- I can't vote O'bama. Have you visited his church's website? It seems quite discriminatory to me. Their mission is very clear and he is a tithing member. Plus, even though he is not Muslim, he was raised with that influence. So, in my opinion, he is the candidate with baggage - Hilary doesn't have nearly as much. However, I'm not crazy about voting for her either. I do think you're right about McCain - he's older. Romney doesn't impress me either. What's wrong with Huckabee? He seems stable, conservative, and experienced. Please check out his church's website. Be sure to click on the "you tube" arrow to see/hear a short clip about the church's mission. Unbelievable. If the folks who were saying those same statements were white, they'd be in BIG ble. www.tucc.org/about.htm
- What's wrong with Huckabee you ask? He is associated with Kenneth Copeland, one of the biggest crooks in televangelism. He makes Jim Bakker look like a liberal! Face it, McCain is yesterday's news so you need to choose between Clinton and Obama. Neither is a great choice, but you are going to be looking at one of them for the next 4 years. If we leave "religion" out of the equation, as it should be, it comes down to domestic issues such as health care and jobs. Look at the candidates' views on these issues before you vote. If you vote based on race, gender or religion, you only display your ignorance of the real issues.
- Thank you, but I will leave religion in my choices. It embraces the fundamental principles our nation was founded on. One nation UNDER GOD. Remember?Just because one wants to vote for a political leader who doesn't mind voicing his Christian beliefs, does not mean the voter is weak minded or "ignorant". Even though I feel it is important for a leader of a country to hold religious beliefs, I don't think that meams I am voting based on that and only that. It is just one part of the entire picture. Thanks for the info about Huckabee's association with Copeland. I had not heard that and I will definitely check it out. If it's between O'Bama and Clinton, I'll have to vote Hilary. Atleast she's not a member of a church that is racist and proudly promotes AFRICA....notice they didn't say AMERICA. Scary. I have French descendents but I am really not concerned about promoting France. I live in America and that is where my heart and allegiance lie.
- Everyone can base their vote on whatever they choose; it's part of being an American. "As far as Obama's church website, there is not one word that leans toward being Anti-American. " <--- AFRICA IS NOT MY COUNTRY!!!! Their commitment is to AFRICA! They say it clearly and plainly. Get a grip. That website DOES offend me. And, I have the right to feel that way and voice my opinion. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton preach hate and reverse discrimination and that is exactly who O'Bama is associated with.
- From the Trinity United Church of Christ website: *We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization.* I would agree, says it loudly and clearly, this church is true to their native land Africa, with no mention of USA. I have read and seen photos of O'Bama and the other candidates during the Pledge of Allegiance. All but for him participate with their hand over their heart. He has both hands beside him and no verbalizing....what does that tell the rest of us? RED FLAGS are flying, yet most do not even see the flailing!On the flipside, Hillary is no option either. It seems most have forgotten White watergate, the suspicous deaths in Clinton's cabinet members or staff, the shady stock dealings, the thieving from the White House, valuables and antiques, as they left at the end of Bill Clinton's last term and not a soul said a word....pretty pathetic choices indeed.
The website is a bit disturbing in a political sense... which, we should keep in mind, was not its intended purpose. It is a religious website and should be viewed as just that.
The problem with defining a political candidate by his race, gender or religion is that those are the very attributes that our founding fathers believed should be exempt from the definition of "equality for all". Equality means that we are "Americans", not Catholic Americans, black Americans, female Americans or gay Americans. It's great to be proud of your heritage and past, but as long as we continue to divide ourselves into groups based on race, gender and religion, we will never be "one" people.
At the turn of the last century, NYC was known as the "melting pot" of America because of the great influx of immigrants from other countries. The name implied that many cultures came together to form one that was distinctly "American". One hundred years later, we persist in ignoring the very principles on which our country was founded.
