Comfort & Joy

Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” isn’t a Christmas song, but the opening verse of that musical tribute to childhood reminds us of the true spirit of the season. Stevie sings:

Lookin’ back on when I was a little, nappy-headed boy

When my only worry was for Christmas what would be my toy

Even though we sometimes would not get a thing

We were happy with the joy the day would bring!

Simple, comforting words for troubled times.

Unemployment remains high – over 9% nationally. Despite their best efforts many Americans simply cannot find work – and a lot of people who have jobs are nonetheless struggling to make ends meet. In addition to that, some people comfortable circumstances are showing an increased impatience and lack of compassion toward those who are struggling. Republicans in Congress repeatedly opposed extending unemployment benefits because, like Ebenezer Scrooge, they disdainfully dismiss the poor and jobless as “idle.” Of course, those same Republicans demanded that millionaires get an income tax reduction, even though it will add $700 billion to the federal deficit.

So, for countless families life continues to be a struggle. Money’s funny, change is strange and a lot of parents are feeling guilty because they can’t provide the presents their kids want for Christmas. But there is no greater gift than the blessing of love, family and friendship and that’s what Stevie Wonder was singing about.

The Grinch learned that lesson from the folks he tried to harm. Dr. Seuss’ green-furred villain stole everything out of Who-ville. All the presents, all the decorations, all the food. And yet, when the sun came up on Christmas Day, all the Whos down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, went outside, joined hands and lifted their voices in a song of joy and gratitude. A touching line in that song proclaims: “Christmas Day is in our grasp so long as we have hands to clasp.” Holding hands, drawing close to one another, sharing love and friendship, offering encouragement, comforting and consoling one another… this is what makes Christmas meaningful.

Dr. Seuss and Stevie Wonder both built on the Biblical message of love, joy and hope that is the heart of Christmas. As one of our most time-honored Christmas carols says:

God rest ye merry gentlemen. Let nothing you dismay

Remember, Christ our savior was born on Christmas Day

To save us all from Satan’s power, when we were gone astray

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy!

This song empowers us to be brave and confident in the face of adversity. “Let nothing you dismay” because no matter what the world throws at us, we can handle it, we can get through and triumph in difficult days because God, the creator of the universe, loves us and is always close by, ready to strengthen us with comfort and joy even in the worst of times!

The writer Earl Hamner, Jr. captured that spirit in The Homecoming, the classic TV movie that inspired the long-running series The Waltons. The epilogue to that Depression-era drama is beautiful: “Christmas is a season when we give tokens of love. In that house we gave not tokens but love itself.”

Merry Christmas and thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.

SARAH PALIN'S INSULTING BLACK HISTORY "LESSON"

(Originally published Dec. 2, 2010 in The Pasadena Journal)

African-Americans do not need Sarah Palin to lecture us about black history. In her new book, America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag, Palin -- who soared to prominence by demonizing President Obama, mischaracterizing civil rights leaders and glorifying small-town white America -- expresses admiration for two of our most revered African-American heroes: civil rights champion Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Booker T. Washington, the former slave who was the preeminent voice for black education in the 19^th and early 20^th century. But Palin’s respect for these icons reflects an offensive misrepresentation of the black freedom struggle that is painfully common among white conservatives.

Palin praises Washington for working menial jobs and for developing Tuskegee Institute as if he was some kind of anomaly; as if hard work, self-help and making a way out of no way was not the mainstream avocation of black folks. Palin pontificates: “Washington had every incentive to…give the finger to The Man. Instead, he worked to pass on to others in need the virtues that had given him success… He didn’t take the easy path; he took the hard path. He earned his success and his self-esteem.”

The patronizing ignorance of those words is staggering. There was no “easy path” for Booker T. Washington to choose in the post-slavery era (just as there has been no easy path for countless African-Americans since that time). And there was nothing unique about Washington’s diligence and commitment to empowering those who came after him. Black folk before, during and after Booker T’s time have always been defined by diligence, self-reliance and a commitment to excellence. Our demands for social justice, equal opportunity and political remedies to institutionalized racism and economic under-development have always been reinforced by hard work. Booker T. Washington earned his success and self-esteem? Absolutely! But so have generations of Black Americans who Sarah Palin apparently cares nothing about.

