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Politics, bigotry, and hate

Last year, during the political campaign season, I saw parts of Mr. Obama’s, ‘education speech,’ on television. It was pretty much the same kind of speech that would normally be delivered by a principal on the first day of school to all the students. As speeches go, the part I saw was delivered very well.

All the noise being made about this is just politics, bigotry, and hate.

Gort's blog | login to post comments

Politics, bigotry, and hate

Submitted by Gene61 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 8:44pm.

I don't give a damn about Obama;s skin color, it his politcs that will ruin us if we dont hold all of our elected officals feet to the fire.

Its so easy to interject race when talking anything Obama, its a strawman arguement if you ask me. His race will not race my taxes, his race will not put us further into debt, its his politics.

the speech

Submitted by Jahmiracle Johnson on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 4:39pm.

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event
Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.
Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.
I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.
Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.
So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

I thank you for your feedback

Submitted by Gort on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 7:53pm.

Main Stream on Sat, 09/05/2009, I wish you were wrong but I’m thinking you may be right.

S. Lindsey on Sat, 09/05/2009, the specific issue I posted was about Mr. Obama’s, ‘education speech’. If you would rather discuss race, feel free to speak your mind. I may not agree with you but I would fight to defend your right to do so. I offered three reasons why some people are upset about the President making his ‘education speech’ to school children. It was you that focused on ‘bigotry,’ not me. Finally, if you want to talk about “Weak,” well, I can do that too. Why do you have a tag line quoting Thomas Jefferson yet your public narrative reads like “Joseph McCarthy?” Now that is Weak!

Dawn69 on Sat, 09/05/2009, thank you for your, ‘cut and paste’ comments. I was especially fond of, ‘I can't be racist - I have a black lab.’ I have no idea what that has to do with Mr. Obama’s, ‘education speech’ unless you were trying to make my point for me. If I drew the wrong conclusion from your comments, you have my most humble and sincere apology.

Carbonunit52 on Sat, 09/05/2009, I agree with you, some people are, over the top, disagreeable about the President of the United States of America making a televised speech to school children about the value of an education. The reasons they give are dubious and the language they use sounds like someone puking up a copy of a John Birch Society operations manual.

NUK_1 on Sun, 09/06/2009, why are you hijacking my post, start your own, it’s free! I don’t know who Van Jones is from Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Fyt35 on Sun, 09/06/2009, you too, why are you hijacking my post, start your own, it’s free!

Carbonunit52 on Sun, 09/06/2009, if you ‘chum’ the water you swim in, you will draw the sharks.

NUK_1 on Sun, 09/06/2009, I’m happy to hear you don’t rely on one source for your news. I would be even happier if you told me how you feel about the President addressing school children about the value of an education and the controversy that surrounds it.

S. Lindsey on Sun, 09/06/2009, I am especially interested in what you have to say about the subject. I already told you what I think about it. If you could make your case and leave out the regurgitated dogma, red baiting, and race baiting, it would stand out as a beacon of light and be much appreciated all. How do you feel about the President addressing school children about the value of an education and the controversy that surrounds it. Do you agree, disagree, why?

Dawn69 on Sun, 09/06/2009, you are correct, this forum has a pretty rough crowd when it comes to name calling. When attacked, you certainly have an obligation to defend yourself. When someone hijacks your thread you should remind them of it. I recently joined this forum because it was local and I had a little time on my hands. I get all the cable channels and chain e-mails everyone else does so when it comes to participation on a forum I’m hoping for opinions and positions without dogma and spin. My post was about the President addressing school children about value of an education and the controversy that surrounds it. I got feedback from two people that stayed on the topic and everyone else wanted to talk about something else. Not a very good feedback ratio.

Gort… let me remind you of this little statement

Submitted by S. Lindsey on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 11:42pm.

”All the noise being made about this is just politics, bigotry, and hate. “Gorts blog

Then this from Mainstream…
"All the noise being made about this is just politics, bigotry, and hate"
You hit the nail on the head, gort. Most of the fear and paranoia being spewed is because so many people can't get over the fact that Obama is a broooooother. Submitted by Main Stream on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 11:17am.”

Let’s take a look at your little missive kay..

” S. Lindsey on Sat, 09/05/2009, the specific issue I posted was about Mr. Obama’s, ‘education speech’. If you would rather discuss race, feel free to speak your mind. I may not agree with you but I would fight to defend your right to do so. I offered three reasons why some people are upset about the President making his ‘education speech’ to school children. It was you that focused on ‘bigotry,’ not me. Finally, if you want to talk about “Weak,” well, I can do that too. Why do you have a tag line quoting Thomas Jefferson yet your public narrative reads like “Joseph McCarthy?” Now that is Weak!”

