Obama’s AG brings racial battles to White House
By Brian Kirwin | Thursday, February 19th, 2009 | PolicyCalling America “a nation of cowards” and saying that “America in the year 2009 does not in some ways differ significantly from the country that existed almost 50 years ago” in racial terms, Eric Holder, the nations first African-American Attorney General bashed his country in a blistering speech that left many wondering what is on Obama’s agenda regarding race.
Saying America still “self-segregates,” I wondered why the head of the Justice Department would make this such a hallmark initiative after a month on the job. What does the future bode for this Attorney General?
Does Obama, too, think we are a nation of cowards?
Of course, this is the same Obama who’s launching a surge of troops to Afghanistan after spending his entire campaign complaining about Bush’s surge in Iraq. Maybe Obama only hoped to change.
The Obama administration just called the nation of which he is President “a nation of cowards.” Please tell me how much the liberal news media covers this. If a Republican Attorney General had said anything at all about race, it would be wall-to-wall non-stop coverage and Al Sharpton would be marching in the streets, as long as it wasn’t a street near the IRS.
Isn’t it funny how as Election Day fades into memory, the true feelings of the new occupants of the White House become clear.
Would these words have been spoken before November?
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About the author
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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5 Responses to "Obama’s AG brings racial battles to White House"
While not the best choice of words, Holder has a point. I would wager there is a large percentage of people who have racial fears, and will “self segregate” based totally on prejudice and not experience. I’m not sure what Holder thinks he can do about this, but there is a mistrust and fear among the races that really should be worked out.
I see race constantly talked about. But if you say something remotely not PC, you’re in for it.
My experience, and I come from a mixed-race family so that may impact my perspective, is that if you do say what you think – and you don’t worry about the “PC police” – essentially if you aren’t a coward about race (and I would argue that we are in many cases cowards about race BECAUSE of the PC police, as well as our often tragic national history) and are open, walls do come down.
I think that’s what Holder was trying to get at. Not the best choice of words certainly, but not something I entirely disagree with either.
That said, if you want to talk about words – I’m still reeling at Phil Graham – one of the men most responsible for our economic crisis calling us all a nation of whinners. Of course for Mr. Graham it’s easy to weather the lean years when you’ve received some nice payback from the banking industry.
Now… wait for it… BK will spin my response as not focusing sufficiently on him… he’s a jealous one that way.
Where I think Brian’s post is off-base is in trying to characterize the AG’s comments as some kind of trojan horse. Obama is a former civil rights lawyer himself, and his campaign website featured civil rights policy as a front burner issue.
Then, I don’t entirely agree with Mark, either. As a White who lives in a 90% minority neighborhood and who rides an 80% minority transit system, I regularly find myself rewording thoughts before publicly uttering them. That said, I think it’s quite positive that I can travel in minority circles and be warmly accepted for the most part.
While race relations in America have plenty of room for improvement, we’ve come quite a ways from where we were 45 years ago.
No, Mark. I’ll just say “Who the hell is Phil Grahem?”
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