NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER FORUM NOVEMBER 25-DECEMBER 1, 2009 A11
Moderate Democrats
There definitely are those who care
Dr. Jason Johnson
Almost every day I their ineptitudes.
enjoy too much clout
am stopped and
Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick
Every time I run
asked, “Why or how into Al Felton, a Black Commentary
do you remain so opti- retired police officer
mistic?”
(NNPA)—In their zeal to reach the 60-vote
If you look around it
To Tell
who was the oldest
rookie in the history
margin needed to end an expected Republican
will be apparent to of the Pittsburgh Po-
filibuster of the health care bill now snaking
you that people gener-
its way through the United States Senate,
ally don’t care and The Truth
lice Department, he
always says, “I read
Democrats are courting four moderate or con-
whether you recog- your column reli-
It’s time to save
servative party members opposed to the pub-
nize it or not the na- giously, please keep
lic option provision at the expense of the ma-
tion, if not the world, is rapidly going to on keeping on.”
jority of senators—and the nation—who favor
hell in a handcart. There are some occa- The other day a young female in her
such an alternative.
sions and situations where I do become early 20s approached me with her little
Michael Savage
Essentially, a public option is a government-
alarmed, disturbed, angry and sometimes daughter, and asked, “Are you “Hop”
sponsored insurance plan, similar to Medi-
mad as hell. However, my upbringing and Kendrick, who writes for the New Pitts-
My contention since the 2008
care, that would compete with private insur-
church keep me focused. burgh Courier?” I said yes and she said
election is that Republicans are
ers in hopes of driving down the cost of premi-
I have written over the years that fre- her name is Melissa and then introduced
losing today because they’re act-
ums. Even though the plan advanced by Sen-
quently my columns originate from those her daughter and stated that she never
ing like Democrats in the 1990s.
ate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., al-
whom I have had a dialogue with and this fails to buy a Courier to read “Tell The
They’re only catering to their ex-
lows states to opt-out of the plan, a handful of
week’s column is a perfect example. I was Truth.”
treme base, and worse they’re be-
Democrats still oppose the bill.
having a discussion with a person I met a Over the years people of all ages and
traying each other and stabbing
We’ve seen this scene before: The Obama ad-
couple of years ago through Chuck Powell races have stopped me and made a refer-
one another in the back whenever
George E. Curry
and we have developed a sense of mutual ence to a column or to the columns. Some
they think their political fortunes
respect for each other. A discussion took disagree and others agree, but I have
are at stake (Sarah Palin any-
place last week about my going back on never encountered anyone who was dis-
one?) Nowhere is this new theory
the radio and I explained my position and agreeable. I have always known that there
on display more prominently
what I needed to accelerate returning to are more good people than bad, more good
than with the cold shoulder the
Commentary
airwaves. The end result is that his corpo- acts preformed than bad, more good par-
hard right press has been giving
ration will sponsor my upcoming radio pro- ents than bad, more respectful youths than
one of their most powerful mem-
gram. In the very near future the sponsor’s disrespectful and definitely the majority of
bers, radio host Michael Savage.
name will become public. people CARE.
If you haven’t heard of him,
It is that kind of response that enables Please remember to support your youth
Michael Savage is roughly the
me to stay the course and continue to tell at Kingsley Association.
third most popular talk radio host
ministration, obsessed over gaining Republi-
the truth, challenge injustices and to re- (Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a weekly contributor to
in America. He’s got a Ph.D. from
can support for its stimulus plan, made sure
fute those who blame everybody else for the Forum Page.)
UC Berkeley, has written over 25
that the concerns of Maine Sen. Olympia books, has millions of loyal fans,
Snowe were addressed before pushing the leg- and was barred this year from vis-
islation through Congress. Now, we’re having iting the United Kingdom. British
a replay. The difference this time, however, is
A Thanksgiving prayer
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith an-
that less progressive Democrats seem to be in nounced the names of 16 people
the driver’s seat. who would be barred travel visas
This became clear when a procedural vote to England for various problem-
was held Saturday night to allow the bill to
to end poverty in our time
atic activities or statements. Sav-
reach the Senate floor for debate and amend- age is on the list because England
ments. Senators Mary Landrieu of Louisiana feels that he “…foments ha-
and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Democrats
(NNPA)—Thanksgiv- ing and searching and
tred…division…and violence”
from two of the poorest states in the nation,
ing is a time when Marian Wright Edelman searching for another
through his radio show. The rest
held out until the last minute before siding
many Americans amid an epidemic
of the 16 includes a Jewish ex-
with their party.
pause to be grateful scarcity of work.
tremist, a member of Hamas, sus-
On a strict party-line vote, Democrats pre-
for all we have. In the The poverty of work-
pected terrorists, skinheads and
vailed 60-39. In addition to the two wavering
current economic
Child Watch
ing all your life caring
American homophobe Fred
lawmakers, Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and
downturn when the for others and having
Phelps. The Home Secretary in-
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent from
gap between rich and to start all over again
sists that visiting England is a
Connecticut who usually caucuses with
poor is at the highest caring for the grand-
privilege and they have to right to
Democrats, stated that although they went
level since the Great children you love.
