scoutschoice

I'm not sure where you are going here cc. Being fatherless than black. I'm going to stab at it though. Does not having a father in the house hurt black kids, you better believe it. There has to be major stepping up in that category and I will be the first to tell you that. But with all the sleeping around in Hollywood is there a difference. It is more acceptable these days than it was in the past. Black men were major forces in the family back in the days that is when they weren't being taken away from their families by their masters to be, as I will say, a stud on another farm. Now when it comes to being black, well didn't Colin Powell say he was a victim of racism. I mean it doesn't matter what a black man knows or portrays himself he will always be seen as a black man until further notice.

Hey Irish, you had to look them up didn't you. That is exactly what I am talking about. You proved my point, how many young black kids know or better yet what if they don't have the means as you did to do it in thirty seconds. Tell you what though they would know who Lebron and Jordan are though and wouldn't need you or me to tell them. by the way I'm not saying what Lebron and Jordan did and are doing are wrong but not all can be them. Well for a black man being in the most powerful position perhaps in the world and definitely in the U.S. speaks volumes doesn't it. I mean who better to have as a role model but he's being broken down like and old shotgun by some pathetic people. I'm glad he is holding his head up and taking on all and any. Yeah he's going to have his ups and downs but he will hang in there and be alright. By the way it won't take thirty seconds for black kids to know him??? Peer pressure is a beast. What I'm afraid of is that young blacks will say that Barack is the President of the U.S. and he is black but look at all the stuff he has to take from others. Why should I bother because I can get that without being in that position. I don't want them to give up because of all this craziness. Or is that a message behind the scenes???

Before you get going Cold, I'm talking in terms of black kids having role models. Yeah you may know but you aren't dropping out of school, you aren't dodging bullets to go to school. I want the young black kids, really all, but right now I'm talking in general about young black kids. All I'm saying they other opportunities now than ever and what better goal than becoming President?? You know not to get off the point here but I read a lot of posts from the mishap in the Oregon and Boise game. After what happened the people posting called him this and that but the main thing that bothered me was that one said he was just going to college to play football and then off to the NFL. He wasn't going to school for an education. That is what is upsetting me. Success isn't determined by what you have and don't have. All I', saying is that young black Americans have to set greater goals now and obtain them. To be able to take care of their own.

This is what I am telling you 75. You tell me some successful black men outside the world of sports and entertainment??? You will have to dig deep to find out because it will be hard for you or others to do so. The household names in this manner just don't stick out like a Jordan, Magic, or Lebron. These are the only figures young black kids see on the television. They don't show the African American man who just designed the new taurus. Heck it wasn't until I was in collge that I learned a lot about African Americans, outside of only being slaves. You can state what you feel and I'm going to do the same because I'm speaking of the kids in the black neighborhoods, where on tv, they have to sell drugs or they have to play ball to make it out. That has to stop and this is the right direction. I don't care about stirring up a hornets nest, I didn't start that fire, but I will add fuel to it. Can you believe there were problems with the President talking to kids??? That is amazing when a parent complains about listening to the President speak and never monitors what their kid watches on the television or computer. When I was in school there was no question what you were going to watch if the President was going to speak. Now people are going apes over this. Where is the respect for our President, meaning you don't have to like him, but he is what he is.

I totally agree with you uk. I'm around the same situations, attitude and thinking everyday, also. I'm tired of hearing the excuses of this and that that mainly goes on in my black community. Doesn't hold any water anymore and I am glad Barack has said this. Time to really CHANGE!!!

You are missing the point here Irish. I was very upset and thinking way faster than I was typing but is that all you have to say. To go even farther, I am not asking you all to agree with everything this man says, that wouldn't be me. But the disrespect this man is getting is absurd for being in the most powerful position in this country and world. Why is that?? Is it because he is black or what. You can't say it's his policies because there have been horrible decisions made in this position (Mr. Bush) and he never got this kind of treatment. All I am saying is get off of this crazy crap and move forward. Bet you never had to lie to your kids about anything is possible have you. Well I don't have to anymore either and that is why I am happy today. People afraid of us blacks not striving to be a sports star or rapper anymore??

