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As for me, I've gone from "I'm voting for him, but..." to "I don't know who will get my vote, but it won't be McCain..." A third party option (Cynthia McKinney) is looking pretty good right now.
What frightens me is any constructive attempt to hold Obama to his "as advertised" position is met with flaming, name-calling and allegations of racism, and that's sad.
I have had to tell my husband this, many times.
Barack Obama, as I and many of us, has benefited from the likes of Jesse Jackson. This does not mean we think or agree with their words or approach.
This is a generational gap thing. Jackson knew full well that if he is on ANY SHOW, etc. that you act like the MIC IS ON, not OFF. He was the one caught by a journalist on tape back in the 80s with his hymietown talk, which was put in all the papers (24/7) cable was not out then, and ended his own chances of POTUS.
Jesse Jackson expected Obama to kiss his ring, but found out, as Hillary is finding out that Obama does not bend well when he is told what to do, especially when he is in the driver's seat.
Obama has been talking about personal responsibility in the Black Community for years, this is nothing new.
I respect Jesse Jackson, but he needs to sit down and just shut up, if he wants to retain any relevancy. This snafu does more harm to Jesse than Obama.
Lastly, Obama is trying to WIN this thing in November. FISA, definitely do not agree with Obama's approach, but after spending the weekend in NW Indiana, steel mill country, do you think anyone is talking about FISA? These people are hurting, talking about gas prices, mortgages, etc. One woman I spoke with knew the prices and how they have rose on what she usually shops for in the grocery store. I was stunned. So, for people upset on FISA, the left did not sell it well for folks to embrace it. When your wallet and pocketbook is light folks are looking to see what these politicians will offer to help them. Can FISA be fixed? Yes, remember Obama said, folks forget, that the first thing he will do as POTUS is clean up the justice department and look at all the shit the Bush Administration did.
Lastly, on FISA, this does not save the telecom community from criminal charges. As President Obama, and his justice department, they can go after these companies by representing the American Public.
I take all promises of his now with a grain of salt.
Jesse is right about Obama's personal responsibility schtick, but, yes, I agree, this hurts Jesse way more than it does Obama. Jesse is an intelligent man and fantastic orator, but he needs to STFU if he doesn't realize that Fox is NOT HIS FRIEND.
He said that he would not vote on the original bill. This is a not THE ORIGINAL BILL. There have been many significant changes. Why some people want accept that is beyond me.
We want to get away from warrantless wiretapping, not wiretapping all together.
If the Attorney General issues a ceo a warrant then that ceo should consider complying. There needs to be more oversight.
It is not automatic immunity, the new bill it says that if the US Attorney General issued the warrant then it was a legal for the company to comply.
That is not the same as saying whatever you did you want get in trouble. He can still investigate all warrants if and when he gets in office.
This bill is not okay. It completely undermines the principles of balancing powers with judicial oversight. Having the AG issue warrants puts absolutely no check on executive power. It's like the President saying that he'll police himself.
I have grave doubts about Obama investigating Bush when he gets into office. He'll have other things on his plate, and he'll say that investigating the last administration is a distraction, a la Pelosi.
AMEN!!!
Way to bring the point home. In a day when people are choosing between going broke on gas or groceries, we've got spoiled brat knuckelheads who feel so entitled that they're willing to forsake a historic (and culturally beneficial) presidency so that their "principles" can be indulged.
People are begging to get their children into free clinics to be seen by someone other than an overworked physician's assistant. People are dying a slow death of ulcers, migraines, and other stress-related illnesses, because they're worried about losing their jobs. Barely 50% of Black kids are graduating from high school, ill prepared for job market competition.
Yet we've got self-righteous brats pissing and moaning about something called FISA?
RonnieB, if you think FISA won't be eventually used against the Black community, think again. Most of the issues that Black people have with police involve 4th Amendment violations. These things matter.
The reason most people aren't talking about doing something silly like vote for John McCain is that the economy, healthcare, education all matter, and Obama will certainly do a better job for the nation than McCain.
