Watching C-SPAN 2 tonight, I'm reminded of a topic that has been bothering me as of late.
The question remains: Why are the majority of African-Americans still in poverty?
Listening to Julianne Malveaux, Bennett College for Women President, speak, I'm disturbed.
She speaks of the "young people" and the "next generation" and how there should be 0% of student loans and how more "blacks" need a higher education.
We already have Affirmative Action. Have you noticed that Asians don't have Affirmative Action? Yet, Asians are still able to get higher education and many Asians have achieved a measurable degree of success. The question is why is this the case?
Some say that African-Americans were discriminated against and forced to come to America centuries ago due to slavery, thus they have psychological effects and emotional burdens that will prohibit them from ever achieving success or break the cycle of poverty. These just sound like excuses. African-Americans have been discriminated against for ages, and it has only been a mere 50 years since the Civil Rights movement and the true breaking down of segregation in society. But they aren't the only ones being discriminated against.
Have you thought about the Native-Americans? The Europeans came onto THEIR lands and enslaved them, made them sick, killed them off, put them on reservations, destroyed their culture, destroyed their lifestyles, discriminated against them, pretended to help them but really ruined their lives more, broke promises, broke treaties, and lied. So sometimes, I feel that African-Americans shouldn't always play the race card.
Many Asian-Americans came to the United States as refugees. Hundreds of Japanese-Americans were put in concentration camps and discriminated against during World War II. My own parents came with literally nothing from Eastern Asia. They were discriminated against in the Midwest. Yet, here they are today. Out of poverty.
Why is it that Asian-Americans can do this, but African-Americans can't?
I hope that one day they can move forward and revolutionize their culture, and encourage the newer generations of blacks to strive for education, to push past the obstacles of poverty and rise to success! I know they can.
P.S. Look at this quote: "The white folk ain't gonna love you if ...." says Michael Eric Dyson, a professor at Georgetown University. That's really great educated diction. Really.
P.P.S. They need to stop calling President Obama, "Brother Obama." He's only half black.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tea Party: Pro or Con
Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin.
Step down. The Tea Party events that have been taking place as part of the "grass roots" movement needs to steadily subside. Though the Tea Party-ers have good intentions and voice the opinions of many other Republicans, these Tea Parties aren't helping the GOP.
Right now, with Health Care Reform enacted, the GOP must stand united in order to win more seats in Congress in November and to potentially have a chance of winning the election of 2012. At this moment, a majority of the Republicans seem to be radicals lobbying for their "rights" by protesting and constantly hosting Tea Parties. Sarah Palin isn't motivating anybody to make a chance. She motivates me to not want to be a conservative.
Tea Party candidates? It sounds like they're trying again to revive "Populist" party sentiments that we had in the early 1900s. Just a reminder to all? That party failed miserably.
The GOP looks to be in a mess.
Step down. The Tea Party events that have been taking place as part of the "grass roots" movement needs to steadily subside. Though the Tea Party-ers have good intentions and voice the opinions of many other Republicans, these Tea Parties aren't helping the GOP.
Right now, with Health Care Reform enacted, the GOP must stand united in order to win more seats in Congress in November and to potentially have a chance of winning the election of 2012. At this moment, a majority of the Republicans seem to be radicals lobbying for their "rights" by protesting and constantly hosting Tea Parties. Sarah Palin isn't motivating anybody to make a chance. She motivates me to not want to be a conservative.
Tea Party candidates? It sounds like they're trying again to revive "Populist" party sentiments that we had in the early 1900s. Just a reminder to all? That party failed miserably.
The GOP looks to be in a mess.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Case and Point
So...we have universal health care. It has been a monumental victory for President Obama and Speaker of the House Pelosi, along with other party leaders.
But will this victory be short-lived?
Reading a recent New York Times article (click here), I saw that what my good friend told me earlier this week is true. What social reform has legitimately worked while keeping the economy, etc. stable? When I think reforms, I instinctively think of FDR and his New Deal reforms, especially Social Security. Social security. How is that working out for us?
