Umm, did I fall and trip into the Way Back machine and take a ride with Sherman and Mr. Peabody to 1942? I’m sure by now everyone has heard about the white Justice of The Peace in Louisiana who refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple. He said that he was concerned about any children the couple may have and how society would treat them. He also said that in his experience mixed couples don’t last that long. I wonder how many white couples he married and how long they lasted. The Justice of the Peace, Keith Bardwell, also stated “I’m not a racist. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way.” So not only is he a racist but he’s delusional to the fact. How about this quote from Bardwell, “I have piles and piles of Black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them like everyone else.” Yeah, unless they want to marry outside of their race. Still it’s good to know he’s not afraid to let them squeeze the Charmin.
Recently a white man, Larry Whitten, from Abilene Texas purchased a run down Southwestern Adobe style hotel in Taos New Mexico with plans to resurrect it as a tourist spot. Upon arriving to the hotel in Taos, which is a city where the majority of the population is Latino, he laid down some new rules to the current employees. They would no longer be allowed to speak Spanish (he feared there were talking about him) and were told to drop their accents. He also ordered them to anglicize their names. Juan became John, Marco became Mark and so on. Those who refused to follow his rules were terminated. He says he immediately noticed they were hostile to his management style. Management style? In fact the state of New Mexico has established Spanish as an official language alongside English. When asked for an explanation for the changes Whitten stated, "It has nothing to do with racism. I'm not doing it for any reason other than for the satisfaction of my guests, because people calling from all over America don't know the Spanish accents or the Spanish culture or Spanish anything." Then why are they booking a hotel in New Mexico? I guess that makes sense I know if I call a hotel in France I’d get upset if they spoke with some stupid French accent.
Seriously, both of these idiots are indicative of the paternal attitude white people have concerning minorities. They assume they know “what’s best” for us and the funny thing is that neither of these two bigots think they did anything wrong. The Justice of the Peace assumed he knew what was best for the interracial couple and their offspring and the hotel owner felt it was best for his workers to adjust to his idea of America. What they both fail to understand is that their ideas of America no longer exists and thank God. The vanilla flavored plain wrap white bread America they envision only exist in the minds of the same white supremacist and right wing whackos that refuse to accept a Black man as president. The same people who say they want to “take back the country”. They would prefer to go back to a time when minorities stayed in their place and did as they were told. Ahh...the good ole days. Well at least we can take some comfort in the fact that Bardwell has recently resigned as Justice of the Peace and both are facing lawsuits.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Busting Windows
Several weeks ago I attended the 19th annual Divas Simply Singing concert in Los Angeles. The Divas concert is a yearly benefit for HIV/Aids research and prevention hosted by Sheryl Lee Ralph. It’s a simple premise, one Diva accompanied by a pianist for one song for each Diva. The Benefit began as an effort by Ms. Ralph during a time when the African-American HIV/Aids community was being completely ignored even as celebrities like Elton John and Elizabeth Taylor were raising money, which largely funded White gay organizations. She likes to tell the story of how she was on Broadway in the early eighties when her male gay friends began to die off and no one did anything about it except to ignore the disease and to blame the men’s sexuality for causing their deaths. This was especially true in the African-American community and most notably in the Black churches. As the disease has grown to include more and more women, the focus of the concert has reflected the change and Ms. Ralph has continued the Divas Benefit as an effort to raise awareness of the disease and it’s affects on women of color.
This year the concert was preceded by a short film, starring Ms. Ralph of course, which told the story of a woman who had recently discovered her husband was cheating on her with another man. Her female friends who joined in a discussion of the problem surrounded her. There was quite a bit of male and gay male bashing contained in the dialogue and I was somewhat surprised by this tone coming from Ms. Ralph who has always been a strong supporter of the gay community. But as I’ve said the focus of this benefit has changed. However, it was what happened several Divas into the concert, which upset me most. Loretta Devine appeared with Ms. Ralph in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls and usually performs at the benefit. This year Ms. Devine took the stage and before she began singing she stated, “This is for all the down low brothers out there.” The crowd responded by whooping, hollering and clapping their approval and I sat there stunned and wondering why anyone would applaud this behavior. Then the pianist began playing the intro to her song and Ms. Devine sang “I Bust The Windows Out Your Car”…the crowd went crazy. Jazmine Sullivan’s song tells the story of a woman wronged by a lover who then takes revenge on his car.
Now I’m all for busting the windows out of the car of a cheating lover and maybe even maiming a few body parts, I just think closer examination should be made of this phenomenon. This down low syndrome, this monster the black community loves to hate is one they created themselves by demonizing and vilifying homosexuality. The Black churches and the Christian faith in general teaches these men to hate themselves for who they are and not everyone is able to overcome this hatred and be true to themselves. And don’t be fooled the down low is nothing new and certainly is not exclusive to the Black community. The men who practice this lifestyle do so because they want to be accepted by society. Some of them think they can “overcome” their feelings by entering into marriage or relationships with women and some really do enjoy bisexuality. Most importantly though these men want what they were taught. They want the wife two kids, a family and the white picket fence just like everyone else and they may see the down low as their only means to achieve it. Unfortunately, these men have been taught to believe that for them coming out is not an option and many opt for suicide instead.
