Words will never be able to convey the amount of pride, honor, excitement and anxiety I feel for this man on this day. At noon today, Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as this nation's 44th president.
After more than 200 years of institutionalized slavery, more than 100 years of Jim Crow laws that legalized segregation and the on-going discrimination that people of color endure regularly - finally, we have stepped up to cash that metaphoric check Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spoke about at the March on Washington.
Standing tall atop the shoulders of great black Americans like King, like Ralph Abernathy, like Rosa Parks and countless others, we as people, of all colors, have achieved a dream that our foreparents dared not dream. We have joined together with brethren and foes alike to move our wonderful nation forward in a positive direction.
Today, America is different. It's been transformed, reborn and it has indeed become a better place.
There's still work to be done, but now, we can do it together. Now is the time for us to put aside our differences, our hatred and our insecurities so that we can all come together on one accord to make our country the best it can possibly be.
So today, faithful readers, shake a hand, share a smile, hell, hug a few folks and let's get to work.
A wise person once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Casting our ballots for Obama was that first step and the work we do will up to those thousand miles. Let's finish this journey together.
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Standing on the Cusp of History
Words will never be able to convey the amount of pride, honor, excitement and anxiety I feel for this man on this day. At noon today, Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as this nation's 44th president.
After more than 200 years of institutionalized slavery, more than 100 years of Jim Crow laws that legalized segregation and the on-going discrimination that people of color endure regularly - finally, we have stepped up to cash that metaphoric check Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spoke about at the March on Washington.
Standing tall atop the shoulders of great black Americans like King, like Ralph Abernathy, like Rosa Parks and countless others, we as people, of all colors, have achieved a dream that our foreparents dared not dream. We have joined together with brethren and foes alike to move our wonderful nation forward in a positive direction.
Today, America is different. It's been transformed, reborn and it has indeed become a better place.
There's still work to be done, but now, we can do it together. Now is the time for us to put aside our differences, our hatred and our insecurities so that we can all come together on one accord to make our country the best it can possibly be.
So today, faithful readers, shake a hand, share a smile, hell, hug a few folks and let's get to work.
A wise person once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Casting our ballots for Obama was that first step and the work we do will up to those thousand miles. Let's finish this journey together.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Pass the peanuts ...
... it appears that Washington, D.C. politics have turned into an all out three-ring circus and the President Elect is the ringmaster.
First off, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been arrested and charged with several felony corruption charges that allege he was trying to sell Obama's senate seat. According to CNN, Blagojevich and his chief of staff were each a count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and a count of solicitation of bribery. The U.S. Attorney's office caught them in a good old fashioned sting operation complete with a bugged office and phones. Earlier today, Blagojevich was released under his own recognizance under a $4,500 bond. He had to surrender his passport and now Sen. Dick Durbin is trying to get the state legislature to pass a bill to have a special called election for the president elect's Senate seat.
Well duh, they need one. That snake will probably appoint a family member or one of his campaign contributors as the succesor. I want the president elect as far away from this nonsense as possible. It has gotten completely out of hand. And speaking of other random foolishness, how about Alan Keyes' lawsuit to challenge Obama's citizenship? What kind of random, Uncle Tom, crabs in a bucket nonsense is this?
He, and a lot of other quacks, contend that Obama was not born in Hawaii like he claims, but in Kenya. They also allege that he also has a citizenship in Indonesia. The U.S. Constitution states that in order to be the president, one must be a "natural born" citizen of the country. That loosely translates to mean that he must be born on American soil. This is a load of crap. I don't remember hearing anyone dispute Sen. McCain's eligibility to serve. He was born in Panama for crying out loud. Keyes is simply being a sore loser, emphasis on the word loser. This guy is still pissed that Obama spanked his ass in the Illinois Senate Race back in 2004. Now, he was a presidential candidate who got all of 40,000 votes and now he's pissed that he got beat again.
He's been challenging Obama to produce evidence that he was born in the U.S. I say we turn the tables. I want evidence that Keyes is a black man. I want proof that his name is spelled 'Keyes.' Hell, I want proof that he is an American. I know all of those are ridiculous, so is his claim that Obama is not a natural born citizen. In fact, Keyes is the recipient of Smarty Jones' "sit cho ass down" award for this quarter. In his honor, a song by one Maino:
Thursday, December 4, 2008
This is just re-damn-diculous!
Barack Obama has been elected our nation's 44th president and millions and millions of people are ecstatic. Since Nov. 4, there have been countless celebrations, people paying for free inauguration tickets, people being barred from talking about Obama at work and school and of course, more merchandise than we can handle.
All this began with a couple of T-shirts and caps, maybe even a few buttons and lapel pins.
As the president elect gained momentum, you started to see bags, towels, playing cards and maybe even a few wristbands.
Now that he's President Elect Obama, people have just gone crazy. I've seen coins, commemorative plates, mugs, shot glasses.
But now, these people have gone too far. I opened up my e-mail yesterday and I saw Obama Chocolates. Chocolates, people? And that's not all, there are calendars, workbooks, pencils, posters and a partridge in a pear tree!
Please vendors, bootleggers and hook-up men, stop! Stop right now. Stop bastardizing this man's image and likeness. You are cheapening his victory, for $19.95 plus shipping and handling.
As the president elect gained momentum, you started to see bags, towels, playing cards and maybe even a few wristbands.
Now that he's President Elect Obama, people have just gone crazy. I've seen coins, commemorative plates, mugs, shot glasses.
But now, these people have gone too far. I opened up my e-mail yesterday and I saw Obama Chocolates. Chocolates, people? And that's not all, there are calendars, workbooks, pencils, posters and a partridge in a pear tree!
Please vendors, bootleggers and hook-up men, stop! Stop right now. Stop bastardizing this man's image and likeness. You are cheapening his victory, for $19.95 plus shipping and handling.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Obama - The Movie
Please visit my other blog, Difference of Opinion, for today's post.
Don't be shy, leave a comment.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Yes We Did!!!
Tonight, I am in awe. I am inspired. I am proud.
Earlier tonight, I awakened from a Nyquil enduced stupor to see that Sen. Barack Obama is now President-Elect Obama.
At first, I thought that my fever had gotten the best of me and I was dreaming. Then I started to receive text messages and phone calls and I knew then it was real.
This something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime. FOr my whole life, I have always been told and told my nieces and nephews that we can be whatever we wanted if we simply work hard and put our minds to it. Now, it's all been validated and solidified with this moment in history.
I am overjoyed and I hope you all are as happy as I am tonight.
Earlier tonight, I awakened from a Nyquil enduced stupor to see that Sen. Barack Obama is now President-Elect Obama.
At first, I thought that my fever had gotten the best of me and I was dreaming. Then I started to receive text messages and phone calls and I knew then it was real.
This something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime. FOr my whole life, I have always been told and told my nieces and nephews that we can be whatever we wanted if we simply work hard and put our minds to it. Now, it's all been validated and solidified with this moment in history.
I am overjoyed and I hope you all are as happy as I am tonight.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
AggieLand Stand Up!!!
These pictures are from an Obama rally at my beloved alma mater N.C. A&T State University over the weekend. Special guests were Kevin Liles, Russell Simmons and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.
Video links are coming soon. Until then, enjoy the slide show!
Video links are coming soon. Until then, enjoy the slide show!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
It's been a few days ...
... and so much has happened.
First off, early voting is under way throughout the country, I hope you all have voted or plan to go soon. I'm going this afternoon. You get two guesses as to who my candidate is. *tee hee hee*
I wrote, by hand, a post for you guys last week and reading over it today, it is a little old as far as news goes. But, because I am such a great person and I really don't feel like re-doing it all, I am going to post it for you below in its original form.
October 14, 2008 This afternoon when i should have been working, I over heard a conversation between three co-workers - a white guy and two black women. He's working on a story about the upcoming visit of one, Sarah Palelynn, to the area. He, very innocently, asked if he was naive for being surprised at seeing black folks in line for tickets to see the governor. Of course they, being the consummate professionals that they are, gently informed him that all black folks don't vote the same because we're black. One of the the ladies said, "You can't expect 12 million people to all vote for the same candidate because of skin color. I agree.
