Rep. Paul Ryan
It’s easy to attack and demagogue those who don’t have a voice.
It’s easy to blame others when you fail to provide true leadership. And it’s easy to reinforce stereotypes and misconceptions to win elections, or to win over your party’s base. That is precisely what Republican Rep. Paul Ryan did last week when he made despicable comments regarding inner cities, and inner-city men in particular.
Discussing a “tailspin of culture” of “men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value of work,” Ryan insulted generations of men and women who rise early every morning for an honest day’s work, or to look for work. Whether or not Ryan believes his own deplorable statements doesn’t matter; it’s the fact that he feels the need to utter them that should make us all very worried.
2014 is another pivotal year. The midterm elections — the outcome of which will determine what direction the nation heads — are around the corner. Do we want to keep progressing forward, or do we want to revert back to a time when culture wars and scapegoating were the norm?
Based on his own comments and actions, it would appear that Ryan would like to do the latter. Referencing Charles Murray, co-author of The Bell Curve, a book that called blacks inferior and was widely viewed as racist, Ryan knew exactly what he was doing. Using code words like “inner-city” and “culture,” he sent subliminal messages to an audience he was clearly trying to cater to. How can the House Budget Committee Chairman not be held accountable for such despicable words? He knew better, or rather, he knew exactly what he was doing.
For the rest of the article please see the Huffingtonpost
