 |
| Visit the Allen B. West Website |
I want to take the time to thank first lady Michele Obama for speaking at a recent event hosted by Got Your Six, a group that seeks to ensure positive portrayals of veterans in the popular culture.
On its website the organization says, “Through entertainment industry partners, Got Your 6 works to normalize the depictions of veterans on film and television to dispel common myths about the veteran population.”
Mrs. Obama was even kind enough to share with the crowd that she recently viewed the movie American Sniper during her recent travels to India and Saudi Arabia — and hat tip to her for not bowing to the repressive Saudis and wearing any head covering.
Regarding “American Sniper,” CNS News said “Mrs. Obama praised the hit movie “American Sniper,” and called on the screenwriters to present more veterans in their work.
“See, there’s another great untold story in this country right now, one that is crying out for our attention–and that is the story of our troops, veterans, and their families,” she said. “So today, I’m calling on all of you and folks across the entertainment industry to change the conversation about our veterans and military families.
Give us the full story,” she said. Just look at the latest box office numbers, she said. The number-one movie in America right now is a complex, emotional depiction of a veteran and his family. And I had a chance to see ‘American Sniper’ this week on that long flight we took–and while I know there have been critics, I felt that, more often than not, this film touches on many of the emotions and experiences that I’ve heard firsthand from military families over these past few years.”
Those are awesome words coming from the first lady, words I wish the president would utter. Heck, I even read somewhere that “American Sniper” was a hit in Iraq and was encouraging Iraqis to stand up to ISIS. Perhaps that snotty little fella on MSNBC who classified Chris Kyle as a racist on “killing sprees” should talk with the first lady.
Now, the flip side to all of this is that first lady Michele Obama took a stand at the same event and said something about which I don’t agree. While speaking to television and screenwriters on Friday, CNS News says, “first lady Michelle Obama praised the movie and television industry in the United States for promoting same-sex marriage.”
“Every day, through the movies and TV shows and ads you all create, you have the power to shape our understanding of the world around us, said Mrs. Obama. You challenge our most strongly held beliefs. You influence our opinions on current events. So the fact is, in many ways, you all are in a unique position to help us address some of the most challenging issues that we face as a nation, she said. Just take an issue like gay rights. And at the same time, we’ve seen gay rights advance in real life as well, she said. As my husband said, we’ve seen gay marriage go from a wedge issue into a civil right in states all across this country. And that’s just one issue.”
First of all, as with climate change, I don’t believe gay rights is one of the most challenging issues we face as a nation. The rise of Islamic terrorism — which the first lady’s husband refuses to say — is a far more clear and present danger and challenge, that we face as a nation and a world.
As a matter of fact, it was just a few weeks ago that we shared the story of ISIS executing two gay men by throwing them from a rooftop – I’d think that’s a true representation of violating gay rights — just the right to life, to exist. Where are all the “coexist” bumper stickers, Islamapologists? And I would hardly classify gay marriage as a “civil rights” issue — sexuality is not a race. I fully support civil unions, but will always stand for marriage as a relationship and bond between one man and one woman for the promulgation of a civilized society through the creation of progeny.
Now, of course you don’t have to be married to have children, and that leads me to the REAL issue first lady Michele Obama should champion — the breakdown of the American family, especially the black family.
Since the implementation of the Great Society programs of liberal progressive President Lyndon Johnson, we have slowly witnessed an erosion of the traditional family. And there is no worse reflection of that than in the black community.
Johnson advocated for the government to provide checks to women having children out of wedlock. And as long as they kept a man out of the home, women would continue to receive checks for the children they continually had. What has resulted in these 50 years since? An out-of-wedlock birth rate in the black community of 72 percent.
Remember the example of the black woman in Tampa, Florida with 15 kids from various men? And talking about the entertainment industry trying to influence the culture – remember the proposed reality TV show that was going to feature one Atlanta rapper with a multitude of “baby mommas” and a slew of children? Thanks be to God that the show was never brought to air.
Here we have the first black first lady — why not speak to the movie and TV industry about restoring the favorable image of the black family — heck, even “Good Times” was a show that featured a strong black man raising his family, even in the projects.
For me, the decimation of the black family and the ensuing results in our inner cities — such as the tragedy that was Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown — is a more challenging issue our nation faces. Or perhaps not to her? Maybe the first lady could explain to America why her husband, President Obama, in April 2009 cancelled the DC school voucher program?
As I always say, a good quality education is the great equalizer in America– does President Obama not share that vision with me? Why not have the movie and TV industry depict young black kids, inner city boys and girls, success stories like the charter school Success Academy in Harlem — which President Obama’s avowed socialist BFF, Mayor Bill DeBlasio wanted to shut down.
It’s now Black History Month, and what stories will be told in the next 29 days for 2015? Are we going to just tout the political rhetoric and sing old songs, or are we going to face the truth — today’s black community is failing.
Gay marriage is not a major civil rights issue or national challenge. The destruction of the black family and the rise of the welfare nanny-state, dependency society, lack of competitive educational opportunities (last week was National School Choice Week, and I penned a joint op-ed piece with my friend Rich Thompson on the subject), and the erosion of economic growth in the inner city are our real issues and challenges. And it will take a sincere and dedicated focus on policies, not politics, that turns the tide.
Michele Obama had a fantastic platform at the Got Your Six event and she did right by our veterans. For that I applaud her. But she also needs to do right by the black community, which needs her voice to advocate for the future of young black boys and girls and their opportunities — just as is being provided for her two daughters — opposed to focusing on identity politics-driven wedge issues.
______________________________________________