Sure, we all want a President who looks like us, thinks like us, worships like us, etc. The problem is... who is "us"? We are a diverse nation of men and women of various races, religions and lifestyles. The problems that plague us as a nation are health care, crime, drugs, substandard education and unemployment. If one's religion were a disqualifying factor in our history, JFK would never have been elected President. Let's vote for the "person" who can best unite us as a nation, rather than the candidate who will promote our personal agendas.
Forthright
Posts
41 comments:
Isn't it sad that so many of our residents are swayed by things like similarity-of-one's-name-to-another (Osama/Obama) and the relevance of one's private convictions to a commitment to the greater good? Or the color of a man's skin as revelant to his ability to lead people of all colors?
As far as Obama's church's ties to Africa---the Catholic Church has very obvious and strong ties to Italy. The Episcopal Church prays on behalf of its mother church in England. Should they be mistrusted as anti-American traitors? I think not.
Forthright is correct. The website is disturbing. And no matter how you slice it, O'Bama is a part of it. He is one of those folks who can't just be American. Why do folks have to identify themselves as African-American? You live here, vote here, be an American. And, I hardly think that you will be able to find a Catholic church website with such strong emphasis on it's devotion to Italy. Face it, the website is disturbing and it will definitely affect O'Bama's credibility. Won't it be great to have a president who is so committed to Africa? If a white candidate played the same game, they'd be considered racist.
Continuing to refer to the man as "O'Bama" is pretty ignorant, as is continuing to bring up the fact that his name *sounds like* Osama. Ridiculous.
John McCain is referred to as McCain, Mike Huckabee as Huckabee, Hilary Clinton as Clinton. What is wrong with calling Barack O'Bama by O'Bama??
Because there is no APOSTROPHE in his name.
I don't think that is anything to be complaining about. Many people with names that begin with "O" do use apostrophes. O'Brien, O'Reilly, etc.
One should vote for the man or woman, not the race, gender, etc.
LOL if an apostrophe mistake is your biggest complaint, get a grip. You sound pretty ignorant yourself... as well as close-minded. Whether you like it or not, everyone has the right to their own opinion.
LOL I agree with that!!
Just think outside yourselves for a moment. Imagine the experience of someone who was black during the 40s, 50s, 60s... now imagine listening to the stories of their parents and their grandparents... I know things have changed and we have come a long way. But do not forget, that as white Americans, we have had generations of generations and adapted our views of who we are as Americans through changing our customs, adopting new ones, keeping old. But the black American experience is very different. Their history as Americans was decided for them. Their customs were taken away and are still held as a taboo since they are "different". Their rights as American citizens had to be fought for, not long ago. Yes, many of us have accepted them as equals and see only fellow Americans, but many still emphasize the differences and treat them as such. So who are you to question how one identifies themself when you can not possibly understand the shoes in which one has trod?
Because we live in America. Not Africa America or Chinese America, etc. No one has expects nor has asked anyone to forget their heritage, but it gets old. If you want to live here and enjoy AMERICAN freedoms, then identify yourself as AMERICAN.
"Many people with names that begin with "O" do use apostrophes. O'Brien, O'Reilly, etc."
You know as well as I do that your intentional use of the apostrophe in Obama's name is a slam on the man's heritage and a poke in the eye. Not everyone whose name that begins with the letter O is an Irishman. And you are obviously all too aware that Obama is anything but Irish, or white, or like you. Thus, he is an inferior candidate in your eyes. Obama is campaigning for the office of President of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, not Africa.
I'm reminded of the old Archie Bunker character who struggled with the thought that people of other races and backgrounds could actually be worthy of the basic rights that he himself enjoyed. When he prodded them to "Speak American!" we all knew that Norman Lear was pointing out our own bigotry.
