TALK TO THE DADDY

Hello. Come on in. The daddy writes about current events, literature, music and, once in a while, drops something on you from back in the day to make you pause and ponder, stop and stare, and begin to wonder. Who knows? You may start to pace the floor, shake your head from side to side, then fall down on bended knees in a praying position and cry, "Lawd, have mercy! What is this world coming to?" Check yourself! But this blog is NOT about the daddy. It's about you: your boos, your fam, your hood, your country...our hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow. So let's make a pact: the daddy will put it on the track if you'll chase it down and hit him back. Together, we can definitely take it to another level. Shall we?"

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Warren's participation in Obama's inaugural-- The Daddy's take

Letter to Barack
DaddyBstrong.blogspot.com
The Daddy

What up, Prez? Can a brotha call you Prez?

Prez, listen up: I'm gonna chill on the niceties and break it down like Rev. Wright used to break down to you at church on the southside Chicago. I'm gonna make it plain like Malcolm used to run it to brothas on the streets of Harlem. Watch out hear it comes:

Prez, let's Face it: By including THIS homophobe on your inaugural program, you blew it. Hear me? You F....d up, okay? Yeah, yeah, yeah. The daddy knows that you're a centrist politician, that you tend toward the middle, that you want to be the president who "reaches out to all Americans." But that shouldn't include this homphobe. That shouldn't include reaching out to a well-known representative of homophobia, Rick Warren, who has joined with other homophobic ministers and organizations, black and white, to create a climate of hate against gay Americans. Many gay people still live in fear of being harmed from idiots who listen to the Warrens of America.

Okay. A little bit of perspective here. Prez, how do you think black people would feel if you "reached out" and invited the Grand Wizard of the KKK on the program? That must be how many gay people are feeling now.

Prez, let's bring it home: Some ideas, and some people who promote them, don't deserve to be reached out to. Segregation and those who advocated for it does not deserve a hearing today. It was too painful to us as a nation. Nazism does not deserve a hearing. It was too painful in America and world-wide. Homophobia does not deserve a hearing. It was-- and still is-- too painful. And a well-known proponent of homophobia like Warren, a man who equates gay "behavior" with pedephilia, who characterizes the gay "lifestyle" as "incestuous," certainly should NOT be given a forum at your inauguration, or at any other time.

When you think about it, Prez, this is about something more than politics. This is about our humanity as a nation. Why not have a rabbi or a lesbian person give the invocation? Why not focus on your supporters as much as you do with your detractors? Why not give props to the people who put you in office as those who tried to pull you down and keep you out of office? But more important, in considering what person to give the invocation, in deciding whether to include Warren, why not consider gay people's humanity?

Prez: The daddy is still behind you. And he knows that on the broader scale of things, this decision want measure one grain of sand on the mountain of time. But it will be remembered by some gay and non-gay people as the beginning of a sellout of an importance base of the democratic party and a group of folks who solidly supported you.

Yes, the daddy is still with you. But when he sees you insensitively invite this homophobe who espouses such hate for gay Americans, he wonders if your argument about reaching out to all Americans is little more than a excuse to sell out a part of your base to to get votes from another one.

On the real: Brotha, you can do better. Do better next time.

15 comments:

Revvy Rev said...

I ain't realy feelin' this pick for a few reasons.

Stop by the blog and pick up your gift.

Anonymous said...

best post you've written. be sure to send it to his website

Lenoxave said...

You make a wonderful and imapssioned plea Daddy. Obama has stated that he would talk to our "foes" without condition. He was speaking on an international scale. Many applauded that attitude including me.

After 8 years of if you aren't for us, you're against us, it was refreshing to hear someone say these things.

If we are ever going to work out our pblms, we need to talk to the folk that we may dislike or despise. We may need to talk to the folk that are anti-thetical to everything we believe in.

I understand that Warren's presence may offend some and I respect your stance and their's completely. I merely offer up another perspective.

I appreciate your mindfulness and consideration on this issue. I'm sure that at some point, I'll be posting about something PEO has done to anger me as well. :-)

As always, keep on doing what you do. We're all better for it.

rainywalker said...

I am beyond disappointment on Warren being picked for the inaugural. What he does in his church is one thing but I too agree there were far better picks. This one is going to leave a bad taste in my mouth and I don't think it is good for the entire country. Some of these people would like to see the Salem witch trials and people burning if they had their way. Warren is one of them in my mind. Obama can talk to our foes including Warren after he is president.