SO Gort who brought race into this.. You equated all who were concerned with the ORIGINAL Obama speech and its associated project for the students.. as “just politics, bigotry, and hate".
A little off the mark aren’t we? I know it’s hard to keep up with which “tall tale” one tells from one post to the next..

” S. Lindsey on Sun, 09/06/2009, I am especially interested in what you have to say about the subject. I already told you what I think about it. If you could make your case and leave out the regurgitated dogma, red baiting, and race baiting, it would stand out as a beacon of light and be much appreciated all. How do you feel about the President addressing school children about the value of an education and the controversy that surrounds it. Do you agree, disagree, why?”

Again GORT old buddy who started this off with the “BIGOTRY” remark and on top of that you agreed with PMS who clearly brought race into it.. so get off your moral high horse.. it’s hard to stay out of the dirt while slinging mud. AS for the “speech” I have already made myself quiet clear on the subject.. I have no issue with the speech as currently crafted.. I did have serious issues however with the prior speech and the associated “Letter” of support each student was “REQUIRED” to write.

See my response:

The NEA and Whitehouse.. In their own words

So Gort.. enlightened now?

Oh and btw.. you really need to pay attention to my tag line..

"Any People who expect to be both IGNORANT and FREE, in a state of CIVILIZATION, expects what NEVER was and NEVER will be."
THOMAS JEFFERSON

Gort.. you logged on replyed to Dawn.. but not me

Submitted by S. Lindsey on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 11:50pm.

I feel slighted I think.. no I guess not.

Anytime you are ready to call me out again.. Please do so.. I love to match wits with the witless..

Oh and btw.. my original post was to mainstream and her obvious race baiting tactics.. not you but you keep right on thinking it's all about you.. If it makes you feel better..

"Any People who expect to be both IGNORANT and FREE, in a state of CIVILIZATION, expects what NEVER was and NEVER will be."
THOMAS JEFFERSON

I'm still new to this, I'll

Submitted by Gort on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 8:37pm.

I'm still new to this, I'll try to do better in the future. See ya in the funny papers.

The Pompous Gort

Submitted by Git Real on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 8:45am.

Well Gort.... I will read the speech on Whitehouse.gov tonight and if it smacks, in the least, of being more than a pro-ed speech and instead becomes an Obama propaganda tool then I will opt my kids from viewing it. I will go over it with my kids personally and use it as a learning tool about possible propaganda and political tactics IF that happens to be the case.

As far as your comments about Lindsey race baiting why did you not address Main Stream's ludicrous assertion as follows?

You hit the nail on the head, gort. Most of the fear and paranoia being spewed is because so many people can't get over the fact that Obama is a broooooother.

Oh wait... I know. It's because YOU are the actual race baiter in this blog and Main spewed the same nonsense in agreement.

I have been in Texas and Oklahoma the last week and nearly everyone I talk to is voicing concern about Obama's unprecedented takeover and control of the free enterprise system and our hell-bent Ascension in to a socialist style government with communist tendencies. Nobody, and I mean nobody brings up the fact that Obama is half-black. Nobody gives a rat's ass as to what color he is. The only thing these people care about is the direction this president and our brain-dead political parties are taking us.

Tell you what dude.... you keep singling out quality individual Citizen bloggers like that on a regular basis and I have a feeling you're gonna git ripped to shreds in the weeks to come. Eye-wink

Obama.... The Bernie Madoff Of Washington

Thank you for your honest

Submitted by Gort on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 11:41pm.

Thank you for your honest comments. I’ll mark you down as against the President making his ‘education speech’ to school children for political reasons. I’m sorry you feel that I’m a race baiter. It wasn’t my intention and I’m disappointed in myself that my words gave that impression.

I didn’t challenge Main Stream because he responded to my post the way I expected. He agreed with my premise that the speech was benign and he thought the resistance to it was based on bigotry.

I challenged S Lindsey because he never addressed the issue that I posted on and he accused me of “playing the race card to, shut everyone up.” In fact, the whole point of my post was to see if it was possible to talk about politics, bigotry, and hate on this blog without a lot of choosing up sides and name calling. (It may not be.)

You know it is possible to disagree with my premise without being disagreeable.

Example Politics: I don’t want the President to make his education speech to school children because he is a Democrat and I’m against everything the Democrats want to do.

Example Bigotry: I don’t want the President to make his education speech to school children because I just can’t accept who he is.

