Freeblack

Obama

2006-11-05T18:27:00.000-05:00

This week, the award for African-American Flavor of the Month goes to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who said he is considering a presidential run in 2008. Why would a politician who has only held a major seat for a few years consider such a high post? Because, like so many others before him, he believes the African-American vote is there for the taking. It’s not uncommon for a politician to show up at a church with a large black congregation a week or two before an election and encourage them to get out and vote. There is a misconception that African-Americans as a whole are lazy and naive when it comes to the election process, and their minds can be changed right up to the time that the polls open. I say misconception because it would be a serious miscalculation on the part of any campaign manager to believe that in 2006 African-Americans don’t have this voting thing down pat. In a time when unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, single parent homes and a high level of hopelessness are rampant in the African-American community, if they think African-Americans don’t have a desire to see things improve, they don’t have their fingers on the pulse of the community. Today, more than ever, African-Americans want accountability from those who claim to have their best interests at heart. That means politicians must come with more than a common color campaign slogan and shouts of “I’m Black and I’m Proud” to garner the African-American vote. Al Sharpton found this out in 2002, and anyone who would follow a similar path also is doomed to fail. Yes, like every community, there is an element that can either be easily swayed with promises of false dreams or is uninterested in the process as a whole. But that element is in the minority, and the politician of today must realize that he or she is dealing with a community that has become highly educated about the political process. The Bush/Gore race changed the dynamics of politics and awoke a sleeping giant that has plenty of pull. From the barbershops and beauty salons to the suburbs to the degreed and non-degreed, the conversations about politics is running the gamut in the African-American community. This brings me back to Sen. Obama, who recently said a run for the Oval Office was not beyond his realm of possibilities. No doubt such a run would require the support of the African-American community to have any chance of succeeding, and Sen. Obama and his team are counting on that support. But what has changed and what Sen. Obama must understand is that the African-American voter has options and is well aware of what those options are. Kwesi Mfume campaigned heavily in the black community during his race for the Senate in Maryland and lost decisively in the primary because African-American politicians are not realizing that there is a more conscious voter who has not only been lied to historically by Caucasian politicians but by African-American ones, too. African-American voters are flocking to the Republican side because they have choices, and it doesn’t always have to be Democratic. There was a time when African-Americans were heavy Republican voters, but recently they have been pigeonholed into believing that Democrat was the only way to go and to vote any other way was a strike against your blackness in the community. But with soaring drug usage, higher crime and a homicide rate so high -- if it was in a Third World country, it would be called genocide -- the African-American voter is looking for more than a politician of the same color. African-Americans are looking for a representative that will carry out promises and bring about some positive changes. Sen. Obama would be smart to heed this before embarking on a national campaign.

FreeFlowing

2006-10-13T07:28:00.000-05:00

Money Bags Pt. 1
If you have an extra $3 million lying around and you want to buy a child then head to the impoverished African nation of Malawi and all your dreams can come true. If you don’t believe me then ask the faded material girl Madonna whose money was rich enough for the country to suspend their laws forbidding adoptions by foreigners. Imagine having a job as Madonna’s assistant and your task for the week is find a country gullible and weak enough to accept money for the rights to a child. Aren’t such transactions illegal? In return she’ll ‘donate’ a couple million to an orphanage to help those poor children left behind. Oh yeah, the orphans must be taught with the kabbala curriculum and for an extra million we’ll record the whole damn thing and make a documentary. “Hey Boss I’ve found the perfect suckers and they said they’ll even put some boys in a lineup and you can pick who you want,” said the assistant. “You’re kidding me, Angelina told me it was a done deal as soon as you flash the cash but I didn’t believe it would be that damn easy” said Madonna. “Hell at that price I need to get two.”

Who’s Crazier?
So football star Terrell Owens drops a few extra pills and the media labels him crazy, suicidal and all kind of unpleasant names. Then a white athlete, New York Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle, pilots his plane straight into an apartment building and he’s a sympathetic figure in that same media. As far as wagering on whose crazy I’m betting the house on Lidle.

Pedophilia
So Rep. Foley was able to keep his job even though he had been preying on underage boys for years and his boss knew about it. Imagine having a job where you could solicit teenagers for sexual games and acts and your supervisor is aware of it and lets you stay employed even though the teenagers work in the same place as the pedophile. In a day and age where people are being fired daily from their jobs for having so called inappropriate things on their computers it’s odd that Pedophile Foley was allowed to stay employed- in Congress at that. Meaning that place is crawling with Pedophiles and the gifts those interns must be receiving to keep their mouths shut are to die for. Envision your congressional members sitting under a sign with the words Birds of a Feather Flock Together and then you’ll understand how Foley was able to keep his job.

Money Bags Pt. 2
A $600 million sprawling complex is being built for U.S. personnel in Iraq where running water, electricity; housing, employment and way of life are scarce for the natives. And you wonder why the country is in the midst of a civil war. Good job Mr. C-Average!!!

And You’re Surprised?
A New York City Police Caption is under fire for telling his officers to stop and search all black males coming through a certain subway stop in the city. I’m just surprised somebody told on him because orders like this are given everyday if people want to be truthful.
Sellout of the Week
The second dancer involved in the Duke Rape case has contradicted the testimony of the accuser and in essence is siding with the three defendants. All I want to know is how much did she get paid to pull this stunt? If the accuser was lying and the second dancer knew it, why didn’t she come forward and refute the initial allegations and stick to that story? Again, all I want to know is how much did she get paid to pull this stunt?

What the Hell Is That Pt. 1?
Reality Television

What the Hell Is That Pt. 2
More Reality Television

Under The Radar
1) Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
2) Israel’s preparing to bomb Iran

I Can Do It But You Can’t
So the United States and Israel can have nuclear warheads but North Korea and Iran can’t?

LOCKDOWNS = POLICE STATE

2006-10-03T10:05:00.000-05:00

In the last two weeks there have been a rash of school shootings around the country that have resulted in heightened security methods. From Las Vegas to Colorado to Pennsylvania, outsiders have entered schools and taken the lives of children. Is this a coincidence? I don’t think so. Hear me out before you disagree with my assessment. Everyday our government is moving this country closer and closer to a total police state. They have created this terrorist movement complete with characters named Osama and Al Queeda to scare the average citizen into giving up what little rights you have left. The adult population has for the most part been exposed to the capabilities and powers of a police state and has thus far cooperated. But the youth is a different equation. They are rebellious, open to different theories, and much more suspicious of the powers that be. Thus, in order for a police state to be effective all citizenry must be in compliance and fear of the leading powers. At this point the youth as a whole fear no one. Thus, the practice runs the last few weeks in which schools all around the country have been locked down and parental access denied or delayed are important in a bigger picture. Yes, there were deaths but that is also important as it’s used as a scare tactic against the youth. The government must gain the support of the youth and have figured out that they can’t do it on television, where their message must compete with the likes of MTV, and they can’t do it on the air waves where Kanye West and 50 Cent have their ears more than Bush. So the government needed to tighten up its game and move in closer and the schools are the perfect setting. We are your friend, we will protect you from these creatures and we’ll move you to a safe setting because the school personnel and your parents have failed to protect you so your friendly government will do the job. As tight as security is in schools today and you’re telling me that outsider after outsider is able to gain access to schools across the country in a deadly 10-14 day period. To gain entrance to my children’s school you damn near have to give a blood sample and are fingerprinted just to get YOUR child. The process is so grueling that you leave wondering if your child really belongs to you or the school. Look, the United States has a long history of scrupulous activities and in the last ten years it has increased its level of brazen behavior. To stage these hideous acts is not beyond its realm of possibilities. Remember 9/11 and New Orleans in case you’re having a hard time picturing the devious actions of your government. Throw in the devastation of Iraq and complicity in Israel’s destruction of Lebanon and you get what I’m talking about. I didn’t even bring up Hiroshima or the small pox incident. In other words, is it beyond the US to stage shootings in school to scare the young? No it isn’t. The youth have to be reined in so that government can control them and the lockdown of schools and the tightening of security that will come from these acts is a step in that direction.

