Racism certainly isn't dead in the United States; and unfortunately, it doesn't seem like there's an end in sight. A valid question being asked lately is whether or not the presidency of Barack Obama has done anything positive for race relations in the U.S. While various online polls show a mix of responses, it's blatant that racism is more apparent than ever. That's probably because of how loud and angry the racist far-right is being simply because of the current president's race.
Baylor University researchers have so far tracked more than 20 Facebook pages dedicated to racist attacks against President Barack Obama, and the bigotry of figures such as Ted Nugent and other once-popular figures has gone mainstream in an embarrassing display of ignorance. Social networking sites are apparent hotspots for racist behavior, according to political analyst Earl Ofari Hutchinson, and he's right.
In 2008, a Gallup poll indicated that 56% of Americans believed race relations would improve with Obama as president. It only took a year before those numbers fluctuated negatively. As of 2012, the hateful rhetoric against President Obama is displayed by some of the most vile of racists such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other insensitive people who speak to masses who are easily swayed and manipulated into behaving negatively.
What do you think of race relations since Obama took office? Do you think bigotry is more blatant or do you think it's improved? Click here to answer the poll!
Crime analyst and profiler Chelsea Hoffman can be found on The Huffington Post, Chelsea Hoffman: Case to Case and many other outlets. Follow @TheRealChelseaH on Twitter or click here to contact Chelsea directly.
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Comments: 259
The rationalization is the scary part.
I echo your sentiments and agree with your fears.
I don't know why...well, yes I kind of do, the Democrats keep saying that. I think they truly believe we are because they are. They are condescending & they think that is non prejudice. They just assume we are anti black because we are opposed to too much welfare etc & to them that means Blacks. And, we, obviously, must hate them.
Unless, they themselves are prejudiced and thinks we are. I honestly don't know why this is mentioned constantly by them. I know what's in my heart & can easily say before the Lord I'm not prejudiced toward blacks. Now ... Democrats may be another story :) I'm a little bit tainted in my feelings toward them.
Anyway, I think you guys should consider that you may be mistaken in assuming we are prejudiced.
THE END :)
But I think that years from now we will know whether the Obama Presidency has improved race relations.
I think, that after some times passes, the political and cultural historians will be sanguine about the Obama Presidency and racism and race relations--even if the election (and, perhaps, reelection) was, at the time, only symbolic.
The Right Wing Media--accompanied by the deplorable Birther Movement--might very will give the distinct impression that Racism is as bad, or worse, than it ever was.
To that, I simply say, "This, too, shall pass."
Keep up the good work.
The racists, in this country, I think, often operate on a primal, visceral, raw level of visual judgement.
Plain and simple.
Do your comments agree with this point?
I believe that they do--but I still wasn't sure.
Now WTH did you get that idea~problems with their own what??? Answer me this Maree, how many "Light skinned blacks" do you actually know??? F' it, I'd appreciate an answer to all 3 questions~betcha can't!!!
Lena Horne~I was raised with people telling me I looked like her.
Ah ha ha R.F. That was funny.
Come on Maree ROFL with me :) You have to admit he was quick.
Since arriving in office Obama's presence has stoked the ire of the hard core racists who have felt emboldened to express their hatred more boldly, though in code often. Political correctness (often mischaracterized as a left wing invention, when it is actually a right wing invention that they employ to keep themselves from speaking aloud those aspects of their hate filled ideology that most people are now offended by) has kept their open expressions of racism under wraps for a while, but a black president has made it impossible for them to be silent. They speak in euphemisms, saying things like "Muslim", "communist" and "Kenyan born" because they still fear to use the word they want to use: nigger.
Many of them right here on Gather (a few already commented above) cannot contain their anti-black hatred.
This will fade in time and every black child will grow up knowing that they, too, can be president.
Normally communist does not mean black person, but it does in the racist, right wing, anti-Obama code.
SO... THE TEA PARTY IS ALIVE!!! The Patriots live on!! WOOOHOOO!!
Even with all of Soros VOTER FRAUD the TEA PARTY REPUBLICANS will win in a landslide.
YEP, just like we said, the democommiRATS are GUILTY of VOTER FRAUD.
Virginia Voter Fraud is Soros-Tied, Massive Democrat Fraud Effort -- Bogus Zip Code is Not a Mistake
Of course, maree's prose reads a lot like Palin speaking off the cuff, so she probably thinks she's a genius.
