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Pastor: When White Folks Say Obama Was an “Embarrassment”, Here’s What You Say

By

James Lyttle

Published on September 17, 2018

One of the common responses to criticism of Donald Trump by his voters is something along the lines “Obama was an embarrassment for 8 years.”  One Christian pastor is calling out that notion.

John Pavlovitz has penned an open letter to those white Trump voters, informing them that no, in fact, they weren’t embarrassed by the former President:

Were you embarrassed by his lone and enduring twenty-five year marriage to a strong woman he’s never ceased to publicly praise, respect, or cherish?

Were you embarrassed by the way he lovingly and sweetly parented and protected his daughters?

Pavolovitz asked these, along with a lot of other relevant questions. Here is the entire post:

“I remember the day after the Election, a friend of mine who happens to be white, remarked on social media that he “finally wasn’t embarrassed of America and our President.”

I sprained my eyes rolling them and they have never fully recovered.

Since then I’ve heard this sentiment echoed by more white folks than I can count, especially in recent months; supposed relief at once again having a leader who instills pride.

Since I don’t have the time to ask each of the individually, I’ll ask here:

So, you were embarrassed for the past 8 years, huh? 

Really?

What exactly were you embarrassed by?

Were you embarrassed by his lone and enduring twenty-five year marriage to a strong woman he’s never ceased to publicly praise, respect, or cherish?

Were you embarrassed by the way he lovingly and sweetly parented and protected his daughters?

Were you embarrassed by his Columbia University degree in Political Science or his graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School?

Maybe you were embarrassed by his white American and Black Kenyan parents, or the diversity he was raised in as normal?

Were you embarrassed by his eloquence, his quick wit, his easy humor, his seeming comfort meeting with both world leaders and street cleaners; by his bright smile or his sense of empathy or his steadiness—perhaps by his lack of personal scandals or verbal gaffes or impulsive tirades?

No. Of course you weren’t.

Honestly, I don’t believe you were ever embarrassed. That word implies an association that brings ridicule, one that makes you ashamed by association, and if that’s something you claim to have experienced over the past eight years by having Barack Obama representing you in the world—I’m going to suggest you rethink your word choice.

You weren’t “embarrassed” by Barack Obama.

You were threatened by him.
You were offended by him.
You were challenged by him.
You were enraged by him.

But I don’t believe it had anything to do with his resume or his experience or his character or his conduct in office—because you seem fully proud right now to be associated with a three-time married, serial adulterer and confessed predator; a man whose election and business dealings and relationships are riddled with controversy and malfeasance. You’re perfectly fine being represented by a bullying, obnoxious, genitalia-grabbing, Tweet-ranting, Prime Minister-shoving charlatan who’s managed to offended all our allies in a few short months. And you’re okay with him putting on religious faith like a rented, dusty, ill-fitting tuxedo and immediately tossing it in the garbage when he’s finished with it.

None of that you’re embarrassed of? I wonder how that works.

Actually, I’m afraid I have an idea. I hope I’m wrong.

Listen, you’re perfectly within your rights to have disagreed with Barack Obama’s policies or to have taken issue with his tactics. No one’s claiming he was a flawless politician or a perfect human being. But somehow I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here. I think the thing President Obama did that really upset you, white friend—was having a complexion that was far darker than you were ever comfortable with. I think the President we have now feels much better.

Because objectively speaking, if what’s happening in our country right now doesn’t cause you great shame and doesn’t induce the continual meeting of your palm to your face—I don’t believe embarrassment is ever something you struggle with.

No, if you claimed to be “embarrassed” by Barack Obama but you’re not embarrassed by Donald Trump—I’m going to strongly suggest it was largely a pigmentation issue.

And as an American and a Christian committed to diversity and equality and to the liberty at the heart of this nation—that, embarrasses me.”

This may infuriate some and sadden others while making some happy. I had become a fan of Megyn Kelly on the Today show as background sound. She is witty, smart, caring and real. I am sad to see her go.
The segment was on cultural appropriations. This was all in the line of a discussion about cultural appropriation is wearing a kimono and white face geisha or /how about dressing as Egyptian/Hawaiian, Eskimo/Native American/Gypsy/astronaut/scuba diver/disney princess/ pirate...is that cultural appropriation when dressing up for Halloween or a costume party? Are we so damn up tight we can't laugh at our own foibles and the dumb stuff we did as kids? I heard her comments on "black face" (the minstrel version where white actors put on black makeup and did parodies of black culture in the 1800's and into the 20th century too. What I heard was a woman who as a child thought nothing of dressing up for Halloween in "blackface" ...we are talking about the culture of the American south in the 1950's-60's....not the most aware time in our history and still very racist. I heard her say (or it could have been body language and tone of voice-I was doing other things at the time.) then it was acceptable.. but NOW it is not. (then on to the next segment)..The following day she attempted to apologize for the way it came across to everyone. .

Here we are in the 21st century we have become more aware that this kind of parody is NOT acceptable. Is this something to fire someone over...I think this is overreacting. I have heard some black Americans come out against her...and a few...damn few noted the body language or the knowledge that it is now not appropriate. Are we so damn up tight we can't laugh at our own foibles from childhood? If so I am living in the wrong century. Note I did not say it was appropriate now nor looking back with the culture and knowledge of the early part of the 21st century.  Are we so hateful to ourselves that this is wrong? Can we not learn from our mistakes and move forward? I bet many of us did things as unthinking kids that if brought back to us now would not be included in our shining moments of life.  I am saddened by the rush to condemn what was done by a child relating how that was accepted at the time but we now know is not appropriate.