Six years ago, I was inspired to become an opinion columnist so I could attempt to give a different perspective on current events. Six years later, while watching this morning's Good Morning America segment with Democrat operative Donna Brazille and NPR's Juan Williams, I see there is a lot to do, especially when countering the leftist representation of Black opinion in the United States. Sure, while 90-95% of Blacks vote Democrat, it is because of the inaccurate repetitions conducted daily by the mainstream media and those they ALLOW to speak for Black America. Over the weekend, in response to the media firestorm created by past speeches of Barack Obama's "former" pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, his church released a statement that unfortunately fell back on the old victimology playbook.
We have listened and watched as the wonderful work of our church has been vilified this week," he told about 3,000 congregants on Palm Sunday morning. "This week should be special for us because I guess we know a little something about crucifixion.
– Otis Moss III, current pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ
The real "crucifixion" is being perpetrated by Pastor Moss, Brazille, Williams, and all the Media Matters-Think Progressive-Bill Maher-Air America-Daily Kos-Democracy Now!-college professoriate cabal that continues to distort Black American history to meet a liberal, victim strategy that keeps Blacks voting Democrat. It's as simple as that.
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Comments: 221
Has anyone appearing on the mainstream media broadcast recently explained that it was the Democrat Party that created the Klan to stop Blacks (who were all Republicans because Democrats wanted nothing to do with us outside of our free labor) from voting?
This is among the things I didn't know.
Great article.
And please direct them to this for a more enlightened view of untaught American history.
Bob
My vote remains with Senator Barack Obama.
& you get a 10
More power to you. My problems with Obama are his positions. Not his race.
Thanks,
Bob
I too resist change when the world is in balance. BUT, the nation I know and love is not in balance. It is tilted so far to the Right that it is in danger of falling. It can, and probably will be saved, but not without a major change in the forces moving it into the future.
Sure, the wealthy and powerful need to be with us, I would never suggest otherwise, but they need to be reigned in and their power brought to bear on the troubles of the People of this country, not on further enriching themselves at our expense. Conservatism is doomed if it continues to foster benefits for the wealthy and pain for the working people of this nation. It is doomed if it continues to insist that the United States is and has some God Given Right to be Dominant in the world.
Wright is stiring the racial pot for selfish reasons, I'm sure. He is preaching an anti-Christian message if my understanding of the Bible is correct. But I think he would be repudiated by most religions for the messages he brings.
But why do we single him out? There are plenty of other "preacheers" who are spreading messages of hatred and fear. Is it only that Obama happens to attend that church? Is that we believe that Obama learned nothing from his mother and Harvard? Have we seen any evidence that Obama or his wife have come to hate all whites? Are they living a life of hatred?
From the messages I have heard in the campaign, they repudiate almost everything Wright is saying.
Wonderfully accurate article that is well written and researched. The truth is always hard to fight, though the media does their best to do just that - fight the truth. I have always admired most conservatives, as it's so damn hard to be conservative through your school years and especially college. It takes no courage at all, to be liberal in today's college environment. Anyone can do that, and most do. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you, being black. I admire you greatly, sir!
Thank you for being brave and standing on principle, character and truth! I would like to hear more about the Democratic Party and the start of the KKK. This was somewhat new to me and I would like to learn more.
However the Dixiecrats you speak of were mostly churchgoers who abandoned the Democrat Party line of racism, and joined the Republican Party of smaller government and lower taxes.
That also applies to the three-fifths myth recited by liberals who want everyone to believe they've "grown" since those dark Democrat days. The video linked in comment 2 debunks all of the deliberate distortions of OUR history.
Being a Black conservative has its moments.
Again, check out the video link in Comment 2 for some answers to your questions.
The same people who gave us Midnight Basketball?
As I've said and written before, NOTHING will improve until areas become politically competitive. When politicians fear losing their jobs, that's when they're concerned about you losing yours.
One party rule never works to the benefit of the electorate.
