The Wrath of Cain

First and foremost, I want to send my condolences to the Family of Rev Fred Shuttlesworth. He was a founding member of Southern Christian Leadership Conference along with Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Rev. Shuttlesworth was the catalyst  who convinced the Rev King  and the movement into taking on "Bomgingham AL ", as it was known back then. Condolences go out to the family of Apple founder Steve Jobs, who changed the world of computing, recorded music and communications. Jobs was a true visionary and innovator, who created the first personal computer, the ipad, iphone and ipod. Last but not least, condolences go out to the entire Raider Nation for the passing of owner All Davis. Elected in 1992 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Davis was a trailblazer. In 1988, he hired Art Shell, the first black head coach of the modern era. He hired the second Latino coach, Tom Flores; and the first woman CEO, Amy Trask. Davis motto "Once a Raider always a Raider".

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, is back to putting his foot in his mouth. After winning a straw poll in FL last week, beating out Romney and Perry, he did an interview with the Wall Street journal .While discussing out-of-work Americans and the "Occupy Wall Street" protests, he had this to say    “Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself…It is not a person’s fault if they succeeded, it is a person’s fault if they failed.” Did you read that? Blame yourself if you got laid off. Blame yourself, if your job downsized. Blame yourself because the economy tanked. I understand the pull yourself up by your boot straps mentality, I really do, but this is something altogether different. This is irresponsible and patronizing. For someone running for President of the United States to tell  unemployed and laid off Americans that it is there fault for being laid off or unemployed, is like telling the victim of a hit and run, it's their fault for driving the speed limit.

Cain said today on CNN that he didn’t believe racism was a major factor holding minorities back in America , asserting instead that African Americans had a level playing field on which to advance economically. Cain said on CNN’s “State of the Union “I don't believe racism in this country today holds anybody back in a big way,”.” “Are there some elements of racism? Yes. It gets back to if we don't grow this economy, that is a ripple effect for every economic level, and because blacks are more disproportionately unemployed, they get hit the worst when economic policies don't work. That's where it starts.” CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley asked if he thought African Americans had a level playing field, Cain said he thought most of them did, using his own experience in corporations as an example. I will agree to a certain extent, I do think we as a people need to take more responsibility for our communities and our economic development, but to say the playing field is level, is beyond nonsense. I am not going to get into educational, economic and unemployment disparities. That is not what this blog is about today; it's about the message being conveyed by Cain. When you go to the ballot box next year, remember to vote for the person whose beliefs and stances most mirror your own, not the one who is" talking loud but ain't saying nothing".