(1888PressRelease)
February 28, 2009 - Some black folk ought to be sent "straight to DVD" for the disrespect they showed to Tavis Smiley during the election, simply because, as a black man, he would not get on the Obama bandwagon, hook, line, and sinker. Now, I know that Tavis can come off sometimes as the "king of black folk" and I personally don't agree with Tavis on several key issues. And I know it is none of my business, but I am a little concerned that he is not married yet. But I digress. However, with all that aside, "America cannot be America" if a black person cannot disagree with another black person without being kicked out of the "Black America Club".
Newsflash: I "is" a black man, and I did not vote for Barack Obama for two simple reasons:
1. As a Bible-believing Christian, I am against the homosexual agenda in every way, shape, form, and fashion.
2. I am against abortion and I am for life.
However, I am still proud of Barack Obama and his family and how they are representing. Again, "America cannot be America" if I, a black man, can't be free to disagree with Barack Obama, a black man, but at the same time show appreciation and respect for him and his family.
Be that as it may, here are three reasons why I believe some black folk ought to apologize to Tavis and welcome him back into the "Black America Club:"
1. In America, Tavis has the right to support who he feels is best qualified to do the job. Even if Tavis had voted for John McCain, black folk should still respect him for supporting who he believed was the best person for the job and not jumping on the "all black people should vote for Barack Obama" train.
2. In America, a journalist and a citizen can raise whatever questions he or she wants to raise about presidential candidates and other elected officials. This is the American way.
3. Tavis is right. We should hold President Obama "accountable," just as we would hold anyone else in elected office accountable. In the past, we have had several Negroes get into power and then act as though they forgot where they came from. Just because Kwame Kilpatrick, Sheila Dixon, and Roland Burris are black, does that mean we should not hold them to the same ethical and moral standards that we hold all other elected officials? Barack Obama's blackness does not exempt him from being held to the same standards to which we hold other elected officials. I don't mean any disrespect, but at the end of the day, Barack Obama is just an elected official like any other elected official, subject to be voted out of office if he does not do what we tell him to do. In America, the power is not in the presidency, the power is in the people.
Do yo' thing Tavis and "keep the faith".
Alonzo Brooklyn is a full-time writer and commentator. His weekly column can be read at www.BlackChristianNews.com as well as http://AlonzoBrooklyn.WordPress.com. You may e-mail him at: alonzo.brooklyn ( @ ) gmail dot com.
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