Django Deconstructed

Good morning family. Last night, I saw Django Unchained. Check out my review below.



What did you think about Django Unchained? Please share your thoughts.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

President Obama Discusses Gun Control

Good morning. Yesterday, President Obama laid the groundwork for new gun control legislation. During his press conference, he responded to questions regarding the so-called fiscal cliff.

Tim Scott's Appointment Doesn't Mean A Damn Thing to Black People!

The Washington Post reports that:

Timothy Eugene Scott was growing up poor and black in Charleston, S.C., the son of a nurse’s aide who worked 16-hour shifts, when Strom Thurmond, who ran for president as the standard-bearer for segregationists, was at the peak of his powers in the Senate.

On Monday, the congressman was named to fill the office once held by Thurmond (R), making him the first black Republican to serve in the Senate since Edward Brooke of Massachusetts lost his bid for reelection in 1978. It also makes him the first African American senator from the South since Reconstruction and only the seventh black person ever to serve in that chamber. Gov. Nikki Haley (R) selected him to succeed Jim DeMint (R), who is retiring.

The appointment propels Scott, 47, into the front ranks of a Republican Party trying to demonstrate that it can speak to a broader, non-white constituency. He joins Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Sen.-elect Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal in putting a more diverse face on the GOP.

“It is a great day for South Carolina. It is a historic day for South Carolina,” said Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants who broke her own ground as the state’s first female governor, speaking at the statehouse in Columbia.

As the only black U.S. senator, Scott will become one of the most visible and important conservative figures in the country, one whose new prominence will require him to navigate a new set of political realities.

Following Romney's crushing defeat, the Republican Party has done some "soul searching." They have been forced to acknowledge that this country's demographics are changing.  The GOP realizes that white people will no longer be the majority.  At least in theory, they are looking for ways to appeal to minorities and women. Instead of modifying their repugnant policies, they have resorted to tokenism. The appointment of Tim Scott is a prime example of that tactic.

Hopefully, that tactic will not succeed. Although we all appreciate the historic significance of Tim Scott's appointment, it means nothing for black people. Based on his voting record, he will simply continue the legacy of Senator Jim DeMint in black face.

Tim Scott's policy positions are antithetical to the interests of most African Americans. He supports voter IDs laws designed to suppress black voters. He voted for the Paul Ryan budget. The Ryan budget cuts important programs such Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start and food stamps. Those cuts will have a devastating impact upon African Americans. In addition, Scott voted to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act and to hold the first African American Attorney General, Eric Holder, in contempt of Congress. As noted in the Grio, Scott embraces the racist Tea Party and rejects his own people, the Congressional Black Caucus. By the way, why would any African American co-chair segregationist Strom Thurmond's campaign?!?!

I remember when President George Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. Some misguided African Americans argued that we should support him because he is black. They argued that once appointed he would become less conservative and more progressive. Today, decades later, we see how wrong they were. Justice Thomas has used his position of power to erase civil rights gains such as affirmative action. In sum, it is not about black faces in high places. It is about policy, not pigment.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

"We Can't Tolerate This Anymore"

Tonight, President Barack Obama gave a moving speech at the vigil for the victims of the Connecticut tragedy. During the speech, President Obama asked a basic question. He asked, "Can we honestly say that we're doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm?" The President said, "The answer is 'no'." He noted that this is the fourth mass killing to occur during his presidency, and he proclaimed that "we can't tolerate this anymore."

I sincerely hope that strict gun control legislation follows the President's eloquent speech. We must contact our Senators and U.S. Representatives and demand that they enact laws to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.

There Will Be Justice for Jordan Davis

Shout out to Sam McClary.

Good Morning family. News One reports that:

On Thursday night, a grand jury indicted 45-year-old software developer Michael Dunn (pictured right), who allegedly shot and killed 17-year-old Jordan Davis (pictured), on a first-degree murder charge and even added counts to his charges, according to the Florida Times-Union.

Sending a strong message, a grand jury decided to upgrade Dunn’s second-degree murder charge to first-degree murder. If convicted, Dunn would face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Dunn also had three counts of attempted murder added to his charges for potentially harming the other youths that were in the car.

NewsOne spoke with Attorney Eric Guster about the murder case and he explained that this type of charge upgrade is standard when a grand jury has been presented with all of the necessary evidence:

“Being that Jordan Davis was unarmed and killed, it appears that the grand jury listened to the evidence in order to properly charge Michael Dunn with first degree murder.

“A grand jury has the right to upgrade, downgrade or dismiss charges after listening to evidence. In this case, it will be interesting since Mr. Dunn has stated he should be found not guilty because of Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground Law. After reading and researching this case, I see no way for him to be acquitted by that defense.”

When the news initially hit that Davis was murdered over loud music, Dunn’s lawyer implied that his client would invoke Florida’s Stand Your Ground law in his defense. When NewsOne asked Guster about how Stand Your Ground would hold up in his defense, he said that it was unlikely that Dunn has any case at all:

“Witnesses have stated that Jordan Davis was playing his music too loud and this caused Dunn to become angry. A confrontation occurred which led Davis to shoot Jordan. With that being the case, there is no way Stand Your Ground or any other self defense claim can be justified.”

Hopefully, this a sign that there will be justice for Jordan Davis. Keep pushing. Keep fighting.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

How Many More Wake Up Calls Must America Receive?!?

The Washington Post reports that:

A shooting rampage in this small Connecticut town on Friday morning left 28 people dead, including 20 children killed inside their elementary school, authorities said.

The dead included the suspected gunman, whom law enforcement sources identified as Adam Lanza, 20. Police said that Lanza first apparently killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, at the home they shared in Newtown. Then he drove in her car to Sandy Hook Elementary, the school at which Nancy Lanza taught kindergarten.

