Robert Reich Posts Open Letter to Malkin, Limbaugh and Hannity
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
January 26, 2009 8:10pm CST
Several days ago there was at least one discussion regarding remarks former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich had made about the stimulus bill and jobs that would be created for rebuilding our infrastructure. He was basically accused of "discriminating" against white males by the likes of Michelle Malkin, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. I understood what he was getting at immediately and didn't take his words to be racist or discriminatory at all, but obviously there were those who disagreed with me. Anyway, I thought I'd post Reich's own rebuttal in the form of an open letter to the three mentioned above.
http://www.robertreich.blogspot.com/
Here is the letter:
In a time like this, when tempers are riding high and many Americans are close to panic about their jobs and finances, you have a special responsibility to consider the accuracy of what you say and the consequences of inflammatory and erroneous statements. In the last few days, manifestly distorting my words and pulling them out of context, you have accused me of wanting to exclude white males from jobs generated by the stimulus package. Anyone who takes a moment to examine what I actually said and wrote knows this to be an absurd misrepresentation of my position (see this). My goal is and has always been to create as many opportunities for as wide a group as possible, and not exclude anyone from access. There is and has never been any ambiguity about this. The hate mail I have received since your broadcast suggests that the mischievous consequences of your demagoguery are potentially dangerous, in addition to being destructive of rational and constructive political discourse. I urge you to take responsibility for your words. Words and ideas have real world consequences, and you have demonstrated a cavalier disregard for both.
Any thoughts?
Annie
2 people like this
13 responses
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
27 Jan 09
I didn't hear about this but, really why are we surprised that conservative fat mouths are all for America failing. It totally amazes me about the ignorance of these "people".
1 person likes this
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
27 Jan 09
I'm a conservative and I'm not for America failing. Rush Limbaugh said that if Obama's policies are socialist policies then he wants them to fail. I don't want out country to end up socialist either.
2 people like this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
27 Jan 09
I would much rather have a social society/country than to be in a depression and all the awful things that go with a depression. Working individuals is much better than people straving in line at the soup kitchen.
1 person likes this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Thank you for posting the quote Annie. From what he's said I think he deserves hate mail.
"REICH [audio clip]: I am concerned, as I'm sure many of you are, that these jobs not simply go to high-skilled people who are already professionals or to white male construction workers."
So this part is saying that he doesn't want these jobs to go to high-skilled people, professionals, or white construction workers. Hmm...
"I have nothing against white male construction workers. I'm just saying that there are a lot of other people who have needs as well. And, therefore, in my remarks I have suggested to you, and I'm certainly happy to talk about it more, ways in which the money can be -- criteria can be set so that the money does go to others: the long-term unemployed, minorities, women, people who are not necessarily construction workers or high-skilled professionals."
So now he's saying that unemployed people, minorities, and women are not "necessarily" construction workers or high-skilled professionals. I ONLY WANT construction workers doing construction. There are rules and regulations to make sure those are the ONLY people performing construction regardless of their skin color. If there is a profession that requires a high-skilled person, I want a high-skill person at that job. I don't see why we should have to lower the bar for minorities or women. Let them work hard and earn the jobs like everyone else.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
27 Jan 09
I thought it looked like something was missing when I posted Reich's original words before. Here's the rest:
What to do? There’s no easy solution to either dilemma…
People can be trained relatively quickly for these sorts of jobs, as well as many infrastructure j0bs generated by the stimulus — installing new pipes for water and sewage systems, repairing and upgrading equipment, basic construction — but contractors have to be nudged both to provide the training and to do the hiring.
I’d suggest that all contracts entered into with stimulus funds require contractors to provide at least 20 percent of jobs to the long-term unemployed and to people with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. And at least 2 percent of project funds should be allocated to such training. In addition, advantage should be taken of buildings trades apprenticeships — which must be fully available to women and minorities.
(End of excerpt)
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/01/22/robert-reich-keep-stimulus-money-away-from-skilled-workers-and-white-male-contractors/
This is probably still make no difference to some of you but I think it should. Basically, he believes for a job-creating stimulus to work there has to be jobs for those who don't have one or who are underemployed. He didn't say women or minorities should be given preferential treatment or that white males should be excluded, simply that training should be available to those who need it including women and minorities and that those who need the jobs should have an opportunity to train for them.
