A View on “Mongrel People”

Courtesy: guardian.co.uk

I have been not writing on national politics lately because I filed to run for local office in Baltimore so I have been a bit busy. I did not watch the President on “The View” yesterday but watched a few of the clips online.

The President, in a discussion about race during the interview, made the following statement: “We are sort of a mongrel people. I mean we’re all kinds of mixed up,” Obama said. “That’s actually true of white people as well, but we just know more about it.”

I do not ever remember having a conversation with my parents about being part of a mongrel people. I am not white but I wouldn’t imagine a conversation like that taking place around the dinner table or playing catch in the backyard.

I do not like being categorized as a mongrel. It is a ridiculous and insulting statement. If George W. Bush, or another white politician said those words, the NAACP, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be all over the airwaves calling for a public apology. I am not part of a “mongrel people.” This is not how you have a discussion on race relations. I expect better judgment from the President of the United States. If this is how he sees African-Americans, perhaps it is time for them to find a new candidate.