Obama won a federal election to become president, just like every president but Ford before him. How does this equate with affirmative action? The only possible meaning you can have is that he is black, and there for could not possibly win an election without "affirmantive action". This quallifies you as a racist. Obama's election got no help other than: campaign contributions from supporters, as with every other elected president; the party machinery behind his campaign, as with every other elected president; the record of his predecessor and how that played out for his opponent in the campaign, which many other elected presidents have benefited from as well and is no doing or fault of Obama or the Democrats but the result of Republicans having put forward such a bad representative as Bush.
Did Bush actually fly planes? I know he served in the Louisiana National Guard air defense, but from what I heard he was AWOL during most of that sweetheart assignment while his contemporaries flew combat missions in Vietnam.
It must really gall narrow minded gasbags like you that President Barack Hussein Obama lives and works in the White House and does not merely serve dinner to some white president. Knocks the bedsheet right off your head, doesn't it?
If any of that violates the terms of service that is just too dammed bad.
Get over it. Constantly saying we are racist doesn't make us think we are racist. I don't think it makes the black think that but I don't know. I hope not.
We're going to keep dealing the the important problems that need to be corrected since President Obama has run the country so inefficiently. you guys can prattle on about silly things.
The point being...?
{Republican Translation} See we have been telling everyone all along that Obama was not a black American. Now we can prove that he is a black Muslim from Kenya, because he is related by bloodline to an African slave.
Duh !!!
No, but the fact that Obama has done nothing Marxist and you are still accusing him of it says plenty.
But it's not my job to navigate the Google-sphere for what I assume is another able-minded adult. Hence the link I shared with you. It takes you right to the search results. Ahem "let me google that for you" is a tool I use for those who are too lazy to use Google themselves.
Beyond that, my job is done. :)
With all the time you're spending crying about it, you could've already educated yourself. Whose fault is that? lol.
So, again, see above responses, and just deal with it.
p.s. -- as a fellow skywriter you should be more than aware that we're not supposed to have more than three or four links in our articles. Mine already had six (including byline links) which is why it wasn't indexed by GN (my mistake). So to blindly expect every statement to come with a link is only showing that you're not well trained on our platform. Or maybe you haven't learned that bit yet?
Furthermore, no, you don't back up all of your "opinions" with sources. We've all seen your posts on here ;) I know dishonesty is a mainstay of yours, but let's not be so blatant. K?
Anyway, done with you. I know reading is super duper hard and clicking a link to the google search results is way more difficult than rattling off and stomping your feet, but you're really only making yourself look kind of pathetic, and I don't think you need any more of my help to point that out to people who are watching this.
Lol, have a good one.
Furthermore, I would refrain from name calling, "you're really only making yourself look kind of pathetic,"
Gather Community Guideline #4: "Recognize that a difference of opinion drives debate and diversity. I may disagree, but I will not personalize our differences."
I don't understand how research is so difficult for you, but yes, it is pathetic. That's not making it personal; that's calling things exactly as they are. If you're taking it personal, that's your problem.
Now have a nice evening. I suggest working on those research skills, or at least looking at the source I provided in this discussion.
I won't respond to you anymore because you're obviously having some ... issues..
0_o
Now you're catching on to simple logic. Good job.
Maybe she likes the word~I used to...
0_o
Renee. Hang it up. You've dug yourself into a hole. lol.
Commence backpedaling or parroting in 5-4-3-2-1...
So the disconnect is somewhere between your brain, eyes, and fingers.
You wrote; When I have an opinion, I am sure to back it up.</</strong>em>
Question; Please explain exactly how in the hell does a person go about backing up an "opinion"
I've read some fantasic statements before, but that one is near the top in absurdity.
I could find a google search about anything, I wanted to know Chelsea's view.
sigh. You guys win.
I don't think GB is a racist, obviously - I was only wondering why Chelsea felt that way.
You threw a tantrum, like a child, and refused to look at said sources.
Then you backpedaled and said "I just wanted to know why that was her *opinion* " After more than one person called you out on your childish behavior.
Like I said.. Pathetic with a bold capital "P". (your behavior, just in case you get confused again)
But I suppose now you're going to fall back on your familiar tactics of sidetracking things... "well some unrelated person with some unrelated event said this, so blah blah blah" -- right?
"Glenn Beck isn't racist because the occupiers in such-in-such town, such-and-such months ago, said something about some jewish person that isn't a part of this entire topic, so there."
There you go.
If you want to know why many people KNOW that Glenn Beck and his empty-headed followers are racist (or at the least borderline racially insensitive/ignorant people) you can look at the collections of his quotes like you were shown. There's no opinion there. Just evidence. But you can have your misguided opinion that he isn't racist all you want. You're entitled to be wrong. Just like you're entitled to your right to throw childish tantrums and use pathetic and illogical tactics to argue your nonpoints while the rest of us shake our heads at you.
