Posted on 08/19/2004 5:27:04 AM PDT by kattracks
His voice rising to a yell, Republican U.S. Senate nominee Alan Keyes told a bipartisan civic group Wednesday he "will not budge" from his belief that descendants of slaves should be exempted from income taxes to help heal the wounds of past discrimination and segregation.The former presidential candidate disdainfully brushed aside questions over whether his suggestion should apply to rich African Americans such as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or Oprah Winfrey.
"Do you know how many Oprah Winfreys there might have been running around in the 1930s or in the 1920s or in the 19-teens that got nowhere because the doors were shut in their face?" Keyes thundered. "If you think that because I wear a conservative label, I have forgotten that history and am not mindful of that injustice -- then I will tell you now that you are wrong."
Keyes delivered his blistering defense at a luncheon of the City Club of Chicago, scolding fellow conservatives who challenged his proposal and evoking the struggle of his African-American parents, saying they had talent and "hearts and spirit and strength and faith."
"Why didn't they get to a point where they could stand on this platform?" Keyes aked.
Vying against Democrat Barack Obama, Keyes drew heat from conservatives earlier this week when he proposed exempting descendants of slaves from income taxes for a generation or two, a view he insists "involves a traditionally Republican, conservative and market-oriented approach."
On Wednesday, Keyes ridiculed the fuss over his position, saying it is simply a tax break, something "Republicans and my conservative brethren" don't object to when applied to a "wealthy corporation."
Conservative activist Jack Roeser met with Keyes for what Roeser called "a long argument and an intense one" over the issue before the speech. A Barrington businessman, Roeser said he still is not sold on Keyes' reparations proposal, but still plans to support him anyway. "I will tell my friends that this is a good man, and we should support him."
Well, for me, that's "from the south," although I have a few cousins who live in Illinois--and most of Wisconsin's tourist areas are chocked-full of FIBs, at least until Labor Day. A few may back to Green Bay for the Packers-Bears game on 9/19, however.
Poverty and paying taxes are two different things. Because of Bush's tax cuts the number of people of people filing zero tax reuturns is expected to be around 33% up from 20% in 2000. I'd bet since there are more blacks in the lower income groups, it is not out of the question that there will be about 50% of blacks who paying zero income tax this year. Everyone in the bottom 50% of income earners pay very little federal income tax. Most of their tax burdon comes from sales tax, social security tax, state income tax, gasoline tax, tabbacco tax, etc. Really anyone in the bottom 50% would hardly notice if federal income tax was completely eliminated as they account for only about 2% of all tax reciepts.
I am not a Bush Republican! September 1, 2001
Overall I thought it fair in it's critique of the president in the first 8 months. Pre-9/11. I believe we all had our doubts of what the Bush administration was capable of.
There have been many not pleased with "No Child Left Behind" because it championed Ted Kennedy.
"His voice rising to a yell..."
How far away is he to having a "Dean-like" moment? I'm sure the voters of Illinois had reparations high on their list of things they want to discuss & have a healthy debate on.
Are implosions as noisy as explosions?
If you watched the primary debates in 2000 and/or Keyes' MSNBC show, that's his speaking style.
Yep. I'm giving up on 'em. I'll do nothing but lose my hair if I keep trying to play ball in 'em.
You know your idea is what Louis Farrakan has proposed. He said if they can't make it after receiving reparations, then too bad. America owes blacks nothing else but what they give other equal Americans. In essense, he, like you, believes if reparations were given, it will equal the playing field. No more welfare, affirmative action, school vouchers etc...
With lucid alacrity.
You think that's fair? Good to know.
Just because you have a thesaurus doesn't mean you have common sense.
What matters now is defeating the radical socialist Barrack Obama.
While I may not agree with Alan on this, this disagreement is far from a disqualifier for this conservative. It's not even close. He's just plain right on so many other things.
You have to deal with things as they are, not as you wish them to be.
And if this helps Alan crack into the black vote, one of the keys to this race, I'll take it.
One of the interesting advantages to this brouhaha is that within the Chicago black community, this has inspired talk of Obama's heritage.
Whether someone is descended from slaves of the pre-civil war era or a later transplant to America is not that important to you or me. But that isn't necessarily the case in that community.
Ever heard the talk about Colin Powell, for example?
Many just don't consider him to be an 'American black' at all.
Alan knows this better than most, up close and personal.
Yes I agree. Time to do some housework.
One line out of the whole. What exactly did he mean by using that metaphor?
Did he mean that in all the criticisms being heard it's those that are in stealth that can do the most damage?
I'm not sure, maybe he'll clarify this sentence too.
Even in spite of championing Ole Kennedy the Dems are using that to attack Pres. Bush. Appeasement doesn't work any better with socialists than it does with terrorists.
Nah, they were to busy focusing on tax cuts , reducing the size of govm't and bolstering the idea of family and personal responsibility.
So Keyes' goal is to divide the black community in Chicago?
"Equal protection under the (tax) laws"? I think not.
If you have a point to make then just make it. Your nasty little jabs have no meaning unless you can elucidate. FWIW I have no thesaurus and rarely consult a dictionary. And spell checkers are redundant.
Maybe. I have never liked Keyes. My worst fears about him have been realized in this election.
He has a nice ploy going if he can vote himself an income tax exemption.
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