Sour Grapes: The Health Care Debate, a commentary by Lloyd Daniel

(click new post at top of blog to respond)


SOUR GRAPES: The Health Care Debate
(A Commentary by Lloyd Daniel)
August 11, 2009

Why is there so much anger and fear being expressed in the public debate over the White House’s moderate, compromise plan for health care reform?
Have you had a chance to stop and think on why there are so few people of color or young people of any nationally actively protesting the soft, largely optional, reform plan. The main reason is because we won the last presidential election! Let’s face it, many people find it hard to accept that they were smashed at the polls back in November and a new America is on the rise. An America in which white skin privilege isn’t what it used to be. So at the adrenaline charged forum/debate/demonstrations, they’re unintentionally showing all of America and the world their true feelings and their “true colors”.

When I was in grade school, at Ladd and Meservey, my parents were members of the NAACP. So was I. I carried around my NAACP youth member card in my Roy Rogers wallet. Late in 1959, I also Elmer’s glued a small JFK campaign button inside the wallet where my money would have gone, if I had had any. Recently as I watched CNN, I focused in on the expressions distorting the faces of the fanatical anti-healthcare bill protesters. They reminded me so much of the hate filled expressions of those who, in the ’50 and ‘60s, lobbied, protested and murdered to prevent American citizens from gaining basic human rights. Whipped up by today’s right-wing demagogues, I heard the same venomous cackles and I could see the same frantic ignorance and fear dominating their gaze. For them, the subtext was health care. But the real theme was President Obama and his refusal to buckle when confronted by their hysterical rants.

If you happen to speak with any of these apoplectic protesters, let them know that if they’re really against government-run or so-called socialized medicine, they should immediately cut up their own and/or their relatives’ Medicare cards, because Medicare is exactly that.

Editor’s Note: Rep. Lloyd Daniel is a writer, advocate and a former Missouri State legislator. His website address is www.lloyddaniel.info

Come back next week for more writings by Lloyd Daniel

Bad Choices

Two days ago I was watching a show on ESPN in which former NY Giants receiver Plaxico Burress was being interviewed. He started shedding his crocodile tears during the interview. I wondered was he crying because he threw away millions of dollars or his fear of the unknown that is waiting for him in prison when he starts serving his time in September. My take is this he should have thought about all this before he decided he was gonna be that gangsta in the club. It's sad because he really seems to be a good guy who just wandered into ultimate stupidity hurting only himself. If you have to bring a gun to a club that's the last place he should be. It could have been worse the gun going off hitting a innocent bystander wounding or worse killing that person or Plaxico killing himself. There are times when we say its the white man holding us back when actually we as black people potentially become our own worst enemy. Hopefully Plaxico can learn from this and move on with his life after he serves his time.

The B.S

It seems to me that there is a lot of contradiction when it comes to our president of the united states. With all the mess that happened during George Bush tenure in the white house it seemed to be very little uproar. But now since president Obama has been in the white house every little thing he does seems to get scrutinized. Like reaching out to the Muslim's abroad there was much to say about that. But Bush and his father were business partners to a well known terrorist Named Bin Laden but little or nothing at all was said about that. And far as the health care issue at least Obama trying to correct some of the mess that has deteriorated this country for the last 8 years. Which is more than Bush has ever done. My opinion is that We got to give Obama a chance to succeed instead of downing him every time he tries something different instead going along with the same tired philosophy which brought this country to the brink of the great depression. Lets give our president a chance that has been given to his predecessor's.

Barber Shop Talk

The Barbershop aka The Black Man's Country Club. Today, I was made aware of some relative current terms used to degrade Blacks. As if nigga wasn't enough, Shine and Mudshark were the words mentioned.. Now, Im not sure if these are some old terms revised so if anyone can shed light to this dark area, it'll be appreciated.

Black Baby Boomer Canary in the Coal Mine

I guess we are always on the cutting edge. The first to get cut in an economic downturn. The first to the bottom of the curve. And now apparently the first forced to start our own businesses.

Blogger Black Primetime reports a story by Hana Cho in the Baltimore Sun that the entrepreneurial spirit resides not in the 20 to 34 year olds. But in the 55 to 64 years olds. And that African Americans are particularly active.

Even though I can't even spell the word apparently I have the spirit. I already know I was in that group that raced into the recession way ahead of the pack ...wallowed for five years in the Great recession under the "B" administration ... And dabbled with the Depression of 14 to 25 % Black Unemployment.

But now can I possibly be back on the Fast Track?

The newspaper article is based on my hometown research foundation, the Ewing Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, just down the road from where I picked up my diploma. These folks help displaced workers create their own businesses.

They have a program called Fasttrack.org. That I'm gonna check out today now that I know it exists.

When I was sloughed off my jobs and began to notice that even-more -competent Black friends my age were losing theirs I finally took the blinders off.