Look Guys, for all the craziness, disrespect and whatever else people are doing to or targeting towards our President of the United States of America. I can honestly look into the eyes of my kids not like was done to me by my parents and say that you can honestly be what you want in this world. I know the intent from my parents when they said that to me but deep down they didn't think that becoming the President of the United States was possible. I'm sure that it was said to my parents by my grandparents and so forth and so on. But today, just as Barack was elected, I am proud to say that to my kids again once they get off that school bus that you study hard and make good grades anything is possible. Even becoming the President of the United States of America. Yeah that is right and proud to say that. You see I am a responsible, black, educated father now but man first. I know the obstacles behind things and I just want you, white people, to know that I am proud of this man and this man becoming President has raised the bar as far as African Americans. You see previously you could get a pretty good status in this world by being a sports star, rapper, or some kind of entertainer if you were black. Now the bar has been raised and I couldn't be any happier, the speech was tremendous and I agree with everything he said. Now we have the Rush's and everybody else talking all this nonsense but what are they doing but talking. Run for something and be about something. It's easy to collect 100 million a year for talking crazy and having no responsibilities behind doin what you say. And to think he's a or ex drug addict??? People will believe anything and anybody because that is what people are looking for. Meaning there are a lot of people in the U.S. who are very insecure about themselves. I thank Barack and I'm totally 100% behind the man because he has broken that same barrier that we praise Jackie Robinson for. May God Bless him and Keep him and please, for just this time, let us African Americans enjoy this time. We can finally look our kids in the eyes without having to lie.

The man had just had the health care forum in Georgia

5432, If it isn't about racism back it up. I've got to tell you down there in Georgia, wasn't it, where the swastika was painted on an office or office building of a black democratic senator or something. I will find more about it just heard it while driving. But if it's not racism and strictly policy then here you go: I was a private practice physician for over 22 years. In all my years of practice, I can count on the fingers of one hand the times when I had a challenge to a test or procedure that needed to be done for a patient on Medicare or Medicaid. These are both government-run national health care programs. For some reason, it appears as though seniors who use Medicare for their health care needs seem unaware that it is a national, government-run program. During those same years, I had to continually fight with insurance bureaucrats so that my patients could get the care they needed. Besides fighting for getting procedures and care covered, which was a daily battle, I often simply did not get paid. The only bureaucrats continually inserting themselves into the doctor-patient relationship are those working for the insurance companies, not the government. In an editorial last Sunday, the C-J states that “the media need to step up and shine the light on what health reform is and what it isn't.” Please do take your own advice. It is time for some articles that explain what Medicare is. It is time for an in-depth look at what single-payer health care means. It is time that the American public gets some clear information about various national health care models from other Western democracies. Citizens are operating in an information vacuum where anecdotes and lies pass for truth. The press let down the American public in the ramp-up to the war in Iraq. Don't fail us this time. EDWARD J. RYAN Floyds Knobs, Ind. 47119

You think it is race don't you Mustang. Well race, socio-economic you decide because they both are the same. This is just the tip of the iceberg, I mean I can go on and on about some of the mishaps of our country. I'm just saying that this country has had its downs with its ups and lots not forget that. Besides who cares at least I can face it and admit it and talk about it.

You know stick why should it get shut down because you talk about race. That is the problem now people want it to be swept under like problems have never or don't exist at all. You were talking about welfare and how people take advantage of it and are too lazy to work. All I was saying that people with money have their forms of welfare also. They take advantage of people, things and situations just as much as someone with nothing. That is all I'm saying. To me with that situation it is far worse. So whatever you do just know that your taxes are paying either for a person who doesn't want to work or for a person with plenty of money who doesn't need any extra handouts or anything. So don't even worry about just do you and take care of yours. I will do the same.

True Blue I wasn't talking about slaves here. Dontae Stallworth isn't a slave either but that is who stick was talking about.

I didn't say you are responsible for anything. What I said is that this country hasn't always been one to model afterwards. That is all I'm saying. Point blank

You want to use Dontae Stallworth. How about Medgar Evers, Martin Luther, Malcolm X. Are you kidding me?? Also stick you find the statistics behind the case by case thing and get back to me.

I didn't play the race card at all. You just set yourself up with comments on your friends. I'm sure now they are white. Just saying you are ranting and raving about what they did and they got house arrest or probation. All I'm saying that is that with black people they get jail time not house arrest. So what is your complaint there??? I didn't slam Bush. I'm was saying he made some mistakes and lets don't forget that. He gave welfare treatment to the haves and didn't worry about the have nots. I don't understand why is it that now the dems are in command that everything needs to be checked and balanced or bipartisan all of a sudden when you know it wasn't that way when the pubs were in command. I also said that I rode with the decision of Bush regardless of what he did also. Military spending, you don't think the Iraq War and the Afghan war are enough??? What is the military spending going to do for people who aren't in the military??? Doesn't make a lot of sense. I really don't believe in welfare and affirmative action either. But people do need help when needed and if things were right from the beginning then affirmative action wouldn't be needed (you know checks and balancing no matter what color, race, and ethnicity). But that hasn't been so. I don't believe in anyone being able to be lazy and let someone else foot the bill. But peopl with money are abusing the system just as much as the lazy person yet no one says a word???