Meet The Candidates: 2012 GOP Thread

[saden1]

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

So a short part of the article says that he wasn’t involved in the civil rights movement makes him disgraceful in your eyes? Both people that talk about him say he was respected, and although not part of student affairs that he was well liked. Cain has himself alluded to dealing with a family illness during that time. And the 99% is a quote from a former student that seems more like a generalized statement that most Morehouse students participated, not that 99% literally did based off of anything besides his generalization.

We are both too young to have been able to make decision to know if we would have participated in the Civil Rights movement had it happened during our day and time. I would like to think that I would have been involved, as im sure you do too. But it’s a lot easier to say that in retrospect then to have actually been there see some of the horrible things happening in real time and still get up to act. So as much as you or I can call someone out for not participating I don’t think either of have a right to.

I look at it for what it is. Cain was involved with a family illness, which we can do nothing but speculate the circumstances of. Maybe it was his mom’s dying wish that he not be involved, maybe his 3rd cousin had a cold and Herman needed to bring him soup. Either way neither of us know enough to call his actions during that time disgraceful, by any means.

From his interview with Lawrence the family illness was a hypothetical answer. Given that he is basically calling out the president for not being black enough whilst saying I obeyed jim crow laws and didn't march says a lot about the man. I mean, even if he had a family illness he managed to attended school and not once did he march during the civil rights movment. Family illness is a very poor excuse given the gravity of the times and the almost daily marches/protest and you know it.

There is no valid rational that could explain away a black man in eye of the storm would willingly obey laws that infringe on his personal freed while others are marching. Let's be honest here, the truth behind why Cain didn't march was to avoided "trouble" and his desire to not risk a future with any sort of stains. I understand that, I don't blame him for that and I can respect his decision to keep a squeaky clean record.

I think my use of the word disgraceful is appropriate given how often he has managed to open his mouth about blackness and the triumph of the civil right movements.