Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Or if you prefer, just shoot yourself in the foot, along with your chances of winning a chance at the Presidency. While some people will vote for him, he just guaranteed that a whole lot of us, including Republicans, won't even look at him as a viable candidate.

How can you think that a statement like this is even acceptable?

"They're pushing harder and harder to get more and more of you dependent upon them so they can get your vote. That's what the bottom line is. So I don't want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else's money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money and provide for themselves and their families."

Wait a minute. So he thinks that our Brothers and Sisters don't work? That a majority of Black Americans are on welfare? That if you're Black, you are looking for a handout?

Really?

REALLY?

While there are still massive problems with the welfare system, Welfare Reform is more than 15 years old. The system changed dramatically in the 90s, forcing participants to look for jobs, putting time limits on adults, and sanctioning those who try to defraud the system.

The economic meltdown really hurt a lot of the success of Welfare Reform. Last hired, first fired is still the mantra of businesses everywhere. People who worked their way out of welfare were among the first fired. So they had to go back to the system to help pay the bills and feed their kids.

Yeah, I know, but listen to me -- If your highly skilled and qualified neighbor has been out of work for two years, what the heck makes you think that the person down the street with a GED and two kids, with a no-account ex who's been dodging his/her child support for the last 10 years, is going to be able to bounce right out and find a new job?

There are a lot of people on the system right now who never, ever, in their lives, would've thought it would come to this. They are struggling to survive. They paid into the system by working and paying taxes like everyone else. Now they're taking a little bit back and Santorum thinks that they're leeching off the government?

What would make this clown think that Black Americans aren't out busting their behinds like everyone else, looking for jobs and trying to raise their families?

In fact, what makes him think that the majority of people on assistance are Black? While the proportions may be high, due to a number of factors including discrimination, lack of education or opportunity and physical location, there are more WHITE people on welfare than Blacks.

And you all wondered why I said, straight up, that there are NO credible Republican candidates. None. The people stepping up are the dregs of the party, if you ask me for my biased opinion. Hypocrites, bigots, delusional, even a bit demented, that certainly fits the candidates that I've seen so far.

The Republicans don't have a chance.
 
Thank God.
 
Links:
http://news.yahoo.com/santorum-singles-black-people-dependent-government-134435658.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Santorum

Racism Is Alive And Well In The United States

If you think that racism has been conquered, I have bad news for you.

Even politicians occasionally open their mouths and reveal their true agendas.

This time it was Congressional candidate Jack Davis. He was seeking the GOP endorsement, running for Western New York's 26th Congressional District. (Recently vacated by Rep. Chris Lee after a scandal involving the Internet and a woman that wasn't his wife.) On February 20th, he said, "We have a huge unemployment problem with black youth in our cities. Put them on buses, take them out there [to the farms] and pay them a decent wage; they will work."

Yes, he didn't get the endorsement he was seeking. Instead the GOP gave it to Assemblywoman Jane L. Corwin of Clarence, NY.

I'll be honest with you, I am not surprised. I'm also not surprised that he's seeking endorsement from the Tea Party.

PULEEZE don't try to tell me that racism doesn't exist in the United States. It's pretty darn obvious that it does and worse, the ignorant fools don't even seem to realize just how rotten and offensive their thoughts about People of Color really are.

Seriously, it makes me sick just to think that Davis, a grown man who ought to know better, would think that this is OK.

Ugh.

http://www.buffalonews.com/topics/chris-lee/special-election/article367437.ece

Lena Horne Passes - RIP

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/10/local/la-me-horne-20100510

I know.

People do not think of the beautiful vocals of Lena Horne when they think of the Civil Rights Movement. But they're missing out on a whole, fabulous part of our history.

NPR did a great story on Lena, her career, and the racism she encountered. You should check it out.: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126666993

Racism

Tami says it better than I ever could.

Check it out:
http://whattamisaid.blogspot.com/2009/09/ism-that-dare-not-speak-its-name.html

Please don't just gloss over and then discount what she's written.

If you do, you've joined the masses that trivialize and marginalize our Brothers and Sisters of Color, discounting their truths because you just don't want to see the pain that still exists in this country.

When you deny another person's truth, you deny their very being.

Think about it.

Is It Racist?

In a forum I hang out in, there are often whites posting this question:
Is it racist to vote for Obama because he is Black?

I find this pretty ironic, because for many long years, people have voted for candidates from their communities and no one ever thought about it being racist.