keep out anyone that they wish.
along with the procedural vote, neither would
Depression and the The poverty of earn-
Far be it for me to lecture the
support a health reform bill that includes the
unemployment rate is 10.2 percent, millions ing a college degree, having children, open-
British on who they let into their
public option. Two other Democrats, Mark
of our neighbors, including many families ing a day care center, and taking home $300
country, but the nation’s record of
Pryor of Arkansas and Evan Bayh of Indiana,
with children, are struggling hard to count a week or even month if you’re lucky.
who is and isn’t allowed to get a
may also balk.
their blessings. The poverty of loneliness and isolation and
travel visa is hard to fathom. In
As Senator Majority Leader Reid tries to
The latest Census Bureau numbers show alienation—having no one to call or visit,
recent years Martha Stewart,
garner support for final passage, he and other
the number of children living in poverty tell you where to get help, assist you in get-
Snoop Dogg and President
leaders are huddling with the wayward
($22,050 for a family of four) increased by ting it, or care if you’re living or dead.
Obama’s brother, Samson, have
Democrats and Maine’s two senators in hopes
almost 750,000 in 2008 to 14.1 million; the The poverty of having too much and shar-
been denied travel visas. How-
of fashioning a compromise that will win them
number of children living in extreme ing too little and having the burden of noth-
ever, pedophiles like Roman
over.
poverty ($11,025 for a family of four) in- ing to carry.
Polanski and convicted rapists
The one favored by Olympia Snowe features
creased by more than 500,000 to 6.3 million The poverty of convenient blindness and
like Mike Tyson travel in and out
a trigger mechanism that would be activated
children. This is the biggest child poverty in- deafness and indifference to others, of
of the country with impunity.
when private insurers fail to provide afford-
crease since 1992 and it comes at a time emptiness and enslavement to things,
Of course the real issue isn’t what
able choices.
when our national safety net is full of holes. drugs, power, money, violence, and fleeting
the British are doing but what the
Like President Obama—who has vacillated
When parents lose their jobs, lose their fame.
conservative press in America isn’t
from calling the public option essential to
homes, lose their health care, children suf- The poverty of low aim and paltry purpose,
doing. The right-wing press has al-
health care reform and later dismissing it as a
fer, and all of us lose. Each year we keep weak will and tiny vision, big meetings and
ways rallied around prominent
“slither” of a larger process—Sen. Dick
14.1 million children in poverty it costs our small action, loud talk and sullen grudging
members who get into trouble or
Durbin, the assistant majority leader, is ap-
nation over half a trillion dollars in lost pro- service.
face real or imagined censorship, so
parently willing to capitulate to the vocal mi-
ductivity, higher crime, and poorer health. The poverty of believing in nothing, stand-
why aren’t they supporting one of
nority in his party.
What kind of nation, blessed to be the ing for nothing, sharing nothing, sacrificing
their best and brightest in his hour
In an appearance on “Meet the Press,” he
wealthiest in the world, lets one in five chil- nothing, struggling for nothing.
of need? When Rush Limbaugh was
said, “There are many variations on the
dren be poor with its children the poorest The poverty of pride and ingratitude for
in trouble for using illegal drugs,
theme. We are open because we want to pass
age group among us? This indefensible and God’s gifts of life and children and family
and talked himself out of buying the
this bill.” But at what cost?
preventable child poverty reflects a spiritual and freedom and country and earth and not
St. Louis Rams, every right-wing
Almost overlooked in the debate is that most
and values poverty far deeper than the eye wanting for others what you want for your-
talker in America championed his
Americans, upset with rising health premi-
can see and threatens the very meaning and self.
cause. When Bill O’Reilly was
ums and mounting restrictions, favor a public
future of America. So I offer a Thanksgiving The poverty of greed for more and more
caught on tape sexually harassing a
option.
prayer for us to commit to end poverty in and more, ignoring, blaming and exploiting
subordinate, the right-wingers took
A recent USA/Today/Gallup poll found that
our time—beginning with children. the needy, and taking from the weak to
to the air to defend him. Half of
50 percent of the public favors a public option
God help us to end poverty in our time. please the strong.
these guys have no problem attack-
and 46 percent oppose it. A CNN poll found
The poverty of having a child with too little The poverty of addiction to drink, to work,
ing Europe; remember this is the
even stronger support, with 61 percent in
to eat and no place to sleep, no air, sunlight to self, to the status quo, and to injustice.
crowd that brought us “Freedom
favor of an insurance option administered by
and space in which to breathe, bask and grow. The poverty of fear which keeps you from
Fries” instead of “French Fries”
the federal government and 38 percent op-
The poverty of watching your child suffer doing the thing you think is right.
when the French were seen as im-
posed.
and get sicker and sicker and not knowing The poverty of despair and cynicism.
peding the War on Terror. Now our
Although moderates and centrists are at the
what to do or how to get help because you God help us end poverty in our time in all
closest ally in the War on Terror de-
center of this debate, progressives are finally
don’t have a car to get to the emergency its faces and places, young and old, rural,
nies a pundit the right to visit be-
pushing back, letting Reid and the Obama ad-
room or health insurance. urban, suburban and small town too, and in
cause of “hate speech” and all you
ministration know that their support is not
The poverty of working your fingers to the every color of humans You have made every-
hear is crickets.
automatic.
bone every day taking care of somebody where.
Rest assured, I’m not champi-
“I don’t want four Democratic senators dic-
else’s children and neglecting your own, and God help us to end poverty in our time in
oning Michael Savage. I find him to
tating to the other 56 of us and to the country,
still not being able to pay your bills. all its guises—inside and out—physical and
be paranoid, bitter and pathologi-
when the public option has this much support,
The poverty of having a job which does not spiritual, so that all our and Your children
cally bigoted. He’s almost a carica-
that it’s not going to be in it,” Sen. Sherrod
let you afford a stable place to live and being may live the lives that You intend in the
ture of an old school bigot, more
Brown, D-Ohio, said Sunday on CNN’s “State
terrified you’ll become homeless and lose richest nation on earth.
likely to show up at the pizza par-
of the Union.”
your children to foster care. (Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Chil-
lor in “Do the Right Thing” than on
Senator Roland Burris of Illinois and Sen.
The poverty of losing your job and search- dren’s Defense Fund.)
the air. On his show he constantly
Bernie Sanders, an independent from Ver- claims that Mexicans are diseased,
mont, said they will not vote for any bill with- refers to Blacks as savages, calls for
out the public option. the killing of Muslims before they
“The overwhelming majority of Americans
Letter To The Editor
kill us and generally spends every
want to be able to choose between a strong show decrying the downfall of a na-
public option and a private insurance plan,” tion that he at one point in the past
Sanders said. “Without that competition, considered great. But at least he’s
there is very little in this bill that would keep
Where are the beautiful people
honest. He doesn’t use code words
health insurance premiums from escalating or dance around his bigotry like
rapidly. This legislation cannot simply be a Bill O’Reilly or Sean Hannity to
huge subsidy to private insurance companies placate advertisers and ameliorate
that will get millions of new customers and be
that used to live in Hill District?
the racist guilt of suburbanites.
able to raise their rates as high as they want.” The one time he sold out was in
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Of- 2003 after he was fired from
fice predicts that because the public option Dear Editor: ness district like other neighborhoods have. MSNBC for yelling at a homosex-
will be restricted to those who are not covered When the New Pittsburgh Courier comes out We have more empty lots than businesses. ual guest and telling the man to get
by their company’s insurance plan, only three once a week you see so many Afro-Americans Yes, we complain, yes, we march, but big AIDS and die. I was disappointed
to four million people will participate in the that at one time you could see them in the Hill business can’t hear us. Why? Because you that he apologized for his state-
plan. And because the pool being insured is District on different streets, also in the Centre need people with big money to back you. That ment in a cowardly attempt to stay
likely to have a higher percentage of sicker Avenue business district. Where are they now? is why everything is a slow process in the on the air.
people, the premiums might actually be One place that you find a good many of Hill. Everything is promised, but as you can It will be enjoyable to sit back and
higher than those charged by private compa- them on Sunday is in the churches in the Hill see, nothing is done. see the right ignore his visa denial
nies. District or in the Pittsburgh Courier smiling I want to congratulate our new city council- and leave yet another of their team
Some health care reform advocates don’t feel and looking beautiful on Lifestyles or special man Daniel Lavelle on his four-year term on out to dry in their desperate at-
the legislation goes far enough, arguing that articles on men and women doing well in our city council and representing the Hill Dis- tempt to win back the marketplace
it’s not true health reform if states have the society in the city of Pittsburgh. trict. I know that you have the North Shore of ideas and congressional seats. I
option of rejecting coverage for their residents. But, what about our business district in the and Downtown to represent, but for once put prefer Savage, who will tell me that
After the Senate vote Saturday, Harry Reid Hill District? the Hill District on your agenda. Our needs he hates me, and I can ignore him,
said, “We can only see the finish line. We have Go down Centre Avenue that once was are far greater for our business district on to a whole slew of charlatans out
not yet crossed it.” Fullerton Street to Wylie Avenue and down to Centre Avenue. there who feign inclusiveness over
If Democrats end up crossing the finish line Sixth Avenue and Court Place; now what do To all our beautiful people and business ideological commitment. The right
without a robust public option, it will be a you see? On the right hand side you see the men and women, let’s try and find big money wing press might fear Savage rep-
Pyrrhic victory. Mellon Arena and on the left hand side you people that can back up our young en- resents an extreme negative wing
(George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge see the new Console Arena. Next to that a trepreneurs that want to open up businesses of the party, but if you look at the
magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote new 142-room hotel. All this on Centre Av- on Centre Avenue to sell and show off their polls lately he might be the only
speaker, moderator and media coach. He can be reached enue, but what about coming up Centre Av- wares. Also to eliminate all these empty lots. wing they’ve got left.
through his website, www.georgecurry.com You can also enue to Kirkpatrick Street? What do you see? Herman A. Talley (Dr. Jason Johnson is an associate
follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.) This is supposed to the Afro-American busi- Hill District professor at Hiram College in Ohio.)
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28