Funny, everyone living here, and people from all over the world trying to get here, don’t exactly view the U.S. past as ‘tragic’ but they also haven’t been listening to Jeremiah Wright for 20 years. All those too poor, stupid, clingy and bitter rubes who don’t have enough sense to be miserable and hate this country also think we have only 50 states. Silly gooses.
CHICAGO » Sen. Barack Obama, speaking to a gathering of minority journalists yesterday, stopped short of endorsing an official U.S. apology to American Indians but said the country should acknowledge its history of poor treatment of certain ethnic groups.
“There’s no doubt that when it comes to our treatment of Native Americans as well as other persons of color in this country, we’ve got some very sad and difficult things to account for,” Obama told hundreds of attendees of UNITY ’08, a convention of four minority journalism associations…
“I personally would want to see our tragic history, or the tragic elements of our history, acknowledged,” the Democratic presidential hopeful said.
“I consistently believe that when it comes to whether it’s Native Americans or African-American issues or reparations, the most important thing for the U.S. government to do is not just offer words, but offer deeds.” […] When Obama walked on stage at the McCormick Center, many journalists in the audience leapt to their feet and applauded enthusiastically after being told not to do so.
Yeah, no bias there.
I suppose we’re mean because we’re so tragic? So, what, we’re now one big Joan Crawford of a country? Oh, and we need to make up for being such truck-ups; apologies for being so bad and mean aren’t enough, we need to “offer deeds” which translates to the redistribution of wealth to everyone who doesn’t have the pinkish Irish complexion.
More proof (if any is needed) that the Left despises this country and its history.
Interesting that Obama now feels he needs to add the modifier “consistently” when speaking of his beliefs. Must come from knowing that on many important things he’s not consistent. However, now he’s talking about America being wrong and the need to throw some taxpayer money at a (non)problem. No need for the modifier there. We know he consistently wants to spend our money to correct problems only the hard left perceives.
Man of the World rallied quite crowd in Berlin (while most of Germany had their annual 5 to 8 weeks of vacation time to use). In France; how difficult is it to fill the streets with a population top-heavy in unemployment.
Phil Spect(ator) must have been waiting for a no-news day to endorse Obama.
my hackles go up over things like this. while america is portrayed as some sort of brutal genocidal regime- almost entirely over it’s past although it’s -wink wink- hinted that it’s still going on just as wickedly-nudge nudge – black africans ethnically cleanse other africans right now. black africans are enslaving other africans in every sense of the word right now. muslims murder and terrorize Copts and other christians, sufis, native animists and anyone who does not worship allah as they do- right now. instead of constantly beating assorted dead horses like these tired nags are going to lead them to moral victory and the presidency. wouldn’t it be wiser, more humane and morally correct to address outrageous crimes against humanity that are happening in our own bloody lifetimes? the likes of obamarama seem to posit that constructing a time machine to go back several hundred years is a more viable option than addressing the callous disregard for life and liberty that stretches across the globe in the likes of iran, china and much of africa.
the first slaves to come to america where white and irish. you know nothing about history if you do not understand that white europeans where also thrown into slavery when their tribes lost battles or particularly when they were subjugated by the romans. the celts( of which i am one. the french are largely celts) are considered the ‘ american indians’ of europe. they suffered some of the same tragic destiny and were assimilated so they barely comprehend their own true culture. in ireland they continued to be brutalized as savages and starved to death well after slavery of africans had ended in america. languages were criminalized and any vestiges of native worship ended up dead on a pyre. it’s all part of the uglier side of human nature and all colors of people at many times in the past were treated as such. humans suck- they’re brutal, selfish. power hungry and controlling- it is not a trait distinctive of white people. the main point is that we as a civilized culture no longer see ourselves as such and should always strive to hold ourselves to humane virtues and respect for others. we’re not what we were. we need to acknowledge that and address the here and now vigilantly.
Senator Obama and his wife are projecting their bitterness and cynicism on us the great “unwashed” rube masses. We go about our lives quietly doing what is needed to get the job done.
I know I am, but what are you?
Let’s just pretend that Mr. O. is right. Our past is littered with evil deeds and sinister motives. America is BAD! What, for the love of Mike, does that make the rest of the planet? Show me the good guys.
Bah, this is a precursor to getting the tax payer to pony up for reparations for slavery…yet again, I guess buying a whole country in Africa for those who wanted to leave the US and giving 40 acres and 2 mules to those who wished to remain wasn’t enough. Sorry, but if Obama is expecting me to feel sorry for the poor indian then he’s got another thing coming to him. My great grandfather on one side was Sioux and on the other rode with the 7th Cavalry got his discharge in the Dakota territory so you know where they were headed. I see this particular issue from both sides. And I can tell you that had the indians won that fight there wouldn’t have been any whites on the planet let alone just on this continent.