Annie
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
27 Jan 09
I would also like to add that I think it's racist for him to imply that all high skilled professionals and construction workers are white. I've known a LOT of black and hispanic construction workers and here in Miami the majority of professionals are hispanic.
1 person likes this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
27 Jan 09
"People can be trained relatively quickly for these sorts of jobs, as well as many infrastructure j0bs generated by the stimulus — installing new pipes for water and sewage systems, repairing and upgrading equipment, basic construction"
I wouldn't assume to know how long it takes to train people for these jobs Annie. Are you a contractor? Have you ever trained new construction workers, plumbers, sewer workers? I'm not asking that to be curt, but rather to see if you know more about the topic than I do. I'm pretty quick to learn, but I don't think I could "quickly" be trained on how to install a toilet, construct a building, or work in a sewer.
I've watched Dirty Jobs a fair bit and that guy is a quick study. Despite his skills and learning curve, the people training him often get sick of having him around because he doesn't learn as fast as they'd like him to and often slows down their operations or makes their jobs more difficult. If you think you can train someone in these jobs quickly, you should ask someone who's been doing it for a long time. All I know is that I'd rather have the guy with 20 years of experience than the guy who got 2 hours of training that was federally mandated.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
28 Jan 09
So do I. These three in particular are constantly taking liberals' words out of context yet they're the first to complain that their words and those of other conservatives are taken out of context even when they're not and couldn't possibly be. A good example would be how they all claimed to know exactly what Michelle Obama meant by her statement about being proud of her country no matter how many times she tried to explain it but on the other hand Sarah Palin wasn't calling some of us un-American or from a part of the country that wasn't the "real" America when it was clear that she was.
Annie
@rodney850 (2145)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Annie,
What Mr Reich said was exactly what Rush, Malkin and Hannity portrayed it to be; just another form of (un)affirmative-action in which jobs are given on the basis of how unfortunate a person is instead of skills, education and experience. Excuse me if I want an experienced engineer planning an overpass of a freeway instead of a high school drop-out. Reich's own word betray his motives and those are to bypass white construction workers with experience and skills for the more unfortunate, often uneducated or untrained people who need jobs. I have always been and always will be a supporter of the best and most qualified man/woman for the job, not the person who needs it the most. There have been many times I have been passed over for a job or promotion simply because I wasn't the best qualified, and with those I have no qualms. I have also been passed over for someone because of race, gender or ethnicity by less qualified people and that is just plain wrong, no matter what race, gender or ethnicity I am!
1 person likes this
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Exactly! Thank you for stating that!
1 person likes this
@rodney850 (2145)
• United States
28 Jan 09
Annie,
Of course I was exagerating somewhat, but what I find interesting is the fact that he believes these type jobs are easily trained when in fact they are not. For example, today's interstates and super-highways are built much differently than 25-30 years ago. There are very few people on shovels and the majority of the work is done by heavy equipment. There is still quite a bit of manual labor but it isn't as un-technical as it used to be. While I may have exagerated, Mr Reich plainly over-simplified the situation.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Well I agree there should be responsible journalism (not that this election showed that on any side)....but those shows are all opinon shows and they do have a right to voice them. Just like we the american public can choose to watch those shows or not.
Yes words and ideas have real world consequences.....but so do secretary Rober Reich's ideas and words. People even journalist have the right to disagree or point out possible problems in our government and its policies.
He might not like or agree with what they say.....but they have a right to say it.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Welcome to the media anymore. The liberal media does it to the republicans. The concertive media does it the democrats. It drives me nuts.....I would love to just get hte news without their agendas....but I won't hold my breath.
1 person likes this
@katran (585)
• United States
28 Jan 09
This is just another case of the same old, same old. Conservatives whine about liberals and the liberals get pissed and act like little school girls who have been bullied to the point of tears. Liberals whine about conservatives and conservatives get pissed and do the same. I personally think it's time to stop legitimizing it by acting like either side has a leg to stand on.
First of all, it is perfectly within the rights of Malkin, Limbaugh, Hannity, myself, and anyone else to believe that Robert Reich is wrong. I think he is wrong. I think you should not MENTION race when talking about skill level. I think skilled people should get the jobs they have skills for. I don't think that the government should go out of their way to TRAIN people so that they can get jobs. Unless you are going to provide free vocational training to EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY, it is not right. Period. That is my opinion, and I think it is a perfectly legitimate opinion (well, of course I do).
