Take the time to read this as it makes a good point. This is a very good read.
Surprised to hear what she had to say, and how it was presented. Anne Wortham is Associate Professor of Sociology at Illinois State University and continuing Visiting Scholar at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. She is a member of the American Sociological Association and the American Philosophical Association. She has been a John M. Olin Foundation Faculty Fellow, and honored as a Distinguished Alumni of the Year by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. In fall 1988 she was one of a select group of intellectuals who were featured in Bill Moyer's television series, "A World of Ideas." The transcript of her conversation with Moyers has been published in his book, A World of Ideas. Dr. Wortham is author of The Other Side of Racism: A Philosophical Study of Black Race Consciousness which analyzes how race consciousness is transformed into political strategies and policy issues. She has published numerous articles on the implications of individual rights for civil rights policy, and is currently writing a book on theories of social and cultural marginality. Recently, she has published articles on the significance of multiculturalism and Afrocentricism in education, the politics of victimization and the social and political impact of political correctness. Shortly after an interview in 2004 she was awarded tenure.
This article by her is something else.
No He Can't
by Anne Wortham
Fellow Americans, Please know: I am black; I grew up in the segregated South. I did not vote for Barack Obama; I wrote in Ron Paul's name as my choice for president. Most importantly, I am not race conscious. I do not require a black president to know that I am a person of worth, and that life is worth living. I do not require a black president to love the ideal of America . I cannot join you in your celebration. I feel no elation. There is no smile on my face. I am not jumping with joy. There are no tears of triumph in my eyes. For such emotions and behavior to come from me, I would have to deny all that I know about the requirements of human flourishing and survival - all that I know about the history of the United States of America , all that I know about American race relations, and all that I know about Barack Obama as a politician. I would have to deny the nature of the "change" that Obama asserts has come to America . Most importantly, I would have to abnegate my certain understanding that you have chosen to sprint down the road to serfdom that we have been on for over a century. I would have to pretend that individual liberty has no value for the success of a human life. I would have to evade your rejection of the slender reed of capitalism on which your success and mine depend. I would have to think it somehow rational that 94 percent of the 12 million blacks in this country voted for a man because he looks like them (that blacks are permitted to play the race card), and that they were joined by self-declared "progressive" whites who voted for him because he doesn't look like them. I would have to wipe my mind clean of all that I know about the kind of people who have advised and taught Barack Obama and will fill posts in his administration - political intellectuals like my former colleagues at the Harvard University 's Kennedy School of Government. I would have to believe that "fairness" is the equivalent of justice. I would have to believe that man who asks me to "go forward in a new spirit of service, in a new service of sacrifice" is speaking in my interest. I would have to accept the premise of a man that economic prosperity comes from the "bottom up," and who arrogantly believes that he can will it into existence by the use of government force. I would have to admire a man who thinks the standard of living of the masses can be improved by destroying the most productive and the generators of wealth. Finally, Americans, I would have to erase from my consciousness the scene of 125,000 screaming, crying, cheering people in Grant Park, Chicago irrationally chanting "Yes We Can!" Finally, I would have to wipe all memory of all the times I have heard politicians, pundits, journalists, editorialists, bloggers and intellectuals declare that capitalism is dead - and no one, including especially Alan Greenspan, objected to their assumption that the particular version of the anti-capitalistic mentality that they want to replace with their own version of anti-capitalism is anything remotely equivalent to capitalism. So you have made history, Americans. You and your children have elected a black man to the office of the president of the United States , the wounded giant of the world. The battle between John Wayne and Jane Fonda is over - and that Fonda won. Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern must be very happy men. Jimmie Carter, too. And the Kennedys have at last gotten their Kennedy look-a-like. The self-righteous welfare statists in the suburbs can feel warm moments of satisfaction for having elected a black person. So, toast yourselves: 60s countercultural radicals, 80s yuppies and 90s bourgeois bohemians. Toast yourselves, Black America. Shout your glee Harvard, Princeton , Yale, Duke, Stanford, and Berkeley. You have elected not an individual who is qualified to be president, but a black man who, like the pragmatist Franklin Roosevelt, promises to - Do Something! You now have someone who has picked up the baton of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. But you have also foolishly traded your freedom and mine - what little there is left - for the chance to feel good.
There is nothing in me that can share your happy obliviousness.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Obamistake
Well, Obama has done it again. Where do I start? Let's just recap a few of the last weeks events.
First, and most recent is the idiotic "photo op" of the President's plane and a couple of F-16 fighters buzzing the buildings in Manhattan and Jersey City without any notice to the citizens. Gee, what forethought on the Administrations part. Suppose they have forgotten about September 11, 2001? Or do they think the people that live and work in that area would not be alarmed by a low flying aircraft, on the same course as the dirt bag terrorists that crashed into the World Trade Center? Maybe Obama knew about this "photo op", maybe not. Either way it is just another in the growing list of Obamistakes from Obama himself or his administration. Do these people ever think? Is it just me or does he and his administration seem totally incompetent? Which brings me to my next item:
Teleprompter Obama caught again stumbling and bumbling through a few sentences when his teleprompter operator goofed. I don't expect Obama to memorize all his speeches, not likely he writes them either, but you would think he would at least read them and become familiar with the subject matter in case of a teleprompter error so he could continue speaking. Most recently he was delivering a speech and the prompter failed to keep up or got ahead or something. All that Obama could do was blab uncomfortably until the prompter got him back on track. You would think that he would be able to deliver a few coherent sentences without the teleprompter. Apparently not.
We have a President that is more concerned with being liked and being a celebrity than actually running the Country. As mentioned before, he of course has no experience running anything, so we shouldn't really expect too much from him. He wants us (and him) to be liked by everyone in the world, no matter what the cost. Folks, the cost is enormous. Budget deficits and debt that our kids and grand kids will be paying for and will cripple the economy; let's spread all the money around to everyone in the country and let the Government provide everyone with everything and that will make the people here like him. Then, lets reach out, unconditionally to Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, you name it....hell, why not North Korea and Syria too? Let's hope they will like us now too, rather than want to kill us.
Oh, and then there is the waterboarding. This idiot President thinks that squirting water in someones face so they feel as if they are going to drown, or grabbing their face is torture. Hmmm....doesn't sound like torture to me. Cutting off someones head sounds rather torturous. Now, someone that thinks they are about to drown is probably frightened, but there is a difference between being scared and being tortured. The lefts' rationale for their assinine position seems to be 'if we do it to them, then they will do it to us'. I suspect any of our soldiers captured by the terrorists or taliban would much rather know they have a water boarding coming than a beheading, or disembowlment.
Be alert America. We are being weakened by the policies of this Administration. Don't expect the mainstream media to warn you. They too are smitten by the celebrity of Obama. Don't make an Obamistake. Get busy and make change happen. Our safety and prosperity are riding on it.
First, and most recent is the idiotic "photo op" of the President's plane and a couple of F-16 fighters buzzing the buildings in Manhattan and Jersey City without any notice to the citizens. Gee, what forethought on the Administrations part. Suppose they have forgotten about September 11, 2001? Or do they think the people that live and work in that area would not be alarmed by a low flying aircraft, on the same course as the dirt bag terrorists that crashed into the World Trade Center? Maybe Obama knew about this "photo op", maybe not. Either way it is just another in the growing list of Obamistakes from Obama himself or his administration. Do these people ever think? Is it just me or does he and his administration seem totally incompetent? Which brings me to my next item:
Teleprompter Obama caught again stumbling and bumbling through a few sentences when his teleprompter operator goofed. I don't expect Obama to memorize all his speeches, not likely he writes them either, but you would think he would at least read them and become familiar with the subject matter in case of a teleprompter error so he could continue speaking. Most recently he was delivering a speech and the prompter failed to keep up or got ahead or something. All that Obama could do was blab uncomfortably until the prompter got him back on track. You would think that he would be able to deliver a few coherent sentences without the teleprompter. Apparently not.
We have a President that is more concerned with being liked and being a celebrity than actually running the Country. As mentioned before, he of course has no experience running anything, so we shouldn't really expect too much from him. He wants us (and him) to be liked by everyone in the world, no matter what the cost. Folks, the cost is enormous. Budget deficits and debt that our kids and grand kids will be paying for and will cripple the economy; let's spread all the money around to everyone in the country and let the Government provide everyone with everything and that will make the people here like him. Then, lets reach out, unconditionally to Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, you name it....hell, why not North Korea and Syria too? Let's hope they will like us now too, rather than want to kill us.