Example Hate: I don’t want the President to make his education speech to school children because forty years ago I was stationed at Pearl Harbor and some Kenyan cab driver drove off with my duffle bag and I just know it was Obama’s father.

Dearest Gort

Submitted by dawn69 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 10:26pm.

The comment about my dog was done in HUMOR, a little light hearted break from all the constant turmoil. The problem with many is that they never learn to laugh at themselves or to find humor in most situations. The 'race' comment was in reference to the blanket statement about many of us participating in "political bigotry and hate" - your words, dear one.

I am not sure what you mean by "cut and paste". I have never done that and the words in the referenced post were all mine - except for the wise words that I duly credited to Booker T. Washington (wise words that were relevant to a conversation that pulls the race card).

Since you are new to blogging here, perhaps you had not read my post from a few days ago: My kids will be going to school Tuesday. I simply did not feel the need to repeat myself. And....since I knew that S.Lindsey is also a college football fan....well, it was just a simple comment to him. Not all comments here have to be heated and controversial.

But, like I said in my other post, I hope you continue to blog here. It can be fun at times - if you have a little humor.

"Try to relax and enjoy the crisis." - Ashleigh Brilliant

BTW: I always put quotes on my posts. Sometimes they're meant to prove a point, sometimes to inspire a laugh, and at times to pass a few pearls of wisdom from some of my favorite writers. Smiling

By the way, Gort...

Submitted by dawn69 on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 11:07pm.

My lab's name is Cole...after John Coltrane. Not that he's any good at the alto sax or the clarinet, but he sure can howl.

I happen to have a very healthy eclectic taste for all arts - black and white - and love what 'blacks' have contributed to our culture. I just don't care for Obama. Doesn't make me bigoted.

Dawn69 on Sun, 09/06/2009,

Submitted by Gort on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 11:43pm.

Dawn69 on Sun, 09/06/2009, thanks again for you comments, I wasn’t really sure I understood your post correctly. In the future I’ll try to get better at this.

No problem, Gort

Submitted by dawn69 on Tue, 09/08/2009 - 7:52am.

The only problem with this avenue of communication is that it can sometimes be hard to distinguish between sarcasm, serious comments, and humor - me, I AM VERY FUNNY. Smiling Not that I can't get my dander up on occasion. I find that I've had to develop a thick skin just to keep my feelings from getting hurt. And, no one has made a bigger ass of themselves on the Citizen than I have in the past.

Seriously, I think it is important to note that 50% of the white vote went to Obama. Most that I know, who do not support his policies, are not concerned with race. When we can eliminate race from the equation - we (the collective we) can have an honest debate.

"Laughter is the closest distance between two people." - Victor Borge

Thanks for the tips and

Submitted by Gort on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 8:58pm.

Thanks for the tips and trying to help me along. It’s my own fault I got off to a bad start. I could have toned down the headline and not make it so provocative. I was probably too tough on the challenges too. Oh, well, live, learn and tomorrow is another day.

Dawn...It's Great To Have You Weighing In

Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 09/08/2009 - 8:56am.

Amen Sista!!!! Obama's "race" is nothing more than a convenient smoke screen that his supporters run behind for cover when the flack starts flying and they have nothing tangible to defend themselves with. It is also funny how conveniently Obama's 'white half' is forgotten about by those who have suddenly discovered the supposed effectiveness of the race card.

Obama.... The Bernie Madoff Of Washington

Gee Carbon,

Submitted by Cyclist on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:31pm.

If I'm reading Gort (klaatu barada nikto) correctly, you have crossed the line to the right side. Congratulations, your info package is in the mail. Smiling
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.

Sweeten the Pot, Cyclist

Submitted by jevank on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 9:24pm.

Throw in a Rush Limbaugh decoder ring and I'll cross over too!

Hey jevank,

Submitted by Cyclist on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 7:46am.

Sure!! I'll just have to remember where I put those those boxes of Cracker Jacks! Smiling
------------------------------------------
Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.

Cyclist,

Submitted by carbonunit52 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 9:56pm.

It is true that on certain issues I stray to the right of center but I believe, even with gort's description, that I would be declared persona non grata by the "Born Again Conservatives" group.

It's not easy being the carbonunit

You know Carbon.....

Submitted by Cyclist on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 7:55am.

even Barry Goldwater wasn't a fan of them.

I would be careful about straying too much as "gort" has already got you in his sights. One thing about being a moderate is that you can always say that you didn't leave your party but, your party has left you.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.

politics, bigotry and hate...

