Obama to Award Oprah, Ernie Banks, and Cordy Tindell - all of Chicago - Medal of Freedom

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Barack Obama will be awarding his buddy and political supporter, Oprah Winfrey, the Medal of Freedom. It's Americas highest honor that can be awarded to civilians.

Chicago Tribune - Obama to Award Oprah, Ernie Banks, and Cordy Tindell - all of Chicago - the MEDAL OF FREEDOM

President Barack Obama will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to media magnate Oprah Winfrey for her philanthropic work, especially with young women, an administration official said today.

Media giant Winfrey, creator of the Oprah Winfrey Show, was one of Obama’s first big-time political supporters. Her backing and fund-raising helped power his presidential bid and gave it viability in its early days.

The presidential medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor. Presidents award them to honor meritorious contributions to the security, culture and national interest of the U.S

Oprah, Ernie Banks, Cordy Tindell .. all of Chicago .. will be getting awards.
Also on tap to get a 'Medal of Freedom' - Gloria Steinem and Sally Ride.

Information from Oprah about Oprah and her charity work

reply to post by FlyersFan

Oprah Winfrey

If I said what I thought I would be banned. The NSA monitors would go crazy. People would be kicking down my door and I would disappear.

So I won't say nething.

S+F.

HARPO is getting a Medal Of Freedom??? EVERYONE GET"S A CAR! You GET A CAR! YOU GET A CAR!

Sheeesh~

Nothing like fundraising, and endorsing a guy who is going to give you a medal as payback.

Oprah eh?

en.wikipedia.org...

www.businessweek.com...

That trophy was bought.

The Oprah Effect: One Million Votes, Study Says

What a freaking joke.

As if that ridiculous pig need anything else to inflate her ego.
Pretty sure we're all in agreement that this is nothing more than a "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." kind of thing for her political contributions.

Not sure who the others are, but from a 3 second Google search, one is a baseball player(?), the other a Minister(?) and they are all black. not saying that's an issue, just saying.

I can't comment on the contributions of the others since I never heard of them before now, but Oprah? Come on!

Well seems like me and Gotya are on the same page.

The Medal of Freedom
Awarded for "An especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

IMO I feel like she did the opposite by allowing more corruption then again they might just all be in on it. I don't like judging but she appears like an angel but she's just an entertainer who's full of herself ... She's already one of the richest in the world now she gets a medal ... I don't see her risking her life or name for something truly good
Especially on a global scale .. I'm sorry if I offend any Oprah fans I just feel like entertainers are well just that ...entertainers. I cannot totally speak for the other two nominees but it grinds my gears when ENTERTAINERS come before the people ... She may have been a self made woman but we have people who work they're a*s off everyday of they're life (and i mean hard work no play at all) just to make it by and an entertainer does what sing/dance/acting by make millions and gets the attention at almost no try then make it to the top millionaires at what %15 effort ... I think when it comes to jobs everyone should be paid reasonably ... I don't mean in a communist way I just don't see how entertainer surpasses sweat blood and tears. Overall I guess congrats nominees .

The Oprah WInfrey Leadership Academy For Girls in South Africa

Wanna' do some good? Great! But, in my opinion, don't build a monument to yourself and name it after yourself. That's extreme arrogance. And there have been major problems with her school over there. Sexual assault by the teachers .... newborn baby found dead in students bags .... students stealing the food and stuffing their clothes with the food to sneak to their starving families ... families not allowed to visit students, Oprah keeps them locked away from their South African life and emerges them into her 'academy' life .... etc etc

Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients
Obama awarded to - Oprah and Ernie banks AND -
Muhammad Yunus - male economist - Bangladash
Warren Buffet - male left wing billionaire - White
John Sweeney - male left wing AFL/CIO - White
Dolores Huerta - female union leader - Hispanic
Arturo Sandoval - male musician - hispanic
Chita Rivera - female dancer - Hispanic
Sylvia Mendez - female civil rights activist - hispanic
Sidney Poitier - male actor - Black
Toni Morrison - female author - Black
Angela Merkel - female german politician - White
Shimon Peres - male jewish politican
Yo Yo Ma - male musician - Asian
Bob Dylan - male musician - White
Loretta Lynn - female musician - White
Daniel Kahneman - male psychologist/economist - Jewish
Gerda Weissmann Klein - female human rights activist - Jewish
Juliette Gordon Low - founder of Girl Scouts
Ben Bradlee - Washington Post - white or jewish male
Tom Little - male Optometrist - White
Janet Davison Rowley - female geneticist - White
William Foege - male epidemiologist - white
Gordon Hirabayaski - male sociologist - Asian
Harvey Milk - male gay politician - White
Bayard Rustin - male socialist - Black
Gloria Steinem - female left wing feminist - White
C.T. Vivian - male minister - black
Jan Karski - male WWII freedom fighter - White
Jean Kennedy Smith - female diplomat - White
John H. Adams - male environmentalist
John Doar - male civil rights activist - White
Patricia Wald - female judge - White
John Paul Stevens - male judge - white
Madeline Albright - female cabinet member - white
Robert Gates - Male Sec of Def - White
Daniel Inouye - male politician - Asian
George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, (sports) - Bill Russell, Dean Smith, Pat Summitt
Bush nominees awarded by Obama -
Mary Robinson - Female President of Ireland - White
Tony Blair - Male leader of UK - White
John Howard - male leader of Australia - White
Ryan Crocker male ambassador - White
Nancy Goodman Brinker - female fights cancer - White
Not sure if these are Obama or Bush nominations -
Ivaro Uribe - Columbian Politician - Hispanic
Sandra Day O'Connor - Female Judge - White
Joseph Lowery - male minister - Black
Pedro Greer - male doctor - Hispanic
Joe Medicine Crow - male historian - Native American
Also Jack Kemp, Edward Kennedy, Desmund Tutu, Billie Jean King

I would like to think these 3 did work to make Chicago a safer place to live but we know it is not so. Given the list from the past it seems more like a status symbol to be given out.

I am sure that they have some positive qualities to be recognized....but it is interesting that they are all from Chicago and black but I am sure that race had nothing to do with it (wink). Speaking of race and of less than positive qualities about Ms. Winfrey: the Trayvon Martin case is not the same as Emmett Till's.

So....lemme get this straight; Obama, who was a former member of Jeremiah Wrights little church, gives Oprah, another former member of Jeremiah Wrights anti-white/anti-American church, a medal? Obama also gives a medal to former attorney for the Black Panther Party, Bill (can't keep it in his pants) Clinton, who's wife, Hillary, was a secretary for The Black Panther Party? Am I gettin' this right? I need to comb through the other people who received these medals and start connecting the dots when I get time. Didn't they destroy Paula Dean for less?

reply to post by CosmicCitizen

I am sure that race had nothing to do with it (wink)

It didn't, expect in your "brain" (wink).

Yes yes, if you properly research things and not think with a racist mind, you would know OP only mentioned the black people of Chicago and not the other 12 people who received the medals.

Good luck falling into trap of your racist mindset. Next time research some more instead of just going off on a biased OP.


Edit: then i wonder, why did OP only mention the black people? any agenda behind that? lol of course not. *eyes roll*

reply to post by Tru3NugMaster


Medals like this being awarded to entertainers isn't a new concept or anything. Keep in mind that England knighted Elton John and Paul McCartney all because they can write some above average songs.

However, while whether or not the entertainers deserve these awards can be questioned, please do not down play the work that these people go through for their careers. You make it sound like any yahoo can pick up an instrument or walk in front of a crowd of people and just start entertaining them with no effort. All these arts require INTENSE practice and commitment. These people all sacrificed their childhood so they could become great at the arts they are passionate about. While you were out at the movies with some girl, these people were at home practicing. These are also the same people that were made fun of for being band geeks or theater geeks. Even during their height and having millions of dollars, they still have to put in hard work to please their fans by spending long hours in recording studios or doing extensive research about their next role. If they don't, they become irrelevant. If anything these people deserve the millions of dollars they have FAR more than the sleaze balls who produce them do and those bozos are richer than the stars.