A Transition from the U.S. Constitution to Government Dependence

 I’ve contemplated long & hard how to begin this piece & I’ve come up with only one way, which I’m sure the race-baiters will love…The inauguration & new Presidency of Barack Obama has taught me many things & I’m sure there will be many more to come. But America has become so intrigued by fruitless rhetoric that I realized—in light of Ms. Garofolo’s comments about Tax Day Tea Party protestors being “racists,” only “hating a Black man in Office,” & informing “people of color” who participated that we were suffering from Stockholm’s Syndrome—how much farther that we, as a Nation, must come to make Dr. King’s Dream a reality. His dream encompassed many aspects of life that are often drowned out & dialed down by the obvious—color of the skin. Many of us voted our belief system this past election based on issues & still others voted based on the “historical” nature of it & little else. And whether many wish to acknowledge the negatives of that or not, we will again begin to see its repercussions in the structure of our society. America is a young nation with many strong foundational principles & values, but many of her people seem to have lost sight of those values & their antithesis now runs rampant through our communities & ultimately, our children.

History has shown us those people who devote themselves to helping others, to bettering their countries—work to improve them, even when what’s necessary isn’t popular & particularly when in front of other leaders whose values are different. It’s called “leading by example.” Those who don’t hold strong to their principles aren’t true “leaders;” they are self-serving, egotistical individuals & their desire to be accepted by all, regardless of morals & values, has brought our “leaders” to a most shameful place & is teaching our children that “selling out” in the name of popularity is acceptable. President Obama’s view of not only our country, but also the rest of the world is fundamentally misguided & it will cause us many more problems during his term, be that 4 or 8 years.

And as American leadership has withered away so has the Civil Rights Movement in America which transitioned from liberation & independence to victimhood & government dependence. It would be irresponsible to say this problem lies completely at the feet of politicians, whatever side they lean towards, but this attitude of dependence & ripping America apart at her seams is cyclic in the urban communities & for those politicians who claim to know the plight of the “disadvantaged” and really be representing the “little people”—well we’ll just say the fruits of their labor have yet to be seen.  

Take, for example, the “State of Black America” report issued by the National Urban League… 700 pages of information & ways to improve Black America all of which strictly rely on government. Many believe it “takes a village to raise a child”—if that’s the case, then it’s no wonder children grow up to be adults that believe they’re entitled to everything—this entitlement mentality has replaced strong work ethic & ultimately, pride. Statistics reported are said to be snapshots of “poverty & disadvantage” within urban America, and yet few “leaders” seem to be eager to examine why so many of these situations are so precarious…

“…For White workers, the March (2009) unemployment rate was 7.9% while it reached 11.4% for Latinos & 13.3% for Blacks…” (NCLR News Release, April 3 2009)

 “Blacks are twice as likely as Whites to be unemployed, three times more likely to live in poverty, & upwards of six times more likely to be incarcerated…” (“State of Black America”, 2009)

Just two examples of information presented recently & what were the solutions to these problems according to the reports, you ask?

“…The current recession is clearly demonstrating just how precarious the economic situation is for many minorities...but President Obama is starting to put in place the policies necessary to create good jobs & higher wages, laying the foundation for long-term, broadly shared economic growth…” (NCLR News Release, April 3 2009)

“…Broadly shared economic growth?” Does that even make sense?! What happened to being unique & standing out in the crowd? What makes going through life “equally” as “disadvantaged” as someone else so attractive? What should be infuriating for more minorities—rather than just the select few who are called “traitors” to their race—are the following statistics:

1. Blacks are less than 12% of the population & yet they account for: 50% of all new AIDS cases per year, close to 40% of ALL abortions, & 70% of Black babies are born to unwed mothers, growing up in single-parent homes. Each year since 1973 data indicates that Black women’s share of abortions is consistently twice that of their share of live births…In 2007, Blacks made up 17% of all live births across our nation—they accounted for 39.6% of all abortions…

2. Hispanics make up only 15% of the population of America—in 2004, 28 of every 1,000 Hispanic women aborted their children. Hispanics also account for 22% of all new AIDS cases each year. There are many in the U.S. illegally, causing them to live without many of the freedoms that we enjoy daily, but for those who are legal 25.9% live in poverty, and 32.8% lack adequate health insurance.