Also, I must say, as an Independent I was looking at possibly voting for Barrack up 'til a few weeks ago, when I started to get uneasy feelings concerning him. There was the failing to put his hand over his heart (or salute) while the National Anthem was being played deal, then there was the statements of his wife about only now being proud of America and that America was a "mean" country. Now, we find out just how anti-American/white/Jewish his pastor is, and learn that this is a man he's known for 20 years, that baptised his two daughters and married him and his wife. Not only this, but he took the title of his book (The Audacity of Hope) off the inspiration he received from one of Rev. Wright's sermon's.
If Barrack Obama wants to write about "audacity", he should write his next book (or should that be 'wright' his next book?) about the audacity of expectations. He expects us to believe that he had known this pastor for over 20 years, attended his services regularly (his own words), tithed a part of his and his wife's income to this "church", had his two children baptised by this pastor, selected this pastor to marry him and his wife and NEVER once knew or "heard tell" of how this man felt about America? What? He has to be joking, a fool or has the audacity to expect that "I" am a fool enough to believe his weak explanation. Now, I know this man is no fool and would never joke about such a matter, so I am left with believing that this man has the audacity to expect that myself and many other Americans are such morons as to believe his "caught with his hand in the cookie jar speak". I have news for Mr. Obama - NOT in your lifetime Amigo!
Here's the truth.....
Barrack Obama attended that church because he had to a while ago. He simply needed to appear to be more "black" and gain the regional support he needed to get elected on a regional level. Now that he's a player on a national level, he needs to distance himself from that kind of regional rhetoric. His problem is, it's too late. The cat is out of the bag and he picked the wrong church and the wrong pastor to stake his claim to the black community. He damn-well knew of this pastor's viewpoints at least 1 year ago, and "I" believe for much longer than that. He stayed in that environment/church, full-well knowing how this pastor felt because he needed that "image" and now to "almost" quote Rev Wright, "Obama's chickens have all, come home, to roost."
I can't believe that I almost got sucked into voting for this man. Change? LOL! Just another politician with a smooth voice and a forked tongue. I'm now voting for McCain! No Obama, this is NOT a small matter, it won't go away over the next 5 weeks or so, and I am not nearly that stupid, so don't expect me to believe your lame excuse.
Thanks again, Bob!
You know nothing about where I've been and what I've seen.
While in the Navy, I got to see parts of the world where poverty is more than a bumper sticker slogan. REAL poverty is something Black people know NOTHING about. A "poor" Black in America lives 50 times better than a poor Filipino in the Olongapo barrio or a poor person in a Mombasa village.
Before you attempt to instruct me on how good I have it here in Massachusetts, and how it sucks to be Black in Tennessee, get a plane ticket, drop a few malaria pills, and check out the real Third World.
Your opinion of how bad Blacks have it here may just change.
Apryl, when it comes to being vilified, welcome to my world.
Bob
In Los Angeles (the real La LA LAnd) a few years ago, there was an LA Times poll where over 70% of Black people wanted vouchers to get their kids out of failing schools.
You know who denies them that to this day?
The very Blacks they vote for. The same Black politicians who send their own kids to private schools (i.e. ALL of the Congressional Black Caucus).
I grew up in a broken home, yet there was still a father around to kick my ass when I did wrong. When there is no father, the government and gangs assume that role.
We all see the results.
Interesting perspective, Bob. I consider myself a Liberal - born and bred in the blue state of Massachusetts by white-collar working parents, themselves the children of blue-collar immigrants who believed strongly that their children would have a better life in America and pushed them to work hard and get a good education. I was brought up to believe that everyone has the opportunity to better themselves if they work hard and get a good education.....EVERYone, regardless of race, color, economic level, religious beliefs, etc.