Palin is similarly clueless when she misapplies Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in a clumsy attempt to discredit President Barack Obama. In trashing Mr. Obama’s call for “fundamental transformation” in our society, Palin writes: “Dr. King called not for a rejection of America's founding principles, but for America to ‘rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.’”

See, this is what happens when you try to put words into folk’s mouths, while ignoring the words that have actually been spoken. President Obama has never called for “a rejection of America’s founding principles.” When he spoke of the need for a “fundamental transformation” in our country, Mr. Obama was talking about the need for greater social and economic fairness that would expand the opportunities for average, work-a-day Americans to improve their lives (through access to education, jobs, health care, home ownership, etc.) This is the same message Dr. King delivered throughout his life. Indeed, the demand for economic justice was a basic component of the Civil Rights struggle. The March on Washington was officially billed as a rally for “Jobs and Freedom” and, during “I Have A Dream,” Dr. King decried that a century after emancipation “…the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.”

I doubt seriously that Sarah Palin has never listened to or read “Where Do We Go From Here,” the speech in which Dr. King questioned the ruthlessness of capitalism and called for “restructuring the whole of American society.” King concludes that address with this bold pronouncement:

“…communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and the kingdom of brotherhood is found neither in the thesis of communism nor the antithesis of capitalism but in a higher synthesis…that combines the truth of both. Now, when I say question the whole society, it means ultimately coming to see that the problem of racism, the problem of economic exploitation, and the problem of war are all tied together. These are the triple evils that are interrelated.”

Sarah Palin would like to pretend that Dr. King never said things like that. But he did. All the time. And his words are just as true today as they were four decades ago. Something else Dr. King used to say seems fitting here: “No lie can live forever.”

Attempts by Sarah Palin and other conservatives to revise history by distorting the words and deeds of black heroes like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Booker T. Washington are profoundly insulting. They’re also easily debunked which makes them laughable.

Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.

Watch Cameron Turner’s weekly television appearances on "The Filter with Fred Roggin" at www.NBCLA.com. See video commentaries at www.youtube.com/TurnersTwoCents. Email Cameron at turnerstwocents@yahoo.com.

WHAT MANDATE? REPUBLICANS IGNORE POLL NUMBERS!

(Originally published Nov. 8, 2010)

Mitch McConnell and John Boeher are either lying or they simply do not understand the facts. Either way, the Republican leaders of the House and Senate are wrong when they claim that the American people are clamoring for a reduction in federal spending and repeal of the healthcare reform act. Nationwide exit polls conducted on Election Day, November 2^nd, reveal that voters are divided evenly on these and other important issues.

During his line-in-the-sand speech to the Heritage Foundation last week, Senate Minority Leader McConnell, emboldened by the GOP’s historic election wins, declared that repealing the Healthcare Reform Act would be Senate Republicans’ number one legislative goal. Ironically, exit polls show that only 18% of Americans believe that healthcare is the most important issue facing our nation. (For the overwhelming majority of us, 62%, the economy is the most urgent matter.) And, in contrast to Republican claims, there is no tidal wave of voter outrage against the healthcare law. 48% of voters want the healthcare reform act repealed, but an almost equal number, 47%, say healthcare reform should be either left alone or expanded. So, at best Americans are divided – practically in half – over what to do with the new healthcare law.

The stats are similar on the subject of spending. 39% of exit poll respondents said that reducing the deficit should be the top priority of the new Congress. But 37% (again, an almost equal number) said that Congress’ top priority ought to be spending money to create jobs.

Those numbers are pretty much the same in Sen. McConnell’s home state of Kentucky. Voters there actually favor government spending over deficit reduction by a slim margin. 37% of Kentuckians say Washington should spend money to put people back to work. A slightly smaller number, 35% say the government should stop spending and concentrate on bringing down the deficit.

The Republicans are also wrong when they claim that voters strongly oppose stimulus spending. The American people are actually split into thirds on this issue. Exit polls show that 33% of us feel that the federal stimulus package hurt the economy. But 32% say it helped and another 32% say it had no effect.

