This week, the NFL – executives, owners and players – sent a message to blatant racism when the group planning to bid on the St. Louis Rams was forced to drop Rush Limbaugh.  The message is loud and clear: we do not want to be associated with people who have gone on record with racists remarks.  I would have thought that the almighty dollar would buy Rush a seat at the owners table, but morals won out.  I would like to clap to that.

The Nobel Peace Prize debacle forced me to cement my opinion about how people are treating President Obama and this situation will cement my position on race matters – this is something that I think flushes real feelings out.  How can people, people who claim to not be racist, support (listen to on at least a semi-regular basis) someone who is?

Here are some of Rush’s past low-lights (number 5 was obviously before November 2008):

1. “I mean, let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back; I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.”
2. “You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray [the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King]. We miss you, James. Godspeed.”
3. “Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it.”
4. “I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well.  They’re interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well.  I think there’s a little hope invested in McNabb and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn’t deserve.”
5. Limbaugh attacks on Obama. Limbaugh has called Obama a ‘halfrican American’ has said that Obama was not black but Arab because Kenya is an Arab region, even though Arabs are less than one percent of Kenya. Since mainstream America has become more accepting of African-Americans, Limbaugh has decided to play against its new racial fears, Arabs and Muslims. Despite the fact Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law school, Limbaugh has called him an ‘affirmative action candidate.’ Limbaugh even has repeatedly played a song on his radio show ‘Barack the Magic Negro’ using an antiquated Jim Crow era term for black a man who many Americans are supporting for president. Way to go Rush.

All of this is coming from someone who was part of a group prepared to bid on an NFL team – a league that is 78% black.  The first thought that comes to mind is that he wanted to become a modern day slave owner…in his mind anyway!

According to Limbaugh, him being forced out of the potential ownership group was “Obama’s America on full display” and called DeMarcus Smith, executive director of the NFLPA and an “Obama-ite.”  He called Sharpton and Jackson “race hustlers,” following the group’s decision to drop him.  He also said his sacking was an example of the political clout wielded by President Barack Obama’s administration.

Speaking of Al Sharpton (I’m not really a fan), here is what the good Reverand had to say: “It’s remarkable in that he was denied by other powerful whites.  At the end of the day, his own peers said, ‘You are a liability.’  Even the rich and powerful do not want to be identified with racism.”  That, is the most profound thing I’ve ever heard Sharpton say.

It gets better; the following is a comment from someone who responded to the story on ESPN.com: “Too funny, another millionaire victim. Sorry rush, you may be entertaining to millions but that doesn’t mean the other millionaires want to have you too close to their business, or them for that matter.
And of course it’s somehow Obama’s fault. So much for that personal responsibility you expect everyone else to have, just not yourself.”

Before someone comes to Limbaugh’s defense, read this quote from another commenter: “Isn’t this actually an example of capitalism and free speech??? Something that Rush claims to support? Rush has to realize that his actions and comments garner strong opinions about him. Yet he acts all surprised as if socialism or Black America took him down or something. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.”

This is the direction we need to go in to have a united America.  People like Limbaugh are the type President Obama wants to get rid of and that is why he won the Nobel Peace Prize.  I think it is hilarious that Limbaugh even reached to the White House to include Obama in this, but that is what I expect for someone who is on record as a racist.

There is a line in a popular song by R&B singer Rihanna that is appropriate for this situation: “How bout a round of applause, a standing ovation.”  Bravo NFL!

Martti Ahtisaari

Shirin Ebadi

Lech Walesa

Do you know who those three people are and what they have in common?  If so, what I’m about to say probably isn’t for you and/or doesn’t apply to your opinion.  If you don’t know who they are and what they have in common, keep reading.

“during the preceding year [...] shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

I would guess that by now those who don’t know who the three people above are have guess that they are past winners of the Nobel peace prize.  If Alfred Nobel had specific criteria for deciding the winner of his award, who are we (Americans) to question whether our leader deserves it?  Most people probably can’t name 5 previous winners, but have a negative opinion about Obama winning it.

President Obama did NOT will this award – Barack H. Obama won this award and since it isn’t decided within our country it has nothing to do with the prejudice and racial climate here in the USA…thank God!

I know what side I’m on and it has nothing to do with race, but everything to do with what is right.  I’m on our white president’s side; you might know who he is.  His name is Barack H. Obama.  Yes, he is as much a white president as he is a black president, but people don’t see it this way.