How DARE you state that I intentionally used an apostrophe with Obama's name in order to send some sort of lame message. You are dead wrong. It was a simple mistake, but it is African Americans like yourself who cannot move forward for being so caught up on senseless details. I am not against OBAMA because he is black or mixed, however, while watching news coverage of voters leaving the polls, it seems that some are voting for him because he happens to be black. I am not as small minded as you apparently. Until you are positive of people's intentions, don't take the liberty of assuming you are always right. Unlike you, there are those of us who make simple, careless mistakes which do not incenuate or purposefully send a message as you claim. It must be wonderful to be so perfect. Newflash for you - you are not either.
Wow, it sounds as if someone is paranoid about apostrophes.
Thanks to the person that brought up the elections on this site!! I was getting ready to write it off due to boredom!! But This is good stuff!!
You're welcome. I was bored, as well. And to the racist in the "anonymous" comment 3 spots up: I am WHITE. And have a college degree. And I'm over age 50, so have lived through the turbulent integration of the Delta schools in the 70's. You?
No one is having a fit about apostrophes. It is extremely rude and, in my opinion, an insult of the highest order to spell someone's name wrong purposely. You say it's an honest mistake. You obviously have read the man's name in print enough trying to dig up dirt on his church to know better. And before you "accuse" me of being on an African-American tirade, know that I am also white. And a woman. Hey, wouldn't you think I should be voting for Hillary?
Here, here...in fact same exact here. And no way is Hillary getting my vote. Obama has mine secured!
Hello everyone! I come to you today to change the subject a little bit, Now i do think that talking about presidential candidates is very awesome and should be debated. IM still undecided, but anyway here i go. I want to lighten everybody's eyes especially in SUNFLOWER county about there emergency services operation. As everybody in the delta should know ( if they watch the news or read the newspaper) that Emergystat Ambulance Services pulled out of every county they were servicing in mississippi including Sunflower. Well to most that seems a tragedy and it is for the most part because nobody should be without emergency care, i assure you they could be better off. You see ambulance services like emergystat do not pay well for there workers and make u work long hours and just really dont provide a very safe level of service if any at all. Now they have Pafford amublance service in there now ( The goal people is to better yourself not dig a deeper HOLE). Pafford is another one of those services like Emergystat. They pay low, make there people work long hours and most of the time do not provide the proper equipment or ample supplies to do the job. Ill give you examples. Emergystat and Pafford pay Basic EMT's anywhere form 6 to 7 dollars an hour, and they pay Paramedics 10 to 11 an hour. Most work 48 or 72 hour shifts. They do not provide enough ambulance units in the counties to provide ample service. Pafford is now servicing Bolivar county. The public may not know this but like most Ambulance services in the state they are a ALS service (Advanced Life Support) meaning on every Unit there is suppose to be a paramedic. Now the difference in EMt's and Paramedics is a wide spectrum. Emts know only basic life threatning interventions. Paramedics can start Intravenous lines and put a Endotrachel tube in ( breathing tube), they can administer a multitude of medications. So you see you want a paramedic to be able to treat you if you are really sick. Well Services like Pafford and Emergystat pay so low and have so substandard care that most Paramedics who have been through a year and half to two years of school dont want to work under those conditions. Well back to the ALS thing. Pafford is lucky to man all there trucks in bolivar county with paramedics because of the pay mostly. There have been times that i have been told where there is only ONE Paramedic in the whole county. That is a Travesty to me. With the advances in healthcare in the last few years paramedics can do anything a doctor can do during a Code Blue situation (CODE Blue means No heart beat and no breathing) in the field. Now from what i have researched the Place for Paramedics or Emt's to work in the delta is DRMC, i have friends that work there and they say they would work at Mcdonalds before they work for those OTHER ambulance services (funny huh seeming all the bad talk about the place). they pay well ( emt's starting around 7 to 8 and hour and medics with no experience around 12 to 13 an hour) thats not a whole lot better but better. Well DRMC also staffs a paramedic on every Ambulance 24/7 365. They have 4 ambulances in the county and one transfer truck during the week. They pay Extra pay for employees that take extra certifications to learn more basicly. They also keep ther ambulances in good shape, they have top notch equipment an so on. Well i was told Drmc bidded on getting the contract in sunflower county and the supervisors voted to hire Drmc. Well this is where the spin comes. After voting For drmc they break for lunch and The boss for pafford meets with them. They come back in and guess what cange there vote to Pafford. I wonder how much money changed hands under the table at that lunch meeting. LOL. Well let me tell you something SUNFLOWER county you want Drmc, they are a superior service over pafford. Yes it might cost a little more money to get them there but like the old saying says You get what you pay for. Most people never have the need for An Ambulance but when you need it you want the very best dont you. I would with my life or my friends or family. So people of sunflower county you need to be vocal here soon with your supervisors. You see that contract that pafford got is onlty suppose to be a temporary one and bids are to come open again in 30 or so days. So if you value your life as much as i do you better speak up. We the people put supervisors in office we should be able to weigh in on decisions like that. They Undoubly dont care about there lives at all. I hope they never need the ambulance if it comes at all. People its time the public take charge put our feet down and tell the elected officials we elected you and you will do as we say.
