as reported by the Austin American-Statesman newspaper, "fills her with joy."
photo by Larry Kolvoord, Austin American Statesman
Please give Ms. Jones a moment's respect.
This lady's vote says something important about voting, about Texas, and about freedom. That she can vote, this year, for a black man for President -- and have a chance to win! -- is a world-shattering thought, isn't it? In the USA, it's possible that a black man could be elected President this year. The wall behind her says something important too -- something we often forget, or deny -- look at the photos. There's a story there -- there's history there, in a very personal setting.
I wish she hadn't had to overcome so many obstacles to see this day, cast this vote, and have this chance to win.
History is upon us all. I wish more of us could walk forward into it, hand in hand, and filled with joy.
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Yes, that is a great story
If there's going to be symbolism, it might as well be a symbol of a great human advance.
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Painful election
When I'm able to simply focus on the symbolism, it is extremely moving. I see African Americans during this election time and I think they must be filled with so much pride and joy. Seeing Ms. Jones actually brings tears to my eyes. It's so very bittersweet though. I wish I could feel the joy as well. I'm working towards the moment when I can put aside my anger and applaud the symbol and hope for the best.
"If we have to have a dictator, who better than Obama"
- progressive blog commentator
When a woman, any woman, finally reaches
this pinnacle, I'll be filled with joy all right.
In her case as well as Obama's, I personally am more concerned that he or she be a competent president. Some people ignore that completely.
I'm happy for this lady though. Another barrier broken...
Hate to Be the Buzz-Kill
But the closest Obama's ancestary gets to slavery is that his mother's ancestors owned slaves. Obama's election is historic, regardless. But, he doesn't share my family's past. I really do wish we (and particularly my community) could appreciate the historical nature of his candidacy without trying to tie it to something it can't be tied to. Yeah, it's a pet peeve if you couldn't tell. :)
I'm happy for Ms. Jones, and my own grandparents, and everyone else who's happy. I just feel much of their happiness is blissfully misguided, and I no longer feel bad for not feeling it with them.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Damon, what the hell does your comment have to do with my post?
I never claimed Obama had ties to slavery.
I'm telling you you're dragging off-topic bullshit into the discussion again, and I am personally tired of it.
I also do not give a thin flying damn about your personal happiness or lack thereof, and your "no longer feel bad for not feeling it with them" comment is more off-topic bullshit as far as I am concerned.
I won't tell you to shut the hell up. I will tell you that if you cannot address the topic straightforwardly, you will no longer get any attention from me for your "hey! over here! look at me! I have something to say!" antics.
Because they're bullshit.
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
Sarah rules
n/t
The article not your post mentions it
...it says she's the daughter of a slave.
PB 2.0 - Supplement the wonk!
PB 2.0 - Supplement the wonk!
TNJEN: and that has what, exactly, to do with Damon?
Or his comments?
If it isn't pure bullshit let him defend it, and do so with proof re: Obama's mother's ancestry.
If it is let him admit that, too. It's on him now.
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah
My, my, what is there to say? First, I'll say that cg.eye seems to have got one of my points.
I think my other point was missed. Perhaps, I didn't make it clearly, and it's that Obama's candidacy is historic enough to not have to expand it into the slavery narrative. The mostly white MSM has been running the "Hope/Dream of the Slave" narrative of Obama and the black community from Day One, and this was yet another one of those stories.
Yes, perhaps it's a bit off topic, and I don't really mind anyone saying that. If I call them like I see them, why would I expect any less of anyone else.
What it wasn't meant for was to antagonize you. You do flatter yourself. I was remarking on the MSM continuing to run an easy feel-good, but historically inaccurate, narrative of Obama's candidacy, one that I personally take offense to.
I'm sorry if you misread my intent, Sarah. Your response to me, though, shows that the fued (or whatever you want to call it) exists in one direction. After our very intial headbutt, I really don't think of you, or search you out, much at all.
