Monday, March 31, 2008
i love and miss you tremendously...
i honor you, standing on your shoulders, taking my blessings for granted not.
it is you and honorable men like you---those fully committed to the truth and fearless with their sharing of it; that strengthen me and my resolve daily.
my understanding of what black manhood is supposed to look like:
loves, appreciates, and dies for the well-being of black women and children
dominant
strong
unapologetic
courageous
determined
focused
intentional
loving
protective- places nothing over the best interests of black women and children
honorable
of strong character
a partial list for sure.
one that i know as a result of being blessed by you and your journey. i have seen authentic black men therefore counterfeit ones are unacceptable. i love you more than these words can convey.
i have faith that there are more black men like you here even now...i will not give up on us.
when your voice goes silent Dr. Muhammad, the tears fall. i love you. i will always honor you because you honored me and always addressed me, respectfully, as a black woman in your balanced teachings. thank you. it was you and those like you that taught me the importance of...
...SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
black folks will do better...when black folks DO better
ever notice how white women will claim the benefits of their husbands' experiences at all OTHER times besides slavery and on-going white skin privilege? this is a deliberate tactic and it works time after time. i have witnessed it again and again as black men foolishly fall in, buy in, marry into the nonsense.
many black men have been able to ignore the fact that it has been well recorded that man-less white woman enslavers were required by law, in fear of revolt; to employ horseman security to assist them to ensure the brutal enslavement of black men, women, and children. otherwise, they were perfectly capable by themselves of managing their enslaved humans. furthermore, i have not yet met a white woman whose men folk had not taught her how to use a gun. granted, i am from the south and have had quite a few run-ins with southern belles, steel magnolias, wanna be scarlett o'haras, and proud daughters of the confederacy. these experiences have taught me to look for the smile to reach the eyes and to closely watch behavior. thoughts/feelings of superiority have a distinct vibration and energy i have learned; i don’t fight the feeling as a result. when white supremacy rears its ugly head i act respectfully, boldly, and swiftly to take it right off. i have been labeled often as “intimidating” as a result. fortunately, i care as much about white folks’ labels for me as they do mine for them---not at all.
now, compare and contrast that behavior with the black men that cannot seem to wait to say something terrible publicly in jest and seriously about black women. the black men that don’t openly denigrate black women appear to stand in silent agreement. these same silent black men will be offended when word goes out that black men don’t know how to treat their women. these same silent black men that have such visible platforms don’t use them to shut down those other black males that are damaging the collective. so if black men are not concerned with the position and survival of black people and can’t see themselves in their wives, sisters, and daughters (i do not mean only the ones that are personally related to you brothers!)…it is pretty much an exercise in futility for black women to continue be overly concerned. i cannot in good faith advise my sisters to keep waiting…quite a few brothers have moved out and on. black women putting everything and everyone above ourselves has long been the destructive norm. i don’t give half a whit about the norm when it is self defeating.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
talking out of both sides of the mouth...an art form
Barack Obama specializes in rigging political games so that African Americans can’t win – that is, unless the African American is named Obama. So intent is Obama to retain his huge support among white males, the Senator constantly admonishes Blacks to avoid upsetting white men or their peculiar notions of American history. Obama calls for a “dialogue” between Blacks and whites, and then removes from discussion all items that might cause stress or loss of privilege to living whites. From Obama’s point of view, the worst conduct imaginable for a Black man is to exaggerate the effects of slavery on the captive Africans or the society that enslaved them. Should the one million Black prison inmates be subjects of Black-white dialogue. Nope – too upsetting to white folks. Read more...
???
why do blacks feel like they must support the democratic party?
who decided there was a difference (in action) between democrats and republicans? my efforts to have bush impeached has demonstrated that they work together; without question, against the interests of americans; especially black americans.
so, why is it so hard for the masses to see that the dixiecrats and the republicans work together to maintain our white supremacist/racist american traditions? i really don't get it...
what sense does it make to follow rules that will only lead to your destruction?
ever notice the shot callers refuse to follow their own rules?
think about it! think.
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
character problems? or good politicking?
i think the political system is corrupt and needs to be dismantled. the decent folk that want to make a difference are frozen out of the process. time after time. year after year. election after election. nevertheless, most americans feel compelled to play along. why?
it comes as no surprise to me that hrc has character problems. i have met quite a few that seem clueless to this fact...
what do you think?
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
Friday, March 28, 2008
...the poverty of philosophy...
i could not have better presented my thoughts... if i tried:-)
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
The Dunbar Village Atrocity
Subject: The Dunbar Village Atrocity
Synopsis:
In the past week, a rapidly-moving viral email campaign was launched, and thousands of concerned black citizens spread the word about a shocking crime against a Black woman and her 12 year old son, in which crimes against nature were committed. (read more details of the crime here)
This email, entitled “Stop Al Sharpton and the NAACP from endangering Black Women,” described a stunning betrayal in which the NAACP and Al Sharpton held a press conference and demanded bail consideration for three suspects in custody for the crime. (source1) (source2)
Concerned Black citizens all around the country were outraged by the actions of the NAACP and Al Sharpton, and many vowed to withdraw volunteering and financial support from these agencies “until they make the safety of Black women and children a priority.”
