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“No He Can’t” by author Anne Wortham

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
January 27, 2009...8:23 am
“No He Can’t” by author Anne Wortham
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Anne Wortham wrote the following article ten days after the election of Barack Obama. I have put her brief bio at the end.

“No, He Can’t”
By Anne Wortham | Published 11/14/2008

Fellow Americans,

Please know: I am Black; I grew up in the segregated South. I did not vote for Barack Obama; I wrote in Ron Paul's name as my choice for president. Most importantly, I am not race conscious. I do not require a Black president to know that I am a person of worth, and that life is worth living. I do not require a Black president to love the ideal of America

I cannot join you in your celebration. I feel no elation. There is no smile on my face. I am not jumping with joy. There are no tears of triumph in my eyes. For such emotions and behavior to come from me, I would have to deny all that I know about the requirements of human flourishing and survival - all that I know about the history of the United States of America , all that I know about American race relations, and all that I know about Barack Obama as a politician. I would have to deny the nature of the "change" that Obama asserts has come to America .

Most importantly, I would have to abnegate my certain understanding that you have chosen to sprint down the road to serfdom that we have been on for over a century. I would have to pretend that individual liberty has no value for the success of a human life. I would have to evade your rejection of the slender reed of capitalism on which your success and mine depend. I would have to think it somehow rational that 94 percent of the 12 million Blacks in this country voted for a man because he looks like them (that Blacks are permitted to play the race card), and that they were joined by self-declared "progressive" whites who voted for him because he doesn't look like them.

I would have to wipe my mind clean of all that I know about the kind of people who have advised and taught Barack Obama and will fill posts in his administration - political intellectuals like my former colleagues at the Harvard University 'S K ennedy School of Government.

I would have to believe that "fairness" is equivalent of justice. I would have to believe that man who asks me to "go forward in a new spirit of service, in a new service of sacrifice" is speaking in my interest.. I would have to accept the premise of a man that economic prosperity comes from the "bottom up," and who arrogantly believes that he can will it into existence by the use of government force. I would have to admire a man who thinks the standard of living of the masses can be improved by destroying the most productive and the generators of wealth.

Finally, Americans, I would have to erase from my consciousness the scene of 125,000 screaming, crying, cheering people in Grant Park, Chicago irrationally chanting "Yes We Can!" Finally, I would have to wipe all memory of all the times I have heard politicians, pundits, journalists, editorialists, bloggers and intellectuals declare that capitalism is dead - and no one, including especially Alan Greenspan, objected to their assumption that the particular version of the anti-capitalistic mentality that they want to replace with their own version of anti-capitalism is anything remotely equivalent to capitalism.

So you have made history, Americans. You and your children have elected a Black man to the office of the president of the United States , the wounded giant of the world. The battle between John Wayne and Jane Fonda is over - and that Fonda won. Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern must be very happy men. Jimmie Carter, too. And the K ennedys have at last gotten their K ennedy look-a-like. The self-righteous welfare statists in the suburbs can feel warm moments of satisfaction for having elected a Black person.

So, toast yourselves: 60s countercultural radicals, 80s yuppies and 90s bourgeois bohemians. Toast yourselves, Black America . Shout your glee Harvard, Princeton , Yale, Duke, Stanford, and Berkeley. You have elected not an individual who is qualified to be president, but a Black man who, like the pragmatist Franklin Roosevelt, promises to - Do Something! You now have someone who has picked up the baton of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. But you have also foolishly traded your freedom and mine - what little there is left - for the chance to feel good.

There is nothing in me that can share your happy obliviousness.

Anne Wortham is Associate Professor of Sociology at Illinois State University and continuing Visiting Scholar at Stanford University 'S Hoover Institution.

She is a member of the American Sociological Association and the American Philosophical Association. She has been a John M. Olin Foundation Faculty Fellow, and honored as a Distinguished Alumni of the Year by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.

In fall 1988 she was one of a select group of intellectuals who were featured in Bill Moyer's television series, "A World of Ideas." The transcript of her conversation with Moyers has been published in his book, A World of Ideas.

Dr. Wortham is author of "The Other Side of Racism: A Philosophical Study of Black Race Consciousness" which analyzes how race consciousness is transformed into political strategies and policy issues.

She has published numerous articles on the implications of individual rights for civil rights policy, and is currently writing a book on theories of social and cultural marginality.

