As a black man, Obama must keep emotions in check

By Joel Snell

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‘Liar!”

That came from a southern member of the house, when President Barack Obama gave his speech on the State of the Union. The man was white and he had to know race etiquette of the South.

Here it is: If you are black and you are in the public arena, you don't act uppity. That means you don't act too assertive. Obama acts white, talks white, was raised white and is half white and is the very first black president of the United States. He cannot show his temper.

He cannot act like George W. Bush or Bill Clinton. Obama said to the representative in an even tone, “Yes it is true.” (Or, no I am not lying.)

So why is Obama too laid back? Why does he accept those insults from that Republican? Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wouldn't do that. If Obama does show his temper he has hell to pay. Since the day that he has been in office, he has acted in many ways responsibly, save one time.

“Skip” Henry Louis Gates, a black scholar from Harvard University, was trying to get into his own house without his keys after taking a long trip. Obliviously, he forgot them. A neighbor called saying someone was trying to get in the Gates house. The police were called. Gates became afraid and angry when the officer showed up and soon thereafter he was arrested. Actually, both were right. Gates thought that he was being harassed and the police officer was conducting standard operating procedure.

At the next news conference, Obama for about 30 seconds showed his anger. Said Obama, “Skip” or professor Gates was treated “stupidly” by a police officer. After the conference, there was an uproar. Race matters. Obama apologized and there was a beer summit in which the president and the vice president along with Gates, had a few beers with the police officer on the White House lawn. Millions also watched on television.

Obama by temperament MAY be timid, but he also knows the race rules. The police officer, by the way, acquitted himself in a near-perfect performance.

A recent study, using flash pictures, discovered that folks most “feared” person as rated by blacks, Asians and whites of both sexes, is a picture of a black male.

Obama has a load to carry as the first black president. He must give 110 percent and have complete control of his emotions. The talk by Democrats and now former President Clinton to fight back may be correct, but Obama knows how high and how narrow is the wood plank that he walks on above the nation 365 days a year as a person of color and president of the United States.

Joel Snell of Cedar Rapids is professor emeritus of social science at Kirkwood Community College. Comments: snelljennifer47@hotmail.com