I’m not saying these men are completely innocent. There is no excuse for cheating and lying to your mate and everyone should be held accountable for his or her actions. When a partner is unknowingly exposed to any type of disease it’s simply wrong and any one who cheats and does so without using a condom is an obvious idiot. I’m just saying examine society’s role in this and the Black community in particular. Just look at the Divas benefit. When it was a benefit largely for men of color it was all but ignored by the Black population and largely supported by white West Hollywood gays. The show I attended recently had an audience that appeared to be mostly African-American heterosexual couples, a growing trend for the Divas concert in recent years.
So once it became a disease that affected African-American women black people got behind it to support Ms. Ralph’s efforts. It appears that as long as this was a disease that largely affected gay men, even gay men of color, our community chose to ignore it. But what has happened is that the disease has begun to affect woman of color and this is a direct result of the homophobia that permeates the Black community and although the Black churches are not solely responsible, they have created a climate of intolerance and should be held accountable for the role they play in spreading this homophobia. We have a responsibility to examine the reasons why African-American women are the most rapidly growing segment of those infected with the HIV virus and what we the African-American community can do to change it.
This year the concert was preceded by a short film, starring Ms. Ralph of course, which told the story of a woman who had recently discovered her husband was cheating on her with another man. Her female friends who joined in a discussion of the problem surrounded her. There was quite a bit of male and gay male bashing contained in the dialogue and I was somewhat surprised by this tone coming from Ms. Ralph who has always been a strong supporter of the gay community. But as I’ve said the focus of this benefit has changed. However, it was what happened several Divas into the concert, which upset me most. Loretta Devine appeared with Ms. Ralph in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls and usually performs at the benefit. This year Ms. Devine took the stage and before she began singing she stated, “This is for all the down low brothers out there.” The crowd responded by whooping, hollering and clapping their approval and I sat there stunned and wondering why anyone would applaud this behavior. Then the pianist began playing the intro to her song and Ms. Devine sang “I Bust The Windows Out Your Car”…the crowd went crazy. Jazmine Sullivan’s song tells the story of a woman wronged by a lover who then takes revenge on his car.
Now I’m all for busting the windows out of the car of a cheating lover and maybe even maiming a few body parts, I just think closer examination should be made of this phenomenon. This down low syndrome, this monster the black community loves to hate is one they created themselves by demonizing and vilifying homosexuality. The Black churches and the Christian faith in general teaches these men to hate themselves for who they are and not everyone is able to overcome this hatred and be true to themselves. And don’t be fooled the down low is nothing new and certainly is not exclusive to the Black community. The men who practice this lifestyle do so because they want to be accepted by society. Some of them think they can “overcome” their feelings by entering into marriage or relationships with women and some really do enjoy bisexuality. Most importantly though these men want what they were taught. They want the wife two kids, a family and the white picket fence just like everyone else and they may see the down low as their only means to achieve it. Unfortunately, these men have been taught to believe that for them coming out is not an option and many opt for suicide instead.
I’m not saying these men are completely innocent. There is no excuse for cheating and lying to your mate and everyone should be held accountable for his or her actions. When a partner is unknowingly exposed to any type of disease it’s simply wrong and any one who cheats and does so without using a condom is an obvious idiot. I’m just saying examine society’s role in this and the Black community in particular. Just look at the Divas benefit. When it was a benefit largely for men of color it was all but ignored by the Black population and largely supported by white West Hollywood gays. The show I attended recently had an audience that appeared to be mostly African-American heterosexual couples, a growing trend for the Divas concert in recent years.
So once it became a disease that affected African-American women black people got behind it to support Ms. Ralph’s efforts. It appears that as long as this was a disease that largely affected gay men, even gay men of color, our community chose to ignore it. But what has happened is that the disease has begun to affect woman of color and this is a direct result of the homophobia that permeates the Black community and although the Black churches are not solely responsible, they have created a climate of intolerance and should be held accountable for the role they play in spreading this homophobia. We have a responsibility to examine the reasons why African-American women are the most rapidly growing segment of those infected with the HIV virus and what we the African-American community can do to change it.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
NFL Rushing
In case you haven’t heard Rush Limbaugh has made a bid to the NFL to purchase the St. Louis Rams. Now I could comment on the complete hypocrisy on what appears to be a blatant ploy for publicity by my favorite Right Wingnut bigot or how Rush Limbaugh could finally fulfill his lifelong dream of owning a stable of Black men or even discuss the absolute absurdity of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell even considering such an offer but instead I thought I’d let Rush speak for himself by offering my Top Ten Rush Limbaugh Racist Quotes (shout out to News One). Number ten is my all time favorite.
