Top Reasons Michelle Obama could be USA proud

First Tina sang about Mary, now Proud Michelle Obama has got things rollin'!

With her husband going hard at the U.S. Presidential bid, Michelle Obama has been gracing the campaign trail on Barack's behalf. Just as eloquent in her delivery as her husband, the very refined yet 'around the way sister-girl' delivery is polished enough to crossover and resonate with white educated and soccer-moms.

Yet, somehow she has found a way to come under direct fire from political pundits and mainstream media. Apparently, Ms. Michelle got a little too caught up in her husband's momentous primary wins. So much so that she had the audacity to voice her sentiments regarding her affinity for America. Seems she only recently has really been able to hold her head tall when it comes to her native country.

For the past week, her comments have been dissected in the headlines of media broadcasts and bloggers alike. Just for the record, these are her exact words (and you can view the actual speech on below):


"What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback. And let me tell you something — for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it's made me proud."

Maybe Michelle hasn't gotten the memo that she is a citizen of the beautiful land of the free and home of the brave.

Of course, she wouldn't have been necessarily "proud" of America before her birth in 1964. That's understandable, given the fact of slavery having taken place for the first 200+ years of this nations' history. And we all can agree that nobody could find an ounce of civil decency in the atrocious offenses of lynching and burnings that Ida B.Wells spoke out about during the 1920's and 1930's such as the Tulsa Riots or the Rosewood Massacre. Things were almost perfect for our country once Mamie Tillman decided to publicize her son's devastating remains for the world to see in 1955.

But Michelle should be grateful that she did not have to exist in a country where 4 little lives were blown away in the heinous church bombing less than a year before she was even born. AND, my goodness, the Civil Rights Movement worked so hard to ensure her lifetime would be full of promise and harmony, in a peaceful land of opportunity and justice for all. What more was there to be proud of than when the Voting Rights Act was signed into legislation?

Bless her little heart that she was just too young and naïve to understand that Tommie Smith and John Carlos were ostracized and threatened by their fellow Americans after being summarily dismissed from the US Olympic team in 1968 because they gave the Power to the People salute after their Gold and Bronze wins (respectively). If she had been an adult, maybe she might've been able to see reason to celebrate all this on behalf of her country.

She may have come of age in some discerning times to say the least, but she faced nothing like what was before her time. Things had to start looking up as she matured and we advanced in this Free world.


So, the magic question is why has Michelle Obama had to wait until her adult life to be 'proud' of her country?

Oh, maybe it was because in 1972 while she was yet a little girl, the President of her country was caught in corruption that ran the gamut between illegal wire tapping, robbery, threats, and violent attacks, notably called the Watergate Scandal.

Good thing she wasn't an adult when her President decided to use his constitutional discretion for 'police action' and involve American soldiers in the Vietnam War. She was probably too young then to know how to be proud of this activity on behalf of her country where millions of lives were lost and subsequently homes and families torn apart on both lands…leaving thousands American veterans maimed and disabled for the rest of their lives.

Luckily the country didn't assume her pride in it while she was a teenager during the 1980s and CIA Iran-Contra Affair propagated the proliferation and distribution of crack cocaine in Black communities across the America. But wait, no she would have been an adult by then…maybe this is when she could have first proclaimed her patriotism while all around her on the south side of Chicago destruction prevailed as yet another President rallied and united our country with great slogans like "just say no," and tax incentives for the rich.

But then again, yet another opportunity arose in the 1990s for country-pride when the United States' President and foreign policy turned a sleeping eye to the genocide and AIDS pandemic that spread across Africa. And when cries and a staunch fight to overturn affirmative action spread like wildfire across the country, THAT had to be the prime time to be so proud.

Onward as our new millennium arrived sagged by the first ever terrorist attack on US soil paralyzing the country, where was her patriotism for this mighty country? Given the swift promise and prophecy of the current administration, especially Bush's arrogant declaration when during the State of the Union Address of 2002 Bush stated "…as we gather tonight, our nation is at war, our economy is in recession and the civilized world faces unprecedented dangers. Yet the state of our union has never been stronger." Now knowing we had such a level headed commander in chief should have had Michelle heading up the AGC (American Glee Club).

It is a wonder that she didn't become explicit in her fondness of this country and especially its leadership when yet again the Bush man showed the world just how arrogant America can be when we engaged in preemptive war under false pretenses and the propaganda of fear.

Still, surely, Michelle Obama had to have felt a surge of pride after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and agreed wholeheartedly with President Bush when he turned to FEMA chief, Michael Brown, and announced "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," notwithstanding the swelling feeling she must have had as the situation of the Superdome and those left in flooding sewage died and floated past news cameras. Swelling with what emotion I'm not sure…maybe pride???

Somewhere in the happenings of our great nation Michelle Obama could find a few top reasons to be a PROUD American…or maybe she's stuck under some rock. Could be the mythical Plymouth Rock that overshadows accomplishments of black civilization in America, which is also still being passed on as the discovery zone of Christopher Columbus.

I must say, I'm mighty happy for Michelle, at least she has found her pride in this country…I'm still waiting on mine.


How about you?