The Inauguration

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
281

[quote]Professor X wrote:

Gee, if that same father thought he could never have kids yet ends up having one, I am sure he would be much happier than if the act of having kids had never been denied to him.[/quote]

There were other kids before him why wouldn’t there be more?

Are you saying you didn’t think these United States would exist long enough to elect a black man or are you saying that you never believed Barack Obama would be POTUS?

Given that he actually is president, doesn’t call into question your grasp of the situation?

282

[quote]Professor X wrote:

This is my last post in this thread because the stupidity here is too deep to even worry about.

[/quote]

Bye!! Oh, and for the racism blatant in your opener…

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[quote]Headhunter wrote:
Do you think ABC deliberately made it appear as if the cheers and crowd mood was subdued? Really?[/quote]

You are a fucking clown.

I would say ABC subdued the crowds cheering in order for those of us watching Obama on TV to more clearly hear his speech.

I watched on CNN, and there were AT LEAST 10 times where it was obvious that thunderous applause and cheering were taken place - as well as a moment or two where it was apparent that there was some toggling going on in order to both subdue the crowd at times and broadcast the cheering at various key moments.

It is on youtube if you don’t believe me (but, let me guess…you aren’t going to waste 20 minutes of your life on THAT, again!)

For someone who frequently claims that the “art” of trolling requires intelligence and subtlety, you sure as shit aren’t living up to your own criteria.

284

[quote]ALDurr wrote:
Lorisco wrote:

Why is it historical?

I don’t understand this ‘historical’ stuff they are spouting in the media.

Either it is historical because there finally is a black man who is qualified to be the president, or historical because instead of voting for someone because they are white everyone voted for someone because they were black.

Either way is bogus IMO. So historical? I think not.

The best man was elected and that is all there is to it.

You honestly don’t understand how any of this is historical? You aren’t serious are you? I know that I have given you shit in the past, but by making this statement, it says way more about you than anything anyone could say. You can’t possibly be this clueless.
[/quote]

Cut the crap and personal attacks and explain why you think it is historical?

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[quote]Ground-N-Pound wrote:
All i have to say on this subject, is that this day was a historical event. Its the first time a non white man has been elected to the white house. [/quote]

Why was Obama elected?

286

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
ALDurr wrote:
Lorisco wrote:

Why is it historical?

I don’t understand this ‘historical’ stuff they are spouting in the media.

Either it is historical because there finally is a black man who is qualified to be the president, or historical because instead of voting for someone because they are white everyone voted for someone because they were black.

Either way is bogus IMO. So historical? I think not.

The best man was elected and that is all there is to it.

You honestly don’t understand how any of this is historical? You aren’t serious are you? I know that I have given you shit in the past, but by making this statement, it says way more about you than anything anyone could say. You can’t possibly be this clueless.

You just admitted that you are a racist.

[/quote]

Obama has focused very little on race throughout his entire campaign. So do him a favor and stop regurgitating what the media talking heads are saying.

IMO, Obama was elected because he was the right man for the job. Not because he is black. So get over it!

287

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Dear God. Some of the comments in this thread are a fucking joke. Apparently, noting that this was a “historical occasion” makes you racist.

If Hillary had won, one can only assume that noting she was the first woman president would have been “sexist”.

If anyone really thinks like this, just keep your mouth closed in public situations. It is amazing how I never hear any of this crap stated face to face.[/quote]

I take your point X, but I think you miss many of ours. I do think bringing up the race thing is racist. But I guess that makes not all racism THAT bad.

This is a dumb comparison to president, but I remember during the winter Olympics thinking how kickass it was to see Shoni Davis (I think that was his name) do well speed skating. You don’t see many black Americans in the winter Olympics.

The reason the black president doesn’t mean much to me and I trust many other on this board is because we’ve been okay with voting for a black man for as long as we’ve been able to vote. To me (and perhaps this is because I’m not black) we may as well have already had a black president since Obama didn’t break any barrier; he walked through a wide open door.