But I will be damned if I will shut up about something that MATTERS TO ME so you and Obama can feel comfortable. The Constitution matters. He will be the President of the whole country, and the primary defender of the Constitution, so he needs to do right by it. I expect Obama to be a President I can be proud of, someone I support wholeheartedly because I believe he will do the right thing. Right now, I'm not so sure where he stands, and he needs to be held accountable for promises he's made. He's so big on "personal responsibility," he needs to show a little.
All of this stuff is already used against everyone all the time. Please don't be simple enough to think otherwise. Unless you become a mountain man and move to a cave, get use to the idea of being under constant surveillance. There is a GPS apparatus in your cell phone if you have a contract. Thats why criminals use a series of disposable phones. Every commercial transaction you make is video recorded, and if need be, a satellite can zoom in on your home. If you don't believe me, send someone a picture of one of your kids in their underware. That will put you on the radar. Just don't send it to me. Big Brother is here to stay, FISA or no FISA. Conduct yourself accordingly and learn to live with the truth
Every company you have a bank or credit account with knows your social security number and every one who touches the account has access to your private information. And if your charging patterns change you are flagged. If your deposits increase (specifically over $10,000) they can and will alert government agencies.
Hell if you have Direct TV or Comcast their servers can track and report every time you change the channel.
Your supermarket club card tracks your purchases.
Every day there are many ways that people you don't even consider have access to information far worse then any discussion you are having with a co-worker of friend in Pakistan. I happen to design and negotiate the development of communication infrastructures in emerging markets so I'm sure my phone is probably tapped. But since I'm am not doing anything wrong I could care less. Poor fool who has to spend his time listening to me talk about Madonna, A-Rod and Guy.
It's amazing how up in arms people get about something that basically happens every day and would not even be a concern if Obama's vote wasn't made so public. Like every other form of passive or non-passive surveillance it doesn't even cross most peoples minds, partly because what is there really interesting enough about them to survey, and mostly because they are more concerned about gas, food and shelter.
Yes-Whoever provides your internet service has access to everything you have on your computer-That's how they always find perverts who engage in internet child pornoghaphy
The unscruplous work hard to gain access to our account #'s and passwords, and sometimes they can grab them right out of the ethers
You can keep your drawers in a wad over the "principle" of having privacy, but that still doesn't mean you're going to have it
It might be time to move on from FISA---with a quickness
My period key stopped working :(
Thank you, Teacher.
This comment (the whole thing and this part in particular) gets at another part of what is bothering me so much abuot the FISA-drama uproar.
I wonder where people come to the belief that they are default protected from and by the govt to begin with? Some might answer "The Constitution" (!! yeah!!). But from everything I have seen in my own life, this society's cultural system has at its core a built-in disconnect between words and actions/reality. So you have the ideological surface gloss of the "ideals" and then you have the actual lived reality -- and they are often not the same and sometimes even opposed.
Also, in my own actual experience: Given how I actually perceive the world, I have always and ALWAYS had to be strongly vigilant about what I say. In every situation, in every context, I am vigilant and as aware as possible of the risks ... and I work to choose my words and responses accordingly. This is part of my consciousness, a level of awareness that is always with me. Because my own vigilance is not a choice for me, I see a lack of such required vigilance as a form of privilege itself.
Without batting an eye.
But it's a false choice and something tells me you know it.
I wonder how many people read the original bill and then read the NEW bill. We complain because it is hard to let go of a point, when you think that you are on the righteous side.
Finally, if "we" keep "hatin'" on Mr. Obama, why should anyone else support him?? Yes question, but the continuous barage (sp) of hatin' is not productive. Can we please let him get to the White House?
The constitution is in shreds right now. Do you think anything good will come in this country if we simply ignore it and the rights attached to and flowing from it? Healthcare for kids? are you joking??
We live RIGHT NOW in a corporatocracy. That Obama handed this to corporate America is further proof to me that he is precisely what I feared: just another corporate toady in service to power.