Yes, the elderly are cared for. But, where does the money come from? Well, obviously the rest of the taxpayers, of course. How long can these tax revenues sustain Social Security, etc.? Who knows.
According to the NY Times article, the Social Security payments are greater than the revenue from "payroll taxes." So...what they're saying is that we don't have the money from taxes to support Social Security checks (like we're supposed to), but we're still going to send out these checks anyways. Somehow. The money will fall from the sky! HA. Not so much.
Do I sense more government spending?
If these great social reforms such as Social Security aren't working out now, years later since it's initiation, what makes Obama think that his Health Care Reform bill will be so successful? Is he just that much more intellectually superior and has a more well thought out plan than President F. D. Roosevelt? Social reforms such as these, on such a large scale, don't have such a wonderful track record here in the United States.
But oh well. Hello Universal Health Care
But will this victory be short-lived?
Reading a recent New York Times article (click here), I saw that what my good friend told me earlier this week is true. What social reform has legitimately worked while keeping the economy, etc. stable? When I think reforms, I instinctively think of FDR and his New Deal reforms, especially Social Security. Social security. How is that working out for us?
Yes, the elderly are cared for. But, where does the money come from? Well, obviously the rest of the taxpayers, of course. How long can these tax revenues sustain Social Security, etc.? Who knows.
According to the NY Times article, the Social Security payments are greater than the revenue from "payroll taxes." So...what they're saying is that we don't have the money from taxes to support Social Security checks (like we're supposed to), but we're still going to send out these checks anyways. Somehow. The money will fall from the sky! HA. Not so much.
Do I sense more government spending?
If these great social reforms such as Social Security aren't working out now, years later since it's initiation, what makes Obama think that his Health Care Reform bill will be so successful? Is he just that much more intellectually superior and has a more well thought out plan than President F. D. Roosevelt? Social reforms such as these, on such a large scale, don't have such a wonderful track record here in the United States.
But oh well. Hello Universal Health Care
Friday, March 19, 2010
Red Alert?
Should we be for Health Care? Against Health Care? I honestly don't know anymore. As I was watching the news yesterday, most television news stations were discussing Health Care Reform. The concept of universal individual health care is obviously an excellent idea. But, looking realistically at it, watching not just Fox News, but also CNN and CNBC, and reading news articles daily, I think that the repercussions and future consequences of this Health Care bill are too big to overlook.
Personally, I don't want to pay ridiculously high taxes on top of the burden of repaying our ever-increasing debt. With the Health Care reform taking place, the debt will increase by millions and once again, it will be up to the future generations to pay the price for it - literally.
Just like in Policy Debate, let's have the States do the plan! Similar to Massachusetts, perhaps states can come to a compromise and achieve health care that way. All I know is that there has to be another way besides raising taxes and increasing government spending. What will happen when one day all this government spending slows down?
I'm crossing my fingers for this Sunday.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Off With His Head?
Remember Major Nidal Malik Hasan? The military physician who fatally wounded 13 fellow comrades at Fort Hood last year? He currently faces 13 counts of murder and perhaps the death penalty.
Is the death penalty legitimate? Some people say it's too extreme, that it's inhumane to end a person's life because of a crime. Everyone deserves second chances.
In my opinion, I don't really think that all people deserve second chances. I can argue about this topic for hours, but that argument wouldn't come to anything, because both sides of the argument are in their own way, correct. But when I think about it, if I were to put myself in somebody else's shoes, say the shoes of a family member who's family was killed by a maniacal murderer, I wouldn't want to forgive that person for doing what he/she did. Though people say that time heals everything, we must learn to forgive and forget? I'm not so sure it would be possible to be so rational after losing every person who was important to me.