LATE ASS COLIN

2006-10-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

When Colin Powell recently announced that he was fired and mistreated by the Bush administration I could hear the words of Clarence Thomas ringing in my ears. “This is a high-tech lynching,” is what Clarence declared when HE decided that the powers that be were doing him wrong. Now here comes Colin crying about his treatment some three years after they threw his ass out of the White House. It’s called the White House you ignorant Negro. Your stay was only going to be temporary and you enjoyed your status while you where there. You fell right in line with the status quo of the government and you upped the ante with your bogus America’s Promise program. You enjoyed the benefits and you never stopped to question the moral basis of what you were participating in with the devilish Bush administration. When you could have made a difference to the country, world and black community, you took a pass and now we should give a damn about your feelings being hurt. Pleeeeezeee. Folks have real issues today (poverty, homelessness, divorce, gas prices, etc…) and your whining about how you were sent out the door will fall on deaf ears. Shut your mouth, enjoy the cushy payout they gave you and go write your book.

Stop Whining Bill

2006-09-11T05:55:00.000-05:00

It is comical to hear former President Bill Clinton whine about his portrayal in the recent ABC 9/11 movie. No, Bill is not at fault by himself for the Bush administration is the main culprit but Bill is guilty, too. Even if he was free of guilt for 9/11, which he isn’t, this would be karma for all the things he did but didn’t get caught for. Seeing him whine is like sitting in the stands at a basketball game and watch the coach jump up and complain that his team is being cheated when we see that clearly isn’t the case. His team is just guilty of committing fouls, he’s guilty of sideline abuses and so you keep yelling, “Sit down coach” recognizing that Coach is finally getting his due. In his defense, Bush and other outside forces (Israel) bare a huge portion of blame for the before, during and after of 9/11. Evidence leads back to the Bush administration as carrying out the attack on its own homeland but it’s been guilty of such acts before (Oklahoma City, medical experiments, Pearl Harbor, etc…) and will commit such acts again. The war in Iraq and Israel’s invasion of Lebanon are lonely part of a larger plan being carried out by Bush and his cronies. Iran and Syria are next on the list and they know it. Think they don’t know they are the final pieces in a bigger picture of power, land, oil and history. But Clinton is guilty of power abuses that are only outsized by the incredible arrogance of Bush and his money-grabbing frat brothers, family, business associates and political allies. Aside from the Monica gate foolishness Clinton imprisoned a record number of Black males, cut a boat load of problems beneficial to the black community and society as a whole, oversaw the cutting of required fairness (quotas) at colleges, never addressed the social ills plaguing the communities (increase in drug addicts, homicides, unemployment). Not to mention the growing number of high school dropouts that he never paid any attention to, even though Hilary was supposedly touting this “It Takes a Village” theme. The violence and looting of riches and resources in Africa never got a second look on the humanitarian issue. Millions died in senseless violence as Clinton’s foreign policy allowed and encouraged the wars raging in the Homeland. Damn the people, prostitute the land. So how he is portrayed in the movie is really not indicative of what he should be accused of. Plus, this negative portrayal doesn’t help Hillary’s potential Presidential run. Even though their marriage is a shame they are still husband and wife and the public recognizes that when it comes time to vote. To me, he’s getting off easy. Hell, I didn’t even mention the number of people associated with Clinton that ended up dead or imprisoned. Oops, I just did.

Condo-sleeee-zza

2006-09-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

Do not act surprised that an educated, black person would compare the continued existence of slavery during the Civil War to the war in Iraq as Condosleeeezza Rice recently did. She doesn’t know anything about true Black History and if she does then she’s consistently putting on an awfully good dumb blonde act. You see, ignorance is not limited to poor, black, white and Hispanic folks as most media outlets have led you to believe. As a matter of fact, I would put my money on there being a large amount of rich, college bred folk who not only don’t have a clue about history, yesterday and today, but are willful partners in destroying and suppressing what little truth still abounds in our society in the 21st century. Ms. Rice has been programmed by our government to serve it and only its needs and wants and she has become an expert at doing such. Coming down to earth and doing an interview in a magazine geared towards common, black folk would do nothing but expose her for the ignorant fraud that she is. She doesn’t associate with common folk so how could anything she says resonate with the common folk. For her to do anything but put her foot in her mouth and sound anything but uninformed would have been the surprise. This is one of her quotes when questioned about George W. Bush’s response to the New Orleans situation, “I resented the notion that the President of the United States, this President of the United States, would somehow decide to let people suffer because they were black. I found that to be the most corrosive and outrageous claim that anybody could have made, and it was wholly and totally irresponsible.” That sounds like “Don’t you’s bee’s talking bout my Massa, he’s been good to us and we.” Negro, wake up!!! She is brilliant at what she does and that is to protect the best interest of the Zionist influenced government of the United States. She might have come from the back woods of Alabama, a hub of racism during her formative years, but that is something that is relevant only when it needs to be used for her benefit. You know like taking pictures with her Black family during Black History Month or appearing with some Black folk on Martin Luther King Day. Rice is like a drug-induced zombie who no longer has any ties to that which she really is – A Black Person. If you began to hold a conversation with her on the history and state of black folks you would get the same blank stare that a nodding, drug addict would give you. She has been shot up with power, government lies and a promise of everlasting success as long as she renounces what she really is. Yes, she has sold her soul to the devil but she eats and lives well. In her defense, some of us have sold our souls for less but still that doesn’t excuse her actions. She doesn’t write her own words, she only repeats what has already been written for her and she does a damn good, believable job of it. If you’re going to walk with the devil then you best put on your fire suit and do the greatest job of devilry that you can. So don’t be mad or surprised at Condi’s actions and words, just realize that she’s gone from reality and the black community and she won’t be back.

