EDITORIAL FERGUSON, MISSOURI, NEW YORK, PARIS, FRANCE, PRESIDENT OBAMA, AND MARTIN LUTHER KING BY Phil Seahorn January 17, 2015
THE HORRIFIC EVENTS IN PARIS, FRANCE WILL RESONATE AROUND THE WORLD JUST AS THE EVENTS IN FERGUSON MISSOURI SEVEN MONTHS AGO.AND THE ISSUES RAISED IN BOTH EVENTS WILL WEIGH HEAVILY ON PRESIDENT OBAMA IN THE COMING MONTHS.THESE ISSUES WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE PRESIDENCY OF BARACK
OBAMA, AND THE DREAMS OF MARTIN LUTHER KING FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY. President Obama has tried to lead a “colorless” presidency for all of his term to this point. However, the Ferguson riots and the events in Paris have put the issues of racial and religious intolerance from and center .President Obama knew this, and initially tried not to become the direct face of America’s fight against religious intolerance and ,of course, Islam based terrorism.
But because of worldwide outrage, President Obama was literally forced to jump in and be that face in which he has tried to avoid for 6 years. Obama is far, far too intelligent NOT to understand the ramifications of him being a person of color, AND having an Islamic name. I posted earlier this week that it was no wonder that president Obama wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with the events in France. But what he has sorely misjudged is the very thing that propelled him into his presidency: new media. The social network phenomena that made him the first president of color (arguably) has now created the very dilemma that he has been running from: how he
as a person of color will handle racial intolerance and intolerance toward Islam. Obama, who is stanchly Christian, has had his religious beliefs challenged since he took office. He has been presented firsthand with religious intolerance: the fact that with his name being Muslim, he HAD to be a “secret Muslim�. Add to the fact that he was already fighting an uphill battle as a man of color who was now the most powerful man in the world. So not to piss off white folks here in the U.S. he did not want to accentuate that fact: he was a man of color with tremendous power.
This fact honored the memory of Martin Luther King by America actually putting him in office. But only up to a point. King, like all AUTHENTICALLY powerful men of color in the past, were killed in the United States. This fact has not escaped our president. So, he leads with weakness and indecisiveness. Put two and two together, and you can figure out why he’s doing this. However, now, with the events in France, Obama knows that now he has to become a “black” leader”.
There is simply too much at stake for his presidency for him NOT to be.
I have to apologize to Michael Moore because I slammed him really bad in past posts. However, with the power of new media, Mr. Moore understands the legacy that Obama‘s presidency presented. Mr. Moore knows that with the power of “new media” every aspect will be made available for future historians to analyze the Obama presidency. Mr. Moore understands that Obama and his presidency are now “content”; to be dispersed either thru online posts on Yahoo or AOL, featured on online newspaper and video outlets, and recorded thru online video, Iphone posts, and of course, YouTube. Mr. Moore was exactly on point when he said that all Obama will be known for is” being the first black
president”. That’s it. Moore knows that Obama has the opportunity to present a powerful leader who is also the first person of color in the in U.S. history. Mr. Moore knows that the last six years of Obama’s presidency has been wasted on Obama battling Congress and playing golf. Outside of the few accomplishments like the health care bill and killing Osama Bin laden (o.k. that’s actually a really big fucking deal), that would be it. But then we get the events in Ferguson and New York. The perfect storm to throw the “colorless’ presidency of Obama right out the fucking window. And as little as Obama did in weighing in on these matters, our country’s first person of color was not
front and center on the worst racial climate in this country since 1968. The year of Martin Luther King’s death. King was really our only true leader of color, besides Malcolm X. And we see what happened to both of them. So now, on the eve of Martin Luther King’s birthday, the year 2015 will start with Obama’s greatest challenge. The fervor of anti-Islamic feelings will jump the pond and land right over here in the states. Just like the events of Ferguson, Missouri jumped the pond to be presented to the rest of the entire world.
Two issues, and both heavily tied into race (most Muslims in the U.S. are ethnic) are now front and center for Obama. He has to show a strong presidency if he is to deal with the coming months in the United States. If you study history, you know that world events of the nature of Ferguson and Paris don’t just start and stop. I predict that this year, 2015, will put to test the teachings and beliefs of Martin Luther King. And all this will fall squarely on the shoulders of President Obama. He can no longer lead as a ‘buffoon and incompetent” stereotype of what people from all over the world have come to see America’s men of color.
Just look at President Obama now in 2015. It doesn’t help that six years ago he forbade his daughters from even watching the Kardashians, but now is gushing PUBLICLY over his daughters’ admiration for Beyoncé, who makes the Kardashians look like Girl Scouts. What would Martin Luther King think of Beyoncé today? Or any of our black “cults of personalities”? As I look forward to celebrating the MLK birthday holiday with events at the Spokane Civic Arena downtown Monday. But as a person of color, as a MAN of color, I won’t be feeling the power of MLK. Not with the president we have now.
And that will come back to roost on the Obama presidency. This year, he WILL be called to lead as a strong president. As a strong president who is also a man of color. Obama can’t get rid of these chickens. So, in Martin Luther King’s memory, let’s hope that the conditions of the times will make Obama “man up” and honor King’s memory, and the ultimate sacrifice King made for this country and his people. All his people. The people of the great United States of America God bless Marin Luther King, and god bless his sacrifice for this great country.
peace