We Are Not Sheep

Black folks in America, and especially the South, are not sheep. Contrary to popular media belief. On this day of celebration of the life MLK, Jr., I am tired, tired, tired of the news stories, both local and national, about black folks voting for Obama because he is black. Not because he is intelligent, qualified, determined, not the old guard, optimistic, inclusive, calling for change, daring to hope instead of giving us the same old rhetoric. Nope. America prefers to believe that the only thing black folks care about is getting a black person as president- no matter what. Hmmm.

No one EVER questions whether white folks vote for someone simply because they are white. I guess white folks in America are above this, and would of course vote for a non-white if they were the right person. It happens all the time, right? Yeah, right. If that were the case, Strom Thurmond would not have managed to have one of the longest running careers in the United States Senate- the man who filibustered for 24 hours on the House floor against desegregation. But I digress. There are no news stories about whether or not McCain's win in South Carolina last weekend is because he is white. I guess that's because every one of his opponents in the republican race is a white male. Business as usual. But no one ever questions that.

Instead, I am subjected to query after query about the black vote getting behind Obama. And these media folks are serious. I should be hoarse by now from shouting at the television, just between the hours of six and seven alone. You would think that I would turn the damn thing off. I keep hoping that someone is going to call folks on their shit, and get a real dialogue going.

To the majority folks in America in charge of the media, I am standing in the middle of my living room screaming:

WE ARE NOT SHEEP!!!!!!!!!!

Do not assume that we can be herded or corralled.
Do not assume that we are not individuals.
Do not assume that we are non-thinking folks.
Do not assume that we are easily led.
Do not assume that we have forgotten this country's history.
Do not assume that we don't want change as much as our white neighbors.

Don't sleep on Barack Obama or in ten months you'll be doing stories on his "sudden" rise to power because all you can focus on right now is his race.

And we black folks will be shaking our heads at the continued arrogance and ignorance of the white males in power in this country.

Oh yeah, and we (along with all the white folks who vote for him) will be having the house party of the century. (Or should I say White House party?)

HOLLA!