In the car, authorities said, were three guns: a .223 caliber “Bushmaster” rifle and two pistols, a Sig Sauer and a Glock.

At the school, authorities said, Adam Lanza shot and killed six adults — including the school’s principal — and 20 children. They were shot in two different rooms of the school, police said.

How many more wake up calls must America receive? How many more innocent people must die at the hands of deranged shooters? When will this nation finally enact strict gun control laws to keep us safe at work, at school, at the movies and at our places of worship?

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Why Didn't Obama Stand By Susan Rice?

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

As the Washington Post reported,

U.N. Ambassador Susan E. Rice withdrew her name Thursday as President Obama’s leading candidate for secretary of state, saying the administration could not afford a “lengthy, disruptive and costly” confirmation fight over statements she made about the extremist attack in Libya that killed four Americans.   

Rice called Obama on Thursday morning, before sending him a letter officially withdrawing from consideration. Rice said in an interview that she had concluded early this week that what she and Obama considered “unfair and misleading” charges against her over the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi, Libya, would impede the president’s second-term agenda.   

“This was my decision,” Rice said. When asked if Obama had tried to dissuade her, she said that he “understood that this was the right decision, and that I made it for the right reasons.”    

Rice’s withdrawal was a retreat by Obama, who had repeatedly voiced support for her. In a statement issued by the White House, Obama described her as “an extraordinarily capable, patriotic, and passionate public servant.”    

But her removal from the scene is unlikely to quell the controversy that led to it: the extremist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

I blame the Republican political machine for extinguishing the hopes and aspirations of another prominent African American. I am not surprised by the Republicans. The Republican Party has become the modern day White Citizens Council. They are in the business of trampling over African Americans, Hispanics and women. Frankly, as a Party, they are our political enemy. Nothing they do surprises me.

However, the President's actions surprised me. Originally, President Obama stood up for Ambassador Susan Rice. He boldly told Senator McCain and Senator Graham that "if they want to go after somebody, they should go after me." When he said those words, I was proud of the President. At that moment, I was delighted to see Obama stand up to the Republicans.

However, today, I am deeply disappointed. Unfortunately, the President's actions speak much louder than his eloquent words. The Republicans flexed and the President flinched. Regardless of the opposition, President should have nominated Susan Rice for Secretary of State.

As NBC news analyst Andrea Mitchell said on NBC's Hardball, "she (Susan Rice) did not have all of the armor of a nominee.." If Ambassador Rice was nominated, White House Counsel would have insulated her from the Republicans' unwarranted attacks. Instead, in the face of the Republican onslaught, she was left open and defenseless. Like sharks in the ocean, the GOP saw blood and they moved in for the kill. Ultimately, like former environment advisor Van Jones, Susan Rice was forced to lay on her sword in order to protect the White House. With all due respect, that was not "the right decision." It is a sign of the White House's vulnerability.  

Loyalty is priceless. It should not be sold for the sake of political expediency. One should never sacrifice one's friends and allies to appease bloodthirsty adversaries. African Americans are the President's most loyal supporters. No other group has provided such universal support for Barack Obama. In exchange for our support, we must demand that the President nominate more African Americans for key Cabinet positions. We must demand that the President defend his appointees against baseless allegations.

   

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

"The Hunt is On, and Brother, You're the Prey"

In his beautiful song entitled A New World Order, Curtis Mayfield said, "The hunt is on, and brother you're the prey." Sadly, that remains true today. We are hunted by vigilantes like Zimmerman.  We are hunted by racist police officers.  And yes, we are even hunted by some of our own misguided brothers and sisters.

Earlier this year, George Zimmerman hunted and shot down Trayvon Martin for being a black teenage in a white neighborhood. After killing Trayvon, Zimmerman was free as a bird for over forty days. If we did not protest, Zimmerman would probably be free today. At least for a brief moment in time, we were outraged. We mobilized, organized, wrote, marched and spoke. Once the killer was finally arrested, we were pacified. We took off our t-shirts, put away our protest signs and went back to sleep. As Ayesha says on Lupe's new cd, "and two weeks later, it was back to normal." After all was said and done, the Stand Your Ground law remained in place as a license to kill black people.  If black people formed self-defense groups and openly brandished firearms, perhaps then Florida would repeal that law.

Now, a white man has lynched another brother, Jordan Davis. More specifically, when a group of black teenage boys refused to turn down their music, Michael Dunn fired 8 shots into the car striking Jordan Davis twice. Again, the people have righteous indignation. Again, the bloggers will blog. The civil rights spokespersons will speak. The activists may march and protest. Then, the people will go back to sleep, and "it will be back to normal."  How long will we be angry this time? 

To make matters worst, African Americans are frequently the victims of police harassment and brutality. Instead of fulfilling their oath to protect and serve, many police officers are agents of oppression. They have joined the hunt to kill black men. Remember Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, Oscar Grant, Malice Green and countless other victims. For a comprehensive list, please read Shanika's Daily Kos article entitled Hey America! Can you please stop killing our (usually) innocent Black male children?

In addition to being hunted by racist vigilantes and police officers, we are hunted and killed by our own. Such fratricidal killings are far more frequent than attacks by racists Klansmen, Nazis, self-appointed neighborhood watchmen and wannabe Dirty Harrys. Regardless of which political party is in the White House, the same cycle of violence continues. Although there are plenty of stop the violence organizations, marches and rallies, the violence continues.

On the local news, we constantly hear tragic stories about black males killing black males. For example, as reported on WBAL TV,  "a man stabbed in the neck overnight early Saturday has died, and two others were shot in separate weekend incidents in Baltimore, police said." As reported in the Chicago Tribune, "last night in the South Shore neighborhood in Chicago, five people were hospitalized after a shooting."

