Obama’s Fathers Day speech has been made over and over again. I have heard it from Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Bill Cosby for sure. The Million Man March was about stepping up and taking responsibility without blaming the victim.

Obama said nothing new, but raised some critiques by some on the Black Left that the use of “acting like boys instead of men” was pandering to white audiences, now that is a huge stretch but I understand the sensitivity especially after abandoning Rev. Wright his former pastor and resigning from his church because the political football was to hot to handle. His shameful pandering to AIPAC drew much criticism from progressive Jewish,  Israeli Peace and Human Right groups, raising justifiable concerns.

One only has to take a look at the whole speech in context to see the rhetoric of similar Sunday sermons, Obama does temper his criticism by praising Apostolic Bishop Arthur Brazier “…of his work and his ministry, there are more graduates and fewer gang members in the neighborhoods surrounding this church. There are more homes and fewer homeless. There is more community and less chaos because Bishop Brazier…”

He would have done better to have talked about how things are changing not because of a particular leader but because young black men are stepping up, where there are plenty of fathers and mothers that are fine examples proving we are no longer a stereotype except in the minds of true racists. Yes, there are problems but solutions are plenty. There are many exemplary black youth finishing school at the top of their class, there are great wordsmiths shaping language that critiques the ills of society through positive Hip Hop, and Black doctors, lawyers, firefighters, teachers, poets, authors, directors, filmmakers, professors, mechanics, engineers, scientists, astronauts, architects, executives, proud union workers and professionals of every kind, both men and women, many serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and yes even the next President of the United States of America and First Lady. 

I would rather have heard something of this nature given with solutions like family leave for working fathers to assist their wives with childcare after the birth of a son or daughter. How he’ll help create more opportunity for better jobs, with a works progress administration, or a national service program to help neighborhoods, internships in public service industries like VA hospitals, to help subsidize higher education for those who wish to pursue knowledge and other ambitions. This should have been a speech praising Black Fathers on Fathers Day they certainly deserve our love and respect.

We don’t need more sermons, we need more solutions. I believe Obama’s potential is great if only those from the progressive community hold him to our expectations and make demands and push him to articulate those demands, so this is my push! Support our troops, Bring them home! This will create a peace dividend (provided we prosecute war profiteers) which could be applied to many social ills, healthcare, education, alternative sustainable energy resources and jobs. Stop NAFTA, CAFTA and WTO agreements that exclude the rights of workers and environmental protections, stop the racists criminalization of Mexican immigrant workers, create a universal healthcare system that gives relief to the uninsured (not forced purchase of private insurance), and create a more transparent government, punish the corruptors and support GI Resisters rights to dissent. 

If you are going to pander, pander to the common man and women, the oppressed, the working poor, the ill, the homeless, and the unemployed, not with the promise of “Pie in the Sky” miraculous interventions but with real tangible solutions, for when you lift our burdens you lift all classes and all races. “Si Se Puede!”

Dan Shea
Vietnam Veteran for Peace
Proud Father & Husband

It desperately needed to be said. Cosby blazed the path, and Obama skillfully picked up the baton. As a divorced African American mother of one, I heartily support him for having the will to point out the ills within our own community.

Okay that’s it. He’s won me. God bless him. i have been such a suspicious cow.

Thank Christ for Obama.