SagaciousHillbilly said...

I've been trying to give O Man the benefit of the doubt on many of his cabinet picks thinking that he is lining these Mfers up and reading them the riot act and telling them that the first time they decide to go against his policy they'll be toast, but really, the Warren guy represents everything we voted against when we voted for Obama. How could he? Like you said, did we reach out to Nazis after WWII?
But I'm going stick with my resolution and stay out of his bidniss till after inauguration day.

♥ CG ♥ said...

Hey MacDaddy. I can't remember there being this much disagreement around the selections former presidents have made. That may be due to the fact that I didn't pay close attention before.

Obama ran on a 'can't we all get along' ticket and now people are surprised by his choices. I don't get it.

MountainLaurel said...

I'll agree with you, Daddy. If he wants to reach out to the evangelical community, he should check out the Sojourners organization. They are evanglical (which I'm not) and preach love, not hate.

Mac Daddy Tribute Blog said...

Rev: I'm beginning to think that I'm a member of your and Lisa's church, or at least a frequent visitor. Thanks for coming; and I'm coming to see you at Revvy Rev.

Anon: Thanks. I'll send it to Obama.

Sdg: I, too, appreciate Obama's intent to be exclusive. But I'm trying to get answer to the question: at what point does the notion of inclusiveness end and the concept of giving in begins? At what point do you stand for principle and say no? I welcome your ideas on this in the future.

"Some of these people would like to see the Salem witch trials and people burning if they had their way."
Rainywalker, I think the readers who come here would have a hard time reading what says about gay people. He sounds like people who talked about women during the Salem witches trial. It's like another ideology. I can't read much of it myself. I get real angry. And I used to teach anger management.

Sagacious: My friends are telling me that this is no big deal, that we have bigger issues to address. And they're probably right, of course. A lot of people want be thinking about this next year, even next year. But I know me. I'll be wondering how far will Obama-- in the interest of reaching to others-- give in to the crowd that hate his guts and fling to the wind the people who gave up sweat and soul to make him president.

CurvyGurl: You're right. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. But it scares me. Thanks for telling it like it is.

Mountain: You're right. I don't mean to stereotype evangelicals. But what couldn't he invite another evangelical (one who preaches love, not hate) to do the invocation?

Lenoxave said...

Daddy this is a prayer, not a cabinet position. Quite frankly, I am living in the fear of layoffs and wondering if my job is in jeopardy, so Warren is not my main concern right now. Keeping my job and not winding up on the street is.

Once again, I respect your position and those of others, but I have bigger worries right now.

Anonymous said...

This was a horrible pick. I'm a little surprised he didn't ask James Dobson himself to show up.

SagaciousHillbilly said...

Daddy, I don't think there should "a point" where you stand for principle. One must always stand for principle.
The question is "what do you stand for and how firmly do you stand there?"
My suspicion is beginning to be that I wonder just how principled Mr. Obama is on the issue of gay rights.
Hell, why not get some skin heads to be the honor guard if it's all about inclusiveness.

Christopher said...

I feel so let down by Obama. I expected something different and Rick Warren sure ain't it.

I'm weary of politicians talking our time, money and energy and then once they get elected, they my people under the bus.

This shit has to stop.

Rick Warren is Jerry Falwell in a Hawaiian shirt. Same talk, same game. According to Warren:

1. gay marriage is "harmful."
2. gay couple's sexuality is akin to incest.
3. women can't have reproductive rights.
4. no stem cells to treat diseases.

Like I said, same talk, same game.

Obama could turn this mess around by replacing Warren and selecting someone else to do the invocation but, he won't.

That's cool. But Obama will exact a price for this "kumbaya" stunt. He will limp into office now under a cloud of suspicion.

Mac Daddy Tribute Blog said...

RevvyRev: I just want you to know I tried to leave a message on your blogs. It said write the letters inside the image, but there was no image or letters.

At any rate, I want you to know I'm honored for the Honest Scrap Award. I will post the award high on my sidebar, put my list together, and post it. Thanks so much.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

I kind of have mixed feelings about this. I like the fact that Obama is reaching out to folks, the fact that he seems to be keeping his word about being a post partisan figure, etc.. But, I don't know - this guy, Warren, Obama probaly should have kept this particular invitation in his holster. Hopefully, this'll only be a blip, though, and onward we shall move. Hopefully.

Mac Daddy Tribute Blog said...

Willtakenoprisoners: Your hopes are mine as well. Blessings.