Five Toxic, Devisive and Thoroughly Un-Presidential Aspects of Obama's Proclamation for this Black History Month

Barack Obama's failures as POTUS are becoming legendary.  But none is so unfortunate and full of irony as his failure to racially unite this nation, despite that being the principal promise he was qualified - and elected - to fulfill.

Yet, when Barack Obama leaves office early next year, he will leave this country more racially divided than it's been since the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s.  By all accounts in all camps across racial lines, this is undeniable, and the reasons are all laid out in his long-winded Presidential Proclamation reaffirming February, 2016, again, as African American History Month.  The full text is printed below the fold, but here are the five ways that this statement proves Barack Obama could never do anything but divide America racially.

There's NO EXIT STRATEGY:  Like all good Progressives, he claims much "progress."  But the entire tone of his statement is one of endless struggle.  He even refers to slavery as "our Nation's original sin."  Like in Orwell's 1984, "challenges persist," forever.  This war is never going to end, and it is never meant to end.  Why?  Because then we won't need Progressives any more.  While they are in charge, there will never be honest talk of a post-racial America, which was Dr. Martin Luther King's real dream.  Yet this implication of endlessness is a horrific deceit.  Americans just elected a black President TWICE.  With only 13% of the population, it was not only black Americans who did this.  Leaving us with no end in sight makes this lie the most toxic aspect of this disgusting statement.

Outrageous Blame-Storming:  The single example given for how our nation remains rigged unfairly against blacks is the fact that they are disproportionately represented in the nation's prisons.  This much is true.  And Barack takes credit for reducing, by extra-legal methods, this number every year of his tenure.  But the truth he neglects is that blacks overwhelmingly commit the most crime in this country, and that percentage has grown while he's been in office, partly due to increased urban anarchy that he has encouraged.  That tragedy is not make-believe.  That problem exists, and Barack completely neglects (see next item) to address any aspect of it in this statement.  But worst of all, he completely blames this problem on the pervasive racism and unfairness of our criminal justice system that is STILL in desperate need of "reform!"  Did you get that?  Almost all those black men are in prison because of our persistent racism!  Americans really suck, don't we?

Outrageous Denial:  The elephant in the room does not get mentioned.  Though he takes credit for springing more blacks from prison, and healthcare gains among blacks, he neglects to mention the shameful degradation of moral leadership in black communities that can only be traced to the influence of Progressives.  The fact remains that during the era of Civil Rights, fatherlessness among blacks was around 7%.  It is now in excess of 50%, and that number has increased while Barack Obama has been President.  Has he addressed this tragedy in which he is uniquely positioned to provide leadership?  He has not.  And there is zero mention of it, even in the form of moral encouragement, in this statement, even though studies consistently link fatherlessness to crime among all young men, regardless of race.

Temptation to Bash All Southerners Is Not Resisted:  A little restraint here would have been appreciated, in light of the horrendous cultural upheaval going on across the American South, where activists are demanding that any historical trace of the Old South be swept away immediately.  Statues are coming down, flags are dropping and names are changing.  It's like the plantations are being burned all over again.  But in his statement, Obama could not resist talking about post-war blacks, "bound by the chains of slavery" that "broke free and headed North."  Wonderful.  That's not exactly what happened, since the majority of freed slaves stayed in the south.  But Barack makes it clear in his statement that, even today, the American South is an accursed place that is only fit to flee from.  Got it.  Thanks for the sensitivity, Boss.

Shameful Bragging and Pandering:  It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that a politician like Barack Obama might use a cultural proclamation like this to shamefully brag about his accomplishments, tell all African Americans to not forget to "vote" (wink, wink), and to lie about his horrifying legacy that has increased the poverty of all Americans, but especially those of color.  That's because he can't help himself.  What a dick.

FOR REFERENCE: Presidential Proclamation -- National African American History Month, 2016

America's greatness is a testament to generations of courageous individuals who, in the face of uncomfortable truths, accepted that the work of perfecting our Nation is unending and strived to expand the reach of freedom to all. For too long, our most basic liberties had been denied to African Americans, and today, we pay tribute to countless good-hearted citizens -- along the Underground Railroad, aboard a bus in Alabama, and all across our country -- who stood up and sat in to help right the wrongs of our past and extend the promise of America to all our people. During National African American History Month, we recognize these champions of justice and the sacrifices they made to bring us to this point, we honor the contributions of African Americans since our country's beginning, and we recommit to reaching for a day when no person is judged by anything but the content of their character.

From the Revolutionary War through the abolitionist movement, to marches from Selma to Montgomery and across America today, African Americans have remained devoted to the proposition that all of us are created equal, even when their own rights were denied. As we rejoice in the victories won by men and women who believed in the idea of a just and fair America, we remember that, throughout history, our success has been driven by bold individuals who were willing to speak out and change the status quo.

Refusing to accept our Nation's original sin, African Americans bound by the chains of slavery broke free and headed North, and many others who knew slavery was antithetical to our country's conception of human rights and dignity fought to bring their moral imagination to life. When Jim Crow mocked the advances made by the 13th Amendment, a new generation of men and women galvanized and organized with the same force of faith as their enslaved ancestors. Our Nation's young people still echo the call for equality, bringing attention to disparities that continue to plague our society in ways that mirror the non-violent tactics of the civil rights movement while adapting to modern times. Let us also not forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could make our voices heard by exercising our right to vote. Even in the face of legal challenges, every eligible voter should not take for granted what is our right to shape our democracy.

We have made great progress on the journey toward ensuring our ideals ring true for all people. Today, African American high school graduation and college enrollment rates are at an all-time high. The African-American unemployment rate has been halved since its Great Recession peak. More than 2 million African Americans gained health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act. The incarceration rates for African-American men and women fell during each year of this Administration and are at their lowest points in over two decades. Yet challenges persist and obstacles still stand in the way of becoming the country envisioned at our founding, and we would do a disservice to all who came before us if we remained blind to the way past injustices shape the present. The United States is home to 5 percent of the world's population, but 25 percent of the world's prisoners -- a disproportionate number of whom are African American -- so we must find ways to reform our criminal justice system and ensure that it is fairer and more effective. While we've seen unemployment rates decrease, many communities, particularly those of color, continue to experience significant gaps in educational and employment opportunities, causing too many young men and women to feel like no matter how hard they try, they may never achieve their dreams.

Our responsibility as citizens is to address the inequalities and injustices that linger, and we must secure our birthright freedoms for all people. As we mark the 40th year of National African American History Month, let us reflect on the sacrifices and contributions made by generations of African Americans, and let us resolve to continue our march toward a day when every person knows the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2016 as National African American History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.

BARACK OBAMA