Also, last week, I saw three black men - two professionals, one student - being interviewed by Rick Sanchez on CNN about why they are voting for Sen. John McCain. Add to that the small cadre of people of color present during the Republican National Convention and I'll say that these ladies are extremely accurate.
Because Sen. Barack Obama, like all of us, has black blood coursing through his veins, race was injected into this presidential race very early on. Sadly, it shows no sign of exiting any time soon.
Since the 1600s when the European settlers made their voyage to the New World, there has always been this misconception that the people with darker skin tones are somehow less intelligent and unworthy of any job that is not strenuous, stressful and pure manual labor.
That could perhaps explain the tendency to enslave and cast off those of the darker hue.
Something that is even funnier to me is immediately after slavery, former slaves actually belonged tt the GOP. It wasn't until after Republicans over threw/cast out/drove away rightfully elected black Republicans that black folks started to vote Democratic. That has since become our country's method of operation.
Because a lot of my counterparts in the media tend to major in the minor, what should be a campaign focused on our country's policies has become a campaign laced with painting the Democratic candidate as a villain.
Now all of a sudden, all black people are voting for Obama because he's black. That is simply a crock. Nobody ever accused white voters of voting for past candidates simply because they're white.
Like always, this election is a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. They're both politicians and that means there's something wrong with both of them. Obama isn't more evil because he's black. McCain isn't less evil because he's white.
Because the issue of race is hundreds of years old, we would hope that we have moved away from this backwards thinking. We haven't. It's downright pitiful that we all carry the fears and prejudices of our forefathers.
Scientists say that people - all people - are 99.9 percent the same. It's that other .01 percent that gives us our skin, hair and eye color.
When you think about it, why wouldn't we share the same DNA? If you believe in creation, we're all descendants of Adam and Eve. If you believe in evolution, we all descend from the first civilization in Africa. You read it right, Africa!
Sit in on any World Civilization class and you'll learn how there was only once civilization that became many mutated civilizations and tribes over various periods and ages.
Why the history lesson? I'm glad you asked. I feel like if we all know, understand, comprehend and accept where we come from, we can't help but get over the bullshit that is racism. That means the stereotypes, the hatred and the whole process of treating other differently based on their race or skin color.
Can you get over it? I can get over it - I've been over it. Will you join me?
October 14, 2008 This afternoon when i should have been working, I over heard a conversation between three co-workers - a white guy and two black women. He's working on a story about the upcoming visit of one, Sarah Palelynn, to the area. He, very innocently, asked if he was naive for being surprised at seeing black folks in line for tickets to see the governor. Of course they, being the consummate professionals that they are, gently informed him that all black folks don't vote the same because we're black. One of the the ladies said, "You can't expect 12 million people to all vote for the same candidate because of skin color. I agree.
Also, last week, I saw three black men - two professionals, one student - being interviewed by Rick Sanchez on CNN about why they are voting for Sen. John McCain. Add to that the small cadre of people of color present during the Republican National Convention and I'll say that these ladies are extremely accurate.
Because Sen. Barack Obama, like all of us, has black blood coursing through his veins, race was injected into this presidential race very early on. Sadly, it shows no sign of exiting any time soon.
Since the 1600s when the European settlers made their voyage to the New World, there has always been this misconception that the people with darker skin tones are somehow less intelligent and unworthy of any job that is not strenuous, stressful and pure manual labor.
That could perhaps explain the tendency to enslave and cast off those of the darker hue.
Something that is even funnier to me is immediately after slavery, former slaves actually belonged tt the GOP. It wasn't until after Republicans over threw/cast out/drove away rightfully elected black Republicans that black folks started to vote Democratic. That has since become our country's method of operation.
Because a lot of my counterparts in the media tend to major in the minor, what should be a campaign focused on our country's policies has become a campaign laced with painting the Democratic candidate as a villain.
Now all of a sudden, all black people are voting for Obama because he's black. That is simply a crock. Nobody ever accused white voters of voting for past candidates simply because they're white.
Like always, this election is a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. They're both politicians and that means there's something wrong with both of them. Obama isn't more evil because he's black. McCain isn't less evil because he's white.
Because the issue of race is hundreds of years old, we would hope that we have moved away from this backwards thinking. We haven't. It's downright pitiful that we all carry the fears and prejudices of our forefathers.
Scientists say that people - all people - are 99.9 percent the same. It's that other .01 percent that gives us our skin, hair and eye color.
When you think about it, why wouldn't we share the same DNA? If you believe in creation, we're all descendants of Adam and Eve. If you believe in evolution, we all descend from the first civilization in Africa. You read it right, Africa!
Sit in on any World Civilization class and you'll learn how there was only once civilization that became many mutated civilizations and tribes over various periods and ages.
Why the history lesson? I'm glad you asked. I feel like if we all know, understand, comprehend and accept where we come from, we can't help but get over the bullshit that is racism. That means the stereotypes, the hatred and the whole process of treating other differently based on their race or skin color.
Can you get over it? I can get over it - I've been over it. Will you join me?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
I went to the Obama rally ...
... in Greensboro, N.C., yesterday and it was an awesome experience!
For those of you all who live in areas where he will be coming in the next few weeks, make it your business to attend.
Of course, I have pictures:
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Am I a hypocrite ...
... because I find this funny?
OK, I was totally offended by the Obama cover. But as we have gotten further along, I've started looking back on the journey and the foolishness that we are being inundated with at it relates to the Democratic presidential nominee and this wasn't that bad.
Granted, it is offensive but it is not as dangerous as those fools in Denver riding around with the weapons talking about an assassination plot on Sen. Obama. It's not nearly as dangerous as the fool who was arrested near his home in Chicago.
All of the tasteless jokes and sad attempts at satire now all seem so trivial because these fools are trying to jeopardize the safety of him and his family.
Not to get off subject, I just think those two guys are h.i.larious!!! The difference in what they did and what the graphic artists and editors at the New Yorker did is Stewart and Colbert make their living spoofing all things news and political. The New Yorker is regarded as a reputable media outlet therefore there isn't much room left for satire, in my opinion.
If anything, that should have been the cartoon in the Op-Ed section, not the cover. At any rate, I hope you guys love Colbert and Stewart as much as I.
OK, I was totally offended by the Obama cover. But as we have gotten further along, I've started looking back on the journey and the foolishness that we are being inundated with at it relates to the Democratic presidential nominee and this wasn't that bad.
Granted, it is offensive but it is not as dangerous as those fools in Denver riding around with the weapons talking about an assassination plot on Sen. Obama. It's not nearly as dangerous as the fool who was arrested near his home in Chicago.
All of the tasteless jokes and sad attempts at satire now all seem so trivial because these fools are trying to jeopardize the safety of him and his family.
Not to get off subject, I just think those two guys are h.i.larious!!! The difference in what they did and what the graphic artists and editors at the New Yorker did is Stewart and Colbert make their living spoofing all things news and political. The New Yorker is regarded as a reputable media outlet therefore there isn't much room left for satire, in my opinion.
If anything, that should have been the cartoon in the Op-Ed section, not the cover. At any rate, I hope you guys love Colbert and Stewart as much as I.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Well, I'd say it's mighty damn convenient ...
... that Sen. John McCain wants to suspend his campaign to focus on this "historic" economic crisis our country is being faced with at this time.
He plans to return to Washington, D.C., to help resolve the issue of whether or not to bail out these Wall Street companies that are really far in debt. CNN reported that he plans to suspend his campaign meaning he won't run commercials or participate in Friday's debate unless this thing has been resolved.
