Jackson Free Press

I am listening with great interest to President Bush as he addresses the NAACP for the first time during his presidency. He is making a lot of great points that I want to explore and get comments on. The one that stuck out to me the most thus far is what I used in the title: We want a United America that is One Nation Under God." That says so much.

Why is it that we say we want to be united, yet look for ways to separate us through more organizations that are divided by race. I don't get it.

Previous Comments

ID

107126

Comment

I will attach a link to this from FOXNEWS or CNN once it's live, but I had to mention what he is discussing now: acknowledging the past. Bush just told the NAACP that he knows that many blacks did not come to this country in search of the "American Dream" but as property of those who did. That is a sad reality, but it should give us reasons to do all we can to overcome that---- not just to relive it.

Author

c a webb

Date

2006-07-20T09:57:40-06:00

ID

107127

Comment

Okay---- here is the FOXNEWS coverage thus far of the visit to the NAACP: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204513,00.html

Author

c a webb

Date

2006-07-20T10:04:42-06:00

ID

107128

Comment

I think it's great that he went there, and he appears to be a receiving warm reception. There is a lot of distrust of the Republican Party by the African-American community, as many point out because of their embrace of former segregationists and the use of the Southern Strategy to gain power. But I think that we as African-Americans can't completely turn our back on the Republicans, because we need people of color in both parties to counter the anti-minority elements in BOTH parties. And those of us happen to have conservative views that run counter to the mainstream Democratic Party, shouldn't be made to feel less black for embracing those views.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-07-20T10:17:17-06:00

ID

107129

Comment

agreed, ejeff. I usually keep my political/religious views for private conversations with close friends and family, but one thing that I have never understood is the way that some blacks so blindly vote for a certain party "just because." One of my relatives has a weird way that they describes it. She says: "Voting is like driving a car. If you want to go forward then you put the car in DRIVE for Democrats. If you want to stay still or go backwards you put the car in REVERSE by voting for Republicans." How lame is that. It has been my experience that the blacks I am the closest to have values that are more in line with the Republican party, though they vote Democrat because they see it as the party of the people. I think the speech Bush gave today highlights the need for independent thinking. That is the only way a real change is going to come.

Author

c a webb

Date

2006-07-20T10:24:55-06:00

ID

107130

Comment

I'm curious. Am I welcome in Bush's nation under his god? See, the problem with his language is he automatically eliminates those that do not believe in his God -- the trinity that brings the second coming and destroys the non-believers... He loses me immediately with that language because it does not embody the full American dream and the full American landscape of multi-religions, multi-ethnicities, and multi-cultures... He welcomes those to his nation under God. While he may be trying to unite the Republicans with black voters, he's segregating those that do not subscribe to his evangelical beliefs which is a growing number of Black Muslims, Rastas, and others. This is NOTHING but a political move and has nothing to do with him truly reaching out. Think about it... Elections are coming up and he's just now reaching out after HOW MANY YEARS IN OFFICE? C'mon... Don't be played so easily, people! Sorry... But being united under Bush's god creates a hellish America that I want no part of and will fight against until I'm forced to leave or forced into prisons/death (how must theocratic tyrants handle dissent).

Author

kaust

Date

2006-07-20T14:42:02-06:00

ID

107131

Comment

"I think the speech Bush gave today highlights the need for independent thinking. That is the only way a real change is going to come." - c.a. Did Bush suggest this or are you? The Bush regime has been far from supportive of independent thinking. I find it hard to believe that this was, in any way, part of his message.

Author

kaust

Date

2006-07-20T14:43:21-06:00

ID

107132

Comment

Hey Knol. Actually about 10 minutes of his 30 minute or so speech was about how blacks (i don't really say african-american, but he did) have made strides and will continue to because of thinking ahead and outside the box. He talked about how many are starting businesses rather than just working for others. I thought the speech was a powerful one and so appropriate for any group, but especially the NAACP.

