It's all in the card's!

Wednesday – July 14, 2010

It’s all in the Card’s!

Yesterday, the First Lady was addressing the NAACP conference. I don’t usually pick on women or pick on the First Lady. I am a gentleman, but when someone of her stature puts herself out there on public display and vocalizes words that concern me, then I need to make a comment.

Our First Lady was making comments about the plight of her race. She said: “Blacks have to increase their intensity.” What does this mean? Is she using code words? Or is she telling those in attendance to use the card. I hate the term “using the race card”, but race is the means for opportunity for some. If the responsibility card were played then some would find that opportunity is the result.

As I wrote in previous FORUMS, race has no place in a free society. The question of race is brought up by those that make it a question. When freedom loving people are accused of being racist, because of accusations, it does no one any good.

The new Black Panthers have been front and center lately with their racial outbursts and their version of who the racists are. The new victims are the Tea Party patriots. Though there have accusations, there has been no proof. There have been accusations made by the Black Caucus. Where is the proof? With all the technology and press that cover the Tea Party protests there has not been one substantiated racial comment or incident on tape or in a photo. The Tea Party movement is made up of white, black, Hispanic, you name it they are the new patriots and not the new racists.

When the First Lady addresses any group, her card should be checked at the door. She is not only the First Lady for the NAACP she is the First Lady to us all. The First Lady must garner the respect and not be disrespectful to those she does not garner herself.

One has to wonder where the support lies for this President and the First Lady. 51% of voters now say they do not have confidence in the President’s decision making capacity. The President has lost 12% of the Hispanic vote. The President has lost 35% of the Jewish vote. This vote is crucial, because most Jewish voters vote Democratic. His approval rating is now at a negative 17%. 53% of voters now favor the repeal of the Healthcare bill. So what’s left of the people who support this President? Not much, but those who will play the race card.

The President cannot rely on the words of the First Lady: “Blacks must increase their intensity.” The President has shown us how he governs and he has shown us that his policies do not work. All he has left is to play the race card with those who demonstrate patriotism and among those who are left to support him.

I heard a Democratic consultant ask if we want to go back to the Bush years. That’s what will happen if the Republicans win in November. This is the other card that will be played. If we could reverse the time clock and the political clock back to about 18 months ago, we would see that things were not that bad. Unemployment was checked at 4.7 %. Interest rates were low and money was available to borrow. Confidence in the economy was high and business was confident in the President. Moving the clock to the present, the confidence card cannot be played nor can the employment card, because both are dismal. Until the confidence in this president goes up, unemployment will continue at it’s present rate. Until confidence in this president rises, business will not expand and the banks will not lend.

So, I go back to the First Lady and her comments. She should have said that business needs to intensify their efforts and expand, and that blacks can be a big part of that. She should have said that Blacks must be more entrepreneurial, instead of relying on the man and the system. She should have said we must rid our dependence on social programs that don’t work anymore. She should have praised the forefathers for their foresight in creating a system that all can participate in. But, it would not enter her mind, or the Presidents, because of the card that the Administration is now playing.

On today’s date, in 1798, the sedition acts were passed at the height of anti-French sentiment, following the embarrassing XYZ affair. The Sedition Act, of 1798, was an attempt by the administration of John Adams to quiet subversion and dissent, which it believed to be caused in large part by unscrupulous English, Irish, and French immigrants to America. (http://www.constitution.org/rf/sedition_1798.htm)

In the end, the responsibility of government lies with the governed. If the American people react to trying situations and events in fear, then a general malaise and sense of helplessness will permeate the collective American consciousness. The abdication of personal responsibility erodes liberty, creating an atmosphere of dependency, that leads to bigger government and its pseudo security. Edward Livingston's statement, "If we are ready to violate the Constitution, will the people submit to our unauthorized acts? Sir, they ought not to submit; they would deserve the chains that our measures are forging for them, if they did not resist," (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Livingston) this serves as a timely warning to Americans today.

Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives

A footnote: Regardless of the card we have to consider our collective American consciousness in the voting process. Do we vote out of fear or do we vote to stop our fear? In 112 days it will be our conscience that drives the vote.