“Searching to find oneself in another, looking for completeness in another, seeking to change another into what one wants, placing enormous amounts of energy in managing another’s impression of you so that they see what you think they want to see or what you desperately need them to see, defining relationships in purely sexual or economic terms, basing choices on external stimuli such as attire, vehicles, cash or credit cards in hand, defining physical beauty’s features as anything other than Afrikan, kwk(etc) are not qualities upon which solid, revolutionary relationships are built. Love for Afrikan complements begins inside. It is the feeling of pride experienced when on watches the other’s power mature as he or she daily strives to be Afrikan.”
Complementarity by Mwalimu Baruti
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
THE POLITICS OF SPITE
The Politics of Spite
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: October 4, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist NY Times
There was what President Obama likes to call a teachable moment last week, when the International Olympic Committee rejected Chicago’s bid to be host of the 2016 Summer Games.
“Cheers erupted” at the headquarters of the conservative Weekly Standard, according to a blog post by a member of the magazine’s staff, with the headline “Obama loses! Obama loses!” Rush Limbaugh declared himself “gleeful.” “World Rejects Obama,” gloated the Drudge Report. And so on.
So what did we learn from this moment? For one thing, we learned that the modern conservative movement, which dominates the modern Republican Party, has the emotional maturity of a bratty 13-year-old.
But more important, the episode illustrated an essential truth about the state of American politics: at this point, the guiding principle of one of our nation’s two great political parties is spite pure and simple. If Republicans think something might be good for the president, they’re against it — whether or not it’s good for America.
To be sure, while celebrating America’s rebuff by the Olympic Committee was puerile, it didn’t do any real harm. But the same principle of spite has determined Republican positions on more serious matters, with potentially serious consequences — in particular, in the debate over health care reform.
Now, it’s understandable that many Republicans oppose Democratic plans to extend insurance coverage — just as most Democrats opposed President Bush’s attempt to convert Social Security into a sort of giant 401(k). The two parties do, after all, have different philosophies about the appropriate role of government.
But the tactics of the two parties have been different. In 2005, when Democrats campaigned against Social Security privatization, their arguments were consistent with their underlying ideology: they argued that replacing guaranteed benefits with private accounts would expose retirees to too much risk.
The Republican campaign against health care reform, by contrast, has shown no such consistency. For the main G.O.P. line of attack is the claim — based mainly on lies about death panels and so on — that reform will undermine Medicare. And this line of attack is utterly at odds both with the party’s traditions and with what conservatives claim to believe.
Think about just how bizarre it is for Republicans to position themselves as the defenders of unrestricted Medicare spending. First of all, the modern G.O.P. considers itself the party of Ronald Reagan — and Reagan was a fierce opponent of Medicare’s creation, warning that it would destroy American freedom. (Honest.) In the 1990s, Newt Gingrich tried to force drastic cuts in Medicare financing. And in recent years, Republicans have repeatedly decried the growth in entitlement spending — growth that is largely driven by rising health care costs.
But the Obama administration’s plan to expand coverage relies in part on savings from Medicare. And since the G.O.P. opposes anything that might be good for Mr. Obama, it has become the passionate defender of ineffective medical procedures and overpayments to insurance companies.
How did one of our great political parties become so ruthless, so willing to embrace scorched-earth tactics even if so doing undermines the ability of any future administration to govern?
The key point is that ever since the Reagan years, the Republican Party has been dominated by radicals — ideologues and/or apparatchiks who, at a fundamental level, do not accept anyone else’s right to govern.
Anyone surprised by the venomous, over-the-top opposition to Mr. Obama must have forgotten the Clinton years. Remember when Rush Limbaugh suggested that Hillary Clinton was a party to murder? When Newt Gingrich shut down the federal government in an attempt to bully Bill Clinton into accepting those Medicare cuts? And let’s not even talk about the impeachment saga.
The only difference now is that the G.O.P. is in a weaker position, having lost control not just of Congress but, to a large extent, of the terms of debate. The public no longer buys conservative ideology the way it used to; the old attacks on Big Government and paeans to the magic of the marketplace have lost their resonance. Yet conservatives retain their belief that they, and only they, should govern.
The result has been a cynical, ends-justify-the-means approach. Hastening the day when the rightful governing party returns to power is all that matters, so the G.O.P. will seize any club at hand with which to beat the current administration.
It’s an ugly picture. But it’s the truth. And it’s a truth anyone trying to find solutions to America’s real problems has to understand.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: October 4, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist NY Times
There was what President Obama likes to call a teachable moment last week, when the International Olympic Committee rejected Chicago’s bid to be host of the 2016 Summer Games.
“Cheers erupted” at the headquarters of the conservative Weekly Standard, according to a blog post by a member of the magazine’s staff, with the headline “Obama loses! Obama loses!” Rush Limbaugh declared himself “gleeful.” “World Rejects Obama,” gloated the Drudge Report. And so on.
So what did we learn from this moment? For one thing, we learned that the modern conservative movement, which dominates the modern Republican Party, has the emotional maturity of a bratty 13-year-old.
But more important, the episode illustrated an essential truth about the state of American politics: at this point, the guiding principle of one of our nation’s two great political parties is spite pure and simple. If Republicans think something might be good for the president, they’re against it — whether or not it’s good for America.
To be sure, while celebrating America’s rebuff by the Olympic Committee was puerile, it didn’t do any real harm. But the same principle of spite has determined Republican positions on more serious matters, with potentially serious consequences — in particular, in the debate over health care reform.
Now, it’s understandable that many Republicans oppose Democratic plans to extend insurance coverage — just as most Democrats opposed President Bush’s attempt to convert Social Security into a sort of giant 401(k). The two parties do, after all, have different philosophies about the appropriate role of government.
But the tactics of the two parties have been different. In 2005, when Democrats campaigned against Social Security privatization, their arguments were consistent with their underlying ideology: they argued that replacing guaranteed benefits with private accounts would expose retirees to too much risk.
The Republican campaign against health care reform, by contrast, has shown no such consistency. For the main G.O.P. line of attack is the claim — based mainly on lies about death panels and so on — that reform will undermine Medicare. And this line of attack is utterly at odds both with the party’s traditions and with what conservatives claim to believe.
Think about just how bizarre it is for Republicans to position themselves as the defenders of unrestricted Medicare spending. First of all, the modern G.O.P. considers itself the party of Ronald Reagan — and Reagan was a fierce opponent of Medicare’s creation, warning that it would destroy American freedom. (Honest.) In the 1990s, Newt Gingrich tried to force drastic cuts in Medicare financing. And in recent years, Republicans have repeatedly decried the growth in entitlement spending — growth that is largely driven by rising health care costs.
But the Obama administration’s plan to expand coverage relies in part on savings from Medicare. And since the G.O.P. opposes anything that might be good for Mr. Obama, it has become the passionate defender of ineffective medical procedures and overpayments to insurance companies.
How did one of our great political parties become so ruthless, so willing to embrace scorched-earth tactics even if so doing undermines the ability of any future administration to govern?
The key point is that ever since the Reagan years, the Republican Party has been dominated by radicals — ideologues and/or apparatchiks who, at a fundamental level, do not accept anyone else’s right to govern.
Anyone surprised by the venomous, over-the-top opposition to Mr. Obama must have forgotten the Clinton years. Remember when Rush Limbaugh suggested that Hillary Clinton was a party to murder? When Newt Gingrich shut down the federal government in an attempt to bully Bill Clinton into accepting those Medicare cuts? And let’s not even talk about the impeachment saga.
The only difference now is that the G.O.P. is in a weaker position, having lost control not just of Congress but, to a large extent, of the terms of debate. The public no longer buys conservative ideology the way it used to; the old attacks on Big Government and paeans to the magic of the marketplace have lost their resonance. Yet conservatives retain their belief that they, and only they, should govern.
The result has been a cynical, ends-justify-the-means approach. Hastening the day when the rightful governing party returns to power is all that matters, so the G.O.P. will seize any club at hand with which to beat the current administration.
It’s an ugly picture. But it’s the truth. And it’s a truth anyone trying to find solutions to America’s real problems has to understand.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Republicans: You Didn't Get Mad
You Didn't Get Mad
You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.
You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.
You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got ousted.
You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.
You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.
You didn't get mad when we spent over 600 billion (and counting) on said illegal war.
You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.
You didn't get mad when you saw the Abu Grahib photos.
You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.
You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.
You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.
You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.
You didn't get mad when we let a major US city drown.
You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark largely due to the Iraqi War.
You finally got mad when the government decided that people in America
deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yet, illegal wars,
lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich
richer, are all okay with you, but helping other Americans... oh hell no.
