We’ve all heard the story “The boy who cried wolf” about the boy who falsely cried out so often that when the wolf finally appeared none of the townsfolk came to his assistance because they assumed he was once again lying. The same thing has been happening in the United States with the charge of racism. The problem is, when the word racism is used so often by so many people in such patently absurd contexts the charge and the word cease to have any value.
Of course, what many people often refer to as racism is in reality racial discrimination, and in most cases the activity charged as racism is neither.
Racism is a belief in an inherent difference in the cognitive and physical abilities of members of different groups based on race, which manifest themselves in social and economic achievement. Such differences are usually organized in hierarchical manner putting the proponent of the theory’s race in the superior position.
Racial discrimination is the treatment or making a distinction, gift or punishment for or against, a person or group based on the race to which that person or persons belong rather than on individual / group merit.
The dilution of the charge of racism has been going on in the United States for decades. The housing crisis that brought about the economic meltdown in which we find ourselves today was the direct result of federal regulations intended to counteract false claims of racist / discriminatory practices on the part of mortgage lenders.
More recently the cries of racism have been thrown around like rice at a wedding since Barack Obama became a candidate for President. From individuals to Tea Party activists to radio talk show hosts, every disagreement with the policies of Barack Obama is at some point reduced to the simple charge of racism. It does not even appear as if race itself is a defense against such claims as can be seen by the denunciations of Herman Cain.
Is it possible that by 2012 the overuse of the charge of racism has finally contributed to its own demise? Perhaps two absurd events from last week will be a sign of the false charge’s swan song.
The first comes from Dallas and has to do with Microsoft’s purported “Avoid the Ghetto” app for smartphones – a name suggested by critics rather than the company. The app, which is said to use crime statistic data, is supposed to offer drivers and pedestrians the opportunity to set routes to their destination that avoid high crime areas.
Dallas NAACP President Juanita Wallace seems to be unhappy about the as of yet unavailable product: “It’s almost like gerrymandering,” she said. “It’s stereotyping for sure and without a doubt; I can’t emphasize enough, it’s discriminatory.” However, the app will not label communities based on race. It is not going to tell users to avoid minorities or minority communities. It is is rather simply going to inform users about neighborhoods where a high number of crimes have been reported and offer them alternative routes to getting to their destinations. Certainly James Cooper and James Kouzaris could have used it.
Whatever the demographics of the neighborhoods drivers or pedestrians avoid as a result of Microsoft’s app, claims of racism or racial discrimination are absurd. Crime is crime, regardless of who perpetrates it. Indeed, it is President Wallace who has suggested the connection between crime and minority communities, not Microsoft.
The second story comes from Burlington, Vermont. At a time when consumers are put off by many bank’s limited hours and increasingly automated services, TD Bank sees an opportunity to distinguish itself from its competitors by opening for business every day other than Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter Sunday and New Years Day. In the highly competitive marketplace the bank is seeking to succeed by providing more services to attract more customers. The result? The branch in Burlington, Vermont was picketed for being open and serving its customers on the MLK holiday. Protesters printed flyers suggesting the bank was racist: “Dear TD Bank, you are defying the King holiday. Shame, Shame, Shame. This is a racist act. Shame, Shame, Shame.”
In what universe is a company seeking to provide its clients – all clients, regardless of race – with better service acting in a racist, or more accurately, a racially discriminatory manner? Only in a leftist, victim mentality universe fueled by the Democratic Party.
As we approach the battle for the White House those of us who disagree with the policies of President Obama should be prepared to be labeled racists for virtually every utterance. Of course it is possible that the false charge of racism has jumped the shark and will finally be disregarded by citizens as just another Democratic tool of intimidation and slander. Possible, but unfortunately… unlikely.
I’m afraid it’s more likely to be another Hollywood creation, Freddy from the Friday the 13th franchise that more accurately characterizes the future of the false charge of racism. Even when it is so widely seen as debased and hollow, when it should be dead after so many false utterances, the charge of racism is likely to once again be an instrument of the left with which it seeks to intimidate conservatives and distract voters from the abject failure of decades of Democratic policies – whose victims are both black and white. That’s unfortunate because real examples of racism and racial discrimination do indeed exist, but because the left has purloined the charge for its insidious ends those real examples are far less likely to be taken seriously. And for that we are less well off.
