Even though my grief is the most significant thing going on in my life, I don't think you should have to deal with it all the time. Therefore, I decided to dig into my archives and give you a break, too. This is a post I wrote for my MySpace page back in September. Enjoy!
I found out this morning (September 20, 2007) that Magic Johnson, one of the most successful businessmen in the country, has decided to back Sen. Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential race. His comment was, "He's not ready to be President of the U.S. ... It's not about black or white. I love him, I wrote him a check, I talked to him on the phone. I think he's very articulate and smart but he's in over his head." The former NBA player went on to say that he felt like Barack was a rookie player who wasn't ready to lead the country and that it would take him at least eight years to build up the relationships and experience that Hillary has already.
I'm not a political person by nature, but this particular situation makes me mad. It speaks to so many things that are wrong with our culture. First of all, President-Select Bush -- who had political experience as the governor of Texas -- has led our county into one of the worst time in its history. The economy is down, jobs are down, we have the biggest deficit ever, and people are having a hard time just doing the simple things. I won't even get into the Katrina situation -- I agree with Kanye on that one -- or the oil-fueled war in Iraq that has changed the face of Black, Brown, and Poor America forever by taking away over 3,000 of its best and brightest.
It's not even that I have beef with Hillary Clinton. In fact, I voted for her when I lived in New York. I think she's smart, articulate, and a shining example of a woman who hasn't allowed herself to be defined by her husband. Do I think she has what it takes to be president? Of course I do. However, I think it's a safe assumption that she wouldn't have half the clout she does if she weren't a former First Lady.
As far as Barack is concerned, I will agree with the fact that he's inexperienced. However, one could argue that our current leader, the experienced C-student, hasn't done much for us. Barack is a charismatic speaker who has managed to do what Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton never could -- cross the color line and appeal to all Americans. That in and of itself is a huge feat for a Black man. In addition, I think that Barack is a whole lot closer to being like the common man and his wife, Michelle, makes me proud to be a Black woman.
Magic's support of Hillary just brings to mind the Uncle Tom syndrome that's prevalent in Upper Class Black America. He thinks that a Black man doesn't have a chance in this election, so he's backing the White woman. Typical. Without the support of people like Magic, it will make it harder for Barack to win.
What's worse is that the Magic-Hillary situation shows, once again, that we as Black Americans aren't united. And that makes me mad. Think about this, if an Asian American were in the race, every Asian group would back that person. The same goes for other races. Not Blacks, though. We just want to do what's convenient and hope for the best.
And really, if we're all honest with ourselves, both Barack and Hillary are gonna have a hard time getting elected because I'm not sure if America is ready to be led by a Black man or a White woman. All I know right now is that I'm voting, and I hope that you are, too.
I found out this morning (September 20, 2007) that Magic Johnson, one of the most successful businessmen in the country, has decided to back Sen. Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential race. His comment was, "He's not ready to be President of the U.S. ... It's not about black or white. I love him, I wrote him a check, I talked to him on the phone. I think he's very articulate and smart but he's in over his head." The former NBA player went on to say that he felt like Barack was a rookie player who wasn't ready to lead the country and that it would take him at least eight years to build up the relationships and experience that Hillary has already.
I'm not a political person by nature, but this particular situation makes me mad. It speaks to so many things that are wrong with our culture. First of all, President-Select Bush -- who had political experience as the governor of Texas -- has led our county into one of the worst time in its history. The economy is down, jobs are down, we have the biggest deficit ever, and people are having a hard time just doing the simple things. I won't even get into the Katrina situation -- I agree with Kanye on that one -- or the oil-fueled war in Iraq that has changed the face of Black, Brown, and Poor America forever by taking away over 3,000 of its best and brightest.
It's not even that I have beef with Hillary Clinton. In fact, I voted for her when I lived in New York. I think she's smart, articulate, and a shining example of a woman who hasn't allowed herself to be defined by her husband. Do I think she has what it takes to be president? Of course I do. However, I think it's a safe assumption that she wouldn't have half the clout she does if she weren't a former First Lady.
As far as Barack is concerned, I will agree with the fact that he's inexperienced. However, one could argue that our current leader, the experienced C-student, hasn't done much for us. Barack is a charismatic speaker who has managed to do what Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton never could -- cross the color line and appeal to all Americans. That in and of itself is a huge feat for a Black man. In addition, I think that Barack is a whole lot closer to being like the common man and his wife, Michelle, makes me proud to be a Black woman.
Magic's support of Hillary just brings to mind the Uncle Tom syndrome that's prevalent in Upper Class Black America. He thinks that a Black man doesn't have a chance in this election, so he's backing the White woman. Typical. Without the support of people like Magic, it will make it harder for Barack to win.
What's worse is that the Magic-Hillary situation shows, once again, that we as Black Americans aren't united. And that makes me mad. Think about this, if an Asian American were in the race, every Asian group would back that person. The same goes for other races. Not Blacks, though. We just want to do what's convenient and hope for the best.
And really, if we're all honest with ourselves, both Barack and Hillary are gonna have a hard time getting elected because I'm not sure if America is ready to be led by a Black man or a White woman. All I know right now is that I'm voting, and I hope that you are, too.
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