This discussion kind of evolved to, and is very concerning to me, that if you support voter ID and reforming welfare you are a racist. First of all, I don't believe that's true and even more important it over shadows the bigger problem, minorities represent large percentages of people living in poverty.

The last time my wife and I were in line waiting our turn to vote it was surprising to see over 75% of the people had their driver's license or other form of ID out, in hand expecting to be required to identify themselves. We already produce ID quite often in the US and I believe most people already expect something similar to vote.

The bigger question: What can we do as a people, a nation, a government to help all, no matter the color, rise above poverty? Give more and loosen accessibility to the current welfare system? The fact bad life choices like Obesity and Substance Addiction qualifies for disability and when I see documentaries interviewing people in line for government services with Help Wanted signs on businesses a block away that they refuse to apply because it would affect their government checks confirms my belief the government has failed miserably here as it does with most programs it is involved.

I'm not saying everybody gets to a point in their life where they may need a little help (God bless my family and State health insurance for kids,Thank You Mrs. Clinton, or I wouldn't be where I'm at today) but government services should be a hand up not a hand out. Welfare should be just that, welfare, supplying basic services like nutrition, a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and public education while we are getting on our feet financially. Excesses beyond that should be our personal responsibility. Does that make me a racist? It is a documented fact that government debit cards have been redeemed in places like Louis Vitton stores, cruise ships and Las Vegas. Just the fact that things like this can happen proves major problems in the system and as a taxpayer I don't wish to support excessive spending and support major welfare reform. Once again, does that make me a racist?

Melissa Harris-Perry made a comment something like "they want to cut welfare so single mothers would have to go to work instead of staying at home raising their children"....huh? There are many single parents that work full time and have created wonderful home lives for their children, thank you very much. Making the choice to bear children comes with an intense financial and emotional responsibility that is not the role of government and should be taken very seriously. But she does bring up a very important issue. The cost of child-care is so expensive, and the fact there were no services available, that after adding all the costs it was actually cheaper for my wife to quit her job and stay at home with our two boys. Would our welfare dollars be better spent supporting under employed families with child care assistance? I think so.... there I go again - welfare reform.

I am very blessed to have chosen a career that involves me with people that are starting new businesses and improving their lives at home. When I stand in front of someone expressing their dream, the immense excitement and joy exuded almost produces a blinding light that exposes what I believe is their true selves. We have all been blessed with God given gifts and have dreams. A proper role of government could help us explore and implement those into our lives and careers.

I envision a welfare system that redistributes funds to help people with a hand up. Entry programs would only include the very basics in nutrition, clothing, and housing. Advanced programs would assist in job placement with things like employer payroll training subsidies and supporting under employed families with things like childcare and reduced services. Further education grants would come with a responsibility, as would all services, to include employment requirements (hopefully in the educated field) for certain time frames or the grants would convert to loans. All programs would include incentives so as you progress the programs progress with you. We as human beings do only what we have to, it's just human nature and current services encourage stagnation.

So the main question evolves again. What can we do as a people, a nation, and a government to support ambition, excellent parenting, fulfilling careers, instill pride to be the best person we can be, and shine that bright light while spending the short time we have on this earth.

I have written a thesis on American racism. It is titled American Racism
Dissected. My object in writing this was to "Reverse Engineer"
American racism. It should come as no surprise that I found that American
racism had its birth when the first white man stepped off his ship onto these
shores literally with his two male African slaves in tow struggling with the
man's belongings. It is recorded but unsubstantiated that a Samuel Maverick
arrived in Massachusetts in 1624 with his two slaves. The first thing that
became crystal clear as I instituted my project was that it was FUTILE to couch
any discussion of American Racism (AR) in terms of various historically racist
events. Any discussion based on specific events will always include a huge
collection of influential variables unique to
any one specific racist event such that it makes it impossible to find
any one consistent causal agent in common. Whereupon the initial common element
of each form of racism can be traced to its roots in the century’s old
institutionalized social construct of African slavery, I was therefore able to
create a category of LEGACY ATTRIBUTES, the unique behavior of each provided an
easily identifiable and traceable path back to its historical roots in African
slavery in America. Once long standing American social customs were firmly
connected to the influence of white attitudes that spent three centuries being
shaped by the presence of African slaves in everyday American society; further
investigation easily lent itself to those methods generally associated with the
classical domain of Cultural Anthropology.