Here are a few sobering statistics cited in a Wall Street Journal article.

Overall, more than half the nation's homicide victims are African-American, though blacks make up only 13% of the population. Of those black murder victims, 85% were men, mostly young men.

Despite the declining U.S. murder rate, killings remain stubbornly high in poor pockets of cities large and small. In some cases, the rate is rising sharply. That increase is draining resources from police, prosecutors, social workers and hospitals.

As of Friday, Philadelphia police had been called to 223 homicides, compared with 198 last year. Chicago has recorded 337 murders, compared with 263 in the year-earlier period, a 28% jump. Public outcry there escalated after June 27, when stray bullets fired by an alleged gang member killed 7-year-old Heaven Sutton in a poor area on the city's West Side. Uproar over the little girl's death led Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to announce a gang crackdown in neighborhoods with high murder rates.

Our communities have become killing fields. Murders are so frequently that we have become desensitized to the violence. Even civil rights activists have become numb to the violence. Over twenty years ago, we listened to songs like Self Destruction and Stop of the Violence.  Unfortunately, such songs remain relevant today.  In contrast to the conscious music of the past, today's popular music glorifies guns and murder. This violence has become the new normal. Rest in peace t-shirts, rest in peace murals and makeshift memorials are common in the hood. When we do muster up the energy to hold to stop the violence rallies and marches, it is temporary. Again, things go back to normal until the next senseless killing.

As long as black men are hunted in the streets like animals, things should never go back to normal. It is time to take a real stand.  We do not need anymore "here today, gone tomorrow" protests. We must develop and sustain a true movement that addresses the systemic causes of the violence. We need leaders who will be around when the cameras leave.  We must lobby to end the Stand Your Ground laws in Florida and elsewhere.  We must lobby state legislatures, Governors, Congress and the White House to enact stronger anti-racial profiling laws. Instead of building prisons, we need to build minds.  We must empower our youth with the education that they need to build their future.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Barack Obama and Susan Rice are on the Wrong Side of History

As the New York Times reports:

More than 130 countries voted on Thursday to upgrade Palestine to a nonmember observer state of the United Nations, a triumph for Palestinian diplomacy and a sharp rebuke to the United States and Israel...  

The new status will give the Palestinians more tools to challenge Israel in international legal forums for its occupation activities in the West Bank, including settlement-building, and it helped bolster the Palestinian Authority, weakened after eight days of battle between its rival Hamas and Israel....  

Still, the General Assembly vote — 138 countries in favor, 9 opposed and 41 abstaining — showed impressive backing for the Palestinians at a difficult time. It was taken on the 65th anniversary of the vote to divide the former British mandate of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, a vote Israel considers the international seal of approval for its birth...  

As expected, the vote won backing from a number of European countries, and was a rebuff to intense American and Israeli diplomacy. France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland all voted yes. Britain and Germany abstained. Apart from Canada, no major country joined the United States and Israel in voting no. The other opponents included Palau, Panama and Micronesia...  

Susan E. Rice, the American ambassador to the United Nations, was dismissive of the entire exercise. “Today’s grand pronouncements will soon fade,” she said. “And the Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed, save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded.” A major concern for the Americans is that the Palestinians may use their new status to try to join the International Criminal Court. That prospect particularly worries the Israelis, who fear that the Palestinians may press for an investigation of their practices in the occupied territories widely viewed as violations of international law.

During his flowery inauguration speech, President Obama talked about extending a hand to the Muslim world. He talked about promoting peace in the world. Obama said, "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward based on mutual interests and mutual respect...We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

Instead of extending a hand to the Middle East, he launched more predator drones than George W. Bush and dropped bombs on innocent civilians. He passively allowed Israel to massacre and maim women and children in Gaza.

Today, as 138 countries voted in favor of recognizing Palestine as a nonmember observer state in the United Nations, the United States was 1 of only 9 nations to oppose recognizing Palestine. Through that vote, the United States voted to allow Israel to commit crimes against the Palestinian people with impunity.  It was a vote for imperialism.  It was a vote for injustice.  Oddly, we have the audacity to wonder why that region of the world is skeptical and hostile towards the United States.

Like the racists who sought to preserve apartheid in South Africa and like the segregationists who sought to protect Jim Crow in the American South, President Obama and Susan Rice are on the wrong side of history. I am appalled and disappointed, but not surprised.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

The Great Debate - The Slave Catcher vs. The Free Black Man

Good morning y'all. A couple of days ago, I was on Twitter and I saw a video link. The video features a self-hating, black Republican bashing black people and President Obama. Check it out.



I felt compelled to respond to his nonsensical rant. Since he refused to post my video response, I decided to post my response on my blog. Check it out.



Feel free to join the discussion.

What is A Black Agenda?

The Root reported that:

But despite the nearly universal support he enjoyed among African Americans in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, some of his most impassioned critics have come from within the black community, and some of their most passionate criticism has focused on the concern that the first black president has not focused on addressing issues of particular importance to the black community or on successfully tackling a black agenda. The Congressional Black Caucus was especially critical of the Obama administration's silence on black unemployment, for instance. 

After the 2012 election Yvette Carnell wrote in the Black Agenda Report, "Now we are all left hoping and wishing that, for the sake of his legacy, President Obama doesn't forget about us during his second term. The smart thing to do would've been to secure something, such as legislation to reduce black unemployment or mass incarceration, before the election, but we weren't smart. We were tribal."

In a piece for the L.A. Progressive titled "Black America Calling for a 'Black Agenda,' " Anthony Asadullah Samad wrote, "Of course, we know he's President of all the people. We got that, but what is the real significance of laying claim to the first African American president if a core constituency cannot ask for anything?"

