Comments on: Tavis Smiley on Obama and MLK's legacy
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- In a dream world I am sure Tavis would like to see a house and senate full of Dr. Martin Luther King clones that can pass everything under the sun for black America or impoverished America.That will never happen. President Obama is one man trying to play a very delicate balancing act with a congress , house and supreme court that does not look, think or vote on bills like he would. You cannot become president of ALL Americans and all of a sudden turn into Malcolm X or Farrakhan when your giving speeches.
He would even turn off white democrats. He approaches poverty through passing womens equal pay, reducing mortgage rates, re-instating head start education, increasing Tap & pell grants for those that can't afford college,minority business loans,affordable health care etc...etc... A Minority president walking through a political mine field has to navigate in a smart way. Is he just supposed to push a bill through congress to mail out checks totaling $5.4 Trillion dollars to impoverished folks to buy whatever they want? Sorry.It will NEVER happen Tavis. - Reply to this comment
- Very odd how many are missing the point here.
Mr. Smiley is asking that the president take more to heart from Mr. King when it comes to poverty and racism in the USA.
Both are still very real in 2013. The gap between the rich and poor is now akin to the Gilded Age.
And racism whether the (not so) thinly veiled kind like on FOX or the blatant kind often displayed by the tea party is all too common. - Reply to this comment
- He becomes more pathetic every time he mentions the President. His envy is not hidden in the least, His thoughts are not of the God we serve. I muted him hald way through. It was not going in a positive direction for our President. He is just sad.
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- Tavis, It is time that you get over whatever odds you have with our President. Where were you and Dr. West when Bush was in office? A house divided canno stand.
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- When I listen to Tavis and Cornel I hear a couple of people who are more closely attuned to Martin Luther King's core beliefs and philosophy than Obama.
I believe that if Martin Luther King were alive today, he'd be saying many of the same things Tavis and Cornel are saying and those who can't stand to hear anything that's less that wildly enthusiastic about Obama would be attacking Martin Luther King exactly the way they're attacking Tavis and Cornel.
It's the policy, not the person that counts. - Reply to this comment
- I must say that I was offended and appalled by Tavis's comments on sunday morning. And surprised the editors thought this was a proper piece for this news show. Great he loves MLK.. Was a great american.. but the greatest!!! NO!!!
Why this one man's opinion was allowed to shared with the entire Sunday morning fan base is beyond me.. Tavis look s"mad" when he talks.. Smiley as a last name is way out of place.
Love most of your on air contributors but not him. - Reply to this comment
- Amen, Tavis. Hope Barry reads it and takes it to heart. The challenge is in pursuing peace, humanity, and shared properity worldwide.
The court battles over the Constitutional Rights of American citizens is specious. These are inalienable human rights, not reserved only for those ordained with citizenship. - Reply to this comment
- Whenever Tavis Smiley makes a statement I listen- I may not agree, but he always gives me something to think about.
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- As a proud black woman who is neither Republican or Democrat I say keep on speaking the truth Tavis. Some people don't like the message so they attack the messenger.Don't let people who worship Obama like he is some kind of god stop you from saying what needs to be said.Some will accuse of you of hatred and jealousy.They have the mentality 'how dare you attack the first black president'.Well if they did any research they would know you critised the hell out of Bush and Clinton and other previous presidents when they messed up or when they didn't live up to the peoples expectations.Why should you stop now because this president is black or half black?I'm glad you and the distinguished Mr.West who receive so much hatred for speaking the truth and who voted for Obama twice,know that despite the fact the Obama is black at the end of the day he is still a politician who happens to a puppet just like all the former presidents with the exception of Lincoln and Kennedy.
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- Tavis -
While I sincerely appreciate the message and accomplishments of MLK Jr., I think it is very dangerous to label him a "prophet". Over the last twenty years black academia has set about revising history in an attempt to inflate African contributions to mankind and more particular the United States. The conclusions drawn are largely without merit or fact and speak to a desperate attempt at increasing self-importance.
MLK Jr. was human and fallible. King Jr. cheated on his wife, which is hardly the example of a religious prophet. Infidelity maybe overlooked within the black community, but I can assure you it's not within other cultures. Let me state with the utmost clarity - Martin Luther King Jr. was not a religious profit. He was a civil rights activist. A noble endeavor, however lets not place inflated labels where they don't belong! - Reply to this comment