Thus far I have found that the definitions that I have discovered logically explain
the attitudes and behavior of racialists (both aware and unaware) in modern
America. What is even more amazing my discussions clarify what has recently
become a very popular topic of conversation, and that is "White
Privilege" in American society? White privilege very much has its roots in
the institution of African slavery in America.

However, what is highly disappointing is the rejection that I continue to receive from
the liberal/progressive community concerning my documented thesis. Many liberal
writers who are currently very much in the public conversation about the
problems of American racism won't even respond to my inquiry or take a look at
my documentation. I think Mark Twain's
comment about the weather is highly applicable to the topic of American racism
- "Everyone talks about it, but no one does anything about it!"

parvenu - Knock knock, real simple question. Do you support Obama, if so then why? Do you think Obama is racist? Simple answers, no need for several paragraphs.

You need to watch "Gone With the Wind" parvenu. You are behind the times. We solved our problems in 1965. In the 1980's you should have studied South Africa. In 2012, you need to study Israel.

The push for Voter ID is highly suspicious for several reasons:

* There is simply no demonstrated problem of in-person voter fraud. The arguments that this is a big problem are either disingenuous or uninformed.

* Whatever the intent, the effect is to disenfranchise thousands of people, with minority voters being particularly effected.

* This country has a sad history of minorities being blocked from voting using seemingly race-neutral laws (poll taxes, literacy tests, etc.)

* The big push for Voter ID laws has been in Republican controlled legislatures starting after 2008.

* Google "Turzai: Voter ID Will Allow Romney to Win Pa."

ok, I am one of those 'white liberals' and, guys, I hate to tell you this because it really rains on the parade about how we wanted to prove how 'liberal' we are...Bull Pucky!!

I saw Barack Obama in 2004, I heard what he had to say, and I was yelling yeah! Right! Finally! This is AMERICA, a mosaic of us all. Ok, I'm a dreamer, but I LIVE my dreams. I help where I can, when I can, however, I can. I''ve been supporting him since the first opportunity, even those since then I've lost my FT job, had to go on SS and work PT to supplement it. I continute to support this man.

Frankly, not because of how he looks, but what he says...what he does...how he conducts himself. Because I read his books, BEFORE he was president. I believe in what he believes in. I admire his mother for all the good she did in Indonesia and elsewhere with small credit loans...which gets lost in the weeds. And, no, I don't have much admiration of his father, not because he was arrogant and felt 'entitled' in some odd way, but because he was so selfish he abandoned his wife and his child and walked away. Nonetheless, Barack Obama determined that he would have children who knew their father, and be a father that knew his children. I admire that he has a family like everyone else, soccer games, PTO meetings, basketball, concerts, and he juggles them like every other American father... even if his 'job' happens to be running the U.S.

I like that he ironed his own shirt the night he gave his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. I wrote in my journal that night...I just saw the first Black American president, he has his feet on the ground and he loves this country as much as I do. He was right then and if that isn't how our nation looks now, it is not because of anything this man did...it is because of wealthy men, mostly white [dang it] who decided the very night of his inauguration that they would do everything in their power and wealth to block everything he attempted to do, to say, or to suggest.

Sooo, what I am saying is I didn't vote for Barack Obama because I wanted to feel better about myself and my 'liberalness' - I didn't convince my lily-white Republican parents to listen to him, and actually vote Democratic for the first time in their voting lives - I voted for Barack Obama because he loves this country as much as I do. He loves the best in this nation, how it could be as much as how it should be, and even as it is. And, frankly, because his story could ONLY have happened in my country. And I am proud that we did it.

