Shirley SherrodWell, President Barack "I love firing Black people" Obama has done it again. This time he fired Shirley Sherrod, formally the United States Department of Agriculture's Georgia director of Rural Development. Apparently the right wing crazies played half a video of Ms. Sherrod speaking before the NAACP in which she was telling a story of racial tolerance and Obama, rushing to shine right wing shoes as always, fired Ms. Sherrod.
In the first part of said video Ms. Sherrod was telling of her initial reluctance to help a White farmer. This happened decades ago. Anyway, Ms. Sherrod in the unseen part of the video went on to recount how she not only helped the farmer but helped him save his farm. By the way, the farmer and his wife have come out in support of Ms. Sherrod.
The point of her story was that she realized that he was a poor farmer and that was what she should focus on, not that he was White.
But of course in Obama's zeal to fire another Black person he apparently only watched the video on Fox News. So he only saw the first half and fired Ms. Sherrod post-haste. And on top of that Obama is too much of a wimp to admit that he ordered the firing and the USDA Director is taking the fall.
Desirée Rogers
As you can tell I'm pretty angry with Obama but I'm not at all surprised. This isn't the first time Obama has tap danced for right wing crazies and fired a Black person. There was Van Jones, then Desirée Rogers and now Shirley Sherrod.
Van Jones
Maybe Michelle Obama should start packing. One day the right wingers are going to work Barack into such a tizzy that he's going to fire her.
In the first part of said video Ms. Sherrod was telling of her initial reluctance to help a White farmer. This happened decades ago. Anyway, Ms. Sherrod in the unseen part of the video went on to recount how she not only helped the farmer but helped him save his farm. By the way, the farmer and his wife have come out in support of Ms. Sherrod.
The point of her story was that she realized that he was a poor farmer and that was what she should focus on, not that he was White.
But of course in Obama's zeal to fire another Black person he apparently only watched the video on Fox News. So he only saw the first half and fired Ms. Sherrod post-haste. And on top of that Obama is too much of a wimp to admit that he ordered the firing and the USDA Director is taking the fall.
Desirée RogersAs you can tell I'm pretty angry with Obama but I'm not at all surprised. This isn't the first time Obama has tap danced for right wing crazies and fired a Black person. There was Van Jones, then Desirée Rogers and now Shirley Sherrod.
Van JonesMaybe Michelle Obama should start packing. One day the right wingers are going to work Barack into such a tizzy that he's going to fire her.
22 comments:
Hopefully he can rectify the situation immediately. I don't even know what to say. This is so wrong. I'm a HUGE Obama supporter, but what's wrong is wrong,and I have to agree with what you wrote.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video tape is worth a million. ONLY when taken out of context, the spinners can and will shape, mishape and form it to create an adverse effect. Damn political shape-shifters!
Obama is so afraid, actually, downright terrified of Black people in his circle embarrassing him & sullying his name (remember Rev Wright?) that his history is to all too quickly disassociate himself from them, even without getting the FULL FACTS! Innocent until PROVEN guilty is not his mantra. That's NOT a very... ummm...
democratic way to roll, Mr. President! The same goes for the NAACP!
In truth, she was being so boldly honest about her PAST prejudices, her strong feelings of seeing blacks discriminated against by whites, and how, when in a position of power and decision-making she rolled in her own foul (if understandable ) way. No. Two wrongs don't make a right, but her honesty should be celebrated, and HER journey was one of change and evolution!
Just wish more people, in and out of government, would find that road to evolution as well!
Had she stayed foul in her mindset and remained unjustly closed-minded, then this OVER-reaction would be understood and her termination would be the right and just thing to do. However, it is NOT!
This situation clearly illustrates the dangers in people (the media, the talking heads, the tea-baggerz, the republikants, our President and the NAACAP) in making a quick rush to (hyper) judgment.
One.
This woman deserves apologies across the board and she should be reinstated immediately. I am an Obama supporter but, I can't stand how he straddles the fence on certain issues when those issues require decisive actions.
No one cared enough to view the entire tape and investigate? Mind-Blowing!
*gasp*
Who hacked Val's blog account?
