Truth Serum on tap on the Poverty Tour Bus??

[Rudolph P. Gibbs, Jr.]

Well Tavis, you finally did something I was beginning to doubt you were capable of doing - you told some unvarnished truths about yourself and your motivation behind the thankfully concluded, eerily voyeuristic, Poor People sight-seeing tour. This minor miracle occurred on the August 12th Smiley and West broadcast. At the outset of the show, you boasted that Dr. West and yourself had been "... all over the national media", after which, you confessed that was "... as we'd hoped for" and further admitted that was the "... plan all along." Although it didn't take a Yale or Princeton professor to deduce that was the clear intention behind this bus tour (by now, bus tours are uninspired, unimaginative, worn out attention grabbers), it was nonetheless refreshing to hear you acknowledge this to be the case so forthrightly. Of course, you tried to rationalize this obvious, vain attempt at self-promotion as being a way to draw attention to the plight of the poor as opposed to raising your own profiles, but that myth was effectively unveiled when Dr. West spoke of the many "magnificent, dignified" poor people you had encountered during your intrusion into their lives. If these people were as he described, and I have no doubt they were, sincere interest in having their plight recognized would have led you to insist media organizations with an interest in providing coverage actually interview the poor folks themselves, as opposed to your rushing into any media studio that would have you so that you could engage in a few more moments of self-aggrandizement at their expense. Your actions belie your true desires, and your exploitation of the most vulnerable segment of our society, while actually pretending to advocate on their behalf, is amongst the most reprehensible acts imaginable.

But you continued your exercise in self-revelation during your comments at the Chicago Town Hall Meeting. During your statement, after strategically spending time extolling the heroic virtue of telling the truth, you revealed your belief that your “calling”, your “vocation”, your “purpose”, is to use the “bully pulpit” of the national media to speak truth to power. Simply put, you believe that talking about what’s going on in the world is what you were meant to do. Just prior to making this statement, you clarified that you were not the President, or a Congressman, or a Mayor, or a leader in that sense. In other words, you’re not someone who seeks and accepts the responsibility of actually doing something about the problems of a particular municipality, district, or nation. Rather, your sole function in life to talk about what people who occupy those positions are doing or not doing (with a stalker-like focus on President Obama to be sure). In the book of Matthew, Jesus speaks frankly about those who are always talking but never doing. In Matthew 15:8, he says “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” More current versions paraphrase the verse as they honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Later, an even more salient warning occurs. Matthew 25:41-46 quotes Jesus as saying “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Essentially and simply, these verses, taken together can be taken to mean, among other things, “Talk is Cheap!”

To address the final truism you uttered during this broadcast, we return once again to your comments at the outset of the broadcast, where you facetiously referred to the Poverty Tour as your “small, feeble way” to draw attention to the issue of poverty in America. While this may have been your attempt at false modesty, it was instead an apt description of this pathetic effort of two men more and more driven by envy, petty jealousies and imagined slights, to demoralize the African American and liberal electorate in 2012, thereby vanquishing President Obama, your tormentor in your minds, by frustrating his re-election efforts. The truth is Tavis, the “haters” weren’t the folks in Detroit who spoke up in support of the President, they are the guy you saw every morning on your luxury bus when you looked in the mirror and the guy perennially in the black three piece suit and scarf that rode with you.

[Byard Pidgeon]

S***, you're a pathetic apologist for the establishment if I've ever seen one...either that, or you don't have a clue about how media are used to draw attention to issues and stir the public to action.

However, because of the vitriolic tone of your screed, I suspect your primary motives are those you ascribe to Smiley and West...self aggrandizement, petty jealousy, character assassination...all in the service of your Master, Obama and the Democratic Party.

You make me ill.

[Rudolph P. Gibbs, Jr.]

Byard, on the Michael Baisden radio show, Tavis himself said if some of their critics had seen what they saw while on the tour, they themselves might be moved to action on behalf of the poor. Of course, we didn't see what they saw, we only saw Smiley and West talking about what they saw. So apparently, Tavis believes I know something about employing media coverage to motivate people to act (must be tough to be rebuked by someone you're desperately trying to defend) because that's the very point I made in my "screed". The only question that remains unanswered is why Tavis chose not to utilize the very strategy he opined could have inspired the kind of response they claimed they wanted to evoke! Here's hoping you have health coverage so you can deal with your illness.

