Dear Editor:
Why is that some politicians utter statements with malice or without thinking about the extent of the harm that they can cause by leaving the voters with a false sense of who is being victimized and who is directly responsible for lessening the contents of some wallets? Presidential candidate Rick Santorum did just that when uttered the statement, “I do not want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money, I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money,” In reality, when the statistics were researched, it was found that in Iowa, 9 percent of Blacks received food stamps while 84 percent of Whites received them.
Whether we’re running for office or acting in a leadership role, we owe it to the people who are listening to tell the truth. We should not leave a false perception about who are the “haves” and the “have nots” and who really needs the opportunities to go out to earn money. If we examine, state by state the number of federal benefits extended to the White or Black population, the White population wins, hands down. Let’s tell the truth. We, the Pittsburgh Unit of the NAACP urges Santorum to do his homework before making statements that lead others to false conclusions.
M. Gayle Moss
President, NAACP Pittsburgh Branch
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