Gene Lyons calls out Melissa Harris-Perry…

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Race in America is a difficult subject. When it comes to race America has the mental maturity of a 7 year old that, on occasion will plug its ears with its fingers and sing “La, la, la.” Being American and Negro I understand this. I don’t really have any choice but to understand it. I can’t decide that racial matters or discussions are silly because I’m actually affected. I can’t speak of it philosophically and talk racial theory because for me its NOT theory. I’m Black. This is real. End of story.

Last night I came across an article that I was so offended by that I reserved comment until I had a full nights sleep. I thought to myself that it was so insulting, so idiotic that it couldn’t be as bad as I was perceiving it to be. I needed to literally go to bed, take a mental break, and come back. That article was Gene Lyons “Obama’s Bridge too Far” on Salon.com. The article, a poorly thought out and terribly executed piece which wasn’t even cohesive as a whole should have been axed in the editorial process. But it wasn’t. Take a look.

This just in: Not all the fools are Republicans. Recently, one Melissa Harris-Perry, a Tulane professor who moonlights on MSNBC political talk shows, wrote an article for the Nation titled “Black President, Double Standard: Why White Liberals Are Abandoning Obama.”

See, nobody ever criticized Bill Clinton, another centrist Democrat who faced a hostile Republican congress. Indeed, he was “enthusiastically re-elected” in 1996. Therefore, “[t]he 2012 election is a test of whether Obama will be held to standards never before imposed on an incumbent. If he is, it may be possible to read that result as the triumph of a more subtle form of racism.”

You can like Dr. Harris-Perry’s theory or not, but 1) its a theory not an etched in stone condemnation and 2) it’s based in reality. It’s based in feelings many in the Black community have wondered when hearing attacks from White liberals. It’s based in issues that have been previously pointed out within the progressive movement. You could make the argument that race has nothing to do with White liberals issues with Obama and I wouldn’t have an issue with that. But to dismiss one of the great Black public intellectuals of our time because it made you feel uncomfortable is completely ridiculous.

Finish story over at; NewsOne – Gene Lyons – Melissa Harris Perry, etc.

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jim says:

October 21, 2011 at 3:18 am

Ok, I posted this in the wrong forum. I had tons of windows opened, and posted to the wrong thing. My bad totally. just fyi, as much as MHP’s piece in the Nation upset me, Lyons reaction was totally out of line. He should retract what he said. In all honesty, the liberal community probably does have its own racism that needs to be addressed. Again, sorry about posting here**walks away ashamed**

jim says:

October 16, 2011 at 11:47 pm

I read MHP’s article in the Nation, and as a white liberal, I must say I’m offended. My problems with Obama stem from his lack of leadership and his tendency to compromise too much with congressional Republicans. I could go into much greater detail about specifics, but suffice to say, most liberals are disappointed in the President leadership choices. However, according to MHP, this disappointment has little to do Obama’s record, but more to do with racism. This is unfair and itself racist. We have the right, nay, obligation to critize the President when he does not attempt to uphold the values we endose as liberals. Ultimately, I think MHP’s article reveals more about her own deep-seeded racism than it does about anyone else’s racism.

natalie says:

October 2, 2011 at 10:54 am

@joe..
Ita!

Joe says:

October 2, 2011 at 5:03 am

Rarely (if ever) do I verbally assault a writer in the manner I did the author of this article in the comment section. Prior to going back and skimming the article (I refuse to read such gibberish in its entirety) and prior to seeing comments from other viewers, I could tell something was up.

As several people pointed out, this article is merely an apology for Harris-Perry’s ignorance. I’m not familiar with her work, but I’ve certainly grown to learn that some of these ‘black scholars’ are missing something in the critical thinking department. So, it doesn’t surprise me that they’re able to go and recruit minions to co-sign their rants.

What I have become familiar with is that Harris-Perry has caught a bit of attention lately, as a result of some blatantly illogical remarks she’s made (on the Cornel West issue and now this). By putting herself out there as an Obama protectionist, she runs the risk of reducing herself to the likes of the Bush fanatics, who were written off as non-thinking blind followers.