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I am black
by Thanos Kalamidas
2008-11-13 10:14:57

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The other day Asa and I were talking about Barack Obama’s victory and somehow we were both shocked with some of the reactions, even comments in Ovi magazine. And that’s when Asa made one of his usual …funny comments, now with Obama we are going to see some people’s true colours!

How true! It's like something has triggered the most unbelievable reactions from all sides in the most prejudice and often racist ways. The Vatican the other day wasted a series of mails, warnings and posts all around the world calling the new president not to restart the use of embryonic stem for research. The monolithic and often harming attitude of the Vatican has often bothered me and I have often found it very hypocritical and I have no intention to write an article against the Vatican but I cannot avoid mentioning some things.

While whole nations are vanishing in Africa from HIV AIDS the Vatican was too comfortable to forbid the use of protection, any kind of protection while being aware that the virus is spreading at the speed of genocide in some of the African countries and some places in South America. Worst of all, the Vatican was expecting the believers to obey unquestionably regarding the sequences. And yes the same Vatican reacted to the American invasion in Iraq but I didn’t see them doing anything when brother Christians were bombed with nuclear enriched bombs in Yugoslavia a few years ago. On the contrary, if it was for the end of Milosevic they could even use nuclear bombs. That’s what I mean hypocrisy and I’m not going to talk here about the global sexual and pedophile scandals covering the Vatican has released the last ten years.

An Austrian analyst says that the election of Obama is a disaster because black people are not civilized and a Polish minister agrees, while the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi humorously talks about the new president’s tan! And here in Ovi magazine we had a couple of happy people, best example somebody with the alias Ann Smith – I presume a reference to the perfect Arian silicon look and lifestyle , the late playboy star – with references to Kipling and his jungle book called Obama …boy!!! Oh man, feel mercy!

If you read my articles over the last two years you might have noticed that I was not a great Obama supporter. What made me change my opinion was the push from an Ovi magazine friend to read one of Obama books and then his speech sometime in the beginning of February when Barack Obama said that this is not about colour or gender but about change. And I do strongly believe that the time came for a global change and somehow even and just with his presence Barack Obama was bringing this change and a lot of us can already see it before he even gets officially over the US presidency. The last 24 hours from Iran till Gordon’s UK messages of change are coming even in the attitude.

But even the reactions show the fear of this change that is coming. I didn’t see any Austrian, Polish or Anna Smith reacting like that when Colin Powell was the US Secretary of State; I didn’t see anything like that when Condoleezza Rice was Bush’s National Security Adviser and then Secretary of State. Why? Wasn’t Powell a boy or Rice a girl, or I have no idea how else Ms Smith would call her? What did it make the difference? That they both were with one of the darkest presidents of the United States?

Back in the '60s when John F. Kennedy visited Berlin he said the famous, “Ich bin ein Berliner”; today and after all these reactions I can say proudly that I am black! And yes I was awake most of the night watching the results coming and yes now I know more about the United States’ geography and demography than I ever knew and my only motivation has been the victory of change.

I started with the Vatican and I’m going to finish with Poland, another unbelievable reaction mainly led from their anti-Russian feelings. One prejudice on top of the other, why these people and I include to that Estonian government, Latvia’s and the other former Soviet democracies why do they confuse the former Soviet regime with the Russian people? Do they think that Russians suffered less or not at all under this regime? Covering one prejudice with another?

Ann Smith is not alone, she has a few companions in various places, fortunately they are a sad minority, lost in their own dead end ideas, missing a world that progresses fast despite all the difficulties of a failed system. I’m just wandering what Ann Smith and the Austrian analyst think about the French president, he’s the grandson of a Jew, does he fit their ideas for presidents or their attitude is, he is …French!!!

Anyway, I’m black and proud of it and please ignore the colour of my skin and my eyes, it has nothing with how I feel, because the last days I feel black and proud of it!

Vatican Barack+Obama Poland Racism

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Frank	2008-11-13 11:48:10
I just fear the sure arrival of aliens / huge meteors... we have all seen the movies like Judgement Day and other end of the world flicks... they one thing in common, a black president of the USA.


Emanuel Paparella	2008-11-13 14:48:42
Indeed Thanos, Asa is on target: now people’s true colors will appear. It is obvious that some on both sides of the Atlantic pond have, and will continue having considerable difficulty in wrapping their mind around the idea of an African-American president; after all, they have been taught all their lives the innate superiority and nobility of the white man, the so called “white man’s burden” to civilize the rest of the world, thus justifying imperialisms of every kind. I am afraid that such a blatant racist attitude is to be found on both extreme sides of the political spectrum. And those colors are beginning to appear in varied and devious ways, the most apparent being via the language of vituperation, slander and vilification. Not very intelligent and brave, to be sure, but no surprise either, stupidity and racism tend to go together. Those on the extreme left, the knee-jerk liberals, so called, would not be caught dead showing their racist propensities for it is not part o the liberal orthodoxy which says that racism is to be found only on the right side, but they are around too hiding their true colors. That is why I suspect that Ann Smith is a mere alias. For we have seen that sort of abrasive, boorish and villainous language before in this very forum. I also am of the opinion that we ought to carefully distinguish those kind of people, who are literally on the wrong side of history, from those who disagree with Obama on political or moral principles, and that includes institutions too. The latter is a position quite tenable in a democratic society, the former remains dishonorable and that is why it has to be hidden. But as Asa aptly put it: eventually people show their true colors. Their very language will reveal them.


Alexandra Pereira	2008-11-14 03:50:57
German founds first "Barack Obama" School in Senegal: http://barackobama.matip.de/charlesmhuber.htm


Jack	2008-11-15 22:24:46
I believe that Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech inspired millions to take ownership that Civil Rights are a dream that can, and to an extent, have taken place and is still a "work in progress" I believe. Evidence of this is the new President-elect. If Dr. King could see this, could he have envisioned his "dream" about progress in the future in America? Would he be astonished that America finally elected an African-Americans for president? Might he and others have dreamed of such a future? Not only did African-Americans (and some Anglo-saxon)not only dreamed of rights, they took action and did something about it. A dream is useless unless it is accompanied with action. Dreaming of and by itself is useless with taking action on a particular issue, now and in the future. And the people took action, by voting. Blacks should feel proud, even as I do.