What about the issue of taxes? Republicans rebuffed President Obama’s plan to preserve President Bush’s tax cuts for the middle class, while allowing income taxes for the wealthy to go back up to pre-Bush levels. The GOP insists that tax cuts should be kept in place for all Americans, even the rich; 39% of the American people agree with that. But 37% agree with President Obama that only people who earn less than $250,000 a year should have their taxes reduced.

The poll numbers paint a strikingly different picture of voters’ attitudes and priorities than Republican leaders claim. So, despite all of their gloating, posturing and pontificating in the wake of last week’s midterm elections, the Republicans simply do not have the mandates that they claim. Sen. McConnell, Rep. Boehner and their cohorts are dead wrong when they assert that a vast majority of Americans are demanding that government reduce spending, cut taxes and repealing healthcare reform. That’s the Republican Party agenda, not the agenda of most Americans.

So, President Obama and the Democrats on Capitol Hill should feel no obligation to knuckle under and go along with the Republican program. On the contrary, they should stand firm on their convictions with the confidence that they are standing up for a large and significant segment of the American voting populace.

Thank you for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.

Watch Cameron Turner’s weekly television appearances on "The Filter with Fred Roggin" at www.NBCLA.com and read more "Turner's Two Cents" on www.EURweb.com. Email Cameron at turnerstwocents@yahoo.com.

BLAME OBAMA FOR ENTHUSIASM GAP

Originally published Oct.30, 2010)

Watching President Obama, former President Clinton and other Democratic Party leaders canvass the country in a desperate bid to fire up the party faithful on the eve of the midterm elections filled me a strange feeling both pride and deep disappointment. It should never have come to this. There should never have been an “enthusiasm gap” among Democratic voters. And this gap would probably have never opened up if President Obama had been more courageous during his first year and a half in office.

A few weeks ago, President Obama scolded deflated Democrats in a “Rolling Stone” cover story where he declared: "The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible." While he was philosophically correct, Mr. Obama failed to recognize that this “irresponsible” lack of zeal among some Democrats was largely his fault.

President Obama has been catching flak from liberals and progressives for well over a year now because of his perceived failure to advocate for basic, Democratic Party policies and principles. The President caved on key points in the healthcare bill (the end of life provision and the public option) without a fight, he kowtowed to the beat cop who humiliated and wrongfully arrested black Harvard professor Dr. Henry Louis Gates at his own house, he did not push for a Senate vote on his middle class tax cut plan (which Republicans opposed), he threw Shirley Sherrod under the bus then tried to play it off, he paid lip service to ending the military’s discriminatory Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy then sat quietly by while the Justice Department appealed the court ruling that found the policy unconstitutional…

Obama’s apparent timidity dispirited the liberal/progressive base of the Democratic Party and diluted excitement over White House successes such as: policies that saved thousands of public service jobs (teachers, cops, etc.), the extension of unemployment benefits, Wall Street reform, increased college financial aid, tax cuts for small businesses and (despite its flaws) passage of healthcare reform. And don’t forget that President Obama forced British Petroleum to set up a $20 billion fund for Americans affected by the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

If the Democratic Party is to have any measure of success in Congress over the next two years, and if Mr. Obama is to have any hope of re-election, then the President must adopt a radically different leadership style. With the balance of power poised to shift on Capitol Hill, President Obama needs to finally accept the fact that he is engaged political warfare. His honorable predisposition toward compromise and consensus has not worked and will not work because the Republicans are unabashedly committed to opposing, obstructing and undermining everything President Obama tries to accomplish. So, instead of acting like an arbitrator, Mr. Obama needs to become a fighter. That means pushing back rhetorically against the outlandish falsehoods and flat-out lies hurled by conservative rabble rousers. It will mean taking his case directly to the American people, telling them why his policies are beneficial. Most important of all, President Obama must stand firmly, courageously and consistently, for the policies and philosophy in which he believes.

Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.

BISHOP EDDIE LONG: MILLSTONE JUSTICE

(originally published October 1, 2010)

I don’t know if Bishop Eddie Long is guilty of the despicable sexual abuse allegations aimed athim in separate lawsuits by four young men. But the kind of manipulative, predatory behavior of which Bishop Long has been accused is tragically common in our society – even within some of our churches. However, any so-called Christians (especially clergy and church leaders) who would be arrogant and twisted enough to commit such a crime should take heed that Jesus Christ promised a particularly horrible hell for those who prey on children and the childlike.

