Monday, April 13, 2009

RACISM, ELECTION AND SURVEILLANCES

What else do you say about this Genius of a President emerging on the world stage, the man became a Candidate after becoming a millionaire by writing books; others wrote such books after they left offices. Barrack Hussein Obama made use of available technology to amass millions that he used to prosecute his campaign successfully becoming the President of the Greatest Country in the world and yet we are claiming the ‘Plutocrats’ coronate him.

Had Obama presented this type of mind-set when he came out to contest for the American Presidency, God knows we wouldn’t have so gifted a man taking over from those creeps from the last Administration.

Yes, the present AG of the Federation (USA) had lambasted the weaklings and the cowards for not facing reality of racism in America. He wants an open discussion of the canker worm that has infested this country for decades.

But for Christ sake – slavery ended in the 1800s. For an individual who is 105yrs old today, such person would have missed few years of been a slave!! While one readily accepts that racism still permeates the fabrics of an average American life and that the form or formats range in degrees within regions in USA, nevertheless, what everyone is saying is for us to look beyond human Imperfections.

When Obama came out with his audacity of messages and Inspirations, he initially did not command any respect from all quarters; even the media conglomerates were hesitant before they embraced him as an individual and a black man. Corporate Entities, Established Organizations, even the democratic independent strategists, all waited for a while before jumping into the moving train that almost left them all behind.

As a democrat, for life, I was one of those who waited on principle, hoping for a Hillary miracle. After the democratic primaries, we all shifted chorus for the election of Barrack to the White House. This man had set a precedent for life both for blacks and white folks on how to package a winning election strategy both in tone and efforts within a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic environment.

To think that organized media, ‘Plutocrats’ and money bags only gave Obama the chance on their own dictates is really begging the question. The Genius became a student of his environment and as studious as he is, seized the bull by the horn, a one life opportunity; package himself with a little cache of Nerds surrounding him to win an election of the century.

No one can fault him for gaurging correctly the present young generation’s minds and spirits; by directing their potential energy, he mobilized them and turned them into a foot-warrior-soldiers combing nook and corners of the country for votes. Yes, other factors that became his luck contributed immensely to his success even when such factors were overwhelmingly negative.

This reminds me of the theory of the Hedgehogs versus the Foxes (Hedgehogs/Foxes), apology to Mr. Tetlock, who said that an individual who has a focused world view, ideological leaning and strong convictions about issues belong to the hedgehogs; while the more cautious both in attitudes, language and demeanor, those, he said are more centrist politically, who are likely to adjust easily to their environments with good pragmatic approach to life but are likely to be self-doubt prone to their believes would incline to Special Exceptions complexity and nuance at a close range and will always get things right: these mind-set liberals belong to the Foxes of human race.

The young generation of Black Americans, African Immigrants – be it citizens or residents never see themselves as slaves or slave descendants and will doubt the rationale of anyone categorizing them as brain washed individuals.

The success of the civil rights movement paved the way to allow Africans to migrate to America. When the Africans arrived, they did a lot of menial jobs, paid their dues and became another melting pot among other ethnic groups that were allowed to enter United States. As many Black Americans seized opportunity to educate themselves, so also the African migrants went to colleges to matriculate. In 1867, the United States Government under the aegis of the Freedmen’s Bureau, established, my Alma Matter; Howard University in Washington D.C., where the first civilian President of Nigeria Late Dr. Azikwe graduated. The Departments of Dentistry were organized in 1881 at Howard University and in 1886; the departments of Dentistry were established at Meherry Medical College.

These two institutions educated nearly all the black dentists in the United States until the 1954 United States Supreme Court desegregation decision which changes the situation significantly. As many Black Americans failed to seize educational opportunities, several African migrants also failed and fell on the wayside.

After the election of Barrack Obama, the young blacks, their white counterparts, their liberated mothers and fathers, the African migrants, all descended on Chicago to usher in new era and President Barrack Hussein Obama. Majority of these people are leaving behind those who refused to grow or break through their racist cocoons. People look forward in transforming their new found hope into everlasting pragmatism.
Regardless of the dynamism of a new era, people will always see things with one eye, but fortunately there are, always, two sides to a coin.

Now that the world is faced with monumental economic crisis, apparent overwhelming gap between the rich and the poor, what everyone should be striving for is to find a way out of the Gridlock of unemployment, increase homelessness whether among Blacks or Whites. Symbolically, the election of Barrack has shifted focus to the iniquities of the failure of capitalism. It is true that the Free World Trade had produced millions of wealth around the Globe. Many failures of capitalism were brought about by the greedy few of course.
This election of the century has to be a watershed to focus on specific problems. We need to search for solutions and solve the myriads of problem so as to move forward. With collective participation and awareness we will focus on racism. Racism, especially in America, against minorities that don’t have any other country to claim besides America can be dealt with in various ways. Those of us whether with dual citizenship or residents in America must have come across racist onslaught in many forms and shapes. The gains from civil rights era had been turned upside down after the 60s. American blacks became the focus of jail terms.