I will have to create my own employment or not be employed at at all.




Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Professor Gates and the Quiet Negro

Once I was on the faculty of a major midwestern university. It's where I first came to understand the Louis Gates phenomena.

I was assigned to a search committee to fill an open spot for the position of professor of journalism. There were three candidates. One an Asian from the West, an African American from the South and a Caucasian from the West.

I was the only African American on the Search Committee and I recall the open discussion of tilting the selection to further the goal of diversity. This is what happened.

The Asian was very hostile. It was shocking. We later learned he had no intention of leaving his own university ... he just wanted a free trip to see for himself what all the fuss was about the lofty reputation our school had in journalism education. Though he openly disparaged members of the faculty he still was judged a viable candidate. I wanted to punch him out and said so.

The Black guy had imposing credentials. But when we asked him questions he seemed to button up like a candidate for U.S. Supreme Court. Even our ad hoc Black Caucus could not pry anything out of him.

I remember asking the Black candidate what his philosophy of news was. He said, "Well, I like sports."

As a newshound it could not have sounded more strange than if he said " I like knitting".

Either this guy was an idiot or the most cagey applicant in the tradition of Bid Whist or Poker ... Keep your cards clost to the vest. .

The White candidate also had imposing credentials. He treated the committee and everyone he met with respect. He clearly wanted the job and pursued it. He had a dazzling answer to my question about news. In other words he won my vote.

Yet in our search committee deliberations I was astounded at the tortured logic that put the White guy out of the running. In the end no one was picked and the search was thrown open again.

There is a lot that can be said about this sample of 1990's hiring philosophy. I leave that up to your interpretation

But I have come to see that the Black Candidate's strategy was more mired in White low expectations about diversity than it ever could be free to match Lofty Black expectations of merit.

And that my friends is my analysis of the Henry Gates affair.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Happy Birthday!

(click new post at top of blog to respond)

Happy Birthday President Obama!

The Officer, The Professor, The Unrest......

As I sit here brainstorming. The Hypocrisy that Blacks have endured and currently against. Officer Crowley and Henry Louis Gates Jr. comes to mind, the "teachable moment" shows that despite our achievements in life we still lack the respect of our peers. To be detained by the authorities at your own residents after going through the motions is "stupidity" which caused an uproar across the country to the point that President Obama defuses by calling a conference to resolve these difference over beer... I have to agree with this gesture of human nature, that if more indulged in such rituals maybe this can be a more peaceful place to live.... As though, Ignorance is bliss that Officer Barrett of the Boston PD displays in an attempt to spark more flame by sending out the derogatory email about Henry Gates entailing to the momentous "Beer Summit"...no peace, no respect in 2009. This leads me to the "Unrest" of Emmitt Till as some may be aware the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Il was latest on blast due to the discovery of the coffin that Till was buried in 1955 was hidden in a shed beneath "trash" appalling.... Furthermore, arose speculation that the casket may have also been used to bury others. The glass casket that needs to be immortalize in a museum buried under trash... Till was 14 when he was horridly murder by white men of the infamous Jim Crow era for whistling at a white woman in Mississippi while visiting relatives. The massacre of the young Chicago native aided the ignited Civil Rights movement. I remember my grandfather telling the story of that moment as he is a native of Mississippi having to endure the Hypocrisy of Willie Lynch, Jim Crow not being able to have an education. How we as Blacks with more opportunity to receive knowledge and we choose to do dumb things.. We need to wake up and smell the more advanced prejudice the "mental wars" the mind is a terrible thing to waste............ The Hypocrisy is us...... Most get enraged when Imus used the term "nappy headed ho's"... Yet, Too Short makes reference of the similar term its cool.. Now don't get me wrong I'm a Too Short fan... Look at the one in the mirror and ask yourself "What Can I do???" We must divert this Hypocrisy just because Obama is the Prez doesn't me we get a "Pass".. Its says change is inevitable by application of oneself to another and so on..... The walkers, talkers and, the achievers its for the taking.... We can overstand by sticking with the plan.... Not the prefabricated plan of big booty women, big flashy jewelry, bmw or benz... That's a limit.....We have no limits like Master P song "We No Limit Soldiers" like MLK, Malcolm, Medgar, Marcus to name a few we are still stuck in societies His-story lets move on from this mental entrapment We need more educators to aid in nurturing and growth of our future the Babies.........to be continued......

Jobless Recovery

I call my friend to tell her about that nasty TV commercial about Chia Obama. She tracks such travesties on her blog Obama Respect Disrespect. She already knew about it ... had already attacked it.

But the phone conversation never gets there. She has lost her job.

Now she is in recovery ... Reeling from this rend in her life. Another Black Baby Boomer stunned by this trend in our lives.

The term jobless recovery takes on new meaning ... When the jobloss is yours. Good thing she is the most resourceful person in these parts.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry