How can anyone answer your question when all you have provided are your ridiculous non-specific inferrences and innuendo? If he had said, "I support reparations of X amount according to the following formula", one might be able to calculate "how expensive" it would be in quantitative terms. You provide nothing other than fear-mongering interpretations of public statements that make no reference to your context of reparations whatsoever.

 

Why don't you sit down and try to figure out how we will fund infrastructure, national defense, and exploding entitlement spending when John McCain implements his wreckless plan to slash just about every federal revenue stream in existence?

First of all, H, you need to do a little research on me. I'm no fan of McCain, both him and Obama are wrong for America IMO, so you can forget McCain rhetoric that you're almost as good at at as the Bush rhetoric.

Secondly, I merely quoted thy savior and asked some simple questions of you all. If it's more than you can handle, find another thread. This isn't fear mongering (although I notice anytime someone takes issue with "The One" on his own comments or or his policies you and a few others scream fear mongering ), it's simply asking your opinion on where you think he stands and if you think he will go further and actually call for monetary reparations should he become president. I also ask if policies like universal health-care will have a negative effect on the economy. I also ask what building new schools will do to ensure that kids that don't care with parents that don't care will go to school. If you care to address these issues, fine, otherwise please save your rhetoric for someone that cares.

Obama has been asked repeatedly about reparations and he has never taken the opportunity to answer the question in a direct way. A simple, "I oppose reparations in any form and would veto such legislation if it reached my desk" would be a clear, direct response - but Obama does not like to answer questions in a clear, concise manner for political reasons.

 

 

One of the Republican Party's favored sons, Alan Keyes, explicitly supported reparations in his 2004 Senate race against Obama. Did Obama take the bait then, when it was clearly politically expedient for him to? No.

 

I realize you feel that your only hope may be to make everyone in the U.S. terrified of Obama, but you guys are really reaching on this one.

I think I read twice in the original post that Obama would rather improve schools, health care and the economy for all instead of providing reparations. What is the argument here? He's against them. He said he's against them. Yet you all are still trying to twist his words and claim that he is for them? Is that how this is going?

 

I have no problem with improving schools, health care and economy for people living in the inner cities. Why would anyone?

At least you're on topic now. Depends on what it will cost the economy? Depends on how much it will raise taxes, as you know, Obama is all for raising taxes.

 

What will building new schools do to ensure kids will go to school?

You guys seem to have some level of intelligence so I don't think I'm a computer/internet genius when I can find an article saying he is against the traditional concept of reparations and said so in 04.

 

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZ0B_yzHzr4ozpmkGVAoGkqH9OMgD92A5GCG0

 

Is this your idea of a clear statement against reparations? From the article to which you linked:

 

"I have said in the past — and I'll repeat again — that the best reparations we can provide are good schools in the inner city and jobs for people who are unemployed," the Illinois Democrat said recently.

 

More from the article:

 

Obama has worked to be seen as someone who will bring people together, not divide them into various interest groups with checklists of demands. Supporting reparations could undermine that image and make him appear to be pandering to black voters.

 

"Let's not be naive. Sen. Obama is running for president of the United States, and so he is in a constant battle to save his political life," said Kibibi Tyehimba, co-chair of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America. "In light of the demographics of this country, I don't think it's realistic to expect him to do anything other than what he's done."

Obama's word certainly make me confident that he would oppose any attempt at paying reparations to the descendents of slaves.

Is this your idea of a clear statement against reparations? From the article to which you linked:

 

 

 

More from the article:

 

Obama's word certainly make me confident that he would oppose any attempt at paying reparations to the descendents of slaves.

 

Its clear to me. Lets focus on improving the situation through education improvement and job creation instead of simply cutting a check.

 

He has too many black groups against him on this for me to believe he is ambiguous on the subject.

One of the Republican Party's favored sons, Alan Keyes, explicitly supported reparations in his 2004 Senate race against Obama. Did Obama take the bait then, when it was clearly politically expedient for him to? No.

 

I realize you feel that your only hope may be to make everyone in the U.S. terrified of Obama, but you guys are really reaching on this one.

There are plenty of reasons to fear an Obama presidency other than his refusal to explicitly rule out reparations but Obama's fence straddling on this issue is just typical of his reluctance to take clear positions on controversial issues. Liberals who oppose reparations believe that Obama opposes them and liberals who support reparations believe that Obama supports them but cannot say so because it might cost him the election.

