*It’s already a done deal, but Cornel West says it shouldn’t have happened.
At last Thursday’s poverty reduction forum, West said that President Barack Obama didn’t deserve to be sworn in for his second term as President of the United States with his hand on the bible of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
RELATED STORY: President Obama Says it was a Privilege to Use MLK’s Bible for Inauguration
The Princeton professor condemned Obama for using King’s “prophetic fire as just a moment in presidential pageantry” and called it a “political calculation.”
“I got upset because you don’t play with Martin Luther King, Jr. and you play with his people, and by his people what I mean is people of good conscience, fundamentally committed to peace, and truth, and justice,” West said.
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this old goat is always going on about something
No shit. When I went to college, he was giving a speech there. Racist old coot
I used to hold Dr west’s commentary in high regard, now not so much. Is Dr king’s bible any different than your or mine? Its symbolic, nothing more, nothing less. It is no way shape or form a disparagement of King’s legacy.
@ Cade Foster>Absolutely!
Cornel, I‘m down with you in the struggle and I’m feeling you about Obama’s short comings. But take a page from what Spike been going through. Some shyt ain’t worth the fuss.
It’s just a tradition to use a bible for the swearing in that belonged to someone who you admired. It’s not really that serious.
Nah, Obama ain’t no MLK. But he’s still black. So it holds some significance. No matter how remote.
Don’t lose perspective as Spike did, judging a spaghetti western as if it was a documentary on slavery.
It was not Mr. West decision one way it the other, it was the King Families decision so getover it! !
I am so tired of Cornel West that I don’t even know where to begin. Jealousy is crueler than the grave. This man is such a hypocrit that it isn’t even funny. So concerned about the race, but married to a white woman. Poking holes at Obama, who indeed has made many contributions to the country and the world. This guy needs to get a clue and a full service hair cut. I can’t even take him serious with his disheveled appearance!
Zeni, PLEASE tell me you are lying about him being married to a peckerwood??? OMG…
President Obama ha been the most “disrespected” President who sat in office, and it sure doesn’t help when prominent members of the black society are so critical of him and openly speak hatred towards him.We’ve had some pretty horrible Presidents who sat in office and made no effort to help us “little people”>despised the black race>and just didn’t do shit except lie>and I never heard folks complaining about them like they do Pres. Obama..I agree that sometimes people can’t stand to see another person higher than themselves>and I also agree that opinions are like azzholes>>everybody has one! Anyway>what ever happened to real brotherhood?
Has this man, Dr. Cornel West, lost his mind? He and his sidekick Tavis are forever demonizing President Obama. Sure, Obama is far from perfect, but think of the alternatives. I was born and raised in the Civil Rights period, and I vividly recall what Dr. King said and stood for. I think that he would be proud of President Obama, although probably having some issues with him. I went on “Freedom Ride II” down to Mississippi with Congressman Conyers of Michigan, Benjamin Hooks of the NAACP, Rev. Jess Jackson, then Congressman Gus Savage of Chicago, and 200 volunteers on a bus from Chicago, attempting to get elected the first Black to Congress since Reconstruction, Robert Clark, and although he lost, I was so proud of that effort that he made. Dr. West and Tavis Smiley should look at the bigger picture, of how far we have come, and think of an alternative with Mitt Romney. Sometimes I feel as if these two gentlemen have hidden agendas with their “poverty” initiative. And for Cornel West to sit on this stage and refer to Newt Gingrich as “brother” Newt. Ordinarily I would not have even commented on this, but I am sick and tired, as Famie Mae Hamer said, of hearing this from these gentlemen. I am in federal court as we speak, suing appointees of President Obama for racism, discrimination and dis-enfranchisement against me and our people, but I am not necessarily laying it at the feet of the President. We really need to pick our fights, and it is not with someone that can make fundamental change in our lives, like no one else in history has or could ever do. Let’s give this man a chance, and see how things look after another four years.
I completely agree. Great response….
OK, now I’m convinced that something is wrong with Dr. West. Remember when Beyonce tried to re-do Etta James’s At Last and Etta clowned her and next thing we know she was suffering from severe dementia. I think Dr. West is having some problems mentally that he’s not revealing so I don’t take his public comments on the President serious. No matter what Barack does, everybody won’t be content. I can’t even begin to understand how he stomachs so much racism but what I do love about him is, he wasn’t born with a platinum spoon in his mouth and he still has that brotha sway…someone we know that has met him said, the pictures or TV do him no justice and he is extremely handsome in person…
While I do think that Obama is the worst thing that has happened to America, Cornel West is not much better with his Black Liberation rhetoric!
“Obama is the worst thing to happen to America?” Please explain/provide some evidence to support this ridiculous statement.
He is a homosexual hiding behind a wife and kids like many sissies do! It is a documented fact that he is gay as is Emmanuel and Axelrod. They are members of a wellknown Chicago gay bathhouse!
No Clarence Thomas is the worse thing that ever happened to blacks. Abraham Lincoln was the worse thing that happened to blacks, J Edgar Hoover was the worse thing that ever happen to blacks, Larry Elder was the worse thing that ever happen to blacks…so I think your statement is BS.
Cornel West and Tavis Smiley are like crabs in a boiling barrel… Some Blacks cannot stand to see other Blacks have positions higher than their own.
This muthasucka will never be satisfied. Bump him and Tavis!
Dear Mr. Cornel West,
Obviously you have the right to say what you want to say, but “WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE THE ONE WHO SAYS THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA IS MESSING UP?” Why should a “BLACK MAN” be the voice to take down another BLACK MAN? Do you really think these WHITE FOLKS GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA DOES? YOU DUMB ASSHOLE THEY WANT HIM DEAD IF IT COULD BE DONE ! ANYTHING HE SUGGESTS WILL BE A NEGATIVE FOR THESE RACIST BASTARDS! AND HERE YOU COME WITH THAT 1960′S FUCKED UP HAIRDO ! GET A COMB YOU FOOL ASS PUNK! DIE YOUR FUCKIN SKIN COLOR BITCH ASS PUNK ! You and that BITCH ASS WANNA BE WHITE PIECE OF TRASH TAVIS SMILEY FACE! YOU THINK THEY WILL DO SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOUR ASS ?
GET REAL YOU LITTLE PUNK! Why don’t you run for office BITCH ! SEE HOW GOOD YOUR PUNK ASS WILL DO ! You a fucking HOUSE NIGGUH !
Dr. West and Tavis have just as much Right to analyze,criticize,and disagree with Pres. Obama as any News Station or magazine! He doesn’t have to agree with all of his policies, just because he’s Black,either. Do you Bitch and Cuss out all of the Networks,newspapers,and reporters that criticize Pres. Obama EVERYDAY?? There are TWICE as many people living in poverty now,as there was in Martin’s day! Is that being addressed?? You also have a lot of nerve calling people Bitch-Asses and other stupid insults! How does that help with anything? Tavis and Dr. West fight against racism and injustice everyday,and were doing it before Barack came into prominence! No Politician is above criticism! Would you want somebody to call you a Bitch-Ass because of your views?? The KKK are allowed to speak and protest! Fool!
Cornel West needs to go somewhere, anywhere and sit his black a** down. S*** or get off the pot. This man has not said one kind word about President Obama since he took office. This is sad. If the King family did not want MLK’s bible used, they would have not since it.
By the way, Cornel what do you represent? Princeton? Why?
Cornel West the old hateful werewolf looking fool from the dead, and Tavis Smiley a sweet sissyfied punk looking Madea. Both house knee grows are very bitter, and blessed by the devil. There’s nothing like these two old fashion black on black haters that just plagues the good of the community .
SHEEeeiiiiittttt !!!
I agree with Cornel West. Obama was raised in a white home that did not talk about MLK. Obama is a race user.
I honestly agree with Dr West. President Obama PLAYED with Dr Kings legacy just to hype the people……HE REALLY doesn’t have the right to stand 10 feet near that bible other than the fact that he’s the first black President….
oh well. King’s daughter does not agree with you
Kin’gs legacy is bigger than his kids and in all honestly, his children have not been great preservers of their father’s legacy. Recall when they were prepared to lend his “Dream” speech to a cell phone commercial, lol. I wonder if the same daughter who was willing to diminsh daddy’s speech there is the same one you are referring to now. Hmmm
I understand how you & others feel on this issue. Notice MLK’s remaining children, and sister were not upset, and never expressed any complaints or dislikes over the usage of this Bible belonging to their love one.
Dr. West has a right to speak his mind, even though every other word sounds like he’s losing more of his mind. He has a right to keep making inane points and rendering himself more irrelevant in the black community. The reason for his anger at Obama using King’s bible only makes sense to him because Dr. King cleared the way for Obama to be where he is. It’s darkies like Dr. West that hold us back because other nationalities see the confusion and back and forth in the black community and think we really don’t know what we’re doing or what we’re about. We are not of one accord, and I do not share the same thoughts he does about our president. If Dr. West was going to be angry about something it should have been Lincoln’s raggedy ass bible. He freed the slaves to save the Union, and for no other reason.
Excellent response Ivan. Standing ovation.
Cornel West is off his rocker, this man seems to be angry and bitter all the d@amn time! Okay he takes issues with Pres. Obama nothing new there, but who is he to say that Pres. Obama shouldn’t have used Dr. King’s bible, I think there’s something seriously wrong with him.
Four years ago Cornel West and the rest of those chronic whiners complained that Pres. Obama made no mention of Dr. King during his inaugural speech, four years later Pres. Obama uses Dr. King’s bible and Cornel West and them have a problem with that as well.
Pres. Obama swearing on Dr. King’s bible didn’t ‘upset’ his children so it shouldn’t ‘upset’ Cornel or anyone else.
If Dr Cornel West can do so much better then he can RUN for POTUS in 2016 and see how far he gets, he and smiley are doing os much in poverty programs and people are still in substandard housing and going hungry hmmm!! looks like they can only do so much or nothing either. Yes, POTUS can do so much more and there is roomm for VAST IMPROVEMEN!!! perhaps Cornel and pthes should ask for a meeting with Pres Obama and come up with ideas to help instead of complaining that would be a start. PS. Dr West always looks unkept like he is in need of a shower.
I agree, I assume Dr King’s children were in agreement for Obama to use the family bible, then what is the BIG DEAL!!! I thought it was a decent thing to do.
LoL…Dr. Cornel West is at it again. I have mad respect for him although I don’t agree with some of his antics and neither do I agree with Obama antics at times. It sounds kind of personal to me and I hope whatever the beef may be that they can go behind closed doors and discuss the raft and bury the hatchet. It may not happen too soon but anything is possible.
This got to be the dumbest Obama “controversy” of all times. Maybe folks need to get more informed about this tradition of using a particular bible for the swearing in ceremony.
Obama choosing to use MLK’s bible has nothing to do with how much he compares with MLK. It’s only an indication of how he feels about that person. For West or anyone to insinuate that this implies that Obama is somehow tarnishing the legacy of MLK means that they totally miss the whole point of the exercise.
So following this bible swearing in tradition, whose bible would West consider more appropriate. Obama being president is another testament of the fulfillment of King’s dream.
Even Tavis sees how dumb this is. He’s ain’t having not’n to do with it.
1. Why does Cornel West remain so upset with Obama, and everything Obama do and does not do? 2. Other than talk and sound negative and not look clean, what does Cornel do for the Black Community that they can’t do for themselves? Sorry I don’t understand the buffoonery, or the simpletons in full.
Meant to say, he ain’t having not’n to do with it.
First off.. Dr. MLK was a great man.. but he was not God..
nor was he a perfect man himself.. with his multiple affairs with Black and White women.
Mr. Cornell need to keep things in perspective and keep it pushing.. He’s too old for that drama bs
actually, I thought the President used the Lincoln bible
I’m not sure all of you are getting it. Dr. West is trying to tell you that he thinks Obama is a “straight sellout”. He’s painting him as the polar opposite to MLK.
@Bobby Crack- apparently MLK’s daughter, Bernice disagrees with West. On CNN she said she supported her father’s bible being used. So who are you gonna side with– MLK’s daughter or west?
The MLK Bible at the Obama Inauguration – The Best Weapon to take to the Nation’s Capitol
tcaamusic.net/2002429.htmlpic.twitter.com/WPRMeThJ
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Arthur L. Hunt, Jr., D.D.