The whole "Michelle Obama Get Whitey Tape" rumor is the biggest load of bunk that I've ever heard.
I've been wanting to say this for a while and have struggled with how and where to do so. Since I have been a long-time lurker on Daily Kos, I thought this would be as good a place as any.
Let me get this out of the way --
The whole "Michelle Obama Get Whitey Tape" rumor is the biggest load of bunk that I've ever heard.
Let me tell you why ...
I am an African-American man who was raised on the South Side of Chicago. (incidentally, not far from Michelle and we went to the same high school -- Go Whitney Young Dolphins!) I am 46 years old and I have been in / around Black culture all of my life. Here's a little secret, folks: "Whitey" is not a term that has been used in the Black community for over 40 years!
Don't get me wrong -- sadly, there is an assortment of derogatory terms used by Blacks about Whites. There is no shortage of mean-ness in our community where that is concerned. The trouble is, "Whitey" isn't one of those terms.
Think about it -- aside from on television and in movies, have you ever heard a Black person say that word? That's one of those words that has been used in movies, books, and TV shows written by whites who thought they knew what "angry" Blacks would say. ("Get Whitey", "Kill Whitey", "Stick it to Whitey", etc. etc.)
I am college-educated and have been in Corporate America for over 25 years. That said, like most Black Professionals, I can Code Switch with the best of them. I am very versed in the vernacular that we Black folk use when we're not in the presence of Whites. "Whitey" simply is not a part of that vernacular.
Now, let's not even deal with the fact that Michelle Obama is a classy, educated, articulate, sophisticated woman and I don't consider it in her nature to make such a comment. She is simply too gracious and above that kind of base and crass speech. I think we can take that as a given.
This "Get Whitey" nonsense is just another piece of racist trash that's being circulated to diminish Barack Obama and create FUD in the electorate. Understanding however, the utter lack of knowledge of Black culture that it's based on, I think people ought to realize how ludicrous it actually is.
Give me a break.