He then continued, "What are 'black issues'? Historically, they are jobs, education, health care, prison re-entry and economic development of deprived communities -- all issues listed in Smiley's covenant." Samad was referring to PBS host Tavis Smiley, whose relentless criticism of the president's leadership on poverty and issues important to the black community has made him a target of criticism.

Read more here.

The Root article raises some interesting questions. What is a "Black Agenda"? Does it even exist? Who defines the Black Agenda? Is the concept of "black leaders" obsolete in this age of Obama? How do we effectively demand more from the President? Why are we even relying on the government to address our problems? What can we do for ourselves to improve our own condition as a people? Tell me what you think.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

A Moment of Peace

On this day of Thanksgiving, the people of Israel and Gaza have so much to be thankful for. At least for this brief moment in time, they have been blessed with peace. I commend President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for stopping the bloodshed. I hope that the President will take this opportunity to forge a long term solution to this ongoing crisis in the Holy Land.

Al Jazeera reports that:

A ceasefire has gone into effect in and around the Gaza Strip, after Israel and Hamas agreed to cease hostilities.

Many Palestinians in Gaza City took to the streets to celebrate the truce on Wednesday night, blasting car horns and setting off fireworks from rooftops amid celebratory gunfire.

The Egyptian foreign minister announced the ceasefire agreement hours before it took hold at 19:00 GMT on Wednesday.

Mohamed Kamel Amr thanked all parties involved in mediating the truce as he made the announcement in a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

Under the ceasefire terms, Israel was to stop all aggression against the Gaza Strip from land, sea and air, including cross-border incursions and targeted killings.

Palestinian factions were to cease all rocket fire and attacks from Gaza towards Israel, including along the border.

Twenty-four hours after the ceasefire takes effect, Israel will also be committed to opening of all border crossings and ease restrictions on movements of people and goods in and out of the enclave.

Obama Makes Excuses for Israel's Brutality

Shout out to the Root



As the bombs fall and the babies die in Gaza, the President makes excuses for Israel's brutality. Mr. President, that is not change that we can believe in.

Al Jazeera reports that:

Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip have continued for a seventh day, despite calls for a truce, with the overall toll reaching 111, according to medical sources.

In the latest Israeli airstrike early on Tuesday morning, at least four people were injured when F-16 fighter jets hit the Islamic National Bank in Gaza City, which is located in a residential area.

In other violence on Monday, two boys, aged two and four, and their parents were killed in Jabaliya refugee camp late in the evening. More than a dozen people were injured, mostly women and children.

During the afternoon, one person was killed and another two wounded when a missile struck a car just north of Gaza City.

Elsewhere, a missile hit a motorcycle east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, killing two men and critically wounding a child who was with them, Gaza's ambulance service said.

Earlier in the day, two women and a child were among four killed in a raid on Gaza City's eastern Zeitun neighbourhood.

The Israeli military has struck more than 1,350 targets in Gaza since attacks began on Wednesday, Israel says it launched the operation to deter Palestinian fighters from launching rockets into its territory.

Since then, 640 rockets have hit Israel while more than 300 others have been intercepted by Israel's anti-missile system, the Iron Dome, according to the Israeli army. Three Israeli civilians died on Thursday in a rocket strike.

The Israeli military said that 67 rockets had been fired at the country on Monday, and that three Israelis had been wounded.

Many residents of southern Israel have left the area and schools have been closed since the start of the crisis.

More than 30 people were killed in Gaza on Monday.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Former President Jimmy Carter Speaks the Truth About Israel

Shout out to - Akanke Washington



Good morning family. Listen to former President Jimmy Carter speak the truth about Israel.

Our Fight is Far From Over!

The choice between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama was clear and obvious. The idea of Romney being president was frightening and unthinkable. We are all relieved that Obama won.  The reelection of Barack Obama is a tremendous victory.  Obama's reelection confirms that America has made some progress as a nation. We now know that his election was not an anomaly. For hundreds of years, the White House was an office reserved for white men. With the election and reelection of Barack Obama, that racist notion has been shattered into millions of pieces.

Before we start popping bottles and dancing in the streets, we must realize that our work is far from done. The reelection of Barack Obama is a significant symbol of progress. However, it is just that, a symbol. Despite all of chatter about changing demographics and the new electorate, white supremacy is alive and well. Racial disparities continue to exist in every sphere of life, including education, wealth, health, criminal justice, etc.

The backlash against Obama's reelection is evidence that racism and hatred still thrive in America. The flood of racist tweets following Obama's reelection proves the racial hatred continues to exist. After the election, as reported in the Los Angeles Times, Southern right wing fanatics signed petitions seeking to secede from the nation. Again, more proof the racial hatred continues to exist.



Despite the changing demographics, the Right will find ways to preserve white supremacy. For example, the Right is attacking the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action. Over a month ago, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the affirmative action case, Fisher v. University of Texas.

Moreover, as reported in the Washington Post, the Supreme Court will hear the case of Shelby County v. Holder.  In that case,  the court will consider whether Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. Section 5 requires jurisdictions with a history of discriminating against African American voters to seek preclearance from the United States Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia before they can change their voting laws. Without such preclearance requirements, states such as Texas and South Carolina would have been able to pass strict voter ID laws. Such laws are designed to suppress the black vote.

On the day that the Supreme Court hears arguments in Shelby County v. Holder, thousands of black people and progressives should swarm the outside of the courthouse and demand that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act be upheld. Our turnout should mirror the massive pro-immigration demonstrations. If we do not act, the gains of hundreds of years of struggle may be erased with the stroke of the pen. 