Of all of the evil acts that human beings commit, sex crimes are among the most heinous because they inflict deep, often irreparable wounds to the mind and spirit. Sexual victimization can scorch one’s sense of trust and self-worth so horribly that fear, anger, cynicism and self-loathing take root in the places where confidence, joy, a sense of safety and a love of life were meant to blossom. These impacts are devastating at any age, but they are especially traumatic for young abuse victims. I believe this is one of the reasons that Jesus declares in the book of Matthew (chapter 18, verses 5 – 7): “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” So important is this warning that it is repeated in the gospels of Mark (chapter 9, verse 42) and Luke (chapter 7, verse 2).)

When Jesus used the terms “child” and “little ones” in this context I don’t believe he was speaking solely of persons who are chronologically young; he was referring also to those who are young in their spiritual, emotional and mental development. The men who have accused Bishop Long were emotionally young when, out of the unique loneliness felt by fatherless black teens, they connected with Long as a caring paternal figure. The accusers say that it was for fear of losing this fatherly connection that they submitted to sex acts with the bishop. The judicial process will reveal whether these allegations are factual.

Jesus had extraordinary compassion and respect for children. Throughout the gospels he points to the inherent optimism and faith of kids as a model for adults and he promises rewards to those who treat children with kindness. But Jesus is also uncompromising when it comes to unrepentant child abusers. Sexual predators conceal their crimes behind the shame of their victims and the stubborn skepticism of good people who are quick to dismiss the claims of the victims. But Jesus reminds us in three of the four gospels that there is no hiding place for predators.

The quote by Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle that was so frequently referenced Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remains true: “No lie can live forever!” The truth will come out -- if not in this lifetime, then certainly in the afterlife where God’s justice is swift, harsh and eternal.

Thank you for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.

Watch Cameron Turner’s weekly television appearances on "The Filter with Fred Roggin" online at www.NBCLA.com and read more "Turner's Two Cents" on www.PasadenaJournal.com. Cameron would love to receive your email at turnerstwocents@yahoo.com.

HEISMAN DIS-TRUST

(Originally posted Sept. 20, 2010 on EURweb.com and in The Pasadena Journal)

I was never a great athlete. I played Pop Warner as a kid and was on the football team throughout my four years at John Muir High School in Pasadena, California but I never developed the passion or skills to become anything remotely resembling a star player. But running around on all those football fields helped me learn a lot about character: diligence, teamwork, the ability to push past perceived limitations and the finality of competition. That’s why I’m convinced that forcing Reggie Bush to relinquish his Heisman Trophy was a travesty that undermines the essence and the value of sports.

Sports captivate us because they allow us to witness and participate in true competition – contests where the outcome does not hinge on one’s racial or ethnic background, socio-economic status, political or social connections, off-the-field associations, etc. In sports, the bottom line is performance. So, we are thrilled and inspired by the purity and magnificence of similarly skilled and comparably equipped opponents battling it out according to established rules of play.

Reggie Bush broke the rules, but he did not dishonor the game. Accepting gifts or money from sports agents, university alumni, coaches, etc. violates the NCAA code -- but those standards have nothing to do with how an athlete plays. Bush earned the Heisman Trophy through superior execution on the football field. He proved his mettle in the heat of competition, which is what sports are all about. Reggie Bush’s achievements at USC cannot be undone, so all of his awards and history should be honored.

By taking away his Heisman Trophy and erasing his achievements from the record books, the NCAA is not only over-punishing Bush, it is taking a sledge hammer to the concept of greatness achieved through competition which is the basic pillar of sports itself. Returning Bush’s award to the Heisman Trust actually devalues the trophy by sending out a signal that excellence is less important than controversial rules capriciously enforced.

On top of that, Reggie Bush’s unprecedented punishment will do nothing to prevent future violations of the NCAA’s questionable rules. This could actually lead to greater cynicism among young athletes who already regard college sports as an exploitive plantation system. The result could be more, not fewer, athletes taking whatever perks they can get from the officials and business people who will certainly continue to woo talented kids with lavish handouts.