3. Even though there is so small a percentage of Native Americans/Alaskan Natives in the U.S. today, they are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS…It is the 8^th leading cause of death for men in the Native community from 35-44—they have a 40% higher rate of AIDS as the White population as a whole. Close to 30% of the Native American/ Alaskan Native population, according to the Census, live below the poverty line. And 26.8% lack sufficient health insurance, in spite of receiving government-funded a.k.a. “affordable” health care.

Where is the outrage about these obvious effects of the breakdown in family values & morals? Where is the outrage about the 1-sided fact “reporting...?” Why is it that the NUL & NCLR fail to mention that Black & Hispanic households with 2 married parents are not living in poverty? Or that poverty in all communities (Black/White/Hispanic/Native) is directly linked to single-parent homes?

And why is it that so many accept the so-called “facts” that young minority girls are to blame for the elevated abortion rates in America today? If you actually choose to read & research the statistics compiled in these reports, you would notice that they are percentages of abortions from all ethnic groups! That’s right! White, Black, Hispanic, Native, Asian, & Undisclosed…And they are all equally disgusting! The truth—girls (15 & under) from all  communities (White/Black/Hispanic/Native) account for less than 1.2% of all abortions yearly, teens (15-20) account for less than 20%, and 32% are obtained by 20-24 year-olds. In other words, those that consider themselves adults—who, even in their “adulthood” make some of the poorest choices possible for “social reasons,” refuse to accept responsibility for their actions & abortion is the only “light at the end of the tunnel.”

My point is this…an examination of the actual facts in communities, including those that are predominately comprised of minorities, would show that poor choices are found at the source of these problems. Everything from not finishing high school to having unprotected sex with multiple partners, to parents & other caregivers striving to be the adolescent’s friend, & those who would rather focus on their own lives…And yet leaders across the nation claim that poor education, low skill sets, & insufficient English skills are the sole barricades between access to high-quality jobs & these “disadvantaged” people.

The reality is that if barriers do exist, which I believe they do, it is the breakdown in family values & individuality—the replacement of those values with the proliferating dependence on government hand-outs—that has destroyed our communities. The fault lies within us & it must be pointed out & not left to the government to be fixed. You must CHOOSE to not be “disadvantaged.” And instead, we pride ourselves on our faith-based communities & yet we fail to abide by the Gospel—unless you practice Black Liberation Theology or a derivation thereof—extortion of the “rich” & the rest of the working class will never be the solutions to the problems within our communities.

And for those who believe that slums & poverty only exist because our “oppressors”—(white men/rich men/etc.)—wish to keep us subservient to them…grow up! Wake up & realize you cannot “change” anyone but you! And until you show progress & consistently demonstrate a stronger work ethic—you are no more worthy of anything than the drunk or the drug addict on the street corner, regardless of being Black, White, Hispanic, Native, Asian, or mixed.

There are many influential people whose thoughts formed historic, poignant speeches, but I do believe MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech would be most accurate in describing the plight of Americans today as a whole, not just those of darker colors…

“Again & again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force…the marvelous new militancy…must not lead us to a distrust of all White people, for many of our White brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone…Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends…”

Our lives are comprised of thousands upon thousands of choices—we must stop blaming others for problems that we create. We must teach our children that all actions come with consequences—both good & bad—& that in order to be a productive, successful person, they must accept responsibility for their actions. And also that those mistakes they have made in the past need to be used to better their futures, not to hinder & hold them back. We, as citizens from all communities of America, must return to the once strong belief that strength as individuals must come first, because without strength as individuals, our strength as a nation will be limited & ultimately restricted by our own anger & resentment for others who have already “made it.”

