Obama and Racism

[maddog42]

I live in Oklahoma. My family were poor white sharecroppers. My mom just turned 95 and she was taught growing up that black people don't have souls. She has a half black Great grandson. This has changed her attitude about blacks some what, but I still wonder how she feels deep down. Many of my redneck relatives believe that Obama is the worst president ever. When I question them about this their response basically boils down to hateful, racist rhetoric. And they have no shame about using the N-word.
I believe that most people on this board (and people in general) don't like Obama because of his policies, but there is a hard core 10-15 % ? that dislike him because of skin color. Don't even try to tell me otherwise. I have seen plenty of racist Obama haters up close and personal and the local Klan here in Okla. is a bunch of crazy whacko's.
One final word about my mom. She is a product of her times.She is also one of the most kind and forgiving souls you are likely to meet. But these racist feelings run deep, and sometimes no amount of modern media persuasion can change them.
So now let me ask the members of this board. What percentage of people on this Forum Are Racist? And don't confuse me with your typical liberal. I have voted Republican many times. But remember this is Okla. and we are arguably the most conservative state in the Union. Our Dems are far to the right of center.

[HUSKER55]

and a happy fourth of july to you!

we are a nation of people bound together by faith in our humanity and not by our race.

the folks hated spanish and black and indians, hindus and gays and lesbians and the list went on. that is why I left and have not gone back for 40 years.

blacks are no more racist than the people I grew up with.

so,..i live around people that think like I do and life moves on and we are happy.

there is a little bit of everybody in our neighborhood and we like it that way.

people have to evolve. have no clue as to what the solution is.

good luck to you.

[DJofSD]

Here is a test to find out: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/ . Click through the first couple of screens then select the Light Skin Dark Skin test.

[Overlay]

Here is a test to find out: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/ . Click through the first couple of screens then select the Light Skin Dark Skin test.
I took the Presidents test. My result showed that I have no strong preference for either Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. Wow, talk about accurate!

[Marshall Bennett]

I grew up in the deep south. Moved to Houston as a teenager with my folks, but I will admit the damage as far as my feelings about blacks were already firmly embedded. Then other shit happened. Was robbed of my first car which was a graduation present (a 67 Impalla) by 3 blacks at gunpoint. They drove me to the southeast side of Houston and dumped me in a black neighborhood and drove off. A friendly black couple saw me standing by the curb and took me in their home to call the police. Two black cops showed up, took a report, and began to leave. I asked them to please give me lift out of there so I could call my folks to come get me. They took me exactly 2 blocks and dumped me at a Shell service station in the same neighborhood where more blacks were hanging out. I called from the phone booth as they laughed and pointed the entire time. I stayed in the booth and survived till my folks arrived.
Only a few months later my uncle was robbed and shot to death as well as beaten by 2 blacks in North Dallas.
So when people ask me if I'm prejudice, I don't lie and say yes because I am. I've seen too much in my 57 years for me to lie just to portray some image of myself that I'm not. They've punished my family and I'm not alone. Check out what cities like Detroit and St. Louis have been reduced to just to name a couple. A direct result of black corruption, and if you don't believe that you're delusional.
I don't dislike Obama the least because of his skin color. I simply think he's a horrible president. I do believe his wife Michelle is racist, it's been documented and had she been the wife of a Republican candidate, the MMS would have dealt with it severely.

[ElKabong]

I can't stand Obama. His policies are wrong. His delivery is obviously pathetic (when halpern says he' s a dick, that tells you all you need to know). He's in it for personal greed and gain, b/c he hasn't the slightest idea on how to lead this country--- he knew that from the get-go. It's always been about how he can "get his", and move on

Racism does exist, but I strongly believe it's more prevalent to blacks vs whites. That's from my personal experience. Also from personal experience, if you yourself get hung up on race, you're already at the dead end of the street. Once that card is played, it shows you have nothing of substance to argue with. If you did, you wouldn't resort to the race card to begin with.