In the world of politics, if you can't stand being criticized, if you can't stand a little hate mail, you better find a different job. You think Michelle Malkin never got any hate mail? You think Rush Limbaugh gets much of anything OTHER than hate mail? For Pete's sake, to me it sounds like he needs to grow a pair.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
29 Jan 09
I agree, it's within anyone's rights to believe Reich or anyone else is wrong. However, it's also wrong to intentionally misrepresent what someone has said and that's what Reich is saying and I tend to agree with him on that. Of course, you certainly have the right to disagree. As for Limbaugh, I doubt there's anyone that squeals louder than him if he thinks he's been taken out of context!
Annie
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
29 Jan 09
I have no idea what this is about, it all depends on what the media reports. If the media shows interviews with black males getting jobs and does not show the interview with the white males getting jobs, or just a few of them, then anyone watching will get the incorrect idea that the stimulus was mainly aimed at the African-Americans and I suppose that is what happened with Malkin, Limbaugh, and Hannity in regard to that Reich's announcement about the stimulus bill.
All that needs to do is when they are photographing the recipients of the stimulus package to be as indiscriminate with the use of the camera as possible.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
29 Jan 09
The stimulus bill hasn't even been passed yet and I don't know what photographs or interviews you're talking about. In my opinion this is about Malkin, Limbaugh and Hannity misrepresenting someone's words but there are those who disagree with me. Since none of us can read anyone else's minds, I guess we can't say for sure what any of them meant by what they said, can we?
Annie
@xfahctor (14113)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
27 Jan 09
Honestly I haven't seen Reich's remarks. I haven't heard too much from Rush or or Malkin, and I don't watch Hannity, can't stand him, I think he's an asss.
The comercial media in itself has become a mouthpiece for the governemnt in one form or another, pushing fear, pushing policy, pushing fear to advance policy, pushing a candidate. I watch all 3 networks in random fashion and then use them as a spring board for doing my own digging to get to the bottom of the matter. Hobestly, I have found far more quality information lately from the tin foil hat crowd, once you figure out how to filter out the silly nonsense that abounds in those circles, the stuff thats left is far more acurate than anything the main stream media is spoon feeding us. All of the major news networks and politicians are heavily vested in each other, none of them can be completly trusted anymore, in the news or in washington.
1 person likes this
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
27 Jan 09
I heard about this on another conservative radio show. And I listened to it and I heard what he said. To me it didn't sound like he wanted to exclude skilled workers or white males. But I also think he could have said what he said in a different way.
There are already minority quotas in effect. A certain number of contracts have to go to non-whites. As for skilled workers, I want skilled workers building my highways and bridges.
@morethanamolehill (1586)
• United States
29 Jan 09
Where in the Constitution does it say that the government needs to provide, pay for, or even be involved in training anyone for any job? The government really needs to BTFU and allow WE The People the freedom to do as we please within the parameters of that document. There are plenty of private training schools out there where anyone can go and get all of the training they need. It looks like Obama wants to put these schools out of business. Bigotry is bigotry and Reich is a bigot if he thinks that certain people need special help just because of the color of their skin.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Dr Martin Luther King,Jr.
(emphasis not mine alone).
@morethanamolehill (1586)
• United States
29 Jan 09
If I were a black person in this country I would be ofended by Reich's comments. If he said that White men over the age of 40 needed special help from th government to get a decent job, I would tell him exectly where he could put that attention.
@morethanamolehill (1586)
• United States
29 Jan 09
OK let me try that again.
If I were a black person in this country I would be offended by Reich's comments. If he said that White men over the age of 40 needed special help from the government to get a decent job, I would tell him exectly where he could put that help.
I never claimed to be a typist.
@Aingealicia (1905)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Annie,
Again, bravo. Excelent post. This should be the discussion of the day for the simple fact of what it says.
I think I can respond on this one because my words are all people have of me. I am responsible as a writer/journalist/poet/American but most of all a Mom. I know sounds a bit nutty to say that but we must take responcibilities of your words, how you use them, and how deep do you cut. Our children watch and mimic us with our words and our actions thus we create a new generation by action.
The real consequences of not taking responsibility is not a choice, but a responsibility after all a pen is mightier than a sword and can also stop and start wars.
As always my best,
Aingealicia
1 person likes this
@BlueGoblin (1829)
• United States
27 Jan 09
If the roles were reversed you know it would be an entirely different situation.