On March 24, 2008 an NAACP memo that attempted to defend this betrayal was sent to Beverly Neal, who is the Director of the NAACP’s Florida State Conference. The memo claims that the NAACP was brought into this fray by Rev. Al Sharpton. Moreover, the memo was written by Maude Ford Lee, who is President of the West Palm Beach Branch of the NAACP. (read the memo here)
On March 27,2008, activist Al Sharpton went on the air to clarify his position on the treatment of the Dunbar Village Suspects. He invited writer Tonyaa Weathersbee and blogger Arlene Fenton to his show, to discuss the matter. Rev. Sharpton claimed that he never said that the Dunbar Village suspects were being treated unfairly, and that he did not want bail for the suspects in question.
Ms Weathersbee and Ms Fenton said that their research indicated otherwise, as indicated by video footage, eyewitness accounts, and the reporting from the Florida Sun Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post.
At the end of the radio show, Al Sharpton strongly condemned any activity that would promote bail consideration for the suspects in question. Rev. Sharpton admitted that “if the suspects were white, he would have been there sooner.” He stated that this is a problem with many black civil rights organizations. He apologized and vowed to uphold his prior promise to advocate for the residents of Dunbar Village. He also challenged all activists, bloggers, and writers to be accountable to each other.
To date, the NAACP has not made an official statement denouncing the Dunbar Village Atrocity, nor have they officially expressed regret to the victim. The NAACP also has not officially retracted their statement requesting bail consideration for the alleged rapists/torturers. To our understanding, neither agency has contributed to the Victim’s Assistance Fund or created a reward program geared toward the apprehension of the remaining rapists/torturers.
Conclusion
WE ARE SATISFIED with Al Sharpton’s qualifying statements that he made on his radio show on 3/27/2008. We will watch to see if he fulfills his promise to advocate for the residents of Dunbar Village, and we are willing to assist any effort that promotes safer black neighborhoods in West Palm Beach, FL.
WE ARE NOT CONTENT with the reckless, irresponsible actions of the NAACP (West Palm Beach chapter). We continue to urge all black people, women especially, to refrain from volunteering or giving financially to this organization until they take our safety seriously.
WHAT WE WANT
We want law enforcement to make a concerted, sustained effort to apprehend the remaining suspects. We want to see a genuine reward system in place to encourage members of the community to come forward with the knowledge of the whereabouts of the remaining suspects.
We want the NAACP (West Palm Beach chapter) to reverse their position that the alleged rapists/torturers of this case should be considered for bail.
We want both the NAACP and the National Action Network to cease downgrading the gang rape/torture/atrocity of the Dunbar Village by comparing it to an unrelated gang rape, in which guns, maiming, and forced incest were not involved.
We want to see genuine victim advocacy in the form of financial support for the relocation, medical expenses, and mental therapy for the true victims in this case.
The Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund
Individuals who would like to donate money to the victims can go to any Wachovia Bank and donate to the St. Ann’s Victim’s Assistance Fund. Donations will go directly to the mother and her son.
St. Ann’s Catholic Church will also accept donations. Checks can be made payable to the "Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund - St. Ann’s".
Donations can be mailed to: St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 310 N. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
If you would like to post this Open Letter on your blog, you can copy the HTML here:
(Blogger HTML) A New Underground Railroad is Born
(General HTML) A New Underground Railroad is Born
For more information about this Dunbar Village Campaign, you can visit any of the following blogs:
http://www.dunbarvillage.blogspot.com/
http://adifferentstory.wordpress.com/
http://anonymissblog.blogspot.com/
http://auntjemimasrevenge.blogspot.com/
http://blackfirewhitefire.blogspot.com/
http://blackwomenvote.blogspot.com/
http://charactercorner.blogspot.com/
http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com/
http://episcopalienne.blogspot.com/
http://essentialpresence.blogspot.com/
http://focusedpurpose.blogspot.com/
http://h-essays.blogspot.com/
http://lareinacobre.blogspot.com/
http://mynewblogravenelvenlady.blogspot.com/
http://politicalseason.blogspot.com/
http://privyconcepts.blogspot.com/
http://thesowingcircle.blogspot.com/
http://tributetoblackwomen.com/news
http://web.mac.com/roslynholcomb/iWeb/Site/Blog/Blog.html
http://whataboutourdaughters.com/
http://whattamisaid.blogspot.com/
http://www.blacksapience.blogspot.com/
http://yanmommasaid.blogspot.com/
http://www.somethingwithin.com/blog
know yourself...
if "you know your enemy and know yourself," he wrote, "you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." ---the art of war
do you know who you are?
or do you see yourself through the eyes of your enemies?
here is what you are not taught:
- Africa is the home of early man.
- Africa is the cradle of modern man.
- Africa is the cradle of civilization.
- Africa once held a position as world teacher including the teacher for the western world.
- There was and there still is a continental wide unity in Africa and in the African communities around the world.