Obama makes a fair point when he says he wants America’s tragic history acknowledged. Until he mentioned it, I never knew that Africans had been enslaved. Nor did anyone ever tell me about how the Europeans took the Americas away from the native population. My gosh, why don’t they teach this stuff in school? I feel just awful about all the things my people did.
Well, to be technically correct, my people were being oppressed in Europe until they fled to America in the 20th century, but that’s a detail. My grandparents were typical white people, and they certainly would have owned slaves and killed Indians if they’d had the opportunity. I am so ashamed of them. Now I understand why the Europeans stole their stuff and sent them packing.
I really hate to bring this up, but since we’re all divvying up into little racial enclaves these days, and we’re all responsible for “our people” (that is, everyone with matching pigmentation), I wonder if Obama could help me get my wallet back. An apology would also be nice. Barry, I’m holding you responsible for committing more than your fair share of crime. Does this make me a racist? Or am I just mirroring you?
Okay, enough satire. Seriously, this stuff makes me sick. Yes, America is flawed. As are we all. And yes, we have room to improve. But this sort of criticism, this attitude which harps endlessly on our awfulness, is not constructive. No one save the Messiah is perfect. People have come from all over the world to America to make better lives for themselves. Places that America has influenced work out better than places the others have influenced (for example, North versus South Korea, East versus West Germany). Compared to utopia, we suck. Compared to the rest of the world, we rule. This non-stop self-hating mea culpa is a symptom of mental illness. If you hate yourself, take it out on yourself. But stay the hell away from a national office where your self-loathing threatens the rest of us.
Obama said, “I consistently believe that when it comes to whether it’s Native Americans or African-American issues or reparations, the most important thing for the U.S. government to do is not just offer words, but offer deeds.” He also said these were things we had to “account for”. Does that mean he’s in favor of reparations? Sort of.
Here’s another report about Obama’s remarks: Obama said he’d want to “not only offer words, but deeds†in dealing with reparations for Black people. The Harvard graduate said he supports reparations in the form of improved inner-city schools and an increase in jobs in the Black community.
Don’t tell me we haven’t spent gazillions of dollars already trying to accomplish that. I think the account is closed on slavery reparations.
‘Scuse me? What the hell do I have to account for? My ancestors were more hated than freed slaves were when they came over from Ireland, so I don’t wanna hear Jeremiah Wright or Barack Obama complain about what anyone owes for slavery. The first ghettos in this country were populated by folks like my ancestors, who had to fight against the idea that they were thieves and demons. Jeremiah Wright and his protege, Barack OSAMA, can kiss my American backside.
If I have to make reparation payments to blacks, American Indians (I am a native American, I was freakin’ BORN HERE) and other minorities for what a group of people did before my family was here, then I want to see the Kennedys and other families make additional reparation payments for their war profiteering.
Ain’t gonna happen, is it?
Amen, Animel! If I remember my family history, the Irish were classified as bogtrotting heathens who were barely a step above barn animals in the food chain. That’s how the British justified taking over their homes and land when they decided they needed an island getaway. “No Irish Need Apply”–remember those signs right here, in the early part of the century? The Irish got the jobs that Americans didn’t want to do. So don’t be talking to me about reparations. My family didn’t own slaves–we were too busy trying to overcome that “no Irish” thing, and make a home for ourselves. Since we got here with basically the clothes on our backs, we were too busy trying to make a life for ourselves and didn’t have the spare fundage to “buy” someone to work for us.
Yeah, slavery wasn’t a shining spot in our history, but you know what? We realized it and we changed.
Reparations–how about all the OPPORTUNITIES handed out on a silver platter?? Or haven’t we reached that pound of flesh yet? Oh wait, opportunity is not cold hard cash. It’s only the chance to get cold hard cash.
If this is such a flawed crappy place, why are people busting their tookuses to live here?
As someone of Polish heritage I believe I’m owed quite a bit of money from a lot of people: from the Scandanavians (formerly the Vikings), the Chinese (formerly the Mongols), the Muslims, the Germans, and the Russians. Actually, more recently I’m owed by the British and the Americans for selling my people down the river after WWII.
And I’m owed the most by all those who have told and are still telling stupid Polish jokes.
So SHOW ME THE MONEY!