Submitted by Main Stream on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 10:17am.

"All the noise being made about this is just politics, bigotry, and hate"

You hit the nail on the head, gort. Most of the fear and paranoia being spewed is because so many people can't get over the fact that Obama is a broooooother.

What a JOKE..

Submitted by Spyglass on Tue, 09/08/2009 - 7:20am.

No wonder we can't move forward.

"the fact that Obama is a broooooother."

Submitted by Git Real on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 8:53am.

Another shameless Main Stream spewing...... Bless her heart....

Obama.... The Bernie Madoff Of Washington

Let's not discuss actual issues..

Submitted by S. Lindsey on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 4:36pm.

oh.. nooo.. let's play a race card.. then everyone will have to shutup..
It's not that he assoiciates with Radicals, Communist and Black Nationalist.. It's not about a quadrupling of our debt.. No it's not about the rapid expansion of Government.. No it's not all about the tax hikes..

No it's all about our bigotry..

That's all you got.. Weak VERY weak..

"Any People who expect to be both IGNORANT and FREE, in a state of CIVILIZATION, expects what NEVER was and NEVER will be."
THOMAS JEFFERSON

No more Van Jones to kick around....

Submitted by NUK_1 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:10am.

He resigned, no doubt under a direct edict to resign or get the axe. A real distraction and a ticking time bomb when Obama has much bigger things on his plate he's trying to deal with. Very poor job by the Administration of vetting this loser before bringing him on board in ANY capacity, a fact for which people like Glenn Beck gleefully thank you.

Obama has surrounded himself(or solely used for political gain, depending on how you look at it)with some highly questionable clowns, but it's not like there has been any Repub administrations in quite a while without the same kind of backward non-thinkers who were also a real embarrassment and never should have been part of any administration.

Van Jones....you earned this one Barack

Submitted by Fyt35 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 9:15am.

NUK, here is a great example of the Obama’s administration circumventing the proper vetting process and appointing the 30 czars so far; what else is lurking in the past of these people? I can’t believe they overlooked this, however, the Obama administration deserves for creating this gaggle. Rookie president! Cant wait until the November 2010 elections, the results will render this president a two year lame duck who will be voted out of office in 2012 by an unprecedented landslide, I hope we can make it until then.

"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is".
Winston Churchill

Media coverage on Van Jones.....

Submitted by NUK_1 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 10:45am.

...has been truly pathetic and a real low for the mainstream media. Even now, they are avoiding mentioning anything beyond the 9/11 "truther" petition besides vague "past comments" or "left wing views."
The MSM covered the part about Jones apologizing for past comments that "may have offended some," BUT THEN MAKES NO MENTION IN THEIR COVERAGE OF WHAT THOSE COMMENTS WERE.....DUH!! What a crock and then some people are mad about why FOX gets such higher ratings than these other bozos. They are all biased and everyone ought to know that already, but it shouldn't be a mystery as to why FOX has much higher ratings...they aren't competing against several other media outlets with the same slant as the rest have to do on the other side of the political spectrum.

There is a minefield of easily accessible interviews and videos of Van Jones' racist rantings and ravings and beyond-left political views, yet the good 'ol MSM would rather ignore that even now that he has resignedor focus on a petition that is rather meaningless since no one is 100% sure he ever "signed" it and there have been others placed on that petition who have disavowed all knowledge of it.

Fox News,

Submitted by carbonunit52 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 11:03am.

your prime source for barracuda chow. Ratings, that's the stuff.

It's not easy being the carbonunit

None of them are a good source on their own

Submitted by NUK_1 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 12:56pm.

They all have their own faults and not one single media outlet can be counted on for simply reporting the "news" objectively. They can't be counted on to determine even what is "news" and needs to be covered in the first place, unless it's something to do with a Hollywood celeb. FOX enjoys high ratings because it sets itself apart from the ABC/CBS/NBC/MSNBC/CNN's that are all pretty much lumped together and perceived as having the opposite bias.

I don't watch FOX or really any of the nightly news shows though I'll catch some on Sundays. There isn't "news" being covered every night on a national level when you take 5min soundbites on complex issues and call that a "segment."

They all have their own

Submitted by Git Real on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 8:16am.

They all have their own faults and not one single media outlet can be counted on for simply reporting the "news" objectively.

Very good Nuk!!!!! You hit it right on the head. And to listen to characters like Carbon and Main mouth Fox, Fox, Fox every time anyone forms an opinion based on exposed facts of case resulting from our own independent research is both disingenuous and turgid.

Good post! FWIW.....

