Stacey Dash Learns: If You’re Black and Don’t Support Obama, You’re Going to be Tortured
by Dr. Boyce Watkins
Actress Stacey Dash, best-known for her appearance in the film “Clueless,” is having her core ripped over her recent endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. After mentioning her support for Romney on Twitter, fans went ballistic on Dash, calling her every name in the book.
“Vote for Romney. The only choice for your future,” Dash tweeted.
That’s when the hounds came after her for expressing her opinion.
“You’re an unemployed black woman endorsing @MittRomney. You’re voting against yourself thrice. You poor beautiful idiot,” said one of her respondents.
Dash didn’t back down, but kind of did. When you’re a celebrity depending on black people to support you, you pretty much have to do what they tell you to do.
“My humble opinion… EVERYONE is entitled to one,” Dash responded, mistakenly presuming that most black people respect the concept of freedom of speech.
I remember speaking on a European cruise for the National Professionals Network this summer. We spoke about the Obama Presidency in front of a group of highly-educated black professionals. One woman stood up and said that she supported Mitt Romney and felt that African Americans are better off abandoning the Democratic Party.
I was shocked and disappointed by the fact that the woman couldn’t get a sentence out without being booed down by people who felt that she was some kind of sellout for not supporting President Obama. They didn’t want to hear her arguments, because some of us fear even considering a point of view that might cause us to change our minds. When I saw how the crowd reacted to this woman for simply stating her opinion, that’s when I knew we were headed into very dangerous territory.
The Obama presidency has been a true learning experience for the black community about manner by which we utilize our democratic freedoms. Since President Obama was elected, nearly any voice of dissent, on any level, has been squashed by the masses, as if all those who dare to have a differentiating opinion should be tarred and feathered in public.
This hasn’t been helped by all of the black public figures who lined up to make it clear that no one in the black community has a right to even question any decision that comes out of this administration. Voting for President Obama was not enough. You must give his administrative complete dictatorial authority over all that happens in black America. And even asking his administration to do more to earn your vote was considered to be an act of treasonous sabotage.
I’m sorry my friends, but that’s not democracy. We disrespect the presidency and the concept of liberty by oppressing each other in the way that whites have oppressed us for the last 400 years. Some of the behavior I’ve seen during the last four years has been nothing less than shameful.
I don’t agree with Stacey Dash’s support for Mitt Romney, in large part because Romney doesn’t seem to care about poor people. But the truth is that most black people don’t care about poor people either, and even consider it criminal that Cornel West has been touring the country to promote poverty for the past year (poverty and black unemployment have become the inconvenient truths of the Obama presidency). The fact is that President Obama can say or do d**n near anything when it comes to limiting constitutional freedoms, dropping drones on innocent children, ignoring racial inequality, etc. and our infinite intoxication with his presidential power leads us to march along like little brainless soldiers who don’t believe in making our own decisions.
This way of thinking is very dangerous, and what we must understand is that with the power of a black presidency also comes the responsibility of doing all we can to ensure that we have a government that is for the people and by the people. You don’t get that kind of freedom by squashing all dissidents with force instead of logical arguments or handing over a blank check of approval to any leader because you are enamored with his charisma and racial identity.The easiest way to waste your vote is not by staying home at the polls. The easiest way to waste your vote is to support an administration and then destroy anyone who asks for something in return.
Stacey Dash has the right to support anyone she wants. The challenge of Democracy is not whether you can support the rights of someone who agrees with you. It is whether you can protect the liberties of those who disagree. By renting our brain space to black public figures who’ve been rewarded for backing the Obama Administration, we are failing this test in a horrible and embarrassing way.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and creator of the Building Outstanding Men and Boys Family Empowerment Series. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
Stacey Dash’s Tweet reminded me of the character she played in the movie “Clueless.” She was perfect for that part, because she really is “Clueless.”
Phew! I stand with Ms Dash because it is her right to endorse and vote for anyone that she care to, that is what freedom means. Who ever said that because you are “Afro- American, African-American, Person of Color or American of African descent” that you have to go with the Democratic ticket. I am a Afro American male that is also a Jewish Republican. I left the Plantation a very long time ago.
True she has her right to choose whomever she pleases.its just sad because she cant read between the lines Romney and Republicans are Sales men an sales women but hey she can vote for whoever. we may have lost her vote but gained many more.
The problem is not that Ms. West, Dr. West, Mr. Smiley, Dr. Watkins and others have and want to communicate their opinion. The problem is it at this stage of the election and the direction of the opposing party that they choose to do it openly… Yes we all have a right and freedom to think what and how you want, so they say, however, we also have the responsibility to think our thoughts through thoroughly before openly voicing our opinion.. I have been a student of this country’s politics for the past forty something years and I have yet to remember any politician change his/her position as much as Romney… Listen to him reminds me of playing musical chairs… wherever you are when the music stops that where you sit!!!!
I really think about how come you named this blog post, “Stacey Dash Learns:
If You’re Black and Don’t Support Obama,
You’re Going to be Tortured | Black Like Moi”. In any event . I personally enjoyed the article!Thanks for your effort-Hellen
This unique blog post, “Stacey Dash Learns: If You’re Black and Don’t Support Obama, You’re Going to be Tortured | Black Like Moi” was excellent. I am impressing out a backup to present to my personal pals. Thank you-Dennis
None of you can’t truthfully mean that either Dash had the choice of voting for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama? You must have meant to say either Romney the Mormon or David Axelrod and that bunch of other Jews who are really the slave masters of OBama, and in absolute control of him and the White House. For Obama is not making NO (I repeat NO) decisions there in the White House, but simply saying and doing what that Jew crew tell him to say and do. So Dash had a choice of Mormons or anti-Jesus Jews. And while I reluctantly (this last time) voted for the slave of these Jews, I am totally disgusted with this MORE white and black guy who is simply taking up the space in the presidential chair. — Rev. George Brooks
No, it’s if you are ignorant and support a capitalist pig like Mitt Romney, you’re going to get tortured. Obama? They can’t see his flaws and actual intentions, but they can see through Romney like a glass wall.
Seriously? It is quite obvious to me that Obama is simply a puppet put in place; a figurehead to sponsor the large banks who own this nation. If you think for once that you should support him just because of his color then you are a fool falling into place, just as expected by them. This poisoned mentality is what is separating Americans and dividing them into war against each other. Divide and conquer is a war tactic. WAKE UP!
“give his administrative complete dictatorial authority over all that happens in black America”
This sounds like a quote from Dr Boyd; It is a lie and belittles we who voted for Obama for whatever reason. These type of statements attempt to tell all of us “Black Americans’ that the writer doesn’t have any faith in us to make sound decisions.
I have one thing to say. Moi & Dr Boyce, quit drinking the white man’s Kool Aid and come back home to rainbow Flavors.