- The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies.
- Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?
- They’re 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?
- Take that bone out of your nose and call me back (to an African American caller on his show)
- I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. They’re interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well. I think there’s a little hope invested in McNabb and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn’t deserve.
- In "Obama's America: white kids getting beat up on school buses now
- Look, let me put it this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it.
- They oughtta change Black History Month to Black Progress Month and start measuring it.
- You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray (Dr. King's assassin). We miss you, James. Godspeed."
- Let's face it, we didn't have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: Slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back. I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.
In addition Limbaugh has called President Obama a “halfrican American”, called him an “affirmative action candidate”, in spite of the fact that he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and he regularly plays a song on his radio show called “Barack the Magic Negro”.
‘Nuff Said?
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Prize Haters
Well it didn’t take long. Just mere hours after President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize his critics were on the attack. Before he had a chance to even acknowledge the award the HNIC for the RNC, Michael Steele had already released a statement. Steele said, “What has President Obama actually accomplished? It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights." I hope he’s not including himself and his fellow Republicans in that list of “tireless advocates”. Seriously Mr. Steele what’s wrong with congratulating a brother and you might want to watch your back anyway. Your fellow Republicans are not too happy with you and some of your statements. Obama’s critics charge that he has done nothing to deserve this award or that he has received it prematurely but let me offer this tidbit from Alfred Nobel creator of the Nobel Peace Prize. He said the prize was awarded “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations…and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated that the choice of Obama could be seen as an early vote of confidence intended to build global support for his policies.
The bottom line is this in a little less than 9 months Barack Obama has changed the world view of the United States of America. Under George Bush’s administration and policies we had gone from a respected world power viewed as leaders of the free world to a despised nation known more for torturing suspected terrorists and invading countries using false allegations of terrorism and claims of hoarding weapons of mass destruction. Leaders of the free world were all too happy to see George W. Bush go and are encouraged by Obama’s efforts. In part the Nobel Peace citation reads "Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics," and "Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position”. So it seems the prize was awarded not so much for what he has done but for his intentions and for what he hopes to accomplish.
Of course critics of President Obama view the awarding of the prize much differently. However, they remain as hypocritical as ever. Just last week Rush Limbaugh lauded the IOC decision to name Rio de Janeiro over Chicago as the site for the 2016 Olympics. He stated “the world has rejected Obama”. He also stated He was “gleeful” and “happy” to see America lose the bid and that it was an indication the world has had enough of Obama’s star power. On Friday referring to the Nobel Prize Limbaugh stated the committee’s decision was “a bigger embarrassment than losing the Olympic bid”. Make up your mind Rush. Political commenter Alan Dershowitz told ABCNews.com that he doesn't believe the Noble Peace Prize holds much clout anymore. "I think this is a prize that is overvalued, I don't think it's such a great honor these days to get the prize," he said. Glenn Beck suggested there was some conspiracy involving President Obama and the Nobel Committee in awarding the prize. He said, “the Nobel Peace Prize should be turned down by Obama and given to the tea baggers and the 9/12 project.” Right. Obama is the first sitting President to receive this award since Woodrow Wilson in 1919. So what happened to America first?
Finally, this from Wikipedia which I know isn’t always a reliable source of information but in this case I think they got it right. It says in part “Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, which recognize completed scientific or literary accomplishment, the Nobel Peace Prize may be awarded to persons or organizations that are in the process of resolving a conflict or creating peace."So again, Obama was awarded the prize not for what he has accomplished but for the tone he has set for the international community. This award is not something President Obama campaigned for in fact he was as surprised as anyone upon hearing the news. He said, “I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations”. As the Nobel Committee said a vote of confidence for what he may be able to accomplish. As for the Conservative haters they might want to take a cue from their fellow Republican and former Obama Presidential rival Senator John McCain who upon hearing of the award said, “I can't divine all their intentions, but I think part of their decision-making was expectations."
The bottom line is this in a little less than 9 months Barack Obama has changed the world view of the United States of America. Under George Bush’s administration and policies we had gone from a respected world power viewed as leaders of the free world to a despised nation known more for torturing suspected terrorists and invading countries using false allegations of terrorism and claims of hoarding weapons of mass destruction. Leaders of the free world were all too happy to see George W. Bush go and are encouraged by Obama’s efforts. In part the Nobel Peace citation reads "Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics," and "Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position”. So it seems the prize was awarded not so much for what he has done but for his intentions and for what he hopes to accomplish.
