I was watching earlier, and they had a woman on there, her name escapes me,but, she narrated one of the debates. Anyway,she was telling how she took President Obama's blue fleece blanket. Diane Sawyer was joking about the legalities of that, or something, and this woman said "It's OK we have a black president now, it's free" or something to this effect. I was trying to get ready for an appointment, and didn't catch the exact thing, but, it was definitely very close this ....... WTH did she mean by that???

Anyone else see or hear it??

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

OMG, some people seem to think that now that Obama is our president, we won't have to pay for our car loans or mortgages. Like he's the messiah or something. People are really blowing things out of proportion.

It was Donna Brazille (sp). They were joking around and I think (hope) she probably realized after she said it that it wasn't the best thing to say. She took Obama's fleece after the swearing in because he left it on his chair and Charlie and Diane were joking about it and asked it it was a felony or a misdemeanor and her reply was basically, the president is black so it's not a crime because I'm black. At least that's how I interpreted it.

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

I noticed that fleece thing was missing. I just figured that Mitcham stole it by hiding it under mother's coat or under a big cake or something.

Is she black also? (The one who said it?) Just wondering because if she isn't, there will probably be a huge uproar about it. If she is black, then why did she think that it was okay to say such a thing?

teehee!!:

And, black or white, the comment was innappropriate--imo.

'

Yes, she is black. I don't think it was a very appropriate thing to say, and don't see how anyone would take that as a joke. WOW, just WOW!!!

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

It definitely wasn't appropriate.

There are schools of thought out there (these are just stories I've heard) that now that Obama is in office, he will take care of the african-american community. People have quit paying their mortgages, bills & car loans because "after January 20th" Obama would take care of them.

Now Annadrose (sorry if I got your username wrong) has heard rumors of a sizable stimulus check and I'm sure that will just feed into these theories.

Donna Brazille didn't narrate one of the debates: perhaps you're thinking of Gwen Ifill, who did. They do look somewhat alike.

Until I hear who and what was said, I won't speculate on what was meant. Ifill is a journalist; Brazille is a Democratic party operative.

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Reading is Fundamental.

I stand corrected,yes, it was Gwen Ifill that narrated. Thanks for clearing that up.

I've been checking YouTube for this for others to see it, but, I can't find it. It was pretty much as I stated above,but, I certainly understand wanting to read the quote or see the take yourself.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Donna Brazile Swipes Obama's Inauguration Seat Blanket | ABC 6 | News

Here's the link. She said "We have a black president now. It's free."

You have to click on the link. There's an advertisement and then her interview.

Odd comment, but it came in response to joking questions about whether it was a felony or a misdemeanor. I took it as a slap to the Bush administration, which had a habit of locking people up without ever charging or trying them.

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Reading is Fundamental.

How can you get that comment to be a slap to the Bush administration? She said "We have a BLACK president now. It's FREE." Then she changed it when she spoke a bit later, to 'We have a NEW president.' A little backpeddling when she realized what she had said. Black people have been saying all along that when Obama becomes president they won't have to make their payments on things, etc.

She's not new to speaking her mind.

Now that's reading into things -- it was not a poke at Bush

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

In your opinion. In mine, it might have been

So funny that some people read things into the comment and it's fine -- I voice my opinion and I'm wrong.

Okie dokie, artichokie.

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Reading is Fundamental.

I don't think it was a slap at Bush. I think it was a slap at all the people thinking that Pres. Obama is going to be giving a lot of "FREE" handouts.

I think that's another very valid possibility.

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Reading is Fundamental.

I totally agree, should I mail him my mortgage payment book now or wait a couple of days????????? Sherri

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"It isn't that liberals are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- Ronald Reagan

Seems from what I've heard, if you are african-american, then you should wait a few days. I'm not saying all, but many, seem to think that Obamas giving free handouts. I don't understand this reasoning though......and I don't understand how that could be a slap in the face for Bush either.

This is exactly what MY interpretation of it was.

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

We all have our own interpretation. I don't think Donna Brazile is nearly that naive or stupid.

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Reading is Fundamental.

Where have you heard that African-American's think they'll be getting handouts"? Sources, please.

the entire exchange was meant to be humorous and tongue-in-cheek. She took it too far and realized it when it was too late.

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

Why do I need to name sources? I didn't say I read it in the paper or seen it on TV..... I said from what I HEARD. I've heard about it on message boards, I've heard about it in grocery stores and I've heard about it from friends.

Here are just a few examples from another message board:

My father was in a McDonalds in Maryland today, and overheard two employees who appeared to be in their mid-20's discussing how excited they are that they aren't going to have to work for much longer.... Dad told them they looked really young to be retirement age, and they gave him an odd look and said "whatever, Obama's gonna fix it so all us black folk don't gotta work no more".

This is everywhere...I have employees who REALLY REALLY beleive that next week all will be good. One man said "Obama wants everyone to make 40 grand" he really thinks this is going to happen. I asked where the $$ was going to come from..He stated my boss,the owner...Others think they will be getting 2-3000 dollar checks very soon...These people vote...

we had a man come in and pay his bill tuesday.i told him $375.00. he started slamming $20.00 bills down,one at a time saying "GOD **** BUSH,IF I COULD HAVE ******* HELD OUT UNTILL THE ******* TWENTYTH(sp) I WOULDNT HAVE TO PAY THIS ******* BILL.like obamma is going to pay for your new gas tank and fuel lines.
kinda got a chuckle outta this.

I will relate my own story that I heard one day. This was in early Dec. after the election, when I was asking for a change to my due date on my car note. I was explaining to the phone rep of that company that my mortgage was also due on such and such date and it was difficult to pay it and the car at the same time. Could I move it? "yes" was her response and she said she understood as she too was having a difficult time making her own mortgage. I said "well I pay my mortgage and it's not difficult as long as I don't pile up alot of other bills on the same date" She then replied that she was one of those people who had a ballon note and was almost paying double at the point. I told her how sorry I was for her troubles. She then said this : "well, we are barely paying it now, but as long as we can make it to January we will be okay." I replied "Will you refinance in january or are you waiting on a tax refund?" I hear a pause and then THIS : "You know what I mean, we are waiting on twentieth. We aren't sure what's going to happen or what he'll do but we think we can pay it until then."

Oh my!
I was so afraid that there would be some black people who would really think that they would be "taken care of" by Obama simply because he is black also. How sad as well as stupid!
What will happen once they realize that they are still on their own?
God help us!

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Square dancing is friendship set to music!

I think the ignorant thing is to hear a few black people make comments about getting handouts and then apply that to a "most African Americans" Sad and scary. I guess prejudice is alive and well in the USA.

Hear a few Jewish people say something about pinching pennies? Then most are all tightwads, huh? And most Asian people are good at math.

Re-read my post #19. I did not say "most." I said "many." And "from what I've heard."

Oh, big difference. Not. If you've only heard it from "many," then why is the color of their skin significant? Statistically, it's not. So, mentioning that they are African American is just perpetuating a stereotype.

You can turn this into prejudice or racism if you want, but the zoo was just stating what a LOT of Americans are thinking... and a great number of those Americans are black. My dh is a police officer here in Lufkin, and you wouldn't believe the disrespect and defiance that was spawned by Obama simply being elected. I was on a ride along the day after the election, and I kid you not.. in North Lufkin (traditionally a black neighborhood) there were big groups of people standing around in their yards and when we would drive by they would shake their fists at us and shout "Obama!". I understand them being jubilant about finally having a black president, but I don't understand the anger at local law enforcement or the sense of entitlement. That now they're finally going to get everything they deserve without even working for it. That kind of thinking is rampant in Lufkin, and like it or not it's mostly North Lufkin that thinks that way.

Another example of this entitlement thinking.. I went to lunch with dh and his section partner. Walking into the diner, my dh's partner held the door for me and then continued to hold it for another woman who was right behind me. She was black and as she passed by him she looked him right in the face and told him he better get used to it. I just don't understand that kind of attitude. And to be honest with you.. if she had said that to me I'd have let the door go to hit her in the @ss.

I *know* not every person has this attitude, but it is out there in force... and I think that that's what the op was trying to convey.

Because the statements I have been hearing are statements from people of color. I haven't heard these statements coming from any other color - whether it be white, yellow, red or purple.

I did not make the statements I copied from another board. I don't think anyone is going to be "saved" because Obama is POTUS. I just stated what I heard which doesn't make me prejudiced.

Well, if they all quit their jobs, then they'll be more jobs for the rest of us.

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Support bacteria -- it's the only culture some people have!

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Did Donna say that or is that your interpretation? We all have our own opinions of what she meant, I think.

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Reading is Fundamental.

Oh, so if you heard it from many green-eyed people you'd say: "I'm not saying all, but many, green-eyed people seem to think that Obamas [sic] giving free handouts."

I doubt it.

I didn't turn it into racism, she did.

I have to type something to reply here, but I am speechless

dl

Oh, please, it is about the black race. Get over it. Why do you think it made history yesterday? It certainly wasn't because Obama was white!! Where have you been? I've seen it in newspapers and online where people are talking about the free handouts they're going to get since they'll have Obama as president. Remember he told them he was going to 'share the wealth'.

I didn't read all the posts here, but who the heck would believe that a president actually has the capability of taking care of his people (whomever they are) and covering their bills? That's simply stupid. Are some people really that dumb?

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

Get over what? Intolerance, prejudice, and ignorance? Nope, I won't.

I'm not questioning the idea that a lot of people have made a big deal over Obama's race. I know that's true.

I'm questioning sweeping statements about African Americans expecting handouts. Jesus, as if there are no white people sitting around expecting to be rescued from their overspending.

There are definitely people out there thinking they are "all that" since Obama got elected. DD told me today that she and her friend were on the bus today and these 2 black boys behind them were carrying on about "oh yeah, Obama....Obama...." and just making a ruccus (sp?) saying "oh yeah, we got a homey in the White House" and basically taunting my DD and her friend. Then, when they got off the bus, they tried to hand slap (sorry, not sure what it is called) with DD and she just looked at them, and rolled her eyes. The one boy said to her "oh, it's 'cause I'm black, ain't it???"

I can understand riding the wave of excitement, but, this is going over the line.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I wonder..... where all of this would be if Obama looked like his mother and not his father.

North Lufkin is "traditionally black." I am no longer surprised by anything I read here. SEGREGATION

Oh, how was that Klan Rally last September? Klan to host rally in Lufkin - Topix

I didn't make sweeping statements. I provided what I have "heard." Others have heard the same thing. Crying "racism" and "Intolerance, prejudice, and ignorance" over hearsay is a bit overboard, don't you think?

I'm not "crying" racism, intolerance, prejudice, and ignorance. I'm just stating the facts.

"Hearsay?" I thought you said you heard these things first-hand! If it's just hearsay, then your statements are especially outrageous! That's the crap that stereotyping is built on.

Whatever! Are you going to sit there and say that in your town there aren't neighborhoods that are more one race than another? Every town has them. That's why people go to little Italy, Chinatown.. wherever. In Lufkin, we're mostly hispanic, black, and caucasian. And to be honest, there are neighborhoods that host a larger percentage of each of the different races. You're just as likely to hear a hispanic say that they wouldn't live in North Lufkin as you are a black saying that they wouldn't live in Brookhollow. People live where they do by choice most of the time.

As far as the Klan.. I wouldn't know. You have ignorant racist people in every town too. And did you know that black people can be racist as well? Have you ever heard of the Black Panthers? Seems to me they just got into trouble for intimidation at the polls... and you know who they were harrassing people to vote for.

If you're going to come at me.. at least come at me with something intelligent. Don't just cry racism, because you are SO off the mark there.

Maybe when she said "it's free" she meant "it's liberated" you know like a joke. Like she is further liberating it by taking it.

Who knows what someone else is thinking? And I for one am constantly saying something that sounds funny in my head but when I say it out loud...whoops it sounds pretty stupid and sometimes makes no sense at all.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Although Inappropriate, I think the comment was meant as a simple joke. It's getting blown out of perportion.

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Mary

It's hearsay to you, isn't it?

What's hearsay to me?