Morehouse and the Mystique Question

2006-09-07T10:08:00.000-05:00

I watched the video of the latest Morehouse graduation ceremony and it gave me chills and brought back memories of when I walked the halls of the famed institution and I was proud. Then I read the edition of Black Enterprise which recently released its annual listing of colleges and saw how Morehouse had dropped from first to 45th. That is one hell of a drop on any kind of list especially one that list academics as one of its criteria. I also read the story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution which questioned whether the Mystique is leaving Morehouse in light of the recent death of one of its students and how it occurred. The young man was tortured and killed by one current and three former students over some money they thought he had. They ended up walking out with $20, a murder rap and a major role in embarrassing themselves and their school. Yes, convicted rapists, murderers and thieves have their issues in prison but former college students turned murderers will have a lot of issues and problems in prison. Good luck you idiots!!! But my column is not centered on this particular issue but more so on the aura surrounding Morehouse. It is the only institution of higher learning for black men in the country and its alumni is a who’s who of success. It is unique and has maintained a status of high achievement for over a hundred years and produced Martin Luther King Jr. and Sr., Spike Lee, Maynard Jackson, Edwin Moses and the list could go on with countless bankers, lawyers, government officials and so on. But what has been overlooked, until Black Enterprise brought it up, was the enormous amount of brothers who never make it out of Morehouse. According to the latest figures, Morehouse graduates only 49% of it students and that’s the official count. One thing I’ve learned is that an official count is never, ever correct and so I would surmise that the graduation rate is even lower. But we’ll go with the 49% for this writing. You see, Morehouse and Spelman are to the black community what Harvard and Yale are to the white community. They are the elitist schools where the brightest of the bright go, where entry into validates the struggle and progression of one’s family. These schools have lineage and that is just as important as passing chemistry or English. But what Harvard, Yale, Morehouse and Spelman also have are mystiques that cloud the true identity of what they are. They are colleges just like Alabama State and Howard and Hampton. But they cost a whole lot more and don’t think high tuition cost and low graduation rate don’t have a connection. It’s a myth that everyone who goes to Morehouse is wealthy, yes there are those who come from well-to-do households but they are not in the majority. Many of those who I went to Morehouse with didn’t have a clue where the money for next year’s or for that matter next semester’s tuition was going to come from. Was it going to be financial aid, grants, scholarships or money that just dropped from the sky? Many of us had to work a job or two to get tuition and spending money. The out-of-state cost to attend Morehouse is extraordinary and most of the college’s students come from outside of Georgia. Yes, I know Spelman is more expensive and its graduation rate is in the low 70’s but let’s be real. Families will have yard sales and sell blood to ensure Baby Girl has tuition for next year but Baby Boy is a man and he needs to be a man and figure it out for himself. The mentality is different in Black communities when it comes to putting males and females through college. Another factor in the low graduation rate at Morehouse is that some cats just don’t like it and the experience. The elitist attitude is not for everybody and the facilities don’t compare to the local university at home. So you can go back home, sleep in your own bed, get up and go to class and come home to Mama cooking dinner and you get hang out with all your friends you’re familiar with. Sounds pretty good!! But here’s something Black Enterprise overlooked, the graduation rate is down for black males across the country and has been for years. However, until recently, Morehouse has been able to withstand a little better than most. What’s happening at Morehouse now is across the board and it has more to do with economic conditions than some mystique. Each year I was at Morehouse I saw more and more people leave either through their own will or because of circumstances. That doesn’t have a damn thing to do with mystique those are just facts of life. Is Morehouse perfect? Far from it for I could tell you some stories that would leave your mouth hanging open. Could they do more to get brothers across that stage? Absolutely and administration has to take a big chunk of the blame for the falling graduation rate. Could its star studded alumni play a bigger role? Certainly but that would have to mean that they acknowledge that there is a problem and get involved in more than just Homecoming. Huge egos are plentiful among Morehouse Men.But let’s not take lightly the 49% of Morehouse students that do graduate and give them their just due. That means out of some 3,000 males, close to 1,500 of them will graduate at some point. Now, when they figure out how to get the 1,500 other ones to graduate then they should bottle how they did it and sell the formula nationwide. But until the black community as a whole figures out how to raise the graduation rate for black males in not only college but high school as well, let’s slack off the bashing of the mystique and give credit where it’s due

Marion Jones

2006-09-07T09:05:00.000-05:00

During the 1990’s when I first heard about this black, teenage, high school phenom in California, who was not only out running grown folk but breaking records doing it, my interest was peaked. When I finally saw her, she was not only fast and attractive but lived up to all the hoopla surrounding her. Then she proceeded to destroy the nations and world’s best in any race in which she competed including winning five gold medals at the Sydney Olympics. She was good, so good that you knew something wasn’t right but you just couldn’t put a finger on it. Then came the doping allegations and you knew there had to be some validity to them. Her ex-husband (CJ Hunter) and her Baby Daddy (Tim Montgomery) were both found guilty of using steroids and banned from competition. Her coach (Trevor Graham) was implicated in a drug scandal and the man whose company made the illegal drugs (Victor Conte) has provided detailed info on what and when Jones was using. She has had an extraordinary career but she cheated. Her latest drug test has come back negative even though the first sample was positive. But it doesn’t matter, Jones is forever tainted and it was long before these results came back. She can scream all day long about all her drug tests coming up negative but if Average Joe can beat a drug test for a job you best believe that a athlete worth millions to sponsors, advertisers and herself can beat any drug test available. If everybody around you was a cheat, then chances are you a cheat too. Broke folk hang with broke folk and rich folk hang with rich folk. You are what you surround yourself with. Throughout life, I’ve seen people cheat at things and not get caught so does that mean they’re not cheaters? Nope, it just means they were damn good at devising ways not to get caught. That is the group that Marion Jones falls into and as painful as it is to admit that’s the truth. With this latest drug sample coming back negative, Jones is free to run again but she will never be able to outrun the allegations that have ruined her legacy. Could she have won five gold medals without using performance enhancing drugs? The thing is we will never know and neither will Jones. I can’t help but think that when I first laid eyes on her during her teenage years and watched her blow away the competition that might have been the only period of her career when it was pure Marion Jones.

Poetically Speaking

2006-09-06T12:26:00.000-05:00

Historical, true to their culture, a desire to be free
The truth is a lie, the lie is the truth is what they see
A never ending search for that missing key
I’m looking for someone Black like me

Respect for woman, child, self and family
Can feel the pain and hear the slave cries from the sea
Knows this battle is not about I but more about we
I’m looking for someone Black like me

Willing to sacrifice material to know the significance of history
To be open to that which is unknown, the quest for our deed
Unafraid to take on the powers that long to be
I’m looking for someone Black like me

No crab in a basket syndrome, no fifteen minute celebrity
Knowing you always a Nigga to them, that’s their testimony
But be willing to overcome, go deeper, the quest is true liberty
I’m looking for someone Black like me

Ancestors died as slaves and you live to be the white man’s commodity
Brothers killing Brothers, bringing a fake gangsterism to our community
Living among the spoils and remnants of illiteracy and poverty
I’m looking for someone Black like me

Pray to a higher being, you chose who you want it to be
You Black, I’m Black whether you study Islam, Judaism or Christianity
Don’t be fooled, there’s more to this life thing then their A to Z
I’m looking for someone Black like me

I hear the history of Mother Africa, see the opposite in the inner city
Listen to the words of the people, leave you wondering who they be
Don’t they know they started civilization, setting the world free
I’m looking for someone Black like me

Don’t need no lying television, keep your cable channels and all that BET
I know royalty when I see it and it looks just like you and me
Keep your buck dancing, booty shaking Negroid lost in the breeze
I’m looking for someone Black like me

I’m looking for someone Black like me
Seeking the truth of our history
Not scared of the powers that be
I just need to find someone Black like me

Gloom Is Up To You

2006-09-05T13:15:00.000-05:00

I heard people say that we are in the darkest days and God is wreaking havoc on us all. Now, that could be true but I’m more inclined to believe that the ignorance and naiveté of the common folk, in particular I’m speaking Black folk, is the determining factor in our existence. If you don’t know then you can’t plan against that which is your enemy because you don’t know the ways of the enemy thus you have no clue as to what to prepare for and against. You believe the government is your friend but then you see what’s happening in New Orleans, you believe the government has your back then you ride through the inner-city; you believe the government is listening then you hear about the billions spent on the siege of Iraq and you act disappointed, appalled, and shocked at your politicians. The problem with this is that by the time you react it’s already been done and thus your initial response has no strength to it. We are more apt to complain about sports, entertainment and gossip than about the conditions of our schools, communities and governments. Did you know?