Of course critics of President Obama view the awarding of the prize much differently. However, they remain as hypocritical as ever. Just last week Rush Limbaugh lauded the IOC decision to name Rio de Janeiro over Chicago as the site for the 2016 Olympics. He stated “the world has rejected Obama”. He also stated He was “gleeful” and “happy” to see America lose the bid and that it was an indication the world has had enough of Obama’s star power. On Friday referring to the Nobel Prize Limbaugh stated the committee’s decision was “a bigger embarrassment than losing the Olympic bid”. Make up your mind Rush. Political commenter Alan Dershowitz told ABCNews.com that he doesn't believe the Noble Peace Prize holds much clout anymore. "I think this is a prize that is overvalued, I don't think it's such a great honor these days to get the prize," he said. Glenn Beck suggested there was some conspiracy involving President Obama and the Nobel Committee in awarding the prize. He said, “the Nobel Peace Prize should be turned down by Obama and given to the tea baggers and the 9/12 project.” Right. Obama is the first sitting President to receive this award since Woodrow Wilson in 1919. So what happened to America first?
Finally, this from Wikipedia which I know isn’t always a reliable source of information but in this case I think they got it right. It says in part “Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, which recognize completed scientific or literary accomplishment, the Nobel Peace Prize may be awarded to persons or organizations that are in the process of resolving a conflict or creating peace."So again, Obama was awarded the prize not for what he has accomplished but for the tone he has set for the international community. This award is not something President Obama campaigned for in fact he was as surprised as anyone upon hearing the news. He said, “I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations”. As the Nobel Committee said a vote of confidence for what he may be able to accomplish. As for the Conservative haters they might want to take a cue from their fellow Republican and former Obama Presidential rival Senator John McCain who upon hearing of the award said, “I can't divine all their intentions, but I think part of their decision-making was expectations."
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Just Say No
National Coming Out Day is this coming Sunday so I might as well go on and admit it. So here goes. I watch Reality TV. Whew, that took a lot but I feel better. Yes I watch Reality TV and although I must admit that I prefer the competition shows more like The Amazing Race and Top Chef I’ve been known to indulge in some shows based on the lives of Stars or Pre-fabricated Stars. Which brings me to Frankie and Neffe. OH…MY…GOD! What can I say? In the past I have berated my family and friends for watching shows like The Flava of Love and I Love New York so just admitting that I was even aware of this train wreck is a true coming out. My problem with these shows is that there is no balance. They promote negative stereotypes without including any positive role models. I’m all for laughing at ourselves but when others watch these shows we have to ask, “are they laughing with us or at us?” Why should we care? Because these people take this negativity with them and it shapes their employment practices, public policies and opinions. That being said, have you seen this show? Let me bring you up to date.
Frankie and Neffe are respectively the mother and sister of R&B singer Keyshia Cole and originally appeared on her TV show, The Way It Is. The first time we see Neffe, she and friends come from Oakland to Atlanta for a visit with Keyshia. Neffe spends the entire episode drunk loudly cursing people out in grocery stores, clothing stores and wherever she saw fit. At this point she is the mother of three girls and separated from her husband who is currently dating one of her cousins. We meet Frankie as Keyshia visits her at a state prison facility in California where she is serving time for some drug related offense. We also learn that she has been a crack addict for over 20 years and gave all of her seven or eight (I can’t remember) kids up for adoption, including Keyshia & Neffe. Frankie is eventually released from jail and she and Neffe along with Neffe’s kids join Keyshia permanently in Atlanta. For two seasons the two of them sponge off of Keyshia, Neffe cries, buffoonery ensues, Neffe cries, they meet some of the kids Frankie gave up for adoption, Frankie complains and wants to know why everyone blames her for everything, Neffe has another baby and oh yeah she cries.
Move ahead a few seasons and Frankie and Neffe have their own show. Now I must admit I missed the first few episodes because I was being high minded and refused to continue to watch this trash. But curiosity won out and I gave in a couple of weeks ago. Both Frankie and Neffe now have their own places, paid for by Keyshia, where these grown ass women are exerting their independence and just learning to become responsible adults for the first time in their lives. Some how Neffe and one of Frankie’s “found kids” have become best friends. Neffe calls her Sister and I’m not sure if it’s because she doesn’t know her name, doesn’t like it or thought this would be an endearing way of addressing her. Because they look so much alike, Neffe is convinced they have the same father a fact Frankie is unable to verify. So they schedule a DNA test. Oh yeah, even though she has been pregnant four times already and is on absolutely no form of birth control, Neffe is surprised to learn she is pregnant yet again (she cries). This time by her deadbeat, leeching, wanna be 36 year-old rapper boy friend who upon learning she is pregnant suddenly finds God and is appalled by the idea of an abortion even though he already has numerous kids he’s not raising. Frankie’s 50 something year-old ass is running around with boys 30 years younger than her in an embarrassing and pathetic bid to recapture her youth. She shows up at the DNA paternity test loud, belligerent and from what I can tell on something. She at first denies the two sisters have the same father and then says she doesn’t know and ask, “Why can’t they just let go of the past?” and “why does everyone blame her for everything?”
