Al Qaeda No. 2 calls Obama a house slave, how to talk to your kids about it

November 19, 11:51 AMParenting ExaminerTerreece Clarke

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Talk honestly about race and other tough issues.

Al Qaeda's second in charge, Ayman al-Zawahiri, is back in the news taunting President-elect Barack Obama's foreign policy and calling African-American leaders Obama, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice "house slaves." The house slaves comment was later translated into the English translation of "house negros."

The slur is used to describe African-Americans who lived in the slave masters homes during slavery. These slaves were often said to be have been better treated, more docile and willing to do the slave master's bidding, as opposed to the slaves who worked in the fields. Intense study has shown the overwhelming majority of slaves, no matter their work location, were subjected to intense horrors - never ending, back-breaking work, threats of death, habitual rape, beatings, mutilations, and general humiliation and mistreatment no human should ever have to endure.

The issue is not with al-Zawahiri's historical misperception, it is with his use of this loaded racial slur. This incident and other negative, racially motivated incidents are being widely reported in the media and many parents may find themselves trying to explain what it all means.

Talking to kids about race is just as hard as talking about terrorism, sex, or any other touchy subject. Here are some tips to make the conversation go easier:

• For Young Kids

  • Talk about differences. Can they think of people who look different or who come from different countries? Explain that people can be different on the outside, but we're all human on the inside.
  • Find age-appropriate books that show multiple cultures and role models. Your school librarian should be able to help you.

  For Middle School Kids

  • Talk to your kids about what they see in the media. What gender are the heroes? What race? Do bad guys have accents in cartoons? In movies or games?
  • Explain how the news works. Editors make decisions about what images to use. These editors often have a point of view and select images that are consistent with it. Some are conservative, some liberal. But there's no such thing as completely neutral. Watch the news with your kids and see what they think.
  • Talk about the history of the Civil Rights movement. Young kids know about Rev. Martin Luther King, and they know about slavery. Make sure they understand that it wasn't very long ago and that there are still inequalities in this country.

  For Older Kids

  • Go on YouTube and watch Barack Obama's speech. Listen to it with your older middle school kids and high schoolers. Ask them what they think about what he has to say. What points made them think?
  • Explain how the news works -- that programs are in the business of getting ratings, and the best way to get the highest ratings often depends on sensational material. Ask your kids how they think that affects what gets coverage.
  • Geraldine Ferraro resigned from Hillary Clinton's campaign after saying that Ferraro wouldn't have been a candidate for vice president in the 1980s if her name had been Gerry, and Barack Obama wouldn't be a presidential candidate now if he weren't black. Ask your kids what they think that means.
  • Equal opportunity, welfare, and affirmative action are all hot points in the racial conversation in this country. Do your kids know what they mean? Do they know your feelings about these difficult subjects?

  Source:  Common Sense Media.Com

My two cents: this al Qaeda operative is obviously seeking to delegitimize President-elect Obama among al Qaeda and others who see his brown skin, so closely similar in color to theirs, as the worst type of minority - one who doesn't put his own people first. People around the world no matter their race, but especially those with brown skin, see Obama and hope, which is very dangerous to al Qaeda's cause. It is much easier to find people willing to strap a bomb to themselves for a cause when they have no hope.

It is also interesting that instead of standing on religious or political principle, al Qaeda has chosen to play the race card. Hmmmm....

*******UPDATE******

This is in response to some comments I have issues with that have been left on this post.

"ALRIGHT PEOPLE. Enough with the rehashing of this debate. Jews versus Arabs? Did you read my post? It's about racism, racist slurs and talking to your kids about how to talk to them - in a way that helps them to see that ALL people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect across racial, religious, gender, age and sexual orientation lines.

If you want to paint an entire race or religions with a broad brushes do it somewhere else. I want readers and parents who care about forwarding a constructive dialogue.

I will leave the comments as is only because it is an example of what NOT to do.

I hope that parents will look to explore their own prejudices to help give some straight talk to the kids.

Thank you - Terreece, National Parenting Examiner"