Sitting in the waiting room at the Toyota dealership where my car was being serviced, I was grading papers quietly, minding my own business, when I was stopped in my tracks by a report on Fox News about statements made by Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain. According to Cain, the protestors who are airing their grievances about the unpunished bad behavior of banks and investors, which caused the sour economy, are nothing more than casting blame where it doesn't belong. According to Cain, jobless people should blame themselves. According to Cain, the protestors are against capitalism and success and are in favor of punishing successful people. He also went so far as blaming the protests on some shadowy conspiracy, but admitted that he had no proof to back up his claim. Here is the AP wire treatment of the story.
Herman Cain having this opinion doesn't bother me; all Americans have a right to their opinions, and since he is a former CEO himself, his self-righteousness doesn't surprise me. I would say that a lot of people base their ethics on their behavior, not the other way around, so Herman Cain is not unique in that. Furthermore, Cain making these statements publicly doesn't bother me either, since he has a right to free speech and a right to campaign for office in the manner he sees fit; I'm glad he is being honest about his beliefs. However, what bothers me is that this man might become the President and take that attitude into policy-making. To date, Herman Cain has never held public office -- thankfully -- and I hope that he never does, because, if he can make a statement like this one in public with a clear conscience, he clearly sees the world in terms of capitalism and money, not in terms of equality or even human decency. Someone with those ideas has no business "leading" people that he clearly does not respect or understand.
Herman Cain having this opinion doesn't bother me; all Americans have a right to their opinions, and since he is a former CEO himself, his self-righteousness doesn't surprise me. I would say that a lot of people base their ethics on their behavior, not the other way around, so Herman Cain is not unique in that. Furthermore, Cain making these statements publicly doesn't bother me either, since he has a right to free speech and a right to campaign for office in the manner he sees fit; I'm glad he is being honest about his beliefs. However, what bothers me is that this man might become the President and take that attitude into policy-making. To date, Herman Cain has never held public office -- thankfully -- and I hope that he never does, because, if he can make a statement like this one in public with a clear conscience, he clearly sees the world in terms of capitalism and money, not in terms of equality or even human decency. Someone with those ideas has no business "leading" people that he clearly does not respect or understand.
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