"In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." I'm a lifelong Republican living in Texas. But damn it, I'm voting for Barack this time. This man will make America great (and loved) again.
rimrocker, when the most current information you can demagogue is before the era of COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY, then you sir, are living in the past. Sorry.
African Americans today are still suffering from the set backs of slavery (just like many wealthy people are reaping the benefits of fortunes made 100+ years ago). Hand-outs is not what's needed but a realization that poverty is a problem, that people born into poverty do not have the same opportunities (education, community support, financial boosts from family) as those from wealthier areas. To ignore this is to ignore a generation of children -- it is to give up on them. A small percentage will find a way to scrape their way out but most won't and the cycle will continue. What we really need is programs to reach these kids -- to show them there are better choices (despite what their sub-culture is teaching them). These kids need people like Michelle and Barack Obama to show them that despite what socitey tells them they can make it.
I've ust skimmed this thread and even though I'm not planning on supporting Obama this Tuesday this kind of ridiculous garbage regading him and his campaign almost makes me want to. In just what I've skimmed I've seen a lot of race baiting along with religion baiting. Obama isn't a Muslim, which has been thoroughly debunked several times, and even if he was there is nothing about his campaign that indicates he supports violence or anti-semitism. As far as race is concerned at times both Obama and his opponents have played fast and loose with the race card but I will give Obama credit that the central themes of his campaign and rhetoric have little to do with race. There is enough to question and criticize Obama and his campaign, such as how is someone with a platform more liberal than Clinton's going to be able to work across party lines, how is someone who's primary experience been in the IL Senate going to deal with foreign policy and manage the personalities of the US Congress, how does he rationalize some sloppy and questionable voting practices during his IL senate and so on.
its a silly side issue texx, but one of the pictures posted was in color - from 1981. how can someone be so wrong so often? this makes me LOL. NO CRED! perhaps you are color-blind and if so i apologize for making fun of your disability. oh yes, and i would rather be dead than be a slave.
My statement has nothing to do about race. Michelle Obama -- raised on the south side of Chicago by a working class father who graduated from Harvard Law Barack Obama -- raised by a single mother and now is a candidate for President of the United States.
Yes! More spending on "programs" instead of holding parents accountable. I love it! Say goodbye to poverty forever! Thank you Mr. black president for being black.
Li'l t should be more careful, his white sheet is showing. First, beyond all reason he interprets this video as a call to white guilt. Then, for some reason he thinks that Obama and his wife can't serve as examples for underprivileged kids because Obama's father was black and he was raised by his white mother. Where the hell does that come from? No one on this BBS is more obsessed with race than li'l t and tj.
Nor will yours, as Texas will go Republican regardless of whether you vote or not. Where his vote could make a difference is in the primary, in which Texas may very well play a big part.
What you are saying is if the parents aren't responsible who cares about the kids? If parents who were raised in areas with underfunded schools, high crime and poverty did not find a way to improve their lot in life and did not learn the skills or values to accomplish that we should give up on the kids? We should be trying to reach the parents and trying to reach the kids whos parents are failing.
They are not my kids. All they want are handouts. Then they will complain about dress codes and cry that they are being oppressed because they cant have their asses sticking out of their pants. Schools have enough money, see the Regan thread. Most of these kids will just destroy the school property and supplies anyway. But hey we got the new football stadium for the team. Reach them with what? They know what they are doing. The message "we will not give you money for breeding" or "have babies, stay poor" would be the a great start. They are given opportunities. They should use them instead of breeding and staying in the cycle of pvoerty. If they don't, then sorry.
MEOWGI, that's some hateful, sad stuff, sir. But for a little irony/levity on Monday... And I post as a child of NASA...
Meowgi has made the transition from pseudo-buddhist to bitter crank with warp speed. Did secret NASA technology make this possible?
Lets see... Hubble vs Handouts <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-_Fs8oIdD7o&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-_Fs8oIdD7o&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> vs. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J6zGd9nf9ys&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J6zGd9nf9ys&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> Give them opportunities!!!! They need opportunities!
I officially feel sorry for you (I'm sure you don't care). These kids need to be shown another way -- many don't know what they are doing. They are modeling themselves after the people around them. I work (part-time) with very poor kids from very bad places. I refuse to look into the eyes of the little girl with a drug addicted mother with no parenting skills and give up on her. I am going to tell her over and over that she can accomplish anything -- be whatever she wants. I am going to make sure that she knows she is important to someone -- someone loves her no matter what. I am going to be there to counter the statement of a 5 yr old boy who says "they" won't let a black man be president. I am trying to model to him another definition of manhood other than the one the streets teach. We can reach these kids --- we can change the cycle for some. This past weekend I was holding a 9 mth old baby who's father is in jail and mother is HIV postive and overwhelmed by life wondering what kind of life she was going to have - but deciding if I just throw my hands up in futility, anger and blame nothing gets better. We can make a difference. There kids are desperate for someone to give them attention -- and when you get that attention they listen to your words and more importanlty follow your actions.
Looks like what were said in the above two posts can't keep the discussion on Obama from drifting away. The following two articles, one by the right-leaning Washington Times, one by the left-leaning New York Times, have examined Obama's flimsy record more closely. Obama '04 at odds with Obama '08 -- supported eliminating criminal penalties for mar1juana use or possession in January 2004 speech, opposed decriminalizing mar1juana in October 07 debate, and then offered two versions of explanation in less than 24 hours supported health care benefits for illegal immigrants in 2003, said "No" when asked whether his health care proposal covers illegal aliens in a CNN debate on January 21 2008 wanted to end the embargo with Cuba in 2004, flip-flopped in August 2007 said he would "vote to abolish" mandatory minimum sentences in an October 2003 NAACP debate, now says on his website he wants to "review sentences to see where we can be smarter on crime" told an AFL-CIO group in June 2003 that he "happen to be a proponent of a single-payer, universal health care plan," said in a recent debate he that never endorsed such a plan So which version of Obama you guys are supporting? In yet another flim-flam artistry, as revealed by NYT, Obama is shown "navigating a home-state controversy that pitted two important constituencies against each other and tested his skills as a legislative infighter. On one side were neighbors of several nuclear plants upset that low-level radioactive leaks had gone unreported for years; on the other was Exelon, the country’s largest nuclear plant operator and one of Mr. Obama’s largest sources of campaign money." How can this guy be trusted?
