Reply #22: If he needs to set an example, he needs to set the example for EVERYONE, not just minorities [View All]

[Empowerer]

In fact, I think that non-minorities have more to learn from the first black president than the vast majority of minorities since we are already very familiar with what the President is dealing with. But for many whites - even the most liberal - it is quite instructive to watch and learn about what he has to endure.

I'm troubled, however, by your comment that he is "rewriting everything I once took for granted about black people standing up to bullies . . ." Do you think that ALL black people always behave the same way? If so, you have a lot to learn.

As I've said, dealing with racism is a very personal matter and each of us has to make tough, painful choices and deal with it in the way we see fit. And the last thing we need to is to be criticized and second-guessed by others (especially people who have never been in this position) who insist that we should handle it in a different way and, when we don't, tell us that somehow we're not measuring up - or that we are weak.

Weakness is the least of this President's problems, trust me. And, frankly, I find it rather insulting and patronizing for white people to continue to insist that he is weak because THEY don't like the way he responds to racism. And to insist that one black man - regardless who he is - is "rewriting" something you "took for granted about {other] black people" as if we all think, behave and respond alike and the fact that one black person deals with this a certain way somehow changes how others think and act is a very, very troubling point of view. I urge you to carefully think about what you're saying and consider whether you might want to reassess your perspective.