The IRS is an illegal entity that has been robbing American citizens for years and yet we don’t challenge the legality of its existence
One is four black folks is in poverty. Poverty is considered anyone who makes less than $10,000 as an individual and $20,000 for a family of four. Now 37 million Americans qualify under those conditions but we all know that the poverty extends much further than that. Most of us live paycheck to paycheck and that undoubtedly qualifies as poor. If any creditor is calling your house then you Poor. Don’t fool yourself!!!
The Federal Reserve Bank is not part of the U.S. government though it’s in New York
On average, 12 newborns a day are given to the wrong parents
The fire on Apollo 1 (January 27, 1967), the explosion of the shuttle Challenger (January 28, 1986) and the disintegration of Columbia (February 1, 2003) all occurred during the same calendar week
China has more English speakers than the United States
The name of all the continents end with the same letter they start with
The Postal Service is not a full government agency but a private corporation that operates outside of the Federal Constitution
JFK’s brain was stolen from the national archives
George Bush Sr. had a hand in the Bay of Pigs incident, JFK’s assassination, and Watergate
George W. Bush had a hand in the JFKjr’s plane crash, 9/11, and Oklahoma City
Prescott Bush (Father of George Sr. and Grandfather of George W.) was a major supporter of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party
The Skull and Bones is not only a fraternity at Yale but also a major supplier of government officials
Adolf Hitler’s father was half-Jewish
Margaret Sanger, who is regarded as the mother of Planned Parenthood, was a Hitler supporter and believed that Blacks were an “inferior race” and “unfit to reproduce”
The largest drug smuggling and money laundering operation in US history was run out of an airport in Mena, Arkansas when Bill Clinton was Governor
Recent studies have tied the rising cases of breast cancer in women to abortions
About The Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the Bilderbergers, and the Committee of 300 (made up of the so-called 17 wealthiest families)
Roads and Highways, paid for with taxpayers money, are being sold off to foreign-based companies (i.e. an Australian company has a 99-year lease on Virginia’s Pocahontas Parkway). It’s also federal law that for every five miles of new highway built, one mile has to be straight
FEMA has the power to suspend laws, can detain and arrest citizens without a warrant, can seize property, food supplies, transportation systems, and can suspend the Constitution. It is not an elected body and has a budget in the billions. The first targets of a FEMA emergency are Blacks and Hispanics with orders calling for them to be rounded up and detained. Sound familiar!!!

Privlege Rules

2006-08-29T13:06:00.000-05:00

I sat listening to Tom Joyner and other Black radio shows this morning publicize and criticize what happened in New Orleans and the surrounding areas a year ago. Then I watched C-Span and listened to people, mostly white men, call in and for the most part champion the response of government and the president while knocking the victims of Hurricane Katrina for such things as looting, picking houses so close to the water and waiting on FEMA when the feds have 49 other states to look after. The first response to such comments, as a Black man, is anger and then you realize and admit how far apart we are as races in this country. One of the things that really stuck out during my eight years as a classroom teacher was how the white student, no matter what their economic level, always acted as though they were the smartest in the class and that included me, too. Why did they think this way? Because everything in our society bleeds white superiority and in particular white male superiority with white women and children jumping on the bandwagon. Look at a picture of the decision makers in our society, whether they are on a local, state or federal level, and you’ll see the faces of white folks with a token maybe sprinkled in here and there. It’s a fact that we live in a world based on decisions by white men and those white men have never been sympathetic or tolerant to the cause of black folks. When you come from a life of privilege and most major decision makers are born into such lifestyle, you have no need or desire to understand the life of those less fortunate. When you get opportunities because of your family name skin color and you get out of situations because of your family name and skin color then you have no understanding of what it is to be common. You see lineage is associated with privilege and with that comes an arrogance that the world not only revolves around you but you or somebody you know can change the makeup of that world with a phone call. When you come from privilege you get into places you don’t have the skill or talent for (Bush was C student at Yale according to his records which means he was either flunking or awfully close to it because the highest they could bring up his grades was to the C level) and you accomplish things with inside help. White folks have always had affirmative action and still do. Do you think they would give us quotas and not take a boatload of opportunities for them and theirs? The Governor of Illinois just appointed his babysitter, yes I said babysitter, to a Civil Service Commission. We have always been far apart as whites and blacks and the only ones who say the gap is closing are the black folks who are deceived into believing they are on the same level as whites either through association, economics, education or employment. Pleeeeezeeee!!!! We have some rich black folks but even they have bosses and they are not involved in the daily decision making that affect our lives. Oprah might have the highest rated talk show but she doesn’t decide when and where it comes on. Tiger may be the best and richest golfer but he still can only win The Masters at a racist, Augusta country club. White folks become wealthy and powerful meaning future generations never have to accomplish anything meaningful because they are part of the lineage. The offspring’s of the Rockefellers, Kennedy’s, Bush’s, Gores, and Rothschild’s can attest to the lineage connection. They can kill and rape and not serve a day in jail. Their children go to the best schools even when they can’t pass the intake exam because a nice donation to the school will solve everything. They don’t do resumes because they can just open up a company and hire all their buddies. They live in areas you can’t go to and they do things you can’t afford and never dreamed of. They spend more money in a week then you make in a year. They wear clothes with names you can't even pronounce and the designer gave them personally. You might have gone broke getting that polo shirt and they actually play polo with Ralph Lauren at their house. They tell you to pull yourself up by the bootstrap and they gotten by on mediocrity their whole life because privilege has provided such. We’re trying to keep up with the Joneses when the Joneses live in a gated community with no idea of your plight or their own. And they don’t care because if they shared with you then they would have to open up those boardrooms, gated communities, fancy pockets and wallets, segregated country clubs and that isn’t about to happen. The funny thing is that some of those white men who were calling in jumping on the anti-black campaign down in New Orleans can’t get in those places either but they go to bed banking on the fact that they will be there before I ever will. That’s true but what their missing is that I don’t wanna be there I just would like to have those things on the blackside.

P.S. It's a damn shame that today's coverage of the Katrina situation has to been shared with the story of a crazy, lying, White Pedophile.

Stop Snitching!! Say What

2006-08-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

There have been some bizarre things come through the black community and receive more love than a righteous thing. But this latest phenomenon called ‘Stop Snitching’ is as crazy as they come. So popular among the young that t-shirts are being sold with the slogan on it, ‘stop snitching’ has become the call of the wild. So now the oppressed has become its own oppressor. Don’t tell on the hoodlums who are terrorizing our neighborhoods and killing our future. Act like you didn’t see Ron-Ron and Little T just shoot up the whole block and kill not only their intended target but other innocent bystanders. Act like you don’t know who’s been breaking into houses and cars stealing stuff from hardworking, taxpaying people. Act like you don’t know who raped that poor little 12-year old girl or boy who was just walking home from the store. Act like you don’t know who the police are looking for and because you act like that they stay around harassing the good people of the neighborhood. Act like you don’t know about nothing and that scent of deadness you smell will eventually go away. Let’s continue to let those who have no love for self dictate the laws of right and wrong. If we as a community don’t have the common sense and decency to weed out those who don’t want to do right whether they be friend, relative or foe, then we as a people are doomed. If people can’t own up to their mistakes and take responsibility for their actions then how can they be of benefit to others? They kill and then threaten to kill others if they tell and they get juice in the community. That’s not only backwards that’s self-destructive and such thoughts of thinking take down the whole neighborhood. Cleaning up one’s community and ridding it of rubbish is vital to the people’s self-worth. We as blacks go out into the world, work in jobs that seek to cheapen us and ignore our true abilities, wearing the mask. Then we are to return to our communities and ignore the lawbreaking going on in our streets. The jails are full of black men and women, some who are truly innocent or who have unfairly been given long sentences, so if the jails are going to be full of our people lets put the right ones in there. A family is gunned down execution style in Philadelphia and nobody knows who did it? Bodies of young black men in D.C., Houston, Boston, Detroit and Atlanta are found on a daily basis and nobody knows who did it? Criminal elements get more love than the scholar or the dreamer. The odd thing about the ‘stop snitching’ campaign is that it only comes into play when the victim is black and so is the perpetrator. If you have no love for self how can you expect to have the respect of those outside your community. And that is what this is all about, respect, right? The very people who are telling others to stop snitching are doing so to cover their crimes. Come on black community listen to the words of Bob Marley and “Get Up, Stand Up, Stand Up for Your Rights”.

