Cigars, Bananas, and Short, Blunt Swords
The three objects mentioned in the title refer to a line uttered by Dr. Niles Crane in an episode of Frasier. In that episode, the main plot involves Dr. Frasier Crane working to analyze a persistent dream he has (where he finds himself in bed with a male colleague). When Frasier relays the details of this dream to his brother (a fellow psychiatrist) Niles wryly asks, “Are there images of cigars, bananas, or short, blunt swords?” This deadpan joke about Freudian latency in my opinion describes the source of some people’s animosity and criticism of President Obama.
The vitriol goes back nearly two years when Senator Obama began his run for the presidency. People all over the country during the primary season and through the general campaign expressed their concern about the possibility of someone like Obama becoming President. Once he was elected, these feelings metastasized into the Birther movement for those people whose bigotry stands out overtly. For others who congregate in Tea Party protests all over the country, the “cigars, bananas, and short, blunt swords” analogy works best. In addition to their worries that the federal government is overextending itself with deficit spending and taxing the them (and their progeny) into oblivion, many people who attend these events express that they are:
Losing the country they know and love.
Losing their freedom(s).
Worried they will not get their country back.
When reporters who cover these events and rallies ask the attendees questions, looking for specifics about what freedoms they’ve lost or to clarify their sentiments, some of those asked simply cannot expound on their feelings, others come up with irrational explanations, or they simply repeat the vague uneasiness that consumes them. A question I would like to ask the people who feel like the America they’ve come to know and love is slipping away from them is, “What has changed in the last year to make you feel this way?” It cannot be because a Democrat is President; I don’t remember President Clinton's critics voicing this sort of fear and uncertainty about where our country was headed during his administration (at least not at the levels we presently hear and see).
Quite simply, it’s latent racism (although bigotry is semantically more accurate). Don’t take my word for it. President Jimmy Carter said it best last week. Coming from a southern white man who grew up and lived some of his life benefiting from the policies of Jim Crow, his words hold more weight.
The vitriol goes back nearly two years when Senator Obama began his run for the presidency. People all over the country during the primary season and through the general campaign expressed their concern about the possibility of someone like Obama becoming President. Once he was elected, these feelings metastasized into the Birther movement for those people whose bigotry stands out overtly. For others who congregate in Tea Party protests all over the country, the “cigars, bananas, and short, blunt swords” analogy works best. In addition to their worries that the federal government is overextending itself with deficit spending and taxing the them (and their progeny) into oblivion, many people who attend these events express that they are:
Losing the country they know and love.
Losing their freedom(s).
Worried they will not get their country back.
When reporters who cover these events and rallies ask the attendees questions, looking for specifics about what freedoms they’ve lost or to clarify their sentiments, some of those asked simply cannot expound on their feelings, others come up with irrational explanations, or they simply repeat the vague uneasiness that consumes them. A question I would like to ask the people who feel like the America they’ve come to know and love is slipping away from them is, “What has changed in the last year to make you feel this way?” It cannot be because a Democrat is President; I don’t remember President Clinton's critics voicing this sort of fear and uncertainty about where our country was headed during his administration (at least not at the levels we presently hear and see).
Quite simply, it’s latent racism (although bigotry is semantically more accurate). Don’t take my word for it. President Jimmy Carter said it best last week. Coming from a southern white man who grew up and lived some of his life benefiting from the policies of Jim Crow, his words hold more weight.
Comments
Dear Grammar Cop,
I have thought quite a bit about Carter's comments, and not to minimize the racial tensions felt around the world, but I'm not so sure his comments were not more politically inspired. There's no doubt that there are bigots around the world, of all colors, but Carter didn't even know Senator Wilson, who 'broke the rules'. It's a pretty rash judgment of someone he doesn't even know. I like Carter and how he has sculpted an influence during his presidential 'retirement', but I think his words were geared more to politically sway the country in Obama's favor, and yes I don't think there was as much 'bigotry' as Carter may say. For all I know, Senator Wilson is the biggest bigot around, but it was a very judgmental statement.
If you look better at the criticisms each president receives, even Bush had a lot of people say things about him that were not fair, AND, I'm so glad he's gone. It's going to be so difficult to measure the racism/bigotry that Obama will endure, but I think no matter what comes, Obama will take it in stride, and show a better/classier way into the future.
These are my thoughts on this...
Brant