HaterNation: How Incivility & Racism Are Dividing Us
By Neil Foote
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About this ebook
HaterNation: How Incivility & Racism Have Divided Us is an anthology of insightful, provocative and thoughtful essays compiled by veteran journalists, author and educator Neil Foote. He has contributions from some of the nation's top journalists and thought leaders who discuss how incivility has become far too commonplace in America, fueling hate and racist acts that are unbecoming of a nation that touts itself as a world leader in civil rights. The writers address a wide range of topics, including how the highly anticipated "post racial" America due to the election of President Barack Obama as the nation's first African-American president quickly turned to an attack on his personal character. Other essays discuss the hugely symbolic role of First Lady Michelle Obama, the state of black women, the future of affirmative action, voter suppression and black-on-black hate. This book is designed to fuel a national dialogue about how we need to do what the late Rodney King asked the nation to do shortly after the Watts Riots 20 years ago: "Can't we all get along?"
Neil Foote
Neil Foote is an expert in public relations, interactive media, social media, marketing and media strategy. Foote runs Foote Communications, a public relations and media strategy firm. He launched Tom Joyner’s BlackAmericaWeb.com and developed and directed the public relations for the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, BlackAmericaWeb.com and the Tom Joyner Foundation. He is nationally recognized professional who has nearly 30 years of media experience. Foote also is a senior lecturer at the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas where he specializes in the future of media, social media and journalism, media management, and digital media storytelling. Before working with Joyner, Foote has worked at several major media outlets, including the Miami Herald, the Washington Post, the Dallas Morning News and the Belo Corporation. He also is the editor/co-founder of PoliticsInColor.com and former North Texas Publisher for Girlfriends Health Guide for Women of Color. In the community, Foote is chair of the National Kidney Foundation serving North Texas, a member the Dallas South News board and a Life Trustee of The Lamplighter School. Foote holds a Masters in Journalism from Northwestern University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
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Book preview
HaterNation - Neil Foote
HaterNation
How Incivility & Racism Are Dividing Us
By
Cornelius Neil
Foote, Jr.
SMASHWORDS EDITION
* * * * *
PUBLISHED BY:
Cornelius Neil
Foote, Jr. and PoliticsInColor.com on Smashwords
HATERNATION
Copyright © 2012 by Cornelius Neil
Foote, Jr.
This ebook is licensed for our personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. None of the essays published in this book may be duplicated or republished in any form printed or online.
*****
Thank you to my wife, Jane Foote, and my daughter, Alexandra E. Foote, for providing me the support and inspiration to take on this project. Also, thank you to my friends and colleagues who have offered their intellect, their time and energy for this book.
Cover Design by Full Circle Group
*****
Table of Contents
Foreword - What's HaterNation All About? By Neil Foote
Chapter 1 - President Barack: A Hated Man By Michael H. Cottman
Chapter 2 - For the GOP, It's a Win-At-Any-Cost By Jackie Jones
Chapter 3 - Civility: WTH? By Sybril Bennett, Ph.D.
Chapter 4 - The Fight for Equality Never Ends By Dr. Silas Lee
Chapter 5 - From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin By Gloria J. Browne Marshall
Chapter 6 - Obamacare and the Wizards of Odd Behavior By Yanick Rice Lamb
Chapter 7 - Living In Fear, 2012 By Darryl James
Chapter 8 - The Art of the Diss By Yanick Rice Lamb
Chapter 9 - America: Land of Opportunity - and Racism By Gloria J. Browne Marshall
Chapter 10 - Redefining What It Means to be a Black Woman in the Age of Michelle Obama by Sophia A. Nelson, Esquire
Chapter 11 - Trayvon Martin, the Socialization of Black Youth By Britney Wilson
Chapter 12 - The Whole Deck: The Myth Behind the American Race Card By Stephanie Robinson
Chapter 13 - First Lady Michelle Obama: The President's Not So Secret Weapon By Avis Thomas-Lester
Chapter 14 - No Sweet Dreams Soon for Black GOP By Wil LaVeist
Chapter 15 - Why Are We Doing This to Ourselves? By Sidmel K. Estes
Chapter 16 - Voter ID Laws are 21st Century Poll Taxes By Wayne Dawkins
*****
Foreword
What’s HaterNation All About?
By Cornelius Neil
Foote, Jr.
The year 2012 marks a very historic and contentious presidential election. The tone of this election was set virtually less than 24-hours after the 2008 election of President Barack Obama. At that moment, with arrogance and bravado, several key conservatives made it very clear that they wanted to do everything possible to ensure that the president failed at whatever he tried to do, including getting re-elected. The losing party is always discontent when its candidate loses, but the hateful, mean-spirited manner in which some members of the GOP have expressed their resentment has intentionally disrespected the office of the presidency.
The dissin’ of the president
has set the stage for this book, HaterNation
. At a point in this country’s history when Candidate Obama had set the tone for Hope
and Change
, there has been a blatant and aggressive agenda by the many conservatives in this country to promote conflict, division and negativity. The GOP has devoted much of its time spewing hateful, vitriolic rhetoric that has gone beyond the norm. At times, some critics have been, outrageously racist toward the president, the First Lady, his children – and in turn, African-Americans around the world. The public displays of rudeness toward the president have occurred in public forums (e.g. refusing to meet with him upon his invitation; blurting out you lie
during his ‘State of the Union’ Address) and throughout the web as bloggers posted racial epithets filled with criticism of the president and his family. Add to this 69 percent increase in the number of hate groups formed since 2000, and the 755 percent increase in the number of Patriot groups formed, which are heavily armed antigovernment militia, according to Mark Potok’s Southern Poverty Law Center.
The incivility in this country has caused what one national survey calls a national civility disorder
. Two-thirds of this country think that incivility is a major problem
, according to the third annual Civility in America: A Nationwide Survey conducted by Weber Shandwick and Powell Tate who partnered with KRC Research. What's even more disturbing is that 7 in 10 Americans believe the 2012 presidential election is uncivil, placing politicians at the heart of the problem. When the study was released earlier this year, Pam Jenkins, president of Powell Tate, summed up the findings this way: We are suffering from a national civility disorder that is leading us down an unhelpful and unhealthy political path.
Tea Party supporters are quick to say they’re just trying to take America back
. The obvious questions are taking America back from whom
and bringing it to whom? For many African-Americans, this Take America Back
mantra has an underlying, mean-spirited connotation that means taking the country away from the black President. Is injecting racism unjustifiable?
Let’s face it. Every president is on the hot seat and by the nature of this democracy continuously faces discontent with some segment of the population. So, yes, in some ways, President Barack Obama faces no greater challenges than his predecessors. But the bigger concern – that is at the heart of this book – it that this president is facing more disrespect than any other president has. Repeatedly, the Republican leadership and the GOP candidates running for president have demonstrated that they are not ready to lead
, but only try to regain the White House – at any cost – even if it means cow-towing to their ideological rabid Tea Party supporters.
This book offers a series of essays that capture the essence of the past four years that illustrate a haternation
mentality where the good of the people
is not at play, but only the good of their political party. The Republicans, fueled by Tea Party threats, and their criticism of the president have turned into ideological, personal battles that