Both success & failure lie within us and the choice is ours.

Over the last month or so, I have watched the greater majority of the American people become disillusioned by the rhetoric of President Obama & his so-called administration. The Obama façade & the “Hope & Change” slogan are slowly beginning to wear away, not only in our country, but internationally as well. As terrorists are released from prisons all around the world & as Guantanamo detainees’ countries of origin refuse to take them back, the American people are amazed at what they hear from the Commander-In-Chief. Obama & his administration neglect the military & thus the national defense of our country (by cutting the funding of our military by at least 10% as they send 17,000 new troops to Afghanistan) so that they can deal with the “real & important issues America faces today.” The Economic Crisis. And as the opposed masses remain silently reflective over the developments of this new found “Hope & Change”…our Nation doesn’t gain strength, economic stability, or prosperity for minorities or any of those that live in poverty. And for the millions of Americans who legally voted against the Slogan, these past weeks have been a clear & concise Obamanomics 101 as to why he didn’t receive their votes.

Sadly, many still believe that his administration’s policies will drastically improve their socio-economic state…For example, the other day while getting my nails done , I heard 15 different individuals make remarks about how now that there was a Black man in office that “could relate to us” they themselves would now be vindicated and become “rich.” I guess my Conservative beliefs have broadened my “minority” perspective and are direct causes of me viewing situations in a different light than those who are alike the people I’ve grown up with. As a result, I believe that the individual responsibility for one’s actions should be the mitigating factor, not an afterthought as to how you improve your own economic situations.

The belief that is currently running rampant through America’s communities makes it seem as though this man’s election will allow him to right all the injustices of every person of color and all will be joyous in our urban communities…As if our inner-city youth will suddenly be able to read, write, & compute at grade-level, violence in our streets will decline, teen pregnancy rates will drop drastically, & dead-beat fathers/mothers will suddenly be overcome by the desire to actually parent their own children.

There was a time—now in our past—when individuals strived to overcome the economic troubles they and their families faced. There was a time when being on Food Stamps & depending on Welfare checks had a stigma attached that Americans tried to avoid at all costs. An incentive, if you will, to improve themselves—a desire to get above the “reliance” and move past “just making it.” Nowadays, our society has so largely relied upon government programs that not only do we have a greater deficit in this country, unlike that which we’ve ever seen…but it seems we’re proud of this. Obama has projected a $3.4 Trillion deficit, the likes of which has definitely increased over his first 3 weeks in office & will continue to. And at his “Summit” yesterday, while discussing his budget projections, he’s vowed to cut this deficit in ½ by the end of his first term in office. And many are left to wonder if this will be yet another broken campaign-esque promise…

As an all-too-real example of the change in ways of thinking this country has undergone take a frightening study conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. This study, which began in early 1994 and was completed in May of 2007, showed numbers almost doubled in support across the board for what is deemed the New Age Social Safety Net.

In early ‘94, individuals were asked which of these statements they agreed with in large part…

“poor people today have it easy because they can get government benefits without doing anything”

 or

“poor people have hard lives because government benefits don’t go far enough to help them live decently”

They warranted reactions as follows:

53% of those surveyed said “they” (poor) had it easy vs. 39% who said “they” had it hard…

51% of those surveyed said “they” (poor) had it hard vs 35% who said “they” had it easy.

Among the racial groups within the study, “…Blacks held virtually the same highly sympathetic opinion throughout both surveys…”

In 1994, 65% stated they thought the poor had a difficult time/hard lives

In 2005, 64% stated the same.

Among Whites, there was a dramatic increase in support for this “Safety Net” …

The study found that in 1994, 35% of Whites thought the poor had difficult lives.

In 2005, 49% said the same.

This study speaks volumes for the society in which we now live where it has become an accepted and social normalcy for families to base their entire existence & the stability of their families on Government-funded programs.