Author Unknown!
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.
You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.
You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got ousted.
You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.
You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.
You didn't get mad when we spent over 600 billion (and counting) on said illegal war.
You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.
You didn't get mad when you saw the Abu Grahib photos.
You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.
You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.
You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.
You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.
You didn't get mad when we let a major US city drown.
You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark largely due to the Iraqi War.
You finally got mad when the government decided that people in America
deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yet, illegal wars,
lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich
richer, are all okay with you, but helping other Americans... oh hell no.
Author Unknown!
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Thursday, September 24, 2009
12 Things The Negro Must Do For Himself
by Nannie Helen Burroughs (Circa Early 1900's)
1. The Negro Must Learn To Put First Things First. The First Things Are: Education; Development of Character Traits; A Trade and Home Ownership.
The Negro puts too much of his earning in clothes, in food, in show and in having what he calls "a good time." The Dr. Kelly Miller said, "The Negro buys what he WANTS and begs for what he Needs." Too true!
2. The Negro Must Stop Expecting God and White Folk To Do For Him What He Can Do For Himself.
It is the "Divine Plan" that the strong shall help the weak, but even God does not do for man what man can do for himself. The Negro will have to do exactly what Jesus told the man (in John 5:8) to do--Carry his own load--"Take up your bed and walk."
3. The Negro Must Keep Himself, His Children And His Home Clean And Make The Surroundings In Which He Lives Comfortable and Attractive.
He must learn to "run his community up"--not down. We can segregate by law, we integrate only by living. Civilization is not a matter of race, it is a matter of standards. Believe it or not--some day, some race is going to outdo the Anglo-Saxon, completely. It can be the Negro race, if the Negro gets sense enough. Civilization goes up and down that way.
4. The Negro Must Learn To Dress More Appropriately For Work And For Leisure.
Knowing what to wear--how to wear it--when to wear it and where to wear it, are earmarks of common sense, culture and also an index to character.
5. The Negro Must Make His Religion An Everyday Practice And Not Just A Sunday-Go-To-Meeting Emotional Affair.
6. The Negro Must Highly Resolve To Wipe Out Mass Ignorance.
The leaders of the race must teach and inspire the masses to become eager and determined to improve mentally, morally and spiritually, and to meet the basic requirements of good citizenship.
We should initiate an intensive literacy campaign in America, as well as in Africa. Ignorance--satisfied ignorance--is a millstone abut the neck of the race. It is democracy's greatest burden.
Social integration is a relationship attained as a result of the cultivation of kindred social ideals, interests and standards.
It is a blending process that requires time, understanding and kindred purposes to achieve. Likes alone and not laws can do it.
7. The Negro Must Stop Charging His Failures Up To His "Color" And To White People's Attitude.
The truth of the matter is that good service and conduct will make senseless race prejudice fade like mist before the rising sun.
God never intended that a man's color shall be anything other than a badge of distinction. It is high time that all races were learning that fact. The Negro must first QUALIFY for whatever position he wants. Purpose, initiative, ingenuity and industry are the keys that all men use to get what they want. The Negro will have to do the same. He must make himself a workman who is too skilled not to be wanted, and too DEPENDABLE not to be on the job, according to promise or plan. He will never become a vital factor in industry until he learns to put into his work the vitalizing force of initiative, skill and dependability. He has gone "RIGHTS" mad and "DUTY" dumb.
8. The Negro Must Overcome His Bad Job Habits.
He must make a brand new reputation for himself in the world of labor. His bad job habits are absenteeism, funerals to attend, or a little business to look after. The Negro runs an off and on business. He also has a bad reputation for conduct on the job--such as petty quarrelling with other help, incessant loud talking about nothing; loafing, carelessness, due to lack of job pride; insolence, gum chewing and--too often--liquor drinking. Just plain bad job habits!
9. He Must Improve His Conduct In Public Places.
Taken as a whole, he is entirely too loud and too ill-mannered.
There is much talk about wiping out racial segregation and also much talk about achieving integration.
Segregation is a physical arrangement by which people are separated in various services.
It is definitely up to the Negro to wipe out the apparent justification or excuse for segregation.
The only effective way to do it is to clean up and keep clean. By practice, cleanliness will become a habit and habit becomes character.
10. The Negro Must Learn How To Operate Business For People--Not For Negro People, Only.
To do business, he will have to remove all typical "earmarks," business principles; measure up to accepted standards and meet stimulating competition, graciously--in fact, he must learn to welcome competition.
11. The Average So-Called Educated Negro Will Have To Come Down Out Of The Air. He Is Too Inflated Over Nothing. He Needs An Experience Similar To The One That Ezekiel Had--(Ezekiel 3:14-19). And He Must Do What Ezekiel Did
Otherwise, through indifference, as to the plight of the masses, the Negro, who thinks that he has escaped, will lose his own soul. It will do all leaders good to read Hebrew 13:3, and the first Thirty-seven Chapters of Ezekiel.
A race transformation itself through its own leaders and its sensible "common people." A race rises on its own wings, or is held down by its own weight. True leaders are never "things apart from the people." They are the masses. They simply got to the front ahead of them. Their only business at the front is to inspire to masses by hard work and noble example and challenge them to "Come on!" Dante stated a fact when he said, "Show the people the light and they will find the way!"
There must arise within the Negro race a leadership that is not out hunting bargains for itself. A noble example is found in the men and women of the Negro race, who, in the early days, laid down their lives for the people. Their invaluable contributions have not been appraised by the "latter-day leaders." In many cases, their names would never be recorded, among the unsung heroes of the world, but for the fact that white friends have written them there.
"Lord, God of Hosts, Be with us yet."
The Negro of today does not realize that, but, for these exhibits A's, that certainly show the innate possibilities of members of their own race, white people would not have been moved to make such princely investments in lives and money, as they have made, for the establishment of schools and for the on-going of the race.
12. The Negro Must Stop Forgetting His Friends. "Remember."
Read Deuteronomy 24:18. Deuteronomy rings the big bell of gratitude. Why? Because an ingrate is an abomination in the sight of God. God is constantly telling us that "I the Lord thy God delivered you"--through human instrumentalities.
The American Negro has had and still has friends--in the North and in the South. These friends not only pray, speak, write, influence others, but make unbelievable, unpublished sacrifices and contributions for the advancement of the race--for their brothers in bonds.
The noblest thing that the Negro can do is to so live and labor that these benefactors will not have given in vain. The Negro must make his heart warm with gratitude, his lips sweet with thanks and his heart and mind resolute with purpose to justify the sacrifices and stand on his feet and go forward--"God is no respector of persons. In every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is" sure to win out. Get to work! That's the answer to everything that hurts us. We talk too much about nothing instead of redeeming the time by working.
R-E-M-E-M-B-E-R
In spite of race prejudice, America is brim full of opportunities. Go after them!
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Below are pics from Myrtle Beach, SC barbeque. First is me, my sister, a second cousin and my brother-in-law.
Below is my cousin, the hostess with the mostess, Brooklyn born and raised, Gates ave forever
Below left to right cousin cousin and good friend, all Bklyn born and raised, Gates Ave.
Below some young hotties that I had to flirt with of course.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Bring Down Taliban & Heroin
The United States could bring the Taliban and heroin trafficking to it's knees in one fell swoop. But we wont do it. What is this that we could do? Destroy the poppie crop for 2 years in Afghanistan. This will not only slow down the Taliban but it would bring heroin trafficking to a standstill. All the excuses they use not to do this can be mitigated.
Excuse 1 would be some moral crap about hurting the farmers over there, ignoring the facts of what the Taliban are doing to our troops and most of all what heroin is doing to our young citizens here and around the world.
Excuse 2 would be about hurting the production of morphine. BS. The are enough pain drugs in the world to give everyone an overdose.
Excuse 3 would be about hurting the production of poppie seeds. BS. Who would care? Mcdonalds?
There are no legitimate excuses for not doing it but we won't and so the Taliban still kill our troops and teenagers are still getting addicted to heroin. Go figure.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Excuse 1 would be some moral crap about hurting the farmers over there, ignoring the facts of what the Taliban are doing to our troops and most of all what heroin is doing to our young citizens here and around the world.
Excuse 2 would be about hurting the production of morphine. BS. The are enough pain drugs in the world to give everyone an overdose.
Excuse 3 would be about hurting the production of poppie seeds. BS. Who would care? Mcdonalds?
There are no legitimate excuses for not doing it but we won't and so the Taliban still kill our troops and teenagers are still getting addicted to heroin. Go figure.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary. And said very well (Culver)
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in theConstitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show andJane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay. (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide)
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in theConstitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show andJane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay. (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide)
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Things our Mama taught us....the real "Dr Spock"!!
