From: jumper@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Michael Lanham)
Subject: Apportioning blame
Organization: North Carolina State University
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 01:38:00 GMT

HF.GTD@forsythe.stanford.edu (Gabrielle Daniels) writes:

>In article <jumper.717540026@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu>,
>jumper@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Michael Lanham) writes 
>>It might add to the discussion to include reasons stretching past simple
>>racism for groups' ills in this country.
>.
>This is a silly ass reply, and it shows what kind of tunnel vision
>exists in certain white Americans.

Not at all silly.  I did not say that it would end the discussion. Nor did I
say it is the most prominent component of it.  What I said is that it may add
yet more dimensions to the conversation.

[material deleted]
>Lanham:
>>Human race that is.  It will probably be a riddle as long as we demand all
>>that we want without concern for the future.  Americans especially have
>>willingly perpetuated myths and voted in politicians who speak to us of
>>dreams.  We have all participated in the dream...we seek jobs, seek better
>>lives than what we now have, or maybe what our parents had.  Maybe we even
>>hope for a better life for our kids.  But for fifty years we have stolen from
>>the future to pay for the present--the thefts include stealing people's
>>dignity, their money, and many other things.   When will it end?  We still
>>demand 'entitlments' from the government, we demand 'our share' of federal
>>money, we demand cheap gasoline, inexpensive clothes, a lot of demands for 'my
>>share'.  Maybe it will end when we are all broke now and tomorrow is to. :-(
>.
>And who created this situation?  Not blacks, mind you.  I speak of
>12 years of Reagan and Bush.  They built up the military by
>mortgaging the present and the future, and burnt up money in the
>Persian Gulf on bombing raids.  Is there any reason why we don't
>have any kind of money or program to get this infrastructure
>straightened out and people working?

Are you saying that the root of today's apathy is only the last twelve years
of excesses?  We were already mortgaged when Carter left office.  We have been
mortgaged beyond reasonable hope to pay it off ever since Johnson.  And
definitely ever since Nixon cease all speci payments (actual direct payments
on the debt, not simply interest and paying back T-bills).  Reagan increased
our nation's debt only 1 fold over Carter (~2 trillion total).  Bush in four
years as almost doubled that(now over 4 trillion).

The economic problems facing this country are shared by all of us: ie even if
those in power aren't "our" crooks, we as an entire public have kept them in
office perputuating similiar policies.  

I saw a report in US News & World Report that a survey of constituents found
80+% were fed up with Congress as a whole.  But 78% said "their"
congresscritter was great--they got their "share" of federal largess(sp).

>.
[material deleted]
>oil-producing countries, in Europe.  The Fifties are over with.  So
>is the Cold War.  Is it any wonder that our country has been called
>imperialistic.  It was only cheap when we strong-armed someone else
>to get it! Who allowed the corporations to send jobs out of the
>country? Who allowed the deficit to grow sky-high?

We all allowed the deficit to grow sky high.  We, as a nation, cheered when RR
said deficits don't matter.  We cheered when LBJ said we could fight a war and
build our "Great Society".  We have continued to vote for people who promise
everything while telling us it will cost nothing.  So we as individuals bear
partial blame for those we elect.

>.
>Quit blaming black folks and other poor people for demanding a
>living wage, a chance to be effective and creative 'human beings'
>and the opportunity to live where we wish without being shot at by
>young brothers in gangs or young whites in vans and pickups.
>NO one should be having this kind of pressure years and years later,
>but it exists.  Racism exists!  And I am freaking tired of white
>people wanting to bail out of their responsibility for it!

I am not blaming anyone: no single group exists that is so completely
homogenous and so completely at fault that everyone else has no fault.  We as
voters must set priorities, we cannot have everything, nor even most
everything.  We cannot afford medical insurance to cover every ailment for
every person.  But we demand it.

Every individual makes a difference.  Translate desires to action.  This year
more than previous elections I intend on doing my share. Find and encourage
leaders in the community, Vote for leaders.  Voting for patronizing 
politicians buys only more garbage.  Be willing to except that we must all
hurt in a hundred little ways to try and improve tommorrow for our kids.  The
twenty-thirty year olds will be hurt the worst.  We must pay for the excesses
of our parents and grandparents, we must also try to avoid passing the IOU to
our kids.

A history professor of mine once summed up what he thought was causing a lot
of our nation's ills;

We have confused want with need, and right with choice.

He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool;
and he who dares not is a slave.      --- Sir William Drummond

Michael Lanham       mjlanham@eos.ncsu.edu   &  jumper@catt.ncsu.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american