"There is no doubt a disparity in the lifetime opportunities between white America and black America. The notion that we would cynically use those disparities as a rationale for dismantling Social Security as opposed to talking about how are we going to close the health disparities gap that exists, and make sure that African-American life expectancy is as long as the rest of this nation ... is stunning to me."
| A quote from Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., appears in Jeff Zeleny's Chicago Tribune article "Obama slams Bush for linking accounts to blacks' life span"; Lynn Sweet's Chicago Sun-Times article "Obama finds Bush's pitch 'offensive'" also has the quote, as well as other statements:
[...] "I frankly found the statement that the president made somewhat offensive," Obama said at a press briefing with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), focusing on the impact the creation of individual investment accounts would have on blacks.
"There is no doubt a disparity in the lifetime opportunities between white America and black America. And that is something that everybody at this table is committed to closing," Obama said.
He criticized what he said was the cynical use of disparities as a reason to dismantle Social Security. Instead, people should be talking "about how are we going to close the health disparities gap that exists, and make sure that African-American life expectancy is as long as the rest of this nation." [...]
posted in articles on March 11, 2005 6:23 AM | t (1)
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I love the turn of phrase you chose, from Barack's many quotations in the linked articles, as the title of this post. Shows a great reader's eye, as usual.
Thanks for a truly excellent weblog, in a sea of ...
Peace,
Kai
PS- I've linked to this post from my own humble Asiaphile weblog Zuky.
Listening to W's State of the Union speech, his comments on blacks and social security were ... surrealistic? can this really be happening?
Obama's point is correct. I guess under this logic, since poor neighborhoods have higher arson and fire rates, should we just tear the buildings down? LoL
I'm with Kai, enjoy your weblog immensely.
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