While watching TV yesterday, the regularly scheduled programming was interrupted with the first press conference that President-Elect Barack Obama has held since winning the election earlier this week. He addressed some issues concerning the contact that he received from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, among other issues. One of the questions surrounded the Obama family’s choice for a new puppy in the White House.
I’m not really sure how I should be reacting to Barack’s response. My initial response was that of shock and then tentative laughter. In hindsight, I’m probably making a mountain out of a mole hill, but you can judge for yourself. Here’s the clip from CNN.
On a side note, I like how he answered the “dog” question in much the same way that he would answer any “serious” question. He’s really big on the “two parts… you’ve got A… and then you’ve got B” kind of response, don’t you think?
About the “M” word
My name is Max Parthas. My wife and I are two of America’s most recognized Spoken Word artist and the founders of Prysmatic Dreams. PrysmaticDreams. com
An artists social network based on the dream of multicultural brotherhood.
We were as proud as anyone else to know that a multiracial American became our president. I have personally discussed the issue with Barak Obama during our travels. Below are photos of him reading my thoughts on this new melting pot America at our first meeting. I thought we had grown as a people to fully embrace who we are as people of multiple cultural heritages. Until June 12, 1967, white and blacks couldn’t even get married legally. Now the children of those unions and others like them number in the tens of millions. We have pride in who we are and who he is. We are here to stay and part of the national character.
To hear him refer to himself as a “mutt” brings me near to tears. For a biracial person that’s the equivalent of calling us the N word. We are not mutts. Nor are we halfbreeds, mulattoes (half mules) or mistakes. If you must call us anything let it be with respect.
We have as much right to embrace our diverse racial pride as anyone else. For our president to casually denigrate the near 30 million multiracial Americans in this country who supported his causes, his family included, is a public shame. It shows how little his rich heritage means to him and how little it matters. With one single word he made an entire burgeoning culture of people seem worthless.
I for one demand an apology.
Max Parthas
A Proud Multiracial American -not a mutt-
http://www.MaximumImpactpoetry.com
I AM THE MOTHER OF A BI-RACIAL SON. WHEN I HEARD THIS COMMENT FROM OBAMA I WAS SHOCKED. HOWEVER, IT DID GIVE ME ANOTHER WINDOW INTO HIS MINDSET! I WOULD HAZARD A GUESS THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH A MAN WHO IS ASHAMED OF HIS HERITAGE. SO MUCH SO, THAT HE CANNOT HELP BUT LET HIS SELF LOATHING BE SEEN FROM TIME TO TIME! WHICH ALSO CONFIRMS WHAT I HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME, THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO SHOULD BE WATCHED VERY VERY CLOSELY!!!
I don’t know what to make of his statement “a lot of sheltered dogs are mutts like me”.
Is he showing disrespect (albeit by accident) to the dog or his own racial and cultural heritage?