Indexes
February 9th, 2010
February 8th, 2010
February 6th, 2010
February 5th, 2010
February 4th, 2010
February 3rd, 2010
February 2nd, 2010
The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.
- Will terrorists be given Miranda warnings? (75)
- Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts (64)
- President Obama's first year (45)
- Many reject the politics of 'no' (45)
- Islamic symbol in mosaic — what is all the fuss? (44)
- Writer comments on Neely column (42)
- The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch (41)
- Time to shed the convenient sham of 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy (34)
- We need to conduct respectful conversations (30)
- Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam (25)
ADVERTISEMENT
It's inevitable that President Obama's socialist grab will ignite emotions
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:47 AM PDT
President Obama's nationwide health care caravan has taken an ugly detour.
The Joe Wilson, R-S.C., incident caused some liberal talking head to change their tactics from defending the Obama health care plan to making accusations of racism against some of those who are opposed to such a massive change in the status quo.
Former President Jimmy Carter was among the first to allege that Joe Wilson's absolutely inappropriate, if not shameful, outburst of "You lie!" during Obama's address before a joint session of Congress was based on racism.
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd in a column last week tried to make the case that what Wilson really meant was not just to yell, "You lie!" but "You lie, boy!" With the term "boy" being used to denigrate the authority of the president, especially an African-American one.
President Obama is in fact mulatto, or half-white and half-black, but I digress.
While Dowd has every right to express her opinion on this, or any other matter, I find it unnecessarily inflammatory.
What I also saw during that speech was a frustrated but genuinely passionate, albeit uptight, congressman watching helplessly as Obama and Democrats in Congress stand ready to forever change the way Americans access one of the most personal of decisions in life, that of their own medical care. And Obama, with help from the Democrats in Congress, can, if one can assume that the seat being left vacant by the death of Ted Kennedy will eventually be won by a Democrat, pass Obama's plan for national health care without a single Republican vote!
Just think: an entire 1/6th of the U.S. economy being basically taken over by the federal government with almost nobody truly understanding exactly how it will eventually affect them. Most liberals seemingly envisioning a socialist utopia where every man, woman and child in America miraculously has access to unlimited doctors visits, prescriptions, MRIs and emergency care for next to nothing. And conservatives imagining a bureaucratic nightmare where patients are treated like cattle and trillion dollar deficits extend as far as the eye can see.
One thing is for sure, though: The health care debate is NOT about race. We all get sick and we all will have to access medical care at some point; some of us a whole lot more than others! But look forward to another withholding allowance, probably more than what you are currently charged for SSI, on your paycheck if it does pass as that is clearly the only way the White House could possibly expect to collect anywhere near the amount they plan.
However, with unemployment currently running around 10 percent, and countless others due to life circumstances in no way able to afford to cut the feds a check — well, that's a pretty large chunk of people who might not feel too eager to hand over another chunk of money to the government.
It is somewhat funny, though, how nobody even hints that racism might have been a factor in Kanye West's antics at the MTV Video Music Awards, where he grabbed the microphone from 19-year-old Taylor Swift. Anybody really think West wouldn't have thought twice had it been Whitney Houston or J-Lo? And, of course, might not have Serena Williams acted different during her loss at the U.S. Open had that line judge been African-American?
I guess only Maureen Dowd knows for sure.
J. Kurt Roberts can be reached at jkurtroberts@att.net.
Editor's note: Comments on this story are now closed.
Search for Ads 
Today’s Print Ads 
RSS Feeds
Reader Feedback
dyan wrote on Sep 22, 2009 7:35 AM:
Stella wrote on Sep 21, 2009 8:26 AM:
As for the health care reform plan - it will change how uninsured and uninsurable people get health care, ie they will actually get health care. "
sparky595 wrote on Sep 19, 2009 11:41 AM:
You have Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia said:
“I guess we’ll probably have folks putting on white hoods and white uniforms again and riding through the countryside, intimidating people,” he said. “That’s the logical conclusion if this kind of attitude is not rebuked.”
Are you kidding me? It's the media and nut job democrats like this that perpetuate racism today. I'm not saying there isn't racism around still. However, if you claim it, you should have reason and facts to back up such a horrific allegation. "
Warrior4Life wrote on Sep 19, 2009 8:54 AM:
"The 24-hour news cycle and cable television and blogs and all this — they focus on the most extreme elements on both sides," Obama said. "They can't get enough of conflict. It's catnip to the media right now."
Catnip anyone. "
yeah you wrote on Sep 19, 2009 8:47 AM:
sparky595 wrote on Sep 19, 2009 7:32 AM:
Can anybody show where racism (toward a black person) has played a part in the healthcare debate? The democrats can't get their own party to agree on this mess or it would be done already. So now they dig deeper into there liberal hand book and start throwing around the racism card. Pathetic. Whether you agree or disagree with obama's policies, or any other person in life in general, how would you feel if someone called you a racist simply because you didn't agree with them? It is appalling behavior. If you want to yell "fire", there better be a fire. If not, you should be held accountable, period. "
Warrior4Life wrote on Sep 19, 2009 5:34 AM:
Comments on this story are now closed.