Since his election, I personally have been at gatherings of differing social fabric and have more than not heard more derogatory remarks expressed often as veiled jokes than I have for many years. We do have a family member just turned 21 who is of mixed race as our president and the immense pride over the current white house family is palpable. She is acutely aware of this racial divide, having experienced too often the ugly attitude some have toward her skin color. She is fortunate to be in a large Boston university and able to have dialogue within those classrooms. Hope is in the spirit of our youth. I've struggle with my own family's attitude for years. It definitely reflects the parental and extended family conversations that happen in the privacy of our homes. Childhood is such a learning experience and most of it is spent at home. We as adults need to become more aware of our casual comments to each other. All that we learn from our parents is not necessary to pass on! We will work this out. Hopefully not as violently as in the past. I am ashamed of my whiteness sometimes! And yes, I too have experienced that same stepped up communication as if I am with them in believing that there actually is an inferior race. What are they thinking? An unease is developing that I haven't before felt. President Carter is amazing! I am relieved that he vocalized what has been an undercurrent.
What Mr Carter said is not what people are upset about. There may be people that have a racist problem. That is very sad in this day and time and Iam very sad for them.
But to say that someone who disagrees with the President is a racist is as wrong as what Mr Carter said.
We need to ask the person why they disagree with the President befor we call them a racist.
That will make us wiser and with more wisdom then what Mr Carter said!
Marjorie McDonald - 15 years ago
Thanks to President Carter for speaking out! He is telling it like it is. I have lived in the south much of my life and know the ingrained racism that exists in the minds of many people there and other parts of our country. It is, of course, denied. I feel the same disgust that I felt in the 60's. This is a disgrace to our country!
The incendiary talk radio and email propaganda are evidence of a very organized and frightening factor that combines racial with political bias.
Bill Sinock - 15 years ago
The KKK is still with us; but just because the KKK exists does not me or any other American a member.
I always referred to President Bush as Bush and every body else did as well, full respect intended. Even Juan Williams referred to the President as Obama. I will hence forth refer to President Obama as Mr. Obama or better President Obama. Pigment does not instigate nor detour me from so addressing him so. President Obama is the duly elected President. Every one, even his most staunch opponent, agrees he is a good speaker. I think he is far better speaker than the last three presidents. Does that comment make me a racist? I think not. I am only contemplating speaking ability.
I attended an April 15th Tea Party. The first person to greet me was a smiley faced African American who gave me a copy of the constitution of the United States of America. A little booklet called, The Citizen’s Hand Book. Good reading for ever one that wants to be free.
The Americans of 1776 were in deep trouble. Benjamin Franklin said, “We have got to hang together or we will hang separately,” may be not an exact quote. Are we in less trouble now; 10% unemployed, 10% not counted, thousands lost their homes, trillions of asset worth evaporated, an implausible national and personal debt, and economists saying the worst is not over. If we can not service the debt will America be divided up and auctioned off to wealthy would be monarchs?
Let us speak the truth in the most pleasant courteous manner, and hang together. If we don’t; blacks, browns and whites may be hoeing the same cotton fields.
Renata - 15 years ago
Everyone agrees that there is a "fringe" racist element among the Tea Party crowd and the Republican party. That fringe has always been a part of the American landscape. They, however, are not what is troubling about the criticisms and protests of the Obama administration. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. noted in his 1963 Letters from a Birmingham Jail, it's not "the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people" that perpetuates racism in this country. The Republicans and Tea Party organizers refuse to condemn, criticize or disassociate from that racist element that fuels their cause. The racists hide behind fiend anger about the administration's policies in order to spew their hate and disrespect for the first African-American president. The "good" protesters ignore and defend them as they ride the wave of racial hatred to bolster their legitimate protests. Fringe can be cut off; however, it's clear to me that now, as in the past, the racist fringe is welcomed into the American fabric.
giovanni - 15 years ago
I listen to conservative radio all the time. I have never, ever heard a racist comment towards Obama. They might dislike his politics, but I never heard a that the caller or host disliked him because he is has some African blood.
I think President Carter is playing the Race Card.
Neil Mathieson - 15 years ago
I believe that there are many in this country that are choking on the fact that a black man is the President. I get what amounts to "Hate E-Mail" every day from people whom I never thought harbored racists sentiments and I've known and worked with them for many years. But a black man in the most elevated position in our society suddenly brings it all out in the open and it's disgusting to see. What amazes me is that after all this time (20 years or more) of them knowing me that they would think that it’s suddenly OK to send their hatred-filled lies to my inbox. Do they think that because I am white that I automatically feel racist thoughts flowing through me with the ascension of Barack Obama? Many of these mails are disguised as ‘jokes’ but they are not funny. They are racist.
The GOP is acting in a totally disrespectful and aggressive way now that the shock of the November Landslide is over. They didn’t know quite how to respond to the situation at first. But now they have decided to use lies and distortions to further their non-agenda, and to scare the elderly on the one subject that means the most to them, their health care. “Death Panels” are just made up scare tactics fabricated from distortion with malice intended.
The political minority is doing their best to shout down any constructive legislative reform regardless of the merits. I believe that the GOP should keep up their garbage politics though, it will come back to them during the next election and we can rid ourselves of another batch of them. I think that racism is playing a huge role in our country’s politics nowadays, no matter how much it is denied.
