News From Terre Haute, Indiana

Opinion

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable as well as posts that are attacking other users. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
November 25, 2012

EDITORIAL: Put ‘takers’ talk to rest

Post-election blaming rant divisive distortion

The Tribune-Star

In this season of giving, it’s ironic to hear such bitter words about “takers” in America.

That bleat represents a vitriolic response to President Obama’s re-election by his most strident opponents. The reason for his victory, according to a post-election assessment by Mitt Romney, the defeated Republican candidate, was “extraordinary financial gifts from government” by the president to certain groups of Americans — specifically, young people, Latin-Americans, African-Americans, and women. Free stuff. Government checks. Get in line.

The claim is a sure-fire way to stir up “hell yeahs” from like-minded people, long Facebook rants, and chain emails. The stereotyping also is unfair, distorted and inaccurate.

One of the most popular assertions by those angered by the vote involved “Obama phones” handed out by the administration for free to welfare recipients, who then presumably voted for the president. The accusation got repeated at a Romney campaign rally by the Florida agriculture commissioner, and then spread nationwide through a video of a woman claiming to have received one of the “Obama phones.”

A chain email expressed outrage that such a practice threatened bedrock principles of God, family and hard work, according to the Tampa Bay Tribune’s Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact.com fact-checking team. The problem is, the Lifeline program (that’s the actual name, rather than “Obama phones”) was created in 1985 and expanded in 2008 under President Bush. It subsidizes phone service for low-income people. In 2012, the Federal Communications Commission actually modernized Lifeline to reduce fraud and waste, and ensure broadband availability to low-income Americans, PolitiFact found.

The Florida ag commissioner, Adam Putnam, retracted his comment, PolitiFact reported, posting on his own Facebook page, “About those cell phones: I’d heard about the YouTube video, wasn’t aware it was disclaimed. Won’t happen again.”

That’s the sad reality of the takers-versus-makers depiction of the nation. It panders to the baser human instincts and perpetuates fallacies.

A much different, refreshing response to the election came from the incoming chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana governor. Last Sunday on “Fox News Sunday,” Jindal distanced himself from comments by Romney, who earlier in the campaign famously wrote off 47 percent of America as unwilling to take personal responsibilities. Of the GOP, Jindal said, “If we want people to like us, we have to like them first,” adding, “You don’t start to like people by insulting them and saying their votes were bought. We are an aspirational party.”

Like Jindal, fellow Republican Carlos Gutierrez, former Commerce secretary under President Bush, voiced plans for action, rather than cynicism. Gutierrez, according to The Associated Press, is forming a super political-action-committee to support Republican candidates who endorse immigration reform, including legalizing the status of 11 million immigrants now living in the U.S. without authorization. A gift to buy votes? No. The immigrants, Gutierrez told CNN, “risk their lives, and they come here and they work because they want to be part of the American dream. That is what the GOP is.”

Those who continue to blame “takers” only divert the healthier, meaningful debate about strengthening the economy, and expanding opportunity. Before clicking “Like” on a Facebook tirade, consider some numbers: Seventy percent of U.S. counties with the fastest growth of food-stamp assistance during the past four years voted for the Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, in 2008, Bloomberg news service reported, quoting U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Why? The same reason it increased in other regions — the brutal recession.

Also, remember that favorable government policies and benefits to defense, energy and international corporations could also qualify those multi-billion-dollar entities as takers.

Instead, as the holidays unfold, let’s give the “takers” talk a rest. It’s time to move on.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Opinion
Latest News
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
AP Video
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London Chain-Reaction School Bus Crash Injures About 50 Okla. Teens Get Video of Deadly Tornado Overhead Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness Raw: 80-Year-Old Climbs Mount Everest Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam Wash. State Man Arrested Following Ricin Scare Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense Oklahoma Family Reflects on Lost Son Today in History May 23 Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
NDN Video
AK-47-wielding thug may be the most bumbling crook ever Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage Trout's cycle a boost for Angels Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado Kim Kardashian Flaunts Pregnant Bikini Body in Greece NBA star pledges $1M to help tornado recovery Shakira's Shocking Talent Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air GRAPHIC: Blood-Soaked Machete Killer Caught on Tape Elin Nordegren Furious With Lindsey Vonn For Parading Kids in Public Camera Captures Climber As He Loses Grip And Falls Helen Mirren Meets with Dying Boy in Queen Elizabeth's Place Crowd Chants '¡Si, Se Puede!' After Passage of Immigration Bill DWTS Crowns a Winner Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff Demi Moore a Rocks Bikini at Harry Morton's Family House Anthony Weiner: I'm running for New York City mayor Kate Middleton's Dress Flies Up VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

     

    March 12, 2010

activity
Real Estate News