“…I think it’s based on racism,” “There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president.” “Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care.” “It’s deeper than that.” — Former presidentJimmy Carter, at a town hall meeting held at his presidential centerin Atlanta — Sept. 2009
TV footage showed the doll hanging by a noose in front of a red, white and blue sign that reads “Plains, Georgia. Home of Jimmy Carter, our 39th President“.
Witnesses said the effigy had President Obama’s name on it.
Plains Mayor L.E. Godwin III said the fire department had been called to take it down.
In Washington, US Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan confirmed that the agency was investigating the case.
One Plains resident said the Secret Service had already interviewed local people.
“We wish it hadn’t happened. It’s not the kind of publicity the town of Plains likes,” Jan Williams, who runs a hotel, was quoted as saying by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
She described Plains, which has a population of fewer than 700 people, as a “nice, quiet town“.
Here is what some Americans [REPUBLICANS] would love to do to their president!
There is a prevalent misconception that racism is a self-contained problem. The myth goes like this: unless a hooded clansman is burning a cross on an African American family’s lawn, the United States is not dealing with traditional racism. Our country has transcended race, since the election of President Obama, this myth says. Furthermore, race is only a relevant factor when something overtly hostile happens to our leader, who happens to be black (not that any of us notice, since we have transcended the problem of racism). The myth leaves no room for discussions of institutionalized racism, or the acceptance that race and racism are always in the room with us, and not just when President Obama delivers nuanced, thoughtful speeches about them.
By: Allison Kilkenny President Obama has long suggested that he would like to move beyond race. The question now is whether the country will let him.
He woke up one Wednesday to a rapidly intensifying debate about how his race factors into the broader discussion of civility in politics, a question prompted in part by former President Jimmy Carter’s assertion the previous day that racism was behind a Republican lawmaker’s outburst against Mr. Obama as the president addressed a joint session of Congress. — via Political Memo – As Race Debate Grows, Obama Steers Clear of It – NYTimes.com.
There is a prevalent misconception that racism is a self-contained problem. The myth goes like this: unless a hooded clansman is burning a cross on an African American family’s lawn, the United States is not dealing with traditional racism. Our country has transcended race, since the election of President Obama, this myth says. Furthermore, race is only a relevant factor when something overtly hostile happens to our leader, who happens to be black (not that any of us notice, since we have transcended the problem of racism). The myth leaves no room for discussions of institutionalized racism, or the acceptance that race and racism are always in the room with us, and not just when President Obama delivers nuanced, thoughtful speeches about them.
Aside from the obvious targets of a Joe Wilson or Rush Limbaugh, the problem of racism infests every facet of the American experience, including the ongoing health care debate, though few politicians and journalists seem to realize racism is bigger than a few of Glenn Beck’s disciples shouting something about Obama being Kenyan. "Race issue lingers over health care debate," an AP headline declares, but what it fails to mention is that the health care debate is also a race debate, and the racism issue does not belong exclusively to the province of zaftig, paranoid white Conservatives, flawed reasoning that comforts many liberals.
Another Reuters headline reads, "Healthcare, anger, and race," presenting the three nouns as if they are separate, autonomous entities. Such compartmentalization seems to suggest we can only talk about one issue (healthcare, anger, or race) at a time. We’re either chatting about Obama’s plans for health care reform, or we’re snickering about those crazy birthers, but we’re never talking about the same thing. However, in reality, the broken healthcare system and anger are subsidiaries of racism, and the three share a deeply interconnected relationship.
According to a study by researchers at Dartmouth, race and place of residence have a huge impact on the kind of medical treatment a patient receives. For example, blacks with diabetes or vascular disease are nearly five times more likely than whites to have a leg amputated. The widest racial gaps in mammogram rates within a state were in California and Illinois with a difference of 12 percentage points between the white rate and the black rate. The country’s lowest rate for blacks — 48 percent in California — was 24 percentage points below the highest rate — 72 percent in Massachusetts. In all but two states, black diabetics were less likely than whites to receive annual hemoglobin testing. But blacks in Colorado (66 percent) were far less likely to be screened than those in Massachusetts (88 percent).