And if you take my comment personally, again, that's your problem. But you bring it on yourself with the way you act and the ridiculous things you say and do on here.
nuff said.
I could find a list of websites that say Barack Obama is a racist, or pretty much any public figure.
You said Glenn Beck is a racist and I was just wondering if you ever actually listened to him, or if you are just regurgitating what you heard someone else say about him.
He drives at the Truth...and that is what those who act like fools despise.
Darkness hates the Light...and here, is an example.
Renee, there you go again, being disingenuous. Read-read just your own comments in this string and tell me you didn't change your story at least twice.
It seems to balance out. Go figure.
I think all conservatives on Gather need to all just stop replying to any statement accusing us of racism. They don't care if we are or aren't. Truth is not important to the majority of Democrats.
Only us never responding will free us from discussing it with them.
As of this date I won't respond to that accusation :)
Noun:
The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, esp. so as to distinguish it as...
Prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on such a belief.
Not meaning that it's wrong to acknowledge the differences in races, but when it takes on a negative tone, it's just wrong :)
You are in no way wasting your time. I, for one, read your comments with respect as to your expressed thoughts and points of view.
Yes, we differ in political ideologically and personal reasoning on many issues and current events. However, your basic reasoning on a given issue is received by me as being sincere and thoughtful. Such honest comments and opinions are not loss, wasted nor dismissed as being unworthy of all members reading with an open mind and comprehensive understanding of your projected position.
Keep posting your thoughts and opinions, you and people like you are what makes our country the greatest country in the world. A place where free speech and expression of one's inner thoughts are a part of our Constitutional right.
There is more racism on the African continent that the rest of the world. And is is what you might call black on black racism. Except Africans would not accept the description back, they identify themselves by tribal links. A tribe is a distinct enthnicity you see.
You know in Africa, they execute gays. You know one of the entities that chick-fil-a donates to? Exodus? Yeah, they help in paying for the legislation out there that is responsible for that.
Guess who the republican/conservative "connies" support?
bigots.
In psychology, there is a concept called "cognitive dissonance." Consider when you buy a new car, you suddenly notice other people driving the same make and model car as you just purchased. It isn't that the number of people have changed, just your perception has changed.
Moreover, more things are seen to be racism -- whether they really are or not.
They can't really say anything has changed (especially by observing social media that was not as prevalent as it is now), they can merely say more people are perceiving it.
Certainly there is nothing like the racism of the 1950s and 1960s and in reality there might be less than before Barack Obama became President. It may simply be a matter of perception.
Certainly racism has declined greatly since the 50s and 60s. No way Obama or any other person of colour could have been elected then.
Part of the decline in racism was the decline in the social acceptability of expressions of racism. Thus even the word "nigger" which was once commonly thrown around as a pejorative for African Americans became so taboo it was commonly refered to as "the N word".
The election of Obama, the ascension of a black man to the highest and most revered office in the land, offended those who still harbour racism in their hearts. In the racist's mind the black is actually inferior, not equal, sub-human. How could a sub-human person be the leader? But with the strong objections now prevalent in society to the open expression of racist thought, most of them knew they could not just come out and say something like: "The country is being run by a nigger, get your guns!"
So, instead of making obviously racist remarks those folks tend to make up other things, like the obviously baseless birther nonsense, that they hope will alarm people as much as the fact of a black president alarms them.
So I guess I agree that racism is not increased, but I think that we are seeing a temporary increase in veiled racist expressions that are finding support amongst conservatives willing to accept untruths about Obama because he is a liberal, or what passes for liberal in the USA.
1) Black Americans voted overwelmingly for Mr. Obama because for the first time in American history, there was a black man on the ballot who had the backing of a major political party and therefore had a real chance to win the presidency if given the proper support
2) Young college adults voted overwelmingly for Mr. Obama because they saw a chance for America to break the racist attitude bonds that had hence before quarrantined black people from holding the highest office in our country and thereby enter the twenty first century a truly united society of people
3) Union members overwelminly voted for Mr. Obama because he represented the best chance for the blue collar workers of America to stop the assault upon their very existance which had been initiated by Wall Street investors and greedy American corporations
4) College educated people voted for Mr. Obama because they reccognized his extensive educational background, coupled with his limited political and/or associated corporate influence and pressure, as being a good progressive move for our country as a whole to lead the country out of the expensive two war caused recession we were entering
5) Senior adult women voted for Mr. Obama mostly because they felt it was time for our country's people to come truly together as a nation of one people, putting behind us, the days of old when Blacks, Latinos, Asians and others were treated as second class citizens in many quarters of American society.
