For a country that has seen it’s population surpass the 300 million mark and where diversity couldn’t be more evident, it is becoming more evident that minorities & to a large extent our youth or those under the age of 20 – which comprise about 27% of the population, are currently being led like blind sheep by this administration, and for far too long by Democrats in general.
Of the over 100 million people that are self proclaimed minorities in this country, about 97% of them are either Black, Latino or Asian. With a population of about 44 million, Latinos have just surpassed blacks in this country as the largest group of minorities. These numbers are significant.
You would think that with these types of numbers, these groups would have a bigger say in the direction and policy making of this country. But the fact of the matter is that Blacks, Latinos and other minorities have shown no interest in standing up to this administration on critical issues such as the jobless rate, government spending, education or foreign policy.
This inaction, in my opinion is hurting all Americans.
It is the reason that any dissent over big government, healthcare, jobs, the war and taxes is portrayed as “Right-Wing” and racist by many on the left. The fact of the matter is that these are issues that affect everyone. Blacks, Latinos, Asians, the young & poor, women & men.
For some unexplained reason, these groups do not see it as Patriotic to hold their elected leaders accountable even when they are being hit the hardest by these unemployment numbers. For the time being they are content with the “Tea Partiers” and Town Hall Protestors doing their dirty work. A recent jobs report shows that the national unemployment rate for Blacks is at 15.7% & 13.% for Latinos – the highest in 26 years In some sectors and communities, the black male unemployment rate has reached as high as 50%. In contrast, the rate is at 9.5% nationally for whites.
Minorities sit on the Sidelines
Interestingly, it hasn’t been Blacks, Latinos or minorities in general that have complained or raised red flags about this problem. For the most part, they have remained quietly on the sidelines as promises of extended unemployment benefits and other state & government programs to help them with their mortgages or pay the rent keeps them at bay.
Ironically it has been the often criticized cable news programs and conservative talk radio that has continued to monitor and question the validity of how many jobs have or have not been saved or created by this administration. These groups have been toothless and almost ashamed to dare utter a word of criticism at this administration that has made a bad job situation worse. I think the time has come for these groups to start carrying their own weight and sticking their necks out.
Key Sectors of Job Market no longer there
The manufacturing & construction jobs that were once abundant and employed millions of low skill laborers are no longer there. In times of economic downturn and periods of recession, these jobs are usually the first to go. And with a high percentage of minorities employed in these jobs, you will undoubtedly see these high double digit unemployment rates. And while there has been a lot of patience amongst these groups who helped Obama gain power, it makes you wonder why so much trust has been put in this administration that has had close to a year to make some headway in the unemployment rate.
We have all heard the promises that were made claiming that the unemployment rate would never reach eight percent if their $787 billion dollar Stimulus package was passed. Americans once again, dipped into their pockets for the sake of staving off another catastrophe, or so the administration claimed. What was then trumpeted as a noble cause, has now been revealed to be anything but a slush fund to payback political favors and buy influence.
False Data on Jobs Created
For months now we have listened to Joe Biden and this WH proclaim time & time again about how many jobs they have saved or created. They have gone as far as taking credit for jobs created in districts that don’t even exist. This is a lot of egg in the face for this administration and a farce that once again, raises the question – Why would anyone entrust the government to run anything? If they can’t figure out how to track $ 787 billion dollars of your tax dollars, how are they supposed to efficiently run a 2 trillion dollar Healthcare plan? Why would we allow them this responsibility?
There has never been a metric to measure “Jobs Created”. This administration has resorted to these tactics knowing that it is almost impossible for anyone to confirm or verify these claims. They are playing on peoples inability to question this administration. They have shown in the past that they will attack and try to discredit anyone who questions their agenda or motives. What makes it doubly difficult is the fact that they have the media in their back pockets to diffuse most of the stories that question the accuracy of these reports.
Back in June of this year, Obama addressed the issue of the high unemployment rate amongst minorities, by stating:
"The best thing that I can do for the African-American community or the Latino community or the Asian community, whatever community, is to get the economy as a whole moving. If I don't do that then I'm not going to be able to help anybody. So that's priority number one."
Where are the jobs?
Five months have passed since that proclamation and the jobless rate still remains at all time highs reaching the 10% mark. We have seen nothing but a host of Job conferences and ideas thrown around by the CEO’s of some of our biggest companies, but no evidence of job creation. The Green Jobs Czar that was supposed to have led the new wave for a new Green jobs economy, got the boot himself before creating 1 job.
If any sector of the economy has regained some stability it has been the financial sector & Wall Street. Propped up by TARP funds under the direction of Tim Geithner, Larry Summers many of these large Wall Street firms are back making billions and giving themselves huge bonuses while main street continues to suffer. Perhaps the time for Geithner & Summers has come to step aside. It is becoming clearer by the day that these two Northeast types have no idea about job growth across other stretches of this country like the Mid West and the South.
Promises, Promises
All through this period of economic turmoil, minorities have shown no backbone to stand up and demand what was promised to them. During the campaign it was all about kitchen table issues. Jobs,housing, mortgages, college tuition and putting food on the table. The issue of Healthcare was on the fringe but not on the forefront. Somehow, those kitchen table issues have suddenly taken a back seat to the agendas of those on the Far Left of the party. Burning the midnight oil to address these problems head on have been replaced with weekends of golfing, Wednesday nights of partying, and jet setting across the world in search of the best dining places.
It is time for minorities and the youth in this country to stand up to this administration and hold them accountable. It is time to forego the selfishness of many in these groups and fight for something other than, amnesty, abortions, legalization of marijuana, & entitlement programs. It is time for the leadership in these groups to stand up and do their part in holding this administration accountable for their failure to create more jobs at a quicker pace. It is time for Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Sheila Lee Jackson, Jim Clyburn, the NAACP, the Black Caucus, La Raza, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to put their money where their mouths are. It is easy to cry fowl and complain when the victim is clearly a minority and the accused is white.
Why not complain now? Aren’t these minority groups the ones that are being victimized here? Where are the million man marches to Washington D.C. to protest against Obama’s lack of emphasis on job creation? Where are the jobs? Where is the media outcry about the billions of tax payer dollars that were given away to bailout big Wall Street firms so that they could free up the credit market?
Are minorities simply going to be led like blind sheep by a chosen few? What about Hilda Solis? Why isn’t anyone asking about her job performance? She is the Labor Secretary and one of the biggest advocates for worker rights and organized labor. Yet the unemployment numbers amongst Latinos have soared under her watch. She has not spoken on the issue nor has been called out by anyone.
As of this righting, it appears that the NAACP & other organizations are beginning to see the light. This latest quote may be a wake-up call for our President to start doing his job:
“It’s time for us to really stoke this issue up,” said Hilary O. Shelton, the N.A.A.C.P.’s senior vice president for advocacy and policy. “We’re not so much trying to convince him to do something he doesn’t want to do, but urging him to move forward on an issue we have agreement on.”
Sources & references:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States
http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4661191/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5mb3huZXdzLmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDA5LzExLzE4L2pv%20Yi1odW50LW1pbm9yaXRpZXMtdXJnZS1vYmFtYS10YWNrbGUtam9ibGVzcy1y%20YXRlLWNvbW11bml0aWVzLw==
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