Obama's reelection is not the end. It is just a means to an end. Voting is just one tool in our arsenal for reform and progress. Other vital tools are lobbying, protesting and litigation. While the Republicans do their soul searching, we must develop strategies to make the next four years better than the last four years.

Progressives cannot sit on our couches and wait for Obama to perform miracles. We cannot exchange the truth for access and notoriety. Obama is a politician, nothing more and nothing less. He is not a freedom fighter. We must never forget that. If real change is to happen, it will be because movements have put pressure on the President and the Congress.

Instead of being surrogates and apologists for Obama, progressives and African Americans must be prepared to stand up to the Republican Party and the White House. Our blogs should not be echo chambers for the White House and MSNBC. We must be bold and truly independent.

We must speak truth to the President and the Congress. We must demand that the government launch a major initiative targeted to address high employment and poverty in the black community. The "rising tide" definitely has not lifted all boats. As reported on RT, "while national unemployment decreased to 7.9 percent in Oct. 2012, the numbers are grim for African-Americans, whose unemployment rate jumped from 13.4 percent to 14.3 percent in just one month, according to data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics." Instead of personally attacking Cornel West and Tavis Smiley for raising these issues, we should analyze the substance of their remarks. As Tavis Smiley wrote in the Huffington Post,

We celebrate this electoral victory today, but what about tomorrow? How tragic would it be at the end of eight years to be confronted by economic data which suggests (as the data does now) that in the Obama era Black folk lost ground in every single leading economic indicator category? I shudder at the very thought. So should you.

In addition to demanding economic justice, we must demand that the federal government address the problem of the mass incarceration of black people.  We must demand the total and complete end of sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine. Even under the Fair Sentencing Act, there is still an 18 to 1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. On another note, we should demand that the President use his pardon power to free all political prisoners such Mumia Abu Jamal and other victims of the Cointelpro era. 

We must demand that the President resist the terrorist tactics of the GOP.  The Republicans are essentially holding the American people hostage in order to preserve tax cuts for the rich.  Last time, Obama surrendered and agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. We cannot allow him to surrender this time.  We cannot allow him to cave to the GOP's austerity demands. We cannot let him wimp out and cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Along with domestic policy demands, we should make several demands with respect to foreign policy.  According to thecable.foreignpolicy.com, U.S. may remain in Afghanistan past 2014.  We must demand an immediate end to the senseless war in Afghanistan.   Furthermore, during his first Presidential campaign, Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay. He said that it was inconsistent with America's values. We must hold the President to that promise. We must demand that the Obama Administration stop allowing U.S. drones to bomb innocent civilians. Moreover, as bombs drop on innocent women and children in Gaza, we cannot remain silent while the President continues to defend Israel.

If the President ignores our demands, we must be prepared to make telephone calls, sign petitions and yes, march on Washington. The election is over. There are no more excuses for inaction. It is now or never. Our fight is far from over.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Obama Marches Forward to Victory!

As reported in the Washington Post,

Barack Obama was elected to a second presidential term Tuesday, defeating Republican Mitt Romney by reassembling the political coalition that boosted him to victory four years ago, and by remaking himself from a hopeful uniter into a determined fighter for middle-class interests.

Obama, the nation’s first African American president, scored a decisive victory by stringing together a series of narrow ones. Of the election’s seven major battlegrounds, he won at least six.

Last night, the truth prevailed over falsehood. Progress prevailed regression. Tolerance prevailed over intolerance. The 99 percent prevailed over the 1 percent. Compassion prevailed over indifference. Thank God that this nation will continue to move forward.

Wake Up, Obama is Not A Miracle Worker

In his article entitled The Price of a Black President, Fredrick C. Harris wrote:

...those who had seen in President Obama’s election the culmination of four centuries of black hopes and aspirations and the realization of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a “beloved community,” the last four years must be reckoned a disappointment. Whether it ends in 2013 or 2017, the Obama presidency has already marked the decline, rather than the pinnacle, of a political vision centered on challenging racial inequality. The tragedy is that black elites — from intellectuals and civil rights leaders to politicians and clergy members — have acquiesced to this decline, seeing it as the necessary price for the pride and satisfaction of having a black family in the White House.

...But the triumph of “post-racial” Democratic politics has not been a triumph for African-Americans in the aggregate. It has failed to arrest the growing chasm of income and wealth inequality; to improve prospects for social and economic mobility; to halt the re-segregation of public schools and narrow the black-white achievement gap; and to prevent the Supreme Court from eroding the last vestiges of affirmative action. The once unimaginable successes of black diplomats like Colin L. Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Susan E. Rice and of black chief executives like Ursula M. Burns, Kenneth I. Chenault and Roger W. Ferguson Jr. cannot distract us from facts like these: 28 percent of African-Americans, and 37 percent of black children, are poor (compared with 10 percent of whites and 13 percent of white children); 13 percent of blacks are unemployed (compared with 7 percent of whites); more than 900,000 black men are in prison; blacks experienced a sharper drop in income since 2007 than any other racial group; black household wealth, which had been disproportionately concentrated in housing, has hit its lowest level in decades; blacks accounted, in 2009, for 44 percent of new H.I.V. infections.

Mr. Obama cannot, of course, be blamed for any of these facts. It’s no secret that Republican obstruction has limited his options at every turn. But it’s disturbing that so few black elites have aggressively advocated for those whom the legal scholar Derrick A. Bell called the “faces at the bottom of the well.”

Further in his article, Mr. Harris slams black politicians, intellectuals and civil rights leaders for their "uncritical adulation" of the President. He argues that many black leaders have become "cheerleaders for the President or self-serving pundits."

