Obama turns the racial argument to one of socioeconomics

From the New York Times today, President Barack Obama says he wishes Attorney General Eric Holder would have chosen different language than “nation of cowards” when describing Americans and their ability to deal with race.

I stand by what I wrote earlier, I like what Holder said.  I think he’s a smart guy who gave a speech dealing with the issue in a nuanced way.  He was thinking and communicating.  For the previous eight years we became accustomed to a lot of communication without much thought.  During the presidential race there was even a minor debate among political watchers about whether or not the sort of intellect displayed by Barack Obama and other Democrats would play well with a public grown accustomed to having the world described to them in Bushian ‘black and white’ terms.

I wish Obama wouldn’t have “chided” Holder, as the Times puts it.

The president did take a moment to get at a bigger problem that sometimes gets confused with race: socioeconomic status.  Obama was asked further about the “cowards” comment:

Mr. Obama was asked whether he agreed with Mr. Holder. He hesitated for five seconds before responding.

“I’m not somebody who believes that constantly talking about race somehow solves racial tensions,” Mr. Obama said. “I think what solves racial tensions is fixing the economy, putting people to work, making sure that people have health care, ensuring that every kid is learning out there. I think if we do that, then we’ll probably have more fruitful conversations.”

Eric Holder – Saying What Needs to be Said – Eloquently

For all the time and money the right wing in America has spent since the early 1970s think tanking, waxing philosophical about “conservatism,” and mouthing slogans like academic freedom and free speech, they sure spend a lot of time in the pursuit of distilling well-laid, thoughtful argumentation into lies.

From what I’m seeing on the Nets tonight and hearing from the Father Coughlins on talk radio, Eric Holder will be their next victim.

The Attorney General spoke to employees at the Justice Department today on the occaision of Black History Month.  Holder, being a veteran of a few political slugfests, one might have expected a saccharine speech calling on all the old Civil Rights heroes of the past.  Holder, also being an intellectual, actually added in a substantive way to our ongoing national debate about race.

The Right, tonight, is focusing only on this, however:

Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards.

One sentence, incendiary enough within the context of Holder’s broader remarks, is being used to cast Holder as the Right’s latest America-hating liberal pinata.  But perhaps, Holder’s intellectual bravery will trump the Right’s endless intellectual dishonesty.

Here’s what immediately followed “a nation of cowards.”

Though race related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race. It is an issue we have never been at ease with and given our nation’s history this is in some ways understandable. And yet, if we are to make progress in this area we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough of each other, to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us. But we must do more- and we in this room bear a special responsibility. Through its work and through its example this Department of Justice, as long as I am here, must – and will – lead the nation to the “new birth of freedom” so long ago promised by our greatest President. This is our duty and our solemn obligation.

We don’t talk enough about race – one to another – now do we?

Holder speaks too about Americans challenged by racial subjects or issues “free to retreat to our race protected cocoons where much is comfortable and where progress is not really made.”  What I believe he is talking about is our propensity as blacks, whites, latinos, asians to self segregate.

In my own life, I think back to my time in the U.S. Navy.  I thought it was rather cool to be a white boy from white bread Lancaster, Ohio and be thrown onto a ship with people of all races and from all over the country.  In a two-year period the U.S.S. Raleigh spent 10 months in a combat zone in the Persian Gulf of the Iran-Iraq War where we worked our asses off and earned hazardous duty pay.  But, on the mess decks and during liberty ports of call, we self segregated.  When I came home and went to Ohio University, I thought to myself, “Campus will be different.”  It wasn’t.  The darks and the pales separated at every chance – dining halls, fraternities, bars, whatever.

Holder is telling us today that this is understandable to an extent, but odd nonetheless, and counterproductive to be sure.

I would encourage anyone to read Holder’s entire speech and see what you take from it.  Just do yourself a favor and take more than one sentence.

