Since it's your expansion and not my sentence that is troubling you, deal with it.

Since it's your expansion and not my sentence that is troubling you, deal with it.

Regarding Obama's NAACP speech, many people seem to fall quite quickly into the idea that blacks are particularly irresponsible. (The topic was apparently only 2 paragraphs of Obama's entire speech, but that's all many people saw in the speech.) Would they applaud so heavily if a candidate had gone to Dayton Ohio, where the economy has declined recently, to lecture the people there that they need to shape up because their troubles are their own fault? How about Appalachia where low education and low standard of living has been common for decades? Does this reveal the moral flaws of the entire people living there? I grew up in Louisiana which consistently is rated either the worst or next to worst in education. One of the reasons (only one) is certainly (this is just personal experience) the way that education is viewed by the white farmers I grew up with. Do we think someone needs to lecture them about education?

I'm sure you all get the idea. The reason for the problems in these areas are complex — due to a combination of geography, history, economics, government, as well as, surely, some personal moral flaws. We all understand this and so any solution which is just “yell at midwestern farmers for being stupid enough to lose their family farms” is only scratching the surface of what's going on.

And yet with black Americans, many seem to be quite at ease at reducing the issues to lack of responsibility. Why would Filipinos in Honolulu, white rural Louisianians, Hispanics in L.A., and blacks in Baltimore all drop out of school early when it's to their clear long-term detriment? Is it because they all have irresponsible families, or are there many different factors at play? I'm guessing the latter. I don't mean to say that personal responsibility is unimportant. It's arguably the most important factor in leading a successful life. But things don't start and stop there.

Regarding Obama's NAACP speech, many people seem to fall quite quickly into the idea that blacks are particularly irresponsible. (The topic was apparently only 2 paragraphs of Obama's entire speech, but that's all many people saw in the speech.) Would they applaud so heavily if a candidate had gone to Dayton Ohio, where the economy has declined recently, to lecture the people there that they need to shape up because their troubles are their own fault? How about Appalachia where low education and low standard of living has been common for decades? Does this reveal the moral flaws of the entire people living there? I grew up in Louisiana which consistently is rated either the worst or next to worst in education. One of the reasons (only one) is certainly (this is just personal experience) the way that education is viewed by the white farmers I grew up with. Do we think someone needs to lecture them about education?

I'm sure you all get the idea. The reason for the problems in these areas are complex — due to a combination of geography, history, economics, government, as well as, surely, some personal moral flaws. We all understand this and so any solution which is just “yell at midwestern farmers for being stupid enough to lose their family farms” is only scratching the surface of what's going on.

And yet with black Americans, many seem to be quite at ease at reducing the issues to lack of responsibility. Why would Filipinos in Honolulu, white rural Louisianians, Hispanics in L.A., and blacks in Baltimore all drop out of school early when it's to their clear long-term detriment? Is it because they all have irresponsible families, or are there many different factors at play? I'm guessing the latter. I don't mean to say that personal responsibility is unimportant. It's arguably the most important factor in leading a successful life. But things don't start and stop there.

There is nothing incompatible between the principles of the NAACP and personal responsibility. The NAACP combats institutional racism, but that hardly means that individual blacks have no responsibility for their own behavior. In fact, Jesse Jackson himself has said something similar to Obama's speech in the past.

The possible backlash from the NAACP or other blacks that some commenters are gloating over I don't believe represents an ideological difference. It's more a question of not wanting to have the community's dirty laundry displayed in public.

I believe you are 'expanding' my comment when you claim it means that “all black social issues can only be described as primarily the fault of whites.”
i just don't think in those terms, ever.
I can't begin to guess where in my words you found such an idea, so i can't explain it for you.

There is nothing incompatible between the principles of the NAACP and personal responsibility. The NAACP combats institutional racism, but that hardly means that individual blacks have no responsibility for their own behavior. In fact, Jesse Jackson himself has said something similar to Obama's speech in the past.

The possible backlash from the NAACP or other blacks that some commenters are gloating over I don't believe represents an ideological difference. It's more a question of not wanting to have the community's dirty laundry displayed in public.

I believe you are 'expanding' my comment when you claim it means that “all black social issues can only be described as primarily the fault of whites.”
i just don't think in those terms, ever.
I can't begin to guess where in my words you found such an idea, so i can't explain it for you.

It is one thing, the appropriate thing, to call on blacks to do the best they can, even in a bad situation.
It is quite another, an unacceptable one, to put the entire onus on blacks to deal with the consequences of what whites have done.
Moral responsibilites cut both ways, and there are institutional injustices that an individual may not always be able to overcome.
For that we all bear responsibity.

It is one thing, the appropriate thing, to call on blacks to do the best they can, even in a bad situation.
It is quite another, an unacceptable one, to put the entire onus on blacks to deal with the consequences of what whites have done.
Moral responsibilites cut both ways, and there are institutional injustices that an individual may not always be able to overcome.
For that we all bear responsibity.

A satire on what now? That's an interesting take.

Makes you wonder if Jesse Jacksons open mic moment caught the exact sentiment I bet many blacks are feeling right now about Obama but is afraid to air.

This doesn't ONLY apply to “black folks” as you can find examples in any racial group. Agree with above posters, it's a courageous thing to say but could end up hurting his support. I guess the truth does sometimes hurt.