It’s a giant leap backwards for America.
Since his election, I personally have been at gatherings of differing social fabric and have more than not heard more derogatory remarks expressed often as veiled jokes than I have for many years. We do have a family member just turned 21 who is of mixed race as our president and the immense pride over the current white house family is palpable. She is acutely aware of this racial divide, having experienced too often the ugly attitude some have toward her skin color. She is fortunate to be in a large Boston university and able to have dialogue within those classrooms. Hope is in the spirit of our youth. I've struggle with my own family's attitude for years. It definitely reflects the parental and extended family conversations that happen in the privacy of our homes. Childhood is such a learning experience and most of it is spent at home. We as adults need to become more aware of our casual comments to each other. All that we learn from our parents is not necessary to pass on! We will work this out. Hopefully not as violently as in the past. I am ashamed of my whiteness sometimes! And yes, I too have experienced that same stepped up communication as if I am with them in believing that there actually is an inferior race. What are they thinking? An unease is developing that I haven't before felt. President Carter is amazing! I am relieved that he vocalized what has been an undercurrent.
What Mr Carter said is not what people are upset about. There may be people that have a racist problem. That is very sad in this day and time and Iam very sad for them.
But to say that someone who disagrees with the President is a racist is as wrong as what Mr Carter said.
We need to ask the person why they disagree with the President befor we call them a racist.
That will make us wiser and with more wisdom then what Mr Carter said!
Thanks to President Carter for speaking out! He is telling it like it is. I have lived in the south much of my life and know the ingrained racism that exists in the minds of many people there and other parts of our country. It is, of course, denied. I feel the same disgust that I felt in the 60's. This is a disgrace to our country!
The incendiary talk radio and email propaganda are evidence of a very organized and frightening factor that combines racial with political bias.
The KKK is still with us; but just because the KKK exists does not me or any other American a member.
I always referred to President Bush as Bush and every body else did as well, full respect intended. Even Juan Williams referred to the President as Obama. I will hence forth refer to President Obama as Mr. Obama or better President Obama. Pigment does not instigate nor detour me from so addressing him so. President Obama is the duly elected President. Every one, even his most staunch opponent, agrees he is a good speaker. I think he is far better speaker than the last three presidents. Does that comment make me a racist? I think not. I am only contemplating speaking ability.
I attended an April 15th Tea Party. The first person to greet me was a smiley faced African American who gave me a copy of the constitution of the United States of America. A little booklet called, The Citizen’s Hand Book. Good reading for ever one that wants to be free.
The Americans of 1776 were in deep trouble. Benjamin Franklin said, “We have got to hang together or we will hang separately,” may be not an exact quote. Are we in less trouble now; 10% unemployed, 10% not counted, thousands lost their homes, trillions of asset worth evaporated, an implausible national and personal debt, and economists saying the worst is not over. If we can not service the debt will America be divided up and auctioned off to wealthy would be monarchs?
Let us speak the truth in the most pleasant courteous manner, and hang together. If we don’t; blacks, browns and whites may be hoeing the same cotton fields.
Everyone agrees that there is a "fringe" racist element among the Tea Party crowd and the Republican party. That fringe has always been a part of the American landscape. They, however, are not what is troubling about the criticisms and protests of the Obama administration. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. noted in his 1963 Letters from a Birmingham Jail, it's not "the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people" that perpetuates racism in this country. The Republicans and Tea Party organizers refuse to condemn, criticize or disassociate from that racist element that fuels their cause. The racists hide behind fiend anger about the administration's policies in order to spew their hate and disrespect for the first African-American president. The "good" protesters ignore and defend them as they ride the wave of racial hatred to bolster their legitimate protests. Fringe can be cut off; however, it's clear to me that now, as in the past, the racist fringe is welcomed into the American fabric.
I listen to conservative radio all the time. I have never, ever heard a racist comment towards Obama. They might dislike his politics, but I never heard a that the caller or host disliked him because he is has some African blood.
I think President Carter is playing the Race Card.
I believe that there are many in this country that are choking on the fact that a black man is the President. I get what amounts to "Hate E-Mail" every day from people whom I never thought harbored racists sentiments and I've known and worked with them for many years. But a black man in the most elevated position in our society suddenly brings it all out in the open and it's disgusting to see. What amazes me is that after all this time (20 years or more) of them knowing me that they would think that it’s suddenly OK to send their hatred-filled lies to my inbox. Do they think that because I am white that I automatically feel racist thoughts flowing through me with the ascension of Barack Obama? Many of these mails are disguised as ‘jokes’ but they are not funny. They are racist.
The GOP is acting in a totally disrespectful and aggressive way now that the shock of the November Landslide is over. They didn’t know quite how to respond to the situation at first. But now they have decided to use lies and distortions to further their non-agenda, and to scare the elderly on the one subject that means the most to them, their health care. “Death Panels” are just made up scare tactics fabricated from distortion with malice intended.
The political minority is doing their best to shout down any constructive legislative reform regardless of the merits. I believe that the GOP should keep up their garbage politics though, it will come back to them during the next election and we can rid ourselves of another batch of them. I think that racism is playing a huge role in our country’s politics nowadays, no matter how much it is denied.
It’s a giant leap backwards for America.