November 11, 2012

OBAMA AND FACEBOOK

MSN ran an article yesterday recounting the stupidity of one Denise Helms of California. So much for California Dreaming. This is not only about the racism that exists in this country, but also about young people who still cannot figure out what Facebook is for and when it is appropriate to use it. Considering that Ms. Helms is only 22 years old, she gets her racism from somewhere, and I am going to assume it is her family and the people she hangs around. President Obama won the election because the people chose him. One of the things that makes this country great is that WE get to chose whom we want in the White House.

As a black American let me just tell you, I don’t always like who ends up at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and in all truthfulness, in my lifetime Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are the only two presidents that have made a positive difference in my life. But I never called either one of the Bush’s, Reagan, Ford or Nixon anything publicly, but “Mr. President”. Despite the fact that for most of my life there has been no such thing as FaceBook or Twitter or Tumblr, any of the former presidents mentioned above got only respect from me, and frankly, either of them could have been called much worse.

Barack Obama is the president now. He is black. He is educated. He is smart. Not a soul reading this could go and do the job he’s done for the last four years. It is not a perfect world right now. Wars and conflicts round out our news every day. Bailouts and screw-up’s are the mainstay conversations at dinner tables around the country on a regular basis. Fiscal failure looms around every corner. Change rings out worldwide and with that should come some understanding that things will not stay the same.

Facebook is a part of that change. But social media should not replace common sense. As Americans we have the 1st Amendment right to say what is on our minds. There is context that goes with that though. You still cannot shout out “Fire” in the middle of a crowded movie theater when there is no fire. Try it and you will end up in jail. You cannot have casual conversation at the airport about the bomb you built in your father’s garage. They will interrogate you and you will miss more than your flight. And for those like Ms. Helms, if you say something derogatory about a sitting president, the Secret Service will be watching and listening.

You don’t have to like Obama. He is the president of this great country of ours though. Trashing him (or anybody else for that matter) on FaceBook is not acceptable. FaceBook is a tool to exchange messages, share common interests and to network with those whom have similar interests and tastes. It is not, however, a place to rant, vent or complain about things which have far-reaching consequences. So, if you don’t like President Obama, if you are not happy with things as they are, use FaceBook as a means to show your content of character and not your smallness of mind.