See author page
But wait!! There’s MORE!!
http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae277/RAPH6969/OBUMMER/RC4.jpg
Top runners on the disgustometer. These guys would be out of work if they couldn’t stir the pot and create racism!! In fact these guys are the most racist individuals I have ever known!! Shame on them,
As a successful ‘Black’ friend of mine said “E racism”. The Lefts race baiters will continue until the majority of their audience tells them to go away. As long as the racists are preaching from the pulpit or marching in the streets or threatening at the polling place or living in the White House it’ll continue.
Remember a couple of years ago how the French were suffering hundreds of cars being set on fire every night?
It lasted for over a two year period. Well, the French government set up a list of 751 neighborhoods where, if you went into one, you were on your own!
No police would answer any call, no rescue or fire fighters, either. There was no bus service into them. And ”race” had nothing to do with it. People of all races – who all just happened to be Muslims – were the problem.
Tourists to France could use such an app.
Even today.
Here’s a translated version of that page.
One only has to listen to the current crop of GOP Presidential candidate spew their often veiled racist comments, especially Newt. The extreme right is guilty of some pretty nasty and obvious racism in the past three years whether it’s Christmas cards with the White House as a watermelon patch or cartoon with a dead chip labeled ‘Obama’ or vile emails that were released.
For the right to point their fingers back at the Dems and the media is laughably absurd. You’ve asked for it with the morons you attract. You cornered the market. Live with it.
Liberalmann: You forgot to Blame Bush but I’m sure you will get around to it. Racism is something liberal wachos like you create on a daily basis. Moron. Please hop back on the nipple and let mommy take care of you.
@ liberalchild You said:
Okay, so link to some examples. If there are so many of these “often veiled racist comments,” then you ought to have plenty to choose from. C’mon, I dare you to cite some examples. Show the links, unless it is too difficult for you.
Or is it just that you prefer to attack fatherless infants?
Liberals and facts don’t go together. Sort of like MoosLoons and pork, vampires and holy water, Obummer and the truth.
liberalmann, never has anything of any value to say aside from his usual useless rabid anti-GOP drive-by slurs. At least Larry, Greg and Richard Wheeler make an effort to present their case. Replying to anything Liberalman posts is a waste of time. I don’t know why the FA Editors haven’t blocked his pathetic rants.
@liberalmann Like the Democratic party, you seek to hijack rational thought with you own hidden racism, hate, and psychological baggage. Why don’t you go over to the Huff and leave the adults alone, eh?
If anything, you proved the point of this article by showing us your very, very blind adherence to the Dems weapon of racism. You are also merely pantomiming about with the current Lib MSM junk that’s been floating around since Newt became the front-runner. The bulk of the MSM is saying “Newt is racist,” and oh my my, libermann shows up and says “Newt is racist.” You are proof that the ignorant and naive are being programmed by the Liberal-controlled media (who aren’t even liberal, strangely).
You should change you name to “EasilyInfluencedByPropagandamann” and take a few Political Science classes while you’re at it. In the meantime, stop annoying others with your hate-speech. You don’t want solutions, you want blood.
@liberalman:
Cite one or two examples with backup regarding Newt being a racist!?
I personally accuse YOU of being a racist; just because you THINK Newt is a racist, you demonstrated with your accusation that YOU are the racist!
Until you bring proof with backup of your charge, you are a racist!
Sharpton’s demagoguery and incitement to riot have actually gotten people killed.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/1995-12-13/news/17975932_1_tapes-sikhulu-shange-record-shack
http://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/sharpton_and_the_riots_20_years_later_20110822/
I expect the result of government sanctioned racialism and class warfare to be the same in the future as it has been in the past – body count.
Then there is the Obama/Holder/DOJ/ATF ‘Fast and Furious’ government directed and subsidized gun-running operation, clearly put into action with the assumption that a couple of hundred dead Mexican citizens would be just a cost of doing business. Not “our people” as Holder would say.
Just because a person believes the word racism is used alot does not mean that it does not exist. Newt is race baiting. Saying that he wants to give black people a paycheck as opposed to a welfare check. More white people as a percentage are on welfare. But as with Reagan in the 80’s with his “welfare queen” everyone knows what he meant. Rick Santorum saying that he does not want to take away benefits to give to black people. He also did not correct a woman who said that President Obama is an “avowed Muslim”. And if he were? The te party went out of their way with racis and disciminatory remarks.