While it used to suffice to say that the “victricat” mentality stemmed from the eradication of religion & tradition within the public scope of America, now not only do our most vulnerable citizens (the youth & young-adults of America) see government dependence as an acceptable way of life, but it’s being preached like it’s an actual ideology—practiced in the homes & public school systems from the parents & educators—and also from our Country’s leaders.

And as my “dis-advantaged minority” brain tries to process this new belief system, I find myself wondering how he will reward us? So as has been previously pointed out by many, when you receive your W-2 form for tax season (for those of you who are not yet employee’s of private-sector, government jobs & still pay your taxes) is there any box or bubble where you can specify your “Race”? I mean, how is it the new president & his administration is going to specifically give you the White Man’s Big Bucks? And each time I circle back to the same conclusion. They won’t. So, my fellow minorities don’t hold your breath.

So this short-term, quick-fix, one-size-fits-all, social-welfare-increasing stimulus that your beloved “1^st black-president” just signed into law regarding our catastrophic, irrecoverable-losses-if-we-don’t-act-now crisis (which he signed at his campaign’s convenience, which roughly 65% of Americans don’t agree with today) WILL ALSO NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOU! Regardless of your skin color.

I never thought I would see the day when the values & morals that our nation had for some 200 years, would become the antithesis of America’s reality. Everything we once knew as truth is backwards…we have now voted in to our highest office a man whose government policies now overrule the will of the people by taking from the responsible & those wishing to achieve and make something of themselves, and rewarding the irresponsible & undisciplined—some of whom are not even US citizens. At the expense of those who actually & legally have a right to be here.

People who have been laid off in recent months are now forming small groups (I guess sort of similar to a support group or AA) to discuss their issues & find more beneficial things to do with their time…You know, like find a job—I mean like TALK about being jobless! Wow, America! The recently unemployed are finding a “new joy” if you will, within the scope of their families & pets. As if the election of Obama & his passing of the “Stimulus” bill have shed new light upon family values & the importance of nurturing your responsibilities.

Obama campaigns almost daily about how he understands the plight of the poor & disadvantaged within our borders; because he’s lived it. Although maybe not quite to the extent of his brother who lives in the hut in Kenya…He says he’s the best representation of the People’s Voice. So what exactly are these voices saying? From the look & sound of things lately within many communities and the MSM, they’re saying something along the lines of “let’s stick it to the man!” So, where are the voices of those who voted against his radical policies represented? You know, the ones whose beliefs in a strong platform of National Security, Fiscal Responsibility, & a culture of life that doesn’t include state-sanctioned abortions & redefined definitions of traditional marriage…And in spite of his constant claim at bi-partisanship, their voices are not being represented by this man, because “…I won. I’ll trump you on that…”

The bottoming out of the stock-market & the housing foreclosure rate increase has equaled somewhere around $12 trillion in losses says a former economic advisor for the Reagan administration. Since the transfer of power between President Bush & President Obama, the stock-market has plummeted with small-businesses & market analysts growing increasingly nervous about Obama’s campaign promises of penalizing small business through tax increases & the nationalization of many private industries (hospitals, banks, etc.). And honestly, none of these declines in the economy should be surprising at this point—prosperity remains linked with political & economic freedoms…those which now seem largely lost to our so-called leadership.

And for many within everyday America (those Dems claim to be for…), questioning whether or not fiscal stimulus actually stimulates any nation’s economy doesn’t even come to mind. The masses just expect that the individual’s in the government who can’t keep their own finances straight have all the “right” answers.

Let’s take a look at Japan for examples of government spending at its most “stimulative.” Since 1991, the government of Japan has enacted 10 separate government spending fiscal stimulus plans, totaling an excess of $254 billion (a mere fraction of what Obama has now signed into law) into their economy. The majority of which were infrastructure projects…Over the last 10+ years, they have seen a whopping Average Annual Growth Rate of 1% vs. a 3.8% in the US. So after repeatedly implementing large doses, if you will, of fiscal stimulus all the while maintaining a “strict monetary policy” for over a decade, the Japanese economy has been stagnate at best.