- The first time Africans left the continent was not on slave ships.
- Africa and African people all over the world have been under siege for nearly 2000 years and only recently by European slavery and colonization.
- There is an African Diaspora all over the world today.
- African people have resisted domination on the continent and all over the world.
- Even under slavery, colonization, segregation, apartheid, African people have made monumental contributions to arts, science and politics.
we are not a people that just lies down and accepts oppression. there is nothing in our history to suggest such a course. any suggestion of this "giving up"screams the fact that we are not in touch with who we are as a people.
we are lost and must get back to basics.
...as i searched for a way to share the message, all roads lead back to history. it has all been said/done before. Malcolm X taught the lesson in a way that said it all...
please note that white has been added by me. i don't think that white men are THE man. they are simply white men...words are powerful...let us not defeat ourselves with them...
"You Can’t Hate The Roots
by Malcolm X
1965
Why should the Black man in America concern himself, since we’ve been away from the African continent for 400 years, for 300 – 400 years, why should we concern ourselves? What impact does what happen to them have upon us?
Number one; first you have to realize that up until 1959, Africa was dominated by the colonial powers. And by the colonial powers of Europe having complete control over Africa, they projected the image of Africa negatively. They projected Africa always in a negative light; jungles, savages, cannibals--nothing civilized.
And why then naturally it was so negative, it was negative to you and me. And you and I began to hate it. We didn’t want anybody to tell us anything about Africa much less calling us an African. And in hating Africa, and in hating the African, we ended up even hating ourselves, without even realizing it. Because you can’t hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree. You can’t hate your origin and not end up hating yourself. You can’t hate Africa and not hate yourself.
And you show me one of these people over here who has been thoroughly brainwashed, who has a negative attitude towards Africa and I will show you one that has a negative attitude towards himself. You can’t have a positive attitude towards yourself and a negative attitude towards Africa at the same time.
To the same degree that your attitude, that your understanding of and attitude toward Africa becomes positive, you’ll find that your understanding of and your attitude towards yourself becomes positive. And this is what the white man knows. So they very skillfully made you and me hate our African identity, our African characteristics. You know yourself. And we have been a people that hated our African characteristics. We hated our hair; we hated the shape of our nose. We wanted one of those long dog-like noses. We hated the color of our skin. We hated the blood of Africa that was in our veins and in hating our features and our skin and our blood, why we had to end up hating ourselves. And we hated ourselves.
Our color became to us a chain. We felt that it was holding us back; our color became to us like a prison which we felt was keeping us confined, not letting us go this way or that way and we felt that all of this restriction was based solely on our color and the psychological reaction to that would have had to be, that so long as we felt imprisoned or chained or trapped by black skin, black features and black blood; that skin and those features and blood that was holding us back automatically had to become hateful to us. And it became hateful to us. It made us feel inferior, it made us feel inadequate, it made us feel helpless, and when we fell victim to this feeling of inadequacy, or inferiority, or helplessness, we turned to somebody else to show us the way.
We didn’t have confidence in another Black man to show us the way or Black people to show us the way. In those days, we didn’t. We didn’t think a Black man could do anything, but play some horn and some sound and make you happy with some songs. But in serious things, where our food, clothing, and our shelter was concerned, and our education was concerned, we turned to the (white) man. We never thought in terms of bringing these things in existence for ourselves. We never thought in terms of doing things for ourselves. Because we felt helpless. And what made us helpless was our hatred for ourselves.
One of the things that made the Black Muslim Movement grow was its emphasis upon things African; this was the secret to the growth of the Black Muslim Movement. African blood, African origin, African cultures, African ties; and you’d be surprised. We discovered that deep within the subconscious of the Black man in this country, he’s still more African then he’s American. He thinks that he’s more American than he’s African because the (white) man is jiving him; the (white) man is brainwashing him everyday, telling him ‘you’re an American, you’re an American.’
Man how can you think that you’re an American when you have never had an American tree here? You have never, never…Ten men are sitting at a table eating; you know dining and I can come and sit down where they’re dining. They are dining. I’ve got a plate in front of me but nothing is on it. Because all of us are sitting at the same table are all of us diners?
I’m not a diner until you let me dine. Then I become a diner. Just being on the table with others who are dining doesn’t make me a diner. And that’s why you got to get in your head here in this country. Just because you’re in this country doesn’t make you an American. No; you got to go further than that. Before you can become an American, you’ve got to enjoy the fruits of Americanism and you haven’t enjoyed those fruits. You’ve enjoyed the thorns; you have enjoyed the thistles; but you have not enjoyed the fruits. No sir.
So I point these things out brothers and sisters so that you and I will know the importance, in 1965, of being in complete unity with each other, in harmony with each other, and not letting the (white) man maneuver us into fighting one another. I say again that I’m not a racist. I don’t believe in any form of segregation or anything like that. I’m for the brotherhood of everybody. But I don’t believe in forcing brotherhood upon people who don’t want it. So long as we practice brotherhood among ourselves and then others want to practice brotherhood with us,we’ll practice it with them also; we’ll work for that. But I don’t think we should run around trying to love somebody who doesn’t love us."