Full Text: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Remarks on Black History Month, ‘Nation of Cowards’

(Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice)

As Prepared for Delivery – February 18, 2009

Every year, in February, we attempt to recognize and to appreciate black history. It is a worthwhile endeavor for the contributions of African Americans to this great nation are numerous and significant. Even as we fight a war against terrorism, deal with the reality of electing an African American as our President for the first time and deal with the other significant issues of the day, the need to confront our racial past, and our racial present, and to understand the history of African people in this country, endures. One cannot truly understand America without understanding the historical experience of black people in this nation. Simply put, to get to the heart of this country one must examine its racial soul.

Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. Though race related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race. It is an issue we have never been at ease with and given our nation’s history this is in some ways understandable. And yet, if we are to make progress in this area we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough of each other, to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us. But we must do more- and we in this room bear a special responsibility. Through its work and through its example this Department of Justice, as long as I am here, must – and will – lead the nation to the “new birth of freedom” so long ago promised by our greatest President. This is our duty and our solemn obligation.

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Did Rev. Lowery Just Go All “White Devil” On Me?

Like so many others I was in the moment, proud of my country, proud of Barack Obama lost in thoughts of, “Could this really be the beginning of a different era?” Then the Rev. Joseph Lowery took the podium to deliver the benediction and his voice, so full of age and wisdom and the experience of battles fought and lost and won – and today’s backdrop of a huge battle won – and he began:

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou, who has brought us thus far along the way, thou, who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee.

There was history and tone and rhythmn – I was coming under the pastor’s spell – what a great way to end the ceremony of the day.

Then there was a surprise.  The pastor got a little more giddy-up going and I think I saw a twinkle in his eye. He sounded downright cool when he said:

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around … when yellow will be mellow … when the red man can get ahead, man; …

He smiled, and I was smiling – “when the red man can get ahead, man;” – and I’m thinking what rhymes with “white?”  And the pastor finished:

… and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

And … my smile faded.  My eyebrows arched, I muttered a “Hmphh.”  I guess bein’ white, ole Pastor Joe thinks I don’t have any moral sense.  And, if I’m not mistaken, I think he just put together a construction that lines up the browns, the blacks and reds and yellows on one side and the unrighteous white man on the other.

On this day of celebrating an American step forward, Joe Lowery seemed to be thinking in the past.

Saturday Morning Papers – Central OH adds jobs, troopers moonlight, Cuyahoga Corruption, Dem platform, Gitmo, Obama, Fuel Economy, Unemployment 4 Yr High

Ohio News

• Illegal signs in right of way – Columbus Dispatch

Finally, someone may be doing something about these eyesores. My pet peeve is these signs that look like your neighbor hand-lettered, but when you call the number to inquire about the hot tub or whatever it’s a business. There’s enough visual pollution out there, these things are a nuisance. I ask myself, what would Edward Abbey do? He’d take ‘em or knock ‘em down. If our cities are not going to keep public property clean, we should all start destroying these things. Maybe the business community will get the idea we don’t want this ridiculous advertising.

• Central Ohio has actually added jobs – Columbus Dispatch

• Ohio Dept. of Public Safety reviewing workers’ 2^nd jobs – Columbus Dispatch
• Editorial: Where should politicians spend campaign funds? – Columbus Dispatch
• Cuyahoga County Corruption Prosecutor shuns spotlight – Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Dems meet in Cleveland for platform conference – Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Talk at Mason outing turns to FBI Raid – Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Why is Bill Mason not involved in corruption probe? – Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Editorial: Budgetary fantasies of McCain, Obama – Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Editorial: Dimora, Russo can’t hide behind arrogance – Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Ohio bars countdown to Keno – Toledo Blade
• Delphi workers SSNs on missing flash drive – Dayton Daily News
• Editorial: Governor took heat school board deserved – Dayton Daily News

National/International News

• Automakers race time as their cash dwindles – New York Times
• With Genie out of bottle, Obama careful on race – New York Times
• Terror trial nears end – New York Times
• Congress Adjourns but talks on oil persist – New York Times
• Editorial: Time, Finally for Real Fuel Economy – New York Times
• An unwelcome, persistent issue – Washington Post
• Jobless rate hits a high, dims hope for recovery – Washington Post

From CNN