The Blame for What's Wrong With America

Read carefully the following words. All of these comments were made within the last few months by teenagers in a school with a mostly white student body.

If I were sitting in a room full of ____________ and didn’t know them, I would be scared.

All that is wrong with our country right now can be blamed on ______________.

I was sitting in class, and they were talking about some awful part of our history and someone asked, “And whose fault is this?” Everyone answered, __________________. I was practically the only _________________ in the class. I felt so uncomfortable and awkward.

__________________ have had all the privilege and the power for so long, it’s someone else’s turn. We should just eliminate all of them. Yes, the world would be a much better place if all the ____________ were gone.

Fill in the blanks with the word or group of words you think were originally used.

Did you write in the word blacks? Did you write in gays? How about Jews?

Go ahead. Reread the comments and fill in the blanks with those words. Does it scare you? Are you concerned at all at the casual communications of our youth? I hope it scares you. It should.

Now, let me tell you the actual words originally used in the comments.

If I were sitting in a room full of straight, white males and didn’t know them, I would be scared.

All that is wrong with our country right now can be blamed on the straight white male.

I was sitting in class, and they were talking about some awful part of our history and someone asked, “And whose fault is this?” Everyone answered, the straight, white male. I was practically the only straight, white male in the class. I felt so uncomfortable and awkward.

Straight, white men have had all the privilege and the power for so long, it’s someone else’s turn. We should just eliminate all of them. Yes, the world would be a much better place if all the straight, white men were gone.

That last comment was said in jest, but I’m not sure it matters. Or maybe it does. Maybe the fact that we can casually joke about exterminating an entire race-based gender should matter a lot more than it does. Maybe that’s the problem.

Sarah Palin: Roaring Rogue

Love her? Hate her? Thinks she's politically savvy? Or a complete airhead? One thing is certain about Sarah Palin. She is a mom who roars.

Sarah Palin is finally having a chance to explain herself. I most recently watched her on Oprah. Now, I happen to like what I know of Sarah Palin. I also happen to like what I know of Oprah. And I think that Oprah met her match in Sarah Palin.

I saw Oprah throw question after question about parenting and family issues and I saw Sarah Palin knock each fastball out of the park.

Didn't she think he daughter's pregnancy would be an issue? Yes, but she hoped America would see even more so that she understood the issues of the average family and dealt with them on a personal basis everyday.

Didn't she say in her book that she considered aborting her child when she found out he had an extra chromosome? No, she said she understood why other women might go there. She understood, she did not consider.

Didn't she think there was any truth to what Levi was accusing her of? Actually, she felt sorry for the way he was being handled at a young age and hoped he would find the right path back to being a good father and role model for his son.

Didn't she think as a mother, it was improbable that she could really step into the role of Vice President or President? No, not with the strong marriage and support system she has surrounded her family with.

Sarah Palin said that she had been taught that a woman can have it all, just not necessarily all at the same time. So she and her husband make decisions that are best for her family at the time given their current situation.

So what's the problem with Sarah Palin? Why do the media and politicians have such a problem with her? Maybe because she is good mother who isn't scared to speak her mind and live her convictions. And she does it from the heart. Whether you love her or hate her, you can't help but listen to her roar.

Tell us what you think of Sarah Palin's parenting!