Yesterday, liberal AfAm journalist Juan Williams in the Wall Street Journal published a great column on how to judge BH Obama. Here are a few key graphs:
If his presidency is to represent the full power of the idea that black Americans are just like everyone else -- fully human and fully capable of intellect, courage and patriotism -- then Barack Obama has to be subject to the same rough and tumble of political criticism experienced by his predecessors. To treat the first black president as if he is a fragile flower is certain to hobble him. It is also to waste a tremendous opportunity for improving race relations by doing away with stereotypes and seeing the potential in all Americans.
Yet there is fear, especially among black people, that criticism of him or any of his failures might be twisted into evidence that people of color cannot effectively lead. That amounts to wasting time and energy reacting to hateful stereotypes. It also leads to treating all criticism of Mr. Obama, whether legitimate, wrong-headed or even mean-spirited, as racist.
This is patronizing. Worse, it carries an implicit presumption of inferiority. Every American president must be held to the highest standard. No president of any color should be given a free pass for screw-ups, lies or failure to keep a promise.
In my opinion, this is a wonderful corrective to the fawning, slobbering (to use Bernie Goldberg's term) love-fest for BH Obama from the media so far. Thank you, Mr. Williams. I resent the implication among some that ANY disagreement with or criticism of BHO is racist. Maybe if enough AfAms speak up, we can move race relations ahead in this country.
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1 comment:
Well said.
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