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
know your enemy...
the ancient chinese warrior Sun Tzu taught his men to "know your enemy" before going into battle.
for if "you know your enemy and know yourself," he wrote, "you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."
but, Sun Tzu warned, "if you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat."---the art of war
"yes, i know my enemies
they're the teachers who taught me to fight me
compromise
conformity
assimilation
submission
ignorance
hypocrisy
brutality
the elite
all of which are american dreams
all of which are american dreams
all of which are american dreams
all of which are american dreams
all of which are american dreams
all of which are american dreams
all of which are american dreams
all of which are american dreams"
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
Monday, March 24, 2008
working from within?
will someone please help me understand all the black folks that want to "work from within" all communities, organizations and parties... that are NOT BLACK?
i am not trying to be funny!!!
black folks want to work within everything BUT the black community...
might it be a lack of...
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT?
i say...yes...yes...yes!...wake up...yes!... stop it already!!!
1964..the ballot or the bullet?...the more things change folks...the more they stay the same...wake up!
for those of you that have elected yourselves to the board of "make sure white folks are not offended" please note that "cracker" is a historical reference. it is a term used to describe the white person, that wielded a whip and cracked it mercilessly on the backs of black men, women, and children, in an effort to brutally beat them into oppression.
additionally, please be advised that "cracker" children today are diligently about their fathers' (and mothers') business. trust.
be notified that keeping white folks unoffended and comfortable is the new jim crow law---i don't abide in it. be offended and angry if you must. be respectful as you voice your differences.
i.understand.slave.conditioning.
however, i must and i will be free. i don't seek nor need anyone else's permission. don't be mad--- if you have the heart, come join me!
coming out of last week---recovering from the effects of obama's speech and the gleeful reactions to it from black folks---most white folks were mad; they expect all or nothing and obama didn't give it all in his meally mouth, intermediary, buckdancing, distance himself from "tom" wright's performance. still, i say, wtf!
black folks, sadly; still have no self love, self acceptance, self respect, or standards. as a result, black folks accept pretty much any old thing---as such, most black folks were happier than pigs in sh%t following the buckdancing performance.
i must confess, i felt horrified, dismayed, and very tired watching it all go down.
i tried to think of what i could say.
i spent a couple of days thinking about it. while black folks dressed up and celebrated with the bunny that lays eggs.
i had to come back to the fact/conclusion that it has all been said before. so while we continue to pretend, move out, date out, marry out, and procreate out---feverishly---black male and black female---the battle is still the same. intermarriage did not save the jews from the holocaust and it will not save us. bank on it...we must come back to basics. and all roads lead back to...
...SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
Friday, March 21, 2008
Stop Al Sharpton and the NAACP from endangering Black Women!
DEAR READERS:
This mass open letter is a call to action for all black people who care about the safety and welfare of black women and children in America. If you are concerned about the recent developments about Dunbar Village, please copy the post below, and email it to all of your friends and coworkers.
WE WILL NO LONGER BE SILENT ABOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST BLACK WOMEN.
Copy and email below, and title your email: Stop Al Sharpton and the NAACP from endangering Black Women!
Let us know in the comments section if you are supporting the movement to protect black women from black on black violence.
Stop Al Sharpton and the NAACP from endangering Black Women!
Right-thinking black people everywhere are stunned by the recent betrayal of Al Sharpton and the NAACP in a situation that is just too outrageous to ignore.
This is a painful story to tell, but it’s important for the moral, law-abiding majority of black Americans to understand exactly why Al Sharpton and the NAACP must be immediately stopped.
On June 18, 2007, a black woman was gang raped by 10 youths and forced at gunpoint to have sex with her own 12 year old son in a housing complex called Dunbar Village in West Palm Beach, Florida. The young men not only viciously punched, kicked and sliced this sister and her son with glass objects, but they also blinded her boy by pouring nail polish remover into his eyes.
The young men forced this sister and son to lay naked in a bathtub together, and attempted to set them on fire (they could not find matches). The youths boldly took cell phone pictures so that they could enjoy their violent, immoral and sadistic acts at a later time. The violence continued for more than three hours, and although this sister’s neighbors heard her screams, no one called the police or came to her aid.
This sister and her son had to walk a mile to the hospital, because the assailants stole her car, and threatened to kill her and her family if she told the authorities.
Only four of the young men have been apprehended, while the remaining six are on the loose, doing Lord knows what in our communities. There is no manhunt for the remaining suspects.
As devastating as this story is, what the NAACP and Al Sharpton have done about it will simply take your breath away:
Not only did the NAACP ignore hundreds of requests to assist this woman because it was 'outside the scope of their mission', but they joined forces with Al Sharpton, and sent their lawyers to speak out IN SUPPORT OF THE RAPISTS.
You heard me right.
Even though there is conclusive DNA evidence and signed confessions, the NAACP and Al Sharpton are saying that it is 'unfair' to not offer bail to these four alleged rapists. They even had a press release about it.
