Current Events

One of President Obama’s Greatest Failures as the First Black President

Jarvis Williams81 views

In November 2008, Senator Barack Obama made history by becoming the first African-American president to be elected to the White House. His historic victory was a remarkable symbol of hope for many Americans (both black and white). Many perceived his victory as a glimpse of hope for a new day in both the political and economic landscape in the United States. However, his presidency has not affected the kind of hope or change that many anticipated. Instead, his presidency has been a great disappointment for several reasons. First, the unemployment rate of African-Americans and minorities has increased during Obama’s presidency. Second, the healthcare system in this country is a disaster. Third, Obama’s fight against terror has been a colossal failure, and his strategy for fighting ISIS is nebulous.

President Obama shockingly refuses to admit that the current war on terror is against radical Islamic terrorists. The most recent example of this is the execution of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya. ISIS executed these Christians on a video for all to see. And they announced that the reason for the execution was the fact that these Coptic Egyptians were Christians. However, Obama’s liberal ideology, his lack of experience in dealing with international terrorism, and (pardon my directness) his incompetency have prevented him from boldly asserting that the current war on terror is a war against radical Islam. This is despite the fact that ISIS murdered 21 Coptic Christians simply because of their faith in Christ. I am angered, outraged, stunned, and ashamed that the United States’ first black president refuses to call radical Islamic terrorism what it is—radical Islamic terrorism, even when these radical Islamic terrorists murder, execute, and slaughter innocent Christians simply because they are Christians.

I am proud to say that I did not vote for President Obama. I was concerned about his liberal ideology and his lack of experience in national or international leadership. Many African-Americans, however, voted for him because he’s black—this is supported by the fact that the African-Americans voted in record number during his first election to the White House. Consequently, they ignored Dr. King’s words that we should judge a man based on the content of his character instead of the color of his skin. And they instead played the role of the hypocrite. President Obama’s failure to identify radical Islam as the enemy even when Islamic fascists, known as ISIS, murder innocent Christians because of their faith, is an absolute embarrassment to this country and to the dream for which Dr. King died. In my view, one of President Obama’s greatest failures as President of this great country is failure to identify and fiercely go after radical Islamic terrorists.

