The Obama Administration thread

[TheWalkinDude]

Today marked a historic day for the West and people are still bitching and making excuses.  So much for change eh?  African Americans have problems in America because of their culture and their choice to look to leaders who embrace victimization.  White people don't make Blacks drop out of high school and committ a disproportionate amount of crimes.  Are their racial biases out there, you're god damn right.  But I'm so damn tired about hearing people reference Slavery as some kind of excuse.  Not one black man in America today was a slave.  To go from a group of people who rose up in the 1960s under MLK and achieved massive gains to a current group of stagnation tells you it's not the outsiders, but strictly internal.  When Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are your community leaders, you have a problem.  There are plenty of educated and successful blacks in America - I think the President qualifies at that job, no?  So again, it falls back on individuals within the community to take education seriously.  How can you talk to me in difference in schools when something like 40% don't even care to graduate.  Single mothers is not an acceptable or desireable way to raise children.  Thousands of studies show this time and time again.  I know some of you don't want to hear it, but it's the truth.  Being from a single parent home drastically increases the odds you'll not finish school and end up in jail.  This of course isn't absolutue, so don't bother telling me about some guy you know or even your life story.  Facts are facts.

If Black Americans still desire to play the victims after the country overwhelmingly elected a Black man as President, shame on them.  And shame on anyone else who enables this type of behavior.  Hopefully Obama will inspire a new generation of people, regardless of skin color or gender to apply themselves and get a good education.  As long as people consciously equate Blacks and slavery in the same thought, they'll never be viewed as equals.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Check this out.

Obama is sworn in as commander-in-chief.

A few hours later, I land a kickass job. 

I like change. 

[The Dog]

Check this out.

Obama is sworn in as commander-in-chief.

A few hours later, I land a kickass job. 

I like change. 

Congrats! 

[Bill 213]

just got back from DC, was an amazing spectacle to behold. There was so much energy on the streets you could barely tell it was 20 degrees!

[SLCPUNK]

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) ? Hours after taking office on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama ordered military prosecutors in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunals to ask for a 120-day halt in all pending cases.

Military judges were expected to rule on the request on Wednesday at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an official involved in the trials said.

The request would halt proceedings in 21 pending cases, including the death penalty case against five Guantanamo prisoners accused of plotting the September 11 hijacked plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Prosecutors said in their written request that the halt was "in the interests of justice."

Obama has pledged to shut down the Guantanamo prison camp that was widely seen as a stain on the United States' human rights record and a symbol of detainee abuse and detention without charge under the administration of his predecessor, former President George W. Bush.

[SLCPUNK]

Drew, ease up there pal.  You are really starting to sound like sour grapes...(do sour grapes make sounds?) Oh well, seriously, if you interpreted that as "firing back" you have got to be kidding me.  You've got to be smarter than that.  Did he advocate racism?  Gimme a break dude.

Whether he advocates racism or not, it was a pretty racism part in his speech to me.

As an Amish-American I found it offensive yea.

[Drew]

"someone" sounds bitter today.

Bitter? No.

Appalled, but unsurprised? Yes.

[freedom78]

He is a relic from the civil rights era.  Either way, a lot of it still rings true today. 

It's sad to see that he's still living in the 1960's. A black President was just elected to the U.S. and he's still talking about black people having to sit in the back seat! Completely ignorant!!

A literal back seat may be incorrect, but a metaphorical back seat certainly is not.  If you're born black in America, regardless of your intelligence or skill, you're more likely to be born into poverty, to go to abysmal schools, to be murdered...just because we presume to have legal equality does not mean that we truly have equality across the board.

when will black people see the light and stop holding each other down, stop killing one another, stop selling drugs to their own and start contributing positively to their communities?

I am sick of everything being the "white' guys fault.  give me a break.

It was the "white Man" who elected a black President. IF that isn't sign that we've seen the light, what the hell is?

there comes a time when you have to take responsibility and be held accountable for your own actions.  There are still racist white people no doubt, but I guarantee the majority race that hurts black america is black america.

Gangs, drugs, violence, Hip Hop culture,  I will concede the white man has done unforgivable acts, but there comes a time u don't forget but you can't use that as a crutch till the end of time.

