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mapachito13 -> RE: Jesse Jackson (7/11/2008 7:57:09 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Rufas2000
quote:
My question is...why is ol' JJ so upset over the truth Obama was talking about? Are fatherless families a problem....or not?
I agree with your point. But for the sake of getting the whole picture people who have defended Jackson have said that while he has no quarrel with the point that fathers need to be responsible for their children he is upset that Obama did not point out the inequalities in the system that keep African Americans down and therefore are also responsible (in his mind) for the problem. One gentleman also stated that the fatherless family speech should not have been addressed just to African Americans.
IMHO this is at best stupid. You do not tell someone they are responsible for their actions and follow that up with a list of excuses or reasons why they are not responsible for those same actions. Its called a mixed message and the listener is only going to take away the part of the mix they wanted to hear. However I suspect the Reverend Jackson is well aware of this. I do not believe he is a stupid man. So it must be that Senator Obama's message in that case conflicted with "the good reverend's" agenda.
As far as addressing it to the population at large, I heard one stat that says 70% of all African American babies are born out of wedlock. If that is true (I haven't been able to research it yet) then its a much bigger problem for the African American community than for the population at large. And Obama was addressing an African American audience.
And full kudos to Obama (and Bill Cosby before himand I'm sure others) for delivering that message of personal responsibility. A not so popular message among some of his supporters.
BTW: if African Americans feel that our system has a racial bias that works against them then I have no problem with them speaking out. Actually I do even though maybe I shouldn't, it gets old and I just don't see it nearly as widespread as they do, that the white man's main goal is to make sure African Americans stay down. But I'm not black so I'll concede I might not be seeing it. But make sure you're right first and take all the responsibility you can and do everything you can to make it. Then when you've done all that, then tell me about how "whitey" is still keeping you down.
I don't mean to be flippant and there is still a problem with racism no doubt but no amount of oppression, real or imagined, absolves one from the responsibility for their actions.
And thanks Mapachito13 for the support.
If you're going to keep posting such great posts Rufas mine will consist of only four words from now on - "Ditto, what Rufas2000 said!"[:D]
I just heard on the news how Phil Gramm said we are a nation of whiners and I agree. We all play the blame game that is as old as Adam, Eve and the serpent. Perhaps Jesus wouldn't have had to die if we took resposibility for our own actions way back when. BTW, just my musings and not trying to open a debate on that subject. That would have to be another thread in a different section!
So much for a four word post! [:D]
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