Author is a black radio-show host and columnist concerned about the decline of black culture. A radio and newspaper commentator saying things "a white person couldn't get away with." A firm believer that America is still a land of opportunity for anyone willing to make the effort, with no patience for the "black trash" mentality of blacks or their white "champions". A liberal enraged at the Democrats and not too happy with the Republicans. Sadly, all of the points he makes about US life in 1996 are still true or even more so in 2009. Retired before Obama's 2008 campaign. ( )

#80, 2004

When I started this book, I'd never heard of Hamblin. It turns out he's considered a "black conservative," and is sometimes called the "black Rush Limbaugh," but I don't think that's an apt description at all. (After reading this book, I have a lot of respect for Hamblin, something I don't think I'd ever say about Limbaugh). It was interesting to read Hamblin's "conservative" take on the some of the issues happening in the U.S. (the book is 8 years old, but I think much of what he discussed is still relevant). He mostly talks about racism and social policies - welfare, drug abuse and crime, and the "trash culture and poverty pimps" which promote and support them. He and I seem to be on the same page with what we would like to see happen, and in many cases we even agree on what might be done to achieve it. I had a few quibbles with him now and again (I'm not sure how being politically against the Death Penalty amounts to "the devaluation of life;" in my case, I believe it's just the opposite), and I have a hard time hearing any group of people be called "trash" or "an evolutionary disgrace." But I think his main point is spot-on: that opportunity is available in this country for anyone (regardless of race) who applies him/herself to it's pursuit. And that one of the biggest problems facing huge segments of U.S. society is a lack of accountabilty - not only are many people unable to take responsibility for themselves, but many governmental policies allow this to continue unabated.

Here's what I think is a good sum-up of his "stand:"

But the doctrine and values that I and other blacks like me have embraced obviously are not those stereotypical conservative - i.e. traditional Replublican - values. Ours are American values: doing the right thing, staying the course, fighting to overcome obstacles, daring to dream, and demanding to be judged by our character and our performance, not by our skin color. Our adherance to those values legitimately should bring us closer to the rewards of the American Dream, just as it does for any other American, and it has.

I am interested in hearing what he's saying these days, though - one of the things he said is that he doesn't always agree with the policies of those on the far right, but believes that the Consitution is strong enough to withstand the anything they could throw at it; I'm not sure I believe that anymore, and I'm curious whether or not Hamblin himself still believes it. In any case, I enjoyed this book, and if anything, it made me feel that the labels "conservative" and "liberal" are limiting. Hamblin and I *aren't* on opposite sides of the spectrum in what we believe and want, although our political labels might indicate that we are. Or maybe I'm just more "conservative" than I give mysef credit for being, and am so against the Bush regime because of my pacifism, which I see as being independent of left- or right-wing politics.

In any case, this book gave me a lot to think about. I'd recommend it. ( )

This was the book that made me want to read about issues. Hamblin talks about his upbringing and how he was taught not to settle for poverty or make it an excuse for failure. Pride comes from being self-supporting. He also spends a lot of the book addressing the inner city residents and how they look down on blacks who succeed. They claim the American Dream is really the white man's dream, and any black who aspires to it is turning white. The poverty pimps (as he calls them) who are "These black urban politicians devote their entire political careers to delivering nothing but government welfare to their stagnant communities of isolated constituents." ( )