Yes this country still has to deal with the racism. It exists and calling out the Democrats on this issue is ludicrous. By pretending it does not exist is more like sticking one’s head in the sand.
Lorie Robinson, some people see racism behind every corner…. Thank you for that fine example of such.
MataHarley- If you want to deny that is your perogative. I do not look for racism behind every corner but I will call it out when the situation warrants.
@Lorie Robinson:
I’d say take your meds, but they’d have to let you out of the straightjacket first.
Hard Right- So now we are at the name-calling stage. That is reserved for those with a limited imagination and vocabulary. Is that all you have for me. Bring it on.
@Lorie Robinson:
Ahem, Newt never said to give black people a paycheck instead of a welfare check. He said it would better to give POOR people a paycheck instead of a welfare check. Get your facts straight.
Dan- I heard him say black people and that he would like to be invited to a NAACP event so he could tell them the same thing.
When? Link?
I’m guessing this is racism:
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus)
“….Black people hold the president in such high esteem, that they would not dare march on the White House even though unemployment is at 15 percent and higher. …..The point was that if we had anybody else in the White House, with this level of unemployment, that you know, you would see a lot more African Americans, African American organizations speaking out against it. But because he is revered, you know, he gets I guess the benefit of, you know, understanding. ….I was resistant to a group of individuals who wanted to lock arms, surround the White House, with several thousand people this past October and pray. I resisted it because I thought if we did that it would be interpreted as some kind of assault on the president, which I was not willing to launch.”
http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/24/cbc-chairman-african-americans-would-march-on-the-white-house-if-obama-wasnt-black/#ixzz1kVq1H7lk
BET uses the UC Berkeley report on black unemployment numbers to show that, during Obama’s time in office their unemployment has risen to 15.8%. YIKES!
But no protests at the White House.
http://www.bet.com/news/national/2012/01/06/commentary-unemployment-declines-but-why-not-for-black-america.html
Dan,
http://newsone.com/nation/nomul6/newt-gingrich-i-will-tell-black-people-to-demand-work-instead-of-welfare-naacp/
Let me see if I can follow this tangent… excerpts of the racism-around-every-corner path by Lorie Robinson
And what did the leftist Slate dude, Weigel, say that Newt said?
???
Lorie, as you point out there is disproportionately high rate of unemployment amongst minorities, and especially the black community. I will also add that it’s even higher when you consider the black youths have it the worst.
So let me ask you a couple of questions:
1: Are you suggesting that Newt should go to the NAACP convention, and tell them that white people should demand a paycheck instead of food stamps? Because he was speaking to the audience (black), and also to those that are most affected by the lack of jobs.
2: Are you also suggesting that blacks would *prefer* food stamps to a job?
Perhaps I’m being idealistic, but I would think that black Americans… most especially the young black Americans… would prefer the opportunity to get entry level jobs than a handout. But listening to you, maybe I’m wrong?
But it sure isn’t racist to cater to a demographic audience, highly affected by the unemployment/job problem, and assume they’d prefer a job over a government handout, and work to that end.
@liberalmann: Liberalmann: LMAO….the strong arm of the democratic party has ALWAYS been the KKK and other assorted retards…SkinHeads, Aryan Nations…ACORN…SEIU….CBC…barry hussien soetoro….I think youve been lied to for so long, or just so flipping ignorant, that the facts simply dont matter to you anymore…your a fool and theres probably not very much you can ever do to change that fact!
Must suck to be you….huh?
Nan,
We all know that unemployment is highest in the Black Community. If President Obama was to single them out it would be people like you crying out that he only wants to help his own kind. Don’t forget that he is half white.
Lorie, from your link: “Newt: ‘I will go to the NAACP convention and tell the African American community why they should demand paychecks instead of welfare checks'”.
Sounds to me like this is in response to somebody asking him what he will do for the African American community. So, I would guess the only reason race played a part of his statement was that someone injected race into the conversation to begin with. And, it would seem that he is trying to explain a policy postion, that earning a paycheck is much better than getting a government handout.