Oh, and then there is the waterboarding. This idiot President thinks that squirting water in someones face so they feel as if they are going to drown, or grabbing their face is torture. Hmmm....doesn't sound like torture to me. Cutting off someones head sounds rather torturous. Now, someone that thinks they are about to drown is probably frightened, but there is a difference between being scared and being tortured. The lefts' rationale for their assinine position seems to be 'if we do it to them, then they will do it to us'. I suspect any of our soldiers captured by the terrorists or taliban would much rather know they have a water boarding coming than a beheading, or disembowlment.
Be alert America. We are being weakened by the policies of this Administration. Don't expect the mainstream media to warn you. They too are smitten by the celebrity of Obama. Don't make an Obamistake. Get busy and make change happen. Our safety and prosperity are riding on it.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Scourge of Oklahoma and the Legacy of Governor Brad Henry
It is almost time for Brad Henry to leave. He has been a two term Governor for the State of Oklahoma and his term will expire in January 2011. His crowning achievements for Oklahoma are the “Education” Lottery and Casino Gambling.
I cannot see how aggressively encouraging the citizens of Oklahoma to participate in the lottery through their advertising campaigns is good public policy. The lottery is designed to, or supposes to make money to contribute to an education fund to benefit Oklahoma public schools. The only way this happens is when the participants LOSE MONEY. How about consolidating school districts, reducing administration as a means to save money, thus providing more money for schools? Increased tax deductions for giving money to schools perhaps? Lotteries don’t work, don’t let Brad Henry fool you. It was and is a bad idea.
The casino gaming compact was pushed through, or disguised as a measure to help the struggling Oklahoma horsemen. The proliferation of Indian Casinos is an embarrassment to this State, to the Indians, and to Brad Henry. The extent of the problems caused by gambling and problem gambling are never talked about. Obviously I cannot monitor every news outlet in the State of Oklahoma, but I do listen to the radio and watch the news daily. I don’t remember any stories about the problems that gambling causes. Don’t kid yourself into thinking there are not problems right here in Oklahoma. I suspect you don’t hear about them though because the casinos spend huge amounts of money advertising in the print and broadcast media.
I am a native Oklahoman. I love this State. However, it will never be a tourist destination like Las Vegas, Reno, Tahoe, or Atlantic City, and that is OK with me. The Indian casinos are taking money from Oklahoma citizens and leaving problems behind. I have three options:
First option: repeal the gaming compact immediately or start working towards repeal. I believe the compact comes up for vote again in 2021.
Second option: open up the casino market to all players. If we want Oklahoma to be a tourist destination for gambling, let the big players in. Maybe then we will actually get new money into the State. We can abolish the State income tax because we will more than make up for it in tourism taxes. We can then also regulate the casinos. As it is now, we have the fox watching the hen house.
Option 3: if we can’t or won’t do option 2, then restrict access to Indian casinos to those that are enrolled members of an Indian Tribe. We will see how anxious the Indian Tribes will be to expand their casino operation then.
I don’t have a moral issue with gambling and I certainly don't have a problem with the Indian Nations. It is just flat bad business for the State of Oklahoma. Thank you Brad Henry.
I cannot see how aggressively encouraging the citizens of Oklahoma to participate in the lottery through their advertising campaigns is good public policy. The lottery is designed to, or supposes to make money to contribute to an education fund to benefit Oklahoma public schools. The only way this happens is when the participants LOSE MONEY. How about consolidating school districts, reducing administration as a means to save money, thus providing more money for schools? Increased tax deductions for giving money to schools perhaps? Lotteries don’t work, don’t let Brad Henry fool you. It was and is a bad idea.
The casino gaming compact was pushed through, or disguised as a measure to help the struggling Oklahoma horsemen. The proliferation of Indian Casinos is an embarrassment to this State, to the Indians, and to Brad Henry. The extent of the problems caused by gambling and problem gambling are never talked about. Obviously I cannot monitor every news outlet in the State of Oklahoma, but I do listen to the radio and watch the news daily. I don’t remember any stories about the problems that gambling causes. Don’t kid yourself into thinking there are not problems right here in Oklahoma. I suspect you don’t hear about them though because the casinos spend huge amounts of money advertising in the print and broadcast media.
