The Nobel Peace Prize debacle forced me to cement my opinion about how people are treating President Obama and this situation will cement my position on race matters – this is something that I think flushes real feelings out.  How can people, people who claim to not be racist, support (listen to on at least a semi-regular basis) someone who is?

Here are some of Rush’s past low-lights (number 5 was obviously before November 2008):

1. “I mean, let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back; I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.”
2. “You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray [the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King]. We miss you, James. Godspeed.”
3. “Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it.”
4. “I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well.  They’re interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well.  I think there’s a little hope invested in McNabb and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn’t deserve.”
5. Limbaugh attacks on Obama. Limbaugh has called Obama a ‘halfrican American’ has said that Obama was not black but Arab because Kenya is an Arab region, even though Arabs are less than one percent of Kenya. Since mainstream America has become more accepting of African-Americans, Limbaugh has decided to play against its new racial fears, Arabs and Muslims. Despite the fact Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law school, Limbaugh has called him an ‘affirmative action candidate.’ Limbaugh even has repeatedly played a song on his radio show ‘Barack the Magic Negro’ using an antiquated Jim Crow era term for black a man who many Americans are supporting for president. Way to go Rush.

All of this is coming from someone who was part of a group prepared to bid on an NFL team – a league that is 78% black.  The first thought that comes to mind is that he wanted to become a modern day slave owner…in his mind anyway!

According to Limbaugh, him being forced out of the potential ownership group was “Obama’s America on full display” and called DeMarcus Smith, executive director of the NFLPA and an “Obama-ite.”  He called Sharpton and Jackson “race hustlers,” following the group’s decision to drop him.  He also said his sacking was an example of the political clout wielded by President Barack Obama’s administration.

Speaking of Al Sharpton (I’m not really a fan), here is what the good Reverand had to say: “It’s remarkable in that he was denied by other powerful whites.  At the end of the day, his own peers said, ‘You are a liability.’  Even the rich and powerful do not want to be identified with racism.”  That, is the most profound thing I’ve ever heard Sharpton say.

It gets better; the following is a comment from someone who responded to the story on ESPN.com: “Too funny, another millionaire victim. Sorry rush, you may be entertaining to millions but that doesn’t mean the other millionaires want to have you too close to their business, or them for that matter.
And of course it’s somehow Obama’s fault. So much for that personal responsibility you expect everyone else to have, just not yourself.”

Before someone comes to Limbaugh’s defense, read this quote from another commenter: “Isn’t this actually an example of capitalism and free speech??? Something that Rush claims to support? Rush has to realize that his actions and comments garner strong opinions about him. Yet he acts all surprised as if socialism or Black America took him down or something. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.”

This is the direction we need to go in to have a united America.  People like Limbaugh are the type President Obama wants to get rid of and that is why he won the Nobel Peace Prize.  I think it is hilarious that Limbaugh even reached to the White House to include Obama in this, but that is what I expect for someone who is on record as a racist.

There is a line in a popular song by R&B singer Rihanna that is appropriate for this situation: “How bout a round of applause, a standing ovation.”  Bravo NFL!

Shirin Ebadi

Lech Walesa

Do you know who those three people are and what they have in common?  If so, what I’m about to say probably isn’t for you and/or doesn’t apply to your opinion.  If you don’t know who they are and what they have in common, keep reading.

“during the preceding year [...] shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

I would guess that by now those who don’t know who the three people above are have guess that they are past winners of the Nobel peace prize.  If Alfred Nobel had specific criteria for deciding the winner of his award, who are we (Americans) to question whether our leader deserves it?  Most people probably can’t name 5 previous winners, but have a negative opinion about Obama winning it.

President Obama did NOT will this award – Barack H. Obama won this award and since it isn’t decided within our country it has nothing to do with the prejudice and racial climate here in the USA…thank God!

I know what side I’m on and it has nothing to do with race, but everything to do with what is right.  I’m on our white president’s side; you might know who he is.  His name is Barack H. Obama.  Yes, he is as much a white president as he is a black president, but people don’t see it this way.

It is a “one drop” thing.  One drop of black blood makes someone black in America.  I think this is the reason Obama is criticized so much.  I anticipate people will continue to say it is about his politics instead of the color of his skin, but I would say I’m not stupid and just stop it!  Stop trying to push this off as anything other than what it really is: a race issue.  It is resentment for a black man holding the highest office in the land.  But he is only a black man, in America, because his white genes, blood and flesh have been tainted.

I would classify Americans into three broad categories: racists, dreamers and realists.  Racists are self-explanatory and deserve none of my time.  Dreamers think race doesn’t play a part in what goes on in America, they think people play the race card too much, blah blah blah.  Realists look at things realistically – this is the category I want to be part of.

At times almost every category, race and group are wrong/bad/inferior.  I have a real problem when someone says, thinks and acts otherwise.

I bet someone has looked up how they can vote for the Nobel peace prize to prevent this atrocity from happening again.  LOL.

Here are the newsworthy topics.  Remember, try to keep your comments to 5 words and…….have fun!

1)  Why Does It Matter How Many Staff Members Michelle Obama has? She has 24, Laura Bush had between 24 and 26, Hillary Clinton had 19, Lady Bird Johnson had 30 and Jacqueline Kennedy had 40. So again I ask what’s the big deal?

2)  Has David Letterman’s revelation about sexual indiscretions hurt or helped his image?  He came clean about having sex with some of his female staff members because he was being blackmailed.

3)  A New Study Says People Who Don’t Drink are MORE Depressed Than People Who Do Drink.  Huh?  So, if you don’t drink, you liable to become depressed?  Crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4)  White Woman Returns Black Baby She Adopted — 18 Months Later!  Says She Didn’t Bond With Baby.

5) Victims of Domestic Abuse Are Denied Insurance in some states The states are: Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Wyoming and the District of Columbia.

In Nevada, Progressive has implemented a new program, called My Rate Program, that claims to lower your car insurance by up to 30 percent.  30 percent!  That’s a huge discount, right?  Ah, but at what cost?  Well, here’s the deal:

If you’re willing to let Progressive snoop on your driving habits, the company claims you would save up to 30 percent on your car insurance.  Progressive would install a wireless device into your car and collect your personal driving information, such as the time of day you drive, how far you drive, and your speed and braking rates.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?  That they would install a GPS unit into your car?  Well, Progressive says their device is not a GPS unit because it cannot track where you are or who is driving your vehicle.  Hmmmmm, okay.

Now, I ask you 7DayBuzz readers, would you do this?  Do you believe Progressive when they say their device is not a GPS unit?  Do you think this device would be too invasive of your privacy? 

On a side note, did you know that if you have an iPhone, there is a setting called Location Services, which can pinpoint where you are — if you keep it on!  Anyway, back to Progressive.  Maybe Progressive’s device works like that.  Would you want Big Brother, oops I mean Progressive, knowing how you drive, how fast you go, if you brake hard (or soft) at all times  to save a couple of bucks?

Each person can decide for themselves how this would apply personally, but overall I’m wondering how people go about making decisions.  For instance, when the discussion concerning health care in America is brought up, would people decide what they would like based on their political affiliation or the result that would be best for them personally?  I would think most people would agree that there is a problem with the health care system, but what we do is what matters most.  Keeping things the way they are would mean many people could die due to lack of care.  But changing it to a government run system isn’t the answer either – after 20 years in the Air Force, trust me on this one.

Then of course there is the whole political thing.  You know what I’m talking about right?  Some people will follow their party, Republican or Democrat, right off the cliff like a lemming!  Forming opinion along party lines is one of the dumbest things to do; everyone is wrong sometimes.

Now, flip all of this and apply it to many other situations because normal news items – Obama, health care, the war – isn’t even what brought this thought to mind.

I might be the craziest person in the world because my first inclination is to do and/or say what is right (at least what I think is right) first and worry about everything else second.  Your side could be the right side also, but there is always a chance that it isn’t and then what do you do?  The alternative is to follow mindlessly.  I’ll pass on that, what about you?

If you haven’t heard, the Secret Service is trying to identify the people who launched the “Should Obama be Killed?” poll that was launched on Facebook.  The poll has since been yanked from Facebook, but 750 Facebook users had responded to the poll before it was yanked.  750 people!  That is so amazing to me.  Don’t people realize that what you put out, is usually what you get in return?  In other words,  what you wish upon someone else CAN be turned around and brought upon you or someone in your family.  What’s the term for that — Karma? 

What has President Obama done, in his less than a year in office, to cause such strong reactions in people?  It cannot be the state of the economy because guess what?  This economy was brought on during George Bush Jr.’s stint in the White House!  In other words, if you want to place the blame on someone for this economy, blame it on Bush!  That’s right!  Now, former President Jimmy Carter seems to think it’s due to racism.  Is that the case for all of this hatred toward our current president?  Just because he’s a Black man, people want him assassinated?  If so, that is one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard!

Look, if you do not agree with President Obama’s politics, that’s fine.  The right to free speech is one of America’s greatest selling points, so to speak.  But to pray for the President to die or poll people on whether or not he should be killed because you don’t like his policies, well that’s just asinine!  

7DayBuzz readers, I seriously would like to know why people are so afraid of and/or threatened by President Obama.  Do you know?

Yesterday, Katie Couric debuted her new web show, @katiecouric, on cbsnews.com and Glenn Beck was her first guest.  Here’s what the good (I’m being soooooooo facetious here) Mr. Beck revealed on Katie’s show: 

 ”I think John McCain would have been worse for the country than Barack Obama.”

What?!!!!!  Finally!  Glenn Beck is showing that he has some sense - even if it is minute!  Of course, he followed up this statement with an abashing “I can’t believe I’m saying this.”  Really?!!!!!!

Do you think he’d ever reveal this sentiment on his own show?  Heck no!  And here’s why:  He is fully aware that he’d lose those viewers who feed off of the animosity he usually shows towards President Obama!  Plain and simple!  Well, at least that’s what I think —- 7daybuzz readers, what do YOU think?

While reading some news on the Internet, I ran across something that should be troubling to us all.  This is from an article concerning president Obama’s decision to scrap Bush’s missile-defense plan:

“Obama’s decision Wednesday to scuttle a costly and technically challenged long-range missile-defense system in Europe marks his most significant reversal of a Bush foreign policy priority. It could change the dynamic of what has been an increasingly tense relationship between the U.S. and Russia, which viewed the Bush plans for missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic as a threat.”

Clicking on the link above will take you to the article where you can read more about it, but I want to get on with what is troubling about this situation.

…Obama’s announcement drew heated criticism from Republicans, who accused the president of abandoning central European allies and caving in to Russia in a naive bid for diplomacy.

Democrats praised the decision; Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin called it “a sound choice that will improve our security.”

I don’t want to complicate things any more than they should be; it is what it is.  Over and over again, two groups of supposedly intelligent leaders disagree AND their disagreements just so happen to fall within their party affiliation.  I call foul and say this is wrong and downright stupid.

RIGHT AND WRONG

Since many people believe in their party, this is what I think they are saying:

1. When a Democrat is president, the Democrats think that is the best thing for the country
2. When a Republican is president, the Republicans think that is the best thing for the country
3. Both parties think every decision (or almost every one) made by a president from the opposite party is wrong
4. Both parties think every decision (or almost every one) made by a president from their pary is right

Doesn’t this seem impossibly too black and white?  If I’m a Democrat, how can I responsibly think everything a Republican does is wrong and vice versa?  We are smarter than that aren’t we?  When I say “we” I’m talking about everyone who isn’t part of the political money grab.  I call it a money grab because integrity, responsible decision-making and virtually everything else is put aside so politicians can stay in the good graces of their party.

