Mr. Gingrich,
For this you still owe our children an apology:
"Some of the things they could do is work in a library, work in the front office, some of them frankly could be janitorial; what if they clean up the bathrooms, what if they mopped the floors, what if in the summer they repainted the school; what if in the process they were actually learning to work, learning to earn money; if they had their own money, they didn't have to become a pimp or a prostitute or a drug dealer. [If] they had the dignity of work and learned how to be around adults who actually wanted to mentor them and help them. This is not a casual comment... It grows out of a lot of thinking over many years of trying to figure out how do we break out people trapped in poverty who have no work habits." -- Gingrich
We, the students and faculty of the Delaware Annual Conference Ministerial Institute of the AME Church, representing over 34 congregations and their constituents throughout Delaware and southern Pennsylvania are outraged at your continued demeaning of poor children and their families.
As a candidate vying for the Republican Presidential nomination, to suggest that poor children collectively lack a work ethic and drive for legal and productive work is entirely classist. Your national platform is no place for such irresponsible remarks. Our children deserve better than your degrading rhetoric.
In fact, they deserve an apology, and we -- their pastors and advocates -- demand one.
Mr. Gingrich, what your remarks have demonstrated is a failure to acknowledge the resilience of many who work daily and yet are unable to escape poverty. For many, low wages, a poor economy, and sparse full time employment opportunities have landed many families into the category of what the U.S. Department of Labor & Labor Statistics call the working poor. Contrary to what your remarks propagate, a significant number of children in households below the American poverty line (and those one paycheck away from it) are in homes with working family members; many of them are in our congregations weekly and are active citizens.
Mr. Gingrich, not only did you get the "cause" of poverty wrong, but your "solution" is just as unsubstantiated and offensive. Mandating that poor children become the janitors of their own failing public schools to better their work ethic is not a well thought out, viable, or realistic solution. Such a proposal is not only insulting, it is ridiculous.
Where would the currently employed janitors work (obviously this is a back handed assault on union employees)? If poor children are to benefit from extracurricular employment, why not at least provide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) opportunities to increase their competitiveness in the global marketplace? Why not invest in education reform instead of cutting back early education/head start programs? Why not put forth solutions to the unemployment crisis in our nation, so that those who have the dignity, but not the work, can have an opportunity to build a better future for themselves and their children?
But, no -- instead you fan the flames of prejudice to get votes. With a move right out of Lee Atwater's Southern Strategy play book (i.e., "Welfare Mothers" = Lazy Blacks), you have managed to stir the xenophobia and racist fears of your far right republican base with the statement:
"I've been talking about the importance of work, particularly as it relates to people who are in areas where there is public housing, et cetera, where there are relatively few people that go to work." (Emphasis added)
Mr. Gingrich, the poverty of many poor minority children is the byproduct of systemic injustices that bar them from participation in the American Dream because of their racial and social location -- not laziness.
We understand that you are of the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" camp, but the last time we checked Mr. Gingrich, it is impossible to pull yourself up by your own boot straps, and even more difficult when you have no boots to begin with.
Consequently, as pastors and leaders of the poor and their children, we are called to champion those without the boots of opportunity, fair play, and justice. For us not to mandate an apology for such biased, erroneous and offensive remarks would be as irresponsible as the remarks themselves. Today, Mr. Gingrich, we extend to you the opportunity to recant your "war on poor children" rhetoric and the opportunity to apologize to our children for speaking such falsehoods over their lives.
Awaiting your response,
Delaware Annual Conference Ministerial Institute
The Rev. Dr. Janet J. Sturdivant, Dean of Ministerial Institute
The Rev. Silvester S. Beaman, Chairman of Board of Examiners
Sis. Joi Orr, M.Div, Organizer & Institute Student
Follow Joi Ruth Orr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/joi_orr
I am appalled and disgusted that the poverty industry does whatever it can to make sure the newest generation learns their victimhood early and to look for the government for support and subsistence. You preach dependence and helplessness. I have listened to talk radio and learned a black child cannot be housed or fed without federal assistance, a black child cannot get through school or in to college with a federal program. A black adult cannot get a job or promotion with federal protection.
Each of you should be ashamed for what you have done over the years. Lining your pockets with grant money, but making sure the source of your income, the poor, stay right where they are.
However, I wish you would read a little slower, so you could have actually comprehended the post. I made no assertions whatsoever I believed black children are second class citizens and must be cared for. You may notice my complaint is the poverty industry that teaches dependence on government. I firmly believe in an equal opportunity for everyone. The problem is equal opportunity has morphed into equal outcome, regardless of effort.
Tuck a bit of your self-righteous indignation away or at least direct it in the right direction.
Some people, for example most of the black population of South Africa, were "poor" because the smaller minority conspired to steal from them over a long period of time. They stole civil rights, they stole natural resources, they stole cultural stability, they stole the stability of the tribes, and they stole the structure of the economic system which had been there.
If you think this does not also apply to the USA, I would wonder why you consider yourself an expert on "history". Enormous theft of similar assets was done to native tribes in the USA, and slavery was done to mostly black/African and mixed-race Caribbean cultures over a period of about 400 years. Let me clue you in about something: if YOUR CULTURE and YOUR "race" were subjected to that kind of treatment by a ruling class over that period, do you think you would be a college professor now?
no respect for marriage, ask wife 1,2, , or greed, ., or war mongering,.....nice that u can pick and choose what sin's ...
God forgives the GOP.
The rest of us goes to hell...it is what the conservative, right-wing, christian fanatics believe. It is obvious.
Now you don't have to put your ignorance out there for people to see.
Well, he was the one spouting off about family values while leaving behind sick women and asking for open marriages. Yuck!
These churches are doing the right thing as role models by standing up and asking that people be treated 1) with fairness by telling the truth, and 2) that Ginrich check his beliefs about how he just portrayed the land of plenty, land of the free, the land where anyone can work hard towards their dreams.
In fact, Ginrich revealed that he believes we have a caste system in the USA. Once poor, the best u can go for is the janitor but you'll have to take that job from the last generation of men that politicians like Ginrich couldn't create enough opportunity while being such amazing 'job creators.'
Its so bogus this argument about not wanting to work its insulting. But, that's how these guys are.
Thank you to these churches for recognizing the reality of the people in your congregation, speaking to it, and holding the values that are ones we recognize as religious. From here, so many bridges can be built, in spirit of truth.
I grew up christian and never understood the opposite teachings of Jesus Christ!! Clearly states in "their" Bible that only one can judge--God, that Christ came to save, not judge. Yet, we continune to see religious leaders judging others and condemning them...unless, it is from their own congregation, then forgiveness is accepted, the sin ignored.
Gingrich is compared to David, who sinned a lot but was saved by God! Unbelievable!
Just sayin..... But there is good news. When you accept Christ, you are judged by His works, not yours. Thank God or I would be so screwed. BTW, forgiveness is for all who accept it.
Pull your nose out of R#sh and Faux news and learn about those European countries. The northern European countries are starting to outshine us in one arena after another.
Do you also feel that spending more money on education in poor neighborhoods is just a waste of money?
So what we should say to Mr. Gingich is, "why do you want to give jobs to kids, when your party has opposed all efforts to provide job programs for youth?"
At least Gingrich has the courage to open a dialog on these issues.
USSA....
But make sure it doesn't interfere with learning.