When people at Tea Party rallies yell at the top of their lungs they don't like Obama or his policies, deal with the criticism at hand. Deflection on your part is an admission that you can't defend the liberal / Obama policies or stance

[GameTheory]

I grew up in the deep south. Moved to Houston as a teenager with my folks, but I will admit the damage as far as my feelings about blacks were already firmly embedded. Then other shit happened. Was robbed of my first car which was a graduation present (a 67 Impalla) by 3 blacks at gunpoint. They drove me to the southeast side of Houston and dumped me in a black neighborhood and drove off. A friendly black couple saw me standing by the curb and took me in their home to call the police. Two black cops showed up, took a report, and began to leave. I asked them to please give me lift out of there so I could call my folks to come get me. They took me exactly 2 blocks and dumped me at a Shell service station in the same neighborhood where more blacks were hanging out. I called from the phone booth as they laughed and pointed the entire time. I stayed in the booth and survived till my folks arrived.
Only a few months later my uncle was robbed and shot to death as well as beaten by 2 blacks in North Dallas.
So when people ask me if I'm prejudice, I don't lie and say yes because I am. I've seen too much in my 57 years for me to lie just to portray some image of myself that I'm not. They've punished my family and I'm not alone. Check out what cities like Detroit and St. Louis have been reduced to just to name a couple. A direct result of black corruption, and if you don't believe that you're delusional.
I don't dislike Obama the least because of his skin color. I simply think he's a horrible president. I do believe his wife Michelle is racist, it's been documented and had she been the wife of a Republican candidate, the MMS would have dealt with it severely.Prejudice and racism are not the same thing, although they have become known as the same thanks to the lefties confusing things as usual. Prejudice is just what is sounds like, "pre-judging" someone based on superficial attributes without really getting to know them. In a neighborhood with a high crime rate, or when sizing up people that act and dress as if they would like to kill you, being prejudiced is called "being smart". If on the other hand, you distrust any black person in any situation just because he's black, that is called "being stupid". None of that is necessarily racist though. Racism refers to the idea of an *inherent* inferiority of one race versus another. If you think those black people robbed you because "it was in their blood" and not due to cultural factors and lack of moral values with those particular individuals (or you think a black human being is not capable of having moral values, period), then you're a racist. The KKK and Nazis are racists -- most whites in American that "have a problem" with blacks are prejudiced. Many blacks are also prejudiced against other blacks, not to mention against whites. Prejudice plays into stereotypes and is sometimes useful, sometimes not. We generally only talk about the bad kind of prejudice, but a truly unprejudiced person in all things wouldn't even be able to function.

[PhantomOnTour]

I appreciate the honesty in this thread.
I grew up in the south where most black folk are poor. You can imagine what ideas i had about black folk as a kid in the south (see the above posts). I was shocked when i went up north for the first time and discovered that you can't tell someone's skin color just by hearing their voice.
You see, ALL black folk in the south have an accent if you will. Someone behind me in line in Maryland once said, "Excuse me, may i....." and she must have though i was a lunatic because of the look on my face when i turned around to speak to her...she SOUNDED white to me.

I believe there are very few among us without some sort of racial prejudice/apprehension/fear....but then agin, that just may be my own prejudices speaking.
Answer me this:
If you are a white parent and your white daughter brings home a black man that she is dating, how would you feel?
What if he's well dressed and well mannered?
What if he has that "dangerous black guy-hip hop look"?

It's a difficult question to answer honestly on a public forum.

[NJ Stinks]

Can't say racism has been a significant part of my life here in NJ. Still, I do remember a black classmate in high school who was forced to see a psychiatrist (?) by school administrators because he was dating a white girl. No doubt racism was part of that couples' life where I lived.

This thing with Obama is tricky. On the one hand it's easy to point to race in the intense dislike of Barack. But then I think about the fact that most cons hated (or at least despised) Kerry and Gore too.

In the end I guess Maddog is probably right with the percentages he posted.

If you take into account the 10 or 15% who won't vote for Obama because of race, then take into account the 20-25% who are hardcore conservatives, and then take into account the people who have lost their jobs in this economy, Obama should be a longshot to be re-elected next year. Why he isn't says a lot IMO.

[sandpit]

Answer me this:
If you are a white parent and your white daughter brings home a black man that she is dating, how would you feel?
What if he's well dressed and well mannered?
What if he has that "dangerous black guy-hip hop look"?

It's a difficult question to answer honestly on a public forum.

I've got a daughter who is still a few years away from bringing boys home, but to be honest, I'd be much more upset if she brought home a "hip-hop look" guy, no matter what his race, than some decent kid of any ethnic background. I think it would bother me more if she fell in love with some Muslim (we're Catholic). I have a niece who has been dating a Muslim boy for a while, and it drives her parents, particularly her gun-toting, radical right winger dad, nuts.