Recently, she has published articles on the significance of multiculturalism and Afrocentricism in education, the politics of victimization and the social and political impact of political correctness. Shortly after an interview in 2004, she was awarded tenure.

http://james4america.wordpress.com/2009/01/27/no-he-cant-by-author-anne-wortham/
 

TSR

Well-known member
My hat is off to her for voting her conviction (writing in Ron Paul). Maybe one day a third party candidate will be able to be competitive. I still say that if many people would vote their heart's conviction and not let themselves be talked out of voting that way, there just might emerge a third party candidate. Its interesting to read the Conservative's comments here and realize that MOST probably voted McCain while their hearts told them he wasn't the man America needed but they certainly weren't going to write in the one they thought would be the best president and lose their vote.

And again, the author overlooks the fact that Obama won every debate and that MOST voters were voting AGAINST the status quo and maybe not necessarily for Obama, imo. As I said earlier a bad year to be a Republican.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
And again, the author overlooks the fact that Obama won every debate and that MOST voters were voting AGAINST the status quo and maybe not necessarily for Obama, imo. As I said earlier a bad year to be a Republican.

I agree with you TSR. I'll add that the Obama team was very efficient in targeting their message to those that were not apt to dig a little deeper. Those that trust and give the benefit of a doubt too easily.

It takes a little longer for some to look past words and research facts.

I would think that it would be impossible to find a person that has changed their minds on their initial distrust of Obama.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
I'm not sure this is the right place for this, but here goes anyway.

We have friends whose daughter is in her 3rd year of college.
Her life-long wish is to become a doctor. She has a straight 4.0 average, taking 21 credits.
She has won some scholarships, but it's very difficult for her to
get them because she is neither 1)black 2)Native American or 3)Asian.
She takes the time to fill out all the forms only to find out one of these
three groups gets the scholarships. Ok, now, with what Obama is planning to do, she is thinking of changing her lifelong ambition. She says it will cost her $350,000 to get a degree and she doesn't want to put all that
money into something in which she can make no more than $70,000/year because the government will cap her pay at that amount.

Can you see what is happening? This girl is very, very bright. She would make an excellent doctor. American lost again.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Faster horses said:
I'm not sure this is the right place for this, but here goes anyway.

We have friends whose daughter is in her 3rd year of college.
Her life-long wish is to become a doctor. She has a straight 4.0 average, taking 21 credits.
She has won some scholarships, but it's very difficult for her to
get them because she is neither 1)black 2)Native American or 3)Asian.
She takes the time to fill out all the forms only to find out one of these
three groups gets the scholarships. Ok, now, with what Obama is planning to do, she is thinking of changing her lifelong ambition. She says it will cost her $350,000 to get a degree and she doesn't want to put all that
money into something in which she can make no more than $70,000/year because the government will cap her pay at that amount.


Can you see what is happening? This girl is very, very bright. She would make an excellent doctor. American lost again.

That was discussed- and it isn't in the plan...In fact the opposite was brought up- that the medicare that now pays a limited amount for each visit- procedure- must be brought up to match the going rate of the medical providers of the area...And in order to keep enough medical professionals and hospitals updated any private or public plans developed will have to offer the same...

And by allowing all Drs/Hospitals to remain private- if the rich want to go out and hire and fly in the best surgeon in the world- that will still be possible....

You need to get away from "dancing with the stars" and listen into some of these hearings....Very good input from all sides...Senator Grassley and Hatch lead the Repubs on the drive to get reform--and even old dudly Jim Bunning had some good points...

As has been brought up in the articles- the single payer- one fits all insurance plan is now pretty much off the board-- along with any plan to have a government run medical/health care system...

This session focused mostly on the type of offerings they want to offer- the next forum will focus on financing/costs....
 

TSR

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Faster horses said:
I'm not sure this is the right place for this, but here goes anyway.

We have friends whose daughter is in her 3rd year of college.
Her life-long wish is to become a doctor. She has a straight 4.0 average, taking 21 credits.
She has won some scholarships, but it's very difficult for her to
get them because she is neither 1)black 2)Native American or 3)Asian.
She takes the time to fill out all the forms only to find out one of these
three groups gets the scholarships. Ok, now, with what Obama is planning to do, she is thinking of changing her lifelong ambition. She says it will cost her $350,000 to get a degree and she doesn't want to put all that
money into something in which she can make no more than $70,000/year because the government will cap her pay at that amount.


Can you see what is happening? This girl is very, very bright. She would make an excellent doctor. American lost again.

