When President Obama was elected, as an African-American I felt embraced by the nation as well. I'd stopped using the word African-American and finally believed that I was just an "American". That good time didn't last long. The moment Limbaugh proclaimed his desire to see President Obama fail and was applauded, the moment the GOP reactivated its "Southern Strategy" and rallied both the tea party and the birthers, I knew it was over. Our shared humanity was put "on hold" for the sake of political expediency. Those who would trade a unified strong American for unbridled power heard the death rattle of division and were fighting back. Sadly, most of the traditional press complied. They provided an endless open forum for the insanity and sat back pretending that were covering a true phenomenon and not some faux populist movement. Had the birthers instead asked for evidence that the earth was round or that the moon wasn't made of cheese, the press would have ignored them.
Instead, almost as if they were collectively still mystified by President Obama's election (hadn't the public seen the endless loop of the Rev. Wright video?) the traditional press became de facto members of the faux movement. Birthers, TPers and Limbaugh would be their opportunity to further the narrative of the "mysterious" young President from Illinois, someone no one knew well enough to elect and who therefore had to be held in a suspicious light. What information did they think the birthers could uncover that they hadn't already debunked? There was no 'Whitey' video. Nothing rumored to be true about the Obamas panned out. Did the traditional media believe that this group knew something the federal government didn't know? What was the purpose of giving a platform to such obvious racism and xenophobia? Were the gains made by the President in such a short period of time given as much coverage as the circus of people screaming about birth certificates, socialism, and independence from the government - but who wanted the government to keep its mitts off of their medicare and social security?
Whenever I become angry at the Democratic Party for not hitting back harder, for not shoving back at the bullies who shove, who lie, who distort, who divide, I remember that there is a larger calling in the Democratic Party. Our job is not to get down into the mud with those who seek election at any cost. Our job is to try to continue to move the nation forward in a way that protects the American Identity for all of us. We are not strangers to one another. We do not need to fear one another. As the poet Gwendolyn Brooks has said, We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond.
Am I depressed at this turn of affairs and sitting at home feeling sorry for myself? Yes and NO. Where we've allowed the national discourse to fall in two short years is depressing, but I'm not sitting home. Keith's words reminded me that I have not lost my American Identity no matter how many racially tinged accusations of election stealing inner city residents there are. I'm fighting back the best way I know how. I'm gathering my friends, my family (and yes, we all have birth certificates we can produce if asked - even if they're rejected as valid by those motivated toward malice) and we're all going to rally as many people as we can, who will in turn join us in rallying others. I am taking my American Identity and desire for unity to the polls with me and I'm rejecting anyone who has been a part of this madness. I believe in the America I voted for in 2008, one where there is hope and opportunity. That other party, calling itself by various names, can keep the hatred, fear, and loathing.
Thank you, Keith Olbermann (and Ed Shultz, Rachel Maddow, and others) for having the integrity to stand up when the traditional media has fallen down on the job and nearly dragged the rest of us with it. We will fight back in 2010 and fight even harder toward 2012.
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