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside.. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL..
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
" Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!?"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY."If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have Wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside.. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL..
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
" Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!?"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY."If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have Wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Thursday, May 14, 2009
SPAM CALLERS FOR CAR WARRANTY SCAM
Joseph Phillips
(309) 833-5323 231
W Barsi Blvd,Macomb, IL 61455
Charles Fredrickson
(773) 728-8019
1438 W Catalpa Ave,Chicago, IL 60640
Lori Tartar-Ewen
(215) 579-8144
21 Taylors Way,Holland, PA 18966
David Watkins
(801) 933-5807
722 Sonata St,Salt Lake City, UT 84116
Pamela Banks
(240) 210-7077 2655
Hunt Pl,Waldorf, MD 20602
Belinda Wiley
(269) 646-9531
15196 Marcellus Hwy,Marcellus, MI 49067
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Thursday, March 5, 2009
AN AD ON CRAIG’S LIST
To: The Guy Who Mugged Me in Downtown, Savannah, GA
I was the white guy with the black Burrberry jacket that you
demanded I hand over shortly after you pulled the knife on me and
my girlfriend. You also asked for my girlfriend's purse and
earrings. I hope you somehow come across this message. I'd like to
apologize.
I didn't expect you to crap your pants when I drew my pistol after
you took my jacket. Truth is, I was wearing the jacket for a
reason that evening, and it wasn't that cold outside. You see, my
girlfriend had just bought me that Kimber 1911 .45 ACP pistol for
Christmas, and we had just picked up a shoulder holster for it
that evening. Beautiful pistol, eh? It's a very intimidating
weapon when pointed at your head, isn't it?
I know it probably wasn't a great deal of fun walking back to
wherever you'd come from with that brown sludge flopping about in
your pants. I'm sure it was even worse since you also ended up
leaving your shoes, cellphone, and wallet with me. I couldn't have
you calling up any of your buddies to come help you try to mug us
again. I took the liberty of calling your mother, or "Momma" as
you had her listed in your cell, and explaining to her your
situation. I also bought myself some gas on your card. I gave your
shoes to one of the homeless guys over by Vinnie Van Go Go's,
along with all of the cash in your wallet, then I threw the wallet
itself in a dumpster.
I called a bunch of phone sex numbers from your cell. They'll be
on your bill in case you'd like to know which ones. Alltel
recently shut down the line, and I've only had the phone for a
little over a day now, so I don't know what's going on with that.
I hope they haven't permanently cut off your service. I was about
to make some threatening phone calls to the DA's office with it.
Oh well.
So, about your pants; I know that I was a little rough on you when
you did this whole attempted mugging thing, so I'd like to make it
up to you. I'm sure you've already washed your pants, so I'd like
to help you out. I'd like to reimburse you for the detergent you
used on the pants. What brand did you use, and was it liquid or
powder? I'd also like to apologize for not killing you and instead
making you walk back home humiliated. I'm hoping that you'll
reconsider your choice of path in life. Next time you might not be
so lucky. If you read this message, email me and we'll do lunch
and laundry.
Peace! - Alex
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
I was the white guy with the black Burrberry jacket that you
demanded I hand over shortly after you pulled the knife on me and
my girlfriend. You also asked for my girlfriend's purse and
earrings. I hope you somehow come across this message. I'd like to
apologize.
I didn't expect you to crap your pants when I drew my pistol after
you took my jacket. Truth is, I was wearing the jacket for a
reason that evening, and it wasn't that cold outside. You see, my
girlfriend had just bought me that Kimber 1911 .45 ACP pistol for
Christmas, and we had just picked up a shoulder holster for it
that evening. Beautiful pistol, eh? It's a very intimidating
weapon when pointed at your head, isn't it?
I know it probably wasn't a great deal of fun walking back to
wherever you'd come from with that brown sludge flopping about in
your pants. I'm sure it was even worse since you also ended up
leaving your shoes, cellphone, and wallet with me. I couldn't have
you calling up any of your buddies to come help you try to mug us
again. I took the liberty of calling your mother, or "Momma" as
you had her listed in your cell, and explaining to her your
situation. I also bought myself some gas on your card. I gave your
shoes to one of the homeless guys over by Vinnie Van Go Go's,
along with all of the cash in your wallet, then I threw the wallet
itself in a dumpster.
I called a bunch of phone sex numbers from your cell. They'll be
on your bill in case you'd like to know which ones. Alltel
recently shut down the line, and I've only had the phone for a
little over a day now, so I don't know what's going on with that.
I hope they haven't permanently cut off your service. I was about
to make some threatening phone calls to the DA's office with it.
Oh well.
So, about your pants; I know that I was a little rough on you when
you did this whole attempted mugging thing, so I'd like to make it
up to you. I'm sure you've already washed your pants, so I'd like
to help you out. I'd like to reimburse you for the detergent you
used on the pants. What brand did you use, and was it liquid or
powder? I'd also like to apologize for not killing you and instead
making you walk back home humiliated. I'm hoping that you'll
reconsider your choice of path in life. Next time you might not be
so lucky. If you read this message, email me and we'll do lunch
and laundry.
Peace! - Alex
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
BOYCOTT BARNES AND NOBLE: FROM AN EMAIL
Barnes and Noble had this as their store front display in Coral Gables FL in the Miracle Mile Mall.
I am totally disgusted and I think it is important that we all find a different place to buy our books. Obviously this is a place of extreme ignorance. How far have we really come? God bless.
Please support the boycott and pass this e-mail to family and friends. It is so sad when you have been lied to all your life of who you are supposed to be because of the color of your skin. Some people just can't accept change. Fortunately, change will come with or without you.
Subject: Racism still exists obviously
Let us not be lulled into a sense of complacency, due to the recent political success of President Obama.
Racism still exists in this country. Like all things, nothing is perfect on this planet, in this world.
We have an obligation to be active on issues that simply cannot be ignored.
Along these lines we should all actively spread the word of how Barnes and Noble apparently feel about Black people or at least our President.
Please forward this to as many people you think should be aware of this and would be offended by this.
Boycotting Barnes and Noble will show the economic effect of people who will not tolerate racism.
Please support the boycott and pass this e-mail to family and friends. It is so sad when you have been lied to all your life of who you are supposed to be because of the color of your skin. Some people just can't accept change. Fortunately, change will come with or without you.
Subject: Racism still exists obviously
Let us not be lulled into a sense of complacency, due to the recent political success of President Obama.
Racism still exists in this country. Like all things, nothing is perfect on this planet, in this world.
We have an obligation to be active on issues that simply cannot be ignored.
Along these lines we should all actively spread the word of how Barnes and Noble apparently feel about Black people or at least our President.
Please forward this to as many people you think should be aware of this and would be offended by this.
Boycotting Barnes and Noble will show the economic effect of people who will not tolerate racism.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Friday, February 20, 2009
What Would LOVE Do? Author Unknown
Is it time to rethink love?
Recently, I attended a talk with Kevin Rice, a student of “A Course in Miracles,” who offered a very atypical view of life, religion and especially love. Kevin opined that the laws of romantic relationships and traditional courtship are mostly man-made, self-created notions. And, that the rules, demands and forms that we place on those relationships are not always the true, natural expressions of the underlying love. Or better, one person’s expectations + another person’s expectations = frustration. He presented a picture of love that I think resonates much truer than the examples passed down and most often presented. He suggested there are five truths about love that common practice and the ego directly oppose.
1. Love is Now - What is often felt is that fear is now and fear pulls us into the past and into speculation about the future. But, to do so crucifies us between past regrets and future expectations. The answer is to stop thinking. You cannot change the past and you do not have the future. What you have is the present. That’s where love is.
2. Love is Within - on our journey it can feel like love is somehow outside of us, or not complete without companionship. That causes us to project; we seek outside of ourselves the love or fulfillment that may be lacking within. But, love is us. If we treat ourselves with the love within, we will treat our partner with that love.
3. Love is Substance - common practice teaches us that love is form. The exclusive love relationships we create often draw a line around the two participants; inside the lines is the love and if we step out, there is no love. But that takes our eyes off love and places it on the form of the love: the friendship, the marriage, the parent/child or teacher/student relationship. But, love is all and knows no levels or degrees. The experience of the relationship is how the love is being expressed. It is not the love. Love is the end, the means may be the marriage or special relationship.
4. Love is Release - Love is often likened to imprisonment (”ball and chain,” anyone?). However, love does not bring bondage. And if we know forgiveness, we know that mistakes are in the past. So if I bind my partner to those mistakes, I, too, am bound to the past where love is not because love is here, in the present. Love is the freedom to be and to be now: honest, giving, exposed, excited, encouraged, motivated … loved.