Well That's All Ive Got To Say About That.
Sincerely
FORREST
Gosh, that was so sad!
Ok, White anonymous four spots up...I am also white, 40's and female with two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree. Believe it or not, even educated folks are capable of making honest mistakes. Bill O'REILLY (yes, he does have an apostrophe in his name, I looked it up be sure because after all I would not want to be accused of "slamming" someone's heritage again) made a good point today on his talk radio show. He said that OBAMA is gaining votes on his inspirational speeches, nearly sounding like an evangelist at times. However, he went on to say that he will have him on the show as a guest and he looks forward to hearing how Obama will deliver the change he so often talks about. I watched 60 minutes last night and actually had the same impression as O'Reilly. He is a nice looking, clean cut guy who is articulate, professional, and eloquently delivers a great message we all like to hear. You, white anonymous, are not the only white female who has enough sense to form an opinion. However, it does seem that you are very defensive when someone points out something that does not agree with your beliefs (and quite pissy about grammatical errors made without purpose).
Historically, I have voted Republican - not because I am a white racist as you claim, but because I agreed with the candidate's beliefs and plans. I would like to know why you are voting for Obama. Enlighten me as I must be of lower intelligence and maybe you can just name 3 - 5 solid reasons we should consider Obama. Who knows, you may just sway my vote.
Having all been educated on the correct spelling of Mr. Obama's name, could we please move on to their political beliefs?
Yes, yes, yes. I never knew a grammatical error would cause so much havoc! I am sorry from the bottom of my heart for the mistake. Let's move on and hear the issues!
The grammatical "error" was never the issue. It was the implied intent of the "error." And for the record, O'Reilly is an Irish name, and an apostrophe is expected. Bill O'Reilly is also an extreme conservative with whom many Americans find common ground and inspiration. I do not.
The Catholic Church is the original Christian Church and the largest among any religion in the world.
More than half of all christians are catholics.
In fact, one sixth of the world population is catholic.
So, why would anybody be so narrowminded to disqualify a catholic to be President of the US?
By the way, "Catholic America" does not belong in the same sentence with "Gay America".
PD: America is a continent, not a country.
You just won't give up. You are so arrogant and close-minded. There was NO implied intent of the error as it was an ERROR. Look it up in Webster.
Now that we have been over that point repeatedly (at nauseum), can you please highlight the positive points from Obama's campaign which may sway votes to his side? And, by the way, that apostrophe at the end of his name up there is meant to imply ownership of his campaign. No racial or heritage slurs intended. I look forward to hearing your reply.
Huh?????? What's that all about?
And America IS a country---a republic, in fact. NORTH AMERICA is a continent! Puh-lease! ROFLMAO!
That's a scream! Look! Some village is missing an idiot!