Statistics released by Advocates for Children and Youth, an independent statewide nonprofit organization, show that the infant mortality rate is 8 deaths per 1,000 births in Maryland, with African American babies dying at a 2.5 times higher rate than white babies. African Americans’ life expectancy is six years shorter than whites at birth, two years shorter at age 65, and numerous studies document the relatively poor health and health outcomes of African Americans, reflecting a long history of economic deprivation and barriers to health care.
Race has infrequently been addressed in this fashion possibly because it removes racism from the territory of crazy, right-wing protesters and delivers the blame to larger institutions like the private health care industry, and the United States government at large. It’s one thing to make fun of Rush Limbaugh’s ignorance, it’s another thing to ask multi-billion dollar industries to change their racist practices, or accuse the entire government of being rotten at the foundation. Such accusations would earn a dissenter the title of "race-baiter," or one who "plays the race card." These kinds of platitudes are usually euphemisms for "You’re making me uncomfortable. Don’t rile up the black folk. Shut up."
As much as white Americans hate to admit it, we are always talking about race, even when we’re not poking fun at Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. Race and racism will play a huge roll in the health care reform debate, and not just when Joe Wilson is the topic of discussion. Rep. Donna Edwards has said that proposed legislation overhauling health care would likely address racial disparities in education and health among children. Let’s hope so. At least then the discussion of race and racism may reap some productive rewards instead of more empty chatter about Joe Wilson’s motives.
About The Author: Allison Kilkenny co-hosts Citizen Radio, the alternative political radio show alongside her partner, comic Jamie Kilstein. She is a contributing writer to Huffington Post, Alternet.org, The Nation, the Beast, Counterpunch.org, and 236.com.
She doesn’t care if you’re offended by anything she has written. Allison cordially invites you to join her on other social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. VISIT [ http://allisonkilkenny.com/ ]
Shedding Crocodile Tears: Republicans express ‘OUTRAGE‘ about charges that their attacks on Obama are racist. It is laughable when you hear HATE MAGGOTS like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck call Jimmy Carter’s assertions “disgusting smears,” “a sign of desperation,” and “despicable tactics.”
There is an African saying that states: “If you are dunked into a pool of human faeces for long enough, you stop smelling it!” That’s what’s happening to these Republicans. To them Racism is perfectly normal.
Mediamatters: Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity criticize Democrats for saying attacks are race-based — but they’ve also leveled charges of racism.
Conservatives in the media have recently criticized congressional Democrats, Jimmy Carter, Maureen Dowd, and others for suggesting that attacks on President Obama are racially motivated, saying, for example, that it’s a “disgusting smear,” “a sign of desperation,” and ” despicable tactics.” However, conservative media figures — including some who are now decrying the accusations — have themselves used charges of racism when discussing Obama and his policies. [ READ MORE ]
Limbaugh’s and Beck’s racially charged remarks activate “hate criminals”
Limbaugh: “[I]n Obama’s America, the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering”
Even SERIAL ‘Pitch-Fork’ BIGOT, White Nationalist Pat Buchanan is in serious denial. He called Carter’s assertion that some attacks on Obama “based on racism” “malevolent and ignorant“. He is joined by Joe “Dead Intern” Scarborough and his blond “airhead” co-host, Mika Brzezinski, Daughter of Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski [ WATCH BELOW ]
Fox News is the propaganda arm of the Republican party, Murdoch’s anchors and reporters make only a token attempt to hide their bias. Then there are the infamous Fox News pundits like Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity who are on a mission from God to destroy the Obama administration.
