A Special Moment – Update: Juan and the Obama Critics
UPDATE: Don’t be fooled by this very touching moment by Juan Williams … both sincere and from the heart. As Williams points out in his WSJ OP Ed post below the video … to be moved by the moment is appropriate … but being moved by the moment into silence is not. WSJ piece below video.
This is a must watch. Juan Williams commenting not on Obama’s speech … but Reverend Lowrey. I make my views on the Lowrey prayer here. But Juan as a man of color, clearly never saw this day coming, never thought it possible, so Lowrey’s prayer touches him in a way it could not me. But what Williams had to say did touch my heart. My God Bless him and you just can’t help feeling happy for him.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqD3lIPk5is
Update: Now read this from the WSJ where Williams makes the case that to be truly post racial … of the kind that so moved him yesterday, Obama needs to face his critics like any other President … and critics must not be labeled racists in doing so.
If his presidency is to represent the full power of the idea that black Americans are just like everyone else — fully human and fully capable of intellect, courage and patriotism — then Barack Obama has to be subject to the same rough and tumble of political criticism experienced by his predecessors. To treat the first black president as if he is a fragile flower is certain to hobble him. It is also to waste a tremendous opportunity for improving race relations by doing away with stereotypes and seeing the potential in all Americans.
Yet there is fear, especially among black people, that criticism of him or any of his failures might be twisted into evidence that people of color cannot effectively lead. That amounts to wasting time and energy reacting to hateful stereotypes. It also leads to treating all criticism of Mr. Obama, whether legitimate, wrong-headed or even mean-spirited, as racist.
This is patronizing. Worse, it carries an implicit presumption of inferiority. Every American president must be held to the highest standard. No president of any color should be given a free pass for screw-ups, lies or failure to keep a promise.
Read the whole piece … and make sure you watch the video
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I have watched, listened to and read Juan Williams for years – in various media – including The Washington Post which I read daily while living in Washington, DC. In those days, he was also a regular on the local affiliates "Inside Washington" and "Agronsky and Company" programs .
He is a truly honest, thoughtful, well-spoken and experienced person in his very competitive field. Juan Williams has been around a long, long time – he's been through many a battle. Above all else, his integrity is beyond reproach.
While there are any number of positions on which I disagree with Juan Williams about, he is a man for whom I would vote – for any office that he wished to run. Thank you, Juan Williams, for saying these words as a warning to the media.