Common Brotha and The Masses

2006-08-24T21:57:00.000-05:00

You know I admire the writings of such scholars as Michael Eric Dyson, Cornell West and Alvin Poussaint and how they speak of their black culture in such an enraptured array of metaphoric and factual vocabulary. Their use of the language is so elegant and jazzy that you are drawn in with a cultural serenity that is peaceful and educational. So I said I would try to write a column in such a Mensa type of way that I would rival their pattern. But that’s not me because while I think I understand their writings, I don’t feel it appeals to the masses. Now wait there freeblack, these brothas have sold millions of books, so what are you talking about? I’m saying that’s great but that isn’t me cause I know the masses are not going to lead no struggle without Common Brotha from up the block. You see Common Brotha has got his ear to the street and the world and he knows more than you think. The problem is he doesn’t know what to do with that knowledge so he is surrounded by more negativity than knowledge. The law of averages say if the devil shows up at your house nines times in a day to sell you something and the righteous shows up once, Common Brotha is going with the devil’s deal. But the masses only waited till the devil showed up twice to make a deal. That’s the difference. The masses are educated, accessable to making and giving away wealth, and can be well-read yet they prefer a debate over The Apprentice or American Idol winner. The war in Iraq is only important when gas prices go up and Israel’s illegal bombing of Lebanon is a blip on their radar. The taking of their civil liberties only irks them when they are searched at the airport, the miseducation of their children only affects them when their child didn’t make the sports team, and their failure to pay attention to the food and medicine issues that have produced an unhealthy and drug addicted community are signs of an ignorant society. The masses are unsure of the next move because they thought the American dream was a good job, nice house and fancy car but the power elite always change the rules when challenged. While you’re watching the NBA Finals, Desperate Housewives or Survivor, the power elite are making plans to change your life. The reason you leave your house early to encounter traffic in the morning is because that’s the way the power elite set it up. The reason you pay this tax and pay that fee is because of the power elite. Who is this power elite? If you have to ask you are part of the masses. Common Brotha would tell you who the power elite is and if you’re not ready you’ll miss it because you're looking at the outer and not listening to the inner. The power elite is that group of men who are making all the moves behind the scenes. They smile in your face and destroy you and your family behind the scenes. They send other people’s children to die in wars for their personal gains but never send their own family members. They make laws that affect millions but exempt them and theirs. They kill their own countrymen and women and children if it will advance their program. They determine what you eat, watch, wear and do on any given day. They monitor your life through credit cards, phone calls, computers, car monitors and unchanged daily routines that we go through. They have already answered and reacted to questions that the masses have, despite the educational level of that masses. You see, Common Brotha is responsible for all kind of laws and measures because he is the victim, culprit and target. The masses are a demographic. Common Brotha is Hip-Hop and that culture rules in urban, rural and economic communities, Common Brotha is also crime and a menace and three strike laws, Common Brotha is also unafraid of consequences because he has acknowledge that there is a power elite that’s an enemy. He knows that just because they live or work beside you doesn't mean they like you. He knows they tolerate him in even his best dress and moment and whatever love they have for him is artificial and selfish. He knows the masses will fail him but he embraces them to the end and they don’t even realize it. Some of us have been in the masses and Common Brotha’s neighborhoods and recognize the need to connect the two. The power elite is well-established, well-connected and well-educated but I’d put my money on the masses and Common Brotha if they ever connected, analyzed, planned and executed together.

What The Spike Was That?

2006-08-23T14:33:00.000-05:00

I was told my check was being mailed and when I went to the mailbox it wasn’t there. That’s the empty feeling I have today after watching Spike Lee’s documentary “When The Levees Broke”. Billed by HBO as this monumental movie about Hurricane Katrina and its aftereffects nearly one year later, I was left walking away from the TV not at all moved by what I had watched. And trust me I wanted to be moved, I wanted to be angry and I wanted to see the racism so I would know that others felt as pissed off as I was. But after four hours my wife and I came away speechless and it wasn’t for a loss of words. It was the kind of speechless that comes with being disappointed in something that you expected a lot out of. We are very cultural people and knowing that the only blacks we see on TV today are athletes, rappers, booty shakers or buffoons like Flavor Flav, we gathered our children around the television like my parents gathered us around for ‘ROOTS’. The children made it through the first night but by night two boredom had won over and I let them go to their beds.

I’m not saying Spike did a bad job because there are a lot of people in the United States who were probably shocked at what they saw and those people are enlightened today. However, if you have followed this New Orleans situation at all, then you know there was more substance needed and not the rehashing of old CNN video. Yes, the interviews with the common people who were affected the most were heart wrenching and brought home how that could have been any of us. The stories from their points of view was riveting and potential tearjerkers but the tears certainly should have dried up the moment the governor of Louisiana, the mayor of New Orleans, and the former police chief showed up on the screen. Why were these and other government culprits in this tragedy given a pass for the crimes they committed? Why were they presented as though they were victims and not as willing participants in a variety of political missteps that delayed and derailed crucial aid after the levees broke? They were aware of the faulty levee situation years before Katrina and how has the governor not been impeached and how in the hell did Ray Nagin get reelected as mayor. Where was that angle of the story? I thought I was going to get a racism slant in this documentary considering the director was black, the area hit hardest was black, the city was predominantly black and the government knowingly held back assistance because the people were black. But I got the feeling that Spike was trying to walk the line and not pick a side and because of such I was disappointed.

Maybe I expected too much blackness from the producer of movies like School Daze, Do The Right Thing, Bamboozled, Malcolm X, and Crooklyn. I wanted Spike to get an expert to tell me whether the levees looked like they broke or were blown up? Black communities throughout the country need to know what kind of government they are dealing with. These are crucial times we are living in and if you have to hit the people in the head with facts then let the head banging start. Don’t pussyfoot around nothing. Don’t give credence to those who don’t deserve it. Kanye West is an eloquent spokesperson because he blurted out “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people”? That’s not profound that’s factual and it was known way before then. Hell, the senior Bush didn’t care about Black folks. No, what’s sad is that black folks have contributed to the development of this country through hundreds of years of blood, sweat and tears and in a time of life and death the government looks the other way. The documentary should have focused on why Americans campaign against atrocities in other countries but not in their own country. The focus should have been on why the president, vice-president, FEMA and Homeland Security officials have not been brought up on charges of murder and attempted murder in this Hurricane Katrina mess. What is going on with people who have been displaced in Texas, Tennessee, Illinois and other places throughout the country? What happened to the people when FEMA said they had to leave the hotels and where did they go and what is being done now? What help can people, especially black folk, give to help in this situation? And I’m not talking about taking some blankets or shoes down to Red Cross? The documentary left many questions and answered very few and if I didn’t know any better it reeked of a governmental project. They would have produced the same vanilla type of documentary and lauded the very people who need to be held in contempt of the US constitution. Come on Spike, what’s the deal. At the end of Do The Right Thing two words are yelled that summed up not only the movie but what many of us in the black community were feeling and that still holds true today – WAKE UP!!!!!!