The death penalty isn't used randomly, it's a punishment for those who deserve it. Whether or not you agree with what defines a crime deserving of death, the death penalty is still there. Throughout history, some form of the death penalty has existed, and for good reason. Time doesn't heal everything; neither does revenge. But sometimes, people need to understand that crimes don't go unpunished. There's always something worse than jail.
Is the death penalty legitimate? Some people say it's too extreme, that it's inhumane to end a person's life because of a crime. Everyone deserves second chances.
In my opinion, I don't really think that all people deserve second chances. I can argue about this topic for hours, but that argument wouldn't come to anything, because both sides of the argument are in their own way, correct. But when I think about it, if I were to put myself in somebody else's shoes, say the shoes of a family member who's family was killed by a maniacal murderer, I wouldn't want to forgive that person for doing what he/she did. Though people say that time heals everything, we must learn to forgive and forget? I'm not so sure it would be possible to be so rational after losing every person who was important to me.
The death penalty isn't used randomly, it's a punishment for those who deserve it. Whether or not you agree with what defines a crime deserving of death, the death penalty is still there. Throughout history, some form of the death penalty has existed, and for good reason. Time doesn't heal everything; neither does revenge. But sometimes, people need to understand that crimes don't go unpunished. There's always something worse than jail.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Who is He?
As I was reading the news, I came across an article in the New York Times written by David Brooks. He talks about who President Obama really is, and how both conservatives and liberals have established distorted views of him throughout their respective political parties. Once again, the topic of partisan politics comes into play.
Partisan politics will always exist, because people will always find a way to disagree. Though it sounds cliche, it's true - everyone thinks differently. To legitimately evaluate President Obama would take much research and political/economic understanding. However, to put it simply, he's just another president. As I've said before, I quite agree with President George Bush when he said that one of his biggest regrets of his presidency was having so many goals, but just not having enough power to accomplish all of them. I was recently interviewed by my school newspaper in regards to President Obama's health care reform ideas and his newest push for education reform. All I could say was what I think is the truth. People may not like Obama, and I'm not saying I do. But he is the president of United States, and he thus deserves a certain amount of respect. He is trying to accomplish some good things, like these education reforms, and I think he is overly-ambitious in trying to do everything in his term of presidency. But maybe future presidents can build upon what he's trying to do right now.
But only maybe.
Partisan politics will always exist, because people will always find a way to disagree. Though it sounds cliche, it's true - everyone thinks differently. To legitimately evaluate President Obama would take much research and political/economic understanding. However, to put it simply, he's just another president. As I've said before, I quite agree with President George Bush when he said that one of his biggest regrets of his presidency was having so many goals, but just not having enough power to accomplish all of them. I was recently interviewed by my school newspaper in regards to President Obama's health care reform ideas and his newest push for education reform. All I could say was what I think is the truth. People may not like Obama, and I'm not saying I do. But he is the president of United States, and he thus deserves a certain amount of respect. He is trying to accomplish some good things, like these education reforms, and I think he is overly-ambitious in trying to do everything in his term of presidency. But maybe future presidents can build upon what he's trying to do right now.
But only maybe.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Weird. Weirder. Weirdest.
So far this week, there has been a lot of interesting news. But isn't there always something intriguing going on in the world...
What was weird this week...
The fact that the U.S. "Senate staffers" have been warning the Senate about Drudge Report, a more right-wing oriented site that I visit daily for the latest headlines. They claim that Drudge Report spreads computer viruses. Perhaps the Senate and its "staffers" need to update their Norton Anti-Virus/McAfee/other anti-virus program, because I've been reading the Drudge Report for over a year and I'm quite confident that there are no viruses on my computer. I smell Republican-haters...
What was weirder this week...
This isn't quite political, but I read that a chef has been using his wife's breast milk to make cheese for his restaurant. Um. That's disgusting. I know that breast milk holds much more nutrients and is good for infants because it helps them develop better immune systems, etc. I don't care how good that cheese is. Knowing that there is breast milk of a complete stranger in my cheese doesn't make me want to eat it. In fact, it makes me want to throw it away. People. Stick with goat cheese, or any other kind of cheese. Not human cheese.