But, those were MY parents, that was MY heritage. I think the black experience in America is quite different, having been brought here as slaves, and only very recently being given the equal status, at least in the lawbooks, that they have had to fight for over the course of almost 2 centuries. Apparently, YOU do not believe that that legacy here in the country makes any difference to this group of people. They should just "get over it" and pull themselves up by their bootstraps, right?
Well, I do not think you are being realistic. When you say to blacks that they should pay no attention to being stopped constantly just for driving around in certain places, just stop committing crime as a group of people, do you think that is a reasonable response to institutionalized prejudice? It reminds me of the response to rape victims - well, if you weren't dressed so attractively, then you wouldn't be giving the rapist a reason to sexually assault you. Not a one-to-one analogy, but you know what I'm saying. It's unreasonable to look at the victim (and, yes, I'm using the word victim appropriately) of prejudice and tell them that they need to be perfect as a group in order to deserve the equal respect and rights of the white person next to them, who isn't perfect by any means.
I understand where Rev. Wright is coming from. And to try to wash his comments away does no justice to the wrongs he is justified in being so angry about. Yes, he should be encouraging his congregation to act responsibly and take personal responsibility for the failings in their group, but to simply discount the overarching failings of the American society in relation to black relations and equality is to do a grave injustice to a very complex set of problems.
Exactly when do Blacks stop accepting excuses for the commission of crimes? Exactly when to blacks decide to turn our own lives around? When white liberals decide the sins of America have been erased?
We'll be waiting a long time.
I will be 50 in September and I've taken the time to read up on as much of Black history as has been documented.
Also, had I known this was to be an issue-by-issue debate with just you, I would have adjusted my time accordingly. Unfortunately, at this time I am multi-tasking.
Again, and it's obvious you don't accept the premise, but Black people vote heavily for Democrats. Democrats run their schools. If they are that bad, then there is a ready fix.
Also, I lived in Los Angeles for 12 years. I know something about how bad their schools are as well.
Same problem.
"You are selling our your brothers and sisters."
It's amazing how you quickly become a "sell-out" by taking a viewpoint of responsibility and for being a black conservative. Wow! No wonder blacks vote 80-90% Democratic, who wants to be a "sell-out". LOL!
My respect for you "Gathers" even more.
Exactly when do Blacks stop accepting excuses for the commission of crimes? Exactly when to blacks decide to turn our own lives around? When white liberals decide the sins of America have been erased?
We'll be waiting a long time. "
Believe me, Bob. It is not white liberals who are keeping blacks from erasing the past. You don't find a lot of white liberals in the south, but you still find a lot of discrimination down there. There was a couple of white callers on C-Span this morning when the Wright issue was being discussed - they apologized profusely for the actions of their family members against blacks to this day. The discrimination is still pretty rampant. And it's NOT because of white liberals. Get real.
Yes, the black community needs to stand up and start taking more responsibility. They need to call things for what they are. Crime is still crime...drug use is still drug use.......not being a responsible parent is still damaging as ever. But, to fix things properly, you need to understand how they got where they are. And it's not from liberal whites holding them down. That is totally absurd.
I used to teach in inner city schools....mostly minorities. These kids come from homes with generationally ingrained issues. You don't fix that by just telling those people to straighten up and fly right. And you do your own race no service by joining in with racist Republicans in demonizing the Democrats who have tried to help blacks in the past.....who have marched with them, taught in the poorer schools, tried to understand and communicate their issues.
I'm so sick of the idea in this country that complex problems can be dealt with by slapping on some idiotic, simplistic solution. There's an epidemic in this country, spurned on by the 4-second sound byte, of total intellectual laziness. It's the "throw them all on a truck back to Mexico" immigration solution, it's the "just stop using drugs, having babies out of wedlock and get a job" minority solution. It's stupid, pointless and acccomplishes a couple of things - pitting people against each other, and prolonging the problem by not finding a REAL solution.
First of all, purely for family and logistical reasons, I can't come to Tennessee at this time. I do look forward to visiting again for other reasons.
