Skip to main content

The Word of the Day

The word of the day is uppity. According to Collins Essential English Dictionary, this informal adjective describes one who is snobbish, arrogant, or presumptuous. Those of us who grew up in the South know that when White people use the word, it's an insult meant to reprimand a Black person who dared to rise above their station.

Over the weekend, Lynn Westmoreland, a Republican congressman from Georgia, was asked to compare Sarah Palin with Michelle Obama. He said, "Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Senator Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they're uppity."

I find it interesting that the Obamas are getting labeled as uppity for being elegant, well-spoken people with Ivy-League educations. I would think that Cindy McCain's six million dollar-a-year salary, and John McCain's inability to remember how many houses he has would seem more arrogant, snobbish, and presumptuous.

Even though we hate to admit it, race is an issue in this presidential election. Texas Republican Senator Dick Armey was quoted in the Dallas Morning News as saying that the "Bubba" contingency isn't psychologically able to vote for a Black man. That's just about as real as you can get.

So what do we do? Fall back and let Bubba and his kind vote John McCain into office? If we do that, all we have to look forward to is the perpetuation of George Bush's failed policies. I think not. It's easy to listen to the poll numbers and nasty little men like Westmoreland and Armey and get discouraged. Ladies and Gentlemen, that's the one thing we CAN'T do. We have to press on in spite of what it looks like.

Right now, our country is in a state of turmoil. The economy is in the toilet, unemployment is at 6.1 percent -- not a good number at all -- and people are losing their houses at an alarming rate. While the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket has offered plenty of down-home zingers, they've offered no real solutions to our problems.

The "uppity" Barack Obama is the only candidate who's offering hope and a plan to get our nation back on track. Check out his website to find out exactly where he stands on issues like education, the economy, and health care. Instead of taking potshots at his competition, he's chosen to discuss what's really important in this election. If that's what uppity will get you, I'm all for it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

He's Gone...For Real

My uncle died. He actually ceased to live. I don't know how to handle this. Even though he was my mother's brother, he was so much more than that to me. He was the coolest cat on the block, He set the standard that every man had to meet. He was the one I compared every man in my life to. For all intents and purposes, he was my de facto dad. I am stunned. I feel like someone knocked the wind out of my body. I grew up watching him. If he sat up straight, I wanted to sit up straight. I once caught him standing up to pee. I thought I'd do that when I grew up, too. (You can just imagine that conversation). That's the thing...he never shied away from my craziness. When I discovered what a father was -- at the tender age of five -- I purposed in my heart to find one for myself. I asked every man I knew, including him, if they'd be my daddy. He said, "I can't be your dad. I'm your uncle." When I pressed, he gently explained that he already had a significan...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Middle Aged Rant

I am single. I’ve never had a husband. I’ve never given birth to a child. I’ve never lived with a man over six months. I am 54. I’m not classically pretty. I’m overweight. I’m not very tall. My brother says I’m a unicorn. My friends are kind enough not to make me feel small. My mother mentions in passing that she wants me to find a husband. I try not to be sad about my state. I’ve lived a life that some would find enviable. I had my dream job, met and interviewed great people, made great friends, and traveled all over the world. I have a new career that I find oddly fulfilling. Men don’t always like that. Some of them are jealous because I’m not easily impressed. Some are jealous because I’ve done things they haven’t. Some are jealous because I’ve lived on both coasts. I don’t know what to do. I can’t change my life – not that I want to. I can’t change my past – not that I want to. I can’t change myself –not that I want to. I just want someone to see me, not the image I present. I want...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Own My Tears

I own my tears. I used this as a hashtag on a Facebook post. I was talking about the movie, "The Fault in Our Stars." If you've seen it, you know what I mean, and I won't spoil it for you. Of course, you know me -- it's deeper than that. I need to say it out loud... I own my tears. New Boo meant the world to me. He really did. Our relationship meant the world to me. It really, really did. And now it's over and he's gone -- seemingly for good. That makes me cry more than I want to, and more than I have ever imagined I would. And while I hate it, I need to do this. I need to mourn this thing in its entirety because it has truly changed my life. I own my tears. I own the fact that I am hurt. I own the fact that I'm mourning a relationship that I wanted to work more than life itself. I wanted to be a part of a couple, and eventually a family. That may well happen for me one day. Today, though, it doesn't look likely. So yes, I cry. And you ...
1 comment
Read more