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September 16, 2009
Exclusive: The African-American Community Deserves Far More than These Role Models
I don’t know about you, but between Barack Obama, Charles Rangel, Serena Williams, Kanye West, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Van Jones, Professor Henry “Skip” Gates, New York Gov. David Paterson and Jeremiah Wright, the African-American community has enough dubious role models to last a lifetime. Given the rich history and outstanding contributions of such great African-Americans as Crispus Attucks, George Washington Carver, Frederick Douglas, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman and Booker T. Washington, one has to wonder what has happened to cause such a drop in the quality of leading role models today.
Once Upon a Time
The American legends described above are just a few examples of African-Americans who unselfishly contributed to the American landscape in rich and varied ways. Each of these great Americans made his or her own unique mark in our history, carving out a special place in this country’s past. Above all, each of these outstanding people left no doubt about the powerful and transcendent role which the African-American community, at its best, has made to this nation. We owe a great debt to these and other outstanding African-Americans, for they demonstrated the very best that our country can offer in terms of character, courage, integrity and unselfish dedication to making this country and, for that matter, this world, a better place due to their numerous contributions.
It Begins at the Top
In less than one year in office, we have seen Barack Obama make such a mess of the American landscape as to cause even many of those who foolishly voted for him in the first place realize that his call for change could eventually leave them with only change in their pockets His pattern of embracing America’s enemies should come as no surprise to anyone with even a superficial understanding of his radical left past, but seeing such behavior from the supposed leader of this country still carries a uniquely tragic tune.
We now have an alleged leader who bullies his radicalism despite popular sentiment, is more annoyed than understanding of the desires and needs of average Americans, and is spreading more deception per hour in office than any heckling legislator can ever hope to point out. Worst of all, his pet media continues to protect and defend him at any cost, clutching the shreds of fanciful illusion that they have spun that this community organizer has any clue about what is best for America. Do not look to this disgraceful media to point out the many flaws of this man, his ideas, or his policies. They are far too busy pretending this poison is the antidote while playing hypocrisy to levels where, in the words of Frank Sinatra, the air is rarified.
We are told how much Sarah Palin’s resignation cost Alaska while we are not told how much Barack Obama’s finger painting has cost this nation today and in the future. Sufficient to say that the genre of satire is no longer necessary, since the disgrace that is the mainstream media today is itself a satire of the pretenses and agendas on which this pathetic leadership is built. They tell us how important Michelle Obama’s hairstyle is to American society while ignoring how damaging her husband’s leadership style is to America’s future. In the end, Obama’s health plan is just the tip of the iceberg that could bring this nation down faster than the Titanic.
The Sad Remainder
Rangel dictates who is right and wrong on taxes while evading them himself. He is a crook protected by a Nancy Pelosi whose promise to clean Congress of corruption is now her latest hypocritical absurdity. Williams and West turn their talent into an excuse to bully, pout, and selfishly trample the glory of others in the interest of their own ego. Serena Williams, for example, just ended her participation in the U.S. Open by threatening a line judge to the point that said judge almost ran away in fear when Williams stormed toward her a second time after threatening to shove a ball down her throat. West stormed the stage to rob the spotlight from a teenage country singer, as he informed the audience that she was the wrong choice for the award. Such boorish behavior is wrong no matter the color of the person exhibiting it, yet anyone daring to criticize them is deemed a racist. I propose that hiding behind the racist argument to justify boorish behavior insults those who have truly and innocently been victimized by the evil of racism in the past.
Sharpton and Wright fan the flames of hate and division for their own benefit, hypocritically wailing about injustice and racism while displaying enough of their own to teach a graduate course in the topic. Jackson, Jones and Gates are further examples of those who would fan division, intolerance and racism even as they purport to combat it. Paterson is so delusional about his competence as to believe that any criticisms or disapprovals leveled against him are based on racist insecurity and not the objective fact that he has no clue what he is doing and is in way over his head running his state.
The Common Thread
This sad group of dubious role models for a community so deserving of so much more present a varied array of backgrounds, competence levels, and impact on the American scene. However, what they all have in common is an insolent propensity to justify their obnoxious, patronizing, divisive, and boorish behavior as merely a reaction to racism, as if being mistreated gives one the right to mistreat others. These people have all, in one way or the other, played the race card better than any Vegas hustler could ever hope to do so.
Obama’s entire rise seems to have been fueled by the argument that any opposition is merely a symptom of blind racism. If Rangel was white and conservative, he would likely have been out on his posterior long ago. Williams and West have just recently trampled on the glory of innocent bystanders who dared to get in the way of their perceived destiny, only to pathetically excuse themselves with flimsy justifications. Sharpton and Wright have turned themselves into caricatures of hypocrisy, wailing on about the injustice and hatred thrown upon their community while exhibiting more of those same traits with every phrase which drips from their tired and tragic rhetoric. Jackson, Jones and Gates fan the division and intolerance that keeps the problem of racism alive and well in America. Lastly, Paterson has decided that criticisms and doubts about his competence are merely racist rants, turning a delusional eye away from the possibility that his brand of incompetence pervades any color.
Turning in Their Graves
The great African-Americans mentioned at the top of this piece must be turning in their graves right now. Many of them spoke eloquently of the need to fight hatred with tolerance, injustice with compassion, lies with truth, and incompetence with competence. They knew the value of integrity, honesty, unselfishness and dedication to the betterment of their community, their nation, and their world. By their outstanding and powerful words and deeds, these fine Americans made indelible contributions to this nation and its purpose.
Above all, many of these fine people criticized those in their community who would use race as an excuse, hatred as a weapon, and division as a calling card. They had little tolerance for those who would trample the innocent with arrogant, insolent and obnoxious delusions of privilege or immunity from standards of decency. It is truly disgusting to see so many observers even attempt to justify the poor behavior of people like Obama, Rangell, Williams, West, Sharpton, Wright, Jones, Gates, Jackson and Paterson with the claim that such opposition and views are merely swipes of hypocritical racism.
Thankfully, many in the African-American community today have the courage, integrity and honesty to stand up against the behavior of these poor role models. People like Bill Cosby, Star Parker, Thomas Sowell and others have reminded us of the pervasive greatness of that community. It is clear that such present members of the community carry the torch of the great Americans of the past which that community has given us.
Conclusion
It is both tragic and hopeful to see that many outstanding members of the African-American community today stand in contrast to those who stain its great contributions to our society with their unique brand of racist rationalizations and delusional privilege. There is no doubt that, given the outstanding role this community has played in the American story, there will be many more positive examples to eclipse the harm of those who presently pretend to represent anything other than their own self-righteous delusions and perceptions. The African-American community and, for that matter, American society, deserve so much more than what these present examples have given us.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Gabriel Garnica, Esq., is a college professor and licensed attorney whose regular commentary also appears on NewMediaJournal.us, Michnews and various Internet journals. Feedback: editorialdirector@familysecuritymatters.org.
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