Many of us hoped that President Obama's election represented the dawning of a new era of racial progress. Instead, his election appears to be an anomaly, a temporary convergence of interests. As reported on Yahoo News, racial attitutes have not improved since the election of President Obama. Yahoo reports that:

Racial prejudice has increased slightly since 2008 whether those feelings were measured using questions that explicitly asked respondents about racist attitudes, or through an experimental test that measured implicit views toward race without asking questions about that topic directly.

In all, 51 percent of Americans now express explicit anti-black attitudes, compared with 48 percent in a similar 2008 survey. When measured by an implicit racial attitudes test, the number of Americans with anti-black sentiments jumped to 56 percent, up from 49 percent during the last presidential election. In both tests, the share of Americans expressing pro-black attitudes fell.

Obama's four years in the White House cannot reverse hundreds of years of slavery, Jim Crow and institutionalized racism. It is completely unrealistic to expect President Obama to magically eliminate wealth inequality, high black unemployment, education disparities, mass incarceration and health care disparities. Obama is not a miracle worker.

Instead of tearing each other down, we should unite and re-elect President Obama. One thing is certain. If Romney is elected, he will do absolutely nothing to address our issues. After Obama is re-elected, we can have a serious discussion about holding him and black leaders accountable.

Obama and Romney Debate on Foreign Policy

Good morning family. What did you think about last night's debate?

Gallup Poll: Romney Would Win the Election If Held Today

Hat hip: Marc Hunt

Reuters reports that:

As most surveys show Obama and Romney locked in a virtual dead heat, Gallup finds that the Republican would win by a comfortable six percentage points if the election were held today.

Questions about the gap between Gallup's findings and those of other pollsters is the latest fuss this election season over polling methodology as partisan passions come to a boil in the heated final weeks before the November 6 presidential contest.

With a record of correctly predicting all but three of the 19 presidential races stretching back to 1936, Gallup is one of the most prestigious names in the business and its outlier status has other polling experts scratching their heads....

Republican strategist Karl Rove pointed out on Thursday that no candidate who has ever polled more than 50 percent in the Gallup poll at this point in a presidential race has gone on to lose the election. As it happens, Gallup had Romney at 51 percent that day.

The contrast between Gallup and other major polls is stark.

As of Friday afternoon, Gallup's daily tracking poll of likely voters had Romney leading Obama by six percentage points, 51 percent to 45 percent.

That Gallup poll is terrifying and eye opening.  Please don't assume that Obama is going to win this election. Vote and get involved! Our future is at stake! Forward! Obama 2012! Wake up and change the world!

Dear Black People: You Are Invisible and Irrelevant

So far, I have watched all three of the 2012 Presidential and Vice Presidential debates. Each debate lasted approximately 90 minutes. All three moderators were white. The final debate is on Monday. Again, the moderator will be white. The last debate will focus on foreign policy. During these debates, the candidates have discussed important issues such as the economy, taxes, education, women's rights, health care reform and terrorism. However, none of the debates discussed race or affirmative action.

Race is still a major issue in America. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether the University of Texas' affirmative action policy is constitutional. If the Supreme Court strikes down UT's affirmative action policy, the doors to higher education will be closed to many African American young people. Universities and colleges will become more and more segregated. However, that issue was not important enough for the debate moderators.

Moreover, the moderators failed to raise the problem of racial profiling. New York city's racist stop-and-frisk policy has been a major issue in the civil rights community. In New York and many cities around the country, young, innocent black men and women are constantly stopped, harassed and humiliated by police just because of the color of their skin.

Another example of racial profiling is the tragic Trayvon Martin case. This year, self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman hunted and shot down Trayvon Martin just because he was black. After great struggle and massive protests, Zimmerman was finally charged with murder.

In addition to racial profiling, mass incarceration was not raised during any of the debates. As explained in Michelle Alexander's book The New Jim Crow, the so-called War on Drugs has led to the mass incarceration of black people. Due to the mass incarceration problem, a disproportionate percentage of African Americans have been reduced to second class citizens even after they leave prison. In most states, they lose the right to vote and other precious rights.

In this mythological post-racial era, none of those issues matter. Unfortunately, the debates are fixated on issues that mainly impact white, moderate, middle class, undecided voters. As far as the presidential debates are concerned, black people are invisible and our concerns are irrelevant.

These debates have taught me one thing. In the eyes of the debate organizers and most of the viewers, the plight of Big Bird is far more important than the plight of my people. "Binders full of women" are more important than prisons full of black people.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Obama Strikes Back!

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Good morning. President Obama got his swagger back last night. He stood his ground and called out Mitt Romney. Thoughts?

"Slavery May Have Been A Blessing in Disguise?!?!"

As reported by the Root and the Arkansas Times, Republican Rep. Jon Hubbard made several outrageous and absurd statements in his new book.  He said that:

Slavery was good for black people:

“… the institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise. The blacks who could endure those conditions and circumstances would someday be rewarded with citizenship in the greatest nation ever established upon the face of the Earth.” (Pages 183-89)


If you think slavery was bad, you should have seen Africa:

African Americans must “understand that even while in the throes of slavery, their lives as Americans are likely much better than they ever would have enjoyed living in sub-Saharan Africa.”

“Knowing what we know today about life on the African continent, would an existence spent in slavery have been any crueler than a life spent in sub-Saharan Africa?” (Pages 93 and 189)

Rep. Hubbard is not the first Republican to say that slavery was a blessing. Check out this no good, house negro trying to justify slavery:



Our African ancestors experienced unimaginable suffering. Africans were kidnapped, stripped from the Motherland, shackled together, packed into slavery ships like sardines and forced to wallow in their own urine and feces. Millions died during the Middle Passage. The European slave masters threw our ancestors' bodies overboard into the Atlantic Ocean and watched the sharks devoured them. No, Uncle Peterson!  Middle Passage was not "like riding on a crowded airplane when you're not in first class!"

The survivors were subjected to the most cruel form of oppression and exploitation. In the words of Khalid Muhammad, "we were robbed of our names, robbed of our language. We lost our religion, our culture, our God.....we even lost our minds." For centuries, we were dehumanized, reduced to property, beaten with whips, maimed, raped and lynched. Despite all of that suffering, that imbecile has the audacity to say that slavery may be a blessing. That is pure nonsense.

In addition to enslaving Africans, Europeans colonized Africa and plundered her human and natural resources. The current condition of Africa can be directly traced to that legacy of colonialism, neo-colonialism and imperialism.

What does Rep. Hubbard's election say about the people of Arkansas? What does it say about the Republican Party?

Who Won, Obama or Romney?

Last night, President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney participated in the first Presidential Debate. The pundits on Morning Joe are saying that Romney won the debate. As far as I am concerned, the President won on both style and substance. What do you think?

The Niggerization of Barack Obama

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Following Mitt Romney's disparaging statements describing 47 percent of Americans as moochers, Romney has been behind in all of the crucial swing states. Essentially, the GOP realizes that the President Obama is now connecting with many different demographics, including white working class men. As reported in Politico and on Morning Joe,

Since 1972, white men have voted roughly 60-40 percent in favor of the Republican Party in presidential elections. The exception was 1976, when Democratic Southerner Jimmy Carter attracted 48 percent of the white male vote. Then, in 2008, Obama surpassed the numbers of Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry to win 41 percent of the white male vote nationally. But by 2010, white male support had shrunk back to 37 percent — a precarious landing spot for the president.  

Now, things could be shifting again. Already struggling to connect with average voters of all stripes because of his wealth and social station, Romney faces an additional hurdle with middle-class men in the secretly recorded video at a Florida fundraiser in which he seems to be assailing the working class as deadbeats and moochers.

In an act of desperation, Romney surrogates are attempting to create a wedge between the President and white voters. The Republicans realize that they cannot win this election on the merits.   Instead of taking the high road, Romney and the GOP are resorting to two different race baiting tactics.

The first tactic is make white voters fear the President by depicting him as the stereotypical angry, militant, divisive black man. The Right is attempting to resurrect that old, tired, dead Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy by digging up a 2007 video showing President Obama recognizing and praising his former pastor.  Essentially, they are trying to Farrakhanize Obama. For example, the Daily Caller reported that:

In a video obtained exclusively by The Daily Caller, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama tells an audience of black ministers, including the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, that the U.S. government shortchanged Hurricane Katrina victims because of racism.  

...The racially charged and at times angry speech undermines Obama’s carefully-crafted image as a leader eager to build bridges between ethnic groups. For nearly 40 minutes, using an accent he almost never adopts in public, Obama describes a racist, zero-sum society, in which the white majority profits by exploiting black America. The mostly black audience shouts in agreement. The effect is closer to an Al Sharpton rally than a conventional campaign event.

Another example of this fear tactic is the ongoing promotion of false and absurd notions that the President is foreign, Muslim and socialist. Some misguided, ignorant people continue to believe that the President's birth certificate is a forgery. A couple of weeks ago, Mitt Romney pandered to that group of simpletons by joking about his birth certificate. Moreover, despite doing countless interviews stating that he is a Christian, many people continue to insist that the President is a Muslim. In some quarters, the word "Muslim" is just another word for terrorist.

The second race baiting tactic is to make white voters resent the President by equating him with the lazy, undeserving, unqualified, welfare dependent negro stereotype. In the words of MSNBC commentator Toure, the Romney Campaign and its surrogates are attempting to niggerize the President. That are doing that by creating misleading ads and staged videos suggesting that President Obama is expanding welfare and giving away free cellphones to lazy black people.



Furthermore, in the Washington Post, columnist George Will basically wrote that the Obama will be re-elected simply because he is black.

"Perhaps a pleasant paradox defines this political season: That Obama is African American may be important, but in a way quite unlike that darkly suggested by, for example, MSNBC’s excitable boys and girls who, with their (at most) one-track minds and exquisitely sensitive olfactory receptors, sniff racism in any criticism of their pin-up. Instead, the nation, which is generally reluctant to declare a president a failure — thereby admitting that it made a mistake in choosing him — seems especially reluctant to give up on the first African American president. If so, the 2012 election speaks well of the nation’s heart, if not its head."

Another example is former Speaker House Newt Gingrich describing the President as the "food stamp president" and as "not a real president". More specifically, as stated in the Hill,

“[Obama] really is like the substitute [National Football League] referees in the sense that he’s not a real president,” Gingrich told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News Tuesday night. “He doesn’t do anything that presidents do, he doesn’t worry about any of the things the presidents do, but he has the White House, he has enormous power, and he’ll go down in history as the president, and I suspect that he’s pretty contemptuous of the rest of us.”



George Will's and Newt Gingrich's statements essentially convey the idea that the President is an unqualified, undeserving individual who achieved success based solely on unwarranted racial preferences and white liberal paternalism.  These attacks are nothing but dog whistles designed to use race to make white voters support Romney.

Hopefully, after tonight's presidential debate, no one will be talking about that five year old Obama video footage.  I look forward to hearing the President and Romney debate on substantive issues.

Why I Will Vote for Obama

I will vote for President Obama for several reasons. His Administration has fought to protect the civil rights of African Americans. The Obama Administration filed an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court case of Fisher v. the University of Texas At Austin. The Administration's brief supports the University's affirmative action plan. Affirmative action is a legitimate means to encourage diversity and to remedy past discrimination. Higher education is the key to success and upward mobility. Without affirmative action, many of us would not have been able to attend college, law school or medical school. Unlike President Obama, Republican candidate Mitt Romney opposes affirmative action. When he was governor, Romney attempted to end affirmative in Massachusetts.

