Tuesday, November 08, 2005

And the PR machine continues to sputter...

In a time where “President” Bush's popularity has reached an all-time low point, I think it's appropriate to figure out why. Our “Puppet-in-Chief”, who has the wisdom and common sense of a blow-up doll, decided he'd make nice-nice with African-Americans (a segment of the population where his approval rating is lower than his IQ – if that is indeed possible) by visiting Howard University, a traditionally black university, for a "youth summit."

That sounds nice… doesn’t it?

Well, what someone in the Bush administration forgot to do was to check to make sure the timing was not going to inconvenience anyones work. Instead, Bush and the Misses shut down the Blackburn Center.

Did I mention that this is where the dining hall is located.

Did I mention it was right at meal time and that it was soul food day, one of the most popular dining hall attactions all year long. Can you guess what happened?

Protests ensued.

Were the protest only about the food? Of course not. The protests were about the war in Iraq, the 2000 soldiers who have died in the conflict, and the fact that the students of the university were not allowed to attend the event.

During the protest, dozens of students locked arms around a flagpole in the Quad (which at that time had been designated forbidden zone at the center of the campus) and refused to move despite warnings from campus security that… wait for it…

… that Secret Service rooftop snipers might open fire on them.

Nice. Smart guys. Real smart.

So… something that should have been a much-needed Bush Administration public relations coup (a visit to a historically black college to show concern for at-risk youths) instead ended up as yet another Katrina-like moment, with the president appearing spaced-out, waving and smiling for television cameras while students were trying to break through campus security to get to the cordoned-off cafeteria so they could eat.

Sounds bad doesn’t it? Well, it gets so much worse than this…

Well, maybe not so much worse, but ironic.

I know, I'll say it gets ‘ironically’ worse? You all like that? Good.

On a day when the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that called for paying tribute to civil rights icon/hero/legend Rosa Parks, who died last week, campus security guards were telling students that if they wanted to eat they'd have to come back when the president and first lady were gone, go to a service door at the rear of the dining hall and ask for a chicken plate to go.

Nice.

By the way, according to the Howard University website, a student meal plan at the school can cost as much as $2,500 a semester.

So there you have it. On the very same day that Congress paid tribute to one of the most important Civil Rights figure in history who protested against Jim Crow laws requring blacks to sit at the back of the bus and forbade them from eating at lunch counters, Bush's minions push hundreds of African-American students to the back of the proverbial ‘lunch-counter bus line.’

Irony has never been served up on a bigger platter. Personally, I think this also goes to show just how nervous Karl Rove is in trying to save his own ass; allowing the President to run amok on his own without a guardian or parent around.

And then there was the nice reception the “President” got in Argentina (hell all of South America), but that’s for another day…

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Three giant steps back? What are you talking about peachblossom?

Unknown said...

Peachblossom, ease up on the personal attacks. My coffee and Budweiser/Corona/Jim Beam/Wild Turkey consumption is nunyabusiness. Anyway, some students had to wait for their dinner. Big deal. The fact that they're black - I believe is irrelevant. Let's just call them students, and get away from racial tags. As for deeper in debt, the war on terror isn't cheap, and I assume the crisis you write of are indictments.....which aren't convictions. As for that third step back, you wrote "just plain screwed up as a whole", well I can't comment on that because it's like saying a certain school "sucks". Not exactly specific. Anyway, why don't you relax tonight and have a drink....or at least a good cup of coffee.

Unknown said...

So basically, you are a "blame Bush" type of person. Rise in crime rates? Just the opposite, check the Dept of Justice numbers and see how crime rates have steadily dropped since 1994. Just google "national crime rates". Overcrowded prisons? Wouldn't that be an individual state's problem? How does that fall on the White House? Gas prices, meds, and medical costs...yea, those prices have shot skyward and I wish there is something that he could do about such.....but what? How? Nice debating you, but when I saw that you blamed Bush for what seemed like everything, I realized....why bother?

Anonymous said...

Both of you are rather ignorant for suggesting that Howard students protested over food. 1)Soul Food Day happens EVERY Thursday, 2) There was another campus cafeteria open, and 3) people holding signs saying "2000 Dead," "Books not Bombs," etc is far from a protest over a closed cafeteria.

So let me tell you why we protested. Our campus was shut down by "the man" & "the mrs" for a conference on helping and educating america's youth, yet Howard students were not invited or allowed to attend this "top security event." Furthermore, many classes were cancelled and campus was shut down without warning. So while many protested Bush and his policies-others protested the school's administration for allowing such an unorganized and chaotic event to take place...especially since it prevented students from attending classes that were paid for.

Unknown said...

Nowhere above do you see peachblossom or I say one word about Howard students protesting. Not a single word. Ignorant? I will even defend peachblossom on this one, since neither of us said or sugggested such. Feel free to apologize.

Kemp said...

What do you expect Mike? If they had any gumption or backbone they wouldn't have signed the comment as Anonymous.

I don't recall saying in my posting that they protested ONLY because of the meal in the cafeteria; granted I did mention that, but it was not singled out as the sole reason.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but anon. needs to read things completely and thoroughly before spouting off.

Of course, that's just *my* opinion.

Kemp said...

"Did I mention it was right at meal time and that it was soul food day, one of the most popular dining hall attactions all year long."

Right there Anon. I still do not mention Soul Food day being the only reason they protested as you mentioned in your first comment. I mentioned it in passing. Did anything I say imply it only happens once a year... no. So I am still not sure what your argument is exactly.

So, keep yourself anonymous, I don't care, but I know I was correct and informed. Something you, for a second time, have failed to be.

"I think the bigger issue of that particular day was the fact that the conference was on "Helping America's Youth" and yet Howard student aka America's youth were not able to attend." - that's true, but... the post wasn't about that. It was about the administrations poor judgement and pathetic PR; as the title itself states.

Anonymous said...

I am only providing comments anonymously because I don't want to join an asinine blog site. If you would like my full name and social security number, I can provide that. Anyway, I offer a third perspective not tied to the left or right. If the President of the United States wants to have a conference talking about nothing more than the status of pebbles on Howard's Campus, then he should be able to do so. I am shocked at the amont of whining from students that he ruined the very special Soul Food festivities. Grow up, man up, and for the love of goodness, Shut up. He is the President. He has bigger things to be concerned about. Oh, and by the way, he doesn't have to invite you if he doesn't want to.