[Marshall Bennett]

I'll add this and I'm gone with this discussion. Everyone by now should know my position anyway.
Imagine if you will for a moment had O.J. been white and butchered two blacks. Following an acquital, do you seriously think for a minute riots wouldn't have erupted along with complete mayhem. In my opinion that a huge problem, and I don't see much white in it.
One problem is that most whites are afraid to address race related issues. I'm not saying start a civil war, but at least admit it's a huge problem. Nothing is likely to change because people are too scared to express their feelings. It's probably why so few have posted here.

[ArlJim78]

my grandma was from OK, and she had a similar view of things as yours does.
i don't think they're bad people per se, they just were not taught any different.
with that said, these types of racist folks in OK or wherever, do not represent 10-15% of the nation's electorate. the math doesn't work out.

by the way, how do you explain J.C.Watts? if race comes before principle in OK then how did he manage to get elected?

[TJDave]

Seemingly overnight.

I was born in a small Oklahoma "sundown" town, complete with billboards proudly proclaiming the fact. Separate and distinctly non-equal school systems. In my sophomore year the junior high and high schools were combined. Our 1970 senior class president, national merit scholar and school valedictorian was black.

[TJDave]

by the way, how do you explain J.C.Watts? if race comes before principle in OK then how did he manage to get elected?

Before J.C. was elected to congress he served on the corporation commission. The first black to win statewide office. But before that, Watts was the starting quarterback for the OU Sooners. Anyone familiar with Oklahoma and football will understand the importance. :rolleyes:

[bigmack]

I don't get why people even concern themselves with racist thinking folk. They'll always be around. A vast majority of people aren't.

If 10% of whites didn't vote for BO because he's black (actually, half) and 95% of blacks voted for him because he's black, would that be considered a wash?

[Greyfox]

So now let me ask the members of this board. What percentage of people on this Forum Are Racist?


If your question pertains to the dictionary definition of racism,
we find:
racism :
n.
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

By that definition, I am not a racist.
I have good friends across the human color spectrum.

However, I would argue that all humans are racist, to some degree or another.
In effect, 100 % are racist, whether we admit it or not.

The fact is all humans tend to feel more comfortable with people who are similar to us. We feel more uncomfortable with people who are perceived as different than us.
For example, I don't necessarily feel at ease when a bearded tatooed biker sits next to me on the bus. He may be the nicest guy on earth, but my first impression of him, rightly or wrongly, is that he doesn't share my values, or beliefs. He might make a wonderful next door neighbor, but I'd be leery until I learned to trust him.
The same is true for people of different cultures and colors.
Our minds' tendencies to stereotype often come to the wrong conclusions.
However, I repeat, the more someone is like us, the safer we feel.
To an extent that explains why imigrants move from a particular nation prefer one community over the other.
In that regard, someone with a different skin color will take awhile longer to develop trust with than a person with the same values who is our skin color.
So while, I am not a racist by the "book," I'm willing to accept that I have racist elements until I trust someone.
Do I like those traits in myself? No.
Do I accept them as normal, possibly even genetic ? Yes.

[Dave Schwartz]

Fox,

That was, IMHO, a fair and accurate representation.

:ThmbUp:

Good post.

Dave

[maddog42]

I can't stand Obama. His policies are wrong. His delivery is obviously pathetic (when halpern says he' s a dick, that tells you all you need to know). He's in it for personal greed and gain, b/c he hasn't the slightest idea on how to lead this country--- he knew that from the get-go. It's always been about how he can "get his", and move on

Racism does exist, but I strongly believe it's more prevalent to blacks vs whites. That's from my personal experience. Also from personal experience, if you yourself get hung up on race, you're already at the dead end of the street. Once that card is played, it shows you have nothing of substance to argue with. If you did, you wouldn't resort to the race card to begin with.

When people at Tea Party rallies yell at the top of their lungs they don't like Obama or his policies, deal with the criticism at hand. Deflection on your part is an admission that you can't defend the liberal / Obama policies or stance

Deflection? I don't think I am deflecting anything. YOU might be. Did you read anything about Defending Obama here? I have plenty of ammo on either side of the Obama issue. I am talking about racism. This has been a very revealing and honest thread about racism. I appreciate the Honest threads from you and Marshall and many others. I don't mind one bit if you don't like Obama. I asked a question about the percentage of Racists on this Forum and elsewhere. I don't particularly think this is a racist forum or anything like that.
I thought I would share some of my racist background. The admission of racist feelings is healthy. It is basically the fear of the unknown.

[sonnyp]

when i see obama and herman cain i see 2 black men. when they speak one impresses me the other makes me want to vomit.

as black men, did they not face the same attitudes and prejudices ?

how is it they can end up being so different ?

the answer is the color of their skin does not matter, it's the color of their heart.