In addition to supporting affirmative action, the Obama Administration has challenged voter ID laws in South Carolina and Texas. Contrary to the Republicans' assertions, voter ID laws are not designed to prevent fraud. In-person voter fraud is extremely rare. The real purpose of voter ID laws is to suppress black voters and other Democratic leaning voters. According to the Brennan Center, approximately 25 percent of African Americans do not possess government issued photo IDs, compared to only 8 percent of whites. Consequently, voter laws have a disproportionate impact on black people. Apparently, that does not matter to Romney. He supports voter ID laws.

As if that is not disturbing enough, Republicans are challenging the constitutionality of Section 5 of Voting Rights Act. The Obama Administration strongly opposes such efforts. Section 5 requires certain jurisdictions to seek pre-clearance from the Department of Justice before enacting new voting laws. The covered jurisdictions have a long history of enacting discriminatory voter laws.

Moreover, the Obama Administration passed the Fair Sentencing Act ("FSA"). Before the FSA was passed, the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine was 100 to 1. Under the FSA, that disparity has been reduced to 18 to 1. A disproportionate percentage of African Americans are targeted for using and selling crack. On the other hand, whites are more likely to be arrested for using and selling powder cocaine. As a result, black offenders receive harsher sentences than their white counterparts for using or selling the same amount of drugs. The FSA is a step toward ending that injustice.

Additionally, the President passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. That law makes it easier for plaintiffs to sustain equal-pay lawsuits.  According to National Women's Law Center, women earn 77 cent for every dollar earned by men. For black women, the gender gap is even greater.  African American women earn 62 cent for every dollar earned by their white male counterparts. Since a disproportionately large percentage of African American households are headed by women, the Fair Pay Act will expand economic opportunities for the black community.  This law will help women in general, black women in particular, fight gender discrimination.

Not only has he made civil rights a priority, the President passed historic health care reform. Although it is far from a single payer system or a public option, it does insure millions of uninsured people. It prevents insurance companies from excluding people from coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Although Obamacare is not perfect, it is a sign of progress. Romney and the Republicans oppose even those modest reforms.

Furthermore, contrary to the Republican Party's assertions, fixing the economy has been the President's top objective. The President's policy has created and protected jobs. Since President Obama has been in office, there has been 30 months of job creation. According to the Christian Science Monitor, private sector employers added 4.6 million net jobs.  As reported in the Huffington Post,"125,000 jobs have been created, in total, during Obama's first term, compared with a prior estimate of a loss of 261,000."  Although the economy has not fully recovered and unemployment remains too high, I am confident that President Obama is moving the economy in the right direction.

While Romney was saying that we should let Detroit go bankrupt, President Obama took bold action and rescued the American auto industry thereby saving thousands of jobs. Through stimulus money, the President protected the jobs of many teachers, police officers and firemen. In my hometown of Detroit, when 100 fire fighters faced layoffs, Obama saved those jobs and kept the city safe through Homeland Security funding.

Romney probably would have let Detroit burn. Romney has no real record of jobs creation. When Romney was governor, Massachusetts was 47th in job creation. As his former opponents Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich asserted during the primaries, Romney and his company, Bain Capital, have a vulturous record of feeding off of dying companies and leaving behind closed businesses and unemployed workers.

The President is concerned about all Americans, the workers and the middle class. Romney admitted that he is not concerned about 47 percent of voters. Romney acknowledged that he is not concerned about the very poor.

His selection of Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential nominee is evidence of his contempt for poor and middle class people. The Ryan budget would substantially cut vital government programs that benefit the black community. As reported in the Root, those programs include Pell grants, Head Start, welfare, food stamps, social security, Medicaid and Medicare. Under a Romney Administration, aspiring and ambitious college students would not be able to obtain Pell grants to pay for college. Senior citizens would receive less health care benefits. Poor people would be denied life saving assistance such as food stamps and welfare. While forcing the most vulnerable citizens to make great sacrifices, Romney would give the rich more tax breaks.

Not only is Obama a better choice because of his positions on domestic policy, he is a better choice when it comes to foreign policy. Although aspects of Obama's foreign policy are objectionable, Romney's foreign policy would be even more militaristic and imperialistic. If the GOP had their way, they would bomb Iran, send ground troops to Syria and continue to occupy Afghanistan indefinitely. When it comes to foreign policy, Obama is the lesser of two evils.

Do I think that Obama is the hope and change that we have been waiting for? No. Do I think that he walks on water, heals the sick and parts the sea? No. Do I think that he is Superman swooping down to save us? No. However, I know that he is a far better choice for African Americans than Mitt Romney. That is why I plan to vote for President Obama.  I hope that you vote for him as well.

This article is cross posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Do You Support the President's Foreign Policy?

Good morning family. Yesterday, President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations. Do you support the President's foreign policy? Why? Why not?

The Choice Is Yours, Obama or Romney?

Good morning family. The election is coming soon. The choice is yours, Obama or Romney?

We Will Never Forget 9/11

We will never forget the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks.

May God bless them and their families. May God bless all the policemen and firemen who entered the burning towers and the Pentagon to save lives. May God bless and protect the soldiers who go into harm's way pursuing the terrorists responsible for this tragedy. May God bring all of the terrorists to justice.



May God protect innocent civilians in all nations from terrorism. Let love prevail over hate. Let tolerance prevail over intolerance. Let understanding prevail over ignorance. Amen.