[Byard Pidgeon]

Rudolph...fortunately, I do have health coverage, although I'm not sure how effective it will be after Obama's Congressional Gang of Twelve is done.

As to seeing what S&W saw, I think that's being shown on Smiley's TV show, (next week?), which is available either online or on PBS.

I believe these men are sincere, using the tools they have to attempt adjustments of the political machine.

Not all who have become successful have turned their backs on their class (well, excepting Republicans and Libertarians, of course).

Once again, the correction of the inequalities of all sorts that permeate our country has been shoved under the rug of mass consciousness by our leader's (not just Obama) love of empire, commerce, and war.

It is almost impossible to do anything in this climate that isn't feeble and small...it's all David vs Goliath, but Goliath has become a many headed monster who takes many small stones to those heads before he even pays attention. Tavis and Cornel are among those slinging the stones, but we all need to pick up and throw some.

I feel much better, now.

[Christine R. Rickett]

 

Are we only concerned with the middle class who are now homeless? Others have been living like this for years, even before Obama.

I'm wondering what poor people we will see from the bus tour. This photo is of skid row, but every state has one. If not in the city, in their countryside where the poor lives.

[Byard Pidgeon]

Christine, I live in a small, fairly isolated city in southern Oregon, on the east side of the Cascades. We don't have much of a skid row here, but a lot of very substandard housing and a lot of un and under employment. My neighborhood is referred to by some as "non-working class".

Rural Oregon, both here on the east side and on the better off west side, has some of the worst living conditions I've ever seen, urban or rural, and I haven't seen much improvement during the 40-plus years I've been in Oregon.

I think the same is true all over the USA. The poor are still poor, and I believe the majority of the public simply accepts that. Many, maybe most, feel it's all the fault of the poor...and probably the only way to reach those people, the ones who blame the poor, is to scare the crap out of them with stories and facts and pictures about people like them, mostly white, who have become impoverished...nice, well groomed former white collar workers, managers and so on, who are now getting food from the food bank and living in their cars.

The words "poor" and "poverty" don't seem to be in the vocabulary of most people in Congress or the Administration.

Christine R. Rickett said:

 

Are we only concerned with the middle class who are now homeless? Others have been living like this for years, even before Obama.

I'm wondering what poor people we will see from the bus tour. This photo is of skid row, but every state has one. If not in the city, in their countryside where the poor lives.

[Rudolph P. Gibbs, Jr.]

My understanding is Tavis is planning to dedicate a week of his show to coverage of the tour next year when the 2012 election is in full swing. This is troubling for 2 reasons. First it adds to the suspicion that one goal of the tour was to embarass Obama and hurt his re-election efforts. Second, it appears Tavis denied these folks' stories wider coverage in a variety of media outlets so that he could air it exclusively much later. Again, these actions do not support the claim he only cares about improving the plight of the poor. More coverage by any media outlet interested now would be what you should expect it that were his true motivation. He has taken the opposite approach.

[Christine R. Rickett]

The question is can the poor wait until the 2012 elections? The president, some of the Senate and House members seats will be up for election. They will use the poor to get into office or to be re-elected but these people need help now. What good is it for the poor to wait longer than they already have? Everyone else have a decent roof over their heads and a decent meal every night.

That's just my point!

The rich and middle class have always put the poor on hold.

When it affects them personally, they want something done right away.

But the poor can wait until next year when it's convient for everybody else.

They can hold out another year without a roof over their head and can just go on the food line if they need something to eat.

Everyone who is poor is not an addict. Everyone poor is not illiterate. Many just are so exausted and just don't know what to do.

 

[Christine R. Rickett]

So, in other words, the poor can wait.

They can wait so they can be used during the 2012 election.

They can continue sleeping on the streets and eating on food lines until their photos are needed.