BTW, through amateur genealogical research, it was found that Obama's family though his mother's side owned slaves, which, BTW, wasn't really a slam (hell, I have slave-owner blood in my family tree both from the rape of my ancestors and actual marriage into it), but a recognition of how overly simplistic the MSM's narrative of his historical relationship to the black community is. They simply can't legitimately continue the narrative that Obama is the hope and dream of the slave. He isn't. That's not a bad thing, misrepresenting it is, get it?
Again, I'm not sure exactly why I got in your craw the way I did, but I hope you can squash the beef, because I don't have any beef with you.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Sarah, I was just pointing out
...that slavery was mentioned in the article and that it seemed to me that's where the criticism of tying Obama to a slave narrative generated (not from your post). I don't know the back story of whatever the disagreement between you and Damon.
PB 2.0 - Supplement the wonk!
PB 2.0 - Supplement the wonk!
Damon's right for pointing out that
Obama can't simultaneously get points for representing the dreams of the descendants of former slaves through his ethnicity and get praised for representing a new kind of politics beyond color because of his non-slave history (i.e. being ethnically and rhetorically beyond that icky American slavery thing).
If he wants to be above all that, fine, but he can't have it both ways.
tnjen: thanks for the clarification. I think what the article
says about slavery is confined to its mention that Ms. Jones' father was born a slave. Upon rereading the article about this lady, I don't see anything in it to tie Senator Barack Obama to any personal history involving slavery.
So I'll go back to the point I wanted to make when I posted her story. Ms. Jones' story touched me when I read it. She is 109. She's voted for more than 70 years, and she's overcome obstacles to vote that many people (some of whom, I doubt not, don't vote) can't imagine facing, let alone facing down. I thought she deserved a moment's respect.
As far as any claims about Obama's ancestral history and slavery, I hadn't looked into that when I found Ms. Jones' story on the web. Since then I've seen The Baltimore Sun's story and an ancestry described as a 'first draft' by the genealogist who prepared it, whose reputation is "quite a good researcher" and who says he'll let his website speak for itself. I came away from the Sun story with the impression that it was denying Obama was black enough -- that he wasn't black because he wasn't a descendant of West African slaves.
The Sun story also two other Presidential hopefuls in this election cycle had slaveholder ancestors:
I don't know what, if anything, germane to Ms. Jones can be made of the history of the Edwards and McCain families.
I don't reckon I have anything else to say on this story.
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
The Central Narrative
The central narrative of the story is the fact that she's the daughter of a slave getting to vote for a black candidate for president. It's not a story that wouldn't have any kind of relevance if they'd have tried to write it about Ms. Jones and any other candidate.
Again, it is so very clearly the Hope of the Slave narrative, a contrived narrative which seeks to tie directly the son of an East African and a white, native mother to historic African America, with my only criticism being that it's a contrived narrative written about constantly that misrepresents (out of ignorance or on purpose) the complexity of Black Americans (which is a broader term that includes African Americans along with, African immigrants and other black communities), and tries to exaggerate an already historic candidacy.
If the distinction (Obama's ethnic relationship to African America) is purposefully lost on others, so be it. I was simply letting it be known that I make the distinction, and think that it matters to me when discussing him in relationship to the descendents of American slaves, which is all that this article is about.
Again, I just think he's being purposefully misrepresented to augment and exaggerate his persona, which seems to be something very central to his life's story. He is everything to everyone, even when one or more of his personas aren't actually real, at all.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
I think Damon has a valid point here. Had Hillary been our
candidate we would have seen the same type of stories about young girls getting to vote for the first female president. Ah, if only Hillary had been our nominee.
A moving story nonetheless.
I love this job!
I love this job!
That Wasn't My Point, At All
Though, it's definitely true. My point concerned the open fallacy of this particular Obama narrative. Again, I don't have problem with social narratives, that is, as long as they are true.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...