This is a good question "apostrophe mistaken fool" made::::
I have voted Republican - not because I am a white racist as you claim, but because I agreed with the candidate's beliefs and plans. I would like to know why you are voting for Obama. Enlighten me as I must be of lower intelligence and maybe you can just name 3 - 5 solid reasons we should consider Obama. Who knows, you may just sway my vote.
I apologize that you think I was insinuating anything about your intelligence. I just really thought that the apostrophe thing was a sly dig at Mr. Obama's heritage. I apologize that I was incorrect about that. For the record, the second comment about Bill O'Reilly was not mine.
Why am I voting for Obama, other than the simple fact that I have democratic leaning anyway and I don't care for Mrs. Clinton? If you're historically Republican, I don't guess I can sway your vote on issues that are important to me such as abortion rights, gay marriage, or the war in Iraq.
You ask for the positive points of his campaign which might sway your votes. It IS the positivity of his campaign that makes me want to vote for him. Green? Yes. I think that is part of his appeal. I think all of the other candidates have been tainted by their politics over the years. I have been ashamed of our leadership for the last eight years. Obama is someone who excites me and inspires me. Do I have a point by point presentation of his policies to sway you? Sure don't. I think politics in recent years have been very divisive, and I look to him as someone who can unite our country. I'm sure you think that is a superficial and fluff answer, but that's it for me.
Again, I do apologize for the brouhaha over the apostrophe.
I am a staunch republican, but this year I do not know who I want to vote for.
Thanks for your take on the positives of Obama's campaign. We do disagree on basic issues such as gay rights and abortion. I know it may sound old-fashioned, but I believe God intended for there to be a man and a woman in a love relationship. I would never outwardly cause dissention or hate to anyone, even if they are gay. But at the same time, in my heart, I cannot believe it is all ok. And abortion -- I believe there are only a select few instances where abortion could be a viable option. However, I do believe it is time to pull out of Iraq, we have wasted enough American money and lives there. The most important thing about all of this is we are so very fortunate to live in a country where we can all have our own ideas and beliefs, voice them, and then make our own decisions. I guess that out of all the candidates Huckabee appeals most to my personal convictions and religious beliefs. Maybe I'm wrong and living in the ancient ages, but it's how I feel.
"Now that we have been over that point repeatedly (at nauseum), can you please highlight the positive points from Obama's campaign which may sway votes to his side?"
It's AD nauseum, not AT.
And you can visit www.barackobama.com to read about his stand on many issues. The clincher for me was a commercial that I heard (I was standing in another room, and raced to see who the commercial was for) in support of some changes and improvements in our system of educating our children. Excerpts are below:
Reform No Child Left Behind: Obama will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.
Make Math and Science Education a National Priority: Obama will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. He will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels.
Address the Dropout Crisis: Obama will address the dropout crisis by passing his legislation to provide funding to school districts to invest in intervention strategies in middle school - strategies such as personal academic plans, teaching teams, parent involvement, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction, and extended learning time.
Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities: Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve one million more children.
Expand Summer Learning Opportunities: Obama's "STEP UP" plan addresses the achievement gap by supporting summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through partnerships between local schools and community organizations.
Support College Outreach Programs: Obama supports outreach programs like GEAR UP, TRIO and Upward Bound to encourage more young people from low-income families to consider and prepare for college.
Support English Language Learners: Obama supports transitional bilingual education and will help Limited English Proficient students get ahead by holding schools accountable for making sure these students complete school.
Recruit, Prepare, Retain, and Reward America's Teachers
Recruit Teachers: Obama will create new Teacher Service Scholarships that will cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education, including high-quality alternative programs for mid-career recruits in exchange for teaching for at least four years in a high-need field or location.
Prepare Teachers: Obama will require all schools of education to be accredited. He will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively. Obama will also create Teacher Residency Programs that will supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to high-need schools.
Retain Teachers: To support our teachers, Obama's plan will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced teachers with new recruits. He will also provide incentives to give teachers paid common planning time so they can collaborate to share best practices.
