That was the week that was...

It has now been a week since Barack Obama became our president-elect.  Something about the last week of news coverage and punditry brought to mind, perhaps cynically, Tom Lehrer's "National Brotherhood Week."  There's something about conservatives, teeth gritted, smiles forced, saying nice things about the President-elect that makes me think that they're doing it only because they know they have to, not because they believe it, and that they're just waiting for the moment when they can snidely say "I told you so."  (What it is they told me so about, I'm not altogether sure.  It's just a feeling, after all.)  Suddenly, I just started humming the song...

Anyway, here are the lyrics.  Draw your own conclusions.

National Brotherhood Week (Music and Lyrics by Tom Lehrer)

On the white folks hate the black folks

and the black folks hate the white folks.

To hate all but the right folks 

is an old established rule.

But during National Brotherhood Week, 

National Brotherhood Week,

Lena Horne and Sheriff Clarke are dancing cheek-to-cheek.

It's fun to eulogize

the people you despise

as long as you don't let them in your school.

Oh the poor folks hate the rich folks

and the rich folks hate the poor folks.

All of my folks hate all of your folks

It's American as apple pie.

But during National Brotherhood Week,

National Brotherhood Week,

New Yorkers love the Puerto Ricans

'cause it's very chic

Stand up and take the hand

of someone you can't stand.

You can tolerate him if you try.

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics

and the Catholics hate the Protestants,

And the Hindus hate the Muslims,

And everybody hates the Jews.

But during National Brotherhood Week,

National Brotherhood Week,

It's national everyone-smile-at-one-another-hood week.

Be nice to people who

are inferior to you.

It's only for a week, so have no fear.

Be grateful that it doesn't last all year!