I think that both sides of this issue are known to the President (still can't believe I'm calling him that).  He preaches self responsibility along side a socially responsible government. 

So Drew, you felt insulted?  How in the world is saying, "and white, do what's right," racist?  Are you fucking kidding me???
just askin'.

Why do "yellow" people need to be "mello?" What is that all about? Why is this guy trying to label people by colors and race?  If this would have been a speaker for a Libertarian or Republican candidate, the media and democrats would be up in arms and calling an outrage!

I think a lot of white people can stand up and say we do what's right a lot of times. That guy today is just stuck in his past little world. It's apparent from his speech.

I doubt the left would have been offended by any Republican candidate inviting Lowery on the stage and, in fact, I think it would have been applauded. 

Now I'm going to enjoy a Mello Yellow...THE MOST OFFENSIVE DRINK...IN THE WORLD!

Drew, ease up there pal.  You are really starting to sound like sour grapes...(do sour grapes make sounds?) Oh well, seriously, if you interpreted that as "firing back" you have got to be kidding me.  You've got to be smarter than that.  Did he advocate racism?  Gimme a break dude.

Whether he advocates racism or not, it was a pretty racism part in his speech to me.

As an Amish-American I found it offensive yea.

I missed the part where he said "when Pennsylvania Dutch will do what's clutch". 

[Dr. Blutarsky]

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) ? Hours after taking office on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama ordered military prosecutors in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunals to ask for a 120-day halt in all pending cases.

Khalid- Sheikh Mohammad will be pleased about that....

We don't need to torture, but we also should not be giving insurgents that we picked up on the battlefields the same rights as an American who held up a gas station.

[polluxlm]

Yeah, shut down Guantanamo. Like there isn't a dozen others just like it that we don't know about.  What a joke.

[Bandita]

Yeah, shut down Guantanamo. Like there isn't a dozen others just like it that we don't know about.  What a joke.

You have to start somewhere though!

[Bandita]

"someone" sounds bitter today.

Bitter? No.

Appalled, but unsurprised? Yes.

If this is the only thing you have to hang onto after the whole thing I have to say, it's sort of sad.

[SLCPUNK]

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) ? Hours after taking office on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama ordered military prosecutors in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunals to ask for a 120-day halt in all pending cases.

Khalid- Sheikh Mohammad will be pleased about that....

We don't need to torture, but we also should not be giving insurgents that we picked up on the battlefields the same rights as an American who held up a gas station.

You're assuming again that everybody we pick up is a terrorist and guilty. Which is mirrors Bush crazy world view and what Obama said he would put to an end.

[freedom78]

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) ? Hours after taking office on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama ordered military prosecutors in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunals to ask for a 120-day halt in all pending cases.

Khalid- Sheikh Mohammad will be pleased about that....

We don't need to torture, but we also should not be giving insurgents that we picked up on the battlefields the same rights as an American who held up a gas station.

It seems to me that if you're on the battlefield and fighting you're one of two things: (1) a member of a state military and, thus, a potential POW or (2) a criminal subject to prosecution under state laws.  In other words, if you're not a member of the military and you kill someone, then isn't that just plain ol' murder?  There's also a distinction to be made between those who planned a major terrorist attack on civilians and those who are simply fighting in a war. 

Of course, it goes without saying that if the US were invaded, none of us would ever DREAM of defending our country without first joining the armed forces, going through basic training, etc. 

[SLCPUNK]

Reading the headlines, sounds like Obama has hit the ground running, especially in regards to "change".

[Bandita]

Reading the headlines, sounds like Obama has hit the ground running, especially in regards to "change".

You mean he is trying to live up to exactly what he said he would do?

Say it ain't so!

[SLCPUNK]

Day one: Government budget cuts, Gitmo, the economy....go figure.

[Drew]

If this is the only thing you have to hang onto after the whole thing I have to say, it's sort of sad.

No, the things I dislike about B.O. and his administration will only continue. There are a lot of things that are sad about your idea of thought as well. It goes both ways.

[polluxlm]

Is that a Death Star back there?

[Bandita]

If this is the only thing you have to hang onto after the whole thing I have to say, it's sort of sad.

No, the things I dislike about B.O. and his administration will only continue.

I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you were a certified soothsayer!  My sincere apologies, of course!