However, my response to this common question is:
If you vote for someone just because he's Black, it's not racist.
If you vote against someone just because he's Black, that's racist.

There is a huge difference that doesn't appear to be visible to a lot of people.

Voting for someone because he/she is a Christian, Jewish, Mormon, Black, Native American, Latino, Hispanic, Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, your friend, your neighbor, your cousin, from your state - none of that is racist or wrong. (Perhaps a little unenlightened if they don't support the things you believe in, but that's another topic entirely.)

Why?
Obviously, there is a positive element in voting FOR someone in/of/from your community, whatever community it may be, political, racial, ethnic, spiritual, etc. Supporting someone of your community isn't wrong. (Yes, even if your community is German, Irish, Swedish, French, English, white.)

Voting AGAINST someone because of any of those factors is wrong.

It's not racist to vote for Obama because he's Black.

Again, in my not-at-all-humble opinion, a bit foolish if you're a die-hard Republican who's voting against all you believe in JUST because Obama is Black.

But it's not racist.

Also, in my opinion, if you want to have the right to bitch, moan, whine, and complain about our government over the next four years, you'd better get to the polls and VOTE!

People who don't vote shouldn't be complaining when politicians make decisions on their behalf. They had a chance to vote the buggers in or out. If they didn't vote, they're just stuck in the same old rut with everyone else.

IE, if you choose not to participate in the process, don't be surprised when the process doesn't represent you.

If We Had Any Quality Candidates...

Yes, that's what my Dad said.

He's a die-hard Republican. Yet, he's not happy with his choices for President.

He won't vote anything but Republican, but he's not happy with McCain. I didn't really ask him why, but I suspect if he'd heard about McCain divorcing his first wife because he's a cheating man, that could be a BIG reason.

My Dad has little tolerance for a man who cheats on his wife. He's honest to a fault, BRUTALLY so.

If the die-hard Republican in the family is unhappy with our choices of candidates, what then for the rest of us?

If we had any quality candidates...

An interesting phrase from a man who votes a straight Republican ticket.

Change is coming. I can see it, feel it, smell it in the wind.

I don't know what it's going to be, but maybe next time around, in the next Presidential campaign, even Dad will see some quality candidates. Because I think Obama is going to be our first officially Black President.

(I know, you're saying, "Officially Black? Huh?" Do some research my friends, we've already had some "closet" Brothers as President. http://www.diversityinc.com/public/1461.cfm)

And the Republicans are going to have to make some changes in order to try to regain the Presidency.

The next four years are going to be very interesting.

Change is coming!

Alas, Babylon

Why am I writing about a novel written in 1959, before the Civil Rights movement, before desegregation, before the Cold War ended, before we could even think of peace with Russia and China?

Pat Frank's classic novel, Alas Babylon, in some ways seems outdated, and yet in others, it hits too close to home.

Politics of the Middle East, spy satellites, nuclear weapons -- sound familiar?

We sometimes forget how far we have come.

The novel still calls our Brothers and Sisters of Color "Negros". The water fountain was still labeled "White" and "Colored". People were still concerned about "Negros" bringing down property values. A man of color was still not considered a man in the white dominated society.

Today, we have a Black man running for President. Most of us are aware that the difference between our Brothers and Sisters and ourselves are merely outward appearances. We are all concerned about our kids, crime, finances, survival.

In the novel, in the end a woman is President. Why? Because "the most junior of government departments and a woman" is the only one that survives the nuclear war, because she was on an inspection tour.

Today, a woman runs for President. Not a default position, but as a fully accepted political candidate.

In the novel, men and women, white and Black, pull together to survive.

Today, do we pull together, or do we pull apart?

If, God forbid, we actually had a nuclear strike or some horrible natural disaster, could we survive, not just as a nation, but as humanity?

In the novel, they do survive. Without electricity, without telephones, without even radios, they survive. The United States survives.

In real life, in 2008, we're without power for three days and our lives are in chaos.

I question, what will we do if, God forbid, the worst ever happens?

Perhaps I think too much. Perhaps I worry too much.

But I know one thing. My father always told us, "Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance."

Who is planning?

Who?

I worry because it seems like we live for the moment. Too much credit, too many bills, too little saved and stored for emergencies. Even during the recent power outages, I had to go and get batteries and ice, and I actually do have a plan. Well, sort of a plan. But I don't have any money set aside or enough non-perishables stored to last more than a week or two.

And so I worry, while the satellite dish is bringing in some inane show the kids are watching, the ceiling fan is whirling, the icemaker drops another chunk of ice into a glass, the computer is humming away as I type this.

