Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Activist wants Obama holiday

By Kendall Jones

Adobe Flash player 9 is required to view this video
Get Adobe Flash player

Happy Obama Day?

Topekan Sonny Scroggins says the holiday isn't really about Obama.

Topekan Sonny Scroggins says November 4th ushered in a "new era" America.

"It's a new era," the local activist said. "The Obama era."

If November 4th wasn't a holiday, it sure felt like one for some Americans.

In Lawrence, people stormed the street after hearing the news that Barack Obama would become the nations first black president.

Similar celebrations happened around the world, and now Scroggins wants to make an official national holiday

"This is something that most of us felt like we would never witness in our lives," Scroggins said. "This is a holiday for we the people. I wish Fredrick Douglas could have been here to see this and God's blessed me to see it. Hallelujah."

Some Topekans support Scroggins in his crusade.

"Sounds good to me," said Topekan Brandon Brown.

Others say the idea of honoring Obama would be premature.

"He still needs to prove himself," Topekan Brett Glover said. "I did vote for him. He's a great guy. I wouldn't go as far as to make a holiday for him just yet."

Obama's run for president was historic and changed history for America, but some say a holiday would give Obama too much credit.

"We need to change," said Todd Dorsey, a student at Washburn University. "Electing a president doesn't change anything. It's good, it's a step, but we need to change with ourselves."

The idea has even gotten Scroggins some un-wanted national attention.

"I'm asking Rush Limbaugh, would you please call your people off Rush," Scroggins pleaded to the national radio host. "Quit hating man. We're all trying to come together."

That's why Scroggins says the holiday would not just be about Obama. He says it would be about Americans.

"A new era has ushered in, America has grown up," Scroggins said. "I mean it's a good thing, for all Americans. Black, White, Green, Yellow, all of them."

Scroggins says Kansans should really support the idea because Obama's mother and grandparents are from here.

"Barack Obama has Kansas ties," Scroggins said. "You know those Kansas values. His mother, his grandparents, they're Kansans and I'm proud of that."

That isn't the only connection Scroggins feels to Obama.

"He's a community organizer and activist like I am," he said. "I'm happy to see somebody like me that's the president of the United States."

Reader poll

Should a national holiday be observed to honor Barack Obama?

  • Yes, because he is a great man. 0% 6 votes
  • Yes, because he is the first African-American to be elected U.S. President. 3% 41 votes
  • No, he has yet to prove himself as an effective, much less an exemplary, president. 63% 702 votes
  • No, there are already enough national holidays that are a burden on businesses. 31% 353 votes
  • No opinion. 0% 5 votes

1107 total votes.

More like this

Comments

situveux1 (anonymous) says...

You've got to be freaking kidding me.

November 11, 2008 at 9:18 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kswx29 (anonymous) says...

I kina think there should be one, since he is the first black president.

November 11, 2008 at 11 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

dltw (anonymous) says...

I saw this guy on TV tonight, & I think his desire is heartfelt and sincere, & that he is really happy about Obama winning the election.

While his sincerity is admirable, I'm a realist, and some would say I'm even cynical when it comes to politics. I'm old enough to remember very well the campaign promises of several past presidents, and that many things which are promised never come to fruition, and when confronted, they always have one excuse or another about why whatever-it-is didn't happen - usually blaming someone else for it. So we'll see what happens.

Did Rush Limbaugh or his people say they hated Obama?, I did not hear about this in the news.

November 11, 2008 at 11:07 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

wishk1 (anonymous) says...

Gee, no wonder racism still lives. He's just a guy who is president elect. Why should we care about color? Whoopty dingdong. In four years how will the world view him? He is not even sworn in and there's talk of a holiday???? If America has grown, as the article says, then we should not even be associating him with a race or color. He is a man. That's it.

November 11, 2008 at 11:31 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jonbirch (anonymous) says...

Welcome, to the U.S.S.A.. We now live in the United Socialist States of America. All of the stars have replaced by hammers and sickles. The only exception is Alaska: that state is allowed to be a star. Where does the socialism come from? A Socialist has been elected president. There is a Socialist based Congress: both the House and Senate. So, I would like to thank all amerikans (you may think it is misspelled, but it is not) who have brought us to this political hell.

November 13, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

TraditionalJeff (anonymous) says...

Creating a holiday to honor Obama for being the first black president-elect would be like honoring MLK, Jr. for being the first black civil rights leader to appear on television. King was a great man who made a positive and lasting difference in our country. Should Barack Obama do the same, then yes, create a singular holiday. But he has yet to do anything of mention.

November 13, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

USRay (anonymous) says...

It should be a national holiday because we will probably never see this again in our lifetime, whether he does a good job or a bad job. Especially if he does a bad job, people will be quick to "silently" blame it on race by not ever voting for another Black for president no matter if the candidate seems multitudes better than Obama and the other candidates running at that time.

TraditionalJeff, MLK is different. It is not an achievement to become a civil right's leader. It's an achievement to be a good one. There are thousands of them, some famous like MLK, but his is the only holiday. Becoming President of the US, in itself, is an achievement, a VERY BIG one and an important one for everyone in the country. He is the first Black to pull it off EVER out of 44 people who have. That is an accomplishment, an extremely noteworthy one for everyone to remember after we are dead and gone. Now, whether he does good or bad will determine whether he will rank up there with the presidents we consider great. That is a different achievement. But just winning the Presidency is great, only 44 people were able to do so.

wishk1, being proud that someone who shares your heritage has made an accomplishment is not racism. No one has said anything bad about anyone else because they are White. Only that they are happy that a Black person is President elect. White people might not understand the concept because White people have held 99% of every important position in the history of the country that has ever existed at one time or another, so it's normal. It's not normal for Blacks when Blacks were just 45 years ago even allowed to vote without being "discouraged/threatened". It's not normal for Blacks to be President. So, no, he is not "just a guy who is president elect." He is a Black guy who is president elect. Just like when something happens on the street and you tell a story about it, "Yea, there was this Black guy..." That means a Black guy. "Yea, there was this guy..." That means a White guy. We all know this and it's fine, but don't try and downplay it here. I think Black people have the right to be happy about it without being called racist.

November 13, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

icky (anonymous) says...

I'm not embracing it, I'm a Kansan and I say 57% of us did not want an Obama presidency. And it's obvios people who voted for him aren't even sure about this proposed holiday. Why not paste his face over George Washington's on the dollar or have his likeness chisled on to Mount Rushmore, or perhaps a memomorial next to Lincoln's. Good luck with that, he hasn't done anything and I'm confident what he does or doens't do will open the eyes to a lot of mislead people. The fact he has a problem with constitution, his big government agenda, the apologies he makes to the world on our behalf as if we aren't the greatest country in the world, the spread the wealth socialist views, the wave the white flag and pull our troops out because we're losing and we're not, his questionable background with marxist and radical racially driven mentors and friends - people who bomb the pentagon and people who preach about racist whites, damning the United States of amerikkka in church, his left record - the most liberal in politics, the voting fraud with Acorn and his associations with them, the biased media, and the overall completely gross lack of experience negate any inspiration I may have had in a black man making it to the highest of offices.

November 15, 2008 at 12:38 a.m. ( | suggest removal )