I Was Thinking

2006-08-17T23:02:00.000-05:00

What if there was a Black president? Would he be Louis Farrakhan black or Armstrong Williams’s type of black?

What if the top black athletes in college sports went to Historically Black Colleges? Wouldn’t it be nice to see a Final Four with Morehouse, Howard, Southern and Tennessee State? A BCS Bowl game with Hampton and Grambling?

What if college tuition and medical insurance were free?

What if television only aired during the weekend, would more Americans be literate?

What if all the empty houses that you see in neighborhoods throughout America were filled?

What if schools in black neighborhoods had black teachers and schools in white neighborhood had white teachers and the schools were on an even playing field? Would the test scores of black student still trail by the same wide margin or would the white students trail?

What if you knew how many people connected with the Clintons (you know Bill “I’m down with the Brothas” and Hilary “I swear I have some Jewish in me”) have been killed? What if you knew how many black men went to jail while Clinton was in office? What if you knew what really happened to Ron Brown?

What if you knew that it’s illegal for the United States to take taxes out of one’s pay? What you think the Boston Tea Party was about?

What if you saw what really goes on after the polls are closed on voting day? Does your vote really count or is it predetermined?

What if you found out that Basketball, football and baseball were all fixed sports? Would you still watch it?

What if you found out that man never really was on the moon? What if you found out that there are Americans living on other planets and they shuttle back and forth from earth on a regular basis? Would you believe it? What if one was your neighbor and you talked to them and they confirmed it? Would you believe it then?

What if you found out all these tired R&B newcomers were all Milli Vanillis?

What if Hurricane Katrina hit West Palm Beach instead of New Orleans? Would the levees break there? Would the natives have been shipped around the country and not permitted by in their former city?

What if you found out there was a cure for AIDS and Cancer and the government is only supplying it to people of its choice?

What if ToneTonyToni, A Tribe Called Quest and Mint Condition got its proper respect among great groups?

What if black folks were put back into 1800’s and 1900’s slavery? That’s right, back on the plantation with Massa a.k.a Mr. Charley. Would you run, organize and lead a revolt or stay put and accept your condition?

What if Malcolm X and Martin Luther King both lived into their 60’s?

What if the internet ceased to exist today?

Then I guess you wouldn’t know what I was thinking right now!!!!

White Women – The Perfect Criminals

2006-08-16T15:31:00.000-05:00

A woman in Texas stones her two children to death and she’s not convicted of any crime as the court rules she’s mentally unstable. Another woman in Texas methodically drowns all five of her children in a bathtub and they say she couldn’t comprehend what she was doing so they send her to some swanky mental hospital instead of jail. A woman in Tennessee murders her husband in cold blood by shooting him with a shotgun as he slept, in the church rectory nonetheless, and she gets out on bail and is allowed to visit her three children whose father she has killed. A young, female teacher in Florida has an affair with her middle school student and she is given probation, and the topic of conversation is more about her looks than the vile crime she has committed.

What do all of these women have in common besides the fact the justice system is on their side? They are white. You see there is always some excuse for a white woman committing a crime. She didn’t know what she was doing, she was traumatized by things going on in her life, she was stressed out, her spouse was mistreating her, she had post-partum syndrome, or the ever popular the devil told her to do it. Hell, in my lifetime, the devil has told me to choke a variety of people including girlfriends, bosses and co-workers, parents of students I was teaching and even my own children at times, but that doesn’t mean I do it. Why? Because there are consequences for your actions and there are laws set up to prevent such acts. Plus, I’m fully aware of what is wrong and what is right and I just can’t be going around choking people ‘all willy nilly’. I have had some bosses that should be appreciative of these laws and my obedience to them. But the trend remains that if the accuser is a white female there must be some sort of explanation for her actions.

Now had these been black women committing such actions they would be sitting under the jail waiting to hear those famous words as they sat on death row, “Dead woman walking.” Racism is alive and well and don’t let anyone tell you differently. Yes, some things have changed but one black person sitting in a management chair doesn’t constitute progress. Not when the rest of the few blacks on staff are in lower level jobs. Just because a few more blacks have bought houses in traditionally white neighborhoods doesn’t mean that times are better for black folks. Just check out the overflow of black males in prison. No racism is still at a premium. Black women are eight times likelier to be imprisoned than white women. No debate about their upbringing and what made them do their allege crimes. Nope, you did the crime now here is your time. A rich, white girl in New York gets drunk and mad then plows her vehicle into a crowd of people injuring more than 15 people some seriously. She’s sentenced to probation. A white nanny in Massachusetts is convicted of causing fatal head trauma to the child she’s watching and is convicted. Until, the system thinks about what it’s done, oops she was white so let’s retry this thing and she’s acquitted the second time. I'm thinking that if you want to commit the perfect crime just have a white woman do it for you.

Wake Up

2006-08-14T16:22:00.000-05:00

What country conducts illegal wiretaps, conducts searches of private property under the guise of national security, violates UN sanctions regularly, initiates the destruction of an entire city and delays any means of assistance? This country also cuts much-needed social programs, denies medical assistance to those without insurance, rigs public elections including that of the presidency, promotes the interest of big business at all cost, gauges the intelligence of its young through standardized tests, and strip searches paying customers in order to fly on an airplane. If you said any of the so-called Axis of Evil countries (Iran or North Korea) or Cuba then you would be wrong. How about China or Haiti? Nope, it’s the United States where all these things are happening and no the people are not taking to the streets to complain. Meaning the taking of your civil liberties will continue and you will soon find yourself with little or no rights.

Now the US has enlisted the help of its buddy Britain to spark even more so-called terrorist fear and in doing so take some more of your rights. Supposedly, and I repeat supposedly, Britain foiled a plot to blow up planes headed to the United States and stopped it right before it was about to happen. You know like the doctor who said,”Two more minutes and you would have been dead.” In heroic form like the Superfriends, the plan was discovered, the planners arrested and despite having those responsible in custody, we are imposing added restrictions on the American people. No liquids can be carried on planes, a judge ruled that random searches can be conducted on New York’s subways and now every Joe from Maine to Oregon will apply their own interpretation to the words “in the best interest of national security”. Take that to mean that if Paul’s Bar-B-Queue said you need to empty your pockets in order to get a rib plate well then guess what? You’ll be emptying your pockets if you want to eat. And it’s only going to get worse.

The 9/11 episode (we’ll talk more about that in a later posting) was the public beginning of the end of your rights as a US citizen, though privately the government had been moving towards a police state for years. Bush bombed Sadaam Hussein and Iraq under the claim that his dictatorship policies were denying the Iraqis their democratic rights. Pleeeze. If you think we live in a democracy then go to the airport and see how democratic the security is. If such rights were being taken away in other countries the people there would take to the streets to protest and so would many Americans here. Isn’t funny how Americans will campaign for the rights of people in other countries but when those rights are denied here, the people stay silent and excuse such governmental actions in the name of terrorism. The President tells you that Al Qaeda and Osama are out to get you and we must take this and that right from you in order to ensure your safety. Say it with me “Pleeeezee”. Osama is long dead and AL Qaeda is a myth like the loch ness monster. Soon you won’t be able to leave your house without permission. The government is already aware of what you eat, who you talk to, what you watch and where you go. The only thing missing is figuring out why you do what you do. But plans are in the works for that too and that won’t require a buddy to pull that off. No, the American people will be accomplices in their own demise.

