I think the media inaccuracy witch hunt is reaching its zenith. (Or perhaps its nadir.) Brian Williams is being slammed for saying that there are no black members of the of the Senate, and that it's a bigger problem than there being no black television news anchors on the major networks. I'd read his comments in the United in-flight magazine when they were published, and I agreed with him then. The thing is, despite Obama's status as a senator-elect, Williams is correct. There are currently no black members of the Senate.
Also, even after Obama begins his term, there will be one black member of the Senate. That's still a sign that something's wrong, people. So, in addition to being factually correct, the general issue Williams was raising, that almost every kind of American is underrepresented in the Senate, and that legislative underrepresentation is a greater danger than journalistic representation, is also correct. So, to recap: Correct in the letter of what he said, and correct in the spirit of what he was communicating.
Fact-checkers, fire away!
Allow me to advertise my ignorance on this subject:
If there are no black members of the senate because we as Americans have something against them, then yes, I agree that there is something wrong.
If there are no black members of the senate because none have really tried hard enough to become a member, then no, there is nothing wrong. Why force anyone to do something they're not interested in?
If the latter of the two is true, I'm all for calling out to them to say "hey! why don't you try!? we could use your voice!"
You know, I have to confess, I'd never considered the possibility that perhaps no African Americans *want* to be in the Senate. It would be terrible to force a black person into being a Senator.
Perhaps this had never occurred to me because it's a fucking ridiculous idea.
Shouldn't that be a colon in your headline, not a comma?
In an ideal world, each portion of American society would be fairly represented in all parts of government, but the system used to elect politicians does not allow that to happen. In fact, no electoral system in use today is perfect. The current system definitely favors the majority, so it will always be difficult for an African-American to become a senator - the sad fact is that race is still a factor for today's voter.
Frankly, anybody who wants to be a politician probably shouldn't be!
Yeah, Ryan, you showed a whole lot of ignorance with that one. Carol Mosely Braun was a senator from Illinois for many years until her run for Democratic presidential candidate.
There are dozens of African Americans in the House (39 not counting Obama). But a state-wide run for the U.S. Senate requires more money, and "broader appeal" (yes, that's code-speak) that most African American candidates can generate.
...there are no black members of the of the of the Senate...
Only one "of the" needed here.
Otherwise, I agree with your assessment.
LOL so my idea was ridiculous.
I never said there never have been any black senators.
I guess I need to get my head away from programming every once and a while. Or just avoid responding to political topics. :)
Frankly, anybody who wants to be a politician probably shouldn't be!
That also goes for President of the Galaxy, a la Hitchhiker's Guide.
Do you honestly think that you can find 100 people that represent every group in America? Ideology, race, gender, geography, skin color, ethnicity, hair color, economic background, eye color, and so on and so on...
Allow me to advertise my ignorance on this subject:
Why do ignorant people comment on things they know nothing about? Especially when is has to do with Black people?
Why not trouble yourself to at least learn the basics about the topic prior to posting?
Cripes people, use your heads.
Why do ignorant people comment on things they know nothing about? Especially when is has to do with Black people?
First, "ignorant people" and someone "ignorant about a certain subject" are two completely different things. Thanks for being kind enough to insult me. ha! (um, that was a joke. I know what you meant.) Anyway, I often choose to comment on things even when I don't know much about it because 1) I find it an interesting topic 2) I can learn more from other people by participating 3) It sparks conversation that may not have come up otherwise 4) People who know a lot about a subject really aren't the only ones who are capable of coming up with interesting or thought provoking things to say. Get your head out of the clouds and open up a bit and you'll be surprised what you can learn from the ignorant (myself included). It often takes a different perspective, yes maybe even an ignorant one, to solve a problem. Did I solve anything here? No. Did I really spark any interesting conversation? Well, I did get insulted! :-D I'm not trying to convince anybody that my comment was useful. I'm just answering the question. :)
Why not trouble yourself to at least learn the basics about the topic prior to posting?
In this specific instance I found the topic interesting, but not enough to research it. I learned enough to satisfy my curiosity from the replies it got.
Note to self: re-read what write before you post.
Get your head out of the clouds and open up a bit and you'll be surprised what you can learn from the ignorant (myself included).
The "(myself included)" was suggesting I need to open up a bit as well, not that I include myself in the list of people you can learn from. :)