Reaction to New York Times Opinion Piece

Fredrick Harris, in his October 27^th New York Times Opinion piece, “The Price of a Black President,” implies that President Obama has disappointed African Americans.  Mr. Harris’s blame is misplaced.

Blame the Hateful Righteous Right.  President Obama has deftly handled the challenge of being the first African American president.  He is a man of exemplary courage, compassion, and conviction.  Question the actions and rhetoric of the Hateful Righteous Right, individuals like Sununu, Palin, Coulter, and Trump.  Sununu implies that Colin Powell supports Obama simply because both men share the same skin color.  Palin accuses the President of "shuck and jive" tactics, using a phrase rife with racism that hearkens back to the era of slavery, a despicable period of American history.  Coulter calls the President a "retard," disrespecting not only President Obama, but the institution of the Presidency itself, as well as many fine Americans. Trump demands the President, the first African American to hold the highest office, and the first president ever asked to do so, show his birth certificate and college transcripts to the world. These individuals, spokespersons for a Hateful Righteous Right, are to blame for any disappointment. And that disappointment is shared by all ethnicities in our nation. The Hateful Righteous Right have refused to reconcile differences and reach out to their American brethren.  Instead, they have demonstrated the worst in humanity—divisiveness, scapegoating, and racism.  And along the way, they have sacrificed the best in our democracy--empathy, decency, and the willingness to give anyone a fair chance.