What would we do if we really did have to take care of ourselves for not just a couple of days, but for a year, years, a lifetime? No electricity, no computers, no banks, no cars, no stores, no law?

What would we do?

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank c. 1959 -- Think about it...

Interesting, How Little We Know

It's interesting, how little we know about other candidates in other states.

I had no idea that there was another Black candidate, Albert Howard. I also didn't know that his vote count changed during the New Hampshire primary.

"The 41-year-old father of eight said he was watching C-SPAN and was pleasantly surprised to see a tally of 50 votes with just 12 percent of returns in early Tuesday night. About an hour later his total went as high 187 votes.

"By primary's end, he officially received 44 votes, but insists he had more that seemingly disappeared."

I find that very suspicious. He had 187 votes, but by the end, he had 44?

Where the heck did the other 137 votes go?

I'm glad he's challenged the count. And like many others, I'll be watching to see what the tally is after the recount.

Thanks to the Internet and friends, I can dredge up a lot of stuff that, back in the day, we'd have never heard about.

So for now, let me just say, "hmmmmm".

http://www.mlive.com/elections/index.ssf/2008/01/chauffer_challenges_nh_primary.html

Musings On Racism - Part I

The argument of the day was about racism.

My Brother Pots believes that People of Color can't be racists. My Brother Neo believes anyone can be a racist and exhibit racist behavior.

My belief is that, unfortunately, we won't be able to agree on a definition of the term, nor find that precise dividing line between prejudice and racism. Why? Because we all have one unique view. Neo has one. Pots has another experience and perception. I have a third. Ku-ku has a fourth. SR has a fifth. Birdlady has a sixth. And so on.

We can all probably agree on the worst of racists, they pretty much define themselves. But then let's take a different angle. There was a time when many white people really believed that our Brothers and Sisters of Color were inferior beings. That the KKK was an acceptable organization. That all Blacks should go back to Africa, there was no place in our society. Etc, etc, etc. There is a whole history built upon those beliefs and behaviors.

On the flip side of the coin, most of the Black people I have known do not think that whites are inferior beings, nor do they support organizations dedicated to keeping whites "in their place" or a race war. They don't [generally] tell whites to go back to Europe. Some may not LIKE white people at all, but don't have the extreme viewpoint that tips into racism.

When we look at the underlying, historical basis, yes, I can completely understand Pots' and others' belief that POC can't be racist. Racism is a depth of hate that many of us really don't comprehend. BUT, since we've grown up in this white dominated society, we wear blinders that keep us from seeing the issues from the point of view of POC. We can't and probably won't ever agree on this point.

To be continued...

Musings On Racism - Part II

Now, don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying it's acceptable to be hateful to others, in general we can agree to be civil if we choose. Or not if we choose not. (I'm not above calling a pig a pig, my base nature does get away from me at times...)

I think the problem is that we're truly not capable of walking in the other guy's shoes. I recently reread "Black Like Me" and it had a profound effect on my thought processes. John Griffin had NO clue of what he was getting into. If you followed in his footsteps today, you might find that some things that you think have changed -- haven't.

Then my daughter was watching some stupid race switching show (which in general I thought was idiotic) and the white guy who became "Black" still had a gadzillion misconceptions and blindness about what was and was not racist (or bigoted or prejudiced) behavior. It was as if he really, really didn't see it. Yet he kept waiting for someone to call him "n". Of course it didn't happen, respectful adults don't use that term, esp in racially mixed settings.

I can only assume it was because his whole world viewpoint of growing up white made him incapable of seeing that viewpoint from a different perspective -- that of a man who'd grown up Black and had a vastly different world experience.

We really CAN'T walk in each other's shoes.

And if Neo says anyone can be racist and (for example) Pots says POC can't be racist, I really don't see a true conflict here. Because each one is speaking from his own world experience, from literally birth to the present. Each has a valid truth, from his own unique perspective.

It's as if each one is holding up a sheet of paper, pierced with many little round holes. But when he tries to look through the holes, some of them line up, and some don't. Some are the mutual experiences of being Americans, growing up middle class, perhaps in a suburb, etc. And the ones that don't line up, well some have to do with specifics of their respective races and how the world treats them, and some has to do with the dissimilar experiences, like siblings, intact or separated families, country, suburb, city, projects, Nob Hill, whatever.

Our experiences shape who we are.

(And so does our genetic history, but that's another topic -- I think.)