6) Professional people voted for Mr. Obama because they saw in him as a new generation of being a man with American pride and respect for others and Love of country. All traits which would be needed to restore America to it's previous greatness and bring about the return of respect by foreign nations as our country once again being the world's leader. A position our country had lost during the Bush Administration's projected arrogance towards it allies and initiated wars of aggression
It is only my assumption, but, I sincerely believe that when election day is upon us, the results of the election will be the same as that of the last election.
It is unfortunate that there are those who refuse to see the good which President Obama has done for our country and the many accomplishments his Administration has achieved. It is even more saddening to hear and read commnents posted by GN members in which they refer to his administration being a total failure and addressing our President with subtitles such as Socialist, Marxist, Communist. Further, there are those who accuse our President of being a Hater of America, a Destroyer of Democracy, A European Politician, A Hater of Israel, A Member of the Extremist Segment of the Muslim Faith, A Foreigner, A Kenyan, all being accusations which are knowingly false. But, falsehoods used anyway to denigrate the President of the United States.
What such accusers do not realize, in denigrating our President, they are also denigrating our country in the eyes of the world. Such denigration is truly, truly sad, inasmuch as it is being espoused by fellow Americans, which speaks volumes as to their lack of respect for their own country.
Assumption?
No Scott it's a delusion!
Many of those voters will stay home this next election, and the greatly needed independents will not support Obama in the next election.
Ahhhh, it's Dan the mentalist, trying to convince himself that he can predict the future by telling others that he can predict the future. In some circles that viewed as depriving one's self of sane mental reasoning.
Careful Dan, the men in the white coats are lurking just around the corner.
You see what happened today with Chick Fil-A appreciation day? the people came out in massive numbers to show their support for conservative ideology!
Same thing is going to happen in November.
,massive numbers to show their support for conservative ideology!
Conservative ideology my ass. That was nothing less than a bunch of Bible thumping, self righteous, so called Christians, demonstrating their discriminatory inner feelings towards other Americans.
Those who participated in that show of support for a man who hates LGBT because of his skewed religious beliefs, themselves became just as sick in their religious hatred as he.
How many went directly from eating their chicken sandwich to a gay bar or secret meeting with a gay prostitute or a seedy encounter in a men's washroom at the bus station? Given that most estimates for the number of gays in the general population are between 10% and 20% I would estimate the number of gays in the Chick-fil-A line-up at about 25% to 30%.
Nothing wrong with their being gay, by the way, but a lot wrong with: a) their feeling pressured by their peers to hide their nature; b) their being taught to loathe what they are, and: c) their participating in anti-gay activities.
flail about some more it's funny to watch!
Any scientist/biologist will tell you there is no definition of race, as there is only one race: the human race.
Precisely why it is ridiculous and outrageous to conflate Race and homosexuality.
ALL People are the same.
Male and Female are not.
"lib-progressive big govt. socialist" Hmm, can I fit that on a business card?
Do you always associate the word "apes" with black people, maree?
shame on you.
Seems that Bill Maher does...But then you give him a pass...Don't you Chelsea?
Apes drag their knuckles, Dan; something you, maree and many other conservatives should know all about.
If we had a president that led in what we thought was the way we wanted to go we be thrilled. He didn't. I sure don't want him another 4 years.
The problem is ms Chelsea, people SAY we are voting him out because of his color which has nothing to do with it. He is extremely liberal and 1/2 of us are conservatives.
But I have other things against him also. I have never seen another President that I've actually sat watched lie...several times. So it isn't people lying about him. I've heard him. He does scare me in that he feels too superior to abide by the usual rules and regulations. I just think he's been a real bad choice.
Now I'm going up and read down the comments. I didn't want to be influenced by anyone else before I wrote. :)
I had to grin when I read this Chelsea ... I would expect it to be a little spicy. You don't disappoint us. Thanks.
Chelsea, "... it's blatant that racism is more apparent than ever. That's probably because of how loud and angry the racist far-right is being simply because of the current president's race."
Chelsea, this statement, made over and over by the liberals angers all of us. I am not prejudiced and I know myself better than anyone. But it is indicated in liberal comment after comment that the conservatives are racist. Liberals are the only ones that bring it up over and over and over again. They are the only ones talking race. They always talk race and usually knocking us for being racist. I don't understand them.
I'd just like you to think about that being a real possibility that you guys have just jumped to conclusions on. You'll have to admit liberals talk about us being racist a lot. It is an empty accusation.
I'd like you all to reconsider what you base that on. Well, you don't have to do it for everyone :) To each his own thinking cap :)
Come on Bucky boy ... how old are you?