I was shocked to read an intelligent and eloquent defense of Jimmy Carter in of all places the Fox News Web site. Here are some excerpts from Marc Lamont Hill’s article in support of Carter’s contention that most of the opposition to Obama is rooted in racism:
“By identifying the racial dimensions of the current political moment, President Carter has pointed out a huge elephant in the room. Until the rest of the Democratic Party musters the courage to do the same on a regular basis, President Obama will continue to take unnecessary hits.
In the past few days, former President Jimmy Carter has caused a national firestorm by remarking that much of the current opposition to President Obama is rooted in racism. As expected, the racist wing of the GOP quickly dismissed Carter’s comments as wrongheaded and divisive. In truth, however, President Carter was merely identifying a political reality that many of us have been unable or unwilling to recognize: much of the current anti-Obama sentiment has little to do with policy and much to do with race.” [ Fox News ]
Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Mike Savage are the equivalent of Joseph Goebbels, they stir the working class white masses into an orgy of resentment against our first African American president. There is no need for me to recite the litany of racist comments uttered by these vile pundits. Intelligent folks recognize these venial men as rabble rousers, and their followers will only be emboldened if I repeat their racist rants.
Since Barack Obama emerged as a viable candidate, there has been an undercurrent of racism in the attacks against him. Unfortunately, it was the Clintons who initiated this race-based attack against Obama.
But while Bill Clinton’s race-based attack on Obama was subtle, some Republicans have thrown caution to the wind and have blatantly used racism as a bat to clobber the President of the United States.
Obama has been a practicing Christian for decades, but more than a few conservatives continue to insist that he is a Muslim. They know that in America the public associates Black Muslims with the controversial Nation of Islam organization. Most black Muslims in America don’t belong to the Nation of Islam, and they are hardworking and patriotic.
The Birthers insist that Obama wasn’t born in this country, and therefore he is an illegitimate president and should be removed from office. The Birthers isn’t an insignificant cult that draws its members only from trailer parks and redneck bars, several prominent Republicans in Congress subscribe to the insane allegations of the Birther movement.
It doesn’t take a psychologist or a rocket scientist to discern that racism lies at the core of the Birther movement. These racists can’t very well argue that an African American shouldn’t be the President of the United States, so they try to delegitimize Obama’s administration by claiming he was born in Kenya.
I would love to believe that we are living in a post-racial America, but Jimmy Carter was only pointing out the obvious, and we shouldn’t shoot the messenger.
If you think that Carter was off-base in his assessment watch the clips on YouTube of the tea parties. The teabaggers are predominantly white, and they are very angry. Almost all of their signs display anti-Obama sentiments, and many of those signs are either implicitly or explicitly racist.
Jimmy Carter is a modern-day prophet, and if we have any chance of one day becoming a post-racial society we must take heed to his message.
Poor Barack Obama cannot defend himself against the blatant racism steaming from the G.O.P. He would rather not get caught in it.
The White House released a statement yesterday, stating that the president does not believe current criticism of his policies is based on the color of his skin. Sheeesh!
Jimmy Carter spoke the honest truth — the BIG BAD truth that every white bigot never wants to face!
Many INVERTEBRATE Democrats are running into hiding holes, distancing themselves from the truth — too afraid to speak out.
Afraid of the big bad filthy G.O.P.
Democrats fear that starting a racial argument could turn off swing district voters whose support the party will need in the 2010 mid-term elections.
Meanwhile, Rep. Joe “You lie” Wilson is making money — tons of it, for confronting Obama in Congress, on behalf of his fellow bigots in the Republican party.
But, that has not stopped the big bad G.O.P from defending itself — guns blazing, with Mr. OREO, the pathetic TOKEN NEGRO, RNC chairman, UNCLE Michael Steele leading the charge …..from the “cotton plantation.”
Defending the “MASTER” vigorously, Steele said: “President Carter is flat out wrong. This isn’t about race. It is about policy.”
President Obama has long suggested that he would like to move beyond race. The question now is whether the country will let him.