@Lorie Robinson:
Says the person mindlessly regurgitating racist left wing talking points. Trolls like yourself aren’t worth the time. Go back to HuffPo, you bigot.
Why is it not telling this to the white community. More of them are on food stamps . No he knows what he was doing. Why would you sdingle out one race of people?
Surprise, Lorie picks a quote clearly taken out of context. Typical of racist leftists projecting their racism onto Conservatives.
Hard Right,
This is my last post to you. I do not waste time with small minded people such as yourself. You lack imagination and vision so are of no use to me. Goodbye.
@Lorie Robinson:
Can you read? I said, it would appear from the way the statement is constructed, that it is in response to a question about the African American community. So, somebody else injected race into the conversation, not Newt.
@Lorie Robinson:
Lorie,
Obama is slightly MORE than 1/2 white.
His father was partly Arab Kenyan and mostly black-African Kenyan.
Obama has shown nearly no interest in helping African-Americans.
In fact, earlier in his presidency Obama was accused of throwing some black supporters ”under the bus.”
He is going to count on their vote loyalty (which was in the 95% area) in 2012 and, really, what else can they do?
When Obama spoke about his American Jobs Act that most Republicans oppose as well as a few Democrats, he pointed out all of the targeted assistance for African-Americans.
So, is he in as much trouble as Newt for the exact same action?
SEE:
Assistant Secretary of Labor Says the President Is Trying to Help Black America
http://www.bet.com/news/politics/2011/09/26/assistant-secretary-of-labor-says-the-president-is-trying-to-help-black-america.html
@Lorie Robinson:
You said;
“The te party went out of their way with racis and disciminatory remarks.”
Please, for those of us who don’t remember, list the remarks, and please include supporting links and/or articles so that we may verify them.
I, for one, don’t believe that you will be able to list any, at least with supporting links and/or articles from trustworthy sources.
Lorie has a problem with rational thought and projection. In other words, typical hate filled leftist.
Allow me to translate for Lorie:
Racist: Anything a Republican/Conservative says.
Racist code: Anything a Republican/Conservative says.
See how that works?
Let’s see if she is the drive by troll we suspect.
I am not really all that interested in defending Newt per se, but the hair trigger perception of racism is the issue here.
Lori, is growing up with an expectation of living on public assistance rather than working a good thing or a bad thing? Are there people who grow up that way or are there not? If so, how does that happen?
Do Occupy Wall Street types, who want the government to pay for the student loans they took out to pursue useless college degrees, disgust you? They disgust me. The problem in each case is the destructive expectations with which people have been indoctrinated.
You say “Caucasians as a percentage” are on welfare but don’t specify, as a percentage of what. If you mean as a percentage of the general population, that is probably true since there are many more Caucasians, and it is also irrelevant. Percent of group is what matters in that particular discussion. Much of the complaining about black unemployment rate and percentage of blacks living on welfare originates with blacks themselves. The issue is not whether it exists disproportionately (it does), but how did it happen and what should be done.
The idea that the Tea Party movement is racist is something I absolutely won’t accept. You would get that impression if you went by the filtered propaganda of the media, not if you were actually at a rally. The way they work it is, find a handful of crank signs at the fringe of a crowd of 500,000 , make it look like they are the entire rally, send in infiltrators to act like idiots, and repeat unsubstantiated lies about crowd behavior, such as claims that Congressmen were spit on and called the N-word by a crowd in front of the Capitol building. At the Capitol there were video cameras everywhere, a $100,000 reward was later offered for proof, and nothing, absolutely nothing, has ever surfaced.
The question is often asked, why would anybody have a sudden problem with budget deficits now when the deficit grew under GW Bush and other than the presidents before him as well? What suddenly changed in 2009 other than the President’s skin color?
This is what changed: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/03/21/GR2009032100104.html
It’s the sudden shocking increase in the deficit. It’s like the apocryphal story of boiling a frog. If you heat the water slowly, the frog does not perceive the increase in temperature and will stay until the heat kills him. If you heat the water fast, the frog notices and jumps out of the pot. In 2009 the heat was turned way up. People who were already unhappy with deficits suddenly got agitated enough to demonstrate. The Federal government is borrowing 40% of its budget, Lori, with no end in sight. They are also printing trillions of dollars of funny money and calling it “quantitative easement.” Loss of credit rating plus inflation plus inability to pay for government commitments is our fate as things stand. The financial disaster that is unfolding will affect us all. Nobody will escape; a small elite imagines they will be the exception, and will be happy as long as they get theirs. Our children or grandchildren will not escape.