No high principles were affirmed or protected by stripping Reggie Bush of college football’s highest honor. On the contrary, the noble ideas of competition which lie at the heart of sports may have been damaged more deeply than the NCAA or the Heisman Trust realize.

Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my Two Cents.

Watch Cameron Turner’s weekly television appearances on "The Filter with Fred Roggin" at www.NBCLA.com and read more "Turner's Two Cents" on www.EURweb.com. Email Cameron at turnerstwocents@yahoo.com.

TURNER’S TWO CENTS: GLENN BECK’S PHONY REGRET

(originally published Aug. 30,2010 on EURweb.com)

So, now Glenn Beck wants us to believe that he’s sorry for calling President Obama a racist. Sounds like another attempted con job as Beck tries to dupe the nation by cloaking his divisive message behind a toned down image.

Beck has repeatedly rationalized his ridiculous assertion that that Mr. Obama “has a deep-seated hatred of white people or white culture.” But last Sunday, one day after his “Restoring Honor” rally on the Washington mall, Beck told fellow Fox News host Chris Wallace that he was wrong to use the R-word. Of course, the muck-raking conservative broadcaster didn’t actually apologize – he’s too self-righteous, agenda-driven and, I believe, too insincere for that. Beck claimed that he simply chose his words poorly. The exchange between Beck and Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” went down thusly:

WALLACE: "Do you regret having called [Obama] a racist and saying he had a deep seated hatred for white people?"

BECK: "Of course I do. I don't want to retract the, um...I want to amend that I think it is much more of a theological question, that he is a guy who understands the world through liberation theology, which is oppressor-and-victim. 'Racist,' first of all, it shouldn't have been said. It was poorly said. I have a big fat mouth sometimes and I say things. That's just not the way people should behave. And it was not accurate. It is liberation theology that has shaped his world view."

That whack excuse doesn’t even begin to sound honest. Does Beck actually expect us to believe that he intended to say “liberation theology” but his tongue slipped and accidentally blurted out the words “racist” and “deep-seated hatred for white people?” Please.

Glenn Beck is may be a rabble rouser who manipulates the facts and appeals to people’s fears and suspicions but he is neither stupid nor inarticulate. He’s an experienced broadcaster (he got his first radio shows at 13) who always appears well-rehearsed. So, when Beck accused President Obama of hating white people, he meant exactly that. He was being deliberately inflammatory in yet another effort to stir up the wrath of frightened white conservatives.

But Beck’s non-retraction of his Obama-hates-white-folks remark ties in with the show he put on during his “Restoring Honor” rally last Saturday. In a rambling, superficial speech that alternately invoked the Founding Fathers and God, Beck dropped his divisive, fear-stoking rhetoric and his angry, condescending persona so that he could play the role of a loving spiritual leader who doesn’t care about politics and wants to unite Americans in a spirit of brotherhood. He even told his followers to leave their belligerent, paranoid tea party banners and protest signs at home (although, they apparently got a pass on the “Don’t Tread On Me” flags). But no amount of window dressing could conceal the fact that Glenn Beck and his followers are still the same ol’ infuriated, fact-twisting, liberal-bashing, Obama-hating, violence-condoning crowd that they’ve always been. The “Restoring America” title and the claims by Beck, Sarah Palin and other speakers that our nation is at some kind of life-and-death crossroads reflects the cornerstone fear of the tea party movement: that the United States is hurtling out of control toward a cultural, political, economic and national security abyss because of the left-wing policies of President Obama and the Democrats in Congress. Same garbage, different package.

Glenn Beck referred to Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” several times during his speech at the “Restoring Honor” rally. But as I listened, another famous Lincoln quote kept running through my mind: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”

With his image-softening appearances on the Washington DC mall and on Chris Wallace’s show, Glenn Beck is apparently trying to convince us that he is a reasonable guy without a political agenda. I suspect that very few of the people will be fooled into believing that.

Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.

Watch Cameron Turner’s weekly television appearances on "The Filter with Fred Roggin" at www.NBCLA.com and read more "Turner's Two Cents" on www.PasadenaJournal.com. Email Cameron at turnerstwocents@yahoo.com.