The normally cool Barack Obama looked a little flustered.
In what must have seemed like a scene from the not-so-distant slave days, a single intelligent black man trying his best to make sense was surrounded and heckled by a group of middle-aged white guys.
And then one of them, Joe Wilson stood up and yelled “You lie!” at a president who hadn’t.
As the camera panned through the crowded chamber filled with legislators, the look on the faces of many others made it was clear that like Joe Wilson, they too clearly did not like being lectured and admonished by the brainy young president.
A brainy, young BLACK president.
Joe Wilson’s tirade was shocking not just in its disrespect for the decorum of the house but also to the office of the President of the United States of America.
Amidst all the euphoria of the sounds of ‘Yes We Can’ & ‘Hope’ & ‘Change’, the one word America had perhaps forgotten to adapt to was ‘Believe’.
Believe that a BLACK man is President.
And in a country where political correctness has almost become a malady, the media, this time round were surprisingly silent.
Yes, Politics is a dirty playground and you have to get into the mud to play by its rules but some things cannot be condoned. Some things cannot be swept away. Racism is one of those things.
Keeping silent is the same as giving consent.
Bush & Cheney told a hundred lies about WMD and Iraq. Did anyone stand up and shout “You Lie!” at them?
Till less than 40 years ago intelligent Negroes trying to succeed and make a better life for themselves were often admonished and told ‘Boy, don’t get above your raising,’ implying that there was only so much that they could (or should) aspire to achieve.
Now many of those same people look at President Obama’s sophistication and intellect and that makes them angry.
A Black Negro has gotten above his raisings. And that makes them very angry.
So angry that a certain Mr. Rusty DePass of the Republican Party has the gall to say that a gorilla that escaped from a zoo was “just one of Michelle Obama’s ancestors.”
And yet the media isn't up in arms.
Maybe we are better off in India.
We may all detest the sight of Miss Mayawati but it’s because she is an inept, corrupt megalomaniac with a diamond and handbag fetish.
We may all detest the sight of Miss Mayawati but it’s because she is an inept, corrupt megalomaniac with a diamond and handbag fetish.
NOT because she is a low-caste Dalit trying to get ‘above her raisings’.
Or is it?
You tell me.
Or is it?
You tell me.
Vish
Again - you source the most brilliant visuals! I was under the impression you live in Abu Dhabi...not sure if that is still true. You should know though that it is not true that the media has been silent about the issue in the US. People have been losing it over "You lie" which was not so much a tirade as a thoughtless outburst. America definitely has its share of racists but I wouldnt say that AMerica is racist. The hatred and lack of trust between the two parties runs a little deeper than race. Democrats did boo Bush when in office - no one said "you lie" though.
ReplyDeleteMany Republicans genuinely have fundamental disagreements with Obama - the ideologies are quite different and the level of spending does not sit well with them. Does not make all of them racist was my point...
Dear Desi, (BTW whats your real name coz i find adressing you "Dear Desi" tinged just that little bit with racism)
ReplyDeleteAnyway i do still live and work in Abu Dhabi (the recession not withstanding).
I did not mean to imply that the whole of america was racist.... one cant generalise about any country so sweepingly. The inherent racism is within the Republican party actually.
And as far as Joe Wilson's 'outburst' goes, well, it could have been termed so if not for his background. He's had many documented instances of racially divisive behaviour before and so his 'outburst' seems more suspect.
But infact with this post i was hoping to get some debate going about our own racist tendencies vis a vis Ms. Mayawati... What say you???
hey - good to hear from you. i am a very proud desi and not very easily offended so I can live with that:) trying to keep much of my identity hidden so I get to have my Muslim-Hindu and socio-political POV out there. Also keep it under wraps because knowing my caste, gender, state etc brings with it its own biases while judging writing (proven fact actually.) So I am going the jabbawockeez route. though if you keep reading my weekly posts, you will have a fairly decent idea of my demographic profile. alternatively we could be friends over facebook - I'd have to friend you first. Are you the one in a pink shirt and jeans standing in front of a real cool painting? :)
ReplyDeleteWith regard to Indians in general- I think we tend to be racist alright and have a lot of our own biases. But I do believe that in a position of power - we let much of that go. For instance - Indra Gandhi came to power in the 70s. brides were being burned for dowry yes...but we also had a respected/feared woman ruling us. same thing with jayalalitha. they still do not have that in the US. I definitely see Mayawati the same way you do - so agree and no debate required :)
FB is a good idea and yes its me in standing in front of that cool painting... do "friend me" when you have the time....
ReplyDelete