The stakes are very high. We were already headed for a cliff at 20 miles per hour, and the Democratic Party has accelerated to 100 miles an hour. Obama is simply the most visible member of the Democratic Party leadership, which is in truth almost entirely white. Pelosi, Reid, Schumer, Dodd, Frank and the rest put legislation together and get it voted on, and Obama just signs it. Or they block the Other Party’s attempts to pass legislation.
Speaking of welfare and other entitlements, they won’t continue as they are because they can’t: http://www.nationalreview.com/exchequer/246709/entitlement-bubble-bust-going-be-nightmare
It’s not going to end easily, but very very badly, and nobody in authority wants talk about it partly because of the cries of “racism” and “callous stinginess” that ring out when the simple facts are brought up, partly because some of them would have to admit their share of the blame.
I leave you with the 2010 victory speech of Tea Party candidate Allen West:
I am sick and tired of the label “racist” just because I am white, and conservative. I am sick and tired of people who only apply their liberal ideas of racism to conservatives and not to the people who continually treat the black community like they are second rate citizens. The liberal/progressive political wing of this country has taken the black community for granted more than another other. They have continually used stereotypes of the black community to push their agendas. They have continually promised the moon and delivered nothing to the black community.
Yet, conservatives get blasted if they say anything even remotely related to race, or race relations. They, we, cannot even state something as innocuous as “black people have a darker skin pigment” without some race-baiting liberal then claiming that we said black people are not as good as others because of their skin.
Maybe, possibly, if liberals could ever get past the color of one’s skin, they would stop using race as a tactic to divide the masses and concentrate instead on the real issues at hand.
Wow. Kind of got a big ego there Lorie. He’s of no use to you — like, he’s a bad employee?
If I said she did a drive-by, would that be racist?
@Lorie Robinson:
You yourself have just singled out one race of people (“the white community”). By your own logic, this makes you a racist and hypocrite.
Ditto, what Lorie doesn’t seem to have the capacity to grasp is that Newt would say the same thing to any and every poor neighborhood or minority audience. It’s not a “race” suggestion. It’s a fiscal suggestion. Frankly, I find it offensive that some black Americans think they have a monopoly on poverty. It spans all races, and the solution suggested by Newt’s school employment program works for all. Of course, the only thing that could interfere is if a nanny Congress decides to start categorizing affirmative action… like which minority has priority over another. LOL
But back to the subject at hand. Newt’s suggestion is why Hispanic activist, Reuben Navarrette Jr, praised his proposal that schools create job opportunities for the young. (Hint to Ms. Lorie… that’s a hotlink. Click on it and read.)
It’s a win win endeavor. The schools are saddled with expensive help in the cafeterias, sanitation, offices, etc.. especially with unions and pensions. Newt’s plan works great for today’s shaved down budget problems, plus helps the young. Obviously those with wealthier parents will not apply… fools as they may be.
The kids get a job plus learn work ethic. When I was a student in the 50 and early 60s, we had jobs in various school departments available. But they didn’t get paid. At least with Newt’s suggestions, they have cash in the pocket, and experience on a resume.
@Lorie Robinson: Newt’s ACTUAL paycheck/welfare check comments, emphasis mine:
Yeah, pretty racist comments. He wants to help folks who get the least return from SS. What a cad!
@MataHarley:
Our parents divorced in my freshman year of high school (1970s), and our dad was not paying child support. Our mother had to move her and all five kids into a trailer park to survive. My twin brother and I worked for six weeks in just such a program to try to earn enough money to buy our first car. (It was a 13 year old convertible that a body shop owner had acquired via a mechanic’s lien. He kindly sold it to us for the cost of the body work and new paint job.) Given the cattiness of other teenagers, we did not brag about our summer of working with the school janitorial staff, but we were proud to be able to show up for our Sophomore year in our own car.
