February 16, 2007 8:52 AM
Black candidates, leftist prejudice and media manipulation
In the comments on the soldier putting the orphan to sleep there were two comments I'd like to address:
Tears in my eyes... how tender. :)On a different note - what - you don't think Barack Obama is a good candidate for president? How dare you - he's Oprah's darling! (Please take this tongue-in-cheek as it is intended - I live in Chicago and remember a year and a half ago, mentally anguishing over my lack of choice at the polls - Obama, the liberal yet seriously more solid candidate or Alan Keyes, crazy freaky supposedly Christian Republican candidate. I voted for neither. The lack of choice is proving to be par for the course when it comes to Chicago/Illinois politics.)
nancy, we totally voted alan keyes. he was a neighbor of ours for years and, in our eyes, would have been great. Why crazy freaky supposedly?
I'm sorry, I missed that swipe at Alan Keyes. There was a day when my server was slow and I published comments without being able to read more than the first few words.
I have the utmost respect for Alan Keyes. He is a man of complete integrity and formidable intelligence who speaks from his convictions and not from a desire for power. I have met him and his wife personally.
As Americans, we really need to ask ourselves how much of our opinions are due simply to media distortion. We all need to humble ourselves and pray that God will help us see through the constant manipulation of our minds to get to the truth. You must read what candidates say and never forget to measure that against what they do.
I will say one thing: the leftist media favors light-skinned liberal black people - especially those with more Anglo features. They cannot handle someone like Alan Keyes or Clarence Thomas because they look more black and they do not conform to the liberal agenda. Blacks are not allowed to think for themselves in this country.
In bygone days uppity blacks did not know their place and they were lynched. Today uppity blacks do not know their place as defined by the left and they are lynched in the media.
Alan Keyes was guilty on three counts: dark black color, Christian, and conservative - so he was even more villified by a media which thrives on savaging any Christian conservative - white or black or brown.
Some Christian conservatives are simply ignored - like Senator Sam Brownback, who seems like a decent man who carries out his political duties with integrity but whose candidacy is completely ignored. Who is Brownback, you may be asking? And that's my point: if the media wanted you to know about him, you would. If they don't, you won't take him seriously.
This is what I meant the other day, by the way - Obama and Clinton are the media darlings - according to them, no one else should even be in the race. You end up being robbed of a real effective choice.
Unless you work hard to find the truth yourself. If you hadn't been a reader at this blog and you heard about me from leftists - who in Marin County compared me to Hitler and the Ayatollah in the past simply because I suggested a dress code for skimpily-clad Catholic school girls - you would have a completely distorted view of me too.
This is what I hate about the left. No I don't hate individual people who identify themselves as liberals, but I hate intellectual laziness and outright deception. The left is famous for using ad hominem attacks to kill their opponents rather than discussing the issues in an intelligent manner. Leftist followers judge people - like Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Laura Ingraham - without ever listening or reading what they really have to say. I hear many people call Rush for instance, who start listening to him out of hostility and end up changing their minds because they find his views are based on common sense, optimism, and belief in the individual.
Liberals treat blacks as a group of people they should be in charge of rather than as individuals who might have different opinions themselves (I just came across a letter from an African-American friend of mine musing on why blacks are so vulnerable to the Group Think - when I have time, I will type it out for you - it's very interesting).
Any opinion we get of an African American from the media is going to be skewed by how well that person conforms to The Left's expectations. We should all try to free ourselves from this insidious mind-control. All of us need to do our best to think for ourselves and to teach our children to think for themselves.
Our country's future depends on it.
Now, off to go sledding with my kids/grandkids :) The world may be falling apart, but we have to have fun and keep things in perspective by putting our families first.
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Comments
I was just thinking about this as I lay in bed this morning. I had been told by a friend of mine that I should vote liberal if I want a good education for my child with special needs. I then found that in Hillary Clinton's state of NY, teachers are now permitted to abuse disabled children in the name if discipline.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/news/06/abuse.nys.regs.htm
I then began to think of areas near my home that have been liberal for decades. I think they have one of the worst performing school systems in the country. Twenty minutes out of town, where things tend to be more right leaning a handful of public schools appear annually in Newsweeks best high schools in the country. I was left to wonder why, when given decades to instill a higher functioning school system in the predominantly black city, they have failed over and over and over again? I wonder why the black citizens keep putting their faith in people that never do right by them?
Ken Blackwell was also the better candidate running for the position of governor for Ohio. He lost even though any straight thinking person could see he was the more qualified person. He too, is dark black gentleman.