The drug problems of the 70s were magnified ten times against the blacks versus the white folks. A pack of marijuana possession or heroin powder will throw a black man or woman in jail while those bringing drugs into the country by planes never go to jail. The Rockefeller drugs laws were recently reversed in New York State by Governor Patterson’s Administration. The three-Strikes- Law in California should at this time probably be revisited so as relieve the burden on the minorities.

As an African, one can only recount personal experiences as it relates to racism. As previously enumerated, the Africans enjoyed the fruits of civil rights as we arrived in USA. Those who came before us were even better off than some of us who arrived late in the 70s. If many of us were cognizant of the problems our black American brothers and sisters were facing during discussions in class rooms in those days; our background in Africa as one coming from a close nit families at home shielded us from the full weight of racism.

If the Americans were trying to dilute the population of the blacks in America at that time with the newly arriving Africans, they have good intentions. Here were Africans who were ready to go to college, becoming lawyers and Doctors and of course willing to better their lots in many other good ways.

It was probably the hope of the Whites that seeing the Africans struggling educationally would motivate MORE Black Americans to embrace education or that the meekness of the newly arrived Africans will temper the militancy of the “Negroes.” Good intentions sometimes could be construed as conspiracy theory. Nevertheless, we arrived, picked up menial jobs, put ourselves in schools and soldiered on for better tomorrow.

Today, one can count in tens and hundreds among Africans who are relatively doing fine and are perfectly adjusted to their environments. Some of those who decided to return home after their education for one reason or the other did so in good faith. But for the ridiculousness of our leaders at home and their corruptions, those who came back to USA could have stayed put at home. Largely though, many came back because of the education of their children.

Personally, I never encountered any apparent racism until what I called my Second Coming to America. If such were to exist, then, by virtue of been a student or share youthfulness, one ignores them all. Only once was I verbally subjected to racist utterances by one or two county policemen in Maryland; I practically diffused the situation by refusing to be drawn to their craziness.

It was when I returned to USA in 1997 after been politically active in Nigeria for about ten years and of course after my very short stay in Saudi Arabia working at King Fadh Hospital in the town of Gizan. I went to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for two reasons to earn much needed dollars and perhaps to be able to cross to USA after a refusal to grant me a USA visa from Nigeria..

If I were to be American citizen today, I could have called for my FBI file under the auspices of Free Information Act to find out the reason or reasons why surveillances had been placed on me since I arrived back in USA. The intense activities of their surveillances to date are surely enough to command a whole book.

The trail of “Otele-muye” goes a long way from an effort to block my return to my profession; it was like ‘no way, no how’ you will not practice dentistry in America. The disruptive activities stretched from Albany, during my residency program, to Michigan State, where I went for a Dental License Exam. The nuance continues till today in many forms that are very vivid and without any justification.

Quoting Glen Beck of Fox News, “Let me be clear,” he said, “If someone tries to harm another person in the name of the Constitution or the ‘truth’ behind 9/11 or anything else, they are as dangerous and crazy as those we don’t seem to recognize anymore, who kill in the name of Allah.”

Long live the human race

O. Almaroof

7 comments:

  1. OBAMA, Racism with a different Garb! Why bother honorring a racist undertone invitation to Arizonal State University? They decided to invite him but without honorring him with a degree;Who cares about a known racist enclave in the name of a University. Take this,he has a 2.7million dollars book that is still bringing in good Green backs.He is a degree holder from a re-owned Columbia and Hardvard Universities.A professor of US constitution,a sitting American President.I know the President is as cool as a kool Aid,but,heh,let them shove that honorary degree and probably offer it to Ahmadinejad of Iran;I think I need hyperbaric oxygen chamber to cool down.By O.Almaroof

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  2. I don’t think it is necessary to rationalize all the atrocities committed against Black Americans by suggesting that the African immigrants are used as example for the Black Americans to emulate. A friend once told me that Black Americans are so good in sport and blues because of slavery. Does that mean slavery is justifiable? Thx
    Tim

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  3. David Brooks of New York Times add to the above discussion by quoting Coyle and Colvin experiments thus;Dozings of experiments fleshing out the mysterious genius process of humans through research that takes some of the magic out of great achievements of individuals.But it underlines a fact that is often negleted. Public discussion is smitten by genetics and what we are'hard-wired'to do.And it ie true that genes place a leash on our capacities.But the brain is also phenominally plastic.We construct ourselves through behavior.As Coyle observes it is not who you are,it is what you do.By reader.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. SLAVERY, RAWNESS & BLACKS IN SPORTS



    No. Slavery has got nothing to do with Sports. If not yet scientifically tested or proven, black Genes are genetically programmed for toughness. To do well in Sports, one requires certain rawness, ruggedness and endurances.