5. Love is Creation - Fear and time suggest love can be extinguished. When we are fighting with our loved one, angry or at “wit’s end” we assume it is because the “love is gone.” But, love IS. Love has not and cannot go anywhere. So the true and real challenge is to step back in those angry, helpless moments and recognize “I don’t know what this is” and ask “what would LOVE do?”
So, if we ask ourselves “what is the purpose of this relationship?” we should find it is not because we want or need something, Kevin says. Because love is, and love is inside us, we have everything we need to be happy and complete right now. The purpose of the relationship and the soul mate “experience” (as he called it, not subscribing to the man-made idea of soul mates), is the potential to awakening to love with this person more than with any other.
Admittedly, I was left with many questions, e.g., if love does not have any degrees how do I explain the “in-love” feeling? Don’t I have to reconcile the different levels between romantic, platonic and filial love? But I liked how he was able to boil it down. There are two emotions: love and fear. One created by God, one created by humans. It is impossible to experience love and fear at the same time. God is love, so it follows that it is impossible to look to God, or Love, and experience doubt, lack, limitation or fear at the same time. So in any relationship, condition or confusing time in life we have a choice of which emotion to express. Next time ask, “what would love do?”
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Recently, I attended a talk with Kevin Rice, a student of “A Course in Miracles,” who offered a very atypical view of life, religion and especially love. Kevin opined that the laws of romantic relationships and traditional courtship are mostly man-made, self-created notions. And, that the rules, demands and forms that we place on those relationships are not always the true, natural expressions of the underlying love. Or better, one person’s expectations + another person’s expectations = frustration. He presented a picture of love that I think resonates much truer than the examples passed down and most often presented. He suggested there are five truths about love that common practice and the ego directly oppose.
1. Love is Now - What is often felt is that fear is now and fear pulls us into the past and into speculation about the future. But, to do so crucifies us between past regrets and future expectations. The answer is to stop thinking. You cannot change the past and you do not have the future. What you have is the present. That’s where love is.
2. Love is Within - on our journey it can feel like love is somehow outside of us, or not complete without companionship. That causes us to project; we seek outside of ourselves the love or fulfillment that may be lacking within. But, love is us. If we treat ourselves with the love within, we will treat our partner with that love.
3. Love is Substance - common practice teaches us that love is form. The exclusive love relationships we create often draw a line around the two participants; inside the lines is the love and if we step out, there is no love. But that takes our eyes off love and places it on the form of the love: the friendship, the marriage, the parent/child or teacher/student relationship. But, love is all and knows no levels or degrees. The experience of the relationship is how the love is being expressed. It is not the love. Love is the end, the means may be the marriage or special relationship.
4. Love is Release - Love is often likened to imprisonment (”ball and chain,” anyone?). However, love does not bring bondage. And if we know forgiveness, we know that mistakes are in the past. So if I bind my partner to those mistakes, I, too, am bound to the past where love is not because love is here, in the present. Love is the freedom to be and to be now: honest, giving, exposed, excited, encouraged, motivated … loved.
5. Love is Creation - Fear and time suggest love can be extinguished. When we are fighting with our loved one, angry or at “wit’s end” we assume it is because the “love is gone.” But, love IS. Love has not and cannot go anywhere. So the true and real challenge is to step back in those angry, helpless moments and recognize “I don’t know what this is” and ask “what would LOVE do?”
So, if we ask ourselves “what is the purpose of this relationship?” we should find it is not because we want or need something, Kevin says. Because love is, and love is inside us, we have everything we need to be happy and complete right now. The purpose of the relationship and the soul mate “experience” (as he called it, not subscribing to the man-made idea of soul mates), is the potential to awakening to love with this person more than with any other.
Admittedly, I was left with many questions, e.g., if love does not have any degrees how do I explain the “in-love” feeling? Don’t I have to reconcile the different levels between romantic, platonic and filial love? But I liked how he was able to boil it down. There are two emotions: love and fear. One created by God, one created by humans. It is impossible to experience love and fear at the same time. God is love, so it follows that it is impossible to look to God, or Love, and experience doubt, lack, limitation or fear at the same time. So in any relationship, condition or confusing time in life we have a choice of which emotion to express. Next time ask, “what would love do?”
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Thursday, February 19, 2009
JAMES RUCKER COLOROFCHANGE.ORG
TO ALL WHO READ THIS. I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT IF YOU EVER GET CONTACTED BY A JAMES RUCKER OF COLOR OF CHANGE ORG. IGNORE AS IF HE HAD AIDS. HE IS A LIAR AND BULLSHIT ARTIST. WHAT WAS KNOWN BACK IN THE 70's AS A POVERTY PIMP. HE IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED.
HE USED THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT OBAMA TO OBTAIN THE NAMES, ADDRESSES AND EMAILS OF PEOPLE TO FURTHER HIS OWN PERSONAL AGENDA BY SAYING HIS ORGANIZATION WAS GIVING AWAY FREE OBAMA STICKERS.
DO NOT TRUST THIS MAN.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
HE USED THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT OBAMA TO OBTAIN THE NAMES, ADDRESSES AND EMAILS OF PEOPLE TO FURTHER HIS OWN PERSONAL AGENDA BY SAYING HIS ORGANIZATION WAS GIVING AWAY FREE OBAMA STICKERS.
DO NOT TRUST THIS MAN.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
ELIZABETH JENNINGS - Civil Rights Activist 1800's
ELIZABETH JENNINGS
A black woman refused to give up her seat on a bus. She was brutally attacked and thrown off...and she took the case to court.
Rosa Parks? No. Her name was Elizabeth Jennings. It happened in New York City, downtown on the corner Pearl and Chatham Streets.
At least that's where it started. It was on a Sunday, July 16, 1854. Elizabeth Jennings lived 100 years before Rosa Parks. She was a 24-year-old schoolteacher on her way to the First Colored Congregational Church on Sixth Street and Second Avenue where she was to perform as the organist.
Most people don't realize how long buses have been around. The first route began on 4th Avenue in 1831. In the early years, there were two ways to travel--omnibuses and railroad cars. Both were pulled by horses. The omnibuses were cheaper. The railroad cars, larger and heavier, had more entrances and exits, moved on fixed tracks, and were more comfortable.
In the 1830s, New York City barely reached 14th Street, but it was growing. By the 1850s, Manhattan stretched to 59th Street and there were car tracks on most the major avenues, from First to Eighth.
This created a dilemma for African American New Yorkers. In the 1830s and early 1840s, African Americans didn't use public transportation. The driver decided if you could ride or not, and African Americans weren't welcome. With the motto "walk," community leaders suggested using other means.
Bucking the segregated system was also dangerous Drivers carried whips and used them to keep African Americans off. Threats of legal retaliation were laughed at.
By the late 1840s, there were special public buses on which African Americans could ride. They had large "Colored Persons Allowed" signs on the back or in a side window. But these vehicles ran infrequently, irregularly, and often not at all.
Just as Rosa Parks was involved in the civil rights movement of her day, Elizabeth Jennings was part of a movement in her day too. Such notable black New Yorkers as her father Thomas Jennings, the Rev. J.W.C. Pennington, the Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, the Rev. Peter S. Ewell, Peter Porter, and a host of others were in the movement to end this discrimination. Like Rosa Parks, Elizabeth Jennings won a landmark local judicial decision.
Here's how the New York Tribune reported the Jennings incident in a February 1855 article: "She got upon one of the Company's cars last summer, on the Sabbath, to ride to church. The conductor undertook to get her off, first alleging the car was full; when that was shown to be false, he pretended the other passengers were displeased at her presence; but (when) she insisted on her rights, he took hold of her by force to expel her. She resisted. The conductor got her down on the platform, jammed her bonnet, soiled her dress and injured her person. Quite a crowd gathered, but she effectually resisted. Finally, after the car had gone on further, with the aid of a policeman they succeeded in removing her."
The African American community was outraged, and the following day there was a rally at Jennings' church. A letter she had written telling her account of the incident was read aloud: "Sarah E. Adams & myself walked down to the corner of Pearl & Chatham Sts. to take the 3rd Ave cars," she wrote. She described how the conductor, thought to be one Edwin Moss, and the driver had attacked her. "I told him [Moss] I was a respectable person, born and raised in this city, that I did not know where he was from and that he was a good for nothing impudent fellow for insulting decent persons while on their way to church."
"Then," Jennings continued, "the (police) officer without listening to anything I had to say thrust me out and tauntingly told me to get redress if I could. I would have come up [to the rally] myself but I'm quite sore & stiff from the treatment I received from those monsters."