Posted by: Kelly | February 16, 2007 9:38 AM
Brilliantly put. And as a black person myself, I must say that it is more than just the media that paints us as liberals. We paint ourselves. We have lost friends because we put a Bush/Cheney sign in our yard. And i know of two white liberals that left our multi-cultural church behind hearing our (black)pastor telling them to vote their conscience--against abortion.
Posted by: angie | February 16, 2007 9:50 AM
I saw Sam Brownback on TV a while back and heard his views. Right then and there I decided that he was the person that I would support. Hopefully other conservatives will take a closer look at him even though I'm sure the liberal media won't give him equal coverage. Thanks for mentioning him.
Sue
Posted by: Sue | February 16, 2007 10:33 AM
This Barack Obama thing is driving me crazy. Yesterday I had two choices of news stories to watch on him -
"Is He Black Enough", or, conversely, "Can Voters Accept a Black Candidate"!
Hello! Maybe they could do a story on his stand on our current tax policy, moral issues, or what makes him qualified to govern our nation? You know, something more relevant than how much melatonin he has?
I'm just so frustrated with our media.
Mama Says
Posted by: Milehimama | February 16, 2007 11:25 AM
Barbara,
Before you say, "They cannot handle someone like Alan Keyes or Clarence Thomas because they look more black and they do not conform to the liberal agenda. Blacks are not allowed to think for themselves in this country," you might want to pick up Obama's book. He is a really impressive young man who definitely thinks for himself. I'm impressed with him, and it has nothing to do with his light skin color!!
I once was very guilty of not thinking for myself and of being influenced by one-sided media. That was back in my Rush Limbaugh-listening days. I have realized just how much he twists stories! It isn't just the left that presents half of the story! Christians would do well to hear BOTH sides of any issue and then think for themselves!!
Posted by: chewymom | February 16, 2007 12:16 PM
Oh goodness, Barbara, yet another thing that we agree on. I just appreciate you so much!
I was asking friends the other day - why is so much fuss made when a black coach wins a superbowl? I think it is derogatory. I think that winners are just that...WINNERS! When we make a point to notice their color, don't we imply that we "didn't think they could do it?" I don't even ususally notice when a coach or preacher or politician is black. They are JUST PEOPLE created by God. ALL equal!
Think if we said of someone..."She is a good black mother." That would imply that "we didn't think she could be, but by golly, the girl went and surprised us!" In my eyes...she would just be an excellent mother...neither black nor white in description.
And yes to the media bias. I do not see how any one can deny this!
Posted by: Holly | February 16, 2007 12:39 PM
Chewymom -
As an insider in the book industry, I will tell you that the chances are very slim that Obama wrote his book himself. Very slim. It takes time to write a book and a busy candidate does not have that kind of time - especially on a rush time frame like this book came out in.
I also don't care how impressive his ideas are, he is absaolutely unqualified in terms of experience to be even glanced at as a Presidential candidate. The media has made itself look absolutely ridiculous in this matter.
And he has made himself look not much better by not humbly backing out until he has more experience under his belt. That would speak volumes, wouldn't it?
I disagree with you about Rush. Yes, he is one-sided. That's his job as a political commentator. But journalists are supposed to be objective and their reporting their opinions as fact and villifying their opposition is just plain wrong.
You've been around here a long time. You know I think for myself. How could I not, having been a leftist myself for 38 years? And my political ideas were dramatically changed before I ever set foot in a church. They welled up from the inside when I began to see a higher purpose in my life and to love and respect my Creator.
Christians do hear both sides of the story: the mainstream media present the liberal side 24/7 and the alternative media present the other. That's balance.
Posted by: barbara | February 16, 2007 12:49 PM
hear, hear! I'm glad you're tackling politics more.
Posted by: Jennifer | February 16, 2007 1:35 PM
True, Barbara. Unless you completely avoid mainstream news sources, it's difficult to only see the "conservative side" of an issue. And even then, getting my news online so many conservatives link to articles that are presenting the other side (yes, because they are disagreeing with those articles and they want you to be informed on what they disagree with.)
Posted by: Michelle | February 16, 2007 2:02 PM
Well, I guess in my own defense, perhaps I WAS partially biased by the media's portrayal of Keyes. Perhaps he did get the short end of the stick around here. I don't completely remember all of what I saw in the media almost three years ago. However, I do remember that I was not impressed by him and it has nothing whatsoever do with the shade of his skin.
