Barack Obama is continuing to champion the message of personal responsibility. Speaking at the NAACP convention in Cincinnati last night he said "...we also have to demand more from ourselves. Now, I know some say I’ve been too tough on folks about this responsibility stuff. But I’m not going to stop talking about it. Because I believe that in the end, it doesn’t matter how much money we invest in our communities, or how many 10-point plans we propose, or how many government programs we launch – none of it will make any difference if we don’t seize more responsibility in our own lives". You can find the entire speech here.This type of talk does not sound like the typical rhetoric of liberal politics. If you didn't know better, you might think that I was quoting Bill Cosby, Shelby Steele, Armstrong Williams, or some other conservative voice.
Barack is specifically responding to Jesse Jackson and others who have accused him of "talking down to black people". He is saying that he believes government is responsible to help provide opportunities, but ultimately individuals must take responsibility for things as well.
How do you feel about Barack's call to personal responsibility? Do you feel that he is "talking down to people"?
2 comments:
Kevin,
Have you read his book? I just finished it a few months ago. Hope ya'll are well.
Yes, both of his books were good. The Audacity of Hope was a great way to look into his thinking on why he believes what he does about different issues. Take care.
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