I grew up in the era of segregation, when black people were denied many opportunities, but I never realized so many white people despised blacks until Barack Obama was elected president. This insight didn't come about because these people criticized his policies. Citizens have that privilege. It came about because of the dastardly, inhumane way the president has been ostracized by name-calling, denial of his American citizenship, the lies, the cartoons, a disrespect no white president ever endured.

Imagine denigrating a leader who saved the country from a depression; instituted health care; saved the auto industry; curbed the abuses of drug, insurance and credit card companies; aided college students financially; allowed youths to remain on their parent's insurance policies until age 26; urged the rich to pay their fair percentage of taxes, and other innovations space won't allow me to name.

President Obama's haters sought to replace him with a man who stores his money in foreign banks to avoid taxes; who outsourced jobs as a businessman; who accused half the country of being moochers; who changed his philosophy to fit his audience; who pledged to privatize our most sacred institutions, who lacked diplomatic tact; who suggested waging a war, etc.

Those denigrating the president because he's a man of color ignite suspicions of hypocrisy among nations that America is attempting to douse with democracy. Don't these haters realize three-fourths of the world's people are people of color? Rest assured, they take notice of the racial hatred.

Frankie Seaberry

Centreville