politics

Obama's comments should be measured on accuracy

Why is such a turmoil being made over Barack Obama's remarks at a San Francisco luncheon? The Democratic presidential hopeful rendered observations about America's small towns last week and the resulting uproar is both pathetic and a vivid illustration of the very myopic, emotion-based politics so prevalent in America today.

"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them," Obama said. "And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Bottom line: Obama's comments are accurate.

The increasing reliance on dogma, faith and supposition instead of common sense and science in America is disturbing. In 2005, in a study led by Jon D. Miller, a political scientist at Michigan State University, people in 34 countries were asked to respond to the statement: "Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals." Of the 34 countries surveyed, the United States ranks next to last in acceptance of evolution theory. Researchers point out that the number of Americans who are uncertain about the theory's validity has increased over the past 20 years.

In the U.S., only 14 percent of adults thought that evolution was "definitely true," while about a third firmly rejected the idea.

In European countries, including Denmark, Sweden, and France, more than 80 percent of adults surveyed said they accepted the concept of evolution.

The proportion of western European adults who believed the theory "absolutely false" ranged from 7 percent in Great Britain to 15 percent in the Netherlands.

A recent report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says 888 hate groups operated in the United States last year, an increase of 48 percent since 2000. The study cites FBI statistics showing a 35 percent increase in reported anti-Latino hate crimes between 2003 and 2006. The report says the increase is linked to anti-immigrant activism.

Introduced in May 2006, a ballot measure in San Bernardino, California sought to (1) deny city money and permits to businesses that employ undocumented immigrants; (2) allow local police to seize the automobiles used by employers to pick up day laborers; (3) ban the ability of undocumented immigrants to rent property; and (4) require that all city business take place in English only. Joseph Turner, founder of the California based anti-immigrant organization "Save Our State" orchestrated the introduction of the San Bernardino ordinance, and authored the original draft.

Just over one year following the initial San Bernardino ordinance, approximately 90 localities have proposed more than 100 similar ordinances, and at least 35 have passed, according to testimony offered by Udi Ofer, Legislative Counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union before Jorge Bustamante,The United Nations Special Rapporteour On The Human Rights Of Migrants
Regarding The Proliferation OfLocal Anti-Immigrant Ordinances In The United States. (full testimony: http://www.nyclu.org/node/1006)

The Bush Administration's war on science is well-documented, specifically Chris Mooney's excellent work on the right wing's effort to discard or ignore science when public policy and ideology are crossed.

And, President Bush is famous for starting way too many sentences with, "I believe..." subtly indicating a stronger tendency toward religious leanings rather than scientific or popular support. The President and his ideologues continually frame the conflict in Iraq in stark good versus evil terms painting the so-called "insurgents" or so-called "terrorists" as evil and the invading country, the United States, as purveyors of "freedom" and pursuing "democracy." And all can be irrationally justified through religious zeal.

Yes, Hillary Clinton and John McCain can spin Obama's comments to try and leverage the remarks for political gain. But, their attempts are difficult to accept given their status in society.

McCain calls Obama's comments 'elitist.' Well, John wears the prisoner of war badge proudly--and the Arizona senator should--but to call Obama elitist when the so-called maverick languishes in a life fueled by beer distribution luxury is suprising.

For Hillary to say "people like us" when she lives a life disconnected from the struggles of everyday American's living (her failure to disclose her and Bill's financial situation speaks volumes) is galling.

Obama's comments given the evidence of America's continued infatuation with religious bent and the growing anti-immgratant flare should be measured on their accuracy and not taken out of context for political gain.

-30-

posted by dq @ 8:04 AM