IT IS TIME FOR SENSIBLE BLACK PEOPLE TO STOP THIS KIND OF NONSENSE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
Al Sharpton and the NAACP are banking on the belief that you and I will be just like this black woman’s neighbors. Join me by saying NOT THIS TIME. We will not turn a deaf ear to when we hear calls for help from one of our sisters and brothers who are being victimized.
Stop the NAACP and Al Sharpton’s National Action Network from committing this disgrace in our community. Just this once, let’s stand up and be counted by saying that we demand safe neighborhoods for our women and children.
Here is what you can do:
1. Spread the word. Forward this email if your conscience and concern have been raised. Send it to every concerned black citizen that you know.
2. Demand an explanation from your local NAACP chapter about this case. Cancel your membership to these organizations, and write a letter explaining that you will return when they prioritize the public safety needs of black women and children.
3. If you do not belong to these organizations, call and write them to tell them of your outrage and displeasure:
NAACP National Headquarters
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore MD 21215
Toll Free: (877) NAACP-98
Local: (410) 580-5777
National Action Network
Rev. Al Sharpton
106 W. 145th Street
Harlem, New York 10039
212-690-3070
877-NAN-HOJ1
4. If you know an African American reporter or a black radio talk show host, forward this story them and ask them to follow up on it.
Each Friday at 9:00am, visit any of the websites below, which will give you an update on the status of this situation. DO NOT LET THIS GO. Let us start working for safer neighborhoods in black communities.
Read the history of the Dunbar Village problem here:http://www.dunbarvillage2008.blogspot.com/
ON FRIDAYS, CHECK THE NETWORK OF A NEW GENERATION OF BLACK ACTIVISTS:
http://blackwomenvote.blogspot.com/
http://adifferentstory.wordpress.com/
http://anonymissblog.blogspot.com/
http://auntjemimasrevenge.blogspot.com/
http://blackfirewhitefire.blogspot.com/
http://charactercorner.blogspot.com/
http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com/
http://episcopalienne.blogspot.com/
http://essentialpresence.blogspot.com/
http://focusedpurpose.blogspot.com/
http://h-essays.blogspot.com/
http://lareinacobre.blogspot.com/
http://mynewblogravenelvenlady.blogspot.com/
http://politicalseason.blogspot.com/
http://privyconcepts.blogspot.com/
http://thesowingcircle.blogspot.com/
http://web.mac.com/roslynholcomb/iWeb/Site/Blog/Blog.html
http://whataboutourdaughters.com/
http://whattamisaid.blogspot.com/
http://www.blacksapience.blogspot.com/
http://yanmommasaid.blogspot.com/
http://www.somethingwithin.com/blog
aaahhh...truth
--African Proverb
Thursday, March 20, 2008
one love...now...
there has been so much going on...
...i thought i would take a break. yet, i feel compelled to share. i suggested that people should search out zeitgeist. i want to make it easier to get the information. so here it is in part...
so... it is really up to us, no? one love has a whole new meaning now, doesn't it? we can no longer afford to be divided and distracted.
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
media whore
don't worry....check out part 2
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
AMEN SISTER!!!
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
Cynthia McKinney
A Discussion of Race Worth Having
March 18, 2008
Much has been made around the edges of this campaign about the issue of race. Sadly, nothing has been made of the public policy exigencies that arise because of the urgent racial disparities that continue to exist in our country. Just last week, the United Nations criticized the United States, again, for its failure to address the issues arising from the rights, particularly the right of return, of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita survivors. Author Bill Quigley writes in "The Cleansing of New Orleans," that half of the working poor, elderly, and disabled of New Orleans have not been able to return. Two weeks ago, United Nations experts on housing and minority rights called for an immediate end of public housing demolitions in New Orleans. Now, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, ratified by the U.S. in 1994, further observes that the U.S. must do more to protect and support the African American community. In 2006, the United Nations Human Rights Commission "noted its concern that while African Americans constitute just 12% of the population, they represent 50% of homeless people, and the government is required to take 'adequate and adequately implemented' measures to remedy this human rights violation." In short, the United Nations has issued reports squarely calling for the United States to do more to eliminate racial discrimination— and this discrimination is a human rights violation.
I am deeply offended that in the middle of a Presidential campaign, remarks--be they from a pastor or a communications mogul, or a former Vice Presidential nominee--are the cause of a focus on race, and not the deep racial disparities that communities are forced to endure on a daily basis in this country.
Myriad reports and studies that have been done all come up with the same basic conclusion: in order to resolve deep and persisting racial disparities in this country, a public policy initiative is urgently needed. A real discussion of race, in the context of a Presidential election, ought to include a discussion of the various public policy initiatives offered by the various candidates to eliminate all forms and vestiges of racial discrimination, including the racial disparities that cloud the hopes, dreams, and futures of millions of Americans.
For example, every year on the anniversary of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. United for a Fair Economy publishes a study of the true state of people of color in America called the "State of the Dream Report." And it was their 2004 report that noted that without public policy intervention, it would take 1,664 years to close the racial gap in home ownership in this country. And that on some indices, for example, infant mortality, the racial disparities were worse at the time of the report than at the time of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In their 2005 report, entitled, "Disowned," United for a Fair Economy explored the disparate impact of Bush's "Ownership Society" economic program that saw Black and Latino lives shattered as unemployment, income, home ownership, business ownership, and stock ownership plummeted even in the face of Administration economists trumpeting the phenomenal "growth" of the U.S. economy as a result of their policies.
In 2006, United for a Fair Economy focused on the devastating and embarrassing effect of government inaction before, during, and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They focused on something as simple as car ownership and the relationship between vehicle ownership and race. In the case of New Orleans, car ownership literally meant the difference between losing or saving one's life.
In 2007, United for a Fair Economy explored the Black voters' attachment to the Democratic Party, and in a piece entitled, "Voting Blue, but Staying in the Red," they explored goals that the Democratic Party should have put at the top of its agenda for its first 100 hours in the majority. While noting that the Democrats didn't even mention Katrina in their agenda, United for a Fair Economy concluded that Blacks and Latinos voted in the November 2006 elections in the blue, but due to a failure of public policy that pays attention to their needs, they continue to live in the red.
In their 2008 report, United for a Fair Economy explores the sub-prime mortgage crisis and note that the largest loss of wealth in U.S. history is being experienced by the Black and Latino communities with an estimated $92 billion being lost by Blacks and an estimated $98 billion being lost by Latinos. And while families are losing their life savings and the only major investment that they own, policy makers are asking them to tighten their belts. But the predator banks' CEOs are walking away with record remuneration. And our policy makers are notable for their inaction: first on the predatory lending that disproportionately affects Blacks and Latinos, and then on offering relief so that homeowners remain homeowners, including in the midst of this crisis.
Sadly, United for a Fair Economy isn't the only research organization to find glaring and intolerable disparities in our society by race and no appropriate public policies enacted to address them. Hull House did a study that found that it would take 200 years to close the gap in the quality of life experienced by black Chicagoans and white Chicagoans. There has been no public policy initiative taken up by the mayor or the governor of Illinois to begin closing that gap.
Several years ago, the New York Times published a finding that nearly half the men between the ages of 16 and 64 in New York City were unemployed. There was no initiative by the mayor or the governor of New York to begin addressing such pain.
Every year, the National Urban League publishes a study, "The State of Black America," in which the ills and disparities that persist in this country are catalogued. Every year, the story is basically the same. The United States has a way to go that only public policy can address. However, when Harvard University/The Kaiser Family Foundation did a study on White attitudes about race several years ago, it found that Whites have little appreciation for the reality of Black life in America, from police harassment and intimidation, to imprisonment, to family income, unemployment, housing, and health care. But without an appreciation of the reality faced by many of our fellow Americans, the necessary public policy initiatives to change those realities will find difficulty gaining acceptance in the public discourse.
Additionally, compounding the problem, there is little public discourse because the corporate press refuse to cover the deep implications of the results of all these studies. I am convinced that if the American people knew the truth of the conditions, change would surely follow. I believe that to be the case because of the impact of the images of "Bloody Sunday" on the passage of the Voting Rights Act. I believe that to be the case because of the impact of the images of the Vietnam War on the turn of the tide of public opinion against that War.
This moment sheds light on a much-needed discussion: on race and the legacies of race and slavery and the continuing problems associated with our failure to treat racism as a curable American disease.
I am glad that candidate Obama mentioned the existing racial disparities in education, income, wealth, jobs, government services, imprisonment, and opportunity. Now it is time to address the public policies necessary to resolve these disparities. Now it is time to have the discussion on how we are going to come together and put policies in effect that will provide real hope and real opportunity to all in this country.
To narrow the gap between the ideals of our founding fathers and the realities faced by too many in our country today: That must be the role of public policy at this critical moment in our country today.
I welcome a real discussion of race in this country and a resolve to end the long-standing disparities that continue to spoil the greatness of our country. I welcome a real discussion of all the issues that face our country today and the real public policy options that exist to resolve them. That must be the measure of this campaign season. For many voters, this important discussion has been too vague or completely non-existent. Now is the time to talk about the concrete measures that will move our country forward: on race, war, climate change, the economy, health care, and education. Our votes and our political engagement must be about ensuring that fairness truly for all is embodied in "liberty and justice for all."
get the feeling we are expected to just...shut up?
i don't agree with it all.
the "christian culture with morality" junk sent steam out of my ears. for the record, i don't think all jews are degenerates either. let me be real clear.
i found http://www.iamthewitness.com/ to be interesting to say the least. i will have to read more before i know what i think. their disclaimer in part..."thinking, writing, and speaking about a broad range of Zionist issues. We are not racist, xenophobic, homophobic, or prejudiced against any race, creed, or national origin. We are prejudiced only against criminals." helped my fear that they were simply hateful and trying to lay blame for the giant world wide mess we see at the feet of the jews. this seems to be the popular theme of white supremacists that refuse to acknowledge the participation of whites in the creation of the mess.
i haven't yet met anyone that i do agree with all they have to say. so take what you need...leave the rest.
i get the distinct impression that in order for the plan to work, we all must...shut up.
uh, thanks but no...let's talk about it. with respect, love, and the desire to make it better. it is up to us. we owe it to our ancestors, our children, and ourselves.
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
spitzer...from a different perspective...this time using the brain!
By Greg Palast Reporting for Air America Radio’s Clout
March 14th, 2008
[To hear it, click on the link below…]
While New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was paying an ‘escort’ $4,300 in a hotel room in Washington, just down the road, George Bush’s new Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Ben Bernanke, was secretly handing over $200 billion in a tryst with mortgage bank industry speculators.
This week, Bernanke’s Fed, for the first time in its history, loaned a selected coterie of banks one-fifth of a trillion dollars to guarantee these banks’ mortgage-backed junk bonds. The deluge of public loot was an eye-popping windfall to the very banking predators who have brought two million families to the brink of foreclosure.
Up until Wednesday, there was one single, lonely politician who stood in the way of this creepy little assignation at the bankers’ bordello: Eliot Spitzer. coincidence? try no!
Who are they kidding? Spitzer’s lynching and the bankers’ enriching are intimately tied.
How? Follow the money. always a good practice. practice it. especially in politics...
The press has swallowed Wall Street’s line that millions of US families are about to lose their homes because they bought homes they couldn’t afford or took loans too big for their wallets. Ba-LON-ey. That’s blaming the victim.
Here’s what happened. Since the Bush regime came to power, a new species of loan became the norm, the ‘sub-prime’ mortgage and its variants including loans with teeny “introductory” interest rates. From out of nowhere, a company called ‘Countrywide’ became America’s top mortgage lender, accounting for one in five home loans, a large chunk of these ‘sub-prime.’
Here’s how it worked: The Grinning Family, with US average household income, gets a $200,000 mortgage at 4% for two years. Their $955 monthly payment is 25% of their income. No problem. Their banker promises them a new mortgage, again at the cheap rate, in two years. But in two years, the promise ain’t worth a can of spam and the Grinnings are told to scram - because their house is now worth less than the mortgage. Now, the mortgage hits 9% or $1,609 plus fees to recover the “discount” they had for two years. Suddenly, payments equal 42% to 50% of pre-tax income. The Grinnings move into their Toyota.
Monday, March 17, 2008
truth+accountability=patriotic
feel free to play the song while you read:-) rage against the machine performs to the same level that i feel as i write. i am heated right now. especially, with the images of suffering iraqi women and girls seared into my memory. black women and girls have not and continue to not fare any better, in this country and abroad. standing against injustice is the only thing to do. that is, if you want to claim inclusion in the human circle; that is my humble, strong, unapologetic position.
the u.s. corporate owned media doesn't want us to know or see.
i think we all have the right to know and act from an informed place. don't you?
want information you won't find in mainstream media?
check out:
THE REAL NEWS!!! ---this source is also on my blogroll. support them. they have no strings, no corporate owners and behave like journalists (not the tabloid variety:-).
the iraq veterans against the war (ivaw) are holding a winter soldier's conference, presenting vets', iraqi, and afghan workers' testimony of u.s. imperialism's war atrocities. it is modeled after the testimony of u.s. war crimes in vietnam presented by vietnam veterans against the war (vvaw) in 1971.
the more things change, the more they stay the same. no?
the white supremacy/racism/corruption starts at the top and trickles down...it is the american way...most americans without thought act as though the world is inhabited by lesser humans.
asking the u.s. gov't why? only ensures more gov't lies! true education is an individual pursuit. pursue knowledge. seek and ye shall find.
i salute these brave men and women that have decided to shine light in the dark places. it takes courage and i stand in solidarity. tell the truth and shame the devil! sociopaths are big on appearances, being worshipped and respected. it seems public humiliation is the only thing that puts them on the righteous path.
so we know where mccain stands. he supports torture and makes no bones about it. i can respect his candor. clinton has made it abundantly clear that she wants power and control even if she has to ruin her political party to get it. trust her with the world, do you? obama is as slick as snot, as such so many are missing the obvious... so let's examine fun facts...
...did you know?
both obama and clinton support the democrat carter doctrine: using military force to guarantee u.s. access to, control of, and profit from persian gulf oil.
though obama pretends to be the "out-of- iraq" peace candidate don't believe it! arch imperialist paul volcker's endorsement of obama should have been a great indicator. yes, that paul volcker---chief economist at chase bank, director of the rockefeller led trilateral commission, federal reserve chairman who put millions out of work by jacking up interests rates to 20% to bail out bankers in the '80s volcker.
this brazen soul went on record saying, he hopes obama's "leadership...can restore confidence in our vision, our strength, and our purposes right around the world." (wall street journal, 1/31/08) uh, sinister, anyone? anyone?
for those that don't know---harvard's kennedy school is a top imperialist policy factory, in my opinion. recently, obama fired foreign campaign advisor, samantha power (kennedy school guru! coincidence- no!) who specializes in disguising military invasions as "humanitarian interventions". on march 6th a bbc reporter asked her: "so what the american public thinks is a commitment to get combat forces out in sixteen (16) months isn't a commitment?" power's answer: "you can't make a commitment in march '08 about what circumstances will be like in january '09."
obama says he's "open" to keeping troops in iraq for years, if necessary. while the ny times reports the number of civilians killed in afghanistan is "alarmingly high". the u.s media doesn't count the death toll of non-americans. (history mandates as a black person that i don't ever forget that the powers that be don't count me and mine either! to forget is to be caught by surprise)
obama promises to redeploy more u.s. troops to afghanistan. the recently announced increase in u.s. covert operations in pakistan will continue, no matter who is president. bank on it.
don't believe, it is to your detriment to do so---the problem is just bush, the neo-cons, and mccain. capitalism is ruthless and inhumane. as evidenced by u.s. imperialism in its drive to control oil supplies, other resources, and as well as maintain profits. all signs indicate that ww3 will be a battle of capitalist rivals protecting their economic interests. the working class will suffer and die in large numbers as a result. we are expendable!
possible solutions? let's come up with them based on truth. i don't believe in trying to conform. i believe we need to come outside of the corrupt system, unite, and make this government truly of the people, for the people and by the people. though americans are not a monolith; i think we all want to live free and well!
talk to me...we are killing in the name of...let's rage against the machine!
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
Sunday, March 16, 2008
do something!
March 19 marks the 5th Anniversary of Bush's disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq - yet there is no end in sight.
The costs so far are staggering: 4,000 young Americans killed, tens of thousands maimed... 1 million Iraqis killed, millions maimed... $562 billion in tax dollars stolen from our children... $3 trillion cost to our economy through veterans care, weapons replacement, higher oil prices, and the collapsing dollar. All that in just 5 years!
We elected a Democratic Congress in 2006 to bring our troops home, but they keep giving Bush blank checks. Incredibly, Congress will soon vote on another $102 billion blank check.
On this 5th Anniversary, it is time for everyone who hates this occupation to do something about it. And we're making it as simple and effective as we can.
We're calling it the Iraq Fax-In. It's like a sit-in, only you can do it from home. http://iraqfaxin.com/
1. Fax an image to Congress that visually expresses how you feel about the invasion and occupation of Iraq. We've posted a few ideas, but we welcome all of yours! http://iraqfaxin.com/
2. Email your Representatives by signing our "Out of Iraq" petition on the right side here:http://iraqfaxin.com/
Let's each do our part to make the world a better place.
Resist in March
On March 19, peace and justice organizations will hold actions around the country and in Washington, DC to demand an end to the funding of the occupation, along with the impeachment of the president and vice president who launched it. For the full range of activities, see http://resistinmarch.org/
_______
MARCH 19, 2008 (Wednesday) Nonviolent Civil Resistance in All 435 Congressional Districts and in the Nation's Capital on the Fifth Anniversary of the Occupation of Iraq
Locations in each congressional district, to be determined locally, will include congressional offices (Congress Members and Senators will be in their districts on this day), federal buildings, military recruiters, weapons makers, war profiteers, or corporate media outlets. In Washington, with Congress out of town, the focus will be on war profiteers in the military industrial disaster-capitalism complex. Events will include roles for people not wanting to risk arrest.
http://www.5yearstoomany.org/
LOCAL EVENTS: Post Yours! Update it.
FIND LOCAL EVENTS AT http://5yearstoomany.org/ AND IN A SEPARATE LIST AT http://worldagainstwar.org/
WASHINGTON DC EVENTS: Join us!
Resources for nonviolent activism: HERE.Resources for promoting your event in the media: HERE.Flyers and posters with room for local info: HERE.Ideas for local actions: HERE.
"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
the power of tears
Saturday, March 15, 2008
follow up to do something...where you are...now
it was beautiful to be surrounded by all the different hues of humanity. everyone united in the desire to resist the "new world order", and the assault on the working class---also known as the masses. worldwide.
i saw blacks, asians, indigenous, hispanic, arab, indian and white people. all in harmony, lifting their voices- in different languages to stand against oppression, white supremacy, and imperialism. we stood in agreement that the masses need to set aside petty differences and unite. a unified people are a powerful people. we cannot afford to succumb to distractions.
my favorite sign today read: REAL EYES* REALIZE* REAL LIES
today's experience reminded me of a song that i heard recently. in fact, it reminded me of several. i will share a couple with you. listen. think. share your thoughts. they are always welcomed.
hard hitting images i know. for this reason the corporate media will not allow you to see what we are really up to around the world. you would want to stop it, right? i think most people would. the powers that be know this... check out how it all began...five (5) years ago...that's a lot of suffering, destruction, and inhumanity.
it is up to each of us to do something...where ever we are...now. all signs indicate that venezuela, among other nations, is next http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/256.0/popup/index.php?cl=6988736.
SELF LOVE~ SELF ACCEPTANCE~ SELF RESPECT