Obama, Sotomayor and the Fear of a Black Planet

"Sotomayor’s/Obama’s view that White Men have to get to the back of the bus is sure to create conflict. Already his stimulus has been jiggered so that the money goes to female-centric employment (social workers, teachers, health care) and not to male-centric (bridges, roads, construction).

I know as a White Male I’ll be LAST for health care, for employment, for hiring, for promotions, for raises, for pretty much everything, in the Half-Blood Prince’s reign. So no matter how dreamy women (and non-Whites) find him, he is my absolute enemy. So I wish him nothing but the worst."

This nugget was found in the comments on a Hollywood blog that compared Obama to Harry Potter. 

What’s interesting about this response is the naked fear of a black planet expressed by the poster.  I guess if I was an incompetent, insecure white man I would fear Obama and Sotomayor too.  After all, they need an unfair playing field to stay in the game.  Too many well educated, hard working, accomplished people of color in the applicant pool and they will be out of job. 

Thank goodness there are enough secure, competent white men who understand that this country needs the best people in the job, and that the “affirmative action” of the Ol’ Boys Club has led this country into a ditch.

Reginald Hudlin

Comments here.

Lincoln and Obama

With the inauguration of Barack Obama in little more than a month and the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth in  two months, it’s interesting to read Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation–for what it did (and didn’t) do.  I knew that it only freed the slaves in those states in rebellion against the United States (see link below), but I didn’t know how much of Louisiana and Virginia WERE NOT covered by the Proclamation.

Slaves in the likes of Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey (yes) and others non-rebellious states as well as those excepted areas of Louisiana and Virginia had to await national adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment (December 6, 1865) for their freedom.  Although overruled my national ratification, in some states it took awhile for even the SYMBOLIC adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment.  In fact, Kentucky only ratified the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution on March 18, 1976 and Mississippi on March 16, 1995!!!

This gives an even greater context to the thought of President Barack H. Obama’s presiding over the national celebration of the coming Lincoln Bicentennial.

David Evans

Comments here.