[maddog42]

my grandma was from OK, and she had a similar view of things as yours does.
i don't think they're bad people per se, they just were not taught any different.
with that said, these types of racist folks in OK or wherever, do not represent 10-15% of the nation's electorate. the math doesn't work out.

by the way, how do you explain J.C.Watts? if race comes before principle in OK then how did he manage to get elected?

I could easily be wrong about the percentage here in OKLA. But it does seem like a lot of people are in denial and think it is rare. Are blacks more racist than whites? I dunno. I voted for J.C. Watts many years ago. When I started looking at his record on the Corporation Commision and as a Rep. I regretted it. It didn't hurt that he was a Republican and had the biggest paper in the state pushing for his election.

[PaceAdvantage]

Race plays absolutely no factor in my dislike of Obama, Biden and the rest, for their policies and political ideology. I suspect that is the same for 99% of the Obama critics on this board.

Just like race plays absolutely no factor in my liking of Herman Cain and Allen West.

Is anyone that foolish to think for one minute that if Obama were as white as the driven snow, I and all the other Obama critics would be singing his praises?

Use your head man.

[maddog42]

Race plays absolutely no factor in my dislike of Obama, Biden and the rest, for their policies and political ideology. I suspect that is the same for 99% of the Obama critics on this board.

Just like race plays absolutely no factor in my liking of Herman Cain and Allen West.

Is anyone that foolish to think for one minute that if Obama were as white as the driven snow, I and all the other Obama critics would be singing his praises?

Use your head man.

Well at least you answered the question. 99% seems a bit high though. This forum is as pure as the driven snow!!

[PaceAdvantage]

Well at least you answered the question. 99% seems a bit high though. This forum is as pure as the driven snow!!I'm not sure why anybody would need RACE to be a factor in disliking Obama...but maybe that's just me.

[toetoe]

Does my status as a racist mean I forfeit my rights as a citizen ? Am I lower than an illegal alien ? What's the point ? Is our job to root out those with hatred in their hearts and to prosecute those whose thoughts are repugnant to us ?

[GameTheory]

Race plays absolutely no factor in my dislike of Obama, Biden and the rest, for their policies and political ideology. I suspect that is the same for 99% of the Obama critics on this board.

Just like race plays absolutely no factor in my liking of Herman Cain and Allen West.Race is not a factor in disliking Obama, but it is a minor factor for me respecting West (I don't know anything about Cain, so I'll leave him out). That because for a black person to be a public person and not be a lefty (or pretend to be) takes courage in itself, and I admire that courage. (The most savage attacks will come from other blacks.) A white person doesn't have the chance to earn that particular form of admiration from me.

[toetoe]

PA,

What was so objectionable about my response to the ridiculous race test ? Even by your standards that was pretty skittish, no ?

[ElKabong]

Deflection? I don't think I am deflecting anything. YOU might be. Did you read anything about Defending Obama here? .

My comment was not directed at you or your OP. It was a general statement.

It makes me sick / pissed off to see any news outlet not named FOX try to pigeon hole Tea Party people as racists. It's been the media's angle on Tea Party rallies since day 1....My post dealt with racism, or the perception thereof

[PaceAdvantage]

PA,

What was so objectionable about my response to the ridiculous race test ? Even by your standards that was pretty skittish, no ?Your response threatened to take this thread into a place I'd rather not see it go. This thread is dicey enough to begin with in my opinion...

[HUSKER55]

considering how our nation history has gone I sometimes wonder which war we are still fighting. all men are created equal, so says our founding fathers. but I swear we are still fighting about that to this day.

.

[Tom]

I actually was somewhat impressed with Obama in the early months of the campaign and posted that here. Before too long, it became obvious I was listening to a script, not an ideology. He sounded good, but those pesky little facts did not support the rhetoric. No wonder he want to control the news and the internet. Why, if it weren't for facts, he would be a very popular president!

[Marshall Bennett]

considering how our nation history has gone I sometimes wonder which war we are still fighting. all men are created equal, so says our founding fathers. but I swear we are still fighting about that to this day.

.
One only has to look at perhaps 75% of urban American now as compared to 50 years ago. I won't elaborate because as PA said, this thread is probably clinging to thin ice. Rural America is spacious and clean, but jobs are few there. That results in a serious clash and culture meltdown.
I suspect there will always be a racist problem, and with whites quickly becoming the minority (white babies born here already are btw), how could anyone in their right mind see a silver lining?