Rev. Wright - Rather brought some of the heat to himself. Then the racist media and the uninformed public pushed it to the next level.
Rev. Jesse Jackson - absolutely was unprofessional and Sen Obama did not say that he should sit down and shut up.
Tavis Smiley - started off on the wrong foot go on and on about who should attend
the State of the Black Union.
Michelle Obama - Her husband did make her sit down and shut up. THE PRIMARIES ARE OVER! That is when most spouses exit the campaign trail and go back home and continue spend more time with their family.
When did Al Sharpton have to sit down and shut up? I see Al Sharpton on Fox, CNN & MSNBC now more than ever before. And Sen Obama has been on his radio show several times. What are you talking about???
Michelle Obama should "shut up" and fall back like Cindy McCain, Laura Bush and everyone else. If she wants to have little teas and socials, that's fine, but rocking the mic giving speeches? Why?
Jesse Jackson should shut up just on general principle.
Tavis Smiley didn't have to "shut up," he shut himself up by pitching a bitch fit because not everyone agreed with him this time. And people were turned off to him NOT because he was "holding Obama accountable," they were turned off to him because he was drunk on haterade and twirling with the extra drama. Real talk. He'd come on the Tom Joyner show like he was the SHERIFF saying "I invited all three candidates to XYZ...and only ONE bothered to respond. I'm gonna give the other 2 until Thursday and then I'm gonna start calling them out." Why all the extra drama? Just say "I invited all 3 candidates to XYZ. Hillary Clinton has accepted the invitation, but Barack Obama and John McCain have not." Plus Tavis never really held Billary "accountable" for their race baiting tricks and games. People didn't like that mess and let Tavis know and THAT's why Tavis packed his mic up and exited stage left, NOT because Barack Obama told him to sit down.
The kids should shut up because they shouldn't be in the spotlight, not because they'll say embarassing things about daddy, but because people will want to use these kids against daddy and use these kids as an example. You had Anderson Cooper pissed off b/c he didn't get the "hard hitting interview" with the kids. WTF? Whatcha gonna ask them, Anderson Cooper? You gonna grill Malia on Barack's FISA position? Interrogate them on why they have black Barbie dolls instead of white Barbie dolls? You gonna grill Sasha on why she likes "That's So Raven" over "Hannah Montana?" *** Because you know people would love to use the Obama girls as another reason why Obama shouldn't be elected. I can see Hannity discussing on FOX now, that the reason Sasha likes "Raven" over "Hannah Montana" is because Michelle hates white people and has taught the girls to hate white people and that's why they have black Barbie dolls and watch "That's So Raven" instead of "Hannah Montana" and "Zoey 101." The kids don't need to be in the spotlight. Chelsea Clinton wasn't in the spotlight in '92 and had some evil things said about her and she was a (homely) little 12 year old WHITE girl. Adults were saying some evil crap about a 12 YEAR OLD GIRL! So you know they will have some evil, evil things to say about some little black girls. Keep the kids out the spotlight.
**For the record, I don't know what shows the Obama girls like.
Jesse Jackson's entire point was invalidated by him saying he wanted to cut Barack's nuts off. It doesn't matter what the context was, you just don't say you want to cut body parts off just because you disagree with somebody's position. Hillary's point was also invalidated when she started talking about assassination. She got seared for that remark and Jesse should be seared for his.
And if they choose Hanna Montana over Raven, or happen to own a white Barbie doll, even if it is one on a collection of 50, then they are being raised as elitists that want to distance themselves from African Americans. It's a no win situation.
you have never lied! I can just hear it now.
Town, I usually agree with most of the stuff you say, but this is an exception, friend- Michelle is a different generation than Cindy & Laura-The days of the "little woman" are way over-
Michelle needs to keep talking because she has something to say & because she represents us-working mothers-
She needs to give her thoughful opinion because she is smart and accomplished-She is not some vacuous socialite trophy wife with nothing to offer-Quite the contrary-She is one answer/option to the longing of all the Hillary fanatics who claim they want to see strong, opinionated, gutsy women in the forefront of society-If they didn't have racial issues, Michelle would be their champion too
C'mon Town-Get with the 21st century, friend
I can't find all that much to take issue with.