Obama.... The Bernie Madoff Of Washington

Hey Git

Submitted by carbonunit52 on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 8:27am.

disingenuous and turgid
Those are fancy words, I'm gonna look both of them up someday.

Some like it Foxed, some like it otherwise, America is a great country for both!

It's not easy being the carbonunit

And Some Of Us Like None Of It

Submitted by Git Real on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 8:48am.

Most of us just want the truth.

For me 'News' isn't an American Idol competition nor for propaganda programming.

Obama.... The Bernie Madoff Of Washington

Lindsey

Submitted by dawn69 on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 5:40pm.

I can't be racist - I have a black lab! Smiling

"I will allow no man to degrade my soul by making me hate him." - Booker T. Washington

Auburn kicks off in less than 20 minutes so we'll chat more tomorrow.

WAR DAMN EAGLE !!!

The actual issues?

Submitted by carbonunit52 on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 5:39pm.

A little bit about jumping to conclusions regarding race:
Question: what do you call 50 white guys chasing a black man?
Answer: The US Open.

This whole brouhaha about the POTUS addressing the school children is definitely an educational opportunity. Locally, Fayette County children are getting a demonstration on prejudging, by some parents and educators, the content and effect of a speech from the president. These adults are acting more like tyrants than educators, ready to censure the president's speech because of their prejudices before he even speaks, or releases the text. Let the children listen, if they want to, and let them make up their own minds. They are a lot smarter than they are being given credit for, and the reciprocal is, of course, that these adults are not as smart as they think they are.

The more I read these comments from the right wing about Obama, such as Lindsey and others post regularly, the more I realize that they are not trying to convince me that their beliefs are correct as much as they are trying to convince me that they believe it.

It's not easy being the carbonunit

Let's see because I actually BELIEVE what I say

Submitted by S. Lindsey on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:57am.

it's a BAD thing???

So when you post you just flow whichever way the river goes?

Come on Carb.. Rather I convince you or not isn't the issue.. It's if I can give one reader that's sitting on the fence at least an opposing viewpoint from the LOVEFEST that is the Main Stream Media.. then I have done my part.

The LEFT has owned the airwaves and issues. Here the Conservatives have been shouted down that is until recently. Finally we are being heard and you guys don't like.. Well SORRY.. but I do actually believe what I say.. That’s one of the reasons I post under MY REAL NAME.. I support my views anywhere and anytime and will not hide behind anonymity.

"Any People who expect to be both IGNORANT and FREE, in a state of CIVILIZATION, expects what NEVER was and NEVER will be."
THOMAS JEFFERSON

Lindsey,

Submitted by carbonunit52 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 10:02am.

My comment was an observation, I did not include an opinion about good or bad, and I neither like nor dislike what you have to say. I do have my agreements and disagreements though, but disagreeing does not create a victim as much as declaring something bad. I do agree that now the conservatives are doing the vast majority of the shouting around here, and it is the noise factor that has driven away most of the progressive bloggers, not overwhelming logic as the conservatives would like to believe.

It's not easy being the carbonunit

Speaking of noise...

Submitted by dawn69 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 1:16pm.

I seem to recall an awful lot of noise here about this time last year. The noise from both sides was at times deafening. In fact, I have been called stupid, dumb, a moron, bigoted, racist, and my personal favorite "Dawn - that capitalist" (as if that were a derogatory comment). I don't let the name calling bother me. I know who I am and exactly how high an IQ I have.

I can't say just why the "progressive" (if that term can be correctly applied) bloggers were "driven away". But I don't feel that it was because they couldn't handle the heat. After all, they were pretty good at dishing it out.

I can say that I think it's a shame that many of them don't blog here anymore. No one likes to debate themselves and I always enjoyed reading different views. Sniffles was always very eloquent in putting together an argument and came across a being very well read and informed - even if we disagreed. Diva was delightful - I found him in person to be very interesting and kind. JeffC - I think is an elitist but obviously has a long background in politics and economics and has much to bring to the debate. And you, Carbon, you once gave me some good advise on how to cure my insomnia - with the herbal teas - and I really appreciated that. David's mom - I enjoy her posts, even though we disagree on much, she has always been very kind and respectful to me. And Mainstream, I think she is pretty fascinating and would love to talk with her in person about a few things (like religion). I've even found a little common ground with Bonkers lately. It seems we both have a fondness for literature.

This forum is designed so that citizens in our community can "have a say". It would be awful boring with out the opposition. Don't you agree?

"The Lord prefers common looking people. That is the reason He made so many of them." - Abraham Lincoln

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