Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Kerry -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (60038)	4/23/2005 10:49:07 AM
From: lorne	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 81568

'Separate Water Fountains' Herman Cain (archive) April 20, 2005 townhall.com I can still remember the separate water fountains and segregated buses as a young boy growing up in Atlanta in the 1950’s. Even as a seven-year-old kid I felt insulted and humiliated by the insinuation that we were not good enough to drink from the same water fountains as Whites, or ride in the front of the bus. Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., U.S. House and Senate Republicans, and the sacrifices of many others, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted to end this discrimination and begin to restore the full rights of citizenship for all Americans. It is now evident that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not apply to the Social Security system. Due to the rising retirement age, differences in life expectancy between Blacks and Whites, and mandatory payroll tax deductions, the system by its very nature discriminates against black men and women. This built-in discrimination has been present since 1935 when Social Security was established. The original retirement age to begin receiving Social Security benefits was set at 65 years. Black women in 1935 lived to an average age of 55, and black men to the age of 51. Our white brothers did not fare much better, since they were expected to live just 61 years. This disparity in life expectancy still exists, but unfortunately so does the discriminatory nature of Social Security. Black males today have an average life expectancy of 68 years, yet Congress continues to raise the retirement age. The current structure simply cannot afford to send monthly checks to all citizens over the age of 65. That is a mathematical fact, and a dirty little secret Congressional Democrats do not want you to know. To compound the discrimination, your mandatory payroll tax deductions do not go to your heirs when you die, but to people you do not even know. Under the current Social Security structure, deceased black men essentially fund a large percentage of the retirement income of elderly white women, since they live the longest to nearly 80 years on average. Blacks are disadvantaged further by Social Security because most have few dollars to invest in their own 401(k) or IRA plans. Once payroll taxes are deducted and the necessities of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are met, there is often little money left to fund a retirement plan. Not surprisingly, 38 percent of black retirees rely solely on Social Security for their income. Under President Bush’s plan to restructure Social Security, all of the nation’s younger workers, regardless of race or sex, would have the option to divert a portion of their 12.4 percent mandatory payroll tax deduction to a personal retirement account they control and own. All current and near retirees would receive their guaranteed Social Security benefit, as would those receiving disability or survivor benefits. Senator John Sununu (R-NH) and Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) have each introduced legislation that meets or exceeds the President’s proposal. Given that we have a President willing to finally address the disparities and discrimination inherent in Social Security, why are Democratic leaders so vehemently opposed to the President’s plan? Nearly all congressional Democrats are opposed to even discussing restructuring Social Security unless the personal retirement accounts option is taken off the negotiation table. The answer is that congressional Democrats do not want all Americans to drink from the same retirement fountains. They insinuate that we are not smart enough to ride in the front of the retirement bus with them. Members of Congress and all federal workers have personal retirement accounts in what is called the Thrift Savings Plan. They contribute to one of five carefully managed accounts, and when they retire the money is theirs to keep. The Sununu and Hagel bills both provide for accounts based on the Thrift Savings Plan. Yet, their Democratic colleagues want to deny us the same access to retirement security they enjoy and let the entire Social Security structure go bankrupt. Perhaps most unconscionable is the opposition to personal retirement accounts by the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus, and many of our nation’s so-called black leaders. Personal retirement accounts would provide future generations of Blacks the retirement security their parents and grandparents never had. Instead, black Democratic leaders are willing to see the next generation of Blacks remain in economic slavery on the Democratic plantation, so long as they can deny any Republican a perceived political victory. At least with separate water fountains Blacks and Whites each had water to drink. If we start now, we can end the discrimination in Social Security by demanding that Congress enact an optional system of personal retirement accounts. If we do not act now, there will be only one retirement water fountain for our grandchildren. It will not be marked “White” or “Colored”. It will be marked “Out of Order” for all of them. Mr. Cain is chief executive of The New Voice, Inc. and New Voters Alliance, and host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show "The Bottom Line with Herman Cain." He is past chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and past chairman and chief executive of Godfather's Pizza, Inc.

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (60038)	4/24/2005 12:15:18 PM
From: lorne	Respond to of 81568

Fired professor seeks help from ACLU By: Kym Soper, Journal Inquirer Staff Writer April 22, 2005 zwire.com MANCHESTER - A professor who claims he was unjustly removed from teaching a non-credit class titled "Understanding Militant Islamic Fundamentalism" at Manchester Community College said Friday that the American Civil Liberties Union has taken up his cause. Michael Abdelmessih taught only one class before the college assigned another instructor to teach it. MCC officials are not commenting on his removal, but Abdelmessih claims he was replaced because two of his students, who are both Muslim and MCC faculty members, disagreed with his definition of "jihad." Advertisement Related story on Page 3 Abdelmessih said that on Thursday afternoon he met with Deborah Wilson, MCC Director of Human Resources, and Alice Savage, MCC Dean of Academic Affairs, to discuss his removal. He said he tried to bring a friend, Jerry Gordon, to the meeting for moral support but Wilson and Savage wouldn't allow it and told Gordon to wait outside. During the meeting Abdelmessih said he was told there were two reasons for his removal: in a handout to students, he said the Muslim religion does not forgive but seeks revenge, and that there were grammatical errors in the handouts. "I was shocked," Abdelmessih said. "I did not do anything bad." Abdelmessih said the meeting with the two faculty members was very short, and that immediately afterwards the ACLU was contacted and agreed to accept his case. An Egyptian who is also a Coptic Christian, Abdelmessih said he was looking forward to spirited debate among his students and the two faculty members enrolled in his class: Fatma Antar and Diana Hossain. But Abdelmessih said that Antar threatened him during the first class, saying she would work to ensure he did not continue teaching the course. Abdelmessih said Antar, who also is Egyptian, threatened to contact authorities in Egypt to report him. "I want the world to know," Abdelmessih said. "This is a very serious situation and everyone in America, everyone in the world, needs to know about the terrorist movement."