Agreed that this is all a mess. You don't have to like or support Pbama; I'm about fifty/fifty depending on what issue you are talking about... but lets not missplace the blame here.
Its like forgetting to lock your car door and then getting it broken into. Yes, you were foolish for leaving the car open, but that doesn't excuse the thief.
Fox, the far right, and their agenda are the ones missrepresenting, fuming, causing trouble. Thats where the blame truly lies. (that was a pun... get it?)
Agreed that this is all a mess. You don't have to like or support Pbama; I'm about fifty/fifty depending on what issue you are talking about... but lets not missplace the blame here.
Its like forgetting to lock your car door and then getting it broken into. Yes, you were foolish for leaving the car open, but that doesn't excuse the thief.
Fox, the far right, and their agenda are the ones missrepresenting, fuming, causing trouble. Thats where the blame truly lies. (that was a pun... get it?)
@Daij
Yeah Obama def is wrong for this. I too hope he not only re-hires her but publicly apologizes to her.
@Lin
I agree he gets on the fast train when it comes to cutting Black people lose, that's for sure.
Ms. Sherrod was being brave. She was speaking of how she overcame her prejudice. But the actions of the Obama admin and the Tea Party idiots have made that a crime.
@Jason
That's exactly what makes it so bad. Obama has given the Tea Party the benefit of the doubt but he fires Ms. Sherrod without even getting the whole story?!
@Don
What do you mean? I meant every word. Obama should be ashamed of himself for letting Fox and the Tea Party play him like this.
@brohammas
It is true that Fox and the right wingers put the false info out there. But Fox and the rest are sworn enemies of Obama so why would he take their word without having all of the facts? That's why I blame Obama for this.
Obama wasn't the one who fired Ms. Sherrod though.
@Don
I don't agree. I think it was Ohama who fired Ms. Sherrod. But he's not going to own up to it just like he fired Desirée Rogers. Plus, he's the President. If it happens in his administration it's on him.
So you don't believe that it was Vilsack who made the ultimate decision, as claimed?
@Don
I'm not that politically naive to believe that Obama's hands aren't on this one.
@Don
I'm just curious; do you think I'm too cynical when it comes to politics? :-)
*sigh* The N double A Cee Pee..
"..Plus, he's the President. If it happens in his administration it's on him."
Exactly. This is a big deal and another proverbial nail in the coffin of this presidency. Ms. Sherrod could have gone away quietly (like a good Obama stan would), but I'm glad she's speaking up and out about this hypocrisy.
“Everybody involved made determinations without knowing all the facts and all the events.” - Robert Gibbs, WH Press Sec.
Un-uh Mr. President, you don't get a pass for this one. This shit is foul on so many levels.
Would it kill him to stand up for US just once? Obviously it would be politically incorrect for him to do so..
When it comes to politics, you remind me of my mother in the sense that she would rather believe politicians simply cannot be trusted (and be proven wrong), opposed to believing in their good only to realize all politicians are the same.
So in that sense I wouldn't say that you are "too cynical" or anything of the sort. I believe it's more of a "prove yourself" type of deal, which also describes the way I approach relationships.
But I would like for someone of your intelligence to step outside of the box every now and then. We don't really know what transpired. But whose to say that Obama didn't trust his staff to make the right decision after being notified on Sherrod remarks.
Then, once the ish hit the fan, it was brought to Obama's attention that an injustice had been performed and he right'd the wrong?
Just a thought.
@Don
I guess I'm just not going to make excuses for politicians especially after they show us who they really are. And in this particular case it was again an African American woman who was sacrificed. So since it's the second time Obama has sacrificed a Black woman he didn't get the benefit of the doubt.
But I def get what you are saying.
Hey Val, seen you over at Field's and I've read your commentary for some time over there. However this is my forst time visiting after running into a discussion of this very post on another blog. That blogger didn't take too kindly to what you said here about Obama and his decisions. For the record, I agree 100% with what you said here. Glad to have found your blog.
RiPPa
@RiPPa
Ha! Yeah I know who you're talking about. I haven't been to his blog but he left here pretty angry. I deleted his comments because he was getting a bit disrespectful.
Anyway, I appreciate you stopping by. And I'll be stopping by your blog very soon.
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