Jesse Jackson was wrong.
Wrong that Barack is talking down to anybody (Barack has a big ego, a huge intellect, and speaks his mind assertively) and wrong and reckless to suggest a Black man have his nuts cut off in a nation with a history of lynching. In the same studio where the same host called for a lynching party for Michelle Obama if tracked it down and found out she hated her country.
Jesse Jackson was wrong. And reckless. He needs to excuse himself and disappear.
::
With all the wag the dog BS propping up on my television screen minute after minute after minute to stoke our fear of a terrorist attack and/or an attack by Iran, it's very clear to me why Barack voted on FISA exactly the way he did.
We're still on the outside looking in. He's on the inside looking out. He know what he's up against and what's coming down the pike.
While I understand everyone's criticism (up to a point) I also understand Barack's rock-and-a-hard-place choice.
John McCain. Must. Not. Become. President.
Ralph Nader can't win. Cynthia McKinney can't win. Bob Barr can't win. A Write-in candidate can't win. Every single vote cast for one of them is a vote for John McCain. That is the raw truth of our electoral system.
Vote for whomever you want. But know the consequences.
John McCain. Must. Not. Become. President.
Barack told his staff that the country was counting on us to make sure that doesn't happen because whatever he will or won't do from this point forward, I know exactly what John McCain will do and I want no part of that hellish nightmare.
No, he's not distancing himself from White people. He's showing everyone how he can be the spokesperson for White "concern" about Black responsibility. The UCC, Jeremiah Wright, Jesse, and all other Black people will be shown the door. Zionist Jews and Whites are his new best friends.
Hell, My friends that FISA was a food dish. Now, what they do understand is the word flip-flop and if gets stuck on Obama then he'll be in trouble.
Hell, My friends thought FISA was a food dish. Now, what they do understand is the word flip-flop and if gets stuck on Obama then he'll be in trouble.
I'm pretty alert.
They've done one event in Unity, New Hampshire, and now 2 fundraisers, and you think they're spending too much time together?
You can't honestly belief everything that you just wrote.
Jesse Jackson panders all of the time. You can't be serious. Sen Barack does not need to "use" black people to get white votes.
The man is brilliant whether you believe it or not. He is not perfect, but he is brilliant.
Folks wanna be mad at Obama, he's only saying the same thing other black "leaders" have said. The same stuff I'm sure big momma and them been saying. Just b/c doesn't have a perm, and his name doesn't start off with "Rev" doesn't mean he ain't preachin' the truth.
Heee!
I agree with what you are saying. That line made me laugh though because it reminded me of my grammie.
Sick of lectures that apply to 20-30% when 70-80% are doing okay.
How can your statement that those issues only apply to 20 - 30% of black men when over 70% of black children are born out of wedlock? You lost on that one.
I don't personally know any "deadbeat" dads either. I do know plenty of fathers that don't spend enough quality time with their children. They leave most of the homework and soccer games to the wife to handle. He was talking to those fathers as well.
The ones who are sitting and watching ESPN while the wife is training, teaching, encouraging, correcting, cooking and making plans for the kids. That was one of the issues that the Senator has been addressing for several years now.
Lastly, it is irresponsible to get someone pregnant and not be married or chose to marry him or her.
I have a nice white co-worker whose four nieces are unmarried and they all have children. This is a national moral crisis.
I live in Atlanta and know a good number of wonderful successful people who are married. Nevertheless, black folks need to marry each other more than we do.
I don't think women will ever get men to care about the things we want them to care about. I wonder if it's a mistake to try. What I'm saying is maybe there's something else at work here, than just being a deadbeat. There's also our ideas about what constitutes "quality time". It makes me uneasy how comforting it is for us to talk about missing fathers...using the same cliches over and over. It strikes me as a response to compulsive anxiety. It's so easy to make black men the garbage bin of the races. Black men is where we put our emotional trash.