Author

c a webb

Date

2006-07-20T15:02:27-06:00

ID

107133

Comment

The speech, and the decision to speak now, seem political only to me. I wouldn't trust Bush a mere second. Whatever he said was thought-out and planned to help republicans in the next election and the future beyond. He has already shown he doesn't give a crap about the masses of black folks. Like him, I don't give a crap a about the few blacks willing to sell the masses of black folks down the drain to republicans for a few personal gains. We, black folks, have a growing number of black skin people willing to do that. No one in the NAACP leadership is of this type though.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2006-07-20T15:18:39-06:00

ID

107134

Comment

Sorry... But being united under Bush's god creates a hellish America that I want no part of and will fight against until I'm forced to leave or forced into prisons/death (how must theocratic tyrants handle dissent). I'm assuming you understand that Bush's interpretation of god may fall far short of what God really is? I for one do not subscribe to the authoritarian god Bush and other republicans like to pretend to believe in. Their type don't believe, they know the words and parrot them well. Their true allegiance is to money, and those who move the nations economy foward. Look at their actions. For all the years they've been promising things to the "religious right", have the actually made good on a promise? We still have everything the "religious right" political party said the republicans would remove.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2006-07-20T15:22:23-06:00

ID

107135

Comment

Ray, I think his speech was thought-out and planned, but to me that is a good thing. I think we would all agree that a problem with some politicians---regardless of their office----is that they speak off the cuff and make mistakes that are replayed on 24 hour cable for days to come. There is no way that anyone who listened to that speech could say that he was not careful with every word and was doing what all in elected positions do: try to win favor. We have to keep in mind that the black vote was a part of his last win, mainly because they VOTED. As he said, he knows that the Republicans have work to do when it comes to embracing others and earning their trust. But the news flash is that so do Democrats.

Author

c a webb

Date

2006-07-20T15:23:42-06:00

ID

107136

Comment

Bush was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. The majority of the black community has made up its mind about him and in spite of the warm response he received this morning, the long knives will be back out by the afternoon on both sides. So it really didn't accomplish anything in the final analysis. But it was a nice gesture.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-07-20T15:37:18-06:00

ID

107137

Comment

The speech, and the decision to speak now, seem political only to me. I wouldn't trust Bush a mere second. Whatever he said was thought-out and planned to help republicans in the next election and the future beyond. He has already shown he doesn't give a crap about the masses of black folks.- Ray Carter Good observation. I would suspect that Bush was also much more willing to meet with the NAACP after all of these years because we are only a month and some days away from the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the N.O. disaster, and the criticism of the lethargic Federal response will resurface, so I think Bush wants to head off any further criticism of being unresponsive to the black community. Having Bruce Gordon as Chairman of the NAACP probably has made it a bit more palatable for Bush than if Julian Bond was still in, even though I understand the Bond also wanted a "civil" response to Bush's address.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-07-20T16:12:55-06:00

ID

107138

Comment

This just in: Voting Rights Act approved 98-0 in the Senate. Lott and Cochran both voted for it. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-07-20T18:34:27-06:00

ID

107139

Comment

I had faith that it would pass, but just in case I joined in on the recent "air advocacy" campaign by calling Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions' office earlier this week and politely demanded that he get off the fence and vote for the act w/o amendment (of course, I wasn't able to tell him directly, but you know how it works!)

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-07-20T18:41:07-06:00

ID

107140

Comment

Why is it that we say we want to be united, yet look for ways to separate us through more organizations that are divided by race. I don't get it. Organizations such as the NAACP were not designed to separate. The idea is to demand the same rights and privileges as the majority of United States citizens. I really wish you got to see the "Confederate States of America" movie. Very enlightening. Bush just told the NAACP that he knows that many blacks did not come to this country in search of the "American Dream" but as property of those who did. That is a sad reality, but it should give us reasons to do all we can to overcome that---- not just to relive it. There is a saying that those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. Teaching the history of our struggle is important for remembering where we came from and to do whatever it takes not to go back there. Also, it is a way to pay homage to those before us who suffered and died so that we can go after that life, liberty and pursuit of happiness we've heard so much about. This is why there is Black History Month, Independence Day, Chanukah and the like - to show appreciation for something that was done on our behalf.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-07-21T15:46:18-06:00