Jennings sued the company, the driver, and the conductor. Messrs. Culver, Parker, and Arthur represented her. Arthur was Chester A. Arthur, then a novice 21-year-old lawyer and future President of the United States. This law firm was hired because it had demonstrated some talent in the area of civil rights the year before.
Jennings was well off and well connected. Her father, Thomas Jennings, was an important businessman and community leader who had associations with Abyssinian and St. Phillips, two major African American churches. As a tailor, he held a patent on a method for renovating garments and maintained a shop on Church Street.
He and others who had been involved in the fight to end transit discrimination helped raise money for Jenningsʼ lawsuit. News of the trial reached all the way to San Francisco, where an African American group called the Young Men's Association passed a resolution condemning Jennings' treatment.
In 1855, Judge Rockwell of the Brooklyn Circuit Court ruled in Jenningsʼ favor, stating that: "Colored persons if sober, well behaved and free from disease, had the same rights as others and could neither be excluded by any rules of the Company, nor by force or violence."
Elizabeth Jennings claimed $500 worth of damage. The majority of the jury wanted to give her the full amount, but, as the Tribune put it, "Some jury members had peculiar notions as to colored people's rights." They eventually agreed to give her $225, and the court added 10 percent plus her expenses.
Within a month of the Jennings decision, an African American named Peter Porter was barred from an Eighth Avenue rail car. He too sued and the company settled out of court. From then on, African Americans were allowed to ride on rail cars on an equal basis.
The Rev. J.W.C. Pennington was an important force in the New York movement for equality in public transportation, although he suffered one of the few anti-discrimination losses after Jennings' breakthrough when he brought suit against the Sixth Avenue Rail Company. However, by 1860 Pennington was able to advise the community that the First, Second, Third, possibly the Fourth, and certainly the Eighth and Ninth Avenue lines were open to all. At the outbreak of the civil war, this discriminationary practice had finally ended.
"I feel like this is an issue for young people. History is something they should carry with them," says Sue Ortega, who directs a small art school and presently has a "Harmony in the Community" mural at 91st & Columbus. "It's important for them to know that real, everyday people had a lot to do with the struggle to make life in this city better."
Elizabeth Jennings taught in the city's African American schools in the 1850s and 1860s, probably in African Free School #5 and then in the New York City public school system. As Mrs. Elizabeth Graham, she once again made a mark on our history, this time as the result of a tragedy.
In July 1863, a resolution was passed allowing wealthier New Yorkers to buy their way out of the Civil War draft. An angry white mob rioted over a four-day period. More than 70 blacks were lynched. Many were killed, including Jennings' young son.
As the riot continued to swirl around them, Elizabeth Graham and her husband, helped by a bold white undertaker, fearlessly managed to get their boy to Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn for a proper burial. The Rev. Morgan Dix of Wall Street's Trinity Church read the burial service
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
A black woman refused to give up her seat on a bus. She was brutally attacked and thrown off...and she took the case to court.
Rosa Parks? No. Her name was Elizabeth Jennings. It happened in New York City, downtown on the corner Pearl and Chatham Streets.
At least that's where it started. It was on a Sunday, July 16, 1854. Elizabeth Jennings lived 100 years before Rosa Parks. She was a 24-year-old schoolteacher on her way to the First Colored Congregational Church on Sixth Street and Second Avenue where she was to perform as the organist.
Most people don't realize how long buses have been around. The first route began on 4th Avenue in 1831. In the early years, there were two ways to travel--omnibuses and railroad cars. Both were pulled by horses. The omnibuses were cheaper. The railroad cars, larger and heavier, had more entrances and exits, moved on fixed tracks, and were more comfortable.
In the 1830s, New York City barely reached 14th Street, but it was growing. By the 1850s, Manhattan stretched to 59th Street and there were car tracks on most the major avenues, from First to Eighth.
This created a dilemma for African American New Yorkers. In the 1830s and early 1840s, African Americans didn't use public transportation. The driver decided if you could ride or not, and African Americans weren't welcome. With the motto "walk," community leaders suggested using other means.
Bucking the segregated system was also dangerous Drivers carried whips and used them to keep African Americans off. Threats of legal retaliation were laughed at.
By the late 1840s, there were special public buses on which African Americans could ride. They had large "Colored Persons Allowed" signs on the back or in a side window. But these vehicles ran infrequently, irregularly, and often not at all.
Just as Rosa Parks was involved in the civil rights movement of her day, Elizabeth Jennings was part of a movement in her day too. Such notable black New Yorkers as her father Thomas Jennings, the Rev. J.W.C. Pennington, the Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, the Rev. Peter S. Ewell, Peter Porter, and a host of others were in the movement to end this discrimination. Like Rosa Parks, Elizabeth Jennings won a landmark local judicial decision.
Here's how the New York Tribune reported the Jennings incident in a February 1855 article: "She got upon one of the Company's cars last summer, on the Sabbath, to ride to church. The conductor undertook to get her off, first alleging the car was full; when that was shown to be false, he pretended the other passengers were displeased at her presence; but (when) she insisted on her rights, he took hold of her by force to expel her. She resisted. The conductor got her down on the platform, jammed her bonnet, soiled her dress and injured her person. Quite a crowd gathered, but she effectually resisted. Finally, after the car had gone on further, with the aid of a policeman they succeeded in removing her."
The African American community was outraged, and the following day there was a rally at Jennings' church. A letter she had written telling her account of the incident was read aloud: "Sarah E. Adams & myself walked down to the corner of Pearl & Chatham Sts. to take the 3rd Ave cars," she wrote. She described how the conductor, thought to be one Edwin Moss, and the driver had attacked her. "I told him [Moss] I was a respectable person, born and raised in this city, that I did not know where he was from and that he was a good for nothing impudent fellow for insulting decent persons while on their way to church."
"Then," Jennings continued, "the (police) officer without listening to anything I had to say thrust me out and tauntingly told me to get redress if I could. I would have come up [to the rally] myself but I'm quite sore & stiff from the treatment I received from those monsters."
Jennings sued the company, the driver, and the conductor. Messrs. Culver, Parker, and Arthur represented her. Arthur was Chester A. Arthur, then a novice 21-year-old lawyer and future President of the United States. This law firm was hired because it had demonstrated some talent in the area of civil rights the year before.
Jennings was well off and well connected. Her father, Thomas Jennings, was an important businessman and community leader who had associations with Abyssinian and St. Phillips, two major African American churches. As a tailor, he held a patent on a method for renovating garments and maintained a shop on Church Street.
He and others who had been involved in the fight to end transit discrimination helped raise money for Jenningsʼ lawsuit. News of the trial reached all the way to San Francisco, where an African American group called the Young Men's Association passed a resolution condemning Jennings' treatment.
In 1855, Judge Rockwell of the Brooklyn Circuit Court ruled in Jenningsʼ favor, stating that: "Colored persons if sober, well behaved and free from disease, had the same rights as others and could neither be excluded by any rules of the Company, nor by force or violence."
Elizabeth Jennings claimed $500 worth of damage. The majority of the jury wanted to give her the full amount, but, as the Tribune put it, "Some jury members had peculiar notions as to colored people's rights." They eventually agreed to give her $225, and the court added 10 percent plus her expenses.
Within a month of the Jennings decision, an African American named Peter Porter was barred from an Eighth Avenue rail car. He too sued and the company settled out of court. From then on, African Americans were allowed to ride on rail cars on an equal basis.
The Rev. J.W.C. Pennington was an important force in the New York movement for equality in public transportation, although he suffered one of the few anti-discrimination losses after Jennings' breakthrough when he brought suit against the Sixth Avenue Rail Company. However, by 1860 Pennington was able to advise the community that the First, Second, Third, possibly the Fourth, and certainly the Eighth and Ninth Avenue lines were open to all. At the outbreak of the civil war, this discriminationary practice had finally ended.
"I feel like this is an issue for young people. History is something they should carry with them," says Sue Ortega, who directs a small art school and presently has a "Harmony in the Community" mural at 91st & Columbus. "It's important for them to know that real, everyday people had a lot to do with the struggle to make life in this city better."
Elizabeth Jennings taught in the city's African American schools in the 1850s and 1860s, probably in African Free School #5 and then in the New York City public school system. As Mrs. Elizabeth Graham, she once again made a mark on our history, this time as the result of a tragedy.
In July 1863, a resolution was passed allowing wealthier New Yorkers to buy their way out of the Civil War draft. An angry white mob rioted over a four-day period. More than 70 blacks were lynched. Many were killed, including Jennings' young son.