"I don't personally know any "deadbeat" dads either. I do know plenty of fathers that don't spend enough quality time with their children. They leave most of the homework and soccer games to the wife to handle. He was talking to those fathers as well.
The ones who are sitting and watching ESPN while the wife is training, teaching, encouraging, correcting, cooking and making plans for the kids. That was one of the issues that the Senator has been addressing for several years now."
Ummm......it sounds like you are describing white folks.
I agree with you-We need to marry each other
The nation's out-of-wedlock birth rate is 38%. Among white children, 28% are now born to a single mother; among Hispanic children it is 50% and reaches a chilling, disorienting peak of 71% for black children. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly a quarter of America's white children (22%) do not have any male in their homes; nearly a third (31%) of Hispanic children and over half of black children (56%) are fatherless.
This represents a dramatic shift in American life. In the early 1960s, only 2.3% of white children and 24% of black children were born to a single mom.
I get so frustrated speaking to people like you becuase it is like YOU don't get it!
I only talk about perosnal responsiblity but as I keep saying, Obama did not have to make this issue a race specific issue.
But when it comes to the AA community he does to perpetuate already longheld perceptions about AA's.
You Obama and the rest of the ... on this board need to do research.
One what kills me about Obama's so called intelligence is this:
1. How is a man who doesn't live with his family a deadbeat? How can you look at statistics and make that assumption unless you are doing just that, making assumptions! I will share with you guys an article that I found in regards to this that was prinited just a month before Obama's "speech". It directly contradicts
Also, as a young black female who grew up with a father and never knew of a black man who did not take care of his children whether he was in the home or not, I am sick of this being perpetuated esp. on Father's Day. I am all for personal responsiblity as well as social responsibiltiy and all the other responsibilities but my issue is not with that. My issue was the way in which, the language used and the timing of Obama's so called speech. That was my issue.
The breakdown of the family is an American issue.
The divorce rate is over 50%.
There nearly five times as many single parent households in the white communityu but Obama will never head over there and make the speech that he made back in June.
If Obama cares about families then shouldn't he care about all families since he is not running for president of the " Black America".
And as far as the timing, Obama has given this speech, or a variation of it, at least two times before, and has discussed it at multiple venues in Black crowds, and mixed crowds. Michelle has done the same. I guess she must be pandering too.
I work in the court system. I see Black men paraded in front of me everyday for federal charges, and I see their girlfriends/wives/children sitting in the gallery in support. Does that mean that these men don't care about their families, or are not supporting their families? No. But clearly, if they are going to jail, they are not in the home, and they cannot do all they can to support their family.
"Parents if you don't parent, we can't improve our schools. You've got to parent. You've got to turn off the television set in your house once in a while, you've got to put the video game away once in a while."
"You should have a curfew in your house so your children aren't out in the streets all night. You should meet with the teacher and find out what the homework is and help that child with the homework. And if you don't know how to do the homework, don't be embarrassed, find someone to help you."
"Fathers, be fathers. Be a part of your child's life. Be a part of your child's life and try to make them proud.
"And the last thing is, if your child is misbehaving at school don't curse out the teacher. You know who you are. It's not the teacher's fault that your child is misbehaving. That's some home training."
This is not a message only for blacks, it is for all people.
Oh I don't recall BHO saying "Blacks only" in his father's day speech either. I don't see what's wrong with telling the truth.
And what's with the fascination with Obama's man marbles? First the Hillary people say that Barack doesn't have any nuts and Hillary should loan him one of hers so they could both have some, then Jesse wants to cut Obama's off. I find that a bit more disturbing than Obama telling some black kids to rely on education instead of rapping and basketball for a career.
You are correct with the Jesse / Obama disagreements. Sharpton has been very fair and reasonable over the past 2 years. So I don't really see any major issues between he and Obama as men.
