That being said, something is really bothering me in the wake of this week's violence, and it's more than just that it's "this week's violence," as opposed to "last week's violence," which sadly I could also very easily be bothered by.
In the last seven and a half years, there has been a very ugly undercurrent that I have never seen before. And I have been watching the political landscape since Jimmy Carter lost his bid for reelection when I was in grade school. I know my classmates didn't understand when I cried as we watched Ronald Reagan sworn in on television during the school day. I was a lot less knowledgable then, but I was no less devastated, and my blood was no less blue.
I was very unhappy with our country's last administration. I didn't support our invasion of Iraq, because it didn't make any sense. I was more supportive of our invasion of Afghanistan, because at least there was some connection between it, Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda and September 11. Over time, it became clear, at least to me, that neither invasion was going to lead to an end of terrorism. I think the phrase is "You can kill people, but you can't kill an ideology."
I was ashamed and disgusted. I strongly disliked George W. Bush, and everyone within his administration. I absolutely felt the 2000 election had been stolen from Al Gore. But here's the thing, I never voiced open hatred against him. And while I frequently questioned his thinking, I never openly declared him to be the moron I thought he was. Though his English was frequently more broken than someone using it as a second language, I never doubted his place of birth. I certainly never believed that he was somehow behind the attacks here on 9/11.
And that's why I cannot fathom all of the hate and vitriol I have seen lobbed at, and against President Obama, and even his wife and daughters--day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
This man--our twice-elected president--has been accused of being of foreign birth, a Muslim (as if there's something wrong with that), a terrorist sympathizer, and a traitor. People have accused him of constantly taking expensive vacations, though he has taken off less time than many. He has been accused of taking more executive actions than any other president--which isn't true. His administration has been accused of staging the Newtown shooting in which 26 little kids and their teachers were killed. When he, and the majority of Americans call for minimal and reasonable restrictions to gun sales and types of weapons available, he is accused of trying to take away the Second Amendment right entirely.
People say he should be impeached. They are upset about drone strikes. They are upset that he appears too apologetic to the wrong foreign leaders. They call him a liar.
In the same breath, people say he's accomplished nothing. He has ruined our country. Never mind any facts or statistics that support the contrary.
And another popular accusation has reared its very ugly head again this week. He has been accused of fueling our nation's racial divide--some people even going so far as to blame him for the deaths of five Dallas police officers.
I find myself as ashamed and disgusted by all of this as I was when we rushed into an unnecessary war in Iraq, and we landed ourselves in so deep financially for that and the war in Afghanistan that we might as well have been a sinking ship.
Barack Hussein Obama could not fuel a racial divide if a racial divide did not already exist.
People who say he has accomplished nothing shouldn't be surprised, after all, leaders in our own Congress have declared that they would essentially rather run our country into ruin rather than work with our twice-elected president. They have made getting anything done the equivalent of slogging through quicksand. They have tried to sabotage diplomatic efforts to avoid more unnecessary war, by literally contacting that government and undermining him. They are currently holding the highest court in the land hostage, as they have never done before.
The reality--Barack Obama never could have won--fair fight or dirty. Like it or not--deny it or not--it was always going to be about something he couldn't change--his color.
Another black man faced a similar climate about 70 years ago. Another pristine (i.e. white) time-honored American tradition was challenged by a black man, when Jackie Robinson became the first black man allowed to play Major League Baseball. He was also a man of grace, who quietly and respectfully conducted himself with dignity and morality in the face of bigotry and hatred.
No one bats an eye at a black man in professional sports now. Jackie Robinson knew he couldn't kick down the door for other African American athletes. He had to gently knock, and wait to be invited in. He still had to say "yes, sir," and "no, ma'am." He became more than a baseball player. He became a leader and an example of how to quietly fight and win an unfair battle.
Barack Obama will go down in history as our first black president, and my hope is that his legacy will be much greater than that, when his grace under fire and actions are more objectively evaluated. But right now, and for the last seven years, I would contend that for those who malign and hate him so, Barack Obama hasn't been president at all. He's been a gentrified "thug" holding our "white" house hostage with his grand delusions of hope and dignity.
As the chaos of our current election cycle continues to spin out of control, I hold dearly the memory of seeing our current president, whom we have elected twice, speak about a future of possibilities and hope during his first presidential campaign. I will never forget the positive energy that uplifted so many of us in that sea of people that night. I am thankful I got to be there. It was a gift.
I know there are plenty of people I know and care for who don't share my views or feelings. I know plenty of people wish everyone's political posts on social media would just stop. But I have cared forever and a day. I want a better future and world for my family. And even though I haven't been quiet about my views, I haven't spoken loud enough in my president's defense. I accept that some won't be happy that I have lit my candle and started singing a virtual "We Shall Overcome" on behalf of this president, but I will have no trouble looking at myself in the mirror for doing so.
I never imagined in a million years how hard so many of us would work to willingly tear ourselves down in order to spite someone who so passionately wanted to help as many of us as he could. Just like every other politician and president before him, and those to come, he was never going to be able to do everything he hoped to. But I can't imagine he anticipated the level of hatred and obstruction he has faced after having won two presidential elections.
For those who can't admit the real reason behind their blind hatred of Barack Obama, I would argue that that hatred isn't blind at all. A gentrified thug does not hold your White House hostage. The hostage being held for the last seven years has been our nation's future, and our integrity as an equal and free people.
Our country is on fire. We need to look at ourselves and see who and what it is within ourselves that is actually holding the match, and stoking the flames.
