Here's a newsflash for you, black folks have always been categorized and judged by the people who look like us. It's true, why do you think so many of us cringe when we hear our people use the word "nigga" and split verbs and butcher the English language? It's not because we're uppity, it's because no matter where we go, what we wear or who we associate ourselves with, we will always be looked at the same as the drug dealer, the high school drop out and just outright ignent!
Am I saying that because we're educated we're better? Absolutely not. We're no better, we're no worse. What we are is fed up. We catch Hell from our lighter hued bretheren and our own people because "we think we're better." It's not that way at all.
Since all of these snippets of Wright's sermons have surfaced and been taken out of context, all of Obama's naysayers, Clinton supporters and folks who just hate on him, he's been judged by what Wright says.
My grandma told me a long time ago that people judge you by the company you keep and she was right. Eight years after her death, she's still right. Since these sermons have surfaced, black folks are being viewed as bitter, angry, belligerent and unpatriotic. While we certainly have a reason to be all that, the majority of us are not.
If we're so damn unpatriotic why is it that the majority of the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan are of color? I'll tell you why. All of these patriotic, red blooded Americans are quick to spill blood and have it spilled for their country as long as those bleeding don't look like them.
This whole thing is really starting to piss me off because I was thinking earlier this morning about how white people are not judged by those who are less than intelligent who belong to their race. If we judged white folks the way they judged us, we would assume that all of them are prejudiced like Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms. We would assume that all of them are stupid like George W. Bush. But we don't do that, because they're all different and so are we.
Don't judge Obama by Wright, they are two different people. Don't assume that Obama has had the same experiences Wright has, because he has not. I don't see anyone mowing down those leaders who are Catholic because their spiritual leaders molested children. So stop saying Obama and Wright are one in the same.
But, it would help is Wright would go somewhere and sit down.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
We know, we know ...
... the melanin-challenged don't understand the "black church." They never have, don't expect them to start now.
Rev. Jeremiah Wright threw Sen. Barack Obama under the bus yesterday. As much as he says he speaks only for himself and as much as Obama says Wright doesn't speak for him, it is quite clear that he does.
Here's a newsflash for you, black folks have always been categorized and judged by the people who look like us. It's true, why do you think so many of us cringe when we hear our people use the word "nigga" and split verbs and butcher the English language? It's not because we're uppity, it's because no matter where we go, what we wear or who we associate ourselves with, we will always be looked at the same as the drug dealer, the high school drop out and just outright ignent!
Am I saying that because we're educated we're better? Absolutely not. We're no better, we're no worse. What we are is fed up. We catch Hell from our lighter hued bretheren and our own people because "we think we're better." It's not that way at all.
Since all of these snippets of Wright's sermons have surfaced and been taken out of context, all of Obama's naysayers, Clinton supporters and folks who just hate on him, he's been judged by what Wright says.
My grandma told me a long time ago that people judge you by the company you keep and she was right. Eight years after her death, she's still right. Since these sermons have surfaced, black folks are being viewed as bitter, angry, belligerent and unpatriotic. While we certainly have a reason to be all that, the majority of us are not.
If we're so damn unpatriotic why is it that the majority of the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan are of color? I'll tell you why. All of these patriotic, red blooded Americans are quick to spill blood and have it spilled for their country as long as those bleeding don't look like them.
This whole thing is really starting to piss me off because I was thinking earlier this morning about how white people are not judged by those who are less than intelligent who belong to their race. If we judged white folks the way they judged us, we would assume that all of them are prejudiced like Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms. We would assume that all of them are stupid like George W. Bush. But we don't do that, because they're all different and so are we.
Don't judge Obama by Wright, they are two different people. Don't assume that Obama has had the same experiences Wright has, because he has not. I don't see anyone mowing down those leaders who are Catholic because their spiritual leaders molested children. So stop saying Obama and Wright are one in the same.
But, it would help is Wright would go somewhere and sit down.
Here's a newsflash for you, black folks have always been categorized and judged by the people who look like us. It's true, why do you think so many of us cringe when we hear our people use the word "nigga" and split verbs and butcher the English language? It's not because we're uppity, it's because no matter where we go, what we wear or who we associate ourselves with, we will always be looked at the same as the drug dealer, the high school drop out and just outright ignent!
Am I saying that because we're educated we're better? Absolutely not. We're no better, we're no worse. What we are is fed up. We catch Hell from our lighter hued bretheren and our own people because "we think we're better." It's not that way at all.
Since all of these snippets of Wright's sermons have surfaced and been taken out of context, all of Obama's naysayers, Clinton supporters and folks who just hate on him, he's been judged by what Wright says.
My grandma told me a long time ago that people judge you by the company you keep and she was right. Eight years after her death, she's still right. Since these sermons have surfaced, black folks are being viewed as bitter, angry, belligerent and unpatriotic. While we certainly have a reason to be all that, the majority of us are not.
If we're so damn unpatriotic why is it that the majority of the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan are of color? I'll tell you why. All of these patriotic, red blooded Americans are quick to spill blood and have it spilled for their country as long as those bleeding don't look like them.
This whole thing is really starting to piss me off because I was thinking earlier this morning about how white people are not judged by those who are less than intelligent who belong to their race. If we judged white folks the way they judged us, we would assume that all of them are prejudiced like Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms. We would assume that all of them are stupid like George W. Bush. But we don't do that, because they're all different and so are we.
Don't judge Obama by Wright, they are two different people. Don't assume that Obama has had the same experiences Wright has, because he has not. I don't see anyone mowing down those leaders who are Catholic because their spiritual leaders molested children. So stop saying Obama and Wright are one in the same.
But, it would help is Wright would go somewhere and sit down.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Been a minute ...
... since then, Sen. Hillary Clinton won Pennsylvania. Congrats to her, but I have to ask whether or not the Democratic electorate in the Keystone State have televisions.
I'm guessing that the folks who voted for Clinton don't have them, I mean, why else would they vote for her? Let's be honest, she's spent the last four or five months trying to discredit Sen. Barack Obama by name calling, mud slinging and just outright "hateration."
I must say, green is definitely NOT her color. Now that she's won a couple of primaries, after losing 12 straight, she wants the Democratic National Convention to go back and count Florida and Michigan. That's convenient.
Long before those two state had their primaries, Howard Dean, Mr. Excitement himself, told them that if they have early primaries, their votes would not be counted. To me that seems cut and dry, defiance yields consequences. Any parent or child can tell you that. Shoot, my 9-year-old niece can tell you that.
But she wants special treatment. She wants the votes to be counted because now it's a close race and now she says that she's got more votes. She's right, she does have more votes, but that could be because her name was the only one on the Democratic ballots in Michigan and Florida and the candidates agreed prior to the primaries not to campaign in those states because they don't count!
Sad thing about this is because she won't go away and just sit down somewhere, the party is going to suffer in November. I re-registered Democrat just so I could vote for Obama in next week's primary. Before I was registered as Independent because quite frankly, if you vote for someone based on their political party and not the facts and you don't research them and their policies, you're an idiot.
Anyway, this thing is getting ugly and somebody needs to quit, for the sake of the party. I would hope that it will be her since she has absolutely NO reason to stay. She needs to go on somewhere and write a book or something.
Oh and now she's calling for another debate. What for? What can they possibly debate that they haven't already? Not a damn thing, that's what.
She needs to have the last word and she knows she can't do that if Obama is allowed to speak uninterrupted. She has to be able to interrupt and throw in her own lil' condiments to sauce up what Obama is saying. It's not necessary. We don't need Clinton ketchup.
She is not the right person for the job, she is still out slinging mud and saying crap that doesn't matter because she can't win on the issues alone.
I have said before and I'll say again, they don't differ that much in policy. They differ in their ability to inspire folks. When I hear Obama speak, I want to move to change the world around me. When I hear Clinton speak, I want to move to change the channel.
