On Friday, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to graduating high school students in Topeka Kansas, and during her speech, Obama suggested segregation still exists and encouraged students to police the racially insensitive comments of family, friends, and colleagues because federal laws can only go so far in thwarting racism. On radio this morning, Glenn reacted to the First Lady’s telling remarks.
“Michelle Obama gave a speech where… they're worried about segregation again, and I don't think that that was something that any of us worried about six years ago,” Glenn said. “Was anybody on the, ‘Hey, we might all be segregated again?’ I don't know. It's strange how their policies to bring us all together is just driving a stake in our heart and a wedge between all of us.”
Obama was invited to speak to the Topeka students in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. The Board of Education (1954), which said it was unconstitutional for states to establish separate public schools for black and white students.
While the First Lady praised the diversity of the student body, she warned there is “no court case against believing in stereotypes or thinking that certain kinds of hateful jokes or comments are funny.”
“You see, when you grow up in a place like Topeka, where diversity is all you’ve ever known, the old prejudices just don’t make any sense,” she said. “But remember, not everyone has grown up in a place like Topeka. See, many districts in this country have actually pulled back on efforts to integrate their schools, and many communities have become less diverse as folks have moved from cities to suburbs.”
As Obama explained, Brown v. The Board of Education “is still being decided every single day –- not just in our courts and schools, but in how we live our lives.”
“Now, our laws may no longer separate us based on our skin color, but nothing in the Constitution says we have to eat together in the lunchroom, or live together in the same neighborhoods,” she said. “So the answers to many of our challenges today can’t necessarily be found in our laws. These changes also need to take place in our hearts and in our minds. And so, graduates, it’s up to all of you to lead the way, to drag my generation and your grandparents’ generation along with you. And that’s really my challenge to all of you today.”
“One way you could do that: Maybe tape personal conversations in the kitchen of NBA owners,” Stu joked. “That’s a good way to do it.”
“If we could just do that and then report them right to like the IRS - wouldn't that be good,” Glenn added.
When you consider what President Obama’s senior advisor Valerie Jarrett told graduates at Pomona College in Claremont, California about the methods she has at her disposal to look into everything someone does online before hiring that individual, one can only imagine how this Administration plans to snuff out racism.
“It's chilling,” Pat said of Jarrett’s off-handed joke. “And all the students think it's great. ‘That's so funny. They're monitoring everything I'm doing… You've got special ways? Good. Are you monitoring every keystroke?’ Yes. What's wrong with this generation?”
“They don't know any different,” Glenn concluded. “Look what's happening with Common Core. Why are they dumbing us down? Why are they teaching us not to read Huck Finn? Why are teaching us not to listen to another point of view? They need to get our critical thinking erased.”
Read Obama’s full speech HERE.
Front page image courtesy of the AP
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