This sucker is absolutely dangerous! Shouldn't be allowed to speak to young people!

They should institute a birth lottery so that we can slowly genetically alter our human selves through natural selection into a race of incredibly lucky people.

In 1000 years everyone will be so lucky that when we stub our toe, it will be on a massive gold nugget.

 

When I read his speech, I thought his message on this point was essentially -- (1) you have all worked hard to get here; (2) many people before you had to work hard to provide a world where equal opportunity was possible, so let's not forget them; (3) some successful people got there because of luck, but act as if they did something great that caused them to be successful; (4) when you are successful, don't forget that people who are not successful may not have had the privilege you had.

I just didn't think it was that controversial of a message. The people on this board were not the audience of this speech. The graduates of Howard were.

 

Well, you could disable your clicker.

 

Do you mean like, being blessed by God?

 

I don't even know where to begin with that one... so I'm just not going to take the bait.

 

Well, it was a possibility give by Obama. Did you automatically discount that possibility?

 

I think that he's saying that if you're successful, no matter how hard you've worked to get where you are, there are elements of "luck" or "blessing" that have contributed to that success. That's certainly true. Nothing that I did was responsible for me being born in America, rather than some poor or war-torn region of the world. My work had nothing to do with me being born into a stable family that gave me a chance to get a good education. The hard work and sacrifices of others provided me a reasonably well-governed community that has the infrastructure and economy necessary to allow my business to succeed. None of that would have meant squat if I hadn't worked hard, if my health had been bad, if I had run with the wrong crowd, or indulged in drugs or alcohol to excess.

I don't have a problem with Obama saying any of that, because it's true. People who aren't grateful for their blessings, who look down on others who don't have the same opportunities in life, are assholes. All it would take would be one minor change in my circumstances and all of my hard work might have been for not.

I do wish that the President had used some of his time in office to point out to poor communities that expecting government to solve all of your problems is a futile endeavor. Government can do some things, and we can debate how much and what types of things it can do in the fight against poverty, but it can't instill in kids an understanding that they need to have a plan for their lives. Government can preach, but it can't make the choices for kids about getting involved in drugs, gangs or other behaviors that are going to result in bad things for your life. Government can provide education and access to contraceptives, but people are going to have to make choices for themselves regarding actions that may result in having kids young and outside of marriage. That problem is huge in much of the poor, black community and it can derail, or at least make very difficult, any plans that young people make for their lives.

Blessings are wonderful, but it takes work to succeed. Negative circumstances are an impediment to success, but not a total roadblock. Government and private aid can help overcome those impediments, but they can't keep a kid from making choices that will condemn them to a life of poverty and hardship.

 

e_blazer, Obama has said all those things, many times. I don't know of anyone on the planet who does not think it takes work to succeed.

Remember Kevin Durant's MVP speech 2 years ago? He talked about how hard his mother worked and even still there was often not enough to feed the family. He broke down sobbing as he recalled the many times his mother went to bed hungry so her children could eat. Durant was lucky, he had a one in a million talent that he worked hard to develop. But what about ordinary guys in that situation? Who see no options but sell drugs so we have enough food? When your choice is crime or hunger?

Many people make the right choices but still get caught in crossfire. Or killed by police who think their Bible is a gun, or their wallet is a gun. Or the 12 year old playing with a toy is an adult with real gun. Or who get raped and told their pregnancy is a gift from god and they must carry to term because the state where they live requires parental consent to end a pregnancy, but that they are solely responsible for the care of the child they gave birth to at age 12. Or get beaten to death because two white guys could not tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese and blamed a Chinese guy for Japanese cars destroying the US auto industry. (yes, all real cases) It's easy to sit pretty and say "make better choices".

Sometimes government programs can help people make the right choices. In Colorado, a program offered long acting contraceptives free for low income women/teens at high risk for unwanted pregnancy. Women turned out in droves. The teen pregnancy rate plummeted. The school dropout rate dropped. The abortion rate dropped. The state saved a lot of money. And the governor and legislature ended the program because they say the state should only fund abstinence programs, which don't work, and they oppose birth control.