And can you tell me where I was only basing my opinion on Black Americans in the South? I believe I was responding to Reverend Wright's comments on behalf of Black America as a whole.
The fist one: "I've always said if Black people for one day decided not to commit crime"
Well, have you lived in a country where almost everyone is black? I have, and I will tell you they have criminals too. The criminals among them are just like the ones here. Broken homes and all that follows. It is not a matter of waking up and decide not to commit crime. Poverty and the results of being poor leads to crime. Nobody gets pulled over for DWB in those countries. It is wrong to do it and you can't justify it.
On your two sides to every story regarding Israel you make a good point. You conveniently did not pick South Africa. We did support Peter Botha and that is shameful. There is no two sides to that story.
The rest of the stuff is completely true. I do think that if you go over Rev. Wright's sermons over 36 years, you will find the very same points you made on your articles. On fatherhood in the African American community, on responsibilities, on doing the right thing in general.
You pick a few 30 seconds sound bite and address major problems facing the AA community. That's irresponsible too. I am against those statements but his 36 year career cannot be reduced to those statements. There is evidence that he did more work for his people than many people judging him, certainly more than you give him credit for.
***But Juan Williams, a Fox News commentator and author of "Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America," tells Newsmax that Wright's sermons reflect "the victim mindset that is so self-defeating in the black community and one that is played on by weak black leadership that chooses to have black people identified as victims rather than inspiring them as people who have overcome. In posing as victims, they say the most prejudiced and vicious things, not only about whites but about America. They call it theology. In fact, it's nothing but bigotry." ***
I think David L. above has some good points. I think he is trying to keep his close friendships, trying to avoid things that will hurt his campaign, and be a politician at the same time. He is being less than truthful I believe about the "knowing' concept, and trying to counter each new revelation bit by bit being and careful how he chooses his words. It may be the inexperience at politics in general, let alone if he has enough to be a President?
Thanks for your thoughts.
She is making no sense to me, except to argue.
Jesse, Al Sharpton don't help African Americans. Neither do you.
We built Al Qaeda from the ground up to fight the Soviets.
Everything we do, including our generosity, has ulterior motives. That's what super powers do.
Rev. Wright - wrong choice of words, bad rhetoric, AND VERITY!
It sucks when done to me, and no matter how much Maria and I disagree, I would never get personal with her, and don't advocate sabotaging her right to free speech.
Oh, and what conservatives were crying out for the government to go help the people in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina? Most of them were too busy complaining that the people should have packed up and gotten out of town.
Bob - I notice from your profile that you live in MA, too. You should thank your lucky stars that you are living in a blue, liberal state and not down in the deep south or you would probably know first-hand the existence of prejudice and not be so quick to vilify the people who have for generations been victims of that very bigotry that you cannot imagine unfortunately with your limited imagination, much less empathize with.
Thank you very much, Sheryl.
If I hadn't tried to help myself, I would be living in the liberal utopia of Mattapan, dodging bullets, while waiting for my government check.
And I'm not vilifying anyone. I just obviously expect more of Black people than some here.
The world has become a twisted place indeed when there is such self-hatred and in-fighting that we can actually twist the loving words of Jesus into hate=love and discrimination=justice and war=peace. This country is truly in deep, deep crap.
I was trying to find a way to respond to Maria and tripped over the very thing I've spoken out against in the past.
I stand corrected.
Maria is kinda like that! LOL! Just likes to argue points and doesn't know enough to just "let it go". She even went back to something her and I got into a month ago that has nothing to do with this topic. She's all about personal attacks and attempting to force her opinions on others - ad naseum! Hell, she can't even accept gifts properly without regifted them and insulting the person that gave the gift by telling her of her plans to do so. Common sense is not her strong suit, but that's for another thread.
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John -
Thanks for the acknowledgment, I thought my comment had gone unnoticed through the "heat" of this article's comments. I still can't believe I was almost fooled into voted for this clown.