    When the Colonialists (called them – ‘disruptive-empire-seeking-exploration invaders’) first encountered Africans on the Continent, they were amazed and mesmerized on the sheer power of blacks and their ingenuities to produce rare Agricultural products without aid of any machine that later fed the early industries in Europe and America.



    Obviously, one thing led to the other; blacks were not originally meant to be turned to slaves, rather, the whites were looking for complementary assistance without the plurality of machine inventions to engage blacks in the production of certain products to oil the engine of industrial revolution in the Western hemisphere.



    By the time blacks were allowed to participate in sports, their achievements raised some eyebrows and initially unbearable to comprehend, like Jesse Owens ‘slap on the face’ for ‘Evil Hitler’ at the stadium at the Olympics. To ignore the genetic disposition of blacks as it relates to sport will be tantamount to ignoring human regional endowments all over our planet earth.



    On the African historical emigration to USA, hitherto discussed with relevant to civil rights movement, one would be right to infer and to shed light on the historic visit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Ghana (formerly known as Gold Coast) during that country time of Independence celebration.



    Seeing the effectiveness and the activism of political leaders like Nkruma of Ghana, Awo of Nigeria and the militancy of the Mau Mau in Kenya couple with the fear and spread of communism, the government of the western hemisphere, opened the gate, with urgency of the time, to allow many Africans to emigrate to USA.



    By O. Almaroof

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  6. My question was rhetorically meant to be funny; it doesn’t need any elucidation. Thanks anyway for your response – I enjoyed it
    Tim

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  7. I, of course, disagree with most of the points in your article because of the lack of understanding and empathy of the Black Americans’ problems probably because you are looking at it from an African immigrant perspective. I wish to correct some misrepresentations, misinformation and twists in your article that are major concern to me as briefly as possible:
    (1) The Coronation of Obama by the Plutocrats. I never said or intended to suggest that President Obama was coronated by the Plutocrats; rather they made it possible for him to be a viable presidential candidate by not opposing him as aggressively as they opposed Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and probably would have done to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X had they contested for the presidency.
    (2) Slavery ended in the1800s so get over it! That seem to be what you suggested in your article and I personally found it offensive because you seem to callously disregard the by-products of slavery such as segregation, Jim Crow, racism and racial profiling that would probably not have existed without slavery.
    (3) Obama, the brilliant, the intelligent and the magnificent! The brilliance, intelligence and magnificence of Obama are never the bone of contention here just like they were never the issues with other black leaders like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Farrakhan, Martin Luther King, Jr. and etc; however, the difference, from the Plutocrats’ point of view, is the 50% Caucasian advantage of Obama. REMEMBER THAT I SAID THE PLUTOCRATS’ POINT OF VIEW NOT ALL AMERICANS OR WHITE AMERICANS’ POINT OF VIEW
    (4) The young generation of Black Americans and the African Immigrants do not consider themselves as descendant of slaves and are offended by it. I never refer to the African Immigrants as the descendants of the slaves in America – I should know better; but it is obvious to me that the young Black Americans who refused to acknowledge or are offended by been referred to as the descendants of the slaves in America are already brain washed and needed to be reeducated. They need to be reeducated on how they have turned their slavery chains into massive opportunity for the rest of the underdogs of the world, especially their brain-washed African Immigrant brothers and sisters who consistently stab them in the back by calling them derogatory names like ‘AKATA”
    (5) America as a melting pot. Something difficult for me to swallow about a melting pot is that all ingredients tend to look, act, speak, dress, smell and taste exactly like the dominant ingredient in the pot (pardon my mixed metaphor). If God wanted every man to be alone or look alike he would have made them each with an Island
    (6) America as a bowl of salad. I like a bowl of salad and that is why I prefer the analogy of America as a bowl of salad where every ingredient is distinct and maintain its own identity. The juicy tomato is unique and different from the tantalizing green lettuce or spinach; the succulent cucumber is distinct from the sweet onion, the carrots and even the stripped chicken, the chopped or sliced beef or the jumbo shrimp are all distinct and maintain their respective unique identity but still taste so good together. That is the America that should be the dream of every progressive person in America

    Shina

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