In the “actions speak louder than words” rubric, the White
House has been showing its priorities by sending or not sending representatives
to funerals.
When Margaret Thatcher died, the White House sent no
representatives to her state funeral.
When James Foley was beheaded
by ISIS, the White House sent no representatives to his funeral.
When Michael Brown died in
Ferguson, MO, the White House sent three representatives to his funeral. It
also sent Attorney General Eric Holder to Ferguson.
Commentary is unnecessary.
What's interesting about Obama's priorities are appearances versus reality. As they say in Texas: "Big hat, no cattle."
ReplyDeleteHe is the first African-American president. He pays attention to black issues when they suit him (Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, etc.). A great many black Americans view him as a savior figure, a symbol of progress, status and power. Such views are very similar to the way religious leaders and pastors are held and regarded in the black community, including Obama's very own Jeremiah Wright, whom he later distanced himself from when he became a political liability, reversing his prior alignment with Wright, which was politically beneficial. Black pastors are given great status, along with the perks of the job, often in great contrast to their congregants, all while preaching liberation theology -- a religious manifestation of (the atheist) Marx's economic critiques.
Strange? No, when you consider appearances trumping reality. Blacks have economically suffered disproportionately during the Obama presidency, when compared with other ethnic groups. This is seldom mentioned in conversations about "disparate impact," which are legal and political. In this regard, Attorney General Eric Holder is a firebrand. Yet most thoughtful observers recognize that legal structures and political action are not going to lift urban blacks from poverty. Only genuine economic development will do that, and this requires (a) stable environments, and (b) incentives. No need to provide references to blacks being left behind in the Obama economy in a comment like this, as they are in great abundance.
Obama talks about My Brother's Keeper, but seems to have forgotten the consequences of his policies on his brothers and sisters. So while Obama the politician bellows from the podium in tones, cadences and inflections that match those of black preachers; the practical realities (that are a consequence of his political pragmatism) belie a turning away from urban issues, whether education, a manufacturing plan, monetary policy, etc. The reality doesn't match the rhetoric. Young dead black men are shown posthumous respect, while those left behind mourn not just their loss, but their flagging economic prospects as well. But the President shares their skin color, so they resolutely stand by him. Is this solidarity reciprocated?
Man cannot survive on bread alone, but black men need true opportunities to provide bread for their families. That is change you can believe in, rather than the episodic posturing we've come to expect from this Administration.
Tip
Commentary is unnecessary, but documentation is!
ReplyDeleteSelf-evident judgment without confirmed facts tells more about the character of judge than the judged.
The only correction I can add is that this is a memorial NOT a funeral for James Foley which is in October.
ReplyDeleteSo is it Apples and Oranges comparison, I can't say. I'll let the pundits continue their drama.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/white-house-james-foley-mass
The brother of the American journalist murdered by ISIS terrorists last week says James Foley’s family was not concerned by a lack of White House representatives at Foley’s memorial mass in New Hampshire.
“That wasn’t his funeral — that is Oct. 18,” Foley’s brother, Michael, told BuzzFeed in an email. “Regardless it isn’t even enter [sic] the family’s thoughts one way or another.”