama.
It was not a fluke.
We did it on purpose.
Congratulations, Mr. President. Yes. We. Did.
I do not plan on speaking much on this election. I hope to say what I have to now and not much after this. Truth is, regardless of who won we have great challenges in our nation and we have a lot of work to do. No need to recite all the details regarding the economy, jobs, education, the military and so forth.
Still, I don’t mind acknowledging that this election was different than any other I have been involved in. The first time Barack Obama was elected it was special. It was unbelievable to me. I never thought I would see a person of color in the White House. And for those thinking that’s all I’m about, you would be wrong. In other words, I could have voted for a Colin Powell presidency, while Clarence Thomas’ supreme court appointment and Herman Cain’s candidacy can go kick rocks! Most people who look like me can joyfully celebrate accomplishments by people of color from a historical perspective of where we’ve come from, but we are not hung up on color for the sake of color sake. As the old folks used to say, “Everyone who’s my skin folk, ain’t necessarily my kin folk.” I voted for The President the first time because I believed in his vision and what he stood for. His skin color was a caveat, not even close to a deciding factor.
That being said it wasn’t hard at all to recognize and understand all of the racist vitriol surrounding the White House since Obama was elected four years ago. From the beginning as surprised as I was that he was elected, for racist Caucasians, they were equally enraged. Rush Limbaugh exclaimed, “I hope he fails!” Joe Wilson went ballistic with his “You lie!” blast in a display of disrespect to the office never seen before. Mitch McConnell let it be known that his #1 priority was making The President a one termer.
John Boehner stood opposite whatever President Obama stood for, even if Obama changed to Boehner’s position.
The First Lady couldn’t even promote fighting childhood obesity without being attacked.
Jan Brewer put her finger in the face of The President as if she was ready to scrap!
I could go on. But let me get to my points. I’m exhausted. The President, myself and a whole lot of black folks, progressives etc. have taken a lot of shit over the last four years. We have heard it all. Now it’s our turn. Others can say what they need to, but I will speak for myself! In my Cee Lo Green voice, I present “F#@! YOU” notices to the following:
Mitch McConnell: F#@! YOU, 4 More Years! Try working for the American people and not against the black guy for a change!
John Boehner: F#@! YOU, 4 More Years! Focus more on helping our nation and less on your tan!
Rush Limbaugh: F#@! YOU, 4 More Years! Looks like YOU failed! Send your Mexican nanny to the pharmacist for more drugs you fat assed blubbering dope fiend!
Todd Akin: F#@! YOU, 4 More Years! Guess the women of Missouri “did that thing” to shut your ass down!
Tavis Smiley and Cornel West: F#@! YOU, 4 More Years! Yep I said it. You have toured the nation perpetrating the fraud about a “Black Agenda” while you never asked Bush, Clinton or any other president to do the same. My president cares for all people… including black people. It was insulting and ignorant that you tried to lay ever problem within the African-American community as his feet and expect him to focus on those and those alone. You both are frauds!
Fox News: F#@! YOU, 4 More Years! Hey look at it this way, your ratings will remain steady with the racist who will tune in and hear you whine, lie and avoid the real issue which is that White male domination is blowing away with the wind. Another generation and a half, and you may only have 7 viewers listeners using a CB radio!
Sara Palin: F#@! YOU, 4 More Years! How’s that for “shuckin’ and jiving?”
Business Owners who threatened their employees: That what foul what you did trying to intimidate your workers. Quite desperate too! None of Obama’s policies hurt your businesses especially. You get every tax break in the world! If you fail, its more likely because of your shotty business decisions. F#@! YOU, 4 More Years!
People who said Colin Powell voted for Obama because he was black: Yea, how many of you voted for McCain and Romney because they were white? Yea that’s what I thought…. F#@! YOU, 4 More Years!
Republicans, those who tried to disenfranchise minority voters: Them days are over! We aren’t allowing you to get away with that any longer! Get a clue! You lost in every court, including the Supreme Court! And the only people who were caught attempting to commit voter fraud were REPUBLICANS! F#@! YOU, 4 More Years!
Franklin and Billy Graham: (And all the other radical white and black evangelicals) You actually sold out your Christianity for racism. I guess you can put Mormonism back on the cult list now! F#@! YOU, 4 More Years!
Mitt Romney: Oh yea I ain’t forgot about you geechie! F#@! YOU, 4 More Years!… sincerely the 47%!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a 4:20 flight to catch to Denver.
Holla!
BB&Gcmac's Weblog 