**A-choo** You'll have to excuse me, I'm allergic to bullshit.
Wouldn't you all say that it is mighty damn convenient that McCain all of a sudden wants to run to D.C.to resolve a problem 10 years in the making? Wouldn't you think that he's simply not ready for this debate because he knows he's going to get a bunch of questions like, "how come a Republican-run House and Senate didn't see this coming 10 years ago?"
The funny thing is Democrats just became the majority two years ago so a lot of this they have inherited. Then again, they should have been trying to do something to prevent a fall out of this magnitude.
At any rate, I can not be the only one who thinks McCain is just doing this to save some money and to have more time to prepare himself for this debate.
Think about it, this week, he has a couple of points on Obama in the polls and he's had some problems maintaining his momentum in the past.
Add to that the fact that Campbell Brown obliterated him and his cronies for their sexist treatment of her.
I tell you that the man is a-skeerd! Shoot, wouldn't you be? He's debating Barack Freakin' Obama, who would want to be in opposition of that man when he's speaking? Ol' McSame ain't as senile as I initially thought.
This was a skillful move - a very skillful and calculated move.
You're a good politician Charlie Brown!
**A-choo** You'll have to excuse me, I'm allergic to bullshit.
Wouldn't you all say that it is mighty damn convenient that McCain all of a sudden wants to run to D.C.to resolve a problem 10 years in the making? Wouldn't you think that he's simply not ready for this debate because he knows he's going to get a bunch of questions like, "how come a Republican-run House and Senate didn't see this coming 10 years ago?"
The funny thing is Democrats just became the majority two years ago so a lot of this they have inherited. Then again, they should have been trying to do something to prevent a fall out of this magnitude.
At any rate, I can not be the only one who thinks McCain is just doing this to save some money and to have more time to prepare himself for this debate.
Think about it, this week, he has a couple of points on Obama in the polls and he's had some problems maintaining his momentum in the past.
Add to that the fact that Campbell Brown obliterated him and his cronies for their sexist treatment of her.
I tell you that the man is a-skeerd! Shoot, wouldn't you be? He's debating Barack Freakin' Obama, who would want to be in opposition of that man when he's speaking? Ol' McSame ain't as senile as I initially thought.
This was a skillful move - a very skillful and calculated move.
You're a good politician Charlie Brown!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Been a minute ...
... since I last posted and so much has happened.
First of all, Sen. Obama gave an awesome speech during the convention last week. I don't know about you guys but I was inspired. He is just a dynamic speaker who speaks to us like we're adults and ya gotta love that, right?
Secondly, Sen. McCain has chosen his veep and she's a woman. Not just any woman, she's Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. I'm not going to rattle off her accomplishments because I'm sure you've been reading and watching the news. The main two things about her that are impacting the news right now is her involvement in "TrooperGate" and the fact that her 17-year-old daughter is preggors.
TrooperGate is what the talking heads are calling the investigation into an allegation that she abused her power as governor to have her sister's ex-husband, who is a state trooper, fired. After he wasn't fired, she then fired his boss. Apparently, this man and her sister were involved in a heated custody battle over their children.
The McCain/Palin spokespeople released a statement acknowledging the fact that Palin's teen daughter is pregnant during the height of the Hurricane Gustav coverage. Now, I don't' want to say that it was calculated but, uh, what does it look like to you? This may have been just the boost that Sen. Obama needed. I mean, she's got more revelations than a New Jersey governor.
The bad part about this whole thing is, it is wrong to capitalize on anyone else's situation, but dayum, Obama could really blow this up if he wanted to do that. But, being the classy, cool brotha that he is, Obama stood up and said that families, especially children, are off limits. Now that was classy.
Had it been the kid, umph, umph, umph, I can't say that I would just let it go. Politics are petty and so are politicians, so why not use it?
Anyway, this doesn't really speak highly of her "abstinence only" approach to sex education. She's living in the dark ages thinking that these oversexed teenagers will be abstinent. That's another post for another day.
I'm just amazed that we're just now getting over the fact that McCain picked a woman for the bottom half of the ticket who he'd only spoken to once. That seems a little strange to me. Anyway, the Republican National Convention is going on this week.
I can't promise that I'll watch all the speeches in their entirety, but I'll do my best.
I kinda have a low bullshit tolerance and I know I'll be sick if I watch too much of that stuff.
Secondly, Sen. McCain has chosen his veep and she's a woman. Not just any woman, she's Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. I'm not going to rattle off her accomplishments because I'm sure you've been reading and watching the news. The main two things about her that are impacting the news right now is her involvement in "TrooperGate" and the fact that her 17-year-old daughter is preggors.
TrooperGate is what the talking heads are calling the investigation into an allegation that she abused her power as governor to have her sister's ex-husband, who is a state trooper, fired. After he wasn't fired, she then fired his boss. Apparently, this man and her sister were involved in a heated custody battle over their children.
The McCain/Palin spokespeople released a statement acknowledging the fact that Palin's teen daughter is pregnant during the height of the Hurricane Gustav coverage. Now, I don't' want to say that it was calculated but, uh, what does it look like to you? This may have been just the boost that Sen. Obama needed. I mean, she's got more revelations than a New Jersey governor.
The bad part about this whole thing is, it is wrong to capitalize on anyone else's situation, but dayum, Obama could really blow this up if he wanted to do that. But, being the classy, cool brotha that he is, Obama stood up and said that families, especially children, are off limits. Now that was classy.
Had it been the kid, umph, umph, umph, I can't say that I would just let it go. Politics are petty and so are politicians, so why not use it?
Anyway, this doesn't really speak highly of her "abstinence only" approach to sex education. She's living in the dark ages thinking that these oversexed teenagers will be abstinent. That's another post for another day.
I'm just amazed that we're just now getting over the fact that McCain picked a woman for the bottom half of the ticket who he'd only spoken to once. That seems a little strange to me. Anyway, the Republican National Convention is going on this week.
I can't promise that I'll watch all the speeches in their entirety, but I'll do my best.
I kinda have a low bullshit tolerance and I know I'll be sick if I watch too much of that stuff.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen ...
... right now, today at 6:50 p.m., I hereby suspend my disdain for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
What's happened, you may ask? She, in a very classy move by the way, made a motion to suspend campaign rules to nominate Sen. Barack Obama by acclimation. That means that she pretty much asked for them to stop the vote and she all but conceded. I applaud her for that, I really do.
She gave a helluva speech last night in an effort to unite the party. Personally, I think that she has just about cemented her nomination in 2016. I know she'll have my vote.
This is such a historic day, not only for America, but for minority children everywhere. When teachers and parents tell young minority children they can be whatever they want they can now see that it is the truth.
If I know politics, I know she will be offered a position in Obama's cabinet and she should take it. While I know there was some controversy surrounding her being passed over for the vice president's position but she will be a wonderful asset to the country.
I watched her read her statement and ask for the suspension and people everywhere started to weep. If I weren't so hard, I might've shed a tear too. **he he he*** The thing that I am most proud of is I can tell my grandchildren about the day that a woman cleared the path for an African American to be the president of the United States.
This may not mean much to anyone else but it means so much to me. I am not the average 26-year-old in that I am concerned about the legacy that I will leave for my unborn children, my nieces, nephews and godchildren. The generation that I belong to has seriously been in danger of not doing anything to make life a little better for the next generation.
Now that Obama is the nominee, we can all insure that we'll make life better by simply casting our vote for Obama. I may have drank the Obama Kool-Aid, call me crazy, but I believe in him and his ability to affect change on the highest level, ever.
I am simply overjoyed and amazed at today's happenings. Oh what I wouldn't give to be in Denver tonight!
What's happened, you may ask? She, in a very classy move by the way, made a motion to suspend campaign rules to nominate Sen. Barack Obama by acclimation. That means that she pretty much asked for them to stop the vote and she all but conceded. I applaud her for that, I really do.
She gave a helluva speech last night in an effort to unite the party. Personally, I think that she has just about cemented her nomination in 2016. I know she'll have my vote.
This is such a historic day, not only for America, but for minority children everywhere. When teachers and parents tell young minority children they can be whatever they want they can now see that it is the truth.
