Re-Nigging All The Way To The White House

Doesn’t renege—the root word they altered—mean not to go back on a commitment? Wouldn’t that then suggest to American voters to re-elect President Obama—instead of removing him?

[Speaking Truth To Power]

Over the weekend, a racist bumper sticker attacking President Obama, “Don’t Re-Nig in 2012,” went viral after surfacing on the Internet.

And as we move closer to November, the question is: will racial animus play a primary role in this year’s Presidential Election? The racist bumper sticker included, in small print a campaign caption “Stop repeat offenders. Don’t reelect Obama.” The sticker seems to have originated from a website—which has now been shut down—called Stumpy’s Stickers.

The site displayed several other similar stickers including: (1) a picture of an ape which reads “Obama 2012”; (2) a picture of a Black man with a missing tooth which says Don’t Renig in 2012; ( 3) an illustration of five Ku Klux Klan members reading “The Original Boys In The Hood”; and, (4) and one featuring a Confederate flag with the message “If this flag has offended you, then it made my day.”

Last Friday, ABC News reported the Stumpy’s site had been closed. Ironically, another website has also been making a killing hawking similar versions of the racist campaign sticker. The website Stickatude.com is selling a comparable campaign sticker, for $3.00, which reads: “2012 Don’t Re-Nig!” Stickatude is run by Georgia businesswoman Paula Smith—who, apparently, doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with her stickers.

“According to the dictionary [N-word] does not mean Black,” Smith said. “It means a low down, lazy, sorry, low down person. That’s what the N word means.” Smith claims the N-word isn’t racist but says she doesn’t use it because “I have kids here around me that are Black kids. I call them my own kids. I’ve helped Black families…to guide them in the right direction.”

Smith maintained she isn’t a racist, although she admits wanting President Obama removed from the White House. Moreover, she added “And besides Obama is not even Black. He’s got a mixture of race. It’s his choice of what his nationality is.”

To call Mrs. Smith an ignoramus is much too kind. Her patronizing comments, about how she’s “helped Black families,” are the sort of benevolent racist comments currently in vogue in conservative circles. How can she have the audacity to tell us she helps “Black families,” while peddling a sticker that uses a variation of the word nigger? But I guess she’s just relaying the idea that President Obama is a “lazy low down person.” Perhaps, she is that dumb to the historical use of the word nigger as a racist characterization of Blacks as “lazy” people.

Ironically, these obtuse bigots don’t seem to realize their phrasing on this sticker is idiotically incoherent. Doesn’t renege—the root word they altered—mean not to go back on a commitment? Wouldn’t that then suggest to American voters to re-elect President Obama—instead of removing him?

The truth is this bigoted campaign sticker is just the latest racist rant against President Obama. We’ve seen these cartoons before. President Obama has been depicted, among other things, as a Black man raping Lady Liberty; as a gold-chain wearing pimp and as a monkey or chimpanzee—which is a historically familiar racist illustration of African-Americans.

As we approach November’s elections we will surely seem more of them. Currently, the Republican presidential pretenders have been bloviating incessantly that this election will be a referendum on the economy. That is, largely, a lie.

It’s certainly true given the economic woes that many voters will be evaluating fiscal indicators as they contemplate the November vote. However, for scores of others—especially the bigots who make-up a substantial portion of the Republican base—this election will be about one thing and one thing only: voting their racism. For these people, the U.S. Presidency must be ethnically cleansed of the Negro usurper currently occupying the White House.

Some people will say this charge is unfair. They’ll argue they’re against the president’s policies, not his pigmentation. And they’ll erect excuses like the supposed need to enact “small government” initiatives—while screaming for the repeal of “Obamacare”—and much pontificating will be made about the need to curb “out-of-control government spending.”

All of this is a bunch of bull. Take the furor over the healthcare plan for instance. Republicans—including front-running phony Mr. Mitt Romney—have been telling us the plan will bankrupt America. If this plan is so bad why did then Governor Romney enact a similar plan in Massachusetts in 2006?

Moreover, why did the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing conservative think tank, endorse Romney’s healthcare plan?  Is it because they helped to craft the bill’s components? The truth is this is all about politics—and Republicans don’t seem to mind if racism is fermented in the process. By the way, isn’t the naming of the healthcare bill as “Obamacare” a subliminal form of racism?

Another red-herring argument Republicans bring up is the need to rein in spending. The hypocrisy of these folks is bewildering. For the last couple years, Republicans have been debating about the need to curb spending and reduce deficits. Aren’t these the same people who signed on to promote two costly, unnecessary wars, while giving tax-breaks to the wealthy? And now they lecture us about fiscal responsibility?

Worse of all, if they’re telling us there’s no money to pay teachers and firefighters—or to properly fund social welfare programs—why are they irresponsibly saber-rattling to precipitate another war against Iran? Do they think we’re so dumb we don’t realize that it’s, largely, Republican policies—tax-breaks for the rich, discredited trickle-down economics and expensive wars—which created this financial crisis?

Unfortunately, there’re legions of white Americans who’re incapable of rational thought. Ignorance, fear and racism are all they know. The backwardness of these people can be heard when they talk about “taking the country back.” Is it the he Jim Crow Era they want to take us back to?

Make no mistake about it, dirty tricks and racism will be used in an attempt to defeat President Obama—and the multicultural demographic shift his presidency represents. Will a repeat of the 2000 Presidential Elections occur—when the Black Floridian vote was stolen? We can make sure that doesn’t happen by becoming involved now and fighting all of the voter suppression “laws” that are currently being enacted by Republicans.


“Speaking Truth To Empower.”

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