Bottom line, someone needs to quit before too much damage is done to secure the election in November. If these two allow McCain to win the White House, I am going to look into becoming an expatriate. For real, I'll call to see if Oprah needs an English teacher in South Africa, this is ridiculous!
I'm guessing that the folks who voted for Clinton don't have them, I mean, why else would they vote for her? Let's be honest, she's spent the last four or five months trying to discredit Sen. Barack Obama by name calling, mud slinging and just outright "hateration."
I must say, green is definitely NOT her color. Now that she's won a couple of primaries, after losing 12 straight, she wants the Democratic National Convention to go back and count Florida and Michigan. That's convenient.
Long before those two state had their primaries, Howard Dean, Mr. Excitement himself, told them that if they have early primaries, their votes would not be counted. To me that seems cut and dry, defiance yields consequences. Any parent or child can tell you that. Shoot, my 9-year-old niece can tell you that.
But she wants special treatment. She wants the votes to be counted because now it's a close race and now she says that she's got more votes. She's right, she does have more votes, but that could be because her name was the only one on the Democratic ballots in Michigan and Florida and the candidates agreed prior to the primaries not to campaign in those states because they don't count!
Sad thing about this is because she won't go away and just sit down somewhere, the party is going to suffer in November. I re-registered Democrat just so I could vote for Obama in next week's primary. Before I was registered as Independent because quite frankly, if you vote for someone based on their political party and not the facts and you don't research them and their policies, you're an idiot.
Anyway, this thing is getting ugly and somebody needs to quit, for the sake of the party. I would hope that it will be her since she has absolutely NO reason to stay. She needs to go on somewhere and write a book or something.
Oh and now she's calling for another debate. What for? What can they possibly debate that they haven't already? Not a damn thing, that's what.
She needs to have the last word and she knows she can't do that if Obama is allowed to speak uninterrupted. She has to be able to interrupt and throw in her own lil' condiments to sauce up what Obama is saying. It's not necessary. We don't need Clinton ketchup.
She is not the right person for the job, she is still out slinging mud and saying crap that doesn't matter because she can't win on the issues alone.
I have said before and I'll say again, they don't differ that much in policy. They differ in their ability to inspire folks. When I hear Obama speak, I want to move to change the world around me. When I hear Clinton speak, I want to move to change the channel.
Bottom line, someone needs to quit before too much damage is done to secure the election in November. If these two allow McCain to win the White House, I am going to look into becoming an expatriate. For real, I'll call to see if Oprah needs an English teacher in South Africa, this is ridiculous!
Monday, April 21, 2008
So, Barack now has street cred ...
Well, maybe not for real, but it certainly looks like it. Of course it's no secret that he has some haters, one could even conclude that the entire Clinton Camp could be considered "haters."
In the true spirit of "shaking off the haters," Brother Obama gave a speech recently in Raleigh where his only response to Clinton's attacks and ABC's sham of a debate was to brush it off. I LOVE IT!!!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
21 and counting ...
... not years, debates. Tonight was the 21st debate for the Democrats in the attempt to get a candidate to take on "Old Man" McCain. OK, I shouldn't call him an old man, how about Methuselah? Anyway, Clinton and Obama are still going at it and are showing no signs of slowing down.
Under normal circumstances, I'd say a debate is a healthy thing - that's under normal circumstances. Obviously, these circumstances weren't normal, or they didn't seem so to me.
It seems to me that the moderators, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, were drilling Obama harder than Clinton. Of course a lot more of his "dirty laundry" has been aired in mainstream media as of late, but that should have had no bearing whatsoever on the debate.
Usually, debates for public office are designed to talk about the issues and how the candidates differ on those issues. Strangely, these two candidates don't differ that much. Their differences are purely logistical and I think if they were running mates (Hell would sooner freeze twice) they could find a medium.