Lord Have Mercy

2006-08-14T09:13:00.000-05:00

A man stands before you having had more than 15 women come forward with allegations of sexual improprieties against him. Not just any man but a preacher man. In addition, there are also charges of drug use and financial misuse. Not just any man but a preacher man. Then a friend of the man bails him out when the bond is nearly four million dollars. Your crimes are serious when bail is set that high. Then a another friend of the preacher man calls up one of the accusers to persuade her not to press charges even though the evidence is strong that a serious crime has been committed. Now all three of these individuals claim they are men of God and profess to be concerned about the flock.

In case you haven’t heard, these characters in this mini-drama star Bishop Terry Hornbuckle as the accused, Bishop T. D. Jakes as the friend with the bail money, and the good reverend doctor Deion Sanders as the friend who makes the calls. Who made them Bishops is another story for another day but we'll be respectful and cite their entire con identity. Yes, this drama is being played out in real life in Dallas. Except there is no J.R., no Sue Ellen, no Bobby or big, sprawling Ewing ranch. No, this is from the book of Samuel or Matthew or Luke. Three men who have been entrusted by the black community to provide spiritual healing have engaged in some devilish conduct that calls into question their true beliefs. These men parade around as though they are representatives of God spreading the word of the good book when after service they’re engaging in criminal behavior. Surprised? No, man is flesh and the flesh has its weaknesses. What’s criminal is that these same men will stand before an oppressed people and pimp them out of their hard earned money and use it for their own selfish gratification. Do you think T.D. Jakes used his own money or did he use tithe money? If he used his own money where do you think that came from? He has made his fortune off the backs of other people, many of them poor, as he preached the word.

You see Hornbuckle is on trial in a Dallas courtroom on charges including but not limited to rape. In several cases it is alleged his drugged his victims and then had sex with them. Now this is the preacher and while doing this he stands in the pulpit on Church and passes judgment on his flock as his wife and children also look on. If one woman came forward you could debate whether this some he said/she said stuff but when nearly 20 women come forward with allegations it’s time to throw in the cards. Now, you need to convince me you are innocent and by the way give me my money back. I’m not sending up my tithes to help pay for your defense when others in the congregation need some real help with mortgages, rent, utility bills, jobs and other necessities. I have long thought that T.D. Jakes was a self-promoting man who used the church as his pimp ground and this doesn’t help convince me otherwise. Now as for Deion Sanders well enough said. Any religious man who has Mr. PrimeTime as his right hand needs to be questioned and not followed. Religion was one of the means that has helped Blacks survive years of slavery and mistreatment and it’s still a vital tool today. But only when it is used in its proper context and three pimps using it to their benefit is not the proper context. Now this is Pimps Up and Hoes Down being played out in its truest form. May the Lord have mercy on us all.

Ode To A Teacher

2006-08-13T18:43:00.000-05:00

Summer vacation is over so break out the books, it’s time to ring the school bell
Desks are aligned, roll is called and the halls have a scent of that elementary smell
Students will arrive from trips afar and near, so many stories to tell
Some will be ready to learn, others will just want to raise some hell

Teachers have decorated their rooms with pictures and words fit for their grade
Seats have been assigned, lessons planned and rules have been laid
This is what they do best, educate despite being way underpaid
All summer long they have waited for this day, today, today, today

But wait, you are the scorn of the system, the reason why it isn’t right
Parents say it’s your fault their child can’t read, the reason he or she can’t write
The naysayers say your credentials are subpar, student ain’t done no harm, teacher started the fight
Test scores are low because of you, not enough effort and outsiders believe that hype

Yet, I’ve seen you pour out your heart, work through the night but you’re to blame
Though the children go home to do no homework and play their playstation games
Parents won’t take 15 minutes to read to their child because it’s the responsibility of that teaching dame
Yeah, teacher you must work miracles and walk on water while others put you to shame

No support from higher up because they’re looking out for self while raking in a big paycheck
Teacher gets no respect, Teacher gets no respect, Teacher gets no respect
Incoming, disruptive students are coddled, not scared to grab teacher by the neck
Hell, one even threw a pie in the teacher’s face while they were in home ec

But I believe in what you do and I believe in the job you do
That’s why I wrote this poem for you

What You See Is Not What You Get

2006-08-12T20:24:00.000-05:00

If you believe that Israel attacked Lebanon because two of its soldiers were kidnapped then you probably believe that reparation checks for Black folks will arrive in the mail any day now. Wars are and have always been fought over land and this is no exception. The United States is not risking the lives of its soldiers and spending your tax dollars everyday because Sadaam Hussein was an evil man. It there because of land and with that land comes many benefits and power.

Now the government controlled media won’t give you the real deal instead you’ll hear the same thing on every station. It’s called propaganda and its essential to both the US and Israel that public sentiment is on their side even though they have illegally invaded the countries of Iraq and Lebanon. In this latest attack, it is clear that Israel has and will continue to be in violation of United Nations laws. Like its counterpart, Israel claimed it was violated and thus its retaliation was warranted. Let’s look at the facts. Two Israeli soldiers illegally crossed into the UN sanctioned territory of southern Lebanon and were captured not kidnapped by Hezbollah. Israel then launches a vicious attack upon the people of Lebanon at which they have destroyed the infrastructure of the country. I’m talking about blowing up bridges, bombing houses occupied by innocent men, women and children, downing lines of communication and destroying the airport thus crippling the ability of the Lebanonese to live. No food, no water, no where to go all under the disguise of disbanding a group that was established as a result of previous UN violations by Israel.

Such a military reaction is not planned overnight. No this was months in the making. Hezbollah and Hamas in Palestine were created as a defensive force to protect against invasions by Israel during the 60’s and 80’s. Just as the army, navy, air force and marines were formed to protect the interest of the United States, Hezbollah and Hamas serves the same role for the Lebanonese and Palestinian people. Yet our military is lauded as patriotic while Hezbollah and Hamas are labeled as terrorists. Since when is protecting the people of your country from illegal occupation by another country terroristic. So you’re telling me that if another country came and set up shop in Florida or Texas or Michigan that sending in the military would be terrorism. Pleeeezee!!!!

Hezbollah is a popular resistance movement whose purpose is to rid the country of illegal occupiers and Israel is in southern Lebanon illegally and has been since 1967.Yet, if you listen to the western media you will get the same information just given by a different source. The slant is pro-Israel and anti-Hezbollah and it occurs in every report given by every reporter. Has any western reporter done their homework and researched the real truth behind the behavior of Israel. Have they not heard of resolutions 465 and 476, which Israel has violated and continues to do so? What about resolution 1559? Where is the story and reports of the atrocities suffered by the people of Lebanon and Palestine reaped upon them by the army of Israel? Yet, CNN and MSNBC were quick to report how much a villain Castro and Sadaam Hussein are and were but the leadership of Israel gets a free pass. The story of the two missing Israeli soldiers was headline news but the taking of thousands of innocent Lebanonese and Palestian and having them imprisoned in Israel doesn’t get a mention. These people are political prisoners who have been held on trumped up charges and some on no charges at all. They have been held for years but these western journalists who come from what are supposed to be some of the best schools of journalism don’t report this information.