@MataHarley: @MataHarley:
I have no problem with kids who are old enough to work, work. What I have a problem with is Newt insinuating that black children have no role models. What he is saying is absolutely wrong and it just sterotypes the black family. I really don’t expect you to understand, however you cannot negate my experience and perspective.
@Dan:
I can read very well thank. I can also conmprehend what I read. And what I understand is that Newt plays to that small group of bigots who have been brainwashed to believe that all problems lay with the black community. The media is also responsible for the negative way that blacks are portrayed.
@MataHarley:
1. He chose to highlight the black community playing to the more racist element to his base. That is what I have a problem with. He did not include other races in his rant.
2. I am not suggesting that black people prefer welfare as opposed to wotking. Most of the black community does work. And for Newt to suggest otherwise is the height of hypocracy.
I bet Lorie’s head would explode if she understood of the people at FA she is calling racist, aren’t white.
Hey Lorie, by the hypocritical code of leftists like yourself, I can’t be racist because I’m a minority.
Oh, and after your mentally ill rants you have no room to call anyone racist or hypocritical.
@Lorie Robinson:
I’m still waiting for those examples of TEA Party racism along with the links/articles you got them from.
If you cannot provide them, I will ask you very kindly to refrain from passing on these unsubstantiated rumours/lies about the TEA Party.
@Hard Right:
You’d be surprised that I spent 20 years in the armed forces. I am not calling anyone a racist except for Newt and Rick who clearly are. I don’t know any of you at the FA, but what I do know is that you should not be condoning this type of rhetoric that has entered the GOP campaign. Any race of because can be labeled racist, it isn’t reserved for white people, except that it is the white race in this country who have tried to deny blacks whether it is institutional racism, legislative policy (Jim Crow), different interest rates to buy a home just because they are a minority. I also know that there are a lot of white people who denounce prejudice and racism. Those are the ones I choose to surround myself with and applaud.
@johngalt:
I unlike you have a life. I don’t spend all my time posting. Let me clarify one thing. I do not think that all members of the tea party are racist but some are by the way they’ve conducted themselves and the signs that they carried during the last presidential election. There are still people out there who do not believe that our President was born her. Those people you can’t reason with. Here is what you asked for:
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2010/10/tea-party-racism.html
@Lorie Robinson:
You served in the military and that somehow means you aren’t a moonbat? Pfft!
Read the links that were working. Unsurprisingly the one that supposedly had absolute proof of “tea Party” racism wasn’t working-“Racism, Anti-Semitism and the Militia Impulse”. Gee, a rehash of disproved allegations , unsupported allegations, and seeing racism where it isn’t. Talk about grasping at straws.
Here is some of what people like Lorie say is proof the Tea Party is racist:
“– James von Brunn, the white supremacist who killed a Holocaust Museum guard last year, posted on Tea Partner Express partner websites.
— Mark Williams, former chairman of the Tea Party Express, not only wrote racist screeds, he made death threats against President Obama,
— Billy Joe Roper, a member of the ResistNet Tea Party who also happens to be the founder of the overtly racist White Revolution organization, indulging in “Nazi glamorization” with his eulogy for William Pierce, author of The Turner Diaries, the notorious race-war blueprint.”
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2010/10/tea-party-racism.html
That sure is proof that every person and faction of the Tea Party is racist (roll eyes).
BTW Lorie, even the report says that MOST Tea Party people are not racist and are sincere. Forgot to read that, did we? Yeah, I’m sure that’s the case.
Here is the link from earlier that did not work. It becomes clear that they really don’t have much proof. People like Lorie really don’t need it when it comes to hating Conservatives.
Lorie, you really are mentally ill. Seek therapy.
John Galt and Mata I’m sure you know how much I respect and enjoy your presentation of Conservative views and principles.
My question Is the Conservative tent large enough to include the likes of Hard Right? This is a serious concern to me and your answers will help me evaluate my continuing to evolve political beliefs.
Pls refrain from speaking about the far left.I know plenty about that wing.
Thanks much Semper Fi
I’m not sure what you are asking, rich wheeler. Are you asking me to pass judgment on whether I find HR a worthy member of a party I don’t belong to? And why would I do that?
And simultaneously, you want any one to avoid any references to any extreme leftist.
??? Is this a set up and for what? LOL
I don’t know what has got you all up in arms about HR. Sounds like a personal problem there, guy. But I have no intention of rating the personal human value of any commenter, or their worthiness, at your bidding.