[lsbets]

I grew up in NJ, integrated schools, never saw any real racism. My grandparents lived in COOP City in the Bronx until they died when I was in my 20s. I thought it was normal to be around people of different backgrounds.

Moved to Texas when I was stationed at Ft. Hood. Didn't see any real racism, but did see right away that off duty whites stuck with whites and blacks with blacks.

Now I live in the DFW area, and what I've noticed in the suburbs is a well educated, well spoken black man is treated like any other person in town. I had a half black/half white high school kid work for me for a while. Nicknamed him Jeter because of how he looked. He told me he never had a problem with white parents in town when he showed up to date their daughters. My guess is if he wasn't so well dressed and well spoken the reaction would have been different, but that would have been because of how he presented himself, not just because he has dark skin.

I never knew what real racism was until I was in Iraq. I was commanding a reserve company who's soldiers came from all over the deep south - the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Miss. The company was about half white and half black, and off duty they did not trust each other at all. Some of the younger soldiers didn't care what color anyone was, but to the guys in their 30s, it made a huge difference. No one trusted each other. When I got home I told my wife that in a lot of ways I liked being out on missions a hell of a lot better than being back on base, because when we were out on missions I didn't have to deal with all the race crap. As commander I had to try and hold that company together, and it was exhausting. It still amazes me that we accomplished anything, that's how bad things were below the surface. My first sergeant and I had to always be on top of it in order to hold the company together. I was exhausted when I got home, not from 13 months of running convoys in Iraq, but from trying to keep that company together and functional.

The thing that stood out to me most was how ingrained the racism was. On both sides. While it didn't seem as prevalent with the younger soldiers, it was definitely there, and while most of the country may have moved past race, I think it will take at least another generation for the deep south to get there.

Obama? I think he's almost as bad a President as Carter. I say almost because I think he has done pretty good fighting terrorism. I give Obama good marks for that. He didn't screw up Iraq and he gave the go ahead on the Bin Laden mission. That was a ballsy call on his part, and he deserves kudos. On almost everything domestically, I don't see how anyone can call him anything but a failure. I'm tired of hearing the excuses that are always made for him. He's the HDIC, he needs to take responsibility for his actions. Things are much worse under him economically and he needs to go.

He is not a failure because he's black, he's a failure because he's wrong on so many issues. His color means nothing to me beyond I do think it is a good thing that a black man was able to be elected President (symbolically it means a lot, I just wish the first black President was a competent one). I don't think his color means much to many people around here, but when I am around people who start tossing the n word around I either leave or tell them to leave depending on where I am, so I might be underestimating it. But, I have little doubt that to a lot of folks in other areas, it means a lot. And that is sad.

[Pell Mell]

They started integration off on the wrong foot. I joined the Air force just before the Korean war started. Integration was just being implemented in the services.
Our outfit was made up of 4 squads of 15 men each. We had 4 blacks altogether and they made each of them a squad leader.

Nice way to get started! :bang:

[bigmack]

I guess I see color but I don't judge someone by it. Ain't no way I've ever been anti-BO as a result of his color. (Whatever it is)

He's simply underqualified and is led by ideology over what is good for the country.

[PaceAdvantage]

One only has to look at perhaps 75% of urban American now as compared to 50 years ago. I won't elaborate because as PA said, this thread is probably clinging to thin ice. Rural America is spacious and clean, but jobs are few there. That results in a serious clash and culture meltdown.
I suspect there will always be a racist problem, and with whites quickly becoming the minority (white babies born here already are btw), how could anyone in their right mind see a silver lining?Rural America also has about 1% of the population that urban America has to deal with...

Based on population size and density alone, you're going to have less space and it's going to be less "clean."

Why are you inferring that race has something to do with this?

What's going to be cleaner? The bathroom in Penn Station in NYC that is open to EVERYONE of all races or the bathroom in a restaurant in NYC only open to paying customers (again, of ALL RACES)?

Obviously, you would expect the less trafficked toilet to be cleaner. It has nothing to do with race, but everything to do with population density.

[newtothegame]

Rural America also has about 1% of the population that urban America has to deal with...

Based on population size and density alone, you're going to have less space and it's going to be less "clean."

Why are you inferring that race has something to do with this?

What's going to be cleaner? The bathroom in Penn Station in NYC that is open to EVERYONE of all races or the bathroom in a restaurant in NYC only open to paying customers (again, of ALL RACES)?

