John Sims, Florida City Commissioner, Apologizes For Racist Facebook Post How awful. I ask what in the HELL is wrong with Florida? I saw this story as I was reading HuffPo Black Voices. In Cooper City Florida Commissioner John Sims publicly apologized Tuesday night for a racially charged comment he posted on his Facebook page that angered commissioners and residents. "To those of you who were genuinely offended, I offer my deepest apology," said Sims at Tuesday's workshop meeting. "Rest assured that I will continue to serve our city well and continue to work equally for all people in Cooper City regardless of religion, ethnicity or social status." The comment Sims posted Nov. 30 read: "Just wanted to let you know ... today I received my 2013 Social Security Stimulus Package. It contained two tomato seeds, cornbread mix, two discount coupons to KFC, an 'Obama Hope & Change' bumper sticker, a prayer rug, a machine to blow smoke up my ass and a 'Blame it on Bush' poster for the front yard. The directions were in Spanish. Yours should arrive soon." WATCH: Newly elected Mayor Greg Ross made a last-minute decision to add the item to the city's workshop meeting after he received an outpouring of email from outraged residents. "The residents' phone calls asked me to please ask him to resign or to fire him," said Ross. "I don't have the right to do that. It's the citizens who vote him in and the citizens' right to vote him out." Ross added that Sims would benefit from "sensitivity training." Resident Gabriel De Gedeon shared with the commission his family's distaste with Sims' comment. "Those comments are 100 percent bitter and ignorant," he said. "I'm shocked that those offensive comments were written by a Cooper City commissioner." Sims said he did not come up with the post on his own; rather, he reposted it from another site.
"The post was done as a humorous commentary," he said. "I deeply regret that I failed to consider that some might find it offensive." Resident Jimmy Jones, who is the Hollywood assistant police chief, originally brought the comment to the city's attention and requested Sims' resignation last week. Jones said he was open to an apology from the commissioner Tuesday night. "As a resident in this community since 1999, I want my community served by people who care about everybody in the community," said Jones, who is white. Another resident, Christine Timmons, defended Sims, saying he should not be humiliated for exercising his right to free speech. "Every time a white person opens his mouth, people say, 'Oh, he's a racist,'" said Timmons, who is black. "He can say what he wants to say. He's got a right to free speech like anyone else." The mayor and commissioners said they do not condone Sims' comment and apologized to the city's residents. "The comment was vile, offensive -- it reminds me of a Neanderthal comment because it's very backward. It was not in good taste," said Commissioner Lisa Mallozzi. "But I accept his apology and we're going to move forward."
And they’re still wondering why Obama won Florida as well as re-election?
A HISTORIC FIRST: PRESIDENT OBAMA AND SEC OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON VISITS MYAMNAR
Obama's Historic Myanmar Visit Marked With Praise and some Pressure.
* Obama arrives for 1st visit by U.S. president to former pariah state
* Faces criticism from human rights groups for going too soon
* Obama denies visit is endorsement of government
* To announce resumption of U.S. aid
Barack Obama has become the first serving U.S. president to visit Myanmar, arriving on Monday for trip that will attempt to strike a balance between praising the government's progress in shaking off military rule and pressing it for further reforms.
His plane landed in the former capital Yangon, where he will meet President Thein Sein, a former junta member who has spearheaded reforms since taking office in March 2011, and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who led the struggle against military rule and, like Obama, is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is now a lawmaker.
Obama's trek to Myanmar is meant to highlight what the White House has touted as a major foreign policy achievement -- its success in pushing the country's generals to enact changes that have unfolded with surprising speed over the past year,
But some international human rights group object to the Myanmar visit, saying Obama is rewarding the country's government for a job they regard as incomplete.
Speaking in Thailand on the eve of his landmark visit to the former pariah state, Obama denied he was going there to offer his "endorsement" or that his trip was premature.
Instead, he insisted his intention was to acknowledge that Myanmar, also known as Burma, had opened the door to democratic change but there was still much more to do.
"I don't think anybody is under the illusion that Burma's arrived, that they're where they need to be," Obama told a news conference as he began a three-country Asian tour, his first trip abroad since winning a second term.
"On the other hand, if we waited to engage until they had achieved a perfect democracy, my suspicion is we'd be waiting an awful long time," he said.
The Myanmar visit, less than two weeks after his re-election, is the centrepiece of a trip aimed at showing Obama is serious about shifting the U.S. strategic focus eastwards as America winds down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The so-called "Asia pivot" is also meant to counter China's rising influence.
But Obama arrives with his attention divided as he faces a mounting conflict in the Gaza Strip and grapples with a looming fiscal crisis at home.
"Obama's trip to Burma risks providing an undeserved seal of approval to the military-dominated government that is still violating human rights," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said before the president arrived in the region.
Obama's aides said he was determined to "lock in" democratic changes already under way but will also press for further action, including freeing remaining political prisoners and stronger efforts to curb ethnic and sectarian violence.
A senior U.S. official said Obama would announce the resumption of U.S. aid programmes in Myanmar during his visit, anticipating assistance of $170 million in fiscal 2012 and 2013, but this, too, would be dependent on further reforms.
"The president will be announcing that the United States is re-establishing a USAID mission in Burma, which has been suspended for many years," the official told reporters in Bangkok, declining to be named.
"Our continued ramping-up of our efforts within Burma is contingent upon the government continuing to address the issues at hand on political reform, on national reconciliation and on a development that reaches their people," the official added.
The United States has softened sanctions and removed a ban on most imports from Myanmar in response to reforms already undertaken, but it has set conditions for the full normalisation of relations, such as the release of all political detainees.
WATCH:
In a speech to be given at Yangon University to an audience that will include several high-profile former prisoners, Obama will stress the rule of law and allude to the need to amend a constitution that still gives a great role in politics to the military, including a quarter of the seats in parliament.
"America may have the strongest military in the world, but it must submit to civilian control. As president and commander-in-chief, I cannot just impose my will on our congress, even though sometimes I wish I could," he will say.
"I appoint some of our judges, but I cannot tell them how to rule, because every person in America, from a child living in poverty to the president, is equal under the law."
He looks forward to a future "where national security is strengthened by a military that serves under civilians, and a Constitution guarantees that only those who are elected by the people may govern".
Violence between majority Buddhists and the Rohingya Muslim minority in western Myanmar is a top concern, and Obama's aides said he would address the issue directly with Myanmar's leaders.
Myanmar considers the Rohingya Muslims to be illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh and does not recognise them as citizens. A Reuters investigation into the wave of sectarian assaults painted a picture of organised attacks against the Muslim community.
Despite human rights concerns, the White House sees Myanmar as a legacy-building success story of Obama's policy of seeking engagement with U.S. enemies, a strategy that has made little progress with countries such as Iran and North Korea.
Obama's visit to Myanmar, sandwiched between stops in Thailand and Cambodia, also fits the administration's strategy of trying to lure China's neighbours out of Beijing's orbit.
For Obama, the visit carries added significance. He received his Nobel Peace Prize less than a year after taking office in 2009. The award was widely seen as recognising him more for lofty speech-making than for any major accomplishment on the world stage. This is a chance to tout a foreign policy success.
President Barack Obama’s victory is being celebrated all over the world. Romney didn’t make quite a good impression overseas, and we appreciate his classy concession speech that came a little late, but was nonetheless, right on time.
Some folks, especially the Kenyan village where President Obama’s step-grandmother lives, was on fire with celebration.
Time magazine put together a photo essay of worldwide celebration pics. Check them out:
A city in Japan rallied supporters for its namesake "Obama".
Obama's family parties in Kogelo village, Kenya, including his step-grandmother Sarah Obama (center).
Alma Mater Rocks
Teachers and students at Obama's old primary school in Jakarta, Indonesia, react to the win.
Shanghai Surprise
Shanghai gets going upon learning of the result of the U.S. Presidential elections.
Grateful in Geneva
An election party in Switzerland goes into top gear.
Screaming for Change
Students swing into party mode in Sydney, Australia.
Multiple Michelle and Barack Obamas face this man in Seoul, South Korea.
Bhutanese monks take a break at the Dechen Phodrang monastery to watch the election.
Congratulations Mr President and now lets get to WORK and MOVE FORWARD!
FIRST LADY OBAMA WOWS EM AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION!
"Being the president doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are"
Democrats had two simple messages for voters: Mitt Romney does not get it, and President Obama does. The main attraction was Mr. Obama's lead character witness: his wife, Michelle.
Michelle Obama was the overwhelming star of Tuesday night's Democratic National Convention, delivering a powerful personal narrative about her husband still being the same deeply principled man she fell in love with 23 years ago when they were both broke and watching their families struggle.
Obama's speech contrasted with barnburners from the rest of the night, which attacked GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney on everything from his Swiss bank accounts to flip-flopping on abortion. But the first lady's remarks also touched on the message that others, including the keynote speaker, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, made earlier: Struggle and success aren't just Republican ideals, and there's nothing un-American about getting help.
Obama's speech, like Ann Romney's at the Republican National Convention last week, focused on her relationship with a candidate that she knows as a husband and a father. But while Romney's talk of saving money by eating tuna and pasta fell flat, Obama's stories of student loan debt and family hardships made for a more convincing case that the can relate to middle-class struggles.
During her remarks, the first lady said she knew Barack would make an "extraordinary" president when he first ran in 2008, but in her quieter moments, she worried about the toll the spotlight would take on their daughters. She said she feared losing "the simple joys" she shared with her family.
REMARKS BY FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, CHARLOTTE
SEPTEMBER 4, 2012
Thank you so much, Elaine…we are so grateful for your family's service and sacrifice…and we will always have your back.
Over the past few years as First Lady, I have had the extraordinary privilege of traveling all across this country.
And everywhere I've gone, in the people I've met, and the stories I've heard, I have seen the very best of the American spirit.
I have seen it in the incredible kindness and warmth that people have shown me and my family, especially our girls.
I've seen it in teachers in a near-bankrupt school district who vowed to keep teaching without pay.
I've seen it in people who become heroes at a moment's notice, diving into harm's way to save others…flying across the country to put out a fire…driving for hours to bail out a flooded town.
And I've seen it in our men and women in uniform and our proud military families…in wounded warriors who tell me they're not just going to walk again, they're going to run, and they're going to run marathons…in the young man blinded by a bomb in Afghanistan who said, simply, "…I'd give my eyes 100 times again to have the chance to do what I have done and what I can still do."
Every day, the people I meet inspire me…every day, they make me proud…every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth.
Serving as your First Lady is an honor and a privilege…but back when we first came together four years ago, I still had some concerns about this journey we'd begun.
While I believed deeply in my husband's vision for this country…and I was certain he would make an extraordinary President…like any mother, I was worried about what it would mean for our girls if he got that chance.
How would we keep them grounded under the glare of the national spotlight?
How would they feel being uprooted from their school, their friends, and the only home they'd ever known?
Our life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys…Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at grandma's house…and a date night for Barack and me was either dinner or a movie, because as an exhausted mom, I couldn't stay awake for both.
And the truth is, I loved the life we had built for our girls…I deeply loved the man I had built that life with…and I didn't want that to change if he became President.
I loved Barack just the way he was.
You see, even though back then Barack was a Senator and a presidential candidate…to me, he was still the guy who'd picked me up for our dates in a car that was so rusted out, I could actually see the pavement going by through a hole in the passenger side door…he was the guy whose proudest possession was a coffee table he'd found in a dumpster, and whose only pair of decent shoes was half a size too small.
But when Barack started telling me about his family – that's when I knew I had found a kindred spirit, someone whose values and upbringing were so much like mine.
