Oh, if only I were Black so I could have Obama's advantages!

[femmedem]

I sure wish I had it as easy as Obama! Oh, if only I were Black! Maybe then I could be successful, too!

The share of young black men without jobs has climbed relentlessly, with only a slight pause during the economic peak of the late 1990's. In 2000, 65 percent of black male high school dropouts in their 20's were jobless — that is, unable to find work, not seeking it or incarcerated. By 2004, the share had grown to 72 percent, compared with 34 percent of white and 19 percent of Hispanic dropouts. Even when high school graduates were included, half of black men in their 20's were jobless in 2004, up from 46 percent in 2000.

¶Incarceration rates climbed in the 1990's and reached historic highs in the past few years. In 1995, 16 percent of black men in their 20's who did not attend college were in jail or prison; by 2004, 21 percent were incarcerated. By their mid-30's, 6 in 10 black men who had dropped out of school had spent time in prison.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/20/national/20blackmen.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Black people earn 62% of what white people earn.
http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/newsflash_060705_ss

Now, to be fair:
Women earn 77% of what men earn.
http://www.diversityjobs.com/income_gap_between_men_and_women_narrows_as_another_gap_widens

We have had two black governors in U.S. history and three black senators since Reconstruction.

We currently have eight women governors and sixteen women senators.

We have a whole lot more white male governors and white male senators.

My point? Neither black men nor white women have it easy, and both Obama and Clinton deserve credit for rising above obstacles. But I'm sorry, Geraldine, you don't get a pass on saying Obama is where he is because he's black. And no, I'm not attacking you because you're white. :crazy:

And Senator Clinton, how could you have let her go on for another news cycle before you said you disagreed with her remarks? You're not trying to pull a good cop/bad cop routine, are you?

Edited because I had a fact wrong. (Switched from one draft to another and lost what I was saying.)

Edited again to say the income gap between black and white men narrows considerably with education. By 2004, black men with masters degrees make 95% of what white men with masters degrees make, and black men with doctorates slightly outearn white men with doctorates. It isn't the sort of advantage that propels mediocrity to the top.

[k8conant]

1. Correction: 2 black governors and 3 black senators since Reconstruction...

Governors: L. Douglas Wilder (D-VA), Deval Patrick (D-MA); Senators: Ed Brooke (R-MA), Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL), and Barack Obama (D-IL)

[femmedem]

2. You're right!

I was editing as you were correcting. I had an earlier draft where I was talking about current elected officials, and I only changed half the sentence. :blush:

Thank you!

[goclark]

4. Yep ~ it's easy to see we AA have such an advantage

in the USA --- right!

It is such a shame that Hillary and her puppet Geraldine hatch this entire little game . Can't you just see it all.

Who wants to switch places with us in the seats of power?

Nobody

[noamnety]

3. A complaint about the NYT article

I hate when the media reports the increase in incarceration rates in the 90's as if it's something that happened all in passive voice - as if it happened in a void that was unrelated to all rules of cause and effect.

The jump in incarceration rates was a direct result of Bill Clinton's policies and had a tragic impact on black communities. I find it offensive and disturbing that a Clinton supporter would have felt the need to talk about how privileged ANY black man is, as compared to Sen Clinton specifically.

[femmedem]

5. Yes. Black incarceration rates tripled under Clinton.

http://www.finalcall.com/national/incarceration03-06-2001.htm

But I daresay Reagan had something to do with it too.

:hi:

[milkyway]

6. That's the vote she's going for, pissed off whites who think they've been screwed,

not by those they think are above them, but by those they think are below them.

[mojowork_n]

7. Hey, talk to Chris Rock. He's discussed the idea.

Someone to play that Trading Places game ("I'll give you one "Lewis Winthorpe III," even up, for one "Billy Ray Valentine.")

Or as Chris Rock said it:

Racism everywhere.
Who's the maddest people? White people.


Not y'all. Y'all all right.


You paid money to see me, we cool.


The feud is over.


No, you watch the TV, watch 60 Minutes.
You see white people pissed off, man.


Man, the white man thinks
he's losing the country.


You watch the news: ''We're losing
everything. We're fucking losing.


''Affirmative action, and illegal aliens...


''and we're fucking losing the country.''


Losing? Shut the fuck up.
White people ain't losing shit.


lf y'all losing, who's winning?


lt ain't us.


lt ain't us.
Have you driven around this motherfucker?


lt ain't us.


Shit, there ain't a white man in this room
that would change places with me.


None of you would change places with me.
And l'm rich!


That's how good it is to be white.


There's a white, one-legged busboy
in here right now...


that won't change places with my black ass.


He's going, ''No, man, l don't wanna switch.
l wanna ride this white thing out.


''See where it takes me...''

From:

http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/c/chris-rock-bigger-and-blacker-script.html