As the riot continued to swirl around them, Elizabeth Graham and her husband, helped by a bold white undertaker, fearlessly managed to get their boy to Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn for a proper burial. The Rev. Morgan Dix of Wall Street's Trinity Church read the burial service
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Monday, February 9, 2009
APHORISM: A SHORT POINTED SENTENCE EXPRESSING A WISE OR CLEVER OBSERVATION
1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.
2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.
4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
9. Scratch a cat and you will have a permanent job.
10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. - It could be a right number.
13. No one ever says 'It's only a game.' when their team is winning.
14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket..
17. Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of Senior Citizens running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies ! )
18. Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Yugo.
19. After 60, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!
Always be yourself. Because the people that matter, don't mind.
And the one's that do mind don't matter
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.
4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
9. Scratch a cat and you will have a permanent job.
10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. - It could be a right number.
13. No one ever says 'It's only a game.' when their team is winning.
14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket..
17. Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of Senior Citizens running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies ! )
18. Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Yugo.
19. After 60, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!
Always be yourself. Because the people that matter, don't mind.
And the one's that do mind don't matter
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Friday, February 6, 2009
Top 5 Fox News Uncle Toms
Top 5 Fox News Uncle Toms
By Casey Gane-McCalla February 4, 2009 4:59 pm
Being a Republican does not make you an Uncle Tom. If you believe in fiscal responsibility and social conservatism, it is your right to be a republican. However if you are a black republican, it should be your duty to stand up to your party when it becomes blatantly racist against your own kind. You should also realize it when they only use you to attack other black people and never to offer any other points of view.
These African Americans have made a living off of going on Fox News and smearing black leaders and culture. They often are the mouthpieces for the things that even Fox is to racist to say. They always attack another black person and never stand up to any of Fox’s or the GOP’s racism.
1. Juan Williams.
Despite the fact that Williams cried after Obama’s election he has returned to his sell out ways. He called Michelle Obama Stokely Carmichael in a designer dress and has done nothing to speak up against Fox’s racism.
2. Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson
Jesse Lee Peterson is the walking embodiment of the Boondocks Uncle Ruckus. He is constantly used by O’Reilly and Hannity to expose black self hate on the TV. He did not give any credit to Barack Obama for winning the election and credited his victory to “racist blacks and guilty whites,” saying that 95% of all blacks are racist.
Listen to Reverend James Lee Paterson Thank God For Slavery
3. Larry Elder
Larry Elder originally supported Obama before learning about Reverend Wright. He was recently on Fox News defending Rush Limbaugh and his racist song Barack The Magic Negro. Elder is a regular commentator on Fox News but is only used to attack Barack Obama and defend right wing racism.
Watch Larry Elder Defend Barack the Magic Negro on The Bill O’Reilly Show
4. Angela McGlowan
When the bigots at Fox news need to attack on a black woman they call on Angela. Angela attacked Michelle Obama on the Bill O’Reilly Show comparing her to gangster rappers. She neglected to make any comments about O’Reilly’s claim that he isn’t bringing out the lynch mob on Michelle Obama.
“in our community, a lot of folks believe that America is against them. The gangster rappers, the whole nine yards. And Michelle Obama was preying on that, saying in essence, this is the first time she’s ever been proud of a country that’s given her so much opportunity”
Watch Angela McGlowan Attack Michelle Obama on the Bill O’Reilly Show(2 minutes in)
5. Erick Rush
Rush came into prominence by attacking Barack Obama on his connections to Reverend Jeremiah Wright and Trinity Church. He encouraged the GOP to play the race card on Obama, criticized his ties with Ludacris and called him a scary guy all while ignoring Fox News’ racism and the GOP’s ties to Limbaugh. He also recently wrote a book encouraging an American invasion of Mexico, “Annexing Mexico: Solving the Border Problem Through Annexation and Assimilation”
Fox News Attacks Black President While Defending Magic Negro
Watch Erick Rush Attack Obama on the Hannity Show(2 minutes in)
Watch a Clip detailing Fox’s War on Blacks
Fox News Should Use The Boondocks Uncle Ruckus as a Commentator For His Black Hate
SEE VIDEOS THAT ACCOMPANIED THIS ARTICLE AT:
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/top-5-fox-news-uncle-toms/
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Monday, February 2, 2009
I Believe... Author Unknown
I Believe...
A Birth Certificate shows that we were born!
A Death Certificate shows that we died!
Pictures show how we lived!
I Believe...
That just because two people argue,
doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
we understand that friends change.
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe....
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe..
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.
I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you When you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them.....and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
out a secret. It could change your life Forever.
I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.
I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you.
I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if
a friend cries out to you........you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I Believe...
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.
Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life..
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
A Birth Certificate shows that we were born!
A Death Certificate shows that we died!
Pictures show how we lived!
I Believe...
That just because two people argue,
doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
we understand that friends change.
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe....
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe..
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.
I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you When you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them.....and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
out a secret. It could change your life Forever.
I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.
I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you.
I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if
a friend cries out to you........you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I Believe...
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.
Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life..
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
New Rules for Blacks During the Obama Era
It is a new day in America. An African American has risen to the highest position a person can have in the United States. As a people we must follow the example set by Michelle and Barack in order to restore our greatness. That said, here are The New Rules For Blacks in The Obama Era.
1. Leave the Guns and the Knives Alone MC Lyte, Self Destruction
Black on black crime has been a problem for some time. In some ways, we can blame the government for allowing so many guns in the community and creating the social factors that create drug dealing and gangs. We must pressure the government to stop the the gun trade that stems from Virginia and the poverty that breeds violence, but also pressure our young people to stop turning to guns and violence. We must value the lives our fellow African Americans so they can not be taken away. We can no long glorify people who kill or are involved in violence. The word gangsta should be replaced by murderer, the word hustler should be changed to community poisoner. We should no longer glorify criminals who harm our community.
2. Time to Heal Our Women, Be Real to Our Women Tupac, Keep Your Head Up
Misogyny is a problem in the black community and the Hip Hop community in particular. We should not refer to our women as words that mean prostitutes or female dogs. Women should not be valued simply as sex objects. We have seen the the accomplishments and shining light that Michelle Obama has presented and should realize that any African American women can reach those same heights. Women should longer be valued as strippers, video girls and jump offs but as partners, mothers and sisters.
3. Put a Ring On It Beyonce
Way to many black men are judged by the amount of women they fornicate with. Men are glorified as pimps or pimpin when they get a lot of girls. A pimp is someone who demeans and demoralizes women to use them as commerce.
"Pimpin ain't easy it's sleazy, grimy, slimy, slouchy sleazy." Intelligent Hoodlum, Arrest the President.
Men should be judged by how they take care of their women and children. Barack and Michelle were stronger as a team of equals then any man could be by themselves. In order for black people to move on the black family must be the core unit. We should have wives and partners not babymothers and wifies.
4. Don't Be a Fool Like Those Who Don't Go to School. Slick Rick, Hey Young World
No longer can we say the only way for black people to succeed is slinging crackrock or having a wicked jumpshot. Education and knowledge are the key to success in life. We must fight to make sure our children have the best education possible and make sure they are willing and driven to accept that education. John McCain said one thing I agreed with during the campaign, that education is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. We must fight for our education as hard as we fought for our right to vote. The high school drop out rates in the black community is hovering around 50%. This is unacceptable. If were are to change this, we must fight on two sides. We must fight so to make sure our children are provided with the education they deserve and we must fight to make sure our children our ready and willing to try their hardest to take advantage of it.
5. Give Something Back to the Place Where You Made it From Ice Cube, True to the Game
Many in the black bourgeoisie attribute African American problems to the lower class. Still the black upper-class is partly responsible for the state of black America. Too many of our talented bright, African American professionals abandon any choices of working to develop the black community to get high paying jobs in the corporate world and integrate themselves into white society.
The African Americans lucky enough to get an education should follow in Barack Obama's footsteps and work to make the black community better. After graduating from Columbia, Barack Obama bypassed a chance to make six figures on Wall St. to make $12,00 dollars as a community organizer. WEB DuBois had the idea of the Talented 10th that would uplift the black community. Unfortunately, many of the Talented 10th have used their privilege to line their own pockets and not help out their fellow African Americans. If we are to succeed as people, those who have become educated help bring up those who aren't. If we had more qualified teachers, community organizers mentors to help out underprivileged African Americans, we would create many Michelles and Barack's to lead our people
6. Stop Being Greedy, DMX
Materialism is big problem in the black community. People feel they are defined by their chain, car and clothes rather than what they do as human beings. To many parents make sure their kids are dipped out in Jordans and Prada without investing in a college fund for their kids. Too many men have rims on their car but do not pay their child support. We need to value education, property and our children's future more than we do name brand name clothes, jewelry and cars.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
1. Leave the Guns and the Knives Alone MC Lyte, Self Destruction
Black on black crime has been a problem for some time. In some ways, we can blame the government for allowing so many guns in the community and creating the social factors that create drug dealing and gangs. We must pressure the government to stop the the gun trade that stems from Virginia and the poverty that breeds violence, but also pressure our young people to stop turning to guns and violence. We must value the lives our fellow African Americans so they can not be taken away. We can no long glorify people who kill or are involved in violence. The word gangsta should be replaced by murderer, the word hustler should be changed to community poisoner. We should no longer glorify criminals who harm our community.
2. Time to Heal Our Women, Be Real to Our Women Tupac, Keep Your Head Up
Misogyny is a problem in the black community and the Hip Hop community in particular. We should not refer to our women as words that mean prostitutes or female dogs. Women should not be valued simply as sex objects. We have seen the the accomplishments and shining light that Michelle Obama has presented and should realize that any African American women can reach those same heights. Women should longer be valued as strippers, video girls and jump offs but as partners, mothers and sisters.
3. Put a Ring On It Beyonce
Way to many black men are judged by the amount of women they fornicate with. Men are glorified as pimps or pimpin when they get a lot of girls. A pimp is someone who demeans and demoralizes women to use them as commerce.
"Pimpin ain't easy it's sleazy, grimy, slimy, slouchy sleazy." Intelligent Hoodlum, Arrest the President.
Men should be judged by how they take care of their women and children. Barack and Michelle were stronger as a team of equals then any man could be by themselves. In order for black people to move on the black family must be the core unit. We should have wives and partners not babymothers and wifies.
4. Don't Be a Fool Like Those Who Don't Go to School. Slick Rick, Hey Young World
No longer can we say the only way for black people to succeed is slinging crackrock or having a wicked jumpshot. Education and knowledge are the key to success in life. We must fight to make sure our children have the best education possible and make sure they are willing and driven to accept that education. John McCain said one thing I agreed with during the campaign, that education is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. We must fight for our education as hard as we fought for our right to vote. The high school drop out rates in the black community is hovering around 50%. This is unacceptable. If were are to change this, we must fight on two sides. We must fight so to make sure our children are provided with the education they deserve and we must fight to make sure our children our ready and willing to try their hardest to take advantage of it.
5. Give Something Back to the Place Where You Made it From Ice Cube, True to the Game
Many in the black bourgeoisie attribute African American problems to the lower class. Still the black upper-class is partly responsible for the state of black America. Too many of our talented bright, African American professionals abandon any choices of working to develop the black community to get high paying jobs in the corporate world and integrate themselves into white society.
The African Americans lucky enough to get an education should follow in Barack Obama's footsteps and work to make the black community better. After graduating from Columbia, Barack Obama bypassed a chance to make six figures on Wall St. to make $12,00 dollars as a community organizer. WEB DuBois had the idea of the Talented 10th that would uplift the black community. Unfortunately, many of the Talented 10th have used their privilege to line their own pockets and not help out their fellow African Americans. If we are to succeed as people, those who have become educated help bring up those who aren't. If we had more qualified teachers, community organizers mentors to help out underprivileged African Americans, we would create many Michelles and Barack's to lead our people
6. Stop Being Greedy, DMX
Materialism is big problem in the black community. People feel they are defined by their chain, car and clothes rather than what they do as human beings. To many parents make sure their kids are dipped out in Jordans and Prada without investing in a college fund for their kids. Too many men have rims on their car but do not pay their child support. We need to value education, property and our children's future more than we do name brand name clothes, jewelry and cars.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Sunday, January 25, 2009
No News Flash: Legalized Segregation is Over (Racism is Not).
Observations on the language of race at the inauguration of America's first Black President.
by Damali Ayo
First off, let me state for the record, I am thrilled that Barack Obama has started his tenure as President of the United States. It was not the inauguration I most anticipated since November 4th but his initiating the change that this country needs and that his vision holds dear. Wednesday was the day that brought me the most thrill as I realized that I would see a true leader and an incredible role model for all citizens, who shares the vision of our Founding Fathers for this country take the reins and lead us back onto a course of true American values that we have long strayed from- not only during the Bush years, but for many years before that.
But the tone of the inauguration struck me repeatedly as awkwardly out of touch with reality. It was strange to me that reporter after reporter, citizen after citizen and finally the president himself evoked memories of lunch counter segregation as the sign that we as a country have progressed beyond the 'evil trappings' of racism to the dawn of a new day where a man of color can be our leader.
It's an odd image to evoke. They all might as well have said "150 years ago we were in chains." But of course this image was evoked as well, though not as frequently.
The images of racism that were not evoked, and in fact have been patently omitted from the story of our first Black President are the very real examples of racism that not only continues to exist in our culture but that surely plagued Obama in every step of his rise to this high office. We've heard little discussion of the racism that Obama's mother was so certain he would face in school that she drilled him in *English* lessons every morning. We have not heard the stories of Obama being tokenized by his teachers and peers. We have not heard the stories of his fighting for acceptance among his black colleagues. We've heard very little of how he developed his understanding that people of color need to work together on our collective struggle. No one has mentioned that Barack Obama was at Harvard during one of the school's most radical fights for race and gender equality, and that he was a prominent speaker in that movement. No one has mentioned the afro he sported during that time, when trust me, afros were not in style but rather a statement of a political agenda. We have not talked in depth about the anti-racist and anti-poverty struggles he worked on for most of his professional career. We gloss over those moments with the confusing phrase "he spent many years as a community organizer on the south side of Chicago" a euphemism for "Obama dedicated every day of his work and personal life to fighting racial and economic inequality." We talk about his work in Chicago as if it were the choice of a man of middle-class luxury rather than the inner burning passion of a person who has faced racism throughout his entire American experience.
We cannot bring up these images for many reasons- not the least of which is that our country is terrified of people who "fight" racism, poverty and injustice, witness the strangle-hold we have on Martin Luther King Jr, while we relegate the rest of the black activists during MLK's time to an outcast 'radical' camp.
We also cannot bring up these images because if we do we cannot get the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from saying that the American experience of racism for people of color is over.
I would have loved to hear Obama say "this is an incredible moment because only a few years ago, I went to a school where they would barely allow people of color to hold a job, and now I hold this highest office." or "I've been fighting my whole life to help black people get food, shelter, and just treatment at work, and now I am in the position to ensure that food, shelter and just treatment is given to all American citizens." These truths of our countries racism are much more relevant in a contemporary sense because they are the struggles that the current generation has faced and that we continue to face. But it seemed the consensus among the crowd, reporters and the President himself that this is too difficult for us to admit.
It is often what is not said that tells us the truth of a situation. So I take the omission as an admission- the evoking of something so clearly in our distant past and ignoring that which is our present shows that we still have decades of racism that is still alive in our culture.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
by Damali Ayo
First off, let me state for the record, I am thrilled that Barack Obama has started his tenure as President of the United States. It was not the inauguration I most anticipated since November 4th but his initiating the change that this country needs and that his vision holds dear. Wednesday was the day that brought me the most thrill as I realized that I would see a true leader and an incredible role model for all citizens, who shares the vision of our Founding Fathers for this country take the reins and lead us back onto a course of true American values that we have long strayed from- not only during the Bush years, but for many years before that.
But the tone of the inauguration struck me repeatedly as awkwardly out of touch with reality. It was strange to me that reporter after reporter, citizen after citizen and finally the president himself evoked memories of lunch counter segregation as the sign that we as a country have progressed beyond the 'evil trappings' of racism to the dawn of a new day where a man of color can be our leader.
It's an odd image to evoke. They all might as well have said "150 years ago we were in chains." But of course this image was evoked as well, though not as frequently.
The images of racism that were not evoked, and in fact have been patently omitted from the story of our first Black President are the very real examples of racism that not only continues to exist in our culture but that surely plagued Obama in every step of his rise to this high office. We've heard little discussion of the racism that Obama's mother was so certain he would face in school that she drilled him in *English* lessons every morning. We have not heard the stories of Obama being tokenized by his teachers and peers. We have not heard the stories of his fighting for acceptance among his black colleagues. We've heard very little of how he developed his understanding that people of color need to work together on our collective struggle. No one has mentioned that Barack Obama was at Harvard during one of the school's most radical fights for race and gender equality, and that he was a prominent speaker in that movement. No one has mentioned the afro he sported during that time, when trust me, afros were not in style but rather a statement of a political agenda. We have not talked in depth about the anti-racist and anti-poverty struggles he worked on for most of his professional career. We gloss over those moments with the confusing phrase "he spent many years as a community organizer on the south side of Chicago" a euphemism for "Obama dedicated every day of his work and personal life to fighting racial and economic inequality." We talk about his work in Chicago as if it were the choice of a man of middle-class luxury rather than the inner burning passion of a person who has faced racism throughout his entire American experience.
We cannot bring up these images for many reasons- not the least of which is that our country is terrified of people who "fight" racism, poverty and injustice, witness the strangle-hold we have on Martin Luther King Jr, while we relegate the rest of the black activists during MLK's time to an outcast 'radical' camp.
We also cannot bring up these images because if we do we cannot get the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from saying that the American experience of racism for people of color is over.
I would have loved to hear Obama say "this is an incredible moment because only a few years ago, I went to a school where they would barely allow people of color to hold a job, and now I hold this highest office." or "I've been fighting my whole life to help black people get food, shelter, and just treatment at work, and now I am in the position to ensure that food, shelter and just treatment is given to all American citizens." These truths of our countries racism are much more relevant in a contemporary sense because they are the struggles that the current generation has faced and that we continue to face. But it seemed the consensus among the crowd, reporters and the President himself that this is too difficult for us to admit.
It is often what is not said that tells us the truth of a situation. So I take the omission as an admission- the evoking of something so clearly in our distant past and ignoring that which is our present shows that we still have decades of racism that is still alive in our culture.
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Black Man by D Mai Roberts
Black Man
Beautiful Wit’ Electric
Toffee Eyes
Givin’ Me Chills
N’ Thrills
As U Caress My Spine
Yes, I Need A Massage
2 Ease Away
Da’ Daily Stress
Dis’ Life Brings
Make Love 2 Dis’ Body
My Black Adonis
Allow It 2 Sing
Sing Songs Of Yesterday
When The Livin’ N’ Lovin’
Was Easy
As We Lay On Da’ Island Sand
Enjoyin’ Da’ Breeze
Waves R’ Crashin’
Against Swimmers’ Bodies
Jellyfishes
Tryin’ 2 Sting My Ass
When I’m Tryin’ 2 Achieve
A Bronze Tan
Da’ Things He Does 2 Dis’ Body
Wit’ His Tongue
Hands N’ His Gift
I Can’t Deny Him
He Makes My Temperature Rise
Like Sean Paul
With Da’ Tips Of His Fingers
Tongue N’ How He Makes
Black Man
His Gift Perform
Stunts N’ Tricks
Oh, It Does Have A Brain
Of Its Own
How Can I Get
A Full Body Tan
When Dis’ Black Man
Won’t Allow
My Body 2 Rest
Please, Black Man
If I Should Succumb
2 Another One Of Those Full-Bodied Orgasms
My Face May Stay Flushed
My Love Nest Dances 2 An
Unstoppable, Succulent Throb
Perspiration May Leak
Out Of My Body Continuously
My Wetness
B’tween Those Sweet Thighs
Of Mine
May Never Be Da’ Same
I’m A Changed Woman
Creatin’ My Own
Vicious Current Under Ur Touch
U R’ Da’ Captain Of My Ship
My Ocean May Swallow U
N’ We’ll Both Suffer
Da’ Sweetest Death!
Beautiful Wit’ Electric
Toffee Eyes
Givin’ Me Chills
N’ Thrills
As U Caress My Spine
Yes, I Need A Massage
2 Ease Away
Da’ Daily Stress
Dis’ Life Brings
Make Love 2 Dis’ Body
My Black Adonis
Allow It 2 Sing
Sing Songs Of Yesterday
When The Livin’ N’ Lovin’
Was Easy
As We Lay On Da’ Island Sand
Enjoyin’ Da’ Breeze
Waves R’ Crashin’
Against Swimmers’ Bodies
Jellyfishes
Tryin’ 2 Sting My Ass
When I’m Tryin’ 2 Achieve
A Bronze Tan
Da’ Things He Does 2 Dis’ Body
Wit’ His Tongue
Hands N’ His Gift
I Can’t Deny Him
He Makes My Temperature Rise
Like Sean Paul
With Da’ Tips Of His Fingers
Tongue N’ How He Makes
Black Man
His Gift Perform
Stunts N’ Tricks
Oh, It Does Have A Brain
Of Its Own
How Can I Get
A Full Body Tan
When Dis’ Black Man
Won’t Allow
My Body 2 Rest
Please, Black Man
If I Should Succumb
2 Another One Of Those Full-Bodied Orgasms
My Face May Stay Flushed
My Love Nest Dances 2 An
Unstoppable, Succulent Throb
Perspiration May Leak
Out Of My Body Continuously
My Wetness
B’tween Those Sweet Thighs
Of Mine
May Never Be Da’ Same
I’m A Changed Woman
Creatin’ My Own
Vicious Current Under Ur Touch
U R’ Da’ Captain Of My Ship
My Ocean May Swallow U
N’ We’ll Both Suffer
Da’ Sweetest Death!
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
IF MY BODY WERE A CAR...
If my body were a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish and my paint job is getting a little dull ... But that's not the worst of it.
My headlights are out of focus and it's especially hard to see things up close. My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.
My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.
It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.
But here's the worst of it --
Almost every time I sneeze, cough or sputter ...either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires!
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
My headlights are out of focus and it's especially hard to see things up close. My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.
My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.
It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.
But here's the worst of it --
Almost every time I sneeze, cough or sputter ...either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires!
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
Friday, January 9, 2009
When Are WE Going to Get Over It?
Dr. Manis:
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
When Are WE Going to Get Over It?
For much of the last forty years, ever since America "fixed" its race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, "When are African Americans finally going to get over it? Now I want to ask: "When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color?
For much of the last forty years, ever since America "fixed" its race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, "When are African Americans finally going to get over it? Now I want to ask: "When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color?
Recent reports that "Election Spurs Hundreds' of Race Threats, Crimes" should frighten and infuriate every one of us. Having grown up in "Bombingham, " Alabama in the 1960s, I remember overhearing an avalanche of comments about what many white classmates and their parents wanted to do to John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Eventually, as you may recall, in all three cases, someone decided to do more than "talk the talk." Since our recent presidential election, to our eternal shame we are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk I remember from my boyhood.
We white people have controlled political life in the disunited colonies and United States for some 400 years on this continent. Conservative whites have been in power 28 of the last 40 years. Even during the eight Clinton years, conservatives in Congress blocked most of his agenda and pulled him to the right. Yet never in that period did I read any headlines suggesting that anyone was calling for the assassinations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, or either of the Bushes. Criticize them, yes. Call for their impeachment, perhaps. But there were no bounties on their heads. And even when someone did try to kill Ronald Reagan, the perpetrator was a non-political mental case who wanted merely to impress Jody Foster. But elect a liberal who happens to be Black and we're back in the sixties again.
At this point in our history, we should be proud that we've proven what conservatives are always saying -that in America anything is possible, EVEN electing a black man as president. But instead we now hear that schoolchildren from Maine to California are talking about wanting to "assassinate Obama." Fighting the urge to throw up, I can only ask, "How long?" How long before we white people realize we can't make our nation, much less the whole world, look like us? How long until we white people can -once and for all- get over this hell-conceived preoccupation with skin color? How long until we white people get over the demonic conviction that white skin makes us superior? How long before we white people get o ver our bitter resentments about being demoted to the status of equality with non-whites? How long before we get over our expectations that we should be at the head of the line merely because of our white skin? How long until we white people end our silence and call out our peers when they share the latest racist jokes in the privacy of our white-only conversations? I believe in free speech, but how long until we white people start making racist loudmouths as socially uncomfortable as we do flag burners? How long until we white people will stop insisting that blacks exercise personal responsibility, build strong families, educate themselves enough to edit the Harvard Law Review, and work hard enough to become President of the United States, only to threaten to assassinate them when they do? How long before we starting "living out the true meaning" of our creeds, both civil and religious, that all men and women are created equal and that "red and yellow, black and white" all are precious in God's sight?
Until this past November 4, I didn't believe this country would ever elect an African American to the presidency. I still don't believe I'll live long enough to see us white people get over our racism problem. But here's my three-point plan: First, everyday that Barack Obama lives in the White House that Black Slaves Built I'm going to pray that God (and the Secret Service) will protect him and his family from us white people. Second, I'm going to report to the FBI any white person I overhear saying, in seriousness or in jest, anything of a threatening nature about President Obama. Third, I'm going to pray to live long enough to see America surprise the world once again, when white people can "in spirit and in truth" sing of our damnable color prejudice, "We HAVE overcome." Andrew Manis is author of Macon Black and White and serves on the steering committee of Macon's Center for Racial understanding. It takes a Village to protect our President!!!
PEACE.LOVE.HAPPINESS
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