You see, Barack and I were both raised by families who didn't have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable – their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.
My father was a pump operator at the city water plant, and he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when my brother and I were young.
And even as a kid, I knew there were plenty of days when he was in pain…I knew there were plenty of mornings when it was a struggle for him to simply get out of bed.
But every morning, I watched my father wake up with a smile, grab his walker, prop himself up against the bathroom sink, and slowly shave and button his uniform.
And when he returned home after a long day's work, my brother and I would stand at the top of the stairs to our little apartment, patiently waiting to greet him…watching as he reached down to lift one leg, and then the other, to slowly climb his way into our arms.
But despite these challenges, my dad hardly ever missed a day of work…he and my mom were determined to give me and my brother the kind of education they could only dream of.
And when my brother and I finally made it to college, nearly all of our tuition came from student loans and grants.
But my dad still had to pay a tiny portion of that tuition himself.
And every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time, even taking out loans when he fell short.
He was so proud to be sending his kids to college…and he made sure we never missed a registration deadline because his check was late.
You see, for my dad, that's what it meant to be a man.
Like so many of us, that was the measure of his success in life – being able to earn a decent living that allowed him to support his family.
And as I got to know Barack, I realized that even though he'd grown up all the way across the country, he'd been brought up just like me.
Barack was raised by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills, and by grandparents who stepped in when she needed help.
Barack's grandmother started out as a secretary at a community bank…and she moved quickly up the ranks…but like so many women, she hit a glass ceiling.
And for years, men no more qualified than she was – men she had actually trained – were promoted up the ladder ahead of her, earning more and more money while Barack's family continued to scrape by.
But day after day, she kept on waking up at dawn to catch the bus…arriving at work before anyone else…giving her best without complaint or regret.
And she would often tell Barack, "So long as you kids do well, Bar, that's all that really matters."
Like so many American families, our families weren't asking for much.
They didn't begrudge anyone else's success or care that others had much more than they did...in fact, they admired it.
They simply believed in that fundamental American promise that, even if you don't start out with much, if you work hard and do what you're supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.
That's how they raised us…that's what we learned from their example.
We learned about dignity and decency – that how hard you work matters more than how much you make…that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.
We learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters…that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules…and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square.
We learned about gratitude and humility – that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean…and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect.
Those are the values Barack and I – and so many of you – are trying to pass on to our own children.
That's who we are.
And standing before you four years ago, I knew that I didn't want any of that to change if Barack became President.
Well, today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my husband in ways I never could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being president doesn't change who you are – it reveals who you are.
You see, I've gotten to see up close and personal what being president really looks like.
And I've seen how the issues that come across a President's desk are always the hard ones – the problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you to the right answer…the judgment calls where the stakes are so high, and there is no margin for error.And as President, you can get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people.
But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, all you have to guide you are your values, and your vision, and the life experiences that make you who you are.
So when it comes to rebuilding our economy, Barack is thinking about folks like my dad and like his grandmother.
He's thinking about the pride that comes from a hard day's work.
That's why he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work.
That's why he cut taxes for working families and small businesses and fought to get the auto industry back on its feet.
That's how he brought our economy from the brink of collapse to creating jobs again – jobs you can raise a family on, good jobs right here in the United States of America.
When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all those folks who told him to leave health reform for another day, another president.
He didn't care whether it was the easy thing to do politically – that's not how he was raised – he cared that it was the right thing to do.
He did it because he believes that here in America, our grandparents should be able to afford their medicine…our kids should be able to see a doctor when they're sick…and no one in this country should ever go broke because of an accident or illness.
And he believes that women are more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies and our health care…that's what my husband stands for.
When it comes to giving our kids the education they deserve, Barack knows that like me and like so many of you, he never could've attended college without financial aid.
And believe it or not, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.
We were so young, so in love, and so in debt.
That's why Barack has fought so hard to increase student aid and keep interest rates down, because he wants every young person to fulfill their promise and be able to attend college without a mountain of debt.
