Freedom to dissent is essential in a democracy but it must be anchored on principle and truth. Example, the protest against the Vietnam war, the war in Iraq, the protest against sexual discrimination etc. The tea party protests was anchored on falsehood, but it has to be .
I have never being so sad as I was today. See, eight years ago, I moved to America after college, America was everything I thought it would be and more. After eight years of hardwork, I had tremendous opportunities to work in leadership positions in not one but two fortune 100 companies. Sometimes my best effort fell short, most times I succeed in my projects, I have come to accept that whether I fail or I succeed it is entirely up to me, my ability.
I came from a city in West Africa, where, most people of the same racial background still see themselves as different, there is a pervasive fear of the other, when I left that part of the world I thought I had left all that behind me. I wasn't naive, don't get me wrong, I know about America's racial history, its slavery, segregation and all. But America has moved a long way beyond all that, that is why within a few short years, I can climb on my own ability within corporate America.
If you are wondering what I am getting at, its no other than the disguised racist protest that was held in cities across America today. Right wingers it seems are furious about the fact that Barack Obama is president of the United States, unfortunately America has moved beyond the days of racial slurs, after the nonsensical Rick Santelli rant, right wingers found a convenient way to mask their hatred. They also found a convenient avenue to unleash their anger.
The truth is, this is no tea party, this is a racial/hatred gathering. America and myself included, did not vote for Barack Obama because he is a black man. America, as I alluded to in the opening paragraph of this diary, elected Barack Obama because he was the best man for the job. He just happened to be black.
There is an irony here, while the rest of the world is cheering Obama and America, some even contemplating diversity as state policy in their respective countries, here in America some extreme hate groups are contemplating secession "again" because someone whose skin pigment is different from theirs is the President of the United States.
Freedom to dissent is essential in a democracy but it must be anchored on principle and truth. Example, the protest against the Vietnam war, the war in Iraq, the protest against sexual discrimination etc. The tea party protests was anchored on falsehood, but it has to be . The organizers of these events are too ashamed to confess their real motive. The president's tax policy clearly provides tax cuts for 95 percent of Americans, the federal spending that is anticipated in the President's budget will benefit lower and middle income Americans the most. The improved infrastructure will impact on all of our lives and will lay a foundation for prosperity. But see who is protesting today!
Something is stirring in red America, I am afraid it is not pretty.