If I know politics, I know she will be offered a position in Obama's cabinet and she should take it. While I know there was some controversy surrounding her being passed over for the vice president's position but she will be a wonderful asset to the country.
I watched her read her statement and ask for the suspension and people everywhere started to weep. If I weren't so hard, I might've shed a tear too. **he he he*** The thing that I am most proud of is I can tell my grandchildren about the day that a woman cleared the path for an African American to be the president of the United States.
This may not mean much to anyone else but it means so much to me. I am not the average 26-year-old in that I am concerned about the legacy that I will leave for my unborn children, my nieces, nephews and godchildren. The generation that I belong to has seriously been in danger of not doing anything to make life a little better for the next generation.
Now that Obama is the nominee, we can all insure that we'll make life better by simply casting our vote for Obama. I may have drank the Obama Kool-Aid, call me crazy, but I believe in him and his ability to affect change on the highest level, ever.
I am simply overjoyed and amazed at today's happenings. Oh what I wouldn't give to be in Denver tonight!
Monday, August 25, 2008
And so they convene ...
... in the Mile-High City. Today jump starts perhaps the most historic Democratic National Convention, EVER!
I have told you guys before that I was a registered independent until the primaries this year. I was unaware that North Carolina had an open primary until after I had voted. I thought I had to be a Democrat to vote for one in the primaries. It turns out I could have voted for him anyway. So, I guess that makes me a Democrat, for this year anyway.
Regardless, I am ecstatic because Sen. Obama did not pick Sen. Clinton as his running mate. In case you've been under a rock all weekend, he chose Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate. I happen to think that is hilarious because I'm sure she thought she had the veep spot sewn up.
I happen to think he made an excellent choice for his vice president. Who but Biden can stick his foot all the way down this throat and still have enough mouth to tell it like it is?
I was listening to the Tom Joyner Morning Show this morning and folks were calling in to "express themselves" on the new ticket. Some folks were saying they are going to have to pray over whether or not they are going to vote for an Obama/Biden ticket.
Some people were saying they were pissed about Biden's comments made early in the primary when he said Obama didn't have any experience and made a few remarks that can be deemed offensive.
In February 2007, Biden said:
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Biden said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."
Looking back and given some of the things that have been said about Obama, this comment is far from offensive. It may have been taken out of context, it may have been intentional, regardless of the situation, I think he needs someone who will speak his mind without worrying about who he offends. Sometimes, we just need to hear the truth and more often than not, it hurts.
I think hanging with Obama will be good for Biden and vice versa. Biden will learn why it is not OK to say certain things about an entire group of people and why some things are offensive when others are not.Obama will learn more about foreign policy. It's a win/win situation.
Tonight will be the official kick-off. Everything starts at 5 p.m. EST. Since I know you all wouldn't be interested in seeing or hearing all the "goings on," I'll just say that Michelle Obama is the keynote speaker tonight. I'm not sure what time she's speaking, all I know is I'm sure she'll be the bomb.
Also speaking tonight will be Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., and various other representatives and senators.
To give you guys an idea of how this thing will work, I am going to watch the speech tonight and give you my own lil' commentary and preview the next speakers. Is that alright with ya'll?
I happen to think he made an excellent choice for his vice president. Who but Biden can stick his foot all the way down this throat and still have enough mouth to tell it like it is?
I was listening to the Tom Joyner Morning Show this morning and folks were calling in to "express themselves" on the new ticket. Some folks were saying they are going to have to pray over whether or not they are going to vote for an Obama/Biden ticket.
Some people were saying they were pissed about Biden's comments made early in the primary when he said Obama didn't have any experience and made a few remarks that can be deemed offensive.
In February 2007, Biden said:
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Biden said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."
Looking back and given some of the things that have been said about Obama, this comment is far from offensive. It may have been taken out of context, it may have been intentional, regardless of the situation, I think he needs someone who will speak his mind without worrying about who he offends. Sometimes, we just need to hear the truth and more often than not, it hurts.
I think hanging with Obama will be good for Biden and vice versa. Biden will learn why it is not OK to say certain things about an entire group of people and why some things are offensive when others are not.Obama will learn more about foreign policy. It's a win/win situation.
Tonight will be the official kick-off. Everything starts at 5 p.m. EST. Since I know you all wouldn't be interested in seeing or hearing all the "goings on," I'll just say that Michelle Obama is the keynote speaker tonight. I'm not sure what time she's speaking, all I know is I'm sure she'll be the bomb.
Also speaking tonight will be Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., and various other representatives and senators.
To give you guys an idea of how this thing will work, I am going to watch the speech tonight and give you my own lil' commentary and preview the next speakers. Is that alright with ya'll?
Monday, July 14, 2008
It's a sad, sad day in American politics.
Not only because former White House press secretary Tony Snow has passed away. Not only because there have been 4,118 confirmed deaths as a result of the War in Iraq. I'm sad because even as far as America has come, some of us still feel a need use hate speech and propaganda when a candidate of color is doing so well in a political run.
Because I am 26, I've had the privilege of voting in the past two presidential elections. Because of the outcome of both of those pseudo-elections, it left me feeling a bit disenchanted with the political process of this country.
Since Sen. Barack Obama burst onto the national political scene, he's brought with him the rebirth of a lot of people's faith and hope, myself included, in America's political process. To me, it's only icing on the cake that Obama is a black man.
I say icing because this is a historic moment that is long overdue. It's 2008, John Mercer Langston , the first black man elected to public office, was elected in 1855, the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves on the first day of 1863. The Voting Rights Act that guarantees all citizens the right to vote was passed in 1965. Yet, after all that, Americans and the American press feel a need to play, not just the race card, but the whole deck.
Last night when I went to bed, I went with the intentions of writing about Oliver Stone's upcoming release, "W," which is a biopic about the current President Bush. I was going to compare pictures of the actual people and the real folks and tell some of my choices for the cast.
But, this morning I woke up, checked CNN and got my eyes full of racially fueled, insensitive, offensive and downright tasteless crap. The first thing I saw was this cover of the New Yorker.
That is supposed to be Obama dressed in what has been described as "Muslim clothes" giving his wife Michelle a fist bump while she is dressed in combat boots, Army fatigues, carrying an AK-47 and sporting an Angela Davis-sized afro. If you look closely in the background, you'll see a picture of Osama bin Laden hanging on the wall and the American flag is burning in the fireplace.
In a statement released to the Associated Press, the magazine states that the artist is the artist's way of satirizing "the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Barack Obama's campaign."
Satire my ashy knee caps! That is for the lack of a better term, crap.
Every since the Obama campaign has started, folks have been trying to derail it by playing to the fears of insecurities that so many Republicans and racist Americans have about black people in general. Acts like this are simply the politics of fear being put to practice.
Before 9/11, Americans were oblivious and apathetic to world issues and we rarely heard about any countries wanting to harm us. Now that we have been attacked, the Republicans have been able to maintain the power that they have because voters know that Dems and Independents will more often than not try to be diplomatic and talk us through this thing instead of running off to foreign countries with "guns a-blazing."
So instead of simply saying they don't agree with Obama's politics, because he is a black man with the name Barack Hussein Obama, he has to be a terrorist.
Let's discuss this logically, OK? First off, the man is named after his father. He can't help that. If he would have changed his name, he'd be denying his father and his family's legacy. Plus, how the freak was his mom to know that his middle name would be the surname of one of the world's most infamous dictators?
Secondly, why is the afro the international symbol for 'the angry black woman?' I never understood that. It's hair, that's all. I wear an afro and you would be surprised how much it scares people.
My hair is a lot fuller and thicker than it appears because I don't want to scare anybody. For the last time, it is just hair! Michelle Obama doesn't wear her hair in an afro but that is how she's been depicted because I guess that makes her seem more angry.
I say it's all bull. The folks at the New Yorker obviously believe that Americans are too stupid to recognize racist propaganda when we see it. I don't see them drawing Sen. John McCain on a walker, with a blanket draped over his shoulders carrying a bottle of Geritol and then claiming that it isn't ageism.
