A few words: White House Party Crashers
Posted by: elledub08 on: November 30, 2009
I’ll make this brief and get right to the point as it will sum up all that I feel we need to know about the White House Party Crashers:
They’re rich and white. Therefore, they looked the part and got away with being as close to the President as they are in the above pic. Ain’t nothin else on it.
Now I know I might get told I’m playing the race card here, and I’m prepared for that. But I absolutely believe that if this couple were working class and perhaps not white, if this couple looked more like me and my fairly-new partner–young Black people with natural hairstyles (another topic in its entirety)–they wouldn’t have even seen the inside of that State Dinner. Like, at all.
I’m not saying that the CIA is racist or that there was racially-charged intent in their actions–all they’ve admitted to so far is they “made a mistake” (no sh*t sherlock) and that’s all we can really accept for right now. What I am saying though, is that the Salahi’s ability to get away with crashing a White House dinner speaks to their class and their level of white privilege.
From Anovelista:
I am having major issues with the White House State Dinner crashers, Tareq and Michaele Salahi. The first description of Michaele Salahi referred to her as a “glittering blonde decked out in a red and gold sari” and I knew we were in trouble. Even at the White House, the automatic assumption about a “glittering blonde” is why of course she belongs! She looks the part, right?
My point exactly. My friend Wise told me a great story that further illuminates this point. A few years ago, Wise went to a VIP party a professional colleague of his threw in the Hamptons. While he had every right to be at the party as anyone else, Wise was hassled by security because he doesn’t “look the part”: a tall brotha in a suit with a smallish afro. They questioned his being there, asked to see his ID, the whole nine, simply because he didn’t seem like he”belonged” there. What message does that send about how we feel about class and privilege and who gets to “own” high levels of such things?
In any case, the White House Dinner Crashers don’t tell us anything else, and it doesn’t get any more complicated than this. They were white, they were rich, and they got over on the CIA because they looked the part. Open and shut case of what is afforded to people who are at the top of the class ladder.
16 Responses to "A few words: White House Party Crashers"
November 30, 2009 at 3:05 pm
How can you say that a black wouldn’t have seen the inside of the white house? The president of the United States is half white, which means he has black and other mixes in him. He’s a mutt. He’s the president and considered to be the most powerful man on the planet. Now what does everyone want? His wife who is ugly as sin but whatever, is 100 percent black. Does that help?
November 30, 2009 at 4:18 pm
@ Kope187:
Thanks for your comments….I think. if anything it lets me know that ignorance still prevails no matter what people say or do in regards to matters concerning our President.
1.-The President himself has acknowledged that he is Black. That should be enough for you to respect the way HE IDENTIFIES and to understand that his being half White doesn’t negate that. Sorry if that disappoints you.
2.-When did I EVER say that A BLACK PERSON* would not have seen the inside of the White House? I said in this instance, they would have had a harder time getting through security because when it comes to this particular environment/space, this couple actually looked the part. Whether you agree is on you, but that’s the main reason why they were able to get through security. Re-read what I wrote and get back to me.
(and by the way: notice that Black is an adjective, not a noun. saying “a Black” is both offensive and poor grammar. do better.)
3. I won’t even comment on your “mutt” reference further. see point #1
4. Ugly as sin? Who the fuck are you? You are clearly someone who doesn’t have any respect for our First Lady and I would go so far as to say you have no respect for Black women as well. Sounds like you need some sensitivity training–and maybe to read a book or two.
November 30, 2009 at 4:55 pm
kope187 – “What does everyone want?” How about respect for people, respect for the First Family, including their racial identity? How about feeling that the White House and everyone inside is safe from entitled, obnoxious intruders who don’t take security seriously? Just for starters.
President Obama identifies as Black. Michelle Obama (who is intelligent and committed to public service and exceptional leadership – and yes, beautiful) also identifies as Black. That doesn’t change the fact that the Salahis had class and race on their side, and likely would not have had such an easy time passing through security if they didn’t.
November 30, 2009 at 4:43 pm
SIGH. Typically, I do not entertain trolls, but kope187, your ignorance and general nastiness astound me. Just for starters, no human being is “100%” anything, except human (look it up). Mrs. Obama, like most people throughout the African diaspora (look it up), is MULTIGENERATIONALLY MULTIRACIAL. Since you’re simple, I’ll explain what that means. That means that she has African AND European ancestries because both have composed her family’s genetic make-up for centuries. There’s a New York Times article about it and everything. I’m guessing you missed it – no surprise because you don’t really strike me as someone who reads much. Finally, Michelle Obama, while not a model, is an indisputably attractive women with amazing fashion sense, a sharp mind and a LAW DEGREE. And she’s in the White House, and really, that’s what’s bothering you, isn’t it?
November 30, 2009 at 9:18 pm
I’m glad someone got on kope187. Thank you Fiqah for summing up the gist of my intelligent wrath. Thanks ElleDub for the discussion.
Peace,
Najeema
November 30, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Prince thinks your comment sucks:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a309/Sark79/339mx7a.gif
November 30, 2009 at 8:16 pm
kope187 wrote:
His wife who is ugly as sin but whatever, is 100 percent black.
His wife is far far prettier than anybody you are likely to meet, or see in your home, so I can understand why you popped off with that.
Now that you’ve revealed yourself as ugly, jealous, petty, and misinformed, We all can see where the 100% figures in and for that, you need only a mirror.
November 30, 2009 at 4:24 pm
“ugly as sin” Clearly Kope187 is using adaptive technology cause you gotta be visually impaired.
Ugly as sin huh –
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/11/25/article-0-0759C3F8000005DC-338_634×555.jpg
right.
November 30, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Excuse me, but I’m visually impaired, and I promise you, Kope187 and I are not in the same camp at all.
Thank you for checking your ableism at the door, and keeping this place as classy as it has always been.
November 30, 2009 at 5:28 pm
The Secret Service needs to take the blinders off because Evil will not always “look bad” and good won’t always be pleasing to the eye. A closed mind is always easily taken advantage of.
I won’t address the foolishness in the comments since this seems like quite the classy blog & this is my first time here. I don’t want to show out too badly.
November 30, 2009 at 5:32 pm
ha! well, i’m glad ppl didn’t go too ham on the comment in question. why, this is a family friendly blog!
yes, the secret service needs to wise up QUICK.
December 1, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Wow that got some attention hahaha. First let me say that I should have just said that i do not find the First lady attractive, not ugly as sin. granted its not like you can’t drink her pretty. Everyone makes a big deal of her looks and wardrobe and I think thats lame.
I voted for Obama. My state voted republican so it didn’t matter but whatever. When I went to work the next day after he got elected I wish i had not voted fro him and this is why. Every gang banger wannabe, every rapstar wannabe dressed up like a damn clown, and every fake talking thug was saying how da white house be black now ya heard. Thats all they cared about. it was purely a race thing. Obama has even said that he hated how the black community has made it a race thing because now everyone is. this blog is pulling the race card regardless of what you say. Obama is a beautiful speaker and I think a real decent guy. No one cares about his issues. the thug wannabes at work didn’t either. he has great ideas. I love it. Bottom line is now that if you don’t agree with Obama that makes you a racist and I have heard that a million times before. Not here necessarily. Obama could end the war, cure world hunger, cure all the world’s diseases, etc, and no one would care because this entire presidency has turned into a race thing. honestly it doesn’t matter what he does, because all I and many people are going to remember are the thugs talkin bout how they ain’t gonna have to get a job cause obama gonna take care of da black man and his 8 illegitimate kids. Makes me sick. I heard a fat black woman on TV after he got elected saying that she would no longer have to work, buy grocerys, pay bills, or even have to put gas in her car. No BS! Disgusting!
The race thing needs to stop so Obama can do his job.
December 4, 2009 at 2:26 am
thanks for coming back and explaining yourself (or whatever you did here). I’d like to point out that instead of talking about the topic at hand which was the white house party crashers, you deflected and went on a rant about how you feel that many people voted for Obama because he’s Black.
You also continued to disrespect the first lady by saying you can “drink her to pretty”, which implies that you have the maturity of a stupid frat boy.
So unless you have something constructive to say about the topic at hand, I suggest you stop commenting here. If you don’t like what my blog and it’s posts have to say, then don’t read it.
November 30, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Julia:
Thank you for reminding us about the actual point of this article–that there is no denying that both race AND class (the latter point the commenter in question chose to ignore)–is what gave the Salahi’s “validity”
Leave a Reply
Recent Comments
red pump project
twitter
- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
November 30, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Agreed. Another story with the subtext of race is the brouhaha over Tiger Woods. No one was hurt, no one injured, and yet Florida police want a search warrant and celebrity blog/rag TMZ is all over the story like stink on sh!t. Why? Because it’s the perfect opportunity to bring down a successful black man. And better yet, he has a white wife to boot. It drives conservatives and the media crazy!