What is strange is that Jesse Jr. and his sister were in Michelle and Barack’s wedding and the sister was the maid of honor, where is this coming from with Jesse Sr. The kids have been close for close to 20 years.
Then top it all off and Jesse Jr. is the national co-chair for Senator Obama's campaign, why would his dad have such animosity towards such a close family friend. Why would he not say what he has to say to the man himself instead of some dude at fox? He clearly has access to Obama.
Seems like the father is a little jealous of his son’s success.
I already called into Al Sharpton's show and thanked him for all he has done out here in NY and told him to retire.
When another black man gets shot (60 times next time) he needs to not bother. Let people deal with it on their own becuase people like to bad mouth him but when something goes down they scream out where is Al Sharpton? Give Me A Break!
what? if he continues to pull the kind of shit he's been pulling ever since he won the nomination, i'm thinking why even bother getting him into the white house. what will change? not a freaking thing, if his recent behavior is any evidence.
the ONLY reason i will vote for him is because of the supreme court. although i have no doubt that the corporate ass-sucking congress will roll over for any nominee, maybe ~ just maybe ~ obama will stand up and at least not nominate a right wing zealot. probably a right winger, but maybe not a zealot.
it's heartbreaking that is the best i can hope for from a democratic candidate for president.
success means nothing if you sacrifice yourself in the process of achievement.
it seems like people are fearing success. And one way that people manifest that fear is through self (read: Obama) sabotage.
Are you talking about Jackson or are you assuming that those who are not agreeing with Obama's every move are unsuccessful lazy derelicts who hate success??
So Obama could do whatever he wants but what we are supposed to agree regardless because we will come off as fearing success!
I cannot scream bullshit enough!
When we disagree with Obama we need to speak out instead of psychoanalyzing why we want to protest. Not speaking out because Obama is black is just an inverted form of internalized racism.
I'm not blindly support Obama, but damn...b/c the man have the audicity to say you should be personaly responsible for your actions and that you shouldn't reply on rapping and playing ball as your only career options he deserves to have his nuts cut off?
Obviously.
much i believe he can actually achieve. And yes "We as a people fear success" all the time. I am 49 olds
and have experienced first hand other peoples fear of someone else's success throughout my life
time.
Jesse should've been a MAN and talked to Obama one-on-one about his allegedly "talking down to black people" instead of telling someone else onFox News of all places.
My grandfather said on Father's Day that he wanted to backhand Obama. He is the dedicated father 8 children, 22 grandchildren, an amaxing husband and father figure to many. I found that most of the people who disagreed technically had no reason for it to hit home but Obama making it race specfic and calling black men boys was wrong.
When whites call black men "boys", it is put up as a racial smear yet Obama can throw it around.
You can disagree with a person without wishing them violence and harm. The fact that people want to back hand him and cut off his nuts and start up lynching parties on Michelle because of what they have SAID says more about the person with the violent fantasy than it does about the Obamas.
I doubt seriously that the people who want to backhand, castrate or lynch the Obamas would ever fix their lips or fingertips to utter something like that about a WHITE candidate and his/her family.
One of the lesson I am learning from this wonderful experience it how much MORE we have to develop leadership in our community. I like Jackson but in this instance - he need to go sit down.
Go O-man go!
PS I do NOT think Obama is God or a saint!
As I kept saying over and over again only to stumble across this article, there is nuance behind the statistics and to assume that a man who does not live in the home does not take care of his children is wrong. However when it comes to blacks it is always okay to reduce us to a statistic.
I guess after all I have accomplished in my life and seen what black could accomplish, I'm afraid of success.
The whole BS about low-income, low-skilled black men, keeping consistent employment not being easy and the black father's ability to financially contribute is one of the biggest determinants of whether he stays in the home is, well, BS. Sorry things ain't working out for ya sir but the solution is to leave the home? As the first part of the article pointed out there is more to being a dad then the finances. And to use the excuse of "culture pressures" to bail out on family is weak. Real weak.