To add insult to injury, host of the McLaughlin Group, John McLaughlin called Obama an "Oreo" during the Sunday broadcast of his show. According a report on CNN, McLaughlin said Obama "fits the stereotype blacks once labeled as an Oreo — a black on the outside, a white on the inside."
"Does it frost Jackson, Jesse Jackson, that…an Oreo should be the beneficiary of the long civil rights struggle which Jesse Jackson spent his lifetime fighting for?" McLaughlin asked his panelists.
Boy, some folks are gettin' more and more bold, aren't they? Granted, I think that some of us are a little too sensitive about some of the names and some of the things being said about black people but when you think about it, we're the only folks who hear racial epithets on a regular basis in most cases by people who look like us.
You don't hear Asians referring to each other as Chinks and Coolies, at least not out in public. You don't hear Jewish people referring to each other as mocks and kikes.
Honestly, I think we should ignore the speech being spewed about Obama and all hate speech in general. And maybe, just maybe, it'll all go away.
What do you think?
That is supposed to be Obama dressed in what has been described as "Muslim clothes" giving his wife Michelle a fist bump while she is dressed in combat boots, Army fatigues, carrying an AK-47 and sporting an Angela Davis-sized afro. If you look closely in the background, you'll see a picture of Osama bin Laden hanging on the wall and the American flag is burning in the fireplace.
In a statement released to the Associated Press, the magazine states that the artist is the artist's way of satirizing "the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Barack Obama's campaign."
Satire my ashy knee caps! That is for the lack of a better term, crap.
Every since the Obama campaign has started, folks have been trying to derail it by playing to the fears of insecurities that so many Republicans and racist Americans have about black people in general. Acts like this are simply the politics of fear being put to practice.
Before 9/11, Americans were oblivious and apathetic to world issues and we rarely heard about any countries wanting to harm us. Now that we have been attacked, the Republicans have been able to maintain the power that they have because voters know that Dems and Independents will more often than not try to be diplomatic and talk us through this thing instead of running off to foreign countries with "guns a-blazing."
So instead of simply saying they don't agree with Obama's politics, because he is a black man with the name Barack Hussein Obama, he has to be a terrorist.
Let's discuss this logically, OK? First off, the man is named after his father. He can't help that. If he would have changed his name, he'd be denying his father and his family's legacy. Plus, how the freak was his mom to know that his middle name would be the surname of one of the world's most infamous dictators?
Secondly, why is the afro the international symbol for 'the angry black woman?' I never understood that. It's hair, that's all. I wear an afro and you would be surprised how much it scares people.
My hair is a lot fuller and thicker than it appears because I don't want to scare anybody. For the last time, it is just hair! Michelle Obama doesn't wear her hair in an afro but that is how she's been depicted because I guess that makes her seem more angry.
I say it's all bull. The folks at the New Yorker obviously believe that Americans are too stupid to recognize racist propaganda when we see it. I don't see them drawing Sen. John McCain on a walker, with a blanket draped over his shoulders carrying a bottle of Geritol and then claiming that it isn't ageism.
To add insult to injury, host of the McLaughlin Group, John McLaughlin called Obama an "Oreo" during the Sunday broadcast of his show. According a report on CNN, McLaughlin said Obama "fits the stereotype blacks once labeled as an Oreo — a black on the outside, a white on the inside."
"Does it frost Jackson, Jesse Jackson, that…an Oreo should be the beneficiary of the long civil rights struggle which Jesse Jackson spent his lifetime fighting for?" McLaughlin asked his panelists.
Boy, some folks are gettin' more and more bold, aren't they? Granted, I think that some of us are a little too sensitive about some of the names and some of the things being said about black people but when you think about it, we're the only folks who hear racial epithets on a regular basis in most cases by people who look like us.
You don't hear Asians referring to each other as Chinks and Coolies, at least not out in public. You don't hear Jewish people referring to each other as mocks and kikes.
Honestly, I think we should ignore the speech being spewed about Obama and all hate speech in general. And maybe, just maybe, it'll all go away.
What do you think?
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Open letter to Jesse Jackson
Dear Rev. Jackson,
I know these words may never reach you, but still I have to write this on the off chance that a friend of a friend of a friend of yours will read this and relay my message.
First of all, thank you for your contributions to the movements of Civil Rights and Human Rights. You've been a huge asset to those movements and have no doubt opened doors for many poor people and people of color.
Your diligent work as an activist, a minister of the gospel and by all accounts as a leader dates back more more than 40 years. You've built a loyal following among people of all different ethnic backgrounds. You've opened up doors to our nations capital and made political strides that have made it possible for Sen. Barack Obama to have gotten this far. And because of all that, the country and maybe even the world is better because you have been in it.
While I certainly appreciate your contributions and your good works, I, and a horde of other people - especially black people - think it's time that you sit your ass down! Excuse my language Rev, but, I don't think anyone would disagree with me on this one.
Yesterday, a story surfaced that you made some, uh, dumb ass comments to UnitedHealth Group executive Dr. Reed V. Tuckson during a break on Sunday while both of you were being interviewed by a Fox news correspondent.
The portion of the tape being that was shown on The O'Reilly Factor Wednesday night shows you whispering to Tuckson, "See, Barack's been talking down to black people ... I want to cut his nuts off."
Your defense is you didn't know the mic was hot. You'll excuse me if I don't believe you, won't you?
First of all, you were interviewing with Fox News, the only "news" organization who has to announce that they're fair and balanced like they're trying to convince themselves. Anytime a "liberal" person, a person of color and anyone in support of Barack Obama is being interviewed by Fox News, the mic is always hot!
Because Obama is leading in all the Gallup Polls taken by news outlets, Fox News is in a mad dash to find someone, anyone, slipping who claims to support Obama. You see how they strung up Jeremiah Wright and you still continue to let your diarrhea of the mouth go untreated.
Secondly, you had to know that the mic was still hot because you had sense enough to whisper your comments. Hey Rev, microphones are amplifiers and really good ones pick up everything whether you whisper or not. If the conversation was so private and you didn't want anyone to hear your comments, you should have kept them to yourself for after the damn interview. Talk to the man in a one on one setting when nobody is wearing a mic. At least, that way, if someone records you then without your knowledge, you have grounds to sue them. Duh!
After all of this, you are making your rounds to every media outlet who will listen and you've even called a presser to explain those remarks. You placed calls to the Obama campaign to apolo-lie, your own son has rejected, renounced and rebuked your comments and still, I'm not satisfied.
Twice in this campaign, you have managed to piss on the progress of a man who has the potential to take this country further than you've ever dreamed. For the umpteenth time in history, you've managed to overshadow the real issues with asinine comments that don't have a thing to do with the price of tea in China.
Plus, somewhere in your storied career, the American press and in turn, the majority of the American people, got in their heads that you and your counterpart Al Sharpton speak for black people. Hell, I think ya'll got the idea in your heads that you speak for black people. Well I got news for you and them. You don't speak for me.
You've managed to distract the American people and spew, what could be confused with 'hateration,' about Obama - again. There's only one way you can fix it and it's not with an apology either.
The only way you will be able to atone for this is to get somewhere and sit down. Is there no program or assistance for retired revolutionaries? Why don't you start one? Better yet, why don't you take all this extra time on your hands and spend with your 9-year-old daughter that you fathered during your adulterous relationship? Maybe if somebody would have cut your nuts off, you wouldn't be paying $3,000 in child support!
I'm saying, people who live in glass houses should be the last ones to throw stones. Almost everything I've read indicates that the main issue stems from Obama's Father's Day speech at a predominantly black church when Obama called for all the black father's to man up and take care of their responsibilities.
I would think that because Obama had to grow up in the absence of his black father that he would be an expert on the subject. I think that much of what he had to say hit a little too close to home for your comfort. As they say in the country, "a hit dog will holler" and I hear you loud and clear Rev.
You know what they do to hit dogs who don't show any sign of recovery, right Rev.? They put them out of their misery. I'm not saying that anyone should or would come along and kill your legacy but you are giving them a reason to do so. Hell, you're sharpening the knife, loading the gun and tying the noose.
So please, from one Aggie to another, for the love of all things right and to preserve the reputation of our esteemed alma mater, go somewhere, anywhere and sit your ass down! You're making us look bad.
I'm going to have to agree with Junior on a portion of his statement about his dad's comments. "He should keep hope alive and any personal attacks and insults to himself."
I couldn't have said it better myself!
Sincerely,
Smarty Jones
N.C. A&T Class of 2003
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
To quote Sophia from "The Color Purple"
"I knowed deys a God!"
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has said that he would "seriously consider" accepting the vice presidential nod if it's offered. I tell you, that statement did my heart some good when I saw it on CNN Politics.
Since I'm fasting TV for the month of July, I had to read about it online and I'm sure I lost some of the effect. Either way, I felt like jumping for joy.
In this posting on CNN's political ticker yesterday, he said he'd "seriously consider" whatever Sen. Obama asked him to do.
Edwards proved himself to be a viable candidate in 2004 and early in this election season. To me, the man is poised and ready to be an agent of change and I think that he would certainly be an asset, not only to the Obama campaign, but to the rest of us as well.
I hope they ask him because, well, I only trust Sen. Clinton about thismuch. Don't get me wrong, she's an awesome politician, they all are, but something about her still makes me just a wee bit uneasy. Plus, she spent the majority of her bit for the presidency on my good nerve and I'm technically still not over that.
One thing that would make me trust her is if she would lean a little harder on her past donors to lay off Obama and support him. Some of those folks are unbelievable. I just watched a clip on CNN, and I'm not sure if that means I'm cheating, but anyway, Joe Johns interviewed a Clinton contributor who said she's not sure if she'll support Obama because she "just doesn't like him" and she thinks he's "elitist."
Now, I'm not one to judge folks and call them names but that fool is being juvenile and petty. She's alleging sexism. OK, there was sexism. Guess what, Clinton did a lot of that to herself too. There was also racism, I don't see Obama crying foul every five minutes.
Sadly, I think Clinton's supporters want her to be catered to and they even want Obama to settle her campaign debts. I want to know why he should foot the bill for her delusions of grandeur? Granted, in the beginning and about a month before the bitter end, and I do mean bitter, it was a heavily contest race. But, let's be honest here, it went on a lot longer than it should have and she racked up far more debt trying to "prove a point" than she would have if she would have just 'gone in peace.'
All Clinton supporters are not doing this, but a lot of them are and it is going to be detrimental to the party and ultimately to the country. The whole point of this is to get a Democrat elected into office because, frankly, they can't do much worse than the current administration or the would-be McCain administration.
Since campaign contributions are public record, a lot of Clinton's supporters' names have been surfacing on McCain's financial records as major donors. This can not be because they believe in his politics, it has to be because they want to 'stick it to Obama.'
It is the mark of a childish individual who wants to derail a person because, 'you don't like him.' My first boss was a Grade-A, psycho who I didn't like for some time, but, he knew how to do his job. He got results and that is what we expect of Obama.
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has said that he would "seriously consider" accepting the vice presidential nod if it's offered. I tell you, that statement did my heart some good when I saw it on CNN Politics.
Since I'm fasting TV for the month of July, I had to read about it online and I'm sure I lost some of the effect. Either way, I felt like jumping for joy.
In this posting on CNN's political ticker yesterday, he said he'd "seriously consider" whatever Sen. Obama asked him to do.
Edwards proved himself to be a viable candidate in 2004 and early in this election season. To me, the man is poised and ready to be an agent of change and I think that he would certainly be an asset, not only to the Obama campaign, but to the rest of us as well.
I hope they ask him because, well, I only trust Sen. Clinton about thismuch. Don't get me wrong, she's an awesome politician, they all are, but something about her still makes me just a wee bit uneasy. Plus, she spent the majority of her bit for the presidency on my good nerve and I'm technically still not over that.
One thing that would make me trust her is if she would lean a little harder on her past donors to lay off Obama and support him. Some of those folks are unbelievable. I just watched a clip on CNN, and I'm not sure if that means I'm cheating, but anyway, Joe Johns interviewed a Clinton contributor who said she's not sure if she'll support Obama because she "just doesn't like him" and she thinks he's "elitist."
Now, I'm not one to judge folks and call them names but that fool is being juvenile and petty. She's alleging sexism. OK, there was sexism. Guess what, Clinton did a lot of that to herself too. There was also racism, I don't see Obama crying foul every five minutes.
Sadly, I think Clinton's supporters want her to be catered to and they even want Obama to settle her campaign debts. I want to know why he should foot the bill for her delusions of grandeur? Granted, in the beginning and about a month before the bitter end, and I do mean bitter, it was a heavily contest race. But, let's be honest here, it went on a lot longer than it should have and she racked up far more debt trying to "prove a point" than she would have if she would have just 'gone in peace.'
All Clinton supporters are not doing this, but a lot of them are and it is going to be detrimental to the party and ultimately to the country. The whole point of this is to get a Democrat elected into office because, frankly, they can't do much worse than the current administration or the would-be McCain administration.
Since campaign contributions are public record, a lot of Clinton's supporters' names have been surfacing on McCain's financial records as major donors. This can not be because they believe in his politics, it has to be because they want to 'stick it to Obama.'
It is the mark of a childish individual who wants to derail a person because, 'you don't like him.' My first boss was a Grade-A, psycho who I didn't like for some time, but, he knew how to do his job. He got results and that is what we expect of Obama.
Monday, July 7, 2008
I'm baaaaack!!!
It's certainly been a minute since I've posted here. It feels like forever but it's really only been a few days short of a month.
I took that time to do a series of posts on Black Music Month on the sister blog Difference of Opinion and I think they went over very well. Now that July is here, we've got a little less than 
four months until election day.
I don't know about you, but I for one am marking them off my calendar like a prisoner. "Only 119 days until election and six months and 13 days until inauguration." I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Since I've been gone, a lot of craziness has taken place in the political realm and you know I've got to do a recap because some of it pissed me off to the highest level of pisstivity and I almost, ALMOST, had to come back and post a few sentences just to let off some steam.
The last time I posted, I was a lil' peeved about the fact that so many of my counterparts have been questioning Sen. Barack Obama's "blackness." I know it's 
silly but it did tick me off and it still does as a matter of fact. The most recent display of ignorance came from five-time loser Ralph Nader when he claimed that Obama was "talking white."
Can somebody please explain to me what he means, meant or whatever? Here's a quote from an article published by the Rocky Mountain News:
"There's only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He's half African-American. Whether that will make any difference, I don't know. I haven't heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What's keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn't want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We'll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards."
First and foremost, Obama should never be lumped into a category with Jesse Jackson, ever. Another thing is these things are universal and poverty will always be universal as long as there are people living in it. And how do people 'talk white'? Explain that to me please!
And thank God Hillary finally came around. Lord knows I was getting a little worried, and a little concerned that she would turn on the party. But I think, she, like so many of our fellow Americans are sick and tired of being jerked around and to ensure we won't have it happen again is to get some new blood in the White House.
I think it's important to recognize that every election that we vote in is a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. I don't trust any politician because they are known to, dare I say, flip flop, when it is beneficial to the outside agencies supporting their campaigns.
The think I like about Obama is the fact that the money he's taken has been from the people and not the special interest groups. In theory, his allegiance is to the people and not the special interests. That's a wonderful thought.
Because Obama has shown that he can raise a crap load of money from the 'everyday people' and he doesn't have to take public financing for his campaign. Of course, that is not the reason he's citing for his reason for not taking the financing. He claims the system is broken and it would put him at a disadvantage. I agree with that, but he's being crucified because he's still going to run a helluva campaign without public financing.