Reward Teachers: Obama will promote new and innovative ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them. Districts will be able to design programs that reward accomplished educators who serve as a mentor to new teachers with a salary increase. Districts can reward teachers who work in underserved places like rural areas and inner cities. And if teachers consistently excel in the classroom, that work can be valued and rewarded as well.
Higher Education
Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit: Obama will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Obama will also ensure that the tax credit is available to families at the time of enrollment by using prior year's tax data to deliver the credit when tuition is due.
Simplify the Application Process for Financial Aid: Obama will streamline the financial aid process by eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application.
"Maybe I'm wrong and living in the ancient ages, but it's how I feel."
Hey, I don't believe in all of your ideals, but I do believe you have the right to them. You're not wrong and you do not hold ancient ideals... that is what is great about our country. You can live by what you choose and vote for who stands closest to you. However, we should not tear those apart for not holding the same as we do. I think that is what all this heat is about. People are so quick to want to prove their opinions best or correct, instead of realizing that the ones each person holds is best for him or her and his or her life experiences.
The main reason to support Obama is that he favors a quick withdrawal from Iraq while McCain wants to stay for a hundred years. Stop wasting American lives!
The guys and girls would be very offended to hear you say that or that the Iraq war was wrong!! They have worked very hard to get Iraq to be a better country and mostly so the treat of our country being attacked again will not happen! I agree we need to find a way to get out of Iraq, But we need to make sure the job is complete so we will not have another 911!! A fast withdrawal might sound good, but the country's safety is more important.
To the Huckabee supporter. Thank you for your response. I agree with Eyes Wide Open, I don't agree with you and don't intend to change your mind on basic issues, but I can also see where you are coming from and obviously support your right to vote for whose ideals are closest to yours.
I actually can appreciate Huckabee in this race because I think he still stands for more change than what McCain represents as far as Republicans are concerned. I actually liked McCain several years ago (when "anyone but Bush" was my political mantra) but fear that his leadership would be 4 or 8 more years of the same. No change in Iraq except for the death toll, and no change in healthcare.
Healthcare is a huge issue for me right now, and I don't know what the solution is, as long as the candidate is willing to admit a need for change, that's better than nothing. I don't see it as a big issue for McCain. Unfortunately, he has such a huge lead on the Republican side that I think he will be your candidate.
"They have worked very hard to get Iraq to be a better country and mostly so the treat of our country being attacked again will not happen!"
Uh, Iraq didn't attack America...
And most of the military I know, including those who have served in Iraq, want us to get out of that quagmire. It is unfair to stop-loss our troops or to redeploy them three and four times. They have served, and served honorably. There is nothing more we can do. It is time to bring them home.
Do we have a candidate capable of facing the Russian effort to become the No. 1 world power?
The Obama campagin points outlined above are very interesting, especially to educators. I am in healthcare and I wonder how he will provide universal healthcare? If anyone has heard, let me know. I did search for it, but only found that he was in favor of the initiative. And, by the way, to those of you who attempt to intimidate others by pointing out their spelling or grammatical shortcomings, shame on you. This is an avenue where everyone (no matter how well they spell or type) can express their opinions. So, come on folks, be a grown up. Why make such a huge ordeal out of something so trivial? There is a lot more to discuss here than a lesson in grading an English assignment.
Sister38701>>>>>>>>>>
Get a hold of yourself. MOST of those the bush admin has been working on already, nothing new.
And the others are lies that are there just for the election and impossible to accomplish!! O'bama/Obama will prob. win and you will see LIES!!
Obama is not taking on universal health care. Basically his focus is on affordable health care. I feel his stance on the issue is more obtainable, at least a middle ground that can be accomplished. I am a democrat all the way but trying to cover everyone will surely be impossible and break the system. We have so many systems that need to be balanced (for example social security). Multiple solutions need to be reached to make sure we have enough money for all these programs instead of bankrupting more for one new one.
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