Democrats & Blacks - The Dems Win/ Blacks Lose.........Our Souls And Our Consciousness

(Please note - I did a Google Image search on "Black Democrat" and came up with this picture. I am not alleging that the Democrats of today are the KKK. This picture from the past is however symbolic of the current challenges that we face.)

Take a look at this article Black people:
Article: Dems Still Trumped by Bush in 2007

Note this paragraph in particular:

At stake is a wider Democratic majority, big enough to govern. A cascade of retirements by Republicans in the Senate made that goal achievable. Democrats hoped gain seats in the House, as well.

So they labored to tout what they had accomplished in the majority. They suggested that what failed this year might pass with more Democrats elected next year.

Here is the central assumption that has been marketed to Black people by Democrats (including Democrats who are Black) as the draw to get Black folks to remain as loyal, 92% constituents to the Democratic Party. The key concept is to get Black people to COME ALONG WITH THE FIGHT against the Republicans - their adversaries. "If you help us to get more Democrats into office.......the Black community will BENEFIT because we will pass more legislation that is POPULAR with Black people".

As long as the Democratic operatives have Black people focusing on "the pyramid" rather than "the FABRIC that is currently blanketing Black America" the majority of the Black voting populace will focus upon winning back the three key stones atop the pyramid - Presidency, Senate, House. Gone from the core consciousness of our people will be the FACT that we HEARD THIS BEFORE.......at the local level. Yes we were wildly enthusiastic when we got our first Black mayor - a Democrat. Ditto - city council majority, state rep., state senator. At a time when THE FABRIC upon Black people has turned into the famous veil as depicted by the statue in front of Tuskegee University - How can the so called "Black leadership" that has influence over Black America once again engage in the notion that NEAR TERM help for the Democrats will mean LONG TERM benefit for the Black Community? What exactly is going to be DIFFERENT next time again?

"The Ride to the fight" is the essential element that keeps Black people neutralized in our MANAGEMENT OF THOSE WHO WE HAVE IN POWER RIGHT NOW!!! Since he is "working on our behalf" to represent us against the REPUBLICANS who don't have our best interests in mind as a race......he is not evaluated on HIS EFFECTIVENESS or that of his POLICIES. He is evaluated by his ability to FIGHT REPUBLICANS. People - can I ask you a question: What happens when you get 80% Democratic Cities such as Philly, Baltimore, Detroit and many, many others where Black people are concentrated? Does reason hold that you still have a FIGHT AGAINST THE REPUBLICANS on your hands? These cities should be the showcases of Democrats to Black people saying - "The Democratic Party wishes to thank our loyal supporters within the Black community. After years of struggle to change this country for the better YOUR COMMUNITIES are now receiving the benefit of your travails. Look at your schools - they are first class. Look at the commercial districts where you live - prosperity reigns, your people have full employment. Look at the cultural exchanges taking place on your streets. These same streets that were once clogged with criminal activity and terror upon those who simply wanted to live are now promoting Black 'reparation' in fact rather than 'in promise'. Yes Black America we promised this future for you and we have delivered. We look forward to what the next 40 years of your loyal support will do for you".

Which Democratic Party official in their right mind, Black or White, could stand on stage and give this speech today?

WHAT ARE BLACK PEOPLE GETTING OUT OF THE BARGAIN?

Yes we know that many conservative/Republican policies are not POPULAR among Black people in the state that we are in today. Why then do you wish to go to their schools, crossing the city boundaries that they once crossed to get away from you? They allowed you to HAVE the central city for your own selves. They moved into the undeveloped suburbs and built it as they chose and governed it as they choose as well. Zoning laws that limit liquor stores and night clubs. Aggressive policing to keep law and order. Cookie cutter lawns where one house is nearly indistinguishable from another and thus an individual's "flavor" is not expressed. Why is it that we support "FUBU" but reject when they practice the same as being 'racist'? Why is it that THIS is the REFERENCE POINT of perfection, the literal "1.0" on the National Urban League index of the "State of Black America"? If this environment is oppressive to you - why do we covet it rather than BUILDING OUR OWN with our own priorities?

Let us project forward in time. What exactly is going to be the future event that defeats White Conservative resistance to us and thus allows BLACK PEOPLE TO PROSPER? Does the fact that your ideology is a function of THEIR sentiments not have you to see that you don't have an ORGANIC movement but a REDISTRIBUTIVE movement instead? If their past "flight" in which you took over the reigns did not bring forth the promises that your party had told you it would to your community.....but it made THEM stronger than ever IN YOUR COMMUNITY....what makes you think that the future will be any different? With globalization as a fact do you think that the next "flight" will be an international one rather than across city, county and state lines?

How is it that you don't see that an ORGANIC movement is the only hope that you have for "progression"?

ALCU - Photo Voter ID - Protecting The Ballot????

Link TV - ACLU Preview

I am a Black Man - sound mind, sound body.
In my lifetime of observations I have come to the conclusion that whenever Black people are linked up with leftwing activist groups - a spirit of INFERIORITY is projected upon the Black people so that we being VICTIMS can serve as the perfect poster child for the cause of these left wing interest groups - be they White Liberals or Black Quasi-Socialist Progressive-Fundamentalist Racism Chasers.



As I watched Link TV (my favorite leftwing channel - and I mean this) I saw Georgia Senator Kasim Reed angry and in tears proclaiming that Georgia's Photo Voter ID will stab race relations in Georgia in the back. The ACLU footage made note that a WHITE REPUBLICAN submitted the requirement for ALL voters in Georgia to have a state issued photo id to vote. Please note as well - they don't detail the fall back plan. Upon failing to present your ID at the time of voting - YOU ARE STILL ALLOWED TO VOTE. You must return with the proper identification within a certain time period and then your provisional ballot is tallied in with the rest of the votes of people who DID SHOW ID.

So what are the arguments? Let's focus first on the ACLU. They CLAIM that they are "protecting the ballot". Really? This requirement, as applied to ALL VOTING CITIZENS is an attempt to have a more secure authentication of the voter upon casting a ballot. Now maybe my status as a security professional has my view jaundiced. I understand that in computer ease a password length requirement of 30 characters random would surely prevent 95% of people from remembering their password and thus would be a de facto deterrent to logging in. I am seriously struggling to understand how the requirement to have a photo id issued from the government provide the same high hurdle.

The claim is that (here goes that list again) poor, elderly, handicapped and MINORITY people will be "disenfranchized" because of this stricter mandate for verification. The bottom line response must be - THE STANDARDS HAVE CHANGED. We need to work RIGHT NOW to insure that the people who don't have photo ids is indeed rare. Now let's flip to the real world for a second. Please note the derth of photo id campaigns that are going on right now to close this spread of people absent ids. This would actually work against the interests of these groups because it would reduce their "victim domain".

The ACLU and its supporters make the case that RACISM and jingoism are the motivating factor behind these "White Republicans" supporting this effort to deny the vote. In fact the documentary makes heavy use of past legitimate voter suppression schemes and then they focus upon attempts to suppress the Hispanic vote. No doubt prior "Poll Taxes" were applied equally to all and thus those who were dirt poor were negatively impacted. Today Georgia and other states who propose to implement this strategy have FREE PHOTO IDS to those who can't afford the $25 fee. So now the supporters are left to claim that the process of driving to the photo id center is a "poll tax" because of the cost of transportation and that the lines are long. In Georgia in particular there has been millions of dollars spent to reform these photo centers and the process in general. I recently was able to renew my license for 10 years THROUGH THE MAIL. The bottom line is that the excuse laden opponents are running out of runway in finding legitimate arguments to oppose this reasonable standard for authentication. As a Black man I am well aware of previous attempts that were STRICTLY for the suppression of the vote. One of my main points of research at this time is the "Reconstruction" period in the South. Literacy tests are illegal. "Grandfather clauses" were a thinly veiled attempt to keep newly freed Blacks from voting. A tax upon voting is illegal as it should be. Where as Kasim Reed - a liberal Black Democrat says that this new photo id bill could have indeed been written during the Jim Crow period - I struggle to see how this reasonable request comes anywhere close to it.

So we have Cynthia Tucker of the AJC - a consummate liberal on nearly everything who has come up with a rather cleaver argument - "Show me the documentation on voter fraud to justify this measure?" also "studies have shown that there is a reduced number of voting when stricter id requirements are implemented - thus voter suppression is the result rather intended or not". Regarding the second case - how does she and the other people who reference this study not know that those who did not vote as a result chose not to do so because they were not valid voters? Where as it is crazy to accept the notion that one should accept a police search of your home "if you have nothing to hide" I hardly believe that GETTING CARDED rises to this same level. So yes I must ask - If you value your right to vote then how in the hell does getting carded act as a deterrent to that which you value more? Regarding the claim that no fraud has been recorded. Yes there have been examples of fraudulent over time. I personally could make use of a good friend of mines utility bills to vote in his name in a neighboring county to prove this point as he rarely vote. I know that those who are seeking to muffle this move toward stronger id requirements would come after me with legal penalties as I run my laboratory experiment. These are the same people who applaud the release of classified documents when a greater mission of informing the public is the motivation.

My bottom line is this - the ballot is the currency of DEMOCRACY. Both the vote casting process and the vote counting process must be made more secure. There is no doubt that people with leftwing biases seek to focus on the system of vote counting, holding the government accountable for putting in safeguards - regardless of the cost and the imposition to insure that the person's will is legitimately recorded. These same people, however, draw offense to any attempts that seek to have the person EXPRESSING THEIR VOTE to be authenticated with a similar high rate of confidence.

The battle resides in the context of the dueling ideologies. Liberals often seek to shift burdens from the individual onto the government/corporations/ entities. Conservatives tend to ask the INDIVIDUAL to be more accountable in the ultimate outcomes of their lives - celebrate your accomplishments for you have earned them.....be content with your failures because you have done everything necessary to reside in the place where you reside.

For me as an individual it is my opinion that the strong Black race is ultimately combination of the two with more emphasis upon the individual (right of center). I too believe in collectivism but it is not the NATIONAL group that is within my "friends and family plan". Thus yes we should shift the burden that is too great off of the individual. There needs to be an INTERMEDIATE entity under our control that accepts this burden with the GOVERNMENT being the last resort.

Thus I must conclude that people who are SERIOUS about http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=36404414
Blogger: Politics, Policy, Pathology and Hope WITHIN The Black Community - Create Postprotecting the vote of African Americans should be DRIVING THE INFIRMED TO THE PHOTO ID PLACE to make this so called "Racist Republican" mandate INEFFECTUAL upon the Black vote. Convince me that having a photo id in one's possession is a bad thing and I will change my perspective on this one.

(We need to THINK sometimes WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR. What state are our people left in upon our "victory"? Is it STRONGER or are our "inferiorities" cauterized within us as a result"? Every time the Black American partners with the White Liberal it is BLACK PEOPLE who must "Assume The Position" - the position of INFERIORITY. I refuse to spread my legs and lean up against the wall in a non-threatening position any longer as a condition of receiving my "fish" distribution from a person who believe
that I WOULD STARVE were it not for his graces.)

It is time to operate on the "Strong Black" assumption because the "Weak Black" has NOT WORKED FOR US.

Senate Majority Harry "Woodrow" Reid - Bush Made Us Fail In 2007

Reid says GOP has stymied Democratic efforts

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

So let me get this straight. Evil Bush - the opposition president is the force that caused the Democrats to have few successes that they could point to in 2007 - the year that they had control over Congress?

If Bush was the force that "Stopped the Democrats from improving the county"........what did they call their actions as the minority party when they derailed the evil Republican agenda? "Protection from the Dark Seth?"

The sad part about it - there are a number of Americans who are positioned to agree with Harry Reid and plan to reward the Democratic party with more seats in Congress and the Presidency of the United States. With respect to my fellow Black people - too many of them are inclined to skip over the fact that the Democrats own a monopoly majority of all districts upon which they live and blame the non-resident REPUBLICANS for most of their ills rather than any particular failures in the popular policies that are derived from their ideological preferences.

As a Black American I now realize that I should be overjoyed that the Democratic Congress:

1) Made several members of the Congressional Black Caucus into committee chairmen. Many of these same individuals come from congressional districts that are reeling from economic distress but we are to believe that they will do NATIONALLY what they have failed to do for the districts that promoted them to the House.

2) After years of trying the House Judiciary chairman finally got HEARINGS in front of his committee as to the question of if there should be a STUDY regarding the impact of Reparations. At this rate Blacks who are inclined to support Reparations should expect their check sometimes "next never".

3) At least the Albanians came close to getting the Democrats to label the World War I actions of the country now knows as Turkey as "genocide". The Albanians who don't have the numbers that African-Americans have to swing an election in favor of the Democrats should feel proud that they did something that their Black party mates have not been able to do - actually ADVANCE their cause as a race/nationality of people.

4) Hey we're Black. We got minimum wages!!!! (Please note - I receive a "Living Wage" per my market value as expressed in my employer's willingness to pay me. I can understand why those who are frustrated would dare to seek to be paid as handsomely by government intervention.

5) Black trade unionists should have no fear. Now when you and your coworkers vote on the question of unionizing a work place - you will no longer be able to express your vote (to cut the throat of your coworkers) in private. You will have to express your vote in public. Group pressure is a powerful thing.

6) The faithful advocacy for the health care of our "children". It is a higher moral ground to seek an expanding set of "our children" to be placed on a government health care plan. It is simply not fair that a parent who prioritizes their child's health to have to cut off their cable television or their 2000 minute per month cellphone service or cut back on their entertainment budget for the sake of procuring health care. We need to have the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT to pay for their health care. To be against this entitlement is to be against "our children". Despite the fact that $1,000,000,000,000 is spent per year on the big 3 entitlement programs year over year - we must focus on the $150 BILLION dollars spent in Iraq as the proof that our children are being "short changed" by "THIS ADMINISTRATION". (This $1 trillion will be $2 trillion in 10 years).

oh how could I forget????

7) WASHINGTON DC (Chocolate City) is now ALLOWED TO HAND OUT FREE CLEAN NEEDLES TO CRACK HEADS!!!! Than you DEMOCRATS - you really "REPRESENT the best interests of the Black community!!!!"

All we need is to double the membership to the Congressional Democratic Black Caucus from 40 to 80, increase the number of Black elected officials from 10,000 to 20,000 and to have more take overs of cities and counties in America to people of our choosing (Democrats of course) and THEN Black America will prosper!!!

That POPULARITY thing is something we can be proud of.

The Subjective Demands For Prosecution Within Black America

The Subjective Demands For Prosecution Within Black America

The Federal Department of Justice Civil Rights Division celebrates its 50 year anniversary. What a surprise – NPR’s “News and Notes” interviews various operatives who have worked within the division and are upset at the current state of the commitment to justice by “THIS ADMINISTRATION”. In a previous interview on a local radio station a White male – who was clearly a liberal – who recently resigned from the Justice Department complained that civil rights prosecutions have dropped under “THIS ADMINISTRATION”. Thus we have the reference that the number of PROSECUTIONS dictate the amount of “justice” that is flowing in America.

Now we fast forward to the question of “Drug Prosecutions” of Black Americans. For some strange reason the photographic image is the at work here. Where as “justice for Black people” is indicated by the number of Civil Rights and Voting Rights violations on behalf of Black people and thus an index of “how far America has come” is expressed by the aggressive prosecution of violations of the law……..when it comes to aggressive prosecution of BLACK FOLKS these same people do a 180 flip that would give them a solid “10.0” in the Olympic gymnastics competition. Nooooowwww when it comes to the arrest of Black people who violate the law the rate of prosecution is seen as a grim reminder of how America has not changed!!!

If this is the case – why do they demand aggressive prosecution if they realize that aggressive prosecutors can also trample over people’s rights? How does the number of prosecutions bear out the QUALITY of JUSTICE that is expressed by an Administration? What if the more “liberal” Administration is more inclined to advance forward with allegations of Civil Rights violations in the same way that a more “conservative” administration is more inclined to go after “drug violations” BOTH OF WHOM lower the bar as the trigger for their action? Can anyone argue that in the past 10 years the Black community has been more damaged by CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS and the lack of prosecutions there in than by DRUG RELATED killings, economic hijacking and the loss of millions of hours of “CPU time” where Black people’s brains have been tuned out of reality?


Civil Rights Division Turns 50

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17099257

What’s Next For The Civil Rights Division?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17099260

Horay!!!! We Have A Benefit To The Democratic Congress - Washington DC Is Now Allowed Do A Needle Exchange Program!!!

We now have a whole TWO "Benefits to Black people" as a result of the Democratic take over of the US Congress in the 2006 elections. First was that they increased the minimum wage and thus gave a pay raise. Since seemingly Black Quasi-Socialist Progressive-Fundamentalist Racism Chasers where seemingly the staunchest proponents of this legislation I must conclude that Black people are poor and thus are beneficiaries of this. I as a Black man have a "Living Wage" that can be closer tied to my previous travails in education and self-motivated study. (In some perverted way - I will be said to have a dose of "I got mine now you get yours" when in fact "you get yours" was ALWAYS right in front of us for those who CHOSE to do so and thus LEARNED from the experience).

Now we have the SECOND landmark benefit for Black people as a result of the hard work of the Democratic Congress. Some background is required as I lead up to the good news.

You see - I believe that one of the best shows on BET these days is "American Gangster", the series. In a recent episode they detailed the antics of Washington DC dope dealer - Rayful Edmond III (Prior Blog Entry On The Washington DC episode). In this particular episode US House Delegate Elenore Holmes Norton detailed how the CONSERVATIVES in the US House has PREVENTED the municipal government of Washington DC to spend their government funds on "clean needle exchange" and thus THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPREAD OF AIDS in the district. (Kneegress please!!!). Have we become so broke down as a people to allow a direct threat to the live, health and wellbeing of our people to be a function of the political trade winds in the Federal government? Apparently so. If this was the real issue why didn't the City of Washington DC pay for a shuttle bus to send these people to Baltimore to engage in THEIR free needle exchange? Problem solved.

I quick Internet search showed me that there is INDEED a preexisting needle exchange program in the district:
DC's existing needle exchange program

Now we have news that the DEMOCRATS have lifted the band!!! Emancipation day is HERE AGAIN my people!!! We need a day that is posted next to "Juneteeth" to celebrate the fact that the crack head of DC will now receive GOVERNMENT FUNDED NEEDLES brought to them by the Democrats!

I wonder if the government needles given to DC crack heads will have a little stensil of Uncle Sam on the side of them? They mark bags of grain given to poor nations with the "USAID" program logo.



Black people of DC are saved! Democrats lift needle exchange program

Despite the existing needle exchange program - Washington DC now has the highest rate of HIV infections in the nation.
Audio Report: Washington DC's HIV Infection Rate

(You all think that I am laughing at this news. I am actually CRYING inside about MY PEOPLE and how much we are beholden to our mental chains of slavery as expressed through dependency. As another group of people who are NOT DEFINED BY RACE put millions of private money into the "X-Prize" to see who can develop a rocket ship to kick off the burgeoning commercial space flight industry, taking paying customers to the HEIGHTS of the stratosphere.......certain Black people celebrate the fact that the GOVERNMENT now pays for clean needles for Washington DC residents who get HIGH. But of course I AM THE ODD MAN OUT with respect to the sentiments of Black America. :-/)

More Black Elected Officials Than Ever - Same Problems WITHIN The Black Community

Audio Report: Meeting Of Black State Elected Officials

There are approximately 10,000 elected Black officials today in America. The Black community has never had more people OF OUR OWN CHOOSING representing us in our history. (Please note - this does not just include Black officials but all that get the collective Black vote). As we all know - it would not be unreasonable to assume that about 9,900 of them are in the Democratic Party. Of the remaining 100 I would assure you that more are independents than Republicans. Despite this fact it seems that it is more popular for Black elected officials to be PROMOTED/REELECTED/CHEERED ON to fight AGAINST the Conservative, Republican "threat" than they are HELD ACCOUNTABLE for actually delivering any particular result at the consequence of losing their seats.

It seems to me that the Black community is a victim of the "one off" strategy that was created by civil rights leaders in the post King conferences that attempted to ask the question "Where do we go from here". At that time the strategy was to get Black folks elected, as Democrats, into all of the seats that we could, in order to obtain power and thus express the benefit WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. By any objective measure of affairs today within our community one would have to admit that in this strategy the DEMOCRATS grew stronger with our votes but the BLACK COMMUNITY did not receive the benefits that were promised. Maybe it is time to recalculate.

As I see it - the problem is more about EXPECTATIONS from government and IDEOLOGICAL than it is about execution of the strategy or the prevailing strength of "White Racism" and/or the Republican Conservatives that has stood in our way. In fact cities such as Detroit, Philadelphia and Baltimore provide ample evidence to the contrary. While Detroit and Baltimore are majority Black cities by population after experiencing "White Flight" (aka - You Da Man Now. Run it as you see fit), these two cities as well as Philadelphia are 80% Democratic cities. After receiving these voting majorities but failing to field an ECONOMIC system to fill the void that was left (another sign of the flaws in the 'Bayard Ruskin' plan) the newly elected politicians began seeking funds from the state and federal government to fill the budget shortfalls that were in place in the wake of their declining economic fortunes.

Of course the typical story (if you allow THEM to tell it) is that these new crop of politicians came into power with PROGRESSIVE policies that were based on fairness and JUSTICE. They were a breath of fresh air for those who had been long "shut out" of the economy and society. With them as the "history teller" few people will make note of the unintended consequences of their policies and agenda. We are likely to hear that the manufacturing jobs packed up and moved to Mexico, China and elsewhere. The truth is that this happened to some of these jobs. The greater truth is that many of these jobs relocated to less expensive places to operate because the Labor Movement played a hand in making the operation of these businesses more expensive than that which can be justified. If these firms did not close their doors as a result of not being able to compete, they waited until a reasonable return on investment was extracted from their multi-million dollar physical plant and then they built their new plants in the "right to work states" of the South. This version of the story is not popular because blaming "Globalization" is a more compelling story. When the problem is foreign trade policy rather than labor overplaying its hand at the negotiating table more Americans can be riled up.

I must ask those objective minded people who are willing to take a step back and analyze the situation - Has the 40 year track record of the Progressive and the Labor Movement in these "Rust Belt" areas been a net positive for the Black Community? This needs an answer as we plot out the strategy for the next 40 years.

For so long we have been told by various Afro-centrists that "it is THE LAND" that is the basis for all freedom and economic development. In Detroit and North Philly in particular "the land" is sitting there waiting for someone to make greater use of it. How many downtown office suites in Detroit that were once said to discriminate against Blacks where they were operated by White businesses are now sitting vacant, awaiting someone with economic productivity on their minds to make greater use of the space, creating jobs and economic value in the process.

In listening to Calvin Symre of Georgia focus upon state and federal help as a means of allowing Poor and Black people to live at a standard of living that is defined by AMERICA rather than more closely determined by their economic output - it is clear that the next 40 years in Black America will look surprisingly like the those years that have just passed.

While the typical popular Black political rhetoric is aimed at Republicans and Conservatives and their denial to Black people of what is needed for us to survive there is all too few levels of scrutiny upon the POPULAR policies and assumptions that flow from our community. It is my opinion that most Blacks believe that these elected politicians are REPRESENTING their interests. Thus if they fall short in delivering few of us dare to question the efficacy of these assumptions. The more common conclusion is RACISM. The name calling against the evil, racist Republicans gets broadcast through the normal channels - Civil Rights leaders, preachers, actors, lyricists, news paper opinion writers and the politicians. There will be no INTROSPECTION.

I must ask - what other entity has a faction that is allowed to GROW in power and representation and seemingly INCREASE their level of abstraction from the bottom line state of affairs WITHIN that same entity? It seems that those who have the power to scrutinize (the community itself in this case) are co-conspirators in the flawed strategy. "Power" doesn't typically have a habit of scrutinizing itself and cleaning house when warranted.

As part of my continuing efforts to analyze the Black political condition I have come up with two models of power - the "pyramid" and the "fabric". It is my view that most Blacks operate on the "pyramid" philosophy. This has the President of the United States and the associated administration as the top. The US Congress is on the next tier. The entire justice system is at the next level. The state governor and legislature is at the next level. Finally there is the municipal government at the bottom rung. If we think about this for a minute the 'pyramid' expresses public feedback as the presidency and congress has changed hands between parties several times in the past 40 years of our focus. Relative accountability and thus public feedback is had in the pyramid.

The second model that needs more discussing is the "fabric" that blankets Black America. This fabric represents the POPULAR BLACK POLITICAL MACHINE that operates withing Black communities throughout America. From community activist up through Federal elected officials - all of them work in close accord. The convention of Black state elected officials that is the source of the interview is a component of the fabric.

The key missing point of analysis among Black people (again in my view) is that the FABRIC has not changed for the past 40 years and beyond. The so called Black Progressive has dominated this fabric without strong challenge for this time period and there is no evidence that this will change any time soon. There has been a large abstraction WITHIN the Black community between the CONDITIONS that are present within the Black community (or streets, our schools, or place of business) and those people who preside collectively over these institutions. In fact I argue that there is greater penalty for talking OUTSIDE of the standard line than it is for FAILURE. Web sites such as "Black Commentator.com" or "Black Agenda Report" serve as what I call "Attack Black Sheep Dogs" - attacking wayward Blacks who dare question the agenda or have the never to "think for themselves" and stray from the well worn rut in the road. POPULARITY (ie: Unity) trumps EFFECTIVENESS. Democratic Operative such as Dr. Ronald Walter have long warned about the threat of "Fracturing The Black Vote" among various parties. Too bad he and others are not more concerned about the negative impact to the Black community of ineffective policies when "popular" individuals are elected into office.

The only solution that I see is for the Black community to discontinue the tendency to achieve its RACIAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS through VOTING. Please note - I DID NOT SAY "stop voting!!". I am saying that clearly there is more that is needed to achieve our universal goals that the Black Liberal and the Black Conservative can both agree upon than what a vote can ever express.

Central to this point is to have Black people focus on expressing our self-worth and value through our own economic activities and use the external, federal government as the last resort rather than the CORE ingredient to our plans. The more government programs that are sought to define our standard of living the more hope that we put into these elected officials......the more POWER they have over us.

Who says that "government" is just Federal, State, Municipal? There are plenty of informal forms of government through with a group of people aggregate their money for the attainment of the greater good, enforce their cultural traditions and provide for a safety net in the event of some need for medical care. As we move forward in time I can only conclude that the core of our community will be further eroded and "outsourced" upon the ability of these individuals to work on our behalf in those ivory towers and bring home the bacon.

Clinton Educational Reform In Arkansas ? - Prove It Mr. Young

Aritcle: The Legacy of Educational Reform in Arkansas

Former Ambassador Andrew Young appeared on a local Atlanta talk show to clarify his comments against Barack Obama and why he favored Hillary Clinton in the upcoming presidential election. During the radio interview Mr. Young detailed that as a result of the educational reform by the Clintons in Arkansas - the state rose in the national state rankings from 49th to 20th. I am sorry, Mr. Young, I can't find any bit of data to PROVE your claim. If you or any of your handlers can substantiate this claim I would love to see it.

Educational attainment has major cultural components to it. Any huge jump in results over a short period of time is suspect. We are talking 30 years (one generation) rather than 8 or 10 years. This will take place more so in the home than in the legislature.

It seems that once again a "Black operative" has provided cover for a politician that they support, promoting his gains where there is not one. No doubt if there was an opposing candidate he could use the vary same data to argue policy failure.

Here are some general references about state comparisons:
The Smartest States

In Our Schools - Is It REALLY A Matter of Resource Shortage Compared To The "Suburbs"?

West Philadelphia High School students speak out

On Wednesday, a student punched a nonteaching assistant in the face, the sixth assault in two weeks and at least the 17th so far this school year.

School staffers have been pushed, slapped, and struck with objects. Students have pulled staffers' hair and sprayed them with fire extinguishers.

Heading into school before the first bell, freshman Amber Moore described a school where students roam the hallways as they please.

"People just walk around, people don't go to class," she said, adding that her mother was concerned for her.

"There's not a lot of shooting, but there's a lot of fighting," said Moore, 15. "Somebody could get hurt. People just punching for no reason, and you could drop dead in the hallway."

She said she believed the school needed more security presence - school officers or Philadelphia police.

"The Suburban Schools". This is the most frequent reference that we hear when discussing the problems with inner city schools. For some reason "the suburban school" is the "1.0" in parallel with National Urban League "State Of Black America" report where White folks are 1.0. I take it that the status of 1.0 means - ideal, perfect, the reference for Black folks and Black schools to aspire to be. How is this the case?

Where in this 1.0 does the Black school get to "define itself" based on what its needs are for its particular children?

I find that this frequent reference to "suburban schools" is nothing more than an attempt at obfuscation by the failed urban school administrator, for the failed elected official that presides over these districts as they lean upon the higher level tier of government to give them more money. These are the words of the community activist who is used to fighting the outside fight rather than focusing on the inside MANAGEMENT of the people who they are advocating for.

In my perspective - education takes place in the classroom with the elements of - an educator, a student, discipline in the classroom and the material necessary to have the information contained with in them to be transmitted into the brains of the students. The more we "expand the police tape" away from these key points the more we attempt to get into social engineering that goes far beyond the key issue. Boiling the ocean would be an easier objective to obtain.

It is my view that the goal of some people is to achieve EQUALITY of RESOURCES INPUT rather than to EDUCATE as the pretext of achieving this equality of outcome. There is no doubt that there is a strong ideological subtext for much of the debate that we see in public education and the outcomes that are delivered. It seems that some people seeing the painful truth of the state of the individuals who sit at the school desks each morning seek to buttress their views of the terminal conditions that these schools face by obfuscating for equal resources that they know they will never receive. As a result they functionally "wait" until that day comes.

It seems to me that a people who are conscious about the value of education, in a nation that values competition will be more organic in the prioritization of their own long term interests. Rather than expecting resources to be transferred from the pockets of individuals who are said to be uninterested in their ascension it is THE PEOPLE who will need to bear this burden. By definition - "those who will recognized the bulk of the benefit must also craft this new scenario into life" as the others have little interests in losing their positioning.

It is clear that in schools such as West Philadelphia High School the students are out of tune with any sort of global mandate that identifies how they will be a player in the future development of their people and their community.

Corporations and Black Folks

The relationship between the corporation and Black folks is a strange one.

On the one hand a popular taunt among Black folks in the political realm is that "you have sold out to the corporations", putting their interests ahead of those of the Black community. In my recent scrutiny of left wing radio and media there is no doubt a negative bias against the corporation that takes shape in many forms. They criticize the power that these companies have over our economy. They criticize the influence that these entities have over our politics. They are critical of the products that they produce. They are critical of their hiring practices. When the corporation is near by within the Black community then they are polluters or they exploit us with their low wages. When these same corporations leave the community then they are attacked for leaving the community crippled with no jobs or they are lowering the wage rates for the jobs that remain in America by selling us low cost foreign made products.

As I engage with the Black social elite I see a different perspective. The many Black charitable organizations have formed strong partnerships with corporations. The United Negro College Fund relies heavily on corporation donations to fill the gap that is left from individual Black donors in their quest to educate Black college students. An array of other Black charities have a similar relationship with corporations. I recently watched a community affairs show that detailed the number of Black females that are heads of the corporate foundations that act as the community investment arms of their parent corporations. These foundations evaluate the various donation requests from community entities and parse out money in line with the corporate mission to be a good corporate citizen to the community.

In the middle of these two extremes is the Black Political Machine. They have a dual consciousness on the matter. The Black Political Machine includes all of the elected politicians, civil rights organizations and leaders and activists in general. If you look at the conferences of the NAACP, Rainbow PUSH conference, "Tavis Smiley And Friends" annual gathering as shown on C-SPAN or the Congressional Democratic Black Caