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stevemcgarrett
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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 Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:22 am Post subject: IS OBAMA A SAFE BET, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY? |
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Off the AP wire:
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MANY BLACKS WORRY ABOUT OBAMA'S SAFETY
by David Crary
NEW YORK (AP) - For many black Americans, it's a conversation they find hard to avoid, revisiting old fears in the light of bright new hopes.
They watch with wonder as Barack Obama moves ever closer to becoming America's first black president. And they ask themselves, their family, their friends: Is he at risk? Will he be safe?
There is, of course, no sure answer. But interviews with blacks across the country, prominent and otherwise, suggest that lingering worries are outweighed by enthusiasm and determination.
"You can't have lived through the civil rights movement and know something about the history of African-Americans in this country and not be a little concerned," said Edna Medford, a history professor at Washington's Howard University.
"But African-Americans are more concerned that Obama get the opportunity to do the best he can," she added. "And if he wins, most of us believe the country would do for him what it would do for any president, that he will be as well protected as any of them."
Clyde Barrett, 66, a longtime U.S. Labor Department employee now retired in Tampa, Fla., says he often hears expressions of concern for Obama's safety. One young acquaintance, Barrett said, declared he wouldn't even vote for Obama for fear of exposing him to more danger.
"To me that's a cop-out, where you can't take a stand and support someone because you fear for his safety," Barrett said. "I don't have any apprehension ... We've got to go ahead and persevere."
For many older blacks, the barometer for gauging hopes and fears is the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
But concern about Obama's safety transcends racial lines. He has white supporters who see him as an inspiring, youthful advocate of change in the mold of Robert F. Kennedy, and they are mindful of Kennedy's assassination just two months after King's.
Pam Hart, the principal of a multiracial elementary school in the Philadelphia suburb of Cheltenham, said she is struck by the contrast between some of the black students there, innocently excited about Obama's candidacy, and the more anxious perspective of older people who lived through the violence of the 1960s.
"My 70-year-old aunt�every time I call her, she says she's really afraid Obama is going to be assassinated. She is so worried that history will repeat itself," said Hart, who is 40. "I understand why she's afraid, but I feel we live in a different world now."
Bruce Gordon, a New York-based business leader and former president of the NAACP, also feels the climate has changed dramatically�as evidenced by the strong nationwide support that Obama is receiving from whites as well as blacks.
Gordon felt differently back in the mid-1990s, when Gen. Colin Powell was weighing a run for the presidency, and Powell's wife, Alma, was among those voicing concern about his safety.
"When Powell decided not to run, I said to myself, 'Good,' because I thought someone would kill him," Gordon recalled. "This time, I think that if, out of fear, we keep our most talented people from running for office, it will never happen.
"Yes, there's a risk, but I would never want it to be in the way," Gordon added. "In running, Barack Obama has to accept the fact that he faces a risk. And yes, we pray for him."
Obama received Secret Service protection last May�the earliest ever for any presidential candidate. At the time, federal officials said they were not aware of any direct threats to Obama, but Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin�who was among those recommending the Secret Service deployment�acknowledged receiving information, some with racial overtones, that made him concerned for Obama's safety.
Obama's campaign, invited this week to comment on the concerns felt by many blacks, referred to a speech given by the candidate's wife, Michelle, to a mostly black audience in South Carolina last fall.
"I know people care about Barack and our family. I know people want to protect us and themselves from disappointment," she said, before urging people to cast fear aside.
"If you're willing to heed Coretta Scott King's words and not be afraid of the future ... there's no challenge we can't overcome," she said.
Obama himself, while acknowledging that his family and friends are concerned about his safety, has drawn a contrast with King.
"He didn't have Secret Service protection," Obama told TV host Tavis Smiley last fall. "I can't even comprehend the degree of courage that was required, and look what he did."
Sherry Miles, 45, of Madison Heights, Va., said she's had sobering talks about Obama's safety with her friends and her mother.
"People who want to bring drastic change bring a certain fear among those who don't want change," Miles said. "You look back at our history, and all of the people who tried to bring about change were killed or threatened."
Miles, who works for Virginia's Department of Mental Health, said she was troubled listening to a recent local radio show in which one female caller termed Obama "the devil" and falsely asserted that he was Muslim.
"It's ill-informed people like her who concern me," Miles said. "I'm very pleased that Obama is there, doing so well. But at the same time I'm fearful someone will try to hurt him."
Bryan Monroe, Chicago-based editorial director for Ebony magazine, said the risk faced by Obama "is in the back of people's minds," but that their worries are often superseded by excitement that he could win. Their No. 1 question, Monroe says, "is could this really happen in our lifetime?"