So in the end, for Barack, these issues aren't political – they're personal.
Because Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.
He knows what it means to want something more for your kids and grandkids.
Barack knows the American Dream because he's lived it…and he wants everyone in this country to have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we're from, or what we look like, or who we love.
And he believes that when you've worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity…you do not slam it shut behind you…you reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.
So when people ask me whether being in the White House has changed my husband, I can honestly say that when it comes to his character, and his convictions, and his heart, Barack Obama is still the same man I fell in love with all those years ago.
He's the same man who started his career by turning down high paying jobs and instead working in struggling neighborhoods where a steel plant had shut down, fighting to rebuild those communities and get folks back to work…because for Barack, success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives.
He's the same man who, when our girls were first born, would anxiously check their cribs every few minutes to ensure they were still breathing, proudly showing them off to everyone we knew.
That's the man who sits down with me and our girls for dinner nearly every night, patiently answering their questions about issues in the news, and strategizing about middle school friendships.
That's the man I see in those quiet moments late at night, hunched over his desk, poring over the letters people have sent him.
The letter from the father struggling to pay his bills…from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won't cover her care…from the young person with so much promise but so few opportunities.
I see the concern in his eyes...and I hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, "You won't believe what these folks are going through, Michelle…it's not right. We've got to keep working to fix this. We've got so much more to do."
I see how those stories – our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams – I see how that's what drives Barack Obama every single day.
And I didn't think it was possible, but today, I love my husband even more than I did four years ago…even more than I did 23 years ago, when we first met.
I love that he's never forgotten how he started.
I love that we can trust Barack to do what he says he's going to do, even when it's hard – especially when it's hard.
I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as "us" and "them" – he doesn't care whether you're a Democrat, a Republican, or none of the above…he knows that we all love our country…and he's always ready to listen to good ideas…he's always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.
And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we're all sweating it – when we're worried that the bill won't pass, and it seems like all is lost – Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.
Just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward…with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.
And he reminds me that we are playing a long game here…and that change is hard, and change is slow, and it never happens all at once.
But eventually we get there, we always do.
We get there because of folks like my Dad…folks like Barack's grandmother…men and women who said to themselves, "I may not have a chance to fulfill my dreams, but maybe my children will…maybe my grandchildren will."
So many of us stand here tonight because of their sacrifice, and longing, and steadfast love…because time and again, they swallowed their fears and doubts and did what was hard.
So today, when the challenges we face start to seem overwhelming – or even impossible – let us never forget that doing the impossible is the history of this nation…it's who we are as Americans…it's how this country was built.
And if our parents and grandparents could toil and struggle for us…if they could raise beams of steel to the sky, send a man to the moon, and connect the world with the touch of a button…then surely we can keep on sacrificing and building for our own kids and grandkids.
And if so many brave men and women could wear our country's uniform and sacrifice their lives for our most fundamental rights…then surely we can do our part as citizens of this great democracy to exercise those rights…surely, we can get to the polls and make our voices heard on Election Day.
If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire…if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores…if women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote…if a generation could defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time…if a young preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream…and if proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love…then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American Dream.
Because in the end, more than anything else, that is the story of this country – the story of unwavering hope grounded in unyielding struggle.
That is what has made my story, and Barack's story, and so many other American stories possible.
And I say all of this tonight not just as First Lady…and not just as a wife.
You see, at the end of the day, my most important title is still "mom-in-chief."
My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world.
But today, I have none of those worries from four years ago about whether Barack and I were doing what's best for our girls.
Because today, I know from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for my daughters, and all our sons and daughters…if we want to give all our children a foundation for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise…if we want to give them that sense of limitless possibility – that belief that here in America, there is always something better out there if you're willing to work for it…then we must work like never before…and we must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward…my husband, our President, President Barack Obama.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
Obama got a standing ovation from the crowd, and as the camera panned around the room, several people visibly wept.
