Pulling No Punches: Straight Talk to Oprah

My name is Angel Rodriguez; I am a Puerto Rican Latino male. I grew up in the South Bronx during the 1980s, and I call them like I see them. In other words, because of where I come from do not expect my views to be in line with views that are wrong. Inevitably, race is always used as an excuse to cover up incompetence, and as a general excuse to give certain people a pass in life. I have never seen this on such a great scale as I do today. For instance, Oprah Winfrey had the nerve to tell our friends in England that Americans don’t like Barack Obama because he is a black man. According to her analysis, we all know this but no one says it, “we all know it but no one says it.” 

Ms. Winfrey, there is no question that you are an intelligent woman, you’re one of the richest people around the world, earning over $300,000,000 a year. You own television networks; you’ve run a successful TV show, and you have massive visibility. Yet for all that intelligence and all that money you’re also one of the most foolish individuals around the world; why would you use your voice, why would you use your power, to spread racism and lies?

Oprah Winfrey, you have eyes and ears just like the rest of us do, you see black-and-white Americans, Latino and Indian and Chinese Americans, all of us being affected by the president’s policies. People are not losing their medical coverage based on race; people are losing it based on bad policy. How dare you insult Americans, how dare you insult the world, how dare you push racist propaganda on such a large-scale; Ms Oprah Winfrey. You have such grand visibility, yet you exhibit such stupidity and foolishness. The sad part is that those people that follow you will believe anything you say. Like the President, you can do no wrong, Ms Winfrey. It is a damn shame that instead of spreading the truth and knowledge you spread racist propaganda.

Oprah Winfrey, you have now joined the ranks of the Rev. Al Sharpton, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, in race baiting and racist propaganda spreading. I have always known that Oprah was a bleeding-heart liberal, but she just crossed the line, and it cannot be ignored. We don’t dislike Pres. Obama because he is black, because he is black, many have rooted for him when based on his policies, they should have not.

It’s almost like affirmative action has taken hold in the White House. It’s one of those scenarios where a person isn’t as qualified to do the job, but due to the color to their skin, they are given the job because some quota must be met.

As a Latino man, I often wonder if my company hired me based on those quotas and affirmative action. With a 3.97 GPA, there is no question that I deserved the job, but I wonder if my race and background played into my being the one that was chosen?

Every time the conservative voters speak out on Obama and his many mistakes, we are called racist. Most of us have not once mentioned the color to his skin, not once do most of us make mention of his race; we speak about his politics and his bad policies. Granted I will admit that some people speak about his being Kenyan, and though I am not one of those individuals, I can acknowledge that if he is not who he says he is that he shouldn’t be the president. However, what does this say about us, and our system as a nation, if a man who did not belong in the White House could get into the White House? Let’s stop for a moment and examine that.

Oprah Winfrey, we are not racists, actually, let me say this: I know that there are racist out there, they do exist, people such as yourself. They exist on both sides of the color line, black and white. The difference is that, unlike you, at least most of those racist haters out there have the common sense to hide it. Unlike you who parade it on television and across the globe under the guise of standing up for the president.

I hope that America wakes up, opens up their eyes, and sees all this race baiting bull crap for what it really is. Oprah Winfrey, you disappoint me to no end, a strong black woman in a position of power, and instead of spreading truth you spread lies and hatred. I only hope that the American people you influence open up their eyes and see you for what you really are, a hateful, racist person.

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