This discussion interested me a lot. It gave me hope for the American people to do the right thing and make sure that Obama STAYS PUT and with a HUGE MAJORITY. Coincidentally I found this post on Facebook which, I think, is pertinent here. I hope you agree.

In the UK it's 1.15am and I am Going to Bed. BUT one last think: an interesting post I came across on Facebook from Muhammad Khalid in Islamabad, Pakistan, partly in response to what's been happening in Pakistan recently. In the UK I have Indian and Pakistani friends who are some of the most enlightened, thoughtful and balanced people you could ever hope to meet. They also happen, unlike their governments, to have no problems getting along very well with each other and with different faiths and beliefs. I'm posting Muhammad's entire piece here since I can't see how to make a link to the specific item on his page:

“I think, no society on this planet is found without divisions and sub-divisions including vertical and horizontal and without the infighting that goes with it. For example, it would be hard to find any people without a moneyed minority and an average-to-poor income group majority. Then, there are urban vs. rural populations. Most countries in the world are multi-lingual, multi-ethnic and multi-religion. In many countries of Middle East and almost entire Africa, the populace is divided inter alia into tribal and sub tribal hues.

It follows from the above that the bases for such divisions could be relatively more or less varied depending upon the degree of diversity there is. Interests of one class, community, group or segment may be different from other(s) or they may even be in direct conflict with one or some of them. But that's a universal phenomenon.

However, at the same time, across these divisions run strands of commonality of interests, too, which must not be lost sight of. For instance, industrial workers from any sect or cast or creed or any other background would have certain almost uniformly common interests, nationally or even globally, despite those 'inherent' divisions. So, they would think, articulate their interests and act in unison. One may say that there are centripetal and centrifugal forces always at work, sometimes interchangeably, in a given society. In fact, these forces bind a society together to keep it intact.

Apart from the state’s role to pay heed to the interests of the diverse groups and aggregate them into policies in the larger interests of the country, peoples’ own interaction, interrelationships and above all their inter-dependencies forge a sense of solidarity and sense of belonging among them.

Therefore, in my humble opinion, not only the US but every society, in its own right, is a melting pot. That is how societies keep on evolving. Therefore, even the majority or minority in a country can be viewed from standpoints different from the usual ones viz. color of the skin, language, religion and heredity as pointed out above.

Irrespective of an occasional riot, unless a state is reached when there is a massive and constant clash where every group is at each others throat, Pakistani society would not be under any threat including its minorities.”

Thanks Muhammad for that.