Now it may be true that every family has a Frankie and Neffe but it’s also true that we don’t talk about them to others and we certainly don’t want them televised nationally. Remember that rule your grandmother taught you about not airing dirty laundry? So what is Keyshia Cole’s motivation? Can you say Executive Producer? BET’s excuse is that they are “portraying a show about growth of its characters”. Really. The only thing I see growing on Neffe is her belly from her five pregnancies and as for, Frankie she continually refuses to accept blame for her mistakes, which prevents both her and Neffe from moving on with their lives. What appears to be growing with these two, as with most wanna be celebrity reality stars is their egos and the value they place on their self-importance. Seriously, these people at BET, VH1, Bravo and the rest have got to be stopped with these programs that portray Black folks as illiterate, money hungry, sex-driven caricatures of a reality based on what White people think of us and we have got to stop watching them. I mean what’s next a show based on the hilarious misadventures of the incoherent wives of T.I and Lil’ Wayne?…Oh wait.
Frankie and Neffe are respectively the mother and sister of R&B singer Keyshia Cole and originally appeared on her TV show, The Way It Is. The first time we see Neffe, she and friends come from Oakland to Atlanta for a visit with Keyshia. Neffe spends the entire episode drunk loudly cursing people out in grocery stores, clothing stores and wherever she saw fit. At this point she is the mother of three girls and separated from her husband who is currently dating one of her cousins. We meet Frankie as Keyshia visits her at a state prison facility in California where she is serving time for some drug related offense. We also learn that she has been a crack addict for over 20 years and gave all of her seven or eight (I can’t remember) kids up for adoption, including Keyshia & Neffe. Frankie is eventually released from jail and she and Neffe along with Neffe’s kids join Keyshia permanently in Atlanta. For two seasons the two of them sponge off of Keyshia, Neffe cries, buffoonery ensues, Neffe cries, they meet some of the kids Frankie gave up for adoption, Frankie complains and wants to know why everyone blames her for everything, Neffe has another baby and oh yeah she cries.
Move ahead a few seasons and Frankie and Neffe have their own show. Now I must admit I missed the first few episodes because I was being high minded and refused to continue to watch this trash. But curiosity won out and I gave in a couple of weeks ago. Both Frankie and Neffe now have their own places, paid for by Keyshia, where these grown ass women are exerting their independence and just learning to become responsible adults for the first time in their lives. Some how Neffe and one of Frankie’s “found kids” have become best friends. Neffe calls her Sister and I’m not sure if it’s because she doesn’t know her name, doesn’t like it or thought this would be an endearing way of addressing her. Because they look so much alike, Neffe is convinced they have the same father a fact Frankie is unable to verify. So they schedule a DNA test. Oh yeah, even though she has been pregnant four times already and is on absolutely no form of birth control, Neffe is surprised to learn she is pregnant yet again (she cries). This time by her deadbeat, leeching, wanna be 36 year-old rapper boy friend who upon learning she is pregnant suddenly finds God and is appalled by the idea of an abortion even though he already has numerous kids he’s not raising. Frankie’s 50 something year-old ass is running around with boys 30 years younger than her in an embarrassing and pathetic bid to recapture her youth. She shows up at the DNA paternity test loud, belligerent and from what I can tell on something. She at first denies the two sisters have the same father and then says she doesn’t know and ask, “Why can’t they just let go of the past?” and “why does everyone blame her for everything?”
Now it may be true that every family has a Frankie and Neffe but it’s also true that we don’t talk about them to others and we certainly don’t want them televised nationally. Remember that rule your grandmother taught you about not airing dirty laundry? So what is Keyshia Cole’s motivation? Can you say Executive Producer? BET’s excuse is that they are “portraying a show about growth of its characters”. Really. The only thing I see growing on Neffe is her belly from her five pregnancies and as for, Frankie she continually refuses to accept blame for her mistakes, which prevents both her and Neffe from moving on with their lives. What appears to be growing with these two, as with most wanna be celebrity reality stars is their egos and the value they place on their self-importance. Seriously, these people at BET, VH1, Bravo and the rest have got to be stopped with these programs that portray Black folks as illiterate, money hungry, sex-driven caricatures of a reality based on what White people think of us and we have got to stop watching them. I mean what’s next a show based on the hilarious misadventures of the incoherent wives of T.I and Lil’ Wayne?…Oh wait.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Who’s the Victim?
So they finally caught up with him. I’d like to say I thought long and hard about this one but it’s not true, I didn’t. I remember when in 1977 Roman Polanski was convicted of the rape of a 13-year-old girl and I remember how he escaped to France after being found guilty. Polanski had made a deal with the D.A. where he would have been sentenced to only the 42 days he had served under psychiatric evaluation. The reason he fled? Because he had heard the judge was going to renege on his deal and sentence him to more time. I also remember discussing it with my friends and the outrage we felt that he had been allowed to escape in the first place. Our thinking at the time was that if your average Joe were convicted of the same crime he never would have received bail in the first place. Forget 1977, that wouldn’t happen today. Case in point. In 2003 an African-American, Genarlow Wilson then 17, had consensual oral sex with a girl who was 15 at the time. He was convicted of aggravated child molestation and sentenced to 10 years in prison…I’ll let that sink in for a minute. He spent two years behind bars before the Georgia Supreme Court overturned his case. Polanski was 30 years older than his victim at the time of his conviction and spent 42 days under psychiatric evaluation!
I’m not sure whether racism or class distinction is at play here but something’s not right. Now Whoopi Goldberg, who I usually agree with on most things, says, “it wasn’t rape-rape” but instead “unlawful intercourse with a minor”. Let’s see Polanski was originally charged with giving the 13-year-old victim champagne and Quaaludes, taking nude photographs of her and forcibly having both oral and anal sex with her even though she repeatedly told him no. Regardless of him pleading to a lesser crime, he has admitted to doing all of this. Not rape? I’m sorry Whoopi, but with one statement you managed to make Sherri Shepherd, the woman who was unsure of the earth’s shape, look like the intelligent one on The View. He then fled to Europe where for the last 30 years he has been living the life being touted as a cinematic genius and traveling freely from country to country. Well he may be a cinematic genius, in fact I personally think Chinatown is one of the greatest movies ever made, but he is also a convicted child molester and rapist. Whoopi went on to say, "I think he's sorry. I think he knows it was wrong. I don't think he's a danger to society." Umm, okay. (Feel free to insert your own snarky comment here).
To be honest it’s not just Whoopi but all of Hollywood that seems to be out of touch with reality. Harvey Weinstein of the Weinstein Company has started a petition being circulated among Hollywood elite demanding the release of Polanski. The name at the top of the list is Woody Allen. You remember him, he married the adopted daughter of his long time girlfriend after she found nude photos he had taken of her. (You’d think Woody would be smart enough to take a pass on this one). Weinstein is not convinced public opinion is running against the filmmaker and dismisses the categorization of Hollywood as amoral. He said Polanski is a “humanist” and a victim of a “miscarriage of justice”. He also had this to say, "Hollywood has the best moral compass, because it has compassion". "We were the people who did the fundraising telethon for the victims of 9/11. We were there for the victims of Katrina and any world catastrophe." Wow! And all this time I thought I had compassion and my moral compass was held within…silly me.
The bottom line is this. Hollywood is attempting to portray Polanski as a victim because the deal he made with the D.A. was not going to be upheld. But let’s be honest. He pled guilty to the lesser crime of having sex with a minor for which he was never sentenced and he then fled the country. Which makes him a fugitive from justice. And although the victim of this crime accepted a “settlement” from Mr. Polanski and has since stated she wants all charges against him dropped, she is still the victim, not Polanski. How would any of us feel if he had done this to our daughter, sister or niece and gotten away with it? How about bringing his ass back here and let him face a judge and see what he says. I think the judge should be Genarlow Wilson. He certainly has an idea of what true American justice feels like.
I’m not sure whether racism or class distinction is at play here but something’s not right. Now Whoopi Goldberg, who I usually agree with on most things, says, “it wasn’t rape-rape” but instead “unlawful intercourse with a minor”. Let’s see Polanski was originally charged with giving the 13-year-old victim champagne and Quaaludes, taking nude photographs of her and forcibly having both oral and anal sex with her even though she repeatedly told him no. Regardless of him pleading to a lesser crime, he has admitted to doing all of this. Not rape? I’m sorry Whoopi, but with one statement you managed to make Sherri Shepherd, the woman who was unsure of the earth’s shape, look like the intelligent one on The View. He then fled to Europe where for the last 30 years he has been living the life being touted as a cinematic genius and traveling freely from country to country. Well he may be a cinematic genius, in fact I personally think Chinatown is one of the greatest movies ever made, but he is also a convicted child molester and rapist. Whoopi went on to say, "I think he's sorry. I think he knows it was wrong. I don't think he's a danger to society." Umm, okay. (Feel free to insert your own snarky comment here).
To be honest it’s not just Whoopi but all of Hollywood that seems to be out of touch with reality. Harvey Weinstein of the Weinstein Company has started a petition being circulated among Hollywood elite demanding the release of Polanski. The name at the top of the list is Woody Allen. You remember him, he married the adopted daughter of his long time girlfriend after she found nude photos he had taken of her. (You’d think Woody would be smart enough to take a pass on this one). Weinstein is not convinced public opinion is running against the filmmaker and dismisses the categorization of Hollywood as amoral. He said Polanski is a “humanist” and a victim of a “miscarriage of justice”. He also had this to say, "Hollywood has the best moral compass, because it has compassion". "We were the people who did the fundraising telethon for the victims of 9/11. We were there for the victims of Katrina and any world catastrophe." Wow! And all this time I thought I had compassion and my moral compass was held within…silly me.
The bottom line is this. Hollywood is attempting to portray Polanski as a victim because the deal he made with the D.A. was not going to be upheld. But let’s be honest. He pled guilty to the lesser crime of having sex with a minor for which he was never sentenced and he then fled the country. Which makes him a fugitive from justice. And although the victim of this crime accepted a “settlement” from Mr. Polanski and has since stated she wants all charges against him dropped, she is still the victim, not Polanski. How would any of us feel if he had done this to our daughter, sister or niece and gotten away with it? How about bringing his ass back here and let him face a judge and see what he says. I think the judge should be Genarlow Wilson. He certainly has an idea of what true American justice feels like.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Treason
“There is a remote, although gaining, possibility America’s military will intervene as a last resort to resolve the Obama Problem. Don’t dismiss it as unrealistic. America isn’t The Third World. If a military coup does occur here it will be civilized. That it has never happened doesn’t mean it won’t”. This is a quote written by John L. Perry which appeared in an article posted yesterday September 29, 2009 on the website Newsmax.com. The article has been removed with no explanation.
Umm, let me offer this definition from Article III of the U.S. Constitution: Treason - This word imports a betraying, treachery, or breach of allegiance. This offence is punished with death. By the same article of the Constitution, no person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
Can I get a witness or two?
Umm, let me offer this definition from Article III of the U.S. Constitution: Treason - This word imports a betraying, treachery, or breach of allegiance. This offence is punished with death. By the same article of the Constitution, no person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
Can I get a witness or two?
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It’s not funny or just a sick joke and it should be treated as a direct threat to the President of the United States. I’m sure you heard about the poll that was going around Facebook, which asked the question, “Should Obama be killed?” According to Facebook the poll was submitted by an anonymous user with an outside application and was taken down within hours of posting but not before 730 people responded. Conservatives are free to trot out the first amendment again but there are limits to free speech. One of which is you are not allowed to make threats against the President of the United States in fact it is a federal crime. Whether it was meant to be a joke or some college prank is irrelevant, the Secret Service has launched an investigation, with the help of Facebook and the user will be tracked down and prosecuted to the fullest extent the law allows for threats against the president.
Of course this is not an isolated incident. In fact according to the Secret Service, President Obama receives at least 30 threats a day, four times more than former President Bush and has been provided with Secret Service agents since he announced his intention to run for president in 2007. I wonder why. Have you heard about Steven Anderson the white pastor from Tempe Arizona? He preached a sermon entitled “Why I Hate Barack Obama”. Must be some of that new age religion. He preaches in his sermon that he prays President Obama would get brain cancer like Ted Kennedy and die. Anderson called his message “Spiritual Warfare”. Scary? How about this, at a rally where Obama was appearing the next day, one of Anderson’s parishioners showed up flaunting an assault rifle and a gun. Scarier still, the parishioner was a black man. Now there may be no law against praying for the death of the president but there has to be one for inciting violence against the president.
How about this, the Secret Service is investigating a Maryland man who held a sign, which read “Death to Obama” and “Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids” outside a town hall meeting. Earlier this summer a man stood across the street from a Presidential town hall meeting with his gun proudly and prominently displayed. So what is the conservative take on all of this? They say this is the latest sign of the public anger with the Obama healthcare plan. Hunh? How about this is the latest sign of more of these nut jobs coming out of the wood work fueled by the Republican party’s bitter, venomous and forceful opposition to all things Obama. How about the fact that they have done nothing to condemn or discourage these people. And how about they accept the blame for all the Facebook, Pastor Anderson, sign carrying, gun-toting idiots they’ve created.
Of course this is not an isolated incident. In fact according to the Secret Service, President Obama receives at least 30 threats a day, four times more than former President Bush and has been provided with Secret Service agents since he announced his intention to run for president in 2007. I wonder why. Have you heard about Steven Anderson the white pastor from Tempe Arizona? He preached a sermon entitled “Why I Hate Barack Obama”. Must be some of that new age religion. He preaches in his sermon that he prays President Obama would get brain cancer like Ted Kennedy and die. Anderson called his message “Spiritual Warfare”. Scary? How about this, at a rally where Obama was appearing the next day, one of Anderson’s parishioners showed up flaunting an assault rifle and a gun. Scarier still, the parishioner was a black man. Now there may be no law against praying for the death of the president but there has to be one for inciting violence against the president.
How about this, the Secret Service is investigating a Maryland man who held a sign, which read “Death to Obama” and “Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids” outside a town hall meeting. Earlier this summer a man stood across the street from a Presidential town hall meeting with his gun proudly and prominently displayed. So what is the conservative take on all of this? They say this is the latest sign of the public anger with the Obama healthcare plan. Hunh? How about this is the latest sign of more of these nut jobs coming out of the wood work fueled by the Republican party’s bitter, venomous and forceful opposition to all things Obama. How about the fact that they have done nothing to condemn or discourage these people. And how about they accept the blame for all the Facebook, Pastor Anderson, sign carrying, gun-toting idiots they’ve created.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
What Did You Expect Him To Say?
Well what did you expect him to say? When asked to comment on former President Jimmy’s Carter’s statements that criticisms of his policies are largely rooted in racism, Obama stated that he does not agree with this assessment. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs released a statement that said, “The president does not believe that criticism comes based on the color of his skin”. This doesn’t make what we as African-Americans have been saying since his critics began their assault of comparing him to Hitler, posting pictures of him as Amos ‘N Andy or in African tribal garb any less true. The birthers, tea baggers and White Pastors calling for his death…all racists. We know it’s true but what did you expect him to say?
The firestorm of negativity sparked by Carter’s comments was not unexpected. Of course the right wing whackos don’t see racism, they choose not to and in their eyes anyone who does is simply playing the race card. For them racism no longer exist and in their minds there is not a single racist white person in America. In fact, when charged themselves with racism his critics point to President Obama as an example that racism no longer exists in America…. after all we elected an African-American president. Rather than speak to his accusations directly, they chose to attack Jimmy Carter calling him senile, a Jew hater, a self-loathing southerner (whatever the hell that is) and ridiculing his presidency. Rush Limbaugh stated, “Jimmy Carter and Obama deserve each other, misery loves company”. On the Sean Hannity show he and Newt Gingrich discussed “Jimmy Carter’s latest stupidity”.
So if President Obama had stated that yes he agrees with former President Carter and yes he sees the racial component, his critics would use this as an excuse to condemn his administration and policies, the firestorm would have been far larger than we can imagine. His critics would have charged him with pandering to minorities. Let’s not forget his critics are the same people we’ve been calling racist. The same people who charge him with being a foreigner and not even born in the United States. The same people who loudly proclaim, “we want our country back”. Had he chosen to side with Carter he would have played into the hands of his so called legitimate critics, the Republican politicians who pander to these racist ideologues. All of a sudden they would claim they no longer see him as Black but as the Democratic President who sides with minorities. So what did you expect him to say?
And what about his African-American critics, those who accuse him of playing too nice. Yes he knows it’s there but he cannot make it his main focus. President Obama is only 8 months into his presidency and being the first African-American president he’s creating the playbook as he goes. He must be careful not to ignite the timber of latent racism in those whites that voted for him last November. Going forward in his presidency, he’s going to need the support of white democrats and he needs to build on the small percentage of independent votes he received last time. Specifically he needs to target white male voters, which not coincidentally is the focus of the conservative right with their racist tactics. Although African-Americans treated the last election as though it was the second coming and showed up in record numbers at the polls, we simply cannot be counted on to repeat ourselves. Obama has many more programs and bills to push through in his first term and if he intends to be around for a second he needs to appear to be a President for all the people and not one who indulges a specific minority.
So again I ask, what did you expect him to say? He simply cannot acknowledge what he and we all know.
The firestorm of negativity sparked by Carter’s comments was not unexpected. Of course the right wing whackos don’t see racism, they choose not to and in their eyes anyone who does is simply playing the race card. For them racism no longer exist and in their minds there is not a single racist white person in America. In fact, when charged themselves with racism his critics point to President Obama as an example that racism no longer exists in America…. after all we elected an African-American president. Rather than speak to his accusations directly, they chose to attack Jimmy Carter calling him senile, a Jew hater, a self-loathing southerner (whatever the hell that is) and ridiculing his presidency. Rush Limbaugh stated, “Jimmy Carter and Obama deserve each other, misery loves company”. On the Sean Hannity show he and Newt Gingrich discussed “Jimmy Carter’s latest stupidity”.
So if President Obama had stated that yes he agrees with former President Carter and yes he sees the racial component, his critics would use this as an excuse to condemn his administration and policies, the firestorm would have been far larger than we can imagine. His critics would have charged him with pandering to minorities. Let’s not forget his critics are the same people we’ve been calling racist. The same people who charge him with being a foreigner and not even born in the United States. The same people who loudly proclaim, “we want our country back”. Had he chosen to side with Carter he would have played into the hands of his so called legitimate critics, the Republican politicians who pander to these racist ideologues. All of a sudden they would claim they no longer see him as Black but as the Democratic President who sides with minorities. So what did you expect him to say?
And what about his African-American critics, those who accuse him of playing too nice. Yes he knows it’s there but he cannot make it his main focus. President Obama is only 8 months into his presidency and being the first African-American president he’s creating the playbook as he goes. He must be careful not to ignite the timber of latent racism in those whites that voted for him last November. Going forward in his presidency, he’s going to need the support of white democrats and he needs to build on the small percentage of independent votes he received last time. Specifically he needs to target white male voters, which not coincidentally is the focus of the conservative right with their racist tactics. Although African-Americans treated the last election as though it was the second coming and showed up in record numbers at the polls, we simply cannot be counted on to repeat ourselves. Obama has many more programs and bills to push through in his first term and if he intends to be around for a second he needs to appear to be a President for all the people and not one who indulges a specific minority.
So again I ask, what did you expect him to say? He simply cannot acknowledge what he and we all know.
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