I challenge anyone who reads this to respond with one thing that a president from your party did (past or current presidents) that you didn’t like and something a president from the other party did that you did like.  Just give it to us plain and simple.

I will start off by saying I don’t like how BHO bailed out the auto industry.  I think the American auto companies produced big SUVs, trucks and car that were low on technology and reliability, but comparitive in price with foreign makes.  I think it was their time to fall because of the environment they created.  If the government wanted to get involved I think they should have helped a new company purchase equipment and factories from GM and Chrysler.  I hope I’m not alone in not believing all this talk about a “new GM.”

Since this “incident”, West has reportedly reflected on his actions and said something about needing some time off.  Whatever!  This is coming from someone with a track of arrogance and attention grabbing.  I guess it isn’t enough to sell millions of records and make millions of dollars – West has to be the center of attention plus have his opinion override those who decide who wins awards. 

BHO SPEAKS

Following thiss, some of ABC’s employees overheard a conversation between the president and CNBC’s John Harwood and didn’t realize it was considered off the record.  Well, off the record Obama called West a jackass for his actions – something few, if any, would disagree with.  Although they are competitors, CNBC and ABC share a fiber optic line to save money, and this enabled some ABC employees to listen in on the interview as it was being taped for later use (Bauder, 2009). 

Here is how the conversation went:

“I thought that was really inappropriate,” Obama says. “What are you butting in (for)? … The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She’s getting her award. What’s he doing up there?”

A questioner chimes in, “Why would he do it?”

“He’s a jackass,” Obama replies, which is met with laughter from several people.

The president seems to quickly realize he may have gone too far, and jovially appeals to those assembled that the remark be kept private. “Come on guys,” he says. “Cut the president some slack. I’ve got a lot of other stuff on my plate.”

Good on you (ABC and CNBC) for saving money.  A huge foul for listening in and using it.  And how do you think this whole thing got out?

Some ABC employees used big, bad, Twitter – and the rest is history.  Why is twitter always involved in these kinds of scandals?  We have gone from a society that could safely leave our front doors open (unlocked) to a society that needs to lock our lips 24/7.  It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are at, someone has the capability to instantly blast your actions and/or words to the entire world.  Isn’t it normal for something that has the possibility to break new ground and force change to be used innappropriately at times.  [shrug] Oh well.

One thing I like about this situation is the fact that Obama is starting to add some ruff edges to his charismatic personality.  We are at war with other countries, at war with our economy and in many ways at war with one another.  I don’t want a president that is too nice.  That is one thing I can say about Bush, it didn’t matter if it was to protect the family business or find some imaginary weapons of mass destruction – he didn’t mind getting grimey and sending some people to kick some….Then again, he had some Texas crude caught in his throat when the “refugees” needed him in New Orleans.

Okay, here we go…..

1. Do you agree with what former president Jimmy Carter had to say about representative Wilsons’ outburst?  “I think it’s based on racism,” Carter said at a town hall held at his presidential center in Atlanta. “There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president.”  Click on the link and read the article, but to be fair, this is what Wilsons’ son had to say: “There is not a racist bone in my dad’s body,” said Alan Wilson, an Iraq veteran who is running for state attorney general. “He doesn’t even laugh at distasteful jokes. I won’t comment on former President Carter, because I don’t know President Carter. But I know my dad, and it’s just not in him.”
2. Should we send more troops to the war in Afghanistan or bring everyone home?
3. When someone is sentenced to die, how humane should the process be?  Basically, Romell Broom was supposed to be executed for raping and killing a 14-year-old girl.  His execution was delayed because they couldn’t find a vain.  The article says that at one point he appeared to be crying while the y searched for a vain…SO!
4. Doesn’t it seem like Patrick Swayze didn’t make enough movies?
5. Is Kanye West one of the biggest jerks around?