I am a native Oklahoman. I love this State. However, it will never be a tourist destination like Las Vegas, Reno, Tahoe, or Atlantic City, and that is OK with me. The Indian casinos are taking money from Oklahoma citizens and leaving problems behind. I have three options:
First option: repeal the gaming compact immediately or start working towards repeal. I believe the compact comes up for vote again in 2021.
Second option: open up the casino market to all players. If we want Oklahoma to be a tourist destination for gambling, let the big players in. Maybe then we will actually get new money into the State. We can abolish the State income tax because we will more than make up for it in tourism taxes. We can then also regulate the casinos. As it is now, we have the fox watching the hen house.
Option 3: if we can’t or won’t do option 2, then restrict access to Indian casinos to those that are enrolled members of an Indian Tribe. We will see how anxious the Indian Tribes will be to expand their casino operation then.
I don’t have a moral issue with gambling and I certainly don't have a problem with the Indian Nations. It is just flat bad business for the State of Oklahoma. Thank you Brad Henry.
The time has come for Americans to make a stand. We must stand up for the principles this nation was built upon. This current administration is a disgrace and an embarrassment to our nation. A President that bows to foreign leaders, and apparently will allow investigation and prosecution of those officials charged with our safety after 9/11 (this has never been done in the history of this nation). Obama is clearly a deer caught in the headlights and cannot think for himself. Just 25 hours earlier he had said we were moving forward, not looking backward. Then someone must have pulled his chain and he flip flopped quicker than a pancake on the Waffle House griddle. Of course, Obama has no experience at actually running anything, so how can we expect him to effectively run an organization as huge as the United States of America? How silly of us to think he would be able to do it, well, not really me, because I didn't vote for him. But, he was elected and he is my President too. I can support his policies if I believe they are the right thing for our Country, but so far I have not found much on which to support him.
Even by his own administration's calculations his stimulus program has failed, or at least not provided the stimulus they had promised. In fact the Obama administration figures show that the economy would have been better off had they done nothing, than had they went forward with the stimulus package. Hmmmm...maybe we could armchair quarterback this situation like he is currently doing with the officials charged with keeping this nation safe in the days, weeks, and months post 9/11. Hmmm...seems like the latter worked as there have been no attacks on American soil since 9/11. If only his stimulus program had achieved the desired results. According to Obama politics it is time for an investigation into his stimulus package to see whom we can blame and prosecute. Oh yeah, we still have, or really our kids and grand kids will have, all that money to payback. Sort of like buying something using your credit card, and it quits working, but you still have to pay for it. same principle.
America is already been weakened by this President and those pulling his strings. We must wake up. Organize or attend a tea party. Get active with your local politicians and let them know how you feel about this administrations policies. Tell them they must aggressively and vigorously oppose socialized medicine, government run banks, government takeover of businesses, earmarks, and higher taxes. If they do not aggressively and vigorously oppose these types of programs then you will vigorously and aggressively support their opponent in the next election. Maybe that opponent should be you. Get Involved.....more to come.
Even by his own administration's calculations his stimulus program has failed, or at least not provided the stimulus they had promised. In fact the Obama administration figures show that the economy would have been better off had they done nothing, than had they went forward with the stimulus package. Hmmmm...maybe we could armchair quarterback this situation like he is currently doing with the officials charged with keeping this nation safe in the days, weeks, and months post 9/11. Hmmm...seems like the latter worked as there have been no attacks on American soil since 9/11. If only his stimulus program had achieved the desired results. According to Obama politics it is time for an investigation into his stimulus package to see whom we can blame and prosecute. Oh yeah, we still have, or really our kids and grand kids will have, all that money to payback. Sort of like buying something using your credit card, and it quits working, but you still have to pay for it. same principle.
America is already been weakened by this President and those pulling his strings. We must wake up. Organize or attend a tea party. Get active with your local politicians and let them know how you feel about this administrations policies. Tell them they must aggressively and vigorously oppose socialized medicine, government run banks, government takeover of businesses, earmarks, and higher taxes. If they do not aggressively and vigorously oppose these types of programs then you will vigorously and aggressively support their opponent in the next election. Maybe that opponent should be you. Get Involved.....more to come.