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8 comments

Carlos February 17, 2015 - 11:54 pm
What I don't understand is why you are calling it "radical Islam"? It's just Islam. ISIS is not being radical, they're being true Muslims and following the example of their founder. That's like saying a Christian is radical because he follows the commands of Christ. No, he's just being obedient and so is ISIS. Let's not sugarcoat it anymore than it already has been. On a side note, isn't President Obama half-white? Why is he always referred to as African-American then? Does he deny his Caucasian heritage? Or is the Black community denying it? Never understood that one.
Carlos February 17, 2015 - 11:59 pm
I think that you made a typo. You said and I quote, "his presidency has been a great disappointment for several reasons. First, the unemployment rate of African-Americans and minorities has dropped during Obama’s presidency." Did you mean that the employment rate dropped?
Alicia Rollins February 18, 2015 - 7:20 am
Thanks, Carlos. That was indeed a typo. Unemployment "increased" for African Americans during President Obama's administration. Thanks for reading and commenting!
John April 26, 2015 - 10:16 am
Carlos, I'm not sure if you are using the same rationale that others are using in criticizing Obama for refusing to refer to ISIS as "radical Islam" or "Islamic terrorists", but at least you provide one, and it's laid out clearly enough to understand and debate. You go a little beyond most other critics suggesting that not only should Obama use the word "Islam", but that the use of this word obviates the need for the adjectives "terrorist", and "radical", as all true Muslims who adhere to the principles and mandates of the Quran would have to be terrorists or radicals - kind of like referring to a "Nazi SS Stormtrooper" as an "antisemitic Nazi SS Stormtrooper". If we were to accept your criteria for establishing nomenclature, we are left with a couple very significant problems. First, since the vast majority of the 1.57 Muslim in the world do not practice terrorism, nor do they act out on the violent recommendations found in the Qaran, according to your rationale, they are not true Muslims, and adhering to your strict criteria that identity is verified by behavior rather than belief, which you don't even mention, then this would mean that there are very roughly, about 1.5 billion people who claim to be Muslim, but who do not, in fact, practice their religion. While it is unlikely any of these 1.5 billion people would stone you for suggesting they are nonbelievers or heretics, I'm quite certain they would not agree with you. Secondly, you suggest that to be consistent when referring to a Muslim as a “radical” Muslim, one would have to refer to true, believing Christians as “radical” Christians. And while there is no debating that Jesus, Himself, was the epitome of peace and love and one of the rare characters in ancient history to introduce and promote these principles of how to interact with fellow humans, a true Christian must adhere to more than just one book, and even the most skillful backpedaling can’t distance you from the mandate that you are to kill or “stone” those who fail to honor the sabbath, those who commit adultery, and there is even precedent for a true believer who hears the voice of God compel them to sacrifice their first born on a stone altar, to justify acting out on this delusion. So, if I were to use your criteria, I would only accept those Christians who had a proven personal history of going off on crusades to smite heretics, as being true Christians, and if you, Carlos, have never slain an adulterer, or a neighbor while he mowed his lawn on a Sunday, then you are not a true Christian - Your rules Carlos, not mine. Thirdly (and lastly), whether you want to try to empathize with ISIS fighters or not, they like being referred to as “Islamic terrorists”, and prefer it over just “terrorist”, because in their minds, this gives them cred in the religious world. I see them as opportunists who cherry pick what facilitates their sociopathy, while they ignore much of the Qaran when it cuts into their evil fun. Example: They severely punish, and sometimes behead cigarette smokers, while their abandoned camps clearly show that many of them are chain smokers. There aren’t any self-identified atheists who are any less religious than ISIS members, yet you want to reward them with the title “Muslim”. All you really have to consider is, if they like it when you do something, don't do it.
Tyshan Broden February 19, 2015 - 7:10 pm
I dont know about this article. It seems like an angry conservative rant. I mean to say that blacks voted for Obama because he was black may be true but its hard to prove because blacks typically vote democrat. Blacks were going to vote for his party regardless of the fact that he is black and its not like the black vote got him in office. The ISIS situation is huge and this article makes it seem ISIS killed 21 Americans and the president did nothing, which is not the case. Although ISIS is a global issue the President is required to look out for home first. Health Care...well new programs take time to get the kinks worked out. I do know, especially working with/for tons of working class citizens at the jail, that its the first time they have had medical insurance and they arent complaining.
jubilee February 28, 2015 - 6:34 pm
i think OBAMA is considered black because he DOESN'T LOOK BIRACIAL.. to me.. and to many other blacks BUT yes, unemployment has been worse with obama i also didn't vote for him because i've heard of his liberal policies, like NOT voting DOWN the partial birth abortion bill (meaning, if a baby survives an abortion, let it die) etc @:^(
Mezulla5 March 2, 2015 - 6:01 pm
Radical islam ? If that's the case then the christian Identity group (white supremicist) must be a version of radical Christianity, right ? and you must certainly be an uncle tom. So we all deserve someone elses negative label. Oh, and Jesus loves you anyway.
Jarrett Claiborne March 3, 2015 - 8:54 am
Thanks for posting this article Dr. Williams. I, very respectfully, hope that you consider my opinions about it. First, the president has indeed stated that the war is against evil and not Islam with the premise that not all Islamist are radical terrorists. Would you disagree with this? Second, it is impossible to quantitatively claim that blacks voted for the POTUS "because he's black" considering the reality that Black Americans have overwhelmingly supported the Democratic candidate for the past six decades. The fact that every elected black official who is Republican received very little of the black vote makes the case that there is first a political bias. I'm not alleviating the reality that his candidacy ignited great ethnic pride and caused a lot of Black Americans to vote who would not have normally voted. But considering the long history of voting democratically, it's logical to assume they would have voted for the liberal candidate anyways. Third, I hear, at least in my opinion, this "Jackie Robinson Theory" in some of your rhetoric. No longer should a black man feel as if he has to outperform his white counterpart. Many Americans expected him to heal the sick and clean the lepers and held him to a standard above that of his white predecessors. What does being the first black President have to do with recognizing terrorism? If this president fails or succeeds, let it be because he's first and foremost a human.

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