At this point, having debates is pointless. It is almost numerically impossible for Clinton to win the nomination. If the super delegates vote the way their constituents are voting, then Obama has it hands down. Having debates now is simply an opportunity for them to listen to each other speak and clean it up to what the audience wants to hear. In the Philadelphia debate, the audience was stifled by the moderators and the actually had to think about what they were saying.
As far as I know, there is one more debate and that will be in my beloved North Carolina. I don't want to see the moderators bringing up Rev. Jeremiah Wright, calling Obama elitist or talking about Clinton's "misrembrance" of being under sniper fire.
It's over! You hear me?! Over. The issue is graveyard dead and I don't want to hear about it anymore. I want to know what you are going to do to get North Carolinians working again. I want to know how you are going to replace the manufacturing jobs in Robeson, Guilford, Scotland and Bladen counties that have been shipped overseas. I want to know how you are going to improve education in the state's school districts.
How you gonna do it?!
***By the way, anybody know where that dang debate's going to be?***
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Kids say ...
... the darndest things.
So, my 9-year-old niece, who is exceptionally precocious and extremely intelligent, has shown an interest in politics. She watches the news and finds ways to engage adults three and four times her age in deep conversation - well, as deep as her 9-year-old intellect can take us.
Apparently, she and my mother, her grandmother, were talking and the conversation shifted to politics. Here's the way my mom explained it to me:
"They should let Oklahoma be the president 'cause they know we need somebody young. He's in his 20s or 30s and Billary is in her 70s and McClain is in his hundreds."
My first reaction was hysterical laughter because, well, she gave them all new names. Then I wanted to know how she had any idea what she was talking about. And then of course I was proud, because my niece has been watching the news and she's got somewhat of an understanding of what's going on and that's a helluva lot more I can say about some adults.
I have talked to some grown people who tell me they know nothing about the candidates and they are not planning to learn before the primary on May 6 or before the November elections. Damn shame, I say.
She can't vote for another nine years but she knows something about the candidates. What does the Bible say? "and a little child shall lead them," so true, so true.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Not again ...
... another politician has been put on blast for his extra curricular sexual activities.
In case you've been living under a rock, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been indicted on several felony charges that stem from an affair he had with his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty. The charges range from purjury to obstruction, misconduct and conspiracy. That's right, c-o-n-spiracy!
Let's get this clear, they, because both have been charged, are not being charged because they had an affair. They are being charged because they lied under oath and they used the city's resources to carry on this lil' escapade and because they ruined people's lives trying to cover up their trists.
Now, the two have been indicted on a combined 12 charges for their cover-up and the mayor vows to fight the charges. It doesn't matter that they have these freaky lil' text messages that the two of them passed. Forget about the fact that the prosecutors have witnesses and the fact that the two are not denying the fact that they had "a thing" going on.
So, fast foward to yesterday, Kilpatrick gave a press conference of his own and informed us all that he plans to stay in office and fight the charges against him. I have but one question. Why?
What is wrong with Kwame? He seems to be a smart brotha, why can't he just quit while he's behind? They got him and Beatty, he should just make the announcement that the Mayor Pro Tem, if they have one in Detroit, will assume the mayoral post until a special election and he should go on home to Tallahassee.
I don't know what his lawyers are telling him but there is no honor or glory in going down with the sinking ship. Since all this stuff has come out, I would say he has very little support from his constiuents, if any.
He couldn't be my mayor, I'd be calling his office everyday to find out when he plans to quit. Is it just me or has he disgraced himself, his family and the office of the Detroit Mayor?
The person I am really surprised about is Beatty. I don't understand why she isn't in his ear telling him to quit. I say Beatty because if his wife has any sense, she wouldn't be talking to his big rusty butt!
That dude needs to check his alarm clock and wake up. And while he's at it, he needs to nudge a few of his comrades like David Paterson and Jim McGreevy. Patterson just took over as the New York governor last Monday and it seems like he's trying to impeach himself.
Since then, he's admitted to extramarital affairs and now he's confessed to being a pothead and he said that he used to 'toot powder' or use cocaine in his 20s. Why does he deem it necessary to volunteer all this information?