Its clear to me. Lets focus on improving the situation through education improvement and job creation instead of simply cutting a check.

 

He has too many black groups against him on this for me to believe he is ambiguous on the subject.

:laugh: I am sure that there will be many black groups voting against Obama because they believe he opposes reparations.

liberals who support reparations believe that Obama supports them but cannot say so because it might cost him the election.

 

Proof?

First of all, H, you need to do a little research on me. I'm no fan of McCain, both him and Obama are wrong for America IMO, so you can forget McCain rhetoric that you're almost as good at at as the Bush rhetoric.

Secondly, I merely quoted thy savior and asked some simple questions of you all. If it's more than you can handle, find another thread. This isn't fear mongering (although I notice anytime someone takes issue with "The One" on his own comments or or his policies you and a few others scream fear mongering ), it's simply asking your opinion on where you think he stands and if you think he will go further and actually call for monetary reparations should he become president. I also ask if if policies like universal health-care will have a negative effect on the economy. I also ask what building new schools will do to ensure that kids that don't care with parents that don't care will go to school. If you care to address these issues, fine, otherwise please save your rhetoric for someone that cares.

 

No, you took a handful of non-specific quotes and inferred that he must be for reparations ("Sounds like reparations to me"), then you asked a loaded question to the effect of 'how much is this Obama guy going to wreck the country?'

 

I guess I shouldn't be surprised when you start a "Has Obama stopped beating his wife?" thread.

:laugh: I am sure that there will be many black groups voting against Obama because they believe he opposes reparations.

 

Irrelevant to the discussion at hand but classic on your part.

Are we talking about this or are we talking reparations as your title says?

 

The former is a legit discussion and not an easy one to answer. There is a bit of "chicken or the egg" in it as I see it. Will neighborhoods improve IF there is a renewed focus on seriously attacking the problem or do we wait until attitudes/conditions improve BEFORE we make a run at solving the problem?

 

I won't speak for those that live in this dreadful situation on a daily basis as I type from my cozy suburban home. However, if I were to be so bold to presume I could see where those folks don't see any REAL improvements being made. Part of that could be and probably has something to do with the teacher's union. Simply throwing money is not the answer. My guess is that facilities that are literally crumbling do not foster much excitement about the process. I would also guess it doesn't exactly draw the top teachers so its a snowball effect.

 

The neighborhoods have to accept part/much of the responsibility but , in reality, the voting public doesn't place inner city education very high on the list so not much is going to change.

Since Obama made it his view of reparations, I went with it.

 

You don't have to wait and see, there have been new schools built in inner cities and there's been no improvement that I've seen. I see it no different that section eight housing, people that don't care will just trash it. That's where the real problem is, how do you change people that, for generations, just don't care?

Liberals have dominated inner city politics for decades and they have proven that expanding government programs and handing out more money is not an effective way to fight poverty. Anybody who does not believe that Obama would sign any reparations bill that reached his desk if he is elected president is just not paying attention to his nuanced positions.

No, you took a handful of non-specific quotes and inferred that he must be for reparations ("Sounds like reparations to me"), then you asked a loaded question to the effect of 'how much is this Obama guy going to wreck the country?'

 

I guess I shouldn't be surprised when you start a "Has Obama stopped beating his wife?" thread.

Because it does sound like reparations to me. It's OK with you if I have an opinion isn't it? I asked no loaded question, you simply want to spin into something it isn't. The questions I asked are legit ones as the policies will likely be a strain on an economy that is already weak. Honestly H, you're really reaching here.

As for the last comment, try to keep this at an adult level.

Since Obama made it his view of reparations, I went with it.

 

You don't have to wait and see, there have been new schools built in inner cities and there's been no improvement that I've seen. I see it no different that section eight housing, people that don't care will just trash it. That's where the real problem is, how do you change people that, for generations, just don't care?

 

I can't speak intelligently to what has been or has not been done to improve the problem with inner city schools. Its my impression that not much has been done other than to throw money at "programs" instead of changing the way kids are taught and improving those doing the teaching. Unqualified teachers in terrible facilities exacerbate the problem.

 

Lastly, do we really care about solving this problem? Does it effect us? We certainly don't include it in our voting priorities?

Proof?

Read the article to which you linked. Do groups supporting reparations seem worried about the prospect of an Obama presidency to you?