First African American President

[Egalitarian Thug]

85. You're absolutely right, it's not. OTOH absurdly inaccurate and nondescriptive labels isn't going to

help that either and I think that's the point the poster I replied to was making (that and people being too lazy to type out African American). Racism is alive and well and even growing in America and that is what should and does bother us.

It is a BFD that President Obama is not just the President, he's the first black President. It isn't right that this waste of space can get away with showing such disrespect just because Barack Obama is the first black President. It isn't right that he is held to a higher standard than a smirking asshole with a room temperature IQ because he is the first black President. Its not right that if he is not reelected he will likely be the last black President in our lifetimes. It isn't right that he can't do more for black people because he's the first black President. The list of things that are not right, that are offensive, seems endless, but none of them will be made right with this label.

Now if we knew each other IRL and you told me that you wished to be referred to as an African American, I certainly would (I'd also wonder why I can't just call you Prosense). But I think that the label serves more to divide us than anything else. I think the best way to show respect is simply to be respectful. Conversely, if I were to always use the misnomer African American, but in my head I'm thinking "effen n****r", that's one of the worst forms of disrespect, isn't it?

We are treated differently because of our skin color (and sex, you're a woman IIRC), but isn't the point that our differences have nothing to do with skin? That neither you nor President Obama represent all black Americans any more than I represent all white Americans? And shouldn't our focus be on changing the perception that any differences we do have are due to skin color?