Even so, I’m not bothered by people bringing up that he’s our first black president. What bothers me and makes it the bad kind of racist is that no one will shut the fuck up about it. I honestly needed someone to point that out to me the first time because it was never an issue. I didn’t need to hear it for 2 years.

mike

288

[quote]pushharder wrote:
I remember Reich well. He has always been a kook.[/quote]

Totally off topic, but I used to get my haircut at an old time six chair barber shop in Harvard Square. Sometimes I’d go during the week and Robert Reich would be in a chair getting a cut. He was so small he’d almost need a kiddie seat.

Sometimes I’d go 6:30 in the morning on a Saturday so I could beat the Saturday rush. The only guy that would be there before me was Mike Dukakis. He’d be in the chair chatting in Greek to George the first chair barber and owner.

I understand that when BO was at Harvard, he’d get his hair cut there.

Lucky I didn’t catch socialist cooties.

289

[quote]lucasa wrote:
Along similar lines, NPR, since Obama won the democratic nomination, keeps asking people what they think about the Obama election.

Almost invariably, when talking to someone of a race other than white, someone would say something along the lines of ‘I never thought a black man would be President.’ or ‘I never thought I’d live to see a black man in the White House.’ or ‘Now I feel like I can do anything I want with my life.’

The first couple times I heard it, it didn’t stick out (usually it was from people who could remember segregation or were too young to fully understand the deeper context of their words), but after eight months (especially in the last three days), hearing it from people of multiple races, and vastly different age groups it’s getting irritating.

It’s almost a false incredulity and it makes me think the speaker has a very self-loathing mentality and a very warped understanding of the white perception of race.

I have trouble refraining from screaming at people;

Really? You didn’t think after reading his book, maybe he or some other black man could be President? Not in the next 50 yrs.!? When he announced his candidacy, you didn’t think he had a snowball’s chance?

You didn’t think after getting the nomination over an experienced, white, ‘Washington Insider’ that his chances of winning were a little better than 50/50? What fucking planet were you living on? You didn’t think you could catch a break or work hard and excel in this world until a black man was president? What the hell is wrong with you?
[/quote]
If you do start screaming this at people, hold back a little and be sure to support the tone with your diaphragm. No sense in hurting your vocal cords.

290

[quote]pushharder wrote:
NealRaymond2 wrote:
…I don’t think all our problems would be solved if we would go back to a strict interpretation of the constitution…

Which problems would go unsolved if we did?
[/quote]

  • We are all going to get old.
  • We are all going to die.
  • People will suffer (maybe less overall in the long run if the US government would revert to a stricter interpretation of its constitution, but people will still suffer).
  • There will be bad weather.
  • There will be acne.
  • There will be mental and physical handicaps.
  • There will be halitosis.
  • There will be injustice.
  • There will be double bogies.
  • There will be cruelty.
  • There will be crab grass.
  • There will be jet lag.
  • There will be rust.
  • There will be mosquitos.

Shall I go on?

292

This video provides one perspective on why our new President’s inauguration is an historic event.

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Here is another perspective.

294

[quote]Headhunter wrote:

I watched the speech live, with my students. Within 5 minutes, I was yawning. One of my black students put in his ipod, another started reading a book (these are seniors too). When the black kids start tuning the guy out, that says something. Most of the students were just bored beyond belief.

They (the audience) wanted FDR or Churchill. They got Barack the lawyer reading a laundry list. SSSSNNNNNNNNNOOOOOORRRRRRREEEEEEEEEE…

[/quote]

That’s interesting. I work with kids, too, and some of mine were captivated enough by it to still be talking about it yesterday and today.

One kid, age 15 and mandated by the courts to see me because he’s been in trouble, wanted to talk about not only this inauguration but about elections going back to Clinton’s first one. Who ran against whom, what it was like. He was completely sparked by it.

