Wednesday, June 30, 2010

La La La Hey Hey Hey . . . Goodbye Byrd

by Eco.Soul.Intellectual

I cry not tears of sadness, but tears of joy on hearing Senator/Hitler Robert Byrd's old, racist ass has finally slipped on the banana peel and is kissing the cold slab of a morgue. Back to the ether you go Gringo el Diablo.

Byrd not only should be the poster-board of a hate-history grandfather clause for political office, but there should be an age cap. You can't have walked in the time of George Washington and Chicken George and still be in office.

And why is it that sons-of-a-bitches like he and Strom Thurmond live to be old as Moses?

Fuckers.

And who keeps reinstating this dude? He's been skeeting dust bunnies in his fabricated wet dreams since the the King speech on Washington. How could he be an effective legislature? He wasn't.


I know the physical vigor that it takes to be a political official and a 90-something man who shakes and farts between quoting the Constitution doesn't have the energy. Sorry, viagra and uppers can only do so much.

Hmmm, so let's look at the resume of Byrd
KKK member
Anti-voting Rights Act political official
Representative of Incest and Coal mine exploitation in West Virginia

Okay stop, that's enough. Good riddance. He is now with that negro Riley of the Boondocks who salivates when he thinks he is touching the hem of God in the form of Ronald Reagan but he is really taking tequila shots up the ass.

Heartless you might say. Oh no, I hope Byrd's soul finds light, but in the words of my Jewish compadres, "Never Again".
Unlike much of mainstream American news, I will not forgot the sordid past of Byrd and the folks he undermined and probably killed due to his racist actions.

No Guns for Negroes: A Look at Gun Control & its Impact on the Black Community

A long time reader and friend brought me attention to the following documentary some time ago. It deals with the issue, or the idea that gun control laws are inherently racist. I've held off on posting this before now because I'm somewhat skeptical of the true intent of the presentation. Personally, I'm all for gun control. More specifically, as I've written in the past [read here & here]. I'm for laws that control or address the many ways the criminal element or everyday guy can purchase firearms illegally in our streets.

So that said, I'm very leery and see the following as nothing more than propaganda from right-wing sponsored pro-gun activists. Propaganda which pimps Black folks to promote their ideas; and quite frankly, I'm not down with that; and I'm not too sure those groups are concerned with crime in the inner-city. I admit that some of the material presented as far as a historical context, seems accurate. But yet and still I have a problem with the "sales pitch" as one which has the best interest of crime in the black community in mind.

So do me a favor and check it out will you? Please do and be sure to share your thoughts in the commentary on the gun control "problem" as you see it (total runtime 20 minutes). In light of recent events this past weekend in Chicago and the number of shootings and homicides, I think it's time that we had this conversation, on this site at least. Yeah, let's exchange some ideas on this issue, shall we?

What's With The Rabid Chris Brown Fans?

Attention Chris Brown stans: I'm waiting for you, you hear me? I see you on all the blogs, especially after Mr. Brown's performance at the BET Awards, going off on anyone that does not and did not fall in awe at the feet of your messiah. The attacks are always the same fare:

"Get a life!"

"He still makes more money than you!"

"He still has adoring fans."

"Your blog sucks!"

Oh, I am so ready for your rabid, yet ineffective vitriol. Bring. IT. ON. I'm letting you know right now that while Mr. Brown might have more in his bank account than I do, and has a cult of zombies who would eat their own mothers' brains if he so much as hinted at it, and all that jazz, at least I don't have a criminal record thanks to giving a beat down to a defenseless person who was smaller and frailer than me. No misdemeanors and no felonies on my end. No, sir...

On a serious note, I'm hoping to prevent a lot of the drama that unfolds in the comments sections
whenever anyone has the "nerve" to mention anything about Chris, even if it's not unkind. It can never be kind enough, if you ask his fans. Even women who have been previously abused themselves, came to his defense, and in effect showing that they are still mentally abused, even if they've escaped the physical abuse.

I'm not here to question whether or not Chris was sincere or not. I almost think it's inappropriate to do so. I don't care enough to rip someone's brain apart in that way. I hope he was sincere and I hope that his "breakdown" is a sign of better things to come for him. However, it doesn't mean that I or anyone else should automatically give him a pass or forgive him for his actions. If anything, I think he was a day late and a dollar short. Had we seen this type of emotion on his part after his attack and abuse came to light, he might have stood a chance. Instead he retreated into the enabling of people whose collective self-esteem is suspect to me.

It's almost hard to do so, because I feel like I am joining a group of people that have always been on his side, even when it was clear that he hit a woman. I just don't want to join that chorus because it appears to me that their forgiveness was never earned, it was always there, waiting and eager. They often speak about forgiving Chris, and go on to remind us that we all sin--as if we didn't know this already--so therefore we should forgive easily and quickly.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Sean Bell's estate sued by NYPD officer Michael Carey

OK, so you remember Sean Bell, right? You know; black guy; bachelor party; strip club; night before his wedding; shot fifty times by NYPD cops; dead; cops got off. Yep, you remember him right? Yeah, shit like that's easy to forget.

So yeah, federal prosecutors refused to pursue a civil rights lawsuit in February. Yeah I know, typical bullshit, right? Soanywhichaways, checkout this latest development concerning Sean Bell's estate via New York Post:
A cop involved in the fatal shooting of Sean Bell on his wedding day is now suing the dead man's estate -- claiming Bell drunkenly assaulted and badly injured him with a car right before the hail of police gunfire that brought the unarmed man down.

Police Officer Michael Carey's lawsuit says Bell was boozed-up when he got behind the wheel of the car after his bachelor party on Nov. 25, 2006, and also claims the doomed groom failed to wear glasses or contact lenses despite having poor eyesight.

Carey's allegations are contained in a Brooklyn federal counter-claim filed last week in response to a wrongful-death lawsuit being pursued by Bell's fiancée, Nicole Paultre Bell, against him and the other four cops involved.

"[Officer Carey] suffered serious leg injury when [Bell] crashed into the vehicle he was riding in before Officer Carey ever drew his gun and fired a shot," said Carey's lawyer, Richard Signorelli.
I don't know about you, but I suddenly have a serious case of O'shea Jackson, which much like turrets makes me wanna unconditionally scream fuck the police. This dick-eater disrespects Bell's family with a frivolous counter-suit? I'm guessing next they'll send the family a bill to cover the cost of the 50 bullets that hit Bell.

A back injury? Bitch please! Not only was this prick not indicted, he was the first witness called for the  police. He also testified to firing three rounds without identifying himself as a police officer as well. In case you didn't know, Sean Bell was a black man, and the cop in question is white. Yeah, that's him in the pic above.

Talk about pissin' on a man's grave.

In the Heart of the Heart of Darkness: A Look at the Prison Pipeline & Minorities

Not too long ago, I attended a conference in which one of the panelists related a story that to me was more horrifying than any slasher movie. A child in kindergarten class was asked to draw a picture showing how he saw himself in the future. It’s an innocent enough exercise, one I am sure is given in kindergarten classes across the nation. The child drew an elaborate diagram. In it he drew his school. From his school, he drew a tunnel that wound its way through a rather sophisticated landscape. That tunnel led to a prison.

Now, the teacher was horrified. She called in her superiors, who called the parents, and so on. When asked why he would draw such a picture, he responded in the typical honesty only children can muster. He said he drew it because it was true.

And he’s right...

The spectacle of conservatives pontificating about morals has become a bad joke. For example, watching that morally-challenged fool, William Bennett, on CNN spinning a report on the US prison population is the height of hypocrisy (or at least it was back then). As a society, we incarcerate more people than any other nation in the world. We have 5% of the world’s population, but 25% of the world’s prison population. There are currently 2.3 million men and women behind bars in the USA right now. Add to that the 5 million on probation and parole and you have an epidemic.

The vast majority of those in prison are young people of color. You might say that this is so because people of color are more prone to crime, but you would be wrong. Reams of studies, such as those published by the Sentencing Project, have shown that, all other factors controlled, a black youth is 1.5 times more likely to be sentenced to prison than his white peer -- even when the crime and criminal histories are the same.

You might say that, hey, prison is fucked up, but we need to lock up criminals in order to stem the tidal wave of crime. Again, you would be wrong. There is no correlation between incarceration and crime rates. In fact, New York City’s record crime drops occurred during a decade in which the prison population was decreasing.

You might say that the collateral damage inflicted on these individuals is justified if it keeps dangerous criminals off the street and again, you would be wrong. The majority of those currently incarcerated are non-violent, first time offenders -- often low level drug dealers with drug histories. Our criminal justice system is so overburdened, that if everyone currently fighting a case would choose to go to trial, the system would implode. As a result, plea-bargaining -- giving up the right to a fair trial in exchange for a more lenient sentence -- is the norm rather than the exception. In other words, the vast majority or people in prison didn’t even have the benefit of a fair trail.

Finally, you might not give a fuck because you think this doesn’t affect you, but, again you would be wrong. Where do you think our government gets the money to build and maintain these prisons?

Maternal Mortality: The Story of Mamma


She had a name.  She was a wife.  She was a mother.  She was a daughter.  She was still a child herself at 18 years old.  Now she becomes a statistic that is not quite at the forefront for a number of reasons.

These women are poor and they are mainly women of color.  They are from Panama, the Sudan, Afghanistan, and yes even our own doorstep: New York.

I went over to Time.com and was struck by this moving and hauntingly real slideshow which brought me into the pain of childbirth, the uncertainty, the resolve, the relief, and unfortunately the death of Mamma Sessay.  She was forced into a marriage at 14 years old.  By 15 years old, she was having children.  

As I trudge along in my own pregnancy at 17 weeks and some days, I don't question whether or not I will have to worry about care.  I don't worry if I will deliver our my third child in a dirty hospital room with little technology to take care of me.  

Every woman questions whether or not something will go wrong, but at this stage of pregnancy, it gets easier to focus on touching your new baby soon, as opposed to worrying about whether or not you will make it out alive.  Well, at least if you are in privileged enough to have health care insurance or some kind of care in a "First World Country."

I feel guilty staring at her picture.  I feel like I've done nothing to deserve these blessings.  I wonder if I have earned enough.  As I sit and watch her face and her untimely death, I can't help but thank and question God at the same time for all that He has given me.  My kids were born in nice hospitals, one of them being newly remodeled and furnished with plasma television screens, DVD and CD player, beautiful wood paneling... 

How is her situation fair?

Monday, June 28, 2010

Okay, Let Folk get this straight. You got some people with shovels and rakes...


...and nobody thinks this shyt is funny? It's funny because it's fvcking ridiculous. Preposterous. Absurd. Ridunculous. Just plain silly.

Come on people. Really? People with shovels, rakes, and Home Depot wet vacs? Is it just Folk? Don't anyone else think that the attempt to clean up the gulf in this fashion is a waste of time?


Seriously. Let's break this down. Currently there is an estimated 39 millions barrels of crude oil that has spilled into the gulf. This not included the bullshyt amount of oil they've burned off or collected to date. But Folk digress.

One man (person, woman, child, who the fvck ever) can scoop up roughly 1/4 barrel of oil an hour in the blistering heat (this is a guestimate fvckers, shyt! You go stand in the humidity with a fvcking shovel in a full haz-mat suit shoveling and tell me how much yo' azz can shovel). Fvck it, let's say that fvcker bad azz and can do 1/2 a barrel an hour (plus Folk ain't no fvcking math genius).

Now if we worked that fvcker hard and with overtime, we work that fvcker 12-14 hours a day because that fvcker hungry and want that paper. That's 5 - 6 barrels a day! Doing good. But that fvcker got to eat and shyt (literally). And maybe piss. So let's deduct 1.5 hours for that. Then a motherfvcker got to wipe sweat and drank water every now and then. So let's take another 30 minutes off that. So that's 4 - 5 barrels.

And believe Folk, this is optimistic!

The Boondocks: A Date With The Booty Warrior

Just this past weekend I found myself bored to friggin death and somehow I ended up on MSNBC watching their Lockup television prison series. I found myself asking the question: Why the f*ck does MSNBC show this shit every damn weekend? Is their parent company General Electric somehow tied in with the Prison Industrial Complex? Why is MSNBC, a "liberal media" outlet continuously promoting a penal system which does very little by the way of rehabilitation, where minorities are overrepresented in the prison population?

Then by late Sunday night it hit me: They show this crap every weekend so that my man Aaron McGruder would be able to do an episode of The Boondocks centered on it with guaranteed comedic genius. This episode had me especially fallin-tha-fuck-out, with references to Fleece Johnson, pictured above. I wrote about Fleeece Johnson two years ago on this blog (right here), so again, for me, this episode was especially hilarious [read my blog on Fleece Johnson and you'll understand].

But beyond the obvious, I thought it was pretty clever how this episode referenced the inability of black politicians (read: the CBC), to get their shit together and affect positive change for their constituents. I thought it was particularly brilliant how they used the pursuit of "Booty", as the embodiment of personal interests. And, it was truly genius how in the end it took a pre-pubescent wanna be thug - Riley - to point out that bitch-ass n*ggas just vote and do nothing else. Yet another jewel lost on the simple minded, indeed:

Chicken Soup for the Liberal Soul: Mark Levin Blows a Gasket Over the DISCLOSE Act

Because there's nothing funnier than listening to some right-wing talk radio nut-job stir up his minions as he damn near has a stroke on the air. I present to you the following audio clip from Mark Levin as he goes on a rant about the DISCLOSE Act; a bill he and others claim to be unconstitutional.

Unconstitutional because as with everything the "thug" Barack Obama praises, it infringes on the First Amendment right to free speech. You know, the typical defense of Conservatives? But I understand; you damn sure would want to fight anything that questions the idea that corporations are people too.

I mean yeah, why would you want "people" who donate to campaigns follow some red tape which requires them disclose just who they are, right? Mind you, the DISCLOSE Act (H.R. 5175) has nothing to do with free speech, although Levin makes the claim with explanation of just how it is so.

In summary, here's a brief description of the bill per opencongress.org:
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign influence in Federal elections, to prohibit government contractors from making expenditures with respect to such elections, and to establish additional disclosure requirements with respect to spending in such elections, and for other purposes.
So now that you have an idea of just what the bill is about, take a listen to this asshole and shake your head in amazement at the disinformation coming from that chitlin juice rubbed armpit of his that he calls a mouth.

I gotta tell you, I listened to this clip about five times and each time I laughed so hard that almost had a brain aneurysm. This is comedy at its finest; but, it's sad that without much though people actually agree with him.

Check it out:

BET and its Deal with the Devil

by Eco.Soul.Intellectual


Have you noticed the plethora of shitty awards shows lately? Let's take MTV, the Oscars, the Espy, the annual porn awards (uhh maybe not that), and we can go down the list.

But the one that I'm going in on today is my all time favorite failure, BET's annual F-list celebs, cooch fest and fake-thug fuckery known as the BET Awards.

Between the BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and the Brandy/Ray J reality show, I shake my head and think, "What a waste of airtime space."

You know what is scarier, the fact that there aren't any shows starring black folk on television. And I am not talking about "Tiny & Toya" or any Reality TV series, that is just a cheap way for networks to deal with heavy financial losses in the era of Internet while they figure out the next gigantic exploitative financial scheme other than overpriced advertising.

With that said, some people view BET as the only time to watch diversity other than the token black, Latino, or Asian that appears on CSI, House or Grey's Anatomy. Yes, please be afraid.

What has been even more of a squander is BET the network, also known to me as Bullshit Entertainment TV. The only shows carrying that half-ass cable channel are "106 & Park" and the Sunday gospel shows that feature pastors with 1983 gherri curls and thousand dollar suits sweating and preaching religious feel-good lies to half of a congregation living in upper-class poverty.

And my all-time unfavorite, "106 & Park" is a prime environment and training site for pedophiles. You have two hosts in their mid-to-late 30s, playing videos of soon-be-grandfathers such as P-Diddy who is making like his 10th comeback, in crowd full of tweens and hot-booty adolescents who are ready to pop, lock and drop it for the first star to blow them a kiss.

All you need is a fake east-coast accent like Rocsi (from NOLA) and Terrence (from N. Carolina), a little music, some brand named clothes, and you have at least three teens on your team.

And if I pass by that station and see the film Diary of a Mad Black Woman, a horribly-written homo-erotic Christian-zealous stage play one more time I'm going to come out of my skin. And if there is another Baby Boy replay, I think me and my mama will get pregnant by Jodie or get ripped from asshole to vagina by one of Ving Rhames' jump-fucking scenes.

With the ongoing financial depression, it has been shown through government documents that the overexpsure of highly-hyped, low-production shows and professional athletics such as FIFA, NBA Finals, Wimbeldon, French Open, the Golf Master's, and the list of other sports, is often used to quell the savage beast of the masses. Check out the baseball frenzy on the radio during the 1920s Depression.

Your Tax Dollars at Work: Structural Racism & Mass Deportation of 'Illegal Immigrants'

Now here's something interesting I came across that highlights structural racism, and the deportation of undocumented immigrants. It's a piece written by Tanya Golash-Boza who happens to be an Associate Professor of Sociology and American Studies at the University of Kansas, that was featured over at one of my favorite sites, racismreview.com:
The overwhelming majority of the 12 million undocumented people in the United States are not in deportation proceedings. Some undocumented migrants, particularly East Asians, are very unlikely to ever be apprehended and deported. In 2007, there were about 230,000 undocumented South Koreans in the United States. Only 417 Koreans were deported from the United States in 2007. In that same year, there were about 280,000 undocumented Hondurans in the United States. Yet, 29,737 Hondurans were deported. In 2007, there were slightly more undocumented Chinese and Filipinos in the United States than Hondurans. However, only 408 Filipinos and 766 Chinese were deported. This is indicative of a trend – Latin Americans are much more likely than Asians to be deported.

Given that DHS claims to be making the nation safer through deportation, it is remarkable that they almost never deport people to countries which the U.S. Department of State identifies as sponsoring terrorism – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Cuba, North Korea, and Sudan. In 2007, for example, 319,382 people were deported. Among these were 49 Iranians, 27 Iraqis, 40 Syrians, 76 Cubans, and 13 Sudanese. (Data were not available for Libya and North Korea.) Instead, deportees are most often sent to countries with which the United States has amicable relations – our allies in the Western Hemisphere. Human Rights Watch reports that 897,099 people were deported on criminal grounds between April 1, 1997, and August 1, 2007, and that 94 percent of these people were from just ten countries, all in the Western Hemisphere – Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Colombia, Jamaica, Canada, Brazil, and Haiti. (source)
After reading the above section, my guess is that immigrants from the south of the border should start flying planes into buildings. Yep, maybe if they did, they'd be seen as less of a threat to national security. But then again, maybe the war on terror is actually working.

Yep, maybe the U.S. needs to invade and occupy Mexico. Shit, it has to be cheaper going to war and exterminating them on their homelands than it is to round them up and deport them. Besides, it's not like we can't stand to have more diversity among convenience store owners...

PIC: ElviraArellano - deported and separated from U.S. born son in 2007.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Sunday Sermon [A New Mourning]


The Pink Wound of a New Mourning

Cold rapid hands
draw back one by one
the bandages of dark
I open my eyes
still
I am living
at the center
of a wound still fresh.
-- Octavio Paz, Dawn

I have written before that’s there’s a potential upside to the current class war aka “The Economic Crisis.” Namely, what people of color have experienced for centuries as a group many whites now are experiencing as solitary and alienated individuals. Chris Rock’s observation that a white person would never trade skins with a black person has some merit, and truth be told, various groups of white Americans might feel as sense of belonging, that the system looks out for them. However, today more than ever, individually they suffer the stings of corporate indifference almost like anyone else.

At a group level, a white man might identify with a white, male, Christian president, for example (though that’s not true today). But how much does that identification mean when on the unemployment line or when a HMO refuses to allow possible life-saving technology?

Every American is a unit of labor. This labor is owned by corporations. Each individual may dispose his or her labor as he or she wishes, but ultimately the employer owes the laborer nothing. In a very real way, this fact can potentially unite the historical experience of people of color and the new day dawning on the rest of our nation.

It can, but we are pitted against one another. Even poor or oppressed whites can look further down and find (false) refuge in the knowledge that the faces at the bottom of the well are often black and brown.

I am attempting to understand, by looking at inequality, the unique challenges that we all face in contemporary America. I want to understand how we can free ourselves from the chains that bind us in this dysfunctional and horrific dance of death and hatred. While these chains are more easily recognized in the experience of people of color, they are also the same chains that shackle us all.

Some of us are looking at social change in fear. We view the reality of a black president as a threat somehow. Some of us see a Latina Supreme Court justice and fear that our freedoms will be taken away. We see that our religious beliefs will not be enforced on others and we seethe with self-righteous indignation and hatred. It’s an irrational fear with far-reaching and potentially catastrophic consequences. It even compels some of us to kill and maim.

Today, I am not looking to advance a particular dogma or socio-political agenda. I am not looking to socialist, Marxist, or capitalistic experiments as an answer to our social and economic problems. Rather, I want to look directly into the maws of capitalism to see if there’s a way to survive the onslaught.

I stand at the intersection of knowledge and action. Rebellion is the primary movement of knowledge. Violence and oppression rob us of the ability to understand. Without understanding, there can be no growth, no evolution, no recognition of Truth, and no tomorrow -- only an endless reverberation of gray todays.

If we refuse to look at and understand the restraints placed on all of us by history, economics, self-image, the media, politics, and the misuse of technology, we will never be free. The alternative to knowledge and action is ignorance and enslavement. The shackles I speak of threaten to enslave everyone in America and therefore, concern us all.

When the logical consequence of a popular and mass ideology is murder, perpetual war, environmental rape, and oppression, we are mired in a crisis that may compel us to become the first species to make ourselves extinct. Alternatively, we also stand at the precipice of what can be one of the greatest evolutionary leaps in our shared history. At every stage of growth, there is both the potential for destruction and the potential for transformative collective change. We all play a part in that choice...

Love,

Eddie

I usually blog here

Saturday, June 26, 2010

North Korea to the United States of America: 'Bitch Betta Have My Money!"

So while certain politicians are pontificating and apologizing for comments made in regards to Obama's recent alleged BP "shakedown". I wanted to take a quick second to send a shoutout to my man Kim Jong-Il for the recent gangsta-ass move of demanding $65 Trillion in "reparations" from the US of A.

OK, sure he's not gonna get a dime from America for what he sees as "atrocities" some 60yrs after the start of the Koran war. But I gotta respect his gangsta due to the fact that in the eyes of the United States, at least to me, this is a ginormous fuck you pay me type move.

My man Lil Kim was like, "Awight, so you wanna me to get betta haircut and stop making newkiller weapon? Wrell, I'm sowry, but diss'a will cost you sixty fwive twillion dowars," and proceeded with the Dr. Evil laugh which stunned the world. I'm sorry, but you gotta respect a guy who loves those Austin Powers movies, whose pimp hand is the source of envy from none other than Max Julien.

Move over Biggie Smalls, you my man and all, but Kim Jong is da Illest. Here's to hoping black people in America pays attention to this move and decide to employ similar tactics when seeking reparations for slavery. Yep, you either pay us or we're gonna continue draining your coffers via welfare as we sick Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Rev. Jeremiah Wright on you. Yeah, we got Yellowcake in the hood, son!

Bitch betta have my money!

STORY HERE

Government Seen as a Threat to Individual Rights: Don't Tread on me Mr. Obama!

I don't necessarily trust polling data because I think for the most part people tell you what they think you wanna hear. But at any rate they're always an interesting snapshot of just how people were thinking at the time; especially when considering the political climate. So here's the results of a recent poll taken by the folks over at Rasmussen, on just how Americans feel about government being a threat to our constitutional rights:
WASHINGTON, June 24 (UPI) – Nearly half of U.S. adults view the government as a threat to, not a protector of, individual rights, a Rasmussen poll released Thursday indicates.

Forty-eight percent of adults said they saw the government as a threat, compared with 37 percent who said they believed the opposite, Rasmussen said. Fifteen percent of survey respondents said they were undecided.

Most Republicans, 74 percent, said they thought the government threatened individual rights, while 51 percent of respondents not identifying a party affiliation expressed the same view. Sixty-four percent of Democrats regard the government as a protector of rights.

Additionally, most Americans -- 52 percent -- said they thought it was more important for the government  to protect individual rights than to promote economic growth, the poll indicated. Thirty-one percent of respondents said promoting economic growth is more important.

Results are based on a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults conducted June 18-19. The margin of error is 3 percentage points. (source)
OK, so do you see what I mean about not trusting respondents? Isn't it interesting that the majority of the Republicans respondents are of the belief that government poses a threat to our rights? Yep, the very same people who more than likely supported the last administration as they all but stripped us butt-naked and gave us all anal probes while we sat in the comfort of our own homes.

But lemme guess, there's a Kenyan-born Muslim with the ability to dance on beat better than 99% of them now occupying the White House, so obviously our individual rights are in jeopardy. Which is really funny because ours is a nation founded on Christianity where God gave all men inalienable rights. That said, why then should anyone feel that the government is a threat against our individual rights?

But this is America, you have the right to be a hypocrite I suppose:



QUESTION: Is government as a threat to your individual rights?

Friday, June 25, 2010

The Friday Sex Blog: Sex & The Sense of Smell

Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary, and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains. -- Diane Ackerman

¡Hola! Everybody...

In light of the recent conservatives attempts to sends us all back to the sexual Dark Ages, I thought some sex talk would be apropos...

I’ll never forget the time I received a panicked telephone call from a former lover. I hadn’t heard from her for years. In fact, I had heard she married and was out of the singles game. We had an affair totally based on sex and she was almost as much of a freak as I was. I always remember her fondly because though ours wasn't a "love story" popularized by chick porn (i.e., romance novels and chick flicks), we shared many tender moments. Anyway, when she calmed down enough to explain, I discovered the source of her anxiety. Apparently, her husband (who, she assured me, she loved, like, forever) went out and bought a cologne that was my signature scent. The scent (by Paco Rabbanne) evoked images and memories of yours truly at the most inappropriate time and it freaked her out. Why she then called me is beyond my understanding, so… LOL! There’s more to this story, but this part is the relevant part.

The sense of smell is probably the oldest of our senses. It is the only sense directly
connected to the brain. The reason why my ex-lover was thinking of me after so many years is because the sense of smell is highly involved in sexual function, pleasure, and irritation. It’s also closely related to memory. Scientists speak of the concept of “smell print” in which memories are associated with certain smells. As with my anxious ex-lover (who feared she was having marital doubts), a certain scent will vividly cause a person to recall a memory associated with it. Smells are like fingerprints, highly individualized.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Right-Wing Religious group says Gulf oil spill is God's punishment for Barack Obama

So have you heard the latest reason to explain the BP Gulf oil leak? Well, much like anything catastrophic that happens, God is involved. Yeah, you know the same God who released his wrath in the form of an earthquake on those Voodoo worshiping Haitians earlier this year? Uh-huh, the same God who used Hurricane Katrina to punish "the gays" of New Orleans in 2005? Yep, I'm talking about that loving God

Well according to a group who calls themselves Generals International, the Gulf oil spill is God's punishment because of Barack Obama's poor treatment of Israel. Yeah I know, right? Israel? Shit, is Barack and Farrakhan buddies or sumthin? Well anyway, according to these loons, Cindy and Mike Jacobs of Generals International in their webcast, God is pretty pissed off because Obama has disrespected the state of Israel:


I guess this is all plausible especially since Obama is a Kenyan born Muslim and all, right? I mean maybe this explains why Obama decided to side with Israel against the UN in regards to an international investigation of the recent flotilla incident. Maybe Obama was trying to get back in the good graces of God by doing that.But then God said, "I'll show these fools," and then in the blink of an eye, the Deep Water Horizon Exploded.

Yep, forget all the talk of BP's incompetence, greed and deregulation. Yeah, forget that crap because the truth is the Lord works in mysterious ways. And because he is who he is, he chooses special people who just happen to be religious fundamentalists to hit 'em with a text message to say, "you betta let these fools know, son!" Yeah, I'm sure Helen Thomas is somewhere saying ten Hail Mary's as she tries to prevent Iowa from being hit by a tsunami.

Ironically, this very group sponsored and participated recently in a May Day 2010 prayer rally in-spite of recent financial troubles. Of course God stepped in and through his magic they were able to secure a $15,000 matching grant. But as you know, God's work isn't cheap, nor does he have the cash. I guess this would explain why on the webcast they were seeking donations to fight off the attacks from a demonic vortex they're currently battling, that is trying to shut them down.


Sadly, Rev. Jeremiah Wright couldn't be reached for comment.

In Pursuit of Energy Independence

Rep. Joe Barton's apology to BP, and Judge Martin Leach-Cross Feldman's decision to overturn Obama's six month moratorium on deep water drilling, hasn't fazed me one bit. Yes both of these men are tied to the oil industry in some way or another. But hey, as far as elected officials and policy makers go, who isn't? This is yet another example of why the stated goal of Energy Independence is pretty much like a hunt for the ever elusive Unicorns:

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Man pretends to be a woman and sexually assualts two teenage girls in same home

As a victim of sexual abuse as a child, I've made peace and have come to terms with the feelings of guilt associated with such an experience. Today, it's very rare that I get upset like I used to when I hear of stories of sexual assaults on children by adults. But every now and then I come across a story like the following that pisses me off:
Chicago, Illinois - Jamelia Lillian Sanders, a 36-year-old South Side man was jailed Saturday after he pretended to be a woman to gain access to two children he is alleged to have molested.

According to Chicago police, Sanders befriended a family several years ago and told them that he was a woman. He was allowed to spend time with two girls, ages seven and nine, and spent a lot of time alone with them while "taking them out."

Investigators say the children told their family Sanders had sexually assaulted them and that he threatened to kill them if they told anyone. He abused the younger victim repeatedly between 2007-2008, and began abusing the older child in January 2010.

Sanders was booked into jail and charged with two counts of predatory sexual assault. He is being held without bond.

It is unclear why Sanders appears to be badly beaten in hs mug shot photo. Angry family members, perhaps?
Now I've told some lies to women just to get the booty, but this shit is taking it too fuckin' far. I'm not a violent person, but I'd love to have twenty minutes alone with this guy in a locked room... NO HOMO... so I can thoroughly beat the shit out of him, as all child molesters should be at least three times a week.

Thankfully there's a place for him where he can get dealt with with extreme prejudice. But err, as a father of 4 daughters? This is why you don't allow strangers in your home - nope, not even that perverted great uncle...

Texas GOP Seeks Ban on Anal & Oral Sex

Friggin Texas, man! I dunno, but I'm beginning to think that the GOP being down and out on the Federal level, gives them an impetus to show their asses at the state level. We all know about the Texas Textbook debacle, and now, I'm hearing that the Texas GOP wants to ban anal and oral sex, and make it a criminal act?

Umm, yeah....

All because, the religious fundamentalists who hang out in the GOP are trynna fight back against "the gays"? Which is pretty silly since gay marriage isn't exactly legal in Texas. But to make it a felony offense and reinstate archaic sodomy laws which would make anal and oral sex illegal punishable by jail time:
The GOP there has voted on a platform that would ban oral and anal sex. It also would give jail sentences to anyone who issues a marriage license to a same-sex couple (even though such licenses are already invalid in the state).

“We oppose the legalization of sodomy,” the platform says. “We demand that Congress exercise its authority granted by the U.S. Constitution to withhold jurisdiction from the federal courts from cases involving sodomy.”

The Lone Star state initially passed a law barring sodomy in 1860. Violators faced anywhere from five to 15 years in prison. The ban was overturned in 2003.

In addition, the platform says that homosexuality “tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit and leads to the spread of dangerous communicable diseases.”

It also states that homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable “alternative” lifestyle in public schools and “family” should not be redefined to include homosexual couples.

The 25-page proposal, presented last week as a guide for the state GOP over the next two years, includes other measures including outlawing “sexually oriented businesses” like strip clubs and banning “all pornography.” (source)
Ummm, yeah, so I suppose those freaky hetero southern Republicans who corner the market on internet porn abstain from oral sex, right? I guess that doesn't matter when for your whole life you're told that ain't but two things that come out of Texas, and that would be steers and queers. leave it up to a bunch of anal retentive sexually repressed religious xenophobes to drop this news during National Gay Pride Month.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

If Jesus Had a Vagina: Would She Love Homosexuals, Black Women & Tyler Perry?

OK, so today I have Jesus on my mind. No, not the little brown dude from Mexico; sorry, this isn't another one of my pro-immigration reform posts you love so much. Instead, I feel like talking about the white, sandal wearing, hippie looking dude - yeah, the wine making carpenter.

So anyway, ironically for the past few days I've been pondering this question:

If Jesus was a woman, would she be as famous today as he is?

I asked a couple of friends a few days ago and we've all concluded that we probably would not have heard her story. Personally, I happen to think that she would have died a lot sooner than the legendary guy on the cross. I dunno, but images of witches burnt at the stake come to mind. Which is really ironic because if it wasn't for Christianity there would be no witch hunts.

I mean let's be honest, folks: judging by today's standards and structure of male patriarchy, the biblical days were pretty damn sexist. Yep, and women were reduced to property one level up from cattle in my opinion. Sure, there are positive stories of women in the bible, but even they had to, as The Rock would say, "know their role." And today, this is one of my points of contention with Christianity and the worship of Jesus Christ by believers, and more specifically women. But hey, per the bible Jesus loved the chicks too.

I mean why wouldn't he? According to the "story", a woman is responsible for man's fall from grace with God, and it took the birth of a man from a white virginal platinum-plated uterus, to bring salvation to the world. That being the case, it's only natural for him to pity the women who threw their panties on the stage at his concerts. You know, sorta in a "don't worry baby, it ain't your fault; these niggas ain't shit and I got you," kinda way? You know, those black women who are obviously less virtuous than white women; black women who just can't find a man, so they run to the church like momma and grandma told them to?

Yeah I know it sounds kinda crazy but that's just how RiPPa's twisted mind sees it; and also, it didn't help that he watched this weeks episode of The Boondocks. For those of you who saw it, on the surface it appeared to be possibly the greatest dig at Tyler Perry, who in a few years has become the closest thing to a Black Pope the Negro kind has seen. Before he came along all black church goers did was eat at buffets and get fat. Now, because of Tyler Perry, they can eat at buffets and have conversations about his movies as they get fat.

Monday, June 21, 2010

White Students Hang Banana Peels At Black Hangout: Why I Want To Slap Their Parents!

May I just inquire what the hell is going on with American teens this week? Hell, what the hell is in the water in Washington this week? First, two 17 year old girls get hardbody with an ARMED cop (and he couldn't restrain them), and now white students at a local high school decide to hang banana peels at an area where black students congregate called "The Jungle." See what happens when you don't spank your kids, America?

They do shit like this... No home training.
"If I did offend anybody, then I apologize," said Andrew Carel, 18.

An apology may not be enough to let Carel and his friend Kyle off the hook after the prank they pulled Friday morning at Auburn-Riverside High School.

"We bought the bananas," Carel said, "got about 3 feet of fishing line, and the tied them up on the balcony."

And why string up bananas in that particular location? Carel said students it's because of the nickname that stairwell has received for the black students who gather there.

"They all hang out under the stairs," he said, "and we just call it "The Jungle" because... that's what even the black people call it too." (source)
Guess what happened next? One of the black students got so upset, that when approached by a security guard, the student "assaulted" the guard, and was arrested. REALLY? Can we not interview the guard? What did the student do? Unfortunately, having actually been in that position, just so much as touching the guard (which is what I did), is considered assault. I myself narrowly escaped being charged by the police because I was a good kid (and God was looking out for me).

Long story short, an interview with a cop (real nice guy) and my teeth being messed up pre-braces (he said I bit him, but my teeth didn't match the bite marks!), I was able to get off with an anger-management class. So I feel for the student. I get it. They were upset, and you know mob mentality, they get real hyper. With that said, just like I was an idiot for falling for that and should've known better, this student should've known better. Besides, do you really want to give the little Klan members in training that kind of satisfaction?

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Racism Goes Paranormal: It's No Longer Racial Profiling, It's a 'Sixth Sense'

Lemme tell you something: I stay away from the paranormal shit. Not that I believe in any of it. But when someone else goes there with it? That's usually my clue to exit stage left. So now I'm conflicted because my arch-nemesis racism has decided to up his game and go all paranormal on a brotha:


Umm, how exactly are "illegal immigrants" groomed, Steve? No seriously, grooming? I mean, are you trying to say that there's a certain smell exclusive to illegal immigrants? If that's one of the "indicators" that influences the "gifted" in sniffing out illegal immigrants, I guess you're right.

Yep, there's nothing racial about that. I mean, that is if you overlook the whole "what type of accent they have," and "what type of shoes they wear," thing. I mean, it's pretty obvious that all illegal immigrants wear Nikes with the upside down swoosh from those Latin American sweatshops, right?

I swear racism gets more clever by the day.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Ron Artest: 'Stereotypes of a Black male misunderstood, but it's still allgood'

At the beginning of the NBA finals I spoke to my best friend who happens to be the ultimate L.A. Laker fan. No shit, I think this cat still sleeps in Magic Johnson's Converse Weapons and James Worthy's goggles.

But anyway, we talk about sports a lot and he knows that I'm no longer a Laker fan like I was back in the day. I'm sorry, but I love the Knicks, and just like the south we shall rise again (stop fuckin laughing!).

So I mentioned to him that I'm going against all NYC convention by rooting for the Boston Celtics in the series. I also mentioned that a part of me wanted to see the Laker win, solely based on my love for Ron Artest. Don't worry, my love for him is not of the homo-erotic type as captured in the following pic...

Ummm, yeah, what was that about?!!

Instead, I'm of the belief that Artest is the embodiment of the misunderstood urban negro. And of course me being an all around ghetto nerd and defender and representer of all things hood, sans the moments of sheer n*ggerdom and ig'nant behavior. This why I found pleasure in watching the Artest post-game interview, while he basked in the warm glow of redemption, as he showed just how he hasn't forgotten where he came from:

Thursday, June 17, 2010

oil on the finger that's pointing

By guest blogger Folk



::steps up to the podium. taps mike::


What's pop'n people? Folk been quiet on this topic but it's time for Folk to come out swinging! There's a lot of finger pointing going on with the oil spill crisis that's ongoing in the gulf.

The President's at fault. BP is at fault. The government is at fault. The oil industry is at fault. The overseeing bodies that inspect the functioning oil rigs are at fault. Halliburton that supplies that cap is at fault. The buracracy and red tap is at fault. The EPA is at fault. The Environmentalist are at fault. Huckle Berry Fin's nipple ring also bears some fault! Hell the question Folk has is who isn't at fault?!?

That includes you and Folk too...

Our thirst of oil has forced America and the world's oil companies to this point. We want all the oil to supply our lifestyles but we don't want to produce it in a manner where the results of raping the earth can be seen. Instead we choose to invade other countries we deem vile and dishonorable in order to fulfill our industrialized thirst in the name of civility an democracy.

We (and Folk uses we loosely) laughed at the rest of the world as they curbed their oil appetites and produced larger SUVs at an alarming rate, built obscenely large inefficient homes, and turned a humped back to the fact that oil is a non-renewable resource.

So now we have a call to renewable resources for energy. Now what? Should incandescent bulbs be removed from store shelves for florescent? Should federal mandates for higher efficient home appliances be put into place immediately? Should every passenger vehicle that gets less than 20 mpg be taxed per mile or banned all together?

Folk ain't got all the answers. Folk can only start with Folk. And Folk has been considering the amount of energy Folk uses for years. For years Folk has used dimmers, florescent light bulbs, cars that get good / great mpg, and recycle when Folk can. Just because we don't see the troubles we cause with the lifestyle we choose to live doesn't mean it goes away.

Alvin Greene Voter Speaks: "So like, that wasn't AL GREEN?!!"

Damn, this one is too funny! No seriously, you gotta watch the following video. In it, a South Carolina voter is interviewed and explains why she voted for Alvin Greene. In the interview she explains what I suspect to be the real reason Alvin Greene was able to capture 75% of the vote in at least three precincts. For me, the hiliarity of this short clip, is that it debunks the notion that Greene won because blacks overwhelmingly voted for him. And yes, this woman is white:


OK, so one white woman doesn't represent the many white folks who voted for my man Alvin Greene. However, to me this is proof that white folks are fond of that Negro baby making music. Yes, and as in the case of the woman above, I'm willing to bet that her panties got wet from a montage of some freaky "I love diving off of headboards" sex, set to the tune of  'Let's Stay Together' as she stood in the voting booth. Yep, and If I was this woman, I'd be embarrassed now that the world knows of her hidden lust.

So much for the idea of black people voting for candidates solely because of their shared skin color. Sadly, Gail Westerfield serves as proof of something many of us black folks hate admitting. No, not that the typical black voter is blissfully ignorant when it comes to politics. Instead, Gail is evidence of a reality that we as black people often scoff. And that would be, the fact that all black people do look alike. C'mon black people; just accept it. Here's to you Gail Westerfield, for setting white folks back.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Florida teacher fired for having premarital sex with fiancé three weeks before wedding


Hat-tip American Voice for this one...

Now I've heard of women being kicked out of churches for being unmarried and pregnant. But for the life of me I don't understand just how this is grounds for termination at a Christian school. Of course there's much I have yet to understand (nor care to) about that hand-me-down religious Dogma, but I think this is absurd:


Now a part of me thinks that Jarretta Hamilton shouldn't have said a damn thing nor even answered the question of when did she get pregnant. I mean whose business is it but that of her, her husband, and her fucking doctor! How dare these religious fundamentalist talk about standards and values when there was no fucking contract signed by this woman. But I guess this is no big deal given the fact that women in the bible were often treated more like property than anything else; and, it's a wonder they didn't stone her to death.

Yeah, and what if she was an atheist, a Muslim or a non-believer? Lemme guess, that is to be sorted out through a rigorous and intrusive interview, right? I mean if the 14th Amendment protects a woman's right to privacy when it comes to abortion. Surely the same protection applies, and the actions of this school is discriminatory, right? We're a nation of laws, and just in case you didn't know, there's this old piece of paper called the constitution that protects individuals from this sort of thing.

I sincerely hopes she wins her lawsuit; and yes, a part of me believes that her being black has something to do with it. The reaction when they found out in the presence of her and her husband (before even knowing when the child was conceived) says it all. Something tells me that if she were a white woman, she would be easily forgiven, and her privacy would have been respected. Instead, white privilege rears its ugly head at the end of a letter from the school principal, Jon Ennis, to her attorney: “We request that Jarretta withdraw her complaint and consider the testimony of the Lord.” Yep, they sure have a way of telling black people what to do, don't they?

Yeah, cut the check!


STORY HERE

George Bush: Just like herpes, he keeps coming back

So while Republicans are posturing and trying to force president Obama's hand on lifting the moratorium on drilling in the Gulf. Let's take a trip down memory lane in our way back machine and see how this all came about. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the ghost of presidents, and regrettable unprotected sex past:

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

You Black People Should Learn to Stop Resisting Arrest!

Oh well, I guess it's a true sign of summer when these stories involving police and encounters with police are all the rage. Yep, schools definitely out for the summer, but that doesn't stop po-po from teaching a few lessons. Yes, because for the second time in a few days I'm blogging about another police beatdown of a teen here in America.

This time, the story comes out of Seattle. You know, the city where they love beating the Mexican piss out of, well, innocent Mexican suspects of criminal activity? Well, this story involves a 17yr old black female and her friend. And what was her crime you ask? She was stopped for "allegedly" jay-walking:


Now, I'm sure like me you're of the belief that the actions of the cop wasn't warranted. Like some people commenting on this on YouTube, you probably think that this girl was obviously resisting arrest and deserved to be punched in the face. But I'll leave that debate up to you folks, and just say that this girl was lucky.

Yes, she was lucky to only walk away with a black eye out of this encounter. I mean, the cop could have easily shot her fifty times with his side piece, after using his taser to damn near kill her subdue her; only to drag her off to jail and stick a plunger up her ass. Not an unlikely sequence of events of course, given other high profile stories of police brutality. So yes, this is a teachable moment and I hope you've learned something here today.

The 'Angry Black Man' Defense of Obama's BP Response is a Waste of a Race Card

I never thought I'd see the day that I actually agreed with Bill O'Reilly on something, and publicly admit it. Sure I might lose some of my street cred and a few ghetto passes for this one, but I think he's right. Yeah, I know that's strange coming from a veteran racism chaser such as myself. But defending the criticisms of Obama's lack of an emotional response to the disaster in the Gulf by throwing down the "Angry Black Man" race card is foolish. If anything, what it says, is that the president is weak and incapable on leading because he happens to be a black man:


I'm sorry, I'll defend Barack Obama from obvious racial attacks from the likes of assholes on the right. You know the stuff I've highlighted on this site for the last two years. However, I refuse to accept the argument that suggests that he cannot afford to show anger towards BP and their obvious incompetence, for fear of being seen or perceived as an angry black man. Especially when said black man defied all the odds to become America's first black president, who has taught us to take responsibility, and shed all excuses.

You see, when you throw out race cards when it's not necessary, you open up doors for slave catchers like the black dude in the video above to run his bullshit rhetoric that even Bill distanced himself from. Listen, America is angry about the fifty plus days of oil spewing into the gulf; and rightfully so. If Barack Obama stood up and showed his disgust about what's happening at the hands of BP, nobody white is going to stand up and criticize him or judge his behavior to be typical of black men, or any black person in America.

The sister on the panel has a valid point as does Jonathan Capehart in his article as far as the stigma of the angry black man or woman. However, in this case, I just don't see where being cautious of this is applicable. The truth is, we all want this crap in the gulf to come to and end; and if it means gettin' a little gully and snatching some collars, then so be it. It doesn't matter whether the president is black or white, what matters is that the American people feels a connection between themselves and the president.

The real irony of this is as Bill points out, president Obama has responded to his critics with a shift in tone and presentation. This is the very reason the administration is pulling out all the stops in regaining lost political capital, with his current tour of the gulf states today and tomorrow. But hey, don't tell that to the some of his strongest supporters who refuse to be critical of the man they voted for to run this country and lead the free world. A man who they themselves looked past color and voted for based on his capability to do a better job than his opponent.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Rep. Steve King (R-IA): By Default, Obama Favors The "Black Person"

So the ever popular racist xenophobic conservative, Rep. Steve King, was interviewed on the G. Gordon Liddy Show (didn't even know this quack Liddy was still alive) and the subject was Arizona's soon to be enacted immigration law. Oh yeah, I'm hearing Arizona's now working on another piece of legislation which targets the American-born children of undocumented immigrants for deportation. I'll get to that one in a bit, but until then, checkout what King had to say about Obama as a critic of Arizona's legislation:
"When you look at this administration, I'm offended by Eric Holder and the President also, their posture.  It looks like Eric Holder said that white people in America are cowards when it comes to race.  And I don't know what the basis of that is but I'm not a coward when it comes to that and I'm happy to talk about these things and I think we should.  But the President has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race — on the side that favors the black person." (source)
OK, so here's the thing. If what King is saying is true about Eric Holder and Barack Obama. Then given the fact that the last 43 presidents have been white. Isn't it only "fair" that the current president's "default mechanism" works just as well as all previous presidents? You know, the ones who never favored the black person? I dunno, King may not be a coward as he says, but he sure is stupid. I mean, if Obama and Holder were white like the how ever many white opponents of this law, would that then make him a race traitor?

Much Like Lamont Sanford, Alvin Greene Gives Hope to Men With No Game

Until I see him giving R. Kelly a high five as they both have sex with a 14yr old girl on tape, I'm not giving too much play to the Willie Horton or Boo Radley allure that is Alvin Greene. I'm sorry, but listening to the story above from the "alleged" victim, I don't see Greene as a sex offender as he's currently being touted.

Given the fact that he has yet to be convicted, the only crime Green is guilty of in my opinion, is that of being 32yrs old and having no game with the ladies. Sorry, but if your game is that wack at 32yrs old, you might as well pay for sex on occasion; or, be satisfied with the knuckle shuffle on the ole piss-pump in your spare time.

But then again, it's been my experience that there're any number of freaky white girls on college campuses. That said, who's to say that the "hey baby, do you like porn," routine, hasn't worked for him in the past? Not exactly the smoothest pickup line; but, I'm sure given the law of averages, someone has bitten on this before.

And much like another great American hero - Lamont Sanford - who lives at home with his parent(s), Alvin Greene has become a source of inspiration for loser men across the nation. Did he let not having a car or cashing unemployment checks slow him down? No he didn't. He reached deep into his soul and was resourceful enough to pull off the inevitable all in the pursuit of happiness; and it cost him was $10,400. And he surely didn't let some silly felony obscenity charge stop him either.

Certainly as evidenced by his interviews the brother isn't too nice with the verb, and is no Michael Eric Dyson when it comes to breaking it down as seasoned politicians and orators do. So maybe this would explains his foray into the world of politics. Shit, don't you know how much coochie those politicians get on the tax-payer dime? Uh-huh, and in case you didn't know it, Greene actually has a Bachelors in non other than Political Science.

Hell, if the governor of your state has the ability to skip town unannounced to tap some ass in an exotic location. Surely by becoming a senator you'll have the women throwing panties at you like your name is Prince. Which is a hell of a lot better than being perceived as a cocaine-crazed negro from the south with a voracious sexual appetite for white women; shit, once upon a time in America that stuff got you killed.

Conservative Matthew Philbin Makes World Cup Soccer a Racial Issue of American Force Fed Diversity

Can I put my Panamanian/West-Indian hat on for a second?  Every four years, my soul is renewed when the World Cup gets underway.  For as long as I can remember, I have loved soccer.

Growing up in Panama in a working class neighborhood, soccer is what you did. If kids played soccer as part of a league, we didn't know. Soccer (or as I will refer to it as futbol) was universal. You played it for fun. You played for recess. You played it after school. You played it pretending you were your favorite team. You played with anything round and bouncy and large enough. So for me, FUTBOL has been something that has coursed through my veins, much like blood. For me, it's Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness and FUTBOL.

Of course after having watched Cameroon in Italy '90 World Cup, my love was cemented. I saw all these teams, but there was one team that was black like me and they were good. They were underdogs, and nobody took them seriously it seemed, but my pride was and my belief in them was steadfast, and they did not disappoint.

So when I ask for a little bit of respect for futbol, or share my love for it, I am not involved in some liberal plot to bring down Americans nor am I against American "exceptionalism" as Matthew Philbin so ignorantly put it:
The liberal media have always been uncomfortable with "American exceptionalism" - the belief that the United States is unique among nations, a leader and a force for good. And they are no happier with America's rejection of soccer than with its rejection of socialism.

Hence Americans are "xenophobic," "isolated" and lacking in understanding for other nations and their passion for "the planetary pastime," as Time magazine put it. But, they are confident, as America becomes more Hispanic, the nation will have to give in and adopt the immigrants' game. On the other hand, the media assure the public that soccer is already "America's Game," and Americans are enthusiastically anticipating the World Cup, even though the numbers don't bear that contention out.

So, every four years they return with renewed determination to force soccer's square peg in the round hole of American culture.

Part of the liberal sales pitch for soccer is its popularity with Hispanics. Liberals who fetishize race are eager to adopt a sport with a special appeal for a certain minority, and it would never occur to them that new arrivals to the country might be well served adapting to traditional U.S. pastimes. To the left, it's America that must change.

Saporito maintained that "the browning of America," will grow the sport. Time's Sanchez told Scarborough, "... you know, when America becomes a nonwhite majority nation in 2040, I mean, you know, the sport of soccer is the sport of, you know, of Hispanic Americans, of all kinds of immigrants to America."
Apparently, every four years while most of the world gets positive, American neo-cons go on vitriolic tirades on the internet to attack a sport that could give a shit less about whether or not they like it. For Philbin to pull the "race card" is absolutely disgusting. I don't care what Saporito's ideas are; and to be honest, several American players on the US team credit their love of futbol to growing up in Texas, and playing with Mexicans. Look at where they are now.

Is that so bad?

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Police Gone Wild: 15-year-old catches a bad one at the hands of Indianapolis police

I read the story of 15yr old Brandon Johnson's encounter with a few police officers in my old college stomping grounds of Indianapolis, IN. My first reaction to the story was that of disappointment.

Sorry, no disappointment in hearing about police giving a ginormous beatdown to a 15yr old kid - it happens all the time. Instead, my disappointment comes in the fact that it took a month for it to make national headlines! I swear, racism chasing has it's challenges, but anyway...

A few other things bothered me upon reading the story; I'll get to that in a bit:
INDIANAPOLIS — The city's police chief called Thursday for the firing of a white officer who he said repeatedly struck a 15-year-old biracial boy in the face during an arrest after the teen had been subdued by other officers.

Chief Paul Ciesielski said Officer Jerry Piland needlessly struck Brandon Johnson several times during the May 16 arrest near the boy's home. Johnson was left with gaping wounds on his swollen face and a black eye.

"It was a difficult decision, but I know it was the right decision to terminate his employment because that certainly serves as an example that we have a zero-tolerance policy," Ciesielski said at a news conference.

[...] The teen's family and black community leaders have called for a federal investigation into whether Johnson's civil rights were violated. Piland, 36, and the other three officers directly involved in the arrest are white, while Johnson's mother is black and his father is white.

"I'm grateful to have one bad cop off the streets, but there was a lot of wrongdoing here that day," Johnson's mother, Chantay Chandler, said at a news conference Thursday at the family's home. Family representatives called on the department to fire the four officers directly involved in the arrest, but not a fifth officer who stood on the periphery.

[...] A police report said witnesses saw Johnson's brother try to kick in the door of an abandoned building near their home and officers who responded went to arrest him for breaking and entering. Police say Johnson and others protested the arrest, and that when an officer tried to arrest Johnson he resisted, squaring up as if to strike the officer and breaking the officer's grip when he was nearly handcuffed.

Piland, who was off duty and lived in the neighborhood, showed up in plain clothes and tried to help the other officers, the chief said. He smacked Johnson in the face with his open hand and used his knee to apply pain when the teen fell to the ground until a third officer interceded, he said.

At that point, Piland should have helped control Johnson, but instead struck him more times with his open hand, Ciesielski said. - (Source)
OK, so maybe I'm nitpicking when I say I have a problem with him being referenced s biracial. Yep, I'm having a hard time understanding the need to mention that his father is white. What, did the cops beat his ass treat him less inhumane because of that fact?

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