Hatred vs. Criticism of Obama

It is no denying that after one year in the White House President Barack Obama and his administration has seen his fair share of both hatred and criticism. Now I am not saying that hatred is right and I am not saying that any time hatred is spewed it is fair but what I am saying is that Obama is experiencing what every other President has experienced when it comes to hatred and criticism. Some people might say that Obama’s hatred is unjusted and no merited as well as the criticism he is receiving. I am not here to debate that or to justify why Obama is hated by some and criticized by others.

However what I am here to say that hatred is never right but there is a difference between hatred and criticism that many Americans seem to have forget. Hatred is when people wish bodily harm on a person or bad things to happen to a person. I do however think that some people do wish that onto Obama and his administration as well as some of his political policies. However there are people like Danny Glover and me who criticize President Obama and his administration as well as some of his policies because that’s not what he campaigned on or the policy that he is pushing is not what Congress is pushing.

Therefore I want people to understand criticism is something that we all deal with, it just a part of life but at the same time, criticism can turn into hatred and that is something that I will not tolerate not from anyone but particularly myself. President Obama did inherit a mess and it is no denying that. Like it is no denying that things could be worse if Obama and his administration along with Congress didn’t do what they did but at the same time things could be much better if they did some things a little bit differently in regards to the stimulus package. So let it be clear that there’s a right way to do something and there’s a wrong way to do something than there’s a combination of a right and wrong way that can stop the bleeding partially of a situation but can showcase just how ineffective the combination of a right and wrong way can hurt the other part of the situation.

Nonetheless it is time that people wake up and realize that every time someone comes against Obama, they are not spewing hatred, in fact some people like myself are criticizing the President and his administration while actually offering alternatives to his plan that would be better than some of the policies that Congress is passing as legislation. I never criticize anyone or anything without saying why I disagree and giving an alternative to what a person could have did or how a policy could be better. At the same time, I will not sit back and say that Obama has not experienced hatred thrown his way because he has. Some of the tea party movement is just one example of some of the hate that is thrown Obama’s way but in no way am I condemning the whole tea party movement as a whole because there are some people who are a part of that movement that believe in exactly what the movement is suppose to be about which is debt reduction, lower taxes, transparency and accountability.

Still I am criticizing the tea party movement for not condemning some of the hateful signs that are displayed during some of the protests they have had. However those who criticize the tea party movement and Fox News for what they allege as racism should also criticize those who play the race card and make a profit off of it or those who discuss race but don’t offer any action oriented plans for us to do to improve race relations in this country. For example when people come on CNN and MSNBC and declare that people are racists regardless if it is true or not, everyone seems to applaud that as if it is improving race relations in this nation when all it is doing is continuing to keep that wedge alive.

In the 21st century, if we are to deal with hatred, racism and bigotry correctly, we must begin to not only discuss it on television but in our daily lives with people of our race and other races while at the same time condemning those who spew hatred no matter what race they are. For example when Jesse Jackson accused Congressman Artur Davis (D-AL) of being an Uncle Tom and selling out African Americans for not voting for the House version of healthcare reform back in December, no one seemed to say anything. None of the liberal blogs talked about or even acknowledged it in a way that said Jackson was wrong but instead they celebrated it. However Congressman Davis who is running to be the first African American Governor of the State of Alabama said he is not going to get in a war of words with the Rev. Jackson who back during the 1980s helped champion a new vision for race relations in this nation. Thus Congressman Davis simply was saying by exchanging words with the Rev. Jackson about race that wasn’t constructive was a waste of time because what Jackson did only continues to divide the African American community and it doesn’t help improve the race debate in this nation.

In fact some people criticize President Obama for running away from racial issues and to a degree perhaps Michael Eric Dyson who was a huge Obama supporter during Obama’s run for the Presidency is perhaps right when he says Obama runs away from race instead of toward it and that is not right because that’s not what his race speech was about. What Dyson was angry about was Obama’s quick forgiveness of Senator Reid’s comments in regards to him. Still the reality is that, regardless if you agree with Dyson’s criticism, one could assume that Dyson has some hatred in him when it comes to whites using the N-word but not when blacks use it. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, the fact is this, there is some hatred that exists when it comes to President Obama and there is sure enough some criticism that is justified as well as unjustified.

We as Americans must continue to fight against all hatred not just toward President Obama but toward all Americans while also understanding the difference between hatred and criticism and to understand that difference more below is an additional article by Dr. Boyce Watkins. Regardless if you agreed or know about Danny Glover and his comments, Dr. Watkins explains the situation and how we as a people should view it:

Analysis: Danny Glover vs. Barack Obama: Is Glover's Criticism Justified?
By Boyce Watkins, PhD
Jan 4th 2010

Just a few weeks ago, actor Danny Glover weighed in heavy on Barack Obama's work as president of the United States, effectively claiming that Obama is no different from former President George W. Bush in many critical areas, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When asked what he thought about Obama's policies, Glover had this to say:

"I think the Obama administration has followed the same playbook, to a large extent, almost verbatim, as the Bush administration. I don't see anything different," the activist and actor said. "On the domestic side, look here: What's so clear is that this country from the outset is projecting the interests of wealth and property. Look at the bailout of Wall Street. Why not the bailout of Main Street?"

Elliot Millner, legal adviser of the Your Black World Coalition, had a take on the situation, arguing that both men may be correct in their approaches. "This is a fair criticism, for a couple of reasons: Despite the conservative media's protests to the contrary, Obama ran as a moderate, and that is basically what he is on most issues (if you don't think so, compare Obama's campaign platform to that of Dennis Kucinich or John Edwards). Former President Bush, although a Republican, was also considered a moderate (too moderate for many Republicans) on many issues. So it is no surprise that President Obama may look similar to President Bush in his views and actions on some issues (most obviously in his war policy)."

I am not going to take sides on the debate between President Obama and Danny Glover, but I can say that strong voices in the black community are necessary when attempting to hold the president accountable. It doesn't mean that we should undermine Obama's progress, but we should certainly ensure that he actually is making progress. The great challenge of American politics is that there is always the temptation to think about career preservation over serving the collective constituency you represent. President Obama appears to be an ethical man, but we must be sure to remember that only squeaky wheels get oiled, so the black community's decision to silence all voices that disagree with Obama may ultimately backfire.

Here are three things the president can do to make things better when it comes to his black critics:

1) Deal with mass incarceration: Too many black families are being destroyed by the prison systems. Some kind of radical change is necessary to make this right, and the pursuit of such radical change may end some careers, but given that millions of lives are at stake, someone must be brave enough to make the sacrifice.

2) Work to address the unemployment gap: I am not sure how anyone expects black men to remain silent about the 50 percent unemployment rate in major cities, such as New York. If the rest of America can moan about 9 percent unemployment rates, then I want to scream about 50 percent. In fact, we should all be screaming right now.

3) Please educate our children: Radical reform is called for in the education system. Our nation is losing billions each year in potential productivity by not teaching our children how to read. This has got to change right now, and the problem must be addressed with the same urgency as the War on Terror.

African Americans pay taxes like everyone else, so it is absolutely unacceptable to presume that we are somehow weak for asking for government support to solve critical problems. The rest of America lines up to ask for government bailouts when times are tough, so, as an American, I expect to line up with the rest of them.

President Obama deserves our support, but so does Danny Glover. Real action must be forthcoming, not just from the president, but from all of us. Courage will be required.