Since he won't be taking any public money, that means he won't have a limit on spending either. To me, that's great. For so long, Republicans have been at the forefront of campaign spending because: 1. they had it to spend and 2. they didn't mind financially backing the candidate who would protect their interests.
The great thing is now, Democrats, Independents and Obamaicans are now all getting behind this candidate, figuratively and literally with their time and their money and I think it's awesome! The problem the GOP has with Obama and the Dems now is basically, they can't raise that much and they won't be able to do as much as Obama. Now, he's a liar, they say and Americans should beware.
I say, whatev! If we should beware of anyone in this mess, it's John McCain and Nader. McCain is going to get us blown off the globe. He's so much like the current President Bush that it's sickening. And Nader, that whack job doesn't have ANY experience in the political arena at all!
To the best of my research abilities, he's not so much as held a city council position, much less a position with anybodies House or Senate. At least Obama has been an elected official. OK, I'm done with that. The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off.
What do you guys think?
four months until election day.
I don't know about you, but I for one am marking them off my calendar like a prisoner. "Only 119 days until election and six months and 13 days until inauguration." I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Since I've been gone, a lot of craziness has taken place in the political realm and you know I've got to do a recap because some of it pissed me off to the highest level of pisstivity and I almost, ALMOST, had to come back and post a few sentences just to let off some steam.
The last time I posted, I was a lil' peeved about the fact that so many of my counterparts have been questioning Sen. Barack Obama's "blackness." I know it's 
silly but it did tick me off and it still does as a matter of fact. The most recent display of ignorance came from five-time loser Ralph Nader when he claimed that Obama was "talking white."
Can somebody please explain to me what he means, meant or whatever? Here's a quote from an article published by the Rocky Mountain News:
"There's only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He's half African-American. Whether that will make any difference, I don't know. I haven't heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What's keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn't want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We'll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards."
First and foremost, Obama should never be lumped into a category with Jesse Jackson, ever. Another thing is these things are universal and poverty will always be universal as long as there are people living in it. And how do people 'talk white'? Explain that to me please!
And thank God Hillary finally came around. Lord knows I was getting a little worried, and a little concerned that she would turn on the party. But I think, she, like so many of our fellow Americans are sick and tired of being jerked around and to ensure we won't have it happen again is to get some new blood in the White House.
I think it's important to recognize that every election that we vote in is a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. I don't trust any politician because they are known to, dare I say, flip flop, when it is beneficial to the outside agencies supporting their campaigns.
The think I like about Obama is the fact that the money he's taken has been from the people and not the special interest groups. In theory, his allegiance is to the people and not the special interests. That's a wonderful thought.
Because Obama has shown that he can raise a crap load of money from the 'everyday people' and he doesn't have to take public financing for his campaign. Of course, that is not the reason he's citing for his reason for not taking the financing. He claims the system is broken and it would put him at a disadvantage. I agree with that, but he's being crucified because he's still going to run a helluva campaign without public financing.
Since he won't be taking any public money, that means he won't have a limit on spending either. To me, that's great. For so long, Republicans have been at the forefront of campaign spending because: 1. they had it to spend and 2. they didn't mind financially backing the candidate who would protect their interests.
The great thing is now, Democrats, Independents and Obamaicans are now all getting behind this candidate, figuratively and literally with their time and their money and I think it's awesome! The problem the GOP has with Obama and the Dems now is basically, they can't raise that much and they won't be able to do as much as Obama. Now, he's a liar, they say and Americans should beware.
I say, whatev! If we should beware of anyone in this mess, it's John McCain and Nader. McCain is going to get us blown off the globe. He's so much like the current President Bush that it's sickening. And Nader, that whack job doesn't have ANY experience in the political arena at all!
To the best of my research abilities, he's not so much as held a city council position, much less a position with anybodies House or Senate. At least Obama has been an elected official. OK, I'm done with that. The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off.
What do you guys think?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Is he or isn't he?
To further divide Barack Obama's supporters, recent media reports are now calling into question his blackness. I know, it sounds a little crazy but because his mother is white and his father is black, instead of calling Obama black, they're now referring to him as bi-racial.
Technically, Obama is bi-racial but he has said many times before that he's embraced the black community and the black community has embraced him. He looks black, he sounds black, he identifies as black, therefore, the man is black.
If he was a regular guy on the street, no one would care. They'd see a black man and keep it moving.
Let's break it on down. Obviously, he looks black. Really and truly, everybody looks black because the colors of our skin range from cafe au lait to blurple, that's blue black and purple.
Under normal circumstances, I'm told, bi-racial people don't often get a chance to choose which group they identify with. From what I understand, they spend a lot of time trying to figure out where they fit in and usually fall in with the crowd that accepts them. More often than not, it's the black community.
Up until I was growing up, kids who identified themselves as bi-racial was an anomaly. It's not like we didn't have them, it's just they didn't identify themselves as such because it would leave them open to criticism and teasing and in some cases, hazing.
Now that interracial relationships are widely accepted and it's OK to be different, folks still feel a need to make bi-racial kids and now adults, choose a group. Why can't they embrace all of them while they identify more with one group?
What if Jasmine Guy, Lenny Kravitz, Cree Summer, Lisa Bonet, Boris Kodjoe, his wife Nicole Ari Parker-Kodjoe, Alicia Keys, Faith Evans, Eartha Kitt, Derek Jeter, Grant Hill, his wife Tamia, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, Malcolm X, Mario Van Peebles, Michael Michelle, Smokey Robinson, Shemar Moore, and the ever-so-fine Tyson Beckford all decided to tell the world about their bi-racial heritage. Would they be looked at any differently?
The world may never know, because I'm willing to bet that a lot of you didn't know half these people had white and asian parents and grandparents. You didn't know because they haven't put all their business out in the open like Obama has. Is that wrong of them? No. Does it make Obama any better because he has? No.
Putting out his heritage shows that Obama is all about putting his business out himself. He didn't wait for his counterparts to find old family photos of him with his interracial parents. He didn't wait for his counterparts to dig up childhood friends to ask whether or not he's smoked weed. He put it out there himself.
The bottom line is let the man be. Yes one of his parents is black and the other one isn't. He's still human and he has a right to be who he wants and embrace every part of himself. Who is the media, and anybody else, to deny him that right?
The funny thing is he isn't black enough for some white liberals who want to make sure he identifies his white heritage and he isn't white enough for white conservatives because he looks black.
The bottom line is he doesn't have to be black enough or white enough, he has to be smart enough, stable enough and human enough to run the Oval Office. So enough with trying to figure out whether or not he's more one thing than the other. The one thing we should be concerned about is whether or not he's ready and equipped to fix this Bush mess.
Technically, Obama is bi-racial but he has said many times before that he's embraced the black community and the black community has embraced him. He looks black, he sounds black, he identifies as black, therefore, the man is black.
If he was a regular guy on the street, no one would care. They'd see a black man and keep it moving.
Let's break it on down. Obviously, he looks black. Really and truly, everybody looks black because the colors of our skin range from cafe au lait to blurple, that's blue black and purple.
Under normal circumstances, I'm told, bi-racial people don't often get a chance to choose which group they identify with. From what I understand, they spend a lot of time trying to figure out where they fit in and usually fall in with the crowd that accepts them. More often than not, it's the black community.
Up until I was growing up, kids who identified themselves as bi-racial was an anomaly. It's not like we didn't have them, it's just they didn't identify themselves as such because it would leave them open to criticism and teasing and in some cases, hazing.
Now that interracial relationships are widely accepted and it's OK to be different, folks still feel a need to make bi-racial kids and now adults, choose a group. Why can't they embrace all of them while they identify more with one group?
What if Jasmine Guy, Lenny Kravitz, Cree Summer, Lisa Bonet, Boris Kodjoe, his wife Nicole Ari Parker-Kodjoe, Alicia Keys, Faith Evans, Eartha Kitt, Derek Jeter, Grant Hill, his wife Tamia, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, Malcolm X, Mario Van Peebles, Michael Michelle, Smokey Robinson, Shemar Moore, and the ever-so-fine Tyson Beckford all decided to tell the world about their bi-racial heritage. Would they be looked at any differently?