Israel is illegally occupying territory in Palestine but the reports say Hamas is a threat to the security of Israel. Ask the Palestinians of Gaza, the West Bank and sections of Jerusalem who the real terrorists are. How can one justify the actions of Israel flattening an entire country and making thousands homeless and not one reporter saying what is obvious – They’re dead wrong. How can responsible journalists not question the US support of such actions? Then again these same journalists support the illegal occupation of Iraq with no questions asked. What about the reports from news media overseas that Israel may be using chemical and energy weapons on the people of Lebanon. All we get is that Hezbollah is to blame for the destruction of Lebanon and until it ceases to exist, Israel is justified in its actions. Right. All we get is that Hamas is to blame for the destruction of Palestine and until it ceases to exist, Israel is justified in it actions. Right.

In July the House of Representatives had the audacity to vote 410-8 in favor of backing the actions of Israel. They obviously represent the best interest of Israel. The US gives billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money each year to Israel funding its reign of terror. .Where do you think Israel got the weaponry it’s now raining down up the country of Lebanon. The US and Israel are in cahoots with each other as they are both guilty of violating UN Resolutions but where is the true story. Where is the story of the UN standing by and do nothing against Israel? Not one sanction?

If one speaks out about this hypocrisy they are label anti-Semitic. Just ask Mel Gibson. By the way, most Jews are not Semites. For the record Semites are a group of Semitic speaking people of the Near East and Northern Africa including Arabs, Babylonians, Ethiopians, Hebrews, Phoenicians, Arameans and Carthaginians. Jewish people are not a race; they are a group of mostly Eastern Europeans who moved to Palestine years ago to practice a religion called Judaism. This religion does not give them the right to inflict violence and destruction upon an innocent people. But if you follow the western media they would say otherwise.

Life is like baseball

2006-08-10T19:31:00.000-05:00

Michael Franks made a song called Baseball in which he compared love to baseball. At first glance, one might be inclined to say “What?” But after you listen to the words, you see where he’s coming from and how something so broad as love can be so simple.

The same can be said about life. Forrest Gump said it’s like a box of chocolates, but I’m more inclined to see it in terms of the Baseball analogy. You could be hitless in your first 3 at bats and then connect on a game-winning homerun on your 4th. And guess what – the goat is now the hero despite the fact your batting percentage for the night is .250 (25 percent).

When I read about the recent arrest of Maurice Clarett, the former Ohio State football star, I couldn’t help but think about baseball. Life is an endless path of ups and downs, hits and mis-hits, trials and errors, balls and strikes. For several years, Clarett was a homerun for lots of people, including himself. In high school, he was a bona fide star in a state where football is king and Ohio State is the palace so it was only natural that he would go there. He was the state’s Mr. Football not to mention the USA Today offensive player of the year. He became the first running back to start as a freshman in nearly 60 years, something even the great Archie Griffin, who won the Heisman twice, didn’t do.

He scored the decisive touchdown as Ohio State won the national championship. Now that’s homerun after homerun after homerun for ya. Talk about a hitting streak that is one hell of a ride and then some. Now he’s talking about going pro. Why not? He’s been told by associates, fans, coaches and the media that he’s better than sliced bread for the last several years, so with so much love it’s hard not to believe your own hype. And to think, all this love for just carrying a football.

Black men struggle everyday to overcome the Invisible Man syndrome that Ralph Ellison wrote about years ago. We hear it all the time about having to be two steps ahead just because of the color of our skin. Every wrong turn committed by a black man is an indictment of the entire race, and every time one succeeds, it’s held up like some sort of miracle. It ain’t easy in this life for anyone, especially a Black man and historically I dare anyone to refute the systematic punishment heaped upon us. So to be able to do something as simple as run a football and get love and benefits from it has to be a mind-boggling experience for anyone, especially a teenager. Can you say homerun baby?!! Batta, Batta swing.

Now he wants to attend a friend’s funeral while his team is preparing for the national championship. Man are you kidding? He’s dead and gone, and we’re alive for a ring, baby. Strike one. Championship is won and he’s thinking of turning pro. How dare he look out for himself like that? Strike two. Then a legal issue with a car and some insurance and now we have Strike three. That means you’re out and Ohio State suspends him for a year. Now, wait a minute. You’ve been telling the young man he’s above the rules. You gave him money and cars and all sorts of other benefits that even a hardworking, educated black man couldn’t qualify for and now you want to sit him down. You told him he was above the law that you are now applying to him. Remember, he is still a teenager through all of this. Feeling betrayed he says “Damn you, I run the football so well I can go pro now. Those rules you have never were applied to me until now but this must be a one-time thing so NFL here I come.” But wait, you have one more year before you can go there. So guess what, “I’ll sue because I’m potentially worth millions, and even though my mother works at Sears, I’ll have a big time law firm represent me. I’ll win because I’ve always led my teams to victories.”

Except, “The NFL trumps my law firm with an even bigger law firm.” Strike one. “Now, I’m not playing anywhere while I wait for the courts to overturn the rules of this billion dollar industry. The court of opinion says what I’m doing is wrong and that I’m not ready. ESPN has its so-called experts vilify me over and over on national TV. Remember, I’m still a teenager and a black one at that.”

Think of a black, male teenager and what comes to mind is gangsta, hip-hop, baggy jeans, loud and rude with all this adding up to trouble. “The courts rule against me, and I have to sit and wait a year to get drafted.” Strike two. “While I wait, my talent of running the football, which I was once praised and adored for is questioned.” How did that happen? “The last time they saw me run a football, it was for the winning touchdown for the national championship.” How did it all change?

“Remember, I’m still a teenager. My time is up, and I can be drafted but now no one wants me. I still don’t understand all of this because you coaches, boosters, associates and fans told me I was the greatest, now you question my skills and my mind. Denver takes me in the third round and then cuts me before I ever get a carry. Maybe I did believe the hype but who wouldn’t.”

If your boss at work told you how great you were everyday and supplied you with all sorts of illegal gifts, things the other workers didn’t get, well you might think you could walk on water also. “They cut me!!!” Strike three.

“Now what do I do, where do I go. I thought I was going to make millions and some shady characters bankrolled me some money based on the thought I would pay it all back when I got mine. But I turned down a $416,000 bonus from Denver because I believed my own legend even though I didn’t create that legend. I just ran a football to the delight of others. I made Ohio State millions and people got jobs, rings and raises because of me. Now look at me. I’m swinging and missing. I can’t even get to first base. No other NFL team will sign me.” Can you say Lawrence Phillips?

The same people who told you that greatness was a friend of yours now won’t even speak of you without shaking their heads in disgust. As though you let them down and not the other way around. Have you made some bad decisions? Of course you have, but we all have. Strike one. Now your life is guns, liquor, trouble and pain and the police blotter. Everyone wants to lock you up and throw away the key cause you’re a Menace to Society. Four guns, a bottle of Grey Goose and a bullet-proof vest and some reckless driving. Strike two. You forgot who you were Maurice Clarett, and just as you begin to learn here comes Strike three. Now that hitting streak has turned into a hitless streak and your prison jumpsuit might as well read “Can’t Get Right #56789875.” But what you’re living is the game of life, and it has many more innings before the game is over. All it takes is one hit to make the crowd roar again, but more importantly, that one hit will help you regain that confidence you no longer have.

Black men before you have done worse and Black men before you have done less but the one constant is that they are and will be Black men and no matter what is done that’s how you’ll be remembered. Now you can add to the legacy of greatness or you can set us back 100 years. You’re still on our team. We still have a jersey for you and a seat in the dugout. Just remember, the jersey doesn’t say Ohio State or Denver on it, it says, “Young, gifted and black.” Ball one.