The problem is: Congress won't be voting for programs to help these people during the elections, so basically, let the poor wait until Congress is back in session after the 2012 elections?

All of Congress, well at least, which ever wins the most seats will be sitting in glory then and it will be back to business, everyone will have forgotten those sleeping on the streets and on food lines.

But that's politics right?

 

[Byard Pidgeon]

Hmmm, we've got differing information...however, I do agree that one point is to embarrass the POTUS, who should be embarrassed. If S&W can put pressure on him to DO instead of TALK, I really don't care when they release the tapes...but, sooner is better.

I don't think they want to hurt his election prospects...yet...but they do want to goad him into walking his talk. Remember "card check", one of candidate Obama's top promises? How about him walking with workers in labor disputes? I didn't hear a peep out of him as teachers and others were stripped of their organizing rights.

If they help to even get someone to challenge POTUS in the primaries...that would be a good thing.

Yes, the poor will have to wait...but they can dine on all the fine words I'm sure will be directed at them, or at least at the ones most likely to vote. Then, when the election is over, the poor can go back to wherever they were and whatever they were doing, because they'll just be in the way, again.

Rudolph P. Gibbs, Jr. said:

My understanding is Tavis is planning to dedicate a week of his show to coverage of the tour next year when the 2012 election is in full swing. This is troubling for 2 reasons. First it adds to the suspicion that one goal of the tour was to embarass Obama and hurt his re-election efforts. Second, it appears Tavis denied these folks' stories wider coverage in a variety of media outlets so that he could air it exclusively much later. Again, these actions do not support the claim he only cares about improving the plight of the poor. More coverage by any media outlet interested now would be what you should expect it that were his true motivation. He has taken the opposite approach.

[Jo Ann Brown]

Follow the money!

 

Tavis Smiley and Cornell West have been bought by the Koch bros.  The shrewed Koch bros have found 2 intelligent black men who they thought could garner enough votes against the President.  I do not believe that Cornell West and Tavis Smiley have rented a bus and speaking arenas to discuss poverty.  Primarily because they don't care. 

 

[Byard Pidgeon]

You have got to be joking...or bought by the Koch brothers!

Jo Ann Brown said:

Follow the money!

 

Tavis Smiley and Cornell West have been bought by the Koch bros.  The shrewed Koch bros have found 2 intelligent black men who they thought could garner enough votes against the President.  I do not believe that Cornell West and Tavis Smiley have rented a bus and speaking arenas to discuss poverty.  Primarily because they don't care. 

 

[Christine R. Rickett]

People are accusing all of them, Tavis, Smiley Joyner, Obama and more of being bought. I wouldn't want someone to say that about me, although I could use a little money right now to go along with my trip to Washington. But, I won't say that about these men. They all are individual who think and feel different about things. They all are building based on their own individual knowledge. People always think that things should be done the way they see fit and based on their knowledge, which is based on what someone else said and that person knowledge.

Anywho - the poor will still be there, the ones that are still living until they are needed again for some election.

Although I have family, I have been homeless before. It was my fault, a decision I made trying to help a friend, still I got to see what homeless people had to go through. I got to see how dangerous many shelters were - for both men and women. I got to see how quickly they fill up and the rest have to sleep where ever they could. They are barred from sleeping in parks, so they go in alley and under bridges. Everyone in the shelter, men and women - except for mothers with small children - have to leave every morning between 5am-6am, depending on the shelter and cannot come back until 6pm-7pm. Who ever gets their name on the list first, gets a cot to sleep on that night. You have to sleep with one eye open and if you go to the bathroom, your belongings may be gone when you get back.

I had a job and they wanted me to pay for a room but I had to share my room with someone I didn't know. I found a transient apartment, so that was the only thing that saved me at the time.

 

I whole point of mentioning it is that people can't really sympathize with homelessness and poverty unless they lived it at one point or another. A persons heart cannot feel what a homeless person heart feels as they are trying to find a job or safe place to stay or next meal to eat. It the same with the middle class. Only middle class people can understand how another middle class person may feel when everything is lost - home - 401k etc...

 

Point is - How can any of them really care - unless they lived it before? They will forget about the poor after the elections.