So, we can conclude from an actual life-size implementation of this “process & solution” that Fiscal Stimulus a.k.a. Extra Government Spending does not jumpstart the economy…ANY economy, not even America’s. Now, let’s ask what is it that DOES make an economy function not only properly, but also prosperously? The answer (as proven by history) - strong property rights, political freedoms, civil liberties, freedom of the press, and government expenditures. There are 4 negative factors that influence the prosperity & eventual decline of an economy as well & they are: excessive regulation, poor monetary policy, the black market system, and trade barriers (i.e. American-only mandate by government eventually leading to a Trade War). So 3 of 4 we are now facing as very, very real possibilities and many still have yet to hear the Bells of Reason…hmm.

Sure, as with any developing nation, there will be ups & downs—which I personally believe happen as a sort of way to check-&-balance our system—but this nation has prospered, flourished, and opened doors for countless numbers of people in our world today, time and time again. But the taxes required to support this “habit of dependence” will inhibit growth in America and actually increase the barriers of socio-economic advancement…in other words, it itself creates a perverse incentive to be unproductive & poor…so much for slashing the class warfare and racial barriers in a “country of cowards!”

All in all, there are 2 frames of mind in America today—that of the Capitalist society (mainly made up of small-businesses & those they employ, Wallstreet being a mere fraction of the equation, etc.) which understands that there will always be ups & downs, who rely on self-responsibility to sustain and improve their families’ lives, and there is the  Socialist society (made up of our inner-city so-called communities, inner-city public school system, and many factions of America’s youth & their educators) who will wait around until Uncle Sam can fix their economic situation for them. These policies do nothing to better America’s prosperity, they only prolong a slow bleed of our economic system & increase our addiction to government handouts.

My question is…which will you be a part of?

And if revenge on the government & the foundation of America is what you are truly after—if it really is everyone else’s fault for your own economic circumstances—I encourage you to pack up your 46” Plasma television & take your “used” Escalade & drive south, across the Mexican border. They’ll love you down there and who knows, perhaps their government will be willing to “support your habits.” Buena Suerte!

An Angry & Legal American,

LaGoldEyez!

“Frustrated that some are "finally" proud of their country...Funny how I always have been!”

From: Understanding

No disrespect but even with the accomplishments of people of color over the years ... a country that promoted slavery, segregation and the legalized domestic terrorism of Jim Crow Laws didn't exactly give some of us reason 2 be proud. It was a mere generation ago that the government sanctioned blacks, whites, Jews and anyone else who stood up 4 what was right having dogs attack them and being water hosed.

Even in the midst of the American people speaking up and putting Obama in the White House I'm sure u're aware that the ugliness of racism and even classism still exists. Nevertheless ... God Bless America.

My Response:

Dear "Understanding",

While I respect your viewpoint of this current political situation (and my Status Message), and can definitely appreciate the significance of electing Barack Obama as the first Bi-Racial man to be the 44^th President, I am torn—as I have been this past week, at some of the snide remarks citizens of this country have made.

Believe me, watching Fox News declare Obama the President-Elect was a moment of elation for ANYONE who does not come from the “White Aristocratic” people that have, in the past, governed our great (and ever-evolving) nation.

Did I wish that all of those citizens of the past that were oppressed and denied their rights due to the color of their skin could see this great moment and rejoice in it as so many of their ancestors did?

I absolutely did.

But did it take electing a man that does not fit the common gov’t demographic for me to feel proud of this country and the opportunities it allows so many?

It absolutely did not.

I am a 1^st generation Immigrant to this country. My parents both came from Warring, military dictatorships that preached “democracy” but lived corruption, segregation, and class warfare…And having family in those countries still, I do have a great understanding of these things.

I am not rich. I am not white. I am not from a family that was well-off. But I was raised in an environment, by my father, that instilled values of hard-work and perseverance of one’s dreams…That is what has gotten me as far as it has. That is what makes me question motives of Obama and some of his political counter-parts…And I, as a legal American citizen, have every right to do so. Just as you are entitled to your opinion…

Am I aware that racism still exists in America today? Yes. As I am aware that Jim Crow Laws are no longer a legal part of our society today.

Attending a predominately “White, upper-class” high school, I am well aware that the social norms for people who are of color (whichever color that may be) are much different from those who are not.

I know exactly what it’s like to be the one who didn’t fit within one demographic or the other.

I know exactly what it’s like to not have someone that resembled me and my people within the body of those that govern our country.

As I know what it’s like to have people within our society today, “write you off” because of the color of your skin, at whatever the task you are trying to accomplish is.

I was always too dark to be white with a funny accent (which I was unaware I had until someone else pointed it out) and Too light to be “Brown” in the eyes of some of my own family members and people within our “Hispanic” community.

So because of that, I was challenged to build myself as a person based on my beliefs and interests. The values that my father instilled in me…

And it pains me to see that so great a portion of our “minority societies” seem to have lost sight of that.

And you are correct in that a large portion of America stood up and elected Obama as our Nation’s Leader…and hopefully it was because his value system reflected theirs.

Would I have been ecstatic to have someone that comes from a Cultural background similar to mine and the people I grew up with, representing us in the White House? Absolutely…I just wish that I could say his values were more reflecting of my own and what values my people stand for.

And I wish that rather than say “I am ‘for the 1^st time proud of my country’” for electing a “Black man” someone would say, “Wow! He reflects exactly what our people desire in this nation.” And that the voice of the people will finally be heard from one end of the country to the other. But they don’t. And that, Understanding, is where we part ways.

Do I respect President-Elect Obama for all that he has accomplished thus far? Absolutely…As I will be loyal to my nation, our Constitution, and our founding ideals—regardless of who occupies the Oval Office and how different our opinions may be.

LaGoldEyez!

NUMB. That is the best word to describe the way that I feel right now.

I am not shocked at all that Barack Obama is now our President-Elect.

Yet and still, to hear Fox News call the election for Obama at 8pm PST, to know that a Black (or should I say Biracial) man WILL be the 44th President, to see a Black woman as First Lady, was just surreal…

It is a moment that many did not live to see, and many others never believed that they would.

For that brief moment, I did not think about the fact I don't agree with ANY aspect of President-elect Obama's platform.

For that brief moment, I was quite elated…wishing that all of our citizens, who’s ancestors were oppressed, reviled and denied their rights due to the color of their skin, who lived thru segregation & all its horrors, could see this moment and rejoice in it as well.

Does this change how I feel about my country? Absolutely not.

I love and am proud of the United States of America, and it did not take her electing Obama for me to feel that way...for MANY OF US TO FEEL THAT WAY.

For those who say that they are "now" finally proud of America—I find myself torn. Almost as if you are not deserving of the bounty and rights that she bestowed on you to BEGIN with...

We should always be loyal to our nation, our Constitution and our ideals—no matter who occupies the Oval Office.

And for now, I will try to relax.

As I wait for President-elect Obama to be sworn in, I hope against hope that those in my own party are wrong.

I hope that he does NOT bring radical change to our nation; I hope that he keeps us secure at home as President Bush has (which, despite your unequivocal hatred of the man, NO ONE can argue with), and I hope that he governs as the moderate/centrist that the MSM claims that he is… I hope he does NOT choose to un-do everything my husband and others like him have fought for.

For if he does, then MAYBE, just maybe, the next four years won't be that bad.

It’s ironic that the true Conservatives are the ones who meandered thru this election as best we could with that 4-letter word…Hope.

Hope that Radical Change would not prevail and destroy the very fabric of our great nation and the ideals which it was built upon.