It's unfortunate that Obama (and his campaign advisers) has/have handled himself in this manner and that now it's going to bring him down. Make no mistake here - Barrack just became unelectable as President, and time will prove that out. In-fact, he's losing ground as we write of this, and it's going to get far worse. March 14th will be forever remembered as "The Day Obama Blew-up". This event not only means his death as a politician on a national level, but it sets back ALL black politicians a step or two in the eyes of those that would seek to use the skin color as an issue. Talk about giving your enemies ammunition.
It's a sad day in American politics and not a day that should see anyone celebrating over the demise of this man's campaign.
In my opinion, yelling at someone to "just do it", even if you serve as an example of someone who has "just done it" without any support or encouragement from anyone, fighting the entire way against people who are against you, only serves to make the situation worse and supports the bigots out there who REALLY don't think that minorities are equal to whites.
And, just so we're clear....there are a whole lot of lazy, criminal, mean, ignorant white people out there, too. And they aren't even willing to admit that there is a problem, much less do anything about their situation.
My father was too an educator.
I will NEVER make excuses for behavior based on socio-economics. There have always been poor in this, and many other nations, who manage to exist without committing crime and have people willing to justify that behavior.
Many white liberals have been taught to "understand" the Black condition better than Blacks, thus excuses and justifications are always made for criminal behavior. Just how low will the expectations be?
I live in Texas and grew up in Arkansas in the 50s and 60s. Where I grew up blacks and whites go to the same schools now. If they aren't getting a quality education then it's due to the overall quality of education in Arkansas. Same goes here in Texas.
Yes, my grandsons go to a wonderful public school ISD here in Plano. My black neighbors work hard, are successful and don't feel like they are victims.
ALL Americans need to shed the culture of victimology. Our country was not founded by people acting like victims. It was founded by people who, in one way or other, was oppressed or victimized by someone, somewhere.
No one is helped and lifted up by nurturing the victim mindset. I've lived in the South all my life. What many don't realize is that poverty in the South is not just reserved for African Americans. Also, much of the poverty in the South is ingrained and people need to be lifted up and out of the poverty mindset.
ALL people need hope and need to know they have what it takes to make it in America. Blaming whites, blaming others.....the blame game helps no one, inspires no one, lifts no one up. And, it won't do anything to bring us together as a country.
I like what you have to say, Mr. Parks.
Well, enjoy the experience! LOL! She has an excuse for everything, including using socio-economic conditions to justify bad attitudes, poor decisions and justification for committing crimes and abandoning your family. She doesn't even have the sense to know that people like her (excuse makers) are part of the problem. Again - kinda sad really.
Life is hard and full of challenges for each and every one of us. Sure, some of us are born with more advantages than others. That's not the be all, end all. Each and every one of us must overcome something at some time in our lives. It can be much more difficult for some than others. That's life. That's never going to change.
You do the best you can with what you're given and strive for more or to do better. You reach out to help or get help from family, friends, neighbors, etc.
You don't just sit back and whine and complain and expect someone to bail you out or "make" your life better. There are endless examples of Americans of every color who were born with nothing, who came from abusive, wretched backgrounds, and yet fought to overcome those stumbling blocks and succeeded. The only person that really holds you back is you.
"The only person that really holds you back is you."
Pam M., Mar 17, 2008, 2:00pm EDT
Amen! That's the truth.
That question speaks volumes.
I find you both arrogant and truly ignorant in common sense. Here's an example:
"What I am calling Mr Parks to task on is..... he has had a lot of advantages in his early life that southern born African Americans have NOT."
Who the hell are you to take Mr. Parks to task on anything? You don't even know this man, really. Taking someone to "task" speaks toward them having done something "wrong" and you, being the "Task Master", need to straighten them out. Again, who the hell are you? Take issue with their opinions, but there's no need for any of us here, to have you take us to task for anything, darlin'.
You're problem Maria; you see your "opinions" (just as those about accepting gifts graciously) as great truths, and see other points of view as being wrong. Your words give your heart away.
Let's just say that some people on here are "taking you to task" for being so blindly arrogant. The sad part of it is, you don't even realize this. You are so arrogant, "agitated and angry" in your tone, that no one really listens, Maria.
Yes it does!
And to say that I am "excusing" criminals is a blanket, simplistic statement that is at the root of intellectual laziness. What I am saying is that there are no simplistic answers to these issues. To condemn what Rev. Wright points out as underlying reasons for such behavior, though, is wrong. To label people who try to understand those underlying reasons and to offer solutions to complex problems as some kind of "liberal enablers" is wrong.
In order to solve complex problems, one of the first things someone must do is have a true empathy for those with those problems. To "walk in the shoes" as best they can. That is not to label them "victims", but it is the ability and willingness to see how a society over time has actually defined their present situation. Ignoring those societal forces is counter-productive at best.
You may get a lot of accolades for your simplistic response to these complex problems from like-minded people. That only proves how many people there are out there that are actually contributing to the problem by not recognizing its complexity and working to develop approaches to reversing it. As long as this type of thinking continues, few people will actually be working to actually solve the problems.
I'd just like to say that I always enjoy Mr. Parks' articles and reading his point of view. Keep on posting, Bob.
If it weren't so early, I'd be ready for a drink.
You're so intent on making simple issues of right and wrong into complex matters that only intellectuals such as yourself can handle, you miss the oft times 'easy" answers. It's okay, pseudo-intellectuals like yourself often fall prey to this syndrome.
Some matters, like the statements of Rev. Wright are easily condemned as wrong-headed and racist - period! There's no need to dig deep into comments like "God damn America!" or "The government (America) invented the HIV virus to exterminate people of color." Listen now.....those comments are just plain WRONG! As wrong as statements of people that blame the US government and George Bush for the flooding of New Orleans, or the attacks of 911, etc., etc., etc.
I hate to be the one to inform you of this fact, but yes, some matters ARE just that simple, and one of those matters is, the whole issue of being a victum and blaming others for your position in life.
Bob has it right when he says....
"I will NEVER make excuses for behavior based on socio-economics. There have always been poor in this, and many other nations, who manage to exist without committing crime and have people willing to justify that behavior.
Many white liberals have been taught to "understand" the Black condition better than Blacks, thus excuses and justifications are always made for criminal behavior. Just how low will the expectations be?"
And please stop trying to diminish what Bob has to say by stating that the only support he gest here is by people that agree with him. Well, DUH! That's where you or anyone else gets their support, and being that psuedo-intellectual you are, you should have figured that out already. ;)
A word of caution: Putting down poor people makes the person speaking look poor in ways they probably haven't thought about.
I think this deserves a second viewing, and continued thought. And it is interesting that you are getting support and cheers here from the people on Gather who have continually and historically published the most racist and narrow-minded articles on this site. Yeah, congratualtions on that Bob - wear it like a badge of honor.
He's already been called out of the US government support of Apartheid. He is not going to answer that. Simply put he does not know who Peter Botha is or is not familiar with our dealings with South Africa. Nobody knows everything.
What makes you think that Rev. Wright did not make the very same strong arguments you make in your article in other sermons?
What gives you the audacity to judge his entire career on a few 30-second sound bites? Free speech. The same thing we want to hang him for.
"Give me a break, this whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen in my entire life"
Oh now I'm a racist, eh? LOL! I wonder what Bob would be to you, if he weren't black? LMAO! You see, those of us that haven't a racist thought in our heads, don't need to ever worry about having "thoughts" of racism, darlin'. Yep! It's just that simple. In-fact, neither do we have to worry about whom to blame for our own problems and bad decisions.
It's kinda like having the common-sense to know enough about human nature to accept a gift when given from the heart (no matter what the reasons) WITHOUT informing the giver of your intentions to "re-gift" their present to you. It's kind of a "Duh Thing", Maria!
