Response to Obama Parody

Pictured are Peter, Paul, and Mary

By now you’ve heard the buzz surrounding the controversial “gift” that was passed around Capitol Hill last week. The parody “Barack the Magic Negro” has brought the creator of the original song “Puff the Magic Dragon” out to voice his concern. Peter Yarrow of the 1960’s folk-singing group Peter, Paul, and Mary released this statement:

My Response to the Mean-Spirited “Barack the Magic Negro”

The sending of a Christmas
greeting by Chip Saltsman to the members of the Republican National
Committee that includes a recording of the so-called parody, “Barack
the Magic Negro” is not only offensive, it is shocking and saddening in
the extreme. It flies in the face of America’s deeply held hope for a
new era in which common ground and mutual respect characterize the
exchanges between our national leaders.

I and my co-writer of “Puff,” Lenny Lipton, have been eagerly awaiting
an end to the mean-spiritedness, outright disrespect and bigotry that
was commonplace prior to this last presidential election. What might
have been wearily accepted as “the way it was” in the campaign, is now
unacceptable. Obama is not a candidate. He is the President-Elect, and
this song insults the office of the Presidency, the people who voted
for him, as well as those who did not — and taking a children’s song
and twisting it in such vulgar, mean-spirited way, is a slur to our
entire country and our common agreement to move beyond racism.

It is almost unimaginable to me that Chip Saltzman who sent the CD,
would seriously be considered for the top post of the Republican
National Committee. Puff, himself, if asked, would certainly agree.

Why is it that some of the GOP (see, I didn’t say all of them) still insists on spreading hatred and racism? It seemed like for a solid six weeks, that is all that the McCain camp did. As Yarrow has said, Obama is no longer a candidate. Like it or not, he will be YOUR president starting January 20th, 2009.

For those of you who have not yet heard the song will be out of luck to find it linked on this blog.

Although the song came out in 2007, I heard the song on Rush Limbaugh earlier this year and was absolutely disgusted with it. First of all I couldn’t believe that the guy singing the song was trying to sound like Al Sharpton and secondly, Limbaugh tried to lay all blame that “liberals” and the LA Times as the ones that started the “Barack the ‘Magic Negro'” term. (Yes, I did not link you to the source because it is Limbaugh’s own site and I refuse to be linked to him at all.)   This was about the same time that Limbaugh was urging people to participate in Operation Chaos. How’d that work out for ya Mr. Limbaugh?

And just how in the hell did Don Imus get kicked off of radio for his
“nappy” comments while Jabba the Recovering Dope Fiend continues to spew this garbage? Ok, I apologize. That was rude and stoops me to the level of Limbaugh; then again, I’m using the same freedom of speech that he makes millions off of.

I’ll be thanking Mr. Limbaugh for his efforts in Operation Chaos and use of the 1st Amendment while I stand among the many in DC who will witnessing history on January 20th.