That was discussed- and it isn't in the plan...In fact the opposite was brought up- that the medicare that now pays a limited amount for each visit- procedure- must be brought up to match the going rate of the medical providers of the area...And in order to keep enough medical professionals and hospitals updated any private or public plans developed will have to offer the same...

And by allowing all Drs/Hospitals to remain private- if the rich want to go out and hire and fly in the best surgeon in the world- that will still be possible....

You need to get away from "dancing with the stars" and listen into some of these hearings....Very good input from all sides...Senator Grassley and Hatch lead the Repubs on the drive to get reform--and even old dudly Jim Bunning had some good points...

As has been brought up in the articles- the single payer- one fits all insurance plan is now pretty much off the board-- along with any plan to have a government run medical/health care system...

This session focused mostly on the type of offerings they want to offer- the next forum will focus on financing/costs....

I'll tell ya that C-span is addictive. :) Its right up there at the top of my favorites.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
TSR said:
Oldtimer said:
Faster horses said:
I'm not sure this is the right place for this, but here goes anyway.

We have friends whose daughter is in her 3rd year of college.
Her life-long wish is to become a doctor. She has a straight 4.0 average, taking 21 credits.
She has won some scholarships, but it's very difficult for her to
get them because she is neither 1)black 2)Native American or 3)Asian.
She takes the time to fill out all the forms only to find out one of these
three groups gets the scholarships. Ok, now, with what Obama is planning to do, she is thinking of changing her lifelong ambition. She says it will cost her $350,000 to get a degree and she doesn't want to put all that
money into something in which she can make no more than $70,000/year because the government will cap her pay at that amount.


Can you see what is happening? This girl is very, very bright. She would make an excellent doctor. American lost again.

That was discussed- and it isn't in the plan...In fact the opposite was brought up- that the medicare that now pays a limited amount for each visit- procedure- must be brought up to match the going rate of the medical providers of the area...And in order to keep enough medical professionals and hospitals updated any private or public plans developed will have to offer the same...

And by allowing all Drs/Hospitals to remain private- if the rich want to go out and hire and fly in the best surgeon in the world- that will still be possible....

You need to get away from "dancing with the stars" and listen into some of these hearings....Very good input from all sides...Senator Grassley and Hatch lead the Repubs on the drive to get reform--and even old dudly Jim Bunning had some good points...

As has been brought up in the articles- the single payer- one fits all insurance plan is now pretty much off the board-- along with any plan to have a government run medical/health care system...

This session focused mostly on the type of offerings they want to offer- the next forum will focus on financing/costs....

I'll tell ya that C-span is addictive. :) Its right up there at the top of my favorites.


Definitely better than the Desirous Housewives, Lecherous Nurses, Dancing with the Stars, so called "reality shows" that are on the rest of TV...
Sometimes better than the comedy hour- when some Repub gets up and says they are the party of "fiscal responsibilty" or "family values"...I about laughed up my coffee on the last "family values" speech - as in the background behind the speachifier sat Senator Vitter :roll: :lol:

And best- NO commercials....

They had a good call in show last night with Senator Grassley on Health Care Reform....Old boy is pretty sharp- and realizes something has to be done NOW- and is hoping to get it done bipartisanly....
Comically- anymore, it is more of the Repubs that are saying to work it needs to be a mandate for all......
 

Mike

Well-known member
The only thing I see when I watch C-SPAN is party bickering by both sides.

I'll have to be honest, when I saw Zer0's acceptance speech, I thought maybe he would ATTEMPT to end partisanship to some degree, but he alone has only made it worse.

The Dems no longer accept "Middle Ground". They are saying "My Way Or The Highway" in every Bill that comes up.................

When Zer0 made the comment about the Tea Parties, in that he said he didn't know anything about them was the last straw for me. EVERYONE knows that that was a lie to slam the Right and disregard them totally.
 

TexasBred

Well-known member
You need to get away from "dancing with the stars" and listen into some of these hearings....Very good input from all sides...Senator Grassley and Hatch lead the Repubs on the drive to get reform--and even old dudly Jim Bunning had some good points...
As has been brought up in the articles- the single payer- one fits all insurance plan is now pretty much off the board-- along with any plan to have a government run medical/health care system...

This session focused mostly on the type of offerings they want to offer- the next forum will focus on financing/costs....

Unfortunately, we see the result of "these hearings".
 
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