An often noted criticism, whether in the blogosphere, black talk radio, cable news, or the barbershop, is that some black folks are hesitant to vote for Barack Obama because they don't feel he's "addressed specific issues of interest to black people/black women", and that this is cause for skepticism. I guess I could buy this argument if those very same people could effectively articulate the "issues" that Obama's competitors have addressed. When you ask this question of those same folks, you either will get Standard Negro Excuse™ #271 ("What's that got to do with anything? Answer MY question!") or a meritless defense of another candidate ("Bill Clinton was the first black President anyway."). Both responses smell like ass to me, especially when it's so much easier to search for the answers to these questions with a simple Google search, as opposed to being lazy and expecting Obama, or any candidate, to come to your house and explain their stances over DiGiorno Pizza. Not that that would be a bad thing. I love DiGiorno Pizza. Cause, you know, it's not delivery, it's DiGiorno.
Just in case you're interested in what Obama's done, or is planning on doing for black America, you simply need to visit the
GENDER PAY INEQUITYConspicuously absent, but probably just well hidden: Crime. There was lots of stuff about combating recidivism rates by offering ex-cons more job training, but nothing specifically about reducing murders, etc. Again, I'm sure his stances on this issue are out there, I just couldn't locate them on his website.
For every $1.00 earned by a man, the average woman receives only 77 cents, while African American women only get 67 cents and Latinas receive only 57 cents. Obama will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination. Obama will also pass the Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work.
HATE CRIMES
The number of hate crimes increased nearly 8 percent to 7,700 incidents in 2006. Obama will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.
UNEQUAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
African Americans and Hispanics are more than twice as likely as whites to be searched, arrested, or subdued with force when stopped by police. Disparities in drug sentencing laws, like the differential treatment of crack as opposed to powder cocaine, are unfair. Obama will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice.
FIXIN' UP DA' HOOD
Obama will create 20 Promise Neighborhoods in areas that have high levels of poverty and crime and low levels of student academic achievement in cities across the nation. The Promise Neighborhoods will be modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone, which provides a full network of services, including early childhood education, youth violence prevention efforts and after-school activities, to an entire neighborhood from birth to college.
PROMOTING FATHERHOOD
Obama will sign into law his Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to remove some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, and ensure that payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies.
OBAMA'S TRACK RECORD IN ILLINOIS
Obama has worked to promote civil rights and fairness in the criminal justice system throughout his career. As a community organizer, Obama helped 150,000 African Americans register to vote. As a civil rights lawyer, Obama litigated employment discrimination, housing discrimination, and voting rights cases. As a State Senator, Obama passed one of the country's first racial profiling law and helped reform a broken death penalty system. And in the U.S. Senate, Obama has been a leading advocate for protecting the right to vote, helping to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and leading the opposition against discriminatory barriers to voting.
THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Obama's "STEP UP" plan addresses the achievement gap by supporting summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through partnerships between local schools and community organizations.
PREDATORY LENDING
The FBI is predicting that mortgage fraud may become a criminal epidemic. In these elaborate schemes, criminals use identity theft or face-to-face scams to gain control of victims' homes. The offenders then apply for hefty mortgage loans, take the cash, then disappear, robbing homeowners of their property and threatening the financial health of the most vulnerable members of society. Senator Obama introduced the first federal bill to combat mortgage fraud. The STOP FRAUD Act criminalizes mortgage fraud, authorizes $10 million more for anti-mortgage fraud programs and requires the FBI to update bankers on fraudulent activity in a formal, systematic way. The bill also would authorize increased federal funding for mortgage counseling.
Either way you dice it, the issues have been well defined. Just because he doesn't bring them up frequently in debates doesn't mean he is not concerned with the issues of Black America, and by extension, America.
Speaking of which, the whole "what's he gonna do for us?" angle is getting real tired. Let's not forget, Obama is running for President of the United States, not President of Compton. Black people are barely 12% of the US population nowadays, so expecting him to cater to us and only us is not just delusional, it's dangerous.
Black people, perhaps more so than anyone other ethnic group, are notorious for waiting for a Messiah as opposed to rolling up their sleeves and doing some actual work. No President is going to completely solve black on black crime, just as no President can solve the issues of black student underachievement, the disappearing black nuclear family, or out of wedlock births. Our problems are just that. Ours. We didn't create all of them, but it's counterproductive to expect someone, anyone, else to fix them.
[Editor's Note: AB.com advocates working with kids in whatever capacity you find most comfortable; be it coaching, mentoring or tutoring, because I think most adults, and for that matter, teens, are already effed' the eff' up and thus a lost cause. If a person doesn't have it figured out by age 18, chances are they're doomed to a life of idiocy. Getting BET off the air, or outlawing rap music won't fix any of that. Simply put, if you're not doing something, anything, to directly improve your community, then please, have a Coke and a smile, and you know the rest. Man up, woman up, and help someone other than yourself! Take the AverageBro Challenge™, or do us all a favor and H.S.D.!!!]
What angers me is the slave-like mentality with which some black people judge Obama. While it's fair to expect a black man to bring a different sensibility to the Oval office, I think it's borderline self-hate to question his dedication to certain issues when you wouldn't ask the same of the other candidates. This, to me, is the embodiment of "the white man's ice being colder".
[Editor's Note: Yeah, I know dry ice is technically colder than regular ice, but don't let semantics get in the way of my point.]
Nobody is saying you should vote for Obama "just cause' he's black". That's the definition of idiocy. But equally idiotic is not voting for him "just cause' he's black" without bothering to know what he advocates and pretending he doesn't have any official stance just because you haven't heard a 10 second soundbite on your local news. Wake up, and stop depending on barbershop word of mouth to educate you on everything!
I'm all for being an informed voter, thus the crapload of links that follow. But if you're going to be lazy and not do the very basic research to inform yourself about each candidate and what they stand for, yet for some reason think it's ok to expect more of one candidate than others, then you my friend are just downright triflin'. Please do as all a favor on November 4th and stay your dumb ass at home playing PS3 and watching Judge Mathis. I don't need your dumb vote cancelling out mine.
Shit, where are poll taxes and literacy tests when you really need em'!!?!? Damned Jim Crow Laws!!!!
I'll step off my box of Lever 2000, but if you're still unsure of where each candidate stands, please take 10 minutes to peruse their sites and get familiar. But please, whatever you do, don't pretend that candidates haven't directly addressed issues of interest to Black America. They all have.
Just because you haven't heard about it, doesn't mean it hasn't been said.
Question: Have you heard other people using this "he ain't said nothin' bout' helpin' black folks" line of reasoning for not supporting Obama? How do you typically respond to this slave mentality?
Barack Obama's Issues Section on BarackObama.com
Hillary's Clinton's Issues Section on HillaryClinton.com
John Edwards Issues Section on JohnEdwards.com
