Strollerderby

I agree with you.  Children of any race, color or creed who grow up in poverty suffer a huge blow to their ability to succeed in life.  Children of more affluent and/or educated parents benefit from better nutrition, better education and more time spent on enrichment activities from birth on.  This gives them a huge advantage.  

Obama's family weren't rich, but his mother was educated and made sure that he was well educated.  It's not really the same thing as the at-risk children that are the result of poverty and poorly-educated parents.

I totally agree that poor children in this country grow up at a huge disadvantage. I don't want to dismiss what Barrack Obama was able to do. However, his father came from another country, so he does not have the heavy weight of history on his shoulders. He was also raised by a white, middle-class family. Although his mother was single, his grandparents did a lot.

A more appropriate role model might be Michelle Obama, who actually grew up on the south side of Chicago. She did have a very stable family life, though, and you really can't compare her to kids who grow up in an unstable situation. I just think that people sometimes forget how amazing her story really is.

And I totally agree about rich white kids complaining. I can't believe how many rich white men tell me how unfair life is to them. Then I learn they partied their way through school, barely passed, and have a top position and make tons of money. I never understand where this complaining comes from.

Laurie68 wrote: "I never understand where this complaining comes from."

I dunno. Maybe from people making broad generalizations about people based on immutable aspects, such as "rich white men".

Pot, meet kettle.

MDD

@MDD, eh? I wasn't make any kind of generalization. I am not saying that all rich white men are like this. I am just stating that I have met a lot of privileged white men who say one, or both, of the folloing

- "Minorities get so many breaks - it is not fair to the rest of us"

- "Those people, like janitors, with menial jobs, they really have the life. My job is so hard. I wish I could live like they do" (this statement is often made over dinner at a pricey restaurant. Seriously, I am not making this up.)

I actually am white, and I know I have a quite a few advantages because of that. I can't ever imagine saying I am disadvantaged because I am white. I grew up in a very mixed neighborhood, and my friends that were not white had to work much harder just to make it, and then they get comments about how affirmative action must have really helped them. It really is like a double edge sword.