I completely agree with Kay P Tempe's comments. I have no "white guilt" to assuage and am pretty sure most of his white supporters voted for the man and his politics, not his color. We all recognize the significance of having a US President of color but that really was more of a bonus. He would still have had our votes if his skin had been white and he will have them again in November. I believe he saved this country and has steadily moved us away from the brink of disaster. Imagine where things would be if McCain/Palin had been calling the shots the last 4 years. Almost as frightening as thinking about what would happen if Rmoney/Ryan were to take over. I lost 140K, my life savings, in the financial debacle caused by people exactly like Rmoney and am totally dependent on my SS & Medicare. The hardships their policies would bring to the really poor, those who already do without so much in our "land of plenty" would rival conditions suffered in the poorest of third world countries. What scares me most is the obvious answer to the questions repeated by MSNBC's political show hosts and progressive analysts: "Why birther comments, why Ryan, why abortion, why so many actions that pander to their base instead of trying to appeal to Independents, minorities, and women? They're not stupid yet they're making so many blunders. Isn't the GOP the party known for planning and organization? What are they thinking?" Those thoughts have been expressed by all the show hosts and nobody has an answer that rings true. Accepting the premise that the Republicans are not stupid and the GOP is still the party of planning leaves only one logical answer: Knowing they won't have the black vote, or the brown vote, or the women's vote, or any even moderately progressive's vote, they are focused on turning out the far right, evangelical Christians, radical right-to-lifers, racists, anyone and everyone who harbors any animosity against minorities, liberals, the gay community, the press, etc. etc. and counting on the voter suppression actions taken in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, to knock off enough Obama/Biden voters that they will win. Can Obama win the election without Ohio and Pennsylvania or any other combination of those states that the GOP has successfully implemented voter suppression tactics? As recently as last week, Colorado was reported to be purging voter rolls. The voter suppression tactics are the only thing the GOP has been consistent about, taking action in state after state, as quietly as possible when they're not outed by the press, stealing this election by making it so difficult for the "great unwashed" to vote. To get a driver's license, the accepted id in Georgia, I was told I had to change my name because I have always used my middle name instead of my first name; so even though my SS card was issued in my middle name, all legal documents, SS checks, business papers, and my New Mexico license used my middle name, I was rejected. They insist they will only accept supporting documents that show my first name and last name to match my birth certificate and my married name which I haven't used since I divorced 45 years ago. I had to go to SS office and request a name change reflected on a new SS card and now I have to get it changed in all the other places so all my documents match. Since I haven't been able to drive due to health reasons, I depend on others for transportation.... 3 trips to the Driver's Services licensing office located a good distance out of the city and 3 more to the SS office. And I still don't have all the matching documents they want. I know from my experience there will be so many people with less resources than I have who simply won't be able to follow through with whatever ridiculous rigamarole they are faced with. I'm convinced that the Dems need to pour as much money and energy as possible into addressing these issues, turning out every possible vote, assisting as many people as they can to become voter eligible. There are more than enough Obama/Biden supporters to defeat Rmoney/Ryan IF they are able and willing to vote. Any other distracting issue thrown at Obama or Biden is not worth spending time and money on because minds are already made up. Focusing on fighting the voter suppression issues is the only thing that matters now. The Republicans know that and their complacency is evidence of it. What does it matter that Trump is back, that the convention speakers are a mish-mash of far right blather, rumors, and innuendos when all they need is their base and the haters. Somebody needs to do something and they need to do it soon.

MHP telling W. Kamau Bell "don't you do that" and his follow-up hurt puppy face...priceless (although not included in the clip above).

Rememberm racism has always been here in America. Go back approximately 6yrs ago when President Obama first started running for president. No other president was asked to show his birth certificate. No other president has been called such vile names, not other president was accused of being Muslim or Socialist. No other president has been lied about like the republican party has done now for a number of years. Since the Buch/Cheney's presidency the Republican Party have had no substance. So what is it that they are useing to win the vote of this country? Well its very simple to explain. Look at the way they have gone about it. They have said the President is deviding this country, they have tried to make Obama as a muslim and not christian, they have said that he is a racist, they said he is a socialist, they said he stole money from medicare and he want to destroy it, they have said that he has not created any jobs, they have said the the economy has gotten worst since hes been in office, and they just keep spewing out these non thruths. When will the republican party realize that the way to win election with lieing and deceit is over. There is one other thing I would like to say. If you look at the republican convention so far and you look at the crowd, how many black and his panic do you see? This gives you an idea of who the republican party really is. However Micheal Steel did say it has to change but what really has to change is the racial ideals of the republican party.

Melissa Harris Perry is one of the most racist people on the television. Everything she touches or talks about is about race. If you WANT to make things about race you can. She said we should re-elect the first black president. Why did she even mention "black"? What does color have to do with whether or not he is doing a good job? She is insuating we should re-elect him because he is black. Is that racist or what? Now have her explain why the polls indicate that like 99% of blacks would vote for Obama and none would vote for Romney. Other polls indicate that whites will vote for Obama. that indicates to me that they will vote for him soley because he is black. Is that racist? Sounds like it to me.