Voices of the Future

Etan Thomas

• Verlag: Haymarket Books
• Jahr: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781608462896
• Thema: Literatur
• Thema: Poesie

"The poetic voice of his generation."—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

"Etan Thomas is breaking it down for our young minds on how to be a vital part of this challenging world we all live in. Let's give it up for Etan."—Spike Lee

Broken down by a variety of subject matter, each section begins with a selection from an interview between NBA star Etan Thomas and political sportswriter Dave Zirin, followed by a Thomas poem and the writings of talented young poets.

Etan Thomas is an author, columnist, and the recipient of the 2010 National Basketball Players Association Community Contribution Award.

1.

President Obama

Pres. Obama must act upon his potential in order to become the great leader he has the capacity to become.

—John Jenkins

Dave Zirin: Let me ask you this, can you be critical of the President even though you support him?

Etan Thomas: Definitely, I think President Obama was holding on too much to a dream that the Republicans would ever work with him on anything. I think he wasted too much time with that. Even if they had a plan or initiative that they once were in favor of, how many times did we see that when that same plan came from President Obama, they were all of a sudden against it? They are not going to be on board with him, period. So enough wasting time trying to convince them to be reasonable. I know he still has to get the approval of Congress to do anything, but it just seems like he can take action in the ways the Constitution allows him to, like maybe use job creation, which this country desperately needs, using the military, and “I am going to dare you to try and stop me. You introduce your bills, you hold your hearings, you have your speeches; this is what I am going to do, so either you get on board or you stand to the side.” I hate to say it, but that is how George W. Bush handled things. He went into Iraq even though he didn’t have the approval of anyone. He made up a reason, lied about ties to 9-11; he knew there weren’t any connections, but he was determined to push his agenda. Of course President Obama has more integrity than that, but what I am saying is, Bush didn’t waste a lot of time trying to convince everyone. He just acted, and that is what I want to see President Obama do

Dave Zirin: Wow, you actually criticized a lot more than I thought you would. I have to say I am surprised to hear you say all of that. You kind of gave a compliment to George W. Bush.

Etan Thomas: No, I wasn’t trying to give Dubya any compliment, but honestly the Republicans’ entire objective is to make the President look bad so they can say “Look how bad the economy is, look how high the unemployment rate is,” as they shoot down everything that he has done to try to help improve those conditions, and now the country will need the good ol’ Republicans to swoop in the 2012 elections and save the country. Senate Minority Leader Mitch Mcconnell said that his top priority is defeating President Obama. So they are putting their personal feelings against the President above saving the economy, above protecting our shores; he puts that before the well-being of the citizens of the United States, which is the ultimate treason. And how could you expect to do a deal with someone who thinks like that? But I digress. What is your critique of President Obama’s first four years?

Dave Zirin: The use of unmanned drones that have killed innocents abroad, the ordered “extrajudicial” killings, the declaring war in Libya without congressional approval—these are frightening powers to exercise. They aren’t powers I trust Mitt Romney to have. They aren’t powers I trust anyone to have. As for social policy, it’s on us to build movements to fight for a changing policy toward immigrants, toward women, or toward the poor. No president does that for you without being pushed.

Etan Thomas: Well, what do you think of the alternative, Mitt Romney?

Dave Zirin: Mitt Romney is so out of touch, it’s a joke. He’s the ultimate 1%er. He is the personification of everything the Occupy movement was fighting against: corporate greed, profits before people, and a complete absence of scruples.

Etan Thomas: So you think there is a need for another option, like a third party?

Dave Zirin: I wish we could break the two-party duopoly and get more ideas up there in the debates and in the political oxygen of this country. How remarkable would it be if there was someone in the debates who was for legalizing marijuana, or closing down the US military bases overseas, or starting a federal jobs program? They might not win the election, but we’d all be better off if people had access to those ideas.

Etan Thomas: Okay, but there is a big difference between maybe having a legitimate argument that Pres. Obama could do more for the poor and Romney and Ryan, whose policies are obviously against the poor. Let’s look at some facts.

Ryan is the chief architect for the Republican Party’s plan for tax and spending cuts and an advocate of reshaping the country’s Medicare program. The austere budget proposal that bears Ryan’s name would cut $770 billion from Medicaid and other health programs for the poor over 10 years, as compared with President Obama’s recent budget. He also takes an additional $205 billion from Medicare and an additional $1.6 trillion from food stamps, welfare, federal employee pensions, and support for farmers. In addition, his plans include changing Medicare into a program that would rely largely on vouchers.

To add insult to injury, Ryan’s budget would offset these $5.3 trillion in spending cuts by offering a $4.2 trillion tax cut to the wealthiest in this country, according to Citizens for Tax Justice.

Whew. Looks like it will be a long winter for the 99 percent if the Wisconsin congressman gets his way. So if Romney and Ryan got in office and this plan were put in place, those who criticize President Obama for not doing enough for the poor and middle class would really be singing the blues, because it will be all downhill from there.

Dave Zirin: There is definitely a difference. But true programs that actually tackle poverty will only happen if we build a movement to make it happen. As Howard Zinn, the historian, said, what matters is not who’s sitting in the White House. It’s who's sitting in the streets.

On the CD you have an impassioned poem called “The Inauguration” where you describe what that day meant to you. To quote you, “Reaching heights of dreams deeply rooted in the minds of kings that weathered the storms from sea to shining sea.” Take me through that entire feeling.

Etan Thomas: Well, in that line I am describing Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream. And the “storms from sea to shining sea” is a reference to everything we as Black people have had to overcome in this country. My grandfather said it best on the CD, “We have come a million miles, you can call it a million but it’s further than that.” We have been through so much as a people in this country.

I have a poem in More Than an Athlete called “Don’t Think I Forgot” that really takes you through our plight in this country. We have been through a lot and persevered.

Dave Zirin: I remember this poem. It was very moving, and hearing it on your CD really brought the emotion of it all to life.

Etan Thomas: Yea, it’s a tough one for people to listen to. So for us to be able to reach this height of having President Barack Obama become the 44th president of the United States is something that I as a Black man take great pride in. Look at what we have had to overcome. What we had to endure. It’s much deeper than just being happy to have a Black man in the Oval Of...