Barack Obama's Safety

We've Gotten Complacent About The Dangers A Black President Faces
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US President Barack Obama is flanked by members of Secret Service as he greets a group of people upon arriving at the San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, on June 6, 2012. Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was set to win the Republicans' California primary on Tuesday, a week after passing the delegate tally needed to take on Barack Obama. Romney has slammed the Obama administration's stewardship of the economy, arguing that his background as a successful venture capitalist has given him the business acumen needed to speed up the sluggish recovery. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages)

We’ve become accustomed to the sight of a black President governing through these dangers—ever-present, contextual, and undiminished—in the way that sirens become ambient sound in New York City. This is one of the less frequently noted accomplishments of his Presidency.

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