24
One of the things President Obama stated in his inaugural speech was that he was going to reach out to enemies and try and make them friends. After years, if not decades of animosity, this will be no small feat. Iran, North Korea, and even Venezuela, are now countries that we would like to bring into the global family. So when President Obama visited Venezuela, it was with the intent to open dialog with a country that has long said that it will not bow to U.S pressure on anything. From most accounts, the meetings between Obama and Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, went well. So I found it funny that there are certain segments of the press, the right wing nut jobs, who are focusing on something like a handshake.
CNBC host Larry Ludlow was INCENSED that President Obama and President Hugo Chavez greeted each other with the “Boyz in the Hood” handshake. For those of you who don’t know what that means it’s when two people shake hands but instead of grasping each other’s full hand first, you grasp each other’s thumbs first. The venom with which Ludlow voiced his opinion speaks more about him than it does about President Obama. Ludlow stated that the picture of them shaking hands “bugged the hell out of him and really pissed him off all weekend.” A HANDSHAKE did all that? He does admit that they “greeted each other warmly.” But that is the point DUMBASS!
Those people in the “know” are aware that you greet friends, family members, co-workers, and business associates differently. Friends and family members call each other names that they would never say to anyone else. I’ve seen Black, White, Asian, and Latino people great one another and their own race in this manner. It is a greeting of LOVE and RESPECT, PERIOD! The greeting between Obama and Chavez was that type of greeting. Two people who have a mutual respect for one another.
People of African descent have never done anything to anyone on the same or similar levels as to what was done to them. And that is a reason the world was euphorias when Obama was elected. Because the hope is that instead of blowing into countries and pushing our military weight around, we will be able to sit down with people FIRST and try and come to an understanding. And the “Boyz in the Hood” handshake was just that kind of understanding. The problem is that Larry saw something that he didn’t understand and to deal with it, he lashed out at it.
Ludlow should be glad that President’s Obama and Chavez didn’t break down and have a “dance off.” Or do the “fist pound.” Or a “chest bump.” Because he might have had a heart attack!
Comments
Add A Comment