I wondered how long it would take Sandy and the troops to show-up here. LOL! Hi darlin' - kisses! You know I love you. *winks* Try to stay away from the Bush bashing on an article about another topic. I know it will be hard, but try will you?
As a nation of flawed human beings, we have sided with good and bad alike. Those who are our friends today, use our weapons against us tomorrow.
Many people benefited from our allegience with South Africa, and many of them have ended those relationships. All we can expect to do is learn from our mistakes. To condemn the United States for those failings is shortsighted.
If we were so bad, so many wouldn't want to come here.
I hope I briefly addressed this, albeit probably not to your linking.
It is unfortunate that my exercise of the diversity of thought is categorized by you as lacking an "open-minded or intelligent position".
Again, as I've written before some people believe since we all look alike, we're all supposed to think and vote alike. That sentiment is only reserved for Black people in America.
Sad.
I don't, Maria. You're only asking to be victimized if you do. I'm sorry that happened to you.
Who knows, maybe some of the unenlightened will become enlightened.....oh, wait, what am I thinking.......
Of course, if they believe that Sen. Obama didn't have a clue what the whacked-out Rev. Wright's views were - for the 23 yrs. he was a member of the Reverend's flock - then, I suppose anything is possible.
That's the whole thing and part of your flawed argument. We are so good for the majority within. And we are so bad for those outside. We don't care about them.
This is like John McCain's mindset.
"We've been in Japan for 60 years, we've been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That'd be fine with me as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. That's fine with me."
As long as it's mainly Iraqis being killed, then that's just fine with McCain.
As long as "Many people benefited from our [allegiance] with South Africa," that's fine with Bob Parks.
"To condemn the United States for those failings is shortsighted."
Never blame US. Never take responsibilities for our elected officials. They hate our way of life that's why they attacked us on 9/11. What a farce!!!
I am not the type to go around waving a flag and proclaiming that the US is the best country in the world (and that is why people flock here). There are immigrants going to Europe and Australia, too, as well as other freer nations. To be so blindly patriotic is detrimental - we cover our eyes to the flaws of our country, we re-write history to make us always sound like the good guy, we support every cock-eyed military action that the present government gets us into - in that state of mind, we will never get better, we will never improve. If one is perfect, where is the room for improvement?
I am also not of the camp that denigrates the Unites States in total - that is just as absurd. There are instances where we have really honored ourselves and proved to be good citizens of the world in many areas. The American spirit, I hope, that built this country is still alive in most of the people I associate with. And I hope that many of the policies put into force over the past few years will be reversed in the future - that our strengths and efforts will be dedicated to improving our education, our economic base, and our community solidarity.
It's so easy for the people like David to see black/white, right/wrong. But since the world is not like this, since we human beings are not like this, it is an unrealistic viewpoint on which to try to develop solutions. We have gone down a dangerous path in our governmental circles - dressing everything as simple black/white scenarios. We have criticized those who try to point out the complexity of our issues, calling them "elitists", "liberals" and "intellectuals" like those are the worst kind of 4-letter words. This is self-defeating behavior and gets us nowhere. We need intelligent, empathetic, strong, dedicated people who realize that there are no easy answers, that it will take time and hard work to reverse these trends. And then, have people either get off their behinds and help out, or get out of the way and let those people do their jobs.
LOL Exactly, CA.!
I don't remember people in the media digging up Mormon speeches and writings and slinging them in Romney's face and questionning his leadership abilities. In fact, the Republicans were pretty good at down-playing Romney's PERSONAL choice of religions and active leadership role in the Mormon church while he was running. And he is a leader in the church, not just an attendee as Obama is.
Yes, but that was the old Republican Party I was proud of. It no longer has the same values.
If you can answer yes to these questions, then I'll accept your arguments. If not, you are comparing apples to oranges.