No more of "no more excuses"

Sometimes, I really hate it when I'm right. But every now and again - and against tremendous odds - it happens.

Last evening, in the middle of President Obama's mostly inspiring address to the NAACP for its centennial celebration, I made a prediction about the next day's headlines.

I even went through the trouble of posting it in the status line of my Facebook account at 7:50 p.m. eastern:

(Blackink) can already see the headlines tomorrow: Obama to blacks "No excuses." Sigh.

So, how did I do?

New York Times: Obama Tells Fellow Blacks: ‘No Excuses’ for Any Failure.’
Reuters (by way of Yahoo): Obama has tough-love message for African-Americans.
BBC: Obama urges "new black mindset."
Fox News: Obama Tells Blacks 'No Excuses at NAACP'
New York Post: School the New Cool. O to parents: It's Not Just About Rap.

But to the credit of several other news organizations, they went in another direction.

AP: Obama tells NAACP more yet to do on civil rights.
CNN: Obama to NAACP: Progress made but still much to accomplish.
Politico: President Obama: Discrimination still felt.
Washington Post: Obama Speaks of Blacks' Struggle.

Now far be it from me to tell another reporter which direction to go with their story. I also know that often you serve/report/write at the leisure of your editors, which basically means that you have to give your bosses what they want. And, finally, writers often have nothing to do with the headlines that accompany their stories.

But all that acknowledged and said, I'm mighty tired of those reporters who lean on the "tough love" meme as if Obama and Bill Cosby are the first black men to notice that maybe teh Negroes ought to take responsibility for their own situations.

It's not original, and most of all, it's complete bullshit. This is not the fault of Obama. This is the fault of really lazy reporters and editors. And people who don't know other black people.

You would be better off reading the text of the speech yourself. TNC has more about this here.