 

The only businesses (and entire towns) being burned down in America in recent history are being burned down by the Black Losers Muttering crowd, which Obama has refused to prosecute for despite a massive amount of video evidence identifying the arsonsists.

I read his address to the racist, hate-mongering, exclusive-college graduates and found it to be inaccurate, misleading, and even ridiculous at times. The most notable lie-by-omission was the absence of any mention how violent crime and crimes using guns have absolutely plummeted in his selective timeline since he graduated in 1983. Why not mention something as wonderful as that, especially since it is probably the #1 improvement in the lives of his chosen audience?

 

I agree with most of that, but I don't recall the Obama administration making a significant push to get kids out of gang situations. I don't recall him making much commentary on the black-on-black gun violence that's killing so many young black males. I also think that, while there's no doubt that the statistics show that blacks are disproportionately incarcerated and victims of police shootings, there hasn't been an honest attempt to determine how much of that is institutional prejudice vs. how much is a result of higher percentages of kids being involved in gangs and criminal activities. Both frickin' sides make political hay out of the situation, but nobody seems to want to really address the problem head on by getting to all of the roots.

 

this is what matters. not that he is drone bombing innocent civilian children. not that he is selling us out with the GOP backed TPP.

no, telling black people they need luck to succeed, thats the biggest problem.

 

e_blazer, we don't always agree but that's OK. People don't have to, and in fact don't in reality, always agree. But you are part of the reality based world so if I disagree with you I can at least respect that you try to base your views on reality (but you can look up everything Obama has said about violence in the black community and support for initiatives to provide alternatives and to mentor especially young black men away from violence; it's there). While still thinking you are wrong!

This thread is not reality based.

It would have taken 5 minutes to read what President Obama actually said. He did not say success was just good luck, nothing to do with work. He never said that. I don't know of anyone who has said that. But it didn't matter what he actually said. It didn't matter that the "source" was a nutjob web site that also claims Michelle Obama is a man in disguise, that Malia and Sasha were rented and not their children, and photoshopped a picture of Ms. Obama with an erect penis showing under her dress (real classy).

What matters is that it's an OUTRAGE, an OUTRAGE I TELL YOU!

Just like it doesn't matter that Mexico is not sending rapists across the border.
Just like it doesn't matter that there were no celebrations by thousands of American Muslims when the towers fell.
Just like it doesn't matter that there is not a single known case of a transgender woman attacking a cisgender woman or girl in a public restroom, or a man pretending to be transgender to do so.
Just like it doesn't matter that there is not a single known case of a woman having an abortion at 8 1/2 months because her clothes don't fit (Bob Dole) or she has a "little headache (John McCain).
Just like it doesn't matter that there is not a single known case of Vietnamese immigrants killing and eating someone's household pet (remember that one?)

What matters is that it's an OUTRAGE, an OUTRAGE I TELL YOU! What matters is hate. What matters is making someone an "other" so they can be demonized. And the most "other" of all is the n----r who dares to pretend to be president. "That sucker" who will never be president of "real" America.

What do facts matter when you can have OUTRAGE?

 

If you had read the transcript you would've been able to formulate your own opinion. Unfortunately you decided to let breitbart do that for you. You get your opinion from there. That same piece of shit website that lied about Shirley Sherrod. Breitbart is not a news site.

 

I'll take the fuckin bait fuck it.

You believe in God. Don't you say God has blessed you? Did God bless you with the life you're leading? Is your boat a blessing?

Obama is the leader of the free world. He's gone to very prestigious schools. He's been to near every part of the globe and met many world leaders during his travels as president. Besides all of the things he has worked to achieve, he has a loving family and intelligent children.

When his presidency ends he will not need or want for anything and will have the ultimate ability to leverage his time. He will have secret service protection for the rest of his life.

Seems like he's pretty blessed to me...

 

Hilarious. You know the "roots" of the problem....