I won't deny that there are a lot of good fathers in non-traditional situations. And that's a good thing. But there are a lot of fathers who ignore responsibility and use the excuse that society made it this way that will never get a pass from me.
plus all of the static black men get from the Media and White People, and thats ok?
If you dont want to get feelings hurt, stop acting up and doing the wrong things.
If a man isnt doing the right thing of any color, hes a boy, plain and simple. If you cant deal with that--then you have a lot of problems that will not get solved.
Namecalling is the least of our problems.
If you cannot function as an adult and deal with some of the harsher things in life--then the word "boy" is the least of your problems.
The same black people who are mad at Obama about this are the same people who allow the ignorance and childishness to continue to drag all of us down.
what you said is such garbege. If you know me and my family who hated Obama's speech then you would not come with that half ass comment.
so blacks who disagree with Obama want handouts and fear success....wow...racist white conservatives in black face might i ask.
Can't people disagree with statements and others agree with statements without jumping to the extreme? If you agree you are good, if you don't you are bad or like basic. What? The best part of this site is reading the different perspectives with question and debate but not personal attacks.
Sounds like your family is touchy and should calm down.
Youre at a 10, you need to be at a 2.
That said, if Sen. Obama has been "talking down" to Black folk regarding fatherlessness, I'm all ears as to how one can talk up to Black men who are absent and uninvolved fathers.
"I'm all ears as to how one can talk up to Black men who are absent and uninvolved fathers."
All absent and univolved fathers. Let me know when someone makes that stretch.
If you listen to the rhetoric of people like Obama then you would think that all of the men that I grew up knowing did not exist and he was some expection with 2 other people.
That was my issue and talking "up" would have been praise rather than repudiation in front of the choir and on a national and global stage of men who really already get too much attention.
Obama's speech was cliche!
Also why not speak about the American breakdown of the family rather than going race specific since he isn't running for president of black America. There are many uninvolved Latino and white men why not repudiate them. However he saved his public scolding for the black crowd which is talking down because he would have never had the AUDACITY to confront anyone else.
Now explain the Popeyes fried chicken for breakfast comment and how that was not talking down. It was and I am calling it.
::
Or, people could stop perceiving Obama's statements this way.
Intentional fatherlessness is a scourge in our community, and has been for the last 35 years. And if grown Black men don't speak up and out against it, the problem will never go away. To hell with making excuses; to hell with trying to pretend the issue away; to hell with celebrating and praising.
The problem of intentional fatherlessness, and its resulting consequences are too numerous and profound to chronicle here. But suffice it to say that folks have become so desensitized; so conditioned, that intentional fatherlessness itself has become "cliche".
I don't give a damn who else is doing it. That it's still occuring in our community is the problem. And it's foolish to presume that the issue should be discussed where the non-Black public can't hear. THEY ALREADY KNOW!
This is our failure and it's our problem to fix.
http://www.theroot.com/id/47225
See a couple excerpts
"We are all, including Obama, in a place we never really thought we would be, and it has knocked us off our feet. We don't know how to act. We don't have a plan. We're searching for our equilibrium. "
and
"That, it seems to me, accounts in part for the frustration some of us are feeling by what we interpret as Obama's move to the center. We are simply not accustomed to one of our own playing real, power politics. "
Jack White, who I respect, needs to speak for himself and elements of what Zora Neale Hurston in her intemperate way called the "niggerati". I'm not confused at all about Obama's candidacy and I refuse to allow it to throw me off-stride or cause me to become delusional.
And I love Zora Neale Hurston.
you know there are good and bad fathers as well as imperfect ones - and both my dad and brother would qualify. but there are fathers of all races who are in the home who never spend "quality time" with their kids, and there are white millionaires running around who never see or take care of their children and you never see a story on that unless they are celebs or someone (usually the shafted wife) gets killed. so why do we wear this mantle of irresponsiblity alone? and why do i never, ever see anything anywhere about the multitude of stepdads who come into play when the biologicals didn't bother?