He's already going to be looked at with a fine tooth comb because he's the state's first black governor and now he's giving them a reason to get rid of him. I think he's trying to sabotage his own career. Seriously, nobody would advise him to do this. If they are, they need to be fired or beat down or something.
And speaking of folks who need a beat down, former New Jersey governor, Jim McGreevy, has recently been in the news for saying that his wife had an idea about
his 'gayness' because they engaged in a "threesome" with their limo driver.
First off, what they do in their bedroom is their business, but for the record, a threesome or a menage a trois equals a sexual arrangement between a man and two women. When the arrangement is between two men and a woman, that's a train or some outright freak-nasty type stuff that no one wants to hear about.
Either way, I would like to make the suggestion that all the freaky politicians pick a night, one night, to go on a national network and air all of their exploits. That way, we can get all of this out of the way and get back to the business of running the country.
Let's get this clear, they, because both have been charged, are not being charged because they had an affair. They are being charged because they lied under oath and they used the city's resources to carry on this lil' escapade and because they ruined people's lives trying to cover up their trists.
Now, the two have been indicted on a combined 12 charges for their cover-up and the mayor vows to fight the charges. It doesn't matter that they have these freaky lil' text messages that the two of them passed. Forget about the fact that the prosecutors have witnesses and the fact that the two are not denying the fact that they had "a thing" going on.
So, fast foward to yesterday, Kilpatrick gave a press conference of his own and informed us all that he plans to stay in office and fight the charges against him. I have but one question. Why?
What is wrong with Kwame? He seems to be a smart brotha, why can't he just quit while he's behind? They got him and Beatty, he should just make the announcement that the Mayor Pro Tem, if they have one in Detroit, will assume the mayoral post until a special election and he should go on home to Tallahassee.
I don't know what his lawyers are telling him but there is no honor or glory in going down with the sinking ship. Since all this stuff has come out, I would say he has very little support from his constiuents, if any.
He couldn't be my mayor, I'd be calling his office everyday to find out when he plans to quit. Is it just me or has he disgraced himself, his family and the office of the Detroit Mayor?
The person I am really surprised about is Beatty. I don't understand why she isn't in his ear telling him to quit. I say Beatty because if his wife has any sense, she wouldn't be talking to his big rusty butt!
That dude needs to check his alarm clock and wake up. And while he's at it, he needs to nudge a few of his comrades like David Paterson and Jim McGreevy. Patterson just took over as the New York governor last Monday and it seems like he's trying to impeach himself.
Since then, he's admitted to extramarital affairs and now he's confessed to being a pothead and he said that he used to 'toot powder' or use cocaine in his 20s. Why does he deem it necessary to volunteer all this information?
He's already going to be looked at with a fine tooth comb because he's the state's first black governor and now he's giving them a reason to get rid of him. I think he's trying to sabotage his own career. Seriously, nobody would advise him to do this. If they are, they need to be fired or beat down or something.
And speaking of folks who need a beat down, former New Jersey governor, Jim McGreevy, has recently been in the news for saying that his wife had an idea about
his 'gayness' because they engaged in a "threesome" with their limo driver.
First off, what they do in their bedroom is their business, but for the record, a threesome or a menage a trois equals a sexual arrangement between a man and two women. When the arrangement is between two men and a woman, that's a train or some outright freak-nasty type stuff that no one wants to hear about.
Either way, I would like to make the suggestion that all the freaky politicians pick a night, one night, to go on a national network and air all of their exploits. That way, we can get all of this out of the way and get back to the business of running the country.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The Speech Heard 'Round the World
Finally, Sen. Barack Obama has addressed race in his campaign and guess what, folks still aren't happy. Surprised? Don't be. I learned a long time ago that you can never please everybody so there is no need to try.
Obama made several very valid points about race and some of the relationships that he has had that transcend race and go beyond the surface dressing that the rest of the world sees.
Here's the Mar. 18 speech in its entirety:
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