Yvonne Scruggs-Leftwich, a former executive director of the Black Leadership Forum, noted that political leaders of any race face risks in a society where mass shootings and other violence by aggrieved or deranged assailants is all too common.
It is troubling, she said, to acknowledge such dangers at the very moment when Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are demonstrating the historic opportunities available to blacks and women.
"We cannot be crippled by fear. That's the overwhelming emotion in the African-American community," Scruggs-Leftwich said. "We have to do the American thing: We buckle up and keep going." |
I agree with the bold optimism expressed by many Blacks in this article. Too bad, though, that the same sentiment isn't applied to affirmative action policies. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 5:32 pm Post subject: Obama |
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Reagan, Ford, JFK & RFK were all white. The threat of assassination seems to come with the job, & has nothing to do with race. There are nutbars everywhere.
Stringent security for any US politician, is important. |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:13 pm Post subject: Re: Obama |
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| chris_J2 wrote: |
Reagan, Ford, JFK & RFK were all white. The threat of assassination seems to come with the job, & has nothing to do with race. There are nutbars everywhere.
Stringent security for any US politician, is important. |
Good point Chris |
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mistermasan
Joined: 20 Sep 2007
Location: 10+ yrs on Dave's ESL cafe
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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| fear, fear, fear... |
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stevemcgarrett
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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chris:
Of course, it could happen to anyone but I don't hear much concern being registered about whether MIKE GRAVEL IS GETTING ENOUGH PROTECTION.
Obama's situation is unique as he's the first viable Black presidential candidate. So in addition to the usual crazies, he has to be concerned about the Klan types, don't ya think maybe?
mistermasan:
Bruddah, you da kine, NOT. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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One young acquaintance, Barrett said, declared he wouldn't even vote for Obama for fear of exposing him to more danger.
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I agree with the response of 'cop out'. The person who said he wouldn't vote for Obama is being foolish. He is allowing fear, or the suspicion of a possible threat, to shape his voting behavior. That is foolish. Give in to the thugs, and all we have left will be thug candidates.
Of course Obama is under more of a threat than the other candidates, but only to the degree that race inspires the crazies among us to act. All the candidates run risks. It's a reality for all public figures, past and present.
There hasn't been too much talk about this topic, and I think that's good. A lot of talk might incite the thing that is feared. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:14 pm Post subject: Obama |
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| Agreed. It's double jeopardy for Obama. Tighten security. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, please.
Upon what rational basis are we to fear especially for Obama's life beyond any of the other candidates?
Yes, he reminds us of MLK and JFK, and those leaders were assassinated. But, HELLO, that was during the 60s, when assassinations were all the rage. We need something more to actually fear for his life. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Either one is fine, nobodies ready for a woman or a black president. Not that I wouldn't vote for Obamma (the Obamma Slamma is very popular mixed cocktail in Everland) if he were a republican. But I couldn't vote for a Clinton ever! |
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cbclark4
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Location: Masan
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:14 am Post subject: Re: Obama |
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These listed do not quite fit the assassination definition.
They seem to be more personal grudge murders rather than politically
motivated assassination.
A murder of a public figure is not always an assassination.
Though it probably requires splitting certain hairs to conclude that any
murder or even every murder is an assassination.
When is a murder an assassination?
http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com/experience/Experience.php |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:18 am Post subject: |
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It's good to be optimistic, but I think you're being overly optimistic. There's a post around here somewhere saying 30% are saying the country is not ready for a woman president and 20% saying the country is not ready for a black president. Bigotry is not dead yet. |
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agentX
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Location: Jeolla province
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:39 am Post subject: |
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Yvonne Scruggs-Leftwich, a former executive director of the Black Leadership Forum, noted that political leaders of any race face risks in a society where mass shootings and other violence by aggrieved or deranged assailants is all too common. |
The Secret Service will be on its toes; they're not gonna allow another Kennedy or Reagan to happen. So it's ok for people to worry; but it shouldn't affect their vote. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:18 am Post subject: Obama |
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| Thankyou agent x. My point exactly. Condaleeeza Rice is both a woman, & black, & she's doing just fine. So far. Touch wood. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:43 am Post subject: Re: Obama |
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| chris_J2 wrote: |
I'd also throw into the mix, some militant Muslims, who would just love to take out the US President, regardless of race or party. An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure. |
Huh? But that's always been a concern. Even before 9-11.
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| Upon what rational basis are we to fear especially for Obama's life beyond any of the other candidates? |
I want some facts. Not some random list of people who have been killed whom a) I've never heard of, b) never had a Secret Security detail. I'm not optimistic, but I need something substantial, some sort of authority. |
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