Obviously, you would expect the less trafficked toilet to be cleaner. It has nothing to do with race, but everything to do with population density.

Mike, I would have to agree (to some extent with you as population reasoning) but, there is "other" affecting factors as well. I will provide an example and link below. The example provided, which I have firsthand knowledge of, is as best I can tell represented well by the wikipedia link. I know wikipedia isnt the most reliable source but, again it appears to be accurately told.

"Lake Forest Plaza was a shopping mall in eastern New Orleans (/wiki/New_Orleans) that was opened in 1974. It was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina (/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina) in 2005, and demolished 2007.
The plaza was once the largest shopping mall in the state of Louisiana (/wiki/Louisiana): over one million square feet, single level. Original anchors were D.H. Holmes (/wiki/D.H._Holmes), Maison Blanche (/wiki/Maison_Blanche), (each 3 levels) Sears (/wiki/Sears) (2 levels), and Plaza Cinemas 4. A two level Mervyns (/wiki/Mervyns) was later added near the cinemas. The Maison Blanche and Sears stores relocated from the nearby Gentilly Woods Shopping Center. The plaza also spawned the development of several smaller strip malls, and larger big box stores nearby.

At the time of its opening it was the most eagerly awaited retail development in all of Louisiana. At its peak it accounted for a full 25% of all sales taxes collected in Orleans Parish (/wiki/Orleans_Parish). It was one of the first shopping/dining/entertainment centers ever developed.


"The mall thrived until about the late 1980s when the economic downfall of New Orleans took an especially heavy toll on New Orleans East. Through the 1990s, as the neighborhoods around it deteriorated and became unsafe, the mall felt the repercussions. Originally New Orleans East was an upper/middle class neighborhood with lots of well heeled subdivisions and several large upscale apartment complexes. When the economy hit the skids in the 80's with the loss of the oil business, New Orleans East (/wiki/New_Orleans_East) became less affluent and much more section eight. Many of the well heeled residents fled to the safer confines of the North Shore/Slidell (/wiki/Slidell) area, which in its boom wound up with its own mall, (North Shore Square), which had many of the same anchors and mall stores as Lake Forest. Sears was the first large anchor to close shop at the Plaza. Despite a major renovation in the late 1980s which replaced the by now drab brown, earth tone tiling to a generic white/aqua color scheme,as well as removed the ice rink, it was too late to save Lake Forest. A renewed energy at competing Lakeside Mall in nearby Metairie, LA (/wiki/Metairie,_LA) (which did not suffer the same sullen, crime ridden reputation of New Orleans East) took many of the more affluent shoppers who formerly were loyal to Lake Forest."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Forest_Plaza

Now granted, the story above does NOT mention race as a factor but it does allude to economic reasons. It blames "poor" and poverty as well as crime. But, I can assure you from my firsthand knowledge, this was once a beautiful area with thriving neighborhoods, afluent people, with a dominant white demographic. But see below for the demographics and how it changed and the timelines which almost corespond directly to the story above.....

"Originally named Lake Forest, as development first centered along the easternmost segment of Lake Forest Boulevard, The Read Blvd East area began growing in the 1970s and continues to develop. It includes the more upper-middle class and affluent subdivisions of New Orleans East, such as Lake Forest Estates, Eastover, McKendall Estates, Lake Carmel, Fairway Estates, Lake Bullard, Lake Barrington, and McKendall Place. Eastover is a gated community (/wiki/Gated_community) containing palatial homes and a Joe Lee-designed golf course. By the late 1990s, the neighborhoods of Read Blvd East were no longer majority European-American (/wiki/White), but were particularly favored as the preferred place of residence for New Orleans' upwardly-mobile African-American (/wiki/African_American) white collar professional and entrepreneurial classes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_New_Orleans

I want to make it clear, that I do NOT condone, nor harbor ill will towards any other races. But, you can NOT deny the above facts (even if represented by wikipedia). I lived in this area for most of the seventies and mid eighties till I went off for the military. Shortly after, my parents moved out along with many others. New Orleans East is now an area where businesses and most people avoid during the DAY much less at night. Poverty has taken its toll and population numbers have dropped dramatically from their highs in the mid eighties.

Draw your own conclussions...but reality is what it is at least in this once thriving part of New Olreans.


As to the original topic...Obama is clueless. his policies have wrecked this country to a breaking point. I truly believe he likes the class warfare plan as he promotes it....
I could care less what race he is.......
Bush had some terrible policies as well......
Both of the above men are of different races I would say!