Comments on: ‘Blacks Should Not Be Satisfied With Food Stamps’: The Danger of Stereotypes

By: Maria

Maria — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:33:32 +0000

As an educated Black female in America, I am offended by Gingrich and Santorium and their ignorant comments. First of all, every black person knows that if the MAJORITY of people on welfare, SNAP, and other government assisted programs were black — they (the programs) would have ended long ago. My impression of Gingrich especially, if he could, he would put black people back in slavery. As far as I am concerned, black people in America, have not and never will be treated as equals in America. America was born, bred and raised itself on racism — and the black race has been, and still is singled out for the most harmful racist actions in this country.

I end with this statement, if Newt Gingrich becomes President, I am leaving the United States !!!! For He will NOT BE MY PRESIDENT !!!

By: David

David — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:33:08 +0000

E. Joyce: I think you hit the nail right on the head. This is “code talk” targeted to reach a very specific audience, and it ain’t black folks. Most troubling, is that the level of this kind of “reverse toungue in cheek” is on the rise. I would make the case Mr. Gingrich is not only sending a signal to his constituents, but a “shot across the bow” to the Black community and other people of color.

By: SFW

SFW — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:24:08 +0000

I understand what you mean, RC. But, we have to be accountable for what comes out of our mouths AND hold others accountable for what comes out of theirs. We can’t live in society without thinking about the impact of our words and just think it can all be excused by saying “You know what I mean’t” or “I didn’t mean it that way.” If a person is educated, then use words thoughtfully. THINK before you just throw out broad brush statements and just wait for it to be interpreted out of context (and then pretend like everyone else is just being “sensitive”). And like another responder said, people really do know better! We live in a country that has a very “haunting” racial history. So, for better or for worse, these are concepts that we just cannot escape. So unless one has been living under a rock, there is no, “I didn’t know that was offensive.”

By: Teresa

Teresa — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:22:26 +0000

Is Bill Cosby running for the highest political office in the nation?

By: RC

RC — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:14:00 +0000

Reggie – I apologize, I missed the mark. I really was not defending him; I was hoping to start a dialog about how partisan some of our great institutions are. Let me clarify … Newt’s Comment was stupid, ignorant and insensitive. Also, I have met him personally and based on his actions I don’t like him.

By: Leann Simmons

Leann Simmons — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:31:49 +0000

It’s not just that he made this careless remark. But once again, it reminds and reveals the psycho-social perspective that if he were to speak to the NAACP, that his best example of addressing the needs of that community is to assume a position that highly suggests social program dependency. Bill Cosby saying it would not matter, and I think if you paid attention to the Cosby respondants, you would see that his racially divisiive assumptions called for clarification and were not as palatable. Note again, why you don’t hear much from BIll these days anymore.

But why does speaking to the NAACP have to harken to food stamp dependency? Because there is a psycho-social perspective that says, “I’m preaching to the choir” and being relational. Underneath that is a racial stereotype, because numerically, and statistically, we know this African Americans are not the food stamp choir. CHeck the percentages of your Appalachian and non-Hispanic Caucasian counterparts. But it is just a perspective that refuses to die. And off the cuff comments like this, keep fuel on that fire.

By: Reggie

Reggie — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:50:25 +0000

Ummmmm…. it does sound like your defending him. If he would have said “I will tell the Black community that there should be less government, and to work hard” that would be totally acceptable. He basically said that all Blacks are on welfare. And this is such a huge stereotype. I don’t even know a Black person who is on food stamps. But I know of several Whites that are on food stamps.

By: Rece

Rece — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:18:00 +0000

Pure ignorance!

By: E. Joyce

E. Joyce — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:07:20 +0000

The stereotype is the myth that the majority of recipients of food stamps and welfare monies are people of color and African descent. It’s been a long held view of many Anglos and speaks to the paradigm by which they define the Black community as a whole. The truth is that in spite of the myth, more Anglos have always received more welfare assistance and food stamps. They could be your next door neighbors in fact. Currently 70% of the food stamp recipients are Anglo, 94% of the recipients in Iowa are Anglo, so the question becomes why bring race into the dialogue at all? Could it be that this is just a continuance of the ongoing, covert message to the right wing constituency that the POTUS and first family is just in the White House on a super, high-end welfare dole that taxpayers have to pay for and that he isn’t doing anything to earn that “welfare check?” Racism isn’t a paranoia, it is a strategy.

By: E. Joyce

E. Joyce — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:54:21 +0000

If anyone on the right has a valid point to make, I would suggest that they discontinue the notion of mixing the message with the strategy of engaging their constituency through racially loaded and fact-free opinions. To do so, only to apologize, attempt to justify, tell you that you didn’t hear what you heard (“blah” people? really?) and/or take on the “I’m the victim here” meme that seems to become more prevalent — is disingenuous and suspect. We see who you are.