The world may never know, because I'm willing to bet that a lot of you didn't know half these people had white and asian parents and grandparents. You didn't know because they haven't put all their business out in the open like Obama has. Is that wrong of them? No. Does it make Obama any better because he has? No.
Putting out his heritage shows that Obama is all about putting his business out himself. He didn't wait for his counterparts to find old family photos of him with his interracial parents. He didn't wait for his counterparts to dig up childhood friends to ask whether or not he's smoked weed. He put it out there himself.
The bottom line is let the man be. Yes one of his parents is black and the other one isn't. He's still human and he has a right to be who he wants and embrace every part of himself. Who is the media, and anybody else, to deny him that right?
The funny thing is he isn't black enough for some white liberals who want to make sure he identifies his white heritage and he isn't white enough for white conservatives because he looks black.
The bottom line is he doesn't have to be black enough or white enough, he has to be smart enough, stable enough and human enough to run the Oval Office. So enough with trying to figure out whether or not he's more one thing than the other. The one thing we should be concerned about is whether or not he's ready and equipped to fix this Bush mess.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Ahhhh, yes ...
... all is almost right with the world.
CNN posted a story yesterday on their web site that says that Sen. Barack Obama trails Sen. Hillary Clinton by one super delegate. Ain't it great?
I tell ya, the more this chick sticks around stuffing her foot further down her throat, the more nails end up in her coffin.
Last week, Clinton made, what have been called divisive, comments about Obama's support dwindling among white voters. Take a listen:
If anyone knows about the power of the sound bite, it should be her. They've been running a loop of her husband's, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," comment since 1998. That is the same soundbite that got him impeached. Hell, soundbites from Obama's former pastor almost leveled him in his quest for the office.
So, that leaves me with the question, why isn't she more careful about the crap she says. I wonder if she's trying to sabotage her own campaign so that she doesn't have to quit or if she actually thinks she's helping herself.
Either way, the news about her super delegate "lead" should be the writing on the wall. I really wish she would consider backing away from this thing, slowly. It's time. Somebody needs to tell her to quit while she's behind, if she does, she may be able to maintain some support for a campaign in 2016.
*** By the way, I predict that Obama will pick John Edwards as a running mate. ***
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
It is the day of reckoning ...
... and I hope Mrs. Clinton has her crying towels.
I expect the folks in my home state of North Carolina to stand up in a BIG way. Since there wasn't much traffic at the actual polling sites, I hope that means everyone took advantage of early voting and absentee ballots.
Anyway, I have been meaning to do a post on all the celebrity response the campaigns have been getting. Not that I'm hung up on celebrities and what they do outside their professions (tehehe), I've noticed that a lot of them are jumping up to stump for their favorite campaigns.
A while back, I wrote a sample blog post for a new site, News One and it basically says that real voters don't care about celebrity endorsements. I still feel that way, but I think it is interesting that some celebrities are using their notoriety to get their favorite candidates elected.
The presumptive GOP nominee, John McCain, has garnered the lowest celebrity turn out. Of those that I've heard of, he's got Wilford Brimley, Tom Selleck and Rip Torn. Keep in mind that the Republican party is united and all of the celebrity nods his counterparts received will likely filter over to him.
Those are some pretty heavyweight celebs too: Adam Sandler, Bo Derek, Pat Robertson, Pat Boone, Donnie & Marie Osmond, Ric Flair, Chuck Norris and I think Joseph C. Phillips. OK, so they aren't all heavyweights, but they carry some influence or else they wouldn't be celebrities.
Sen. Hillary Clinton has racked up an impressive list of celeb endorsements. At last tally, she had: Tony Bennett, Barbara Streisand, Magic Johnson, Maya Angelou, Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, John Grisham, Carly Simon, Ted Danson, Billie Jean King, Victoria Rowell, Quincy Jones, Carole Simpson and America Ferrera.
When Clinton has to go home because she can't secure the votes, I wonder how many of them are going to stump for Barack Obama. I hope they all will.
Right now, a lot of folks in the media predict that Clinton supporters won't back Obama and vice versa. That's jacked up, the Republicans aren't doing that. Not saying the Dems should emulate the GOP in any way, but something can be learned from them. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
If this were a competition to see who could get the best roster of celebrity endorsements, the winner hands down is Barack Obama. OK, so I might be a little partial since this is the candidate I voted for today.
His roster includes folks like Oprah (no last name needed), George Clooney, Scarlett Johanson, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Zach Braff, Jessica Biel, Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, John P. Kee, Tyrese, Kareem Abdul Jabar, George Lopez and the list goes on and on.
I think the thing that trips me out is this man has had videos and songs and folks out there stumping for him. Shoot, in the last few weeks, Tatyana M. Ali, from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" fame has even traveled all over the Tar Heel State at her own expense to speak about Obama.
I'm sure that almost everyone has seen the "Yes We Can" video on YouTube or heard the song, Obama by John P. Kee.
I got an e-mail today of a newer video with another slew of celebrities that features the vocal stylings of one Zöe Kravitz, the 19-year-old daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz.
The girl can sing a little bit too. I found that out the second time I watched it. The first time, I couldn't get over how much she favors both her parents. Look at her real hard, she looks like her mom but she smiles like her dad. Freaky huh? Think that's bad, watch her performance in "The Brave One."
Anyway, take a look at the Obama video:
The presumptive GOP nominee, John McCain, has garnered the lowest celebrity turn out. Of those that I've heard of, he's got Wilford Brimley, Tom Selleck and Rip Torn. Keep in mind that the Republican party is united and all of the celebrity nods his counterparts received will likely filter over to him.
Those are some pretty heavyweight celebs too: Adam Sandler, Bo Derek, Pat Robertson, Pat Boone, Donnie & Marie Osmond, Ric Flair, Chuck Norris and I think Joseph C. Phillips. OK, so they aren't all heavyweights, but they carry some influence or else they wouldn't be celebrities.
Sen. Hillary Clinton has racked up an impressive list of celeb endorsements. At last tally, she had: Tony Bennett, Barbara Streisand, Magic Johnson, Maya Angelou, Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, John Grisham, Carly Simon, Ted Danson, Billie Jean King, Victoria Rowell, Quincy Jones, Carole Simpson and America Ferrera.
When Clinton has to go home because she can't secure the votes, I wonder how many of them are going to stump for Barack Obama. I hope they all will.
Right now, a lot of folks in the media predict that Clinton supporters won't back Obama and vice versa. That's jacked up, the Republicans aren't doing that. Not saying the Dems should emulate the GOP in any way, but something can be learned from them. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
If this were a competition to see who could get the best roster of celebrity endorsements, the winner hands down is Barack Obama. OK, so I might be a little partial since this is the candidate I voted for today.
His roster includes folks like Oprah (no last name needed), George Clooney, Scarlett Johanson, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Zach Braff, Jessica Biel, Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, John P. Kee, Tyrese, Kareem Abdul Jabar, George Lopez and the list goes on and on.
I think the thing that trips me out is this man has had videos and songs and folks out there stumping for him. Shoot, in the last few weeks, Tatyana M. Ali, from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" fame has even traveled all over the Tar Heel State at her own expense to speak about Obama.
I'm sure that almost everyone has seen the "Yes We Can" video on YouTube or heard the song, Obama by John P. Kee.
I got an e-mail today of a newer video with another slew of celebrities that features the vocal stylings of one Zöe Kravitz, the 19-year-old daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz.
The girl can sing a little bit too. I found that out the second time I watched it. The first time, I couldn't get over how much she favors both her parents. Look at her real hard, she looks like her mom but she smiles like her dad. Freaky huh? Think that's bad, watch her performance in "The Brave One."
Anyway, take a look at the Obama video:
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