It is a “one drop” thing.  One drop of black blood makes someone black in America.  I think this is the reason Obama is criticized so much.  I anticipate people will continue to say it is about his politics instead of the color of his skin, but I would say I’m not stupid and just stop it!  Stop trying to push this off as anything other than what it really is: a race issue.  It is resentment for a black man holding the highest office in the land.  But he is only a black man, in America, because his white genes, blood and flesh have been tainted.

I would classify Americans into three broad categories: racists, dreamers and realists.  Racists are self-explanatory and deserve none of my time.  Dreamers think race doesn’t play a part in what goes on in America, they think people play the race card too much, blah blah blah.  Realists look at things realistically – this is the category I want to be part of.

At times almost every category, race and group are wrong/bad/inferior.  I have a real problem when someone says, thinks and acts otherwise.

I bet someone has looked up how they can vote for the Nobel peace prize to prevent this atrocity from happening again.  LOL.

Happy Wednesday everyone.  Well, by now, you know what 7DayBuzz does on Wednesdays — yep Wordplay Wednesday!

Here are the newsworthy topics.  Remember, try to keep your comments to 5 words and…….have fun!

1)  Why Does It Matter How Many Staff Members Michelle Obama has? She has 24, Laura Bush had between 24 and 26, Hillary Clinton had 19, Lady Bird Johnson had 30 and Jacqueline Kennedy had 40. So again I ask what’s the big deal?

2)  Has David Letterman’s revelation about sexual indiscretions hurt or helped his image?  He came clean about having sex with some of his female staff members because he was being blackmailed.

3)  A New Study Says People Who Don’t Drink are MORE Depressed Than People Who Do Drink.  Huh?  So, if you don’t drink, you liable to become depressed?  Crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4)  White Woman Returns Black Baby She Adopted — 18 Months Later!  Says She Didn’t Bond With Baby.

5) Victims of Domestic Abuse Are Denied Insurance in some states The states are: Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Wyoming and the District of Columbia.

You’ve all heard of Progressive Insurance, right?  They claim to have the lowest car insurance prices, but don’t they (all car insurance companies) claim that?  Anyhoo…..

In Nevada, Progressive has implemented a new program, called My Rate Program, that claims to lower your car insurance by up to 30 percent.  30 percent!  That’s a huge discount, right?  Ah, but at what cost?  Well, here’s the deal:

If you’re willing to let Progressive snoop on your driving habits, the company claims you would save up to 30 percent on your car insurance.  Progressive would install a wireless device into your car and collect your personal driving information, such as the time of day you drive, how far you drive, and your speed and braking rates.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?  That they would install a GPS unit into your car?  Well, Progressive says their device is not a GPS unit because it cannot track where you are or who is driving your vehicle.  Hmmmmm, okay.

Now, I ask you 7DayBuzz readers, would you do this?  Do you believe Progressive when they say their device is not a GPS unit?  Do you think this device would be too invasive of your privacy? 

On a side note, did you know that if you have an iPhone, there is a setting called Location Services, which can pinpoint where you are — if you keep it on!  Anyway, back to Progressive.  Maybe Progressive’s device works like that.  Would you want Big Brother, oops I mean Progressive, knowing how you drive, how fast you go, if you brake hard (or soft) at all times  to save a couple of bucks?

The saying “Can’t see the forest for the trees” is appropriate for this subject.

Each person can decide for themselves how this would apply personally, but overall I’m wondering how people go about making decisions.  For instance, when the discussion concerning health care in America is brought up, would people decide what they would like based on their political affiliation or the result that would be best for them personally?  I would think most people would agree that there is a problem with the health care system, but what we do is what matters most.  Keeping things the way they are would mean many people could die due to lack of care.  But changing it to a government run system isn’t the answer either – after 20 years in the Air Force, trust me on this one.

Then of course there is the whole political thing.  You know what I’m talking about right?  Some people will follow their party, Republican or Democrat, right off the cliff like a lemming!  Forming opinion along party lines is one of the dumbest things to do; everyone is wrong sometimes.

Now, flip all of this and apply it to many other situations because normal news items – Obama, health care, the war – isn’t even what brought this thought to mind.

I might be the craziest person in the world because my first inclination is to do and/or say what is right (at least what I think is right) first and worry about everything else second.  Your side could be the right side also, but there is always a chance that it isn’t and then what do you do?  The alternative is to follow mindlessly.  I’ll pass on that, what about you?