To me, his behaviors and words did not say "Christian" and frankly, were polarizing from anyone but perhaps THE MOST conservative Christians. I appreciate candidates taking a moral stand on issues and sticking with their convictions, but I found him obnoxious. The fact that he was transplanted from Maryland to Illinois just for that election did not sit well with me either, esp. coming on the heels of Hilary in New York. How do you represent a state that you've never lived in?
My statement was not meant as an attack on Keyes - simply expressing my frustration with what I have experienced in Illinois politics since living here. I don't think Obama's qualified for president at this point; however, I don't think Keyes is suited for office either. It's rather telling to my mind that he has been running for various positions for almost 20 years now and has never won.
I think Christians of any color who are running for political office need to keep the words of 1 Corinthians 9 in mind. Winning voters is not unlike winning souls. If your actions, although perhaps "Christian" in a sense, only polarize your constituents, how can you do your job, or even "win" your job?
"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Posted by: Nancy | February 16, 2007 4:41 PM
Good thoughts, Nancy - thanks for sharing.
I do feel that we live in an overly-feminized society, though, where men have to express themselves "nicely" - then too, Hillary can be awfully strident and John Kerry has called our country a "pariah" and characterized our fighting men as losers, and Ted Kennedy certainly sounds extemist when you can understand the words he is screaming. They're not "nice." Why the double standard for conservatives?
Why do we feel free to be more critical of Keyes' style than of any over-the-top leftist politicos?
I do not like carpet-bagging either, but why was Keyes taken to task by the media for it while Hillary was given a pass.
I'm also not sure I accept your premise that winning voters is like winning souls. It sounds good, but politics should be driven by the mind and reason, while faith is - well, faith.
Posted by: barbara | February 16, 2007 5:25 PM
Ultimately, faith is based on a foundation of facts, though, isn't it? We don't have faith in God because we feel like it; we have faith because the facts are there. Do not separate faith as emotional and politics as not - our faith should involve as much reason and thought as our politics. Ultimately, either involves trust in what we do not see - the heart of God or the heart of a candidate.
Posted by: Nancy | February 16, 2007 5:58 PM
Nancy, if you are determined to have the last word, you may have it. You are extrapolating something from what I said and taking it a step further. I just don't do that kind of rabbit trail stuff, sorry.
My own faith came not through reason but through trusting God. A virgin birth certainly can't be explained by reason, can it? There are things we accept on faith that go against all reason.
I do not agree with you that "either involves trust in what we do not see - the heart of God or the heart of a candidate." This is the second time you have come up with a phrase that sounds beautiful and convincing until you pull it apart to see what it means. What in the world are you saying? We would be very foolish to vote based on our perception of the heart of a candidate. That's what's wrong with voters today - they *think* they see Obama's heart and it's really just a projection of media hype mixed with their own desires. Obama doesn't have a track record or experience to justify that faith. God does justify our faith.
See, here I go down the rabbit trail and the next thing you know we aren't talking about the subject of this blog entry at all.
So the trail stops here.
Posted by: barbara | February 16, 2007 6:46 PM
I had the great privilege of supporting Mr. Keyes at the Iowa Straw Poll when he ran for president in 2000.
While other candidates had celebrity entertainment and served full meals, we had a swing band made up of retirees and served ice cream sundaes.
We were there because we deeply believed in him and what he wanted to do.
What a great man!
Posted by: rose | February 16, 2007 7:11 PM
Nancy,
Alan Keyes is a great American and a steadfast holder of the faith. Please review his Renew America web site and you'll see.
Barbara,
You know I love you, but I think you went a bit to far with one point.
"I will say one thing: the leftist media favors light-skinned liberal black people - especially those with more Anglo features. They cannot handle someone like Alan Keyes or Clarence Thomas because they look more black and they do not conform to the liberal agenda. Blacks are not allowed to think for themselves in this country."
I agree that the liberal media doesn't like people who don't conform to the liberal agenda, but don't agree that features and skin color are the issue. The liberal media hates Christians, that's all. You seem to be playing the "race card" here, and then say "Blacks are not..." A more sensitive phrasing would have been "Black leaders are not..." The noun "Blacks" is not PC :).
Posted by: Mary22 | February 17, 2007 3:13 PM
The media drives me crazy! I can't stand watching any of the evening news programs because I don't feel like we get the whole story on important issues or political candidates or those currently running our country...more time is spent on Anna Nicole Smith for goodness sakes! Exactly where does one get truly unbaised information on important issues and candidates?
Posted by: Kelley | February 17, 2007 5:49 PM