What was weirdest this week...
I found out that a South Korean couple left their three-month old child to starve, while they played a VIDEO GAME simulating child-rearing. So, apparently, this game is so exciting that it makes you forget about your real baby, and play with a virtually simulated one. Now, their prematurely born baby girl is dead due to being fed only every 12 hours at the internet cafe where they were probably feeding their computer-generated child. What is the world coming to?
What was weird this week...
The fact that the U.S. "Senate staffers" have been warning the Senate about Drudge Report, a more right-wing oriented site that I visit daily for the latest headlines. They claim that Drudge Report spreads computer viruses. Perhaps the Senate and its "staffers" need to update their Norton Anti-Virus/McAfee/other anti-virus program, because I've been reading the Drudge Report for over a year and I'm quite confident that there are no viruses on my computer. I smell Republican-haters...
What was weirder this week...
This isn't quite political, but I read that a chef has been using his wife's breast milk to make cheese for his restaurant. Um. That's disgusting. I know that breast milk holds much more nutrients and is good for infants because it helps them develop better immune systems, etc. I don't care how good that cheese is. Knowing that there is breast milk of a complete stranger in my cheese doesn't make me want to eat it. In fact, it makes me want to throw it away. People. Stick with goat cheese, or any other kind of cheese. Not human cheese.
What was weirdest this week...
I found out that a South Korean couple left their three-month old child to starve, while they played a VIDEO GAME simulating child-rearing. So, apparently, this game is so exciting that it makes you forget about your real baby, and play with a virtually simulated one. Now, their prematurely born baby girl is dead due to being fed only every 12 hours at the internet cafe where they were probably feeding their computer-generated child. What is the world coming to?
Friday, March 5, 2010
Attention Seeker
Oh Governor Sarah Palin, please don't make a reality show.
The only thing that can come from this is: a) more reason for people to laugh and ridicule her and b) further ruin her political image. Ever since her participation in Senator McCain's campaign for president, Governor Palin has been living in the limelight. Having been so heavily criticized as governor of Alaska, Palin stepped down as a shock to many. She said she wanted to protect her family, but by creating this reality TV show, she's just exposing them to more criticism and harsh words of the public. Not many people care about Governor Palin’s life, so this reality TV show would have no benefit for her.
People just need to stop milking the attention.
The only thing that can come from this is: a) more reason for people to laugh and ridicule her and b) further ruin her political image. Ever since her participation in Senator McCain's campaign for president, Governor Palin has been living in the limelight. Having been so heavily criticized as governor of Alaska, Palin stepped down as a shock to many. She said she wanted to protect her family, but by creating this reality TV show, she's just exposing them to more criticism and harsh words of the public. Not many people care about Governor Palin’s life, so this reality TV show would have no benefit for her.
People just need to stop milking the attention.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Carpe Diem
Obama is seizing the day with his heroic decisions to send significant amounts of money to support the people of Haiti. He was under massive fire for his failure with Health Care Reform at the moment, and it seems that he is intelligently using the traumatic situation in Haiti to his advantage - not in a manipulative way. It seems that by agreeing to send a lot of aid to Haiti, he does appear to be in a better light than he was a month ago. Nevertheless, once again, the United States of America, hated by many people of the world, is donating the most money, giving the most help, doing the best we can as if our own country was suffering.
I just hope the people of the world see the USA's altruism and appreciate our government and the people here for reaching out to Haiti. Our eagerness to help Haiti demonstrates our overall positive attitude towards being an international neighbor.
So world. Stop hating on the U.S.A.~
I just hope the people of the world see the USA's altruism and appreciate our government and the people here for reaching out to Haiti. Our eagerness to help Haiti demonstrates our overall positive attitude towards being an international neighbor.
So world. Stop hating on the U.S.A.~