Lorie, it’s interesting that you chose to use the word “insinuating”… which, of course, indicates that it’s a perception you choose to accept as truth as opposed to researching the program that Newt specifically advocates for the disadvantaged youth of all races. Now that may be because you happen to read publications that project that “insinuation”, but it would behoove you to read more about this long standing issue for Gingrich instead of taking a single sentence and screaming “racist”.
First of all, you say you have no problem with kids who “are old enough to work” getting work. It’s interesting that when Newt suggests that the child labor laws (generally 16+ years) actually constricts developing work ethic at an early age, it results in the predictable assault that Newt wants to exploit child labor. Hyperbole much? That’s absolutely absurd. I worked prior to the age of 16… anything from babysitting to yard work, chores, house cleaning. And once I turned 16 I went to work as a cashier at a grocery part time while still in high school. I don’t think it’s exploitative for kids to work earlier than the federal government deems the minimum age. And it’s not akin to suggesting a sweat shop either.
Do you object to kids having jobs prior to that age? And why? It would be far more healthy endeavor than joining gangs (no, that’s not a “black” thing… so don’t even go there), or sitting for hours playing video games, or tweeting.
As to the perception of him presenting this only to black youth, let me widen your horizons. From ABC News, hardly a conservative news outlet:
As I pointed out, if Newt was before the NAACP – obviously an organization dedicated to the issues of black Americans – he’s not going to be catering his presentation of his program to financially challenged whites or Hispanics. He’s going to address the demographics of the audience.
He was not confining his presentation to only the black community, as you see to prefer to believe. However since unemployment rate is 43% among African-American teenagers, the program to offer an early path to work is obviously a benefit to that disproportionately large demographic.
Had you read the article I linked to Hispanic activist, Ruben Navarrette, you would see that not all minorities, with high percentage of poverty and less returns from Social Security at retirement for lower wages during their work life, find such a program objectionable.
What I find amazing is that you choose to make this program… which is not confined to race, but certainly is best pitched to those who are most in need of help… an example of race baiting when it is actually you, and leftist and/or black punditry/organizations that are playing the race card. Fact is, as I told you and Newt said himself, he’d go into any minority neighborhood of any ethnicity, and say the same. But he used the NAACP as an example because their 43% youth unemployment is the most staggering… and therefore, the best example of who can benefit. But certainly not the only example of who could benefit.
Now you say this “stereotypes” the black family. You may, or may not have had a similar childhood as those Newt wishes to aid. But it’s absurd for you to pretend that statistics of poverty, single parent, and unemployment opportunities for black youth don’t exist. You can call that racist if you want. I would call it sticking your head in the sand and avoiding the dilemma. One that none of us wants to exist.
Even Bill Cosby, Walter Williams and Ward Connerly deplore this unhealthy hypersensitivity and avoidance, saying this type of attitude further depresses improving the situation.
Now, I see you refused to answer @my two simple questions above. I’m not sure why, and maybe you can try again. So I’ll repeat them, plus add one more.
1: Are you suggesting that Newt should go to the NAACP convention, and tell them that white people should demand a paycheck instead of food stamps? Because he was speaking to the audience (black), and also to those that are most affected by the lack of jobs.
2: Are you also suggesting that blacks would *prefer* food stamps to a job?
3: Are you aware that the program suggests not only janitorial positions, but office, cafeteria or any department (i.e. a phys ed department that could assist a coach with equipment, rather like a ball boy in baseball.) And do you feel any of these jobs are “beneath” any youth of any race?
@Lorie Robinson:
So now you are assuming that because I’ve posted on FA before that I don’t have a life? Project much? I was simply asking you to provide proof of your claim that “The te party went out of their way with racis and disciminatory remarks”. Of course, you have restated that differently now, saying that “only some are”. You also stated that signs during the last Presidential election help prove this. Really? You do realize that the TEA Party essentially started one Feb. 19, 2009, AFTER Obama was sworn in as President, don’t you?
And your links? Those are hardly worthy of being some kind of “proof” of TEA Party racism. Unless, of course, you are one of those people who consider any criticism of Obama as being racist-driven.
As far as I’m concerned, johngalt, you never comment enough… LOL