I’m inclined to wonder if your yawning turned them off, HH.

295

[quote]EmilyQ wrote:
Headhunter wrote:

I watched the speech live, with my students. Within 5 minutes, I was yawning. One of my black students put in his ipod, another started reading a book (these are seniors too). When the black kids start tuning the guy out, that says something. Most of the students were just bored beyond belief.

They (the audience) wanted FDR or Churchill. They got Barack the lawyer reading a laundry list. SSSSNNNNNNNNNOOOOOORRRRRRREEEEEEEEEE…

That’s interesting. I work with kids, too, and some of mine were captivated enough by it to still be talking about it yesterday and today.

One kid, age 15 and mandated by the courts to see me because he’s been in trouble, wanted to talk about not only this inauguration but about elections going back to Clinton’s first one. Who ran against whom, what it was like. He was completely sparked by it.

I’m inclined to wonder if your yawning turned them off, HH. [/quote]

I’m inclined to believe that he, as always, is full of shit.

297

When the election day came, I was not here in the states, but in Paris traveling and living it up. I was amazed at how people there could care less about the color of his skin, compared to his ability to run and even fix this country.

I had people walk up to me and cheer “Obama! Obama!” with a smile from ear to ear. When I would ask people what their views about Obama winning were, I didn’t get a single negative response with regard to his race. He was viewed as intelligent, forthcoming, and capable of doing what needs to be done.

They were also not reluctant to share their piss poor views of Bush and his actions of the past 8 years. I bring this up because for the first time ever, people care more about what is right (or thought to be right) versus what is the norm.

Its like at sporting events or when little kids play. They know little to nothing about racism. When the Superbowl comes on TV, every person regardless of their background puts trivial shit behind them and shares the competition together, at least for a few hours. Its a shame that that feeling cannot extend over just a few hours. Rant over.

298

[quote]Chushin wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Apparently, noting that this was a “historical occasion” makes you racist.

No, implying that most (white) posters are racists by saying “it sure is quiet around here” is what makes you come off as racist.

It is amazing how I never hear any of this crap stated face to face.

I’m sure all those white racists are afraid of you.[/quote]

What’s so ironic is that he really only shows up in this part of the forum to incite this sort of thing. We post on a myriad of topics but this is the one thing that interests him. It’s not even racism that bothers him, it’s white racism, of which all white conservatives are guilty according to Black Greg and Prof X.

Then there are the bullying implications. “None of this would ever be said to my face,” etc. Is he in a habit of beating up those with whom he disagrees? If not, then why bring it up? Should we all just not debate large men because they’re large men and they could beat us up? We’re not allowed to engage large men on an intellectual level because of our smallness? What’s the real implication behind this internet toughguyness? Does might make right? I’m genuinely curious.

Meanwhile, the Arab Muslims continue to enslave/kill blacks in the Sudan and elsewhere as I and others have demonstrated on this forum, and these threads go unremarked by those, like Prof. X, who are claim to be concerned with the lingering effects of slavery.

I shouldn’t be too surprised, I guess, as Jeremiah Wright has devoted time, effort, and church bulletin space to carrying water for Arab jihadists in the Levant who espouse a religion begun by an Arab man who personally owned scores of black men and whose actions are now considered sunnah.

Isn’t jihad and jihad slavery a more pressing global and national issue that whether or not white conservatives on this forum may or may not be bitter that a black man is in the office of the presidency, as was implied by the start of this thread? Isn’t the economy? Isn’t pretty much everything?

300

[quote]Chushin wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Apparently, noting that this was a “historical occasion” makes you racist.

No, implying that most (white) posters are racists by saying “it sure is quiet around here” is what makes you come off as racist.

It is amazing how I never hear any of this crap stated face to face.

I’m sure all those white racists are afraid of you.[/quote]

Aw, c’mon, both o’ ya’s – just chill out and watch the video: