ABOLISH STEREOTYPES.COM

 Dear Darrell,

I support Barack Obama because he doesn’t seek to perfect the politics of Swiftboating — he seeks to end it.

This is personal for me, and for a whole lot of Americans who lived through the 2004 election.

As a veteran, it disgusts me that the Swift Boats we loved while we were in uniform on the Mekong Delta have been rendered, in Karl Rove’s twisted politics, an ugly verb meaning to lie about someone’s character just to win an election. But as someone who cares about winning this election and changing the country I love, I know it’s not enough to complain about a past we can’t change when our challenge is to win the future — which is why we must stop the Swiftboating, stop the push-polling, stop the front groups, and stop the email chain smears.

The truth matters, but how you fight the lies matters even more. We must be determined never again to lose any election to a lie.

This year, the attacks are already starting. Some of you may have heard about the disgusting lies about Barack Obama that are being circulated by email. These attacks smear Barack’s Christian faith and deep patriotism, and they distort his record of more than two decades of public service. They are nothing short of “Swiftboat” style anonymous attacks.

These are the same tactics the right has used again and again, and as we’ve learned, these attacks, no matter how bogus, can spread and take root if they go unchecked.

But not this time — we’re fighting back.

And when I say “we,” I mean that literally. I know Barack is committed to fighting every smear every time. He’ll fight hard and stand up for the truth. But he can’t do it alone.

We need you to email the truth to your address books. Print it out and post it at work. Talk to your neighbors. Call your local radio station. Write a letter to the editor. If lies can be spread virally, let’s prove to the cynics that the truth can be every bit as persuasive as it is powerful.

The Obama campaign has created a place where you can find the truth you’ll need to push back on these smears and a way to spread the truth to all of your address book.

Take action here:

http://my.barackobama.com/factcheckaction

So when your inbox fills up with trash and the emails of smear and fear, find the facts, and help defeat the lies.

Barack Obama is committed to bringing our country together to meet the challenges we face, but he knows that power gives up nothing without a struggle — and to win the chance to change America, we must first defeat the hateful tactics that have been used to tear us apart for too long.

With your help, we can turn the page on an era of small, divisive politics — but only if next time you hear these attacks on Barack, you take action immediately:

http://my.barackobama.com/factcheckaction

The fight is just heating up — we won’t let them steal this election with lies and distortions.

Thank you,

John Kerry

Bill Shaheen, an attorney and campaign organizer for the Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign stated during an interview with the Washington Post that Democrats should give more thought to Sen. Barack Obama’s use of illegal drugs before picking a president.

Shaheen, “who’s mouth was seething with words of interposition and nullification,” went on to say that Obama’s background could be a problem in November 2008. He stated questions would be raised about his drug use, ‘When was the last time? Did you ever sell them to anyone?’

To associate Obama’s use of drugs with selling them plays into an unfortunate stereotype about black men and drugs. That stereotype is perpetuated through the images of black men on television leaning into someone’s car conducting a drug deal and/or by being chased by police on the Fox Reality T.V. special COPS.

It is the same type of settle racist political tactics used in the television advertisement against Ford (D-TN) who lost his bid for Senate because of a seedy commercial showing a white woman winking at him.

The goal is to paint and reinforce, if only for a second, a negative stereotypical image that scares mainstream America. It is those tactics that continues to create a wedge between cultures and gives life to the pigeon holding idea that place African Americans as the enemy to America and American values.

Although the Clinton campaign has distanced themselves from the comments, the damage is done. The best way Clinton can rectify the situation is to remove Bill Shaheen from her campaign and pledge to work assidiously to Abolish Stereotypes. His removal would send a message that she does not condone any forms of discrimination and/or stereotypes.

It is time we work to Build Bridges between Cultures and stop stereotyping our African American brothers and sisters and utilizing racist scare tactics to win votes.

Darrell London
Founder

We conducted a poll of 100 people from around the U.S. and asked, “What are some of the top stereotypes about black men?

Their response led to this list:
(1) Sexually Irresponsible - Some say this has led to the large number of black women with HIV. The stereotype is that black men have multiple sex partners and lie about it coupled with those in prison (2 Million black men as opposed to a little over 800,000 in college) have prison sex with their cell mates also known as “cellies” then come out and have sex with their women.
(2) Unfaithful - Impossible of maintaining a committed relationship.
(3) Are on the Down Low - A result of JL King’s book.
(4) Drug Dealers - At some point in their lives either have or will deal drugs.
(5) Lazy - Won’t work!
(6) Irresponsible Fathers - Don’t pay child support. Don’t visit or call their kids.
(7) Once successful will Marry “White” - the phenomenon behind this stereotype exist in the psychology of some brothers needing to be or feel accepted. Because of sharp criticism for the color of their skin, many “particularly dark skinned” African Americans who either date or marry white have done so out of an unconscious desire to feel accepted and validated as a result of being ridiculed or feeling self conscious about their skin color. It provides for them the opportunity to say, ‘ook at me now, look at what I got on my arm,’ in hopes of receiving a nod of approval. HOLD UP: While the aforementioned statement may be true for some, it can not be applied to everyone. Whenever something is said or applied to “ALL” then we step into the stereotype box…..Not all successful black men marry white women. Not all of them who have, done so out of a desire to feel accepted.
(8) All Have Large Penises - Stereotype indeed. There are some Little Willie Billy’s or Tiny Tyrone’s also known as LDMs (Little Dick Men) out there. ‘nough Said.
(9) Naturally Athletic - I can recall the time when Jimmy the Greek made the comment that black athletes are bred that way….How untrue. He was fired by CBS.
(10) Ghetto - That every black man is from the hood and if not act as if they are. visit disparagingterms.com to learn the origin of this term.
(11) ANGRY - This is an old long-lasting stereotype about black men that has been around for years. As a result many black men over compensate and act overtly friendly and smile all the time just to prove they’re not angry.

This list of stereotypes is not in any particular order. We did not calculate them by the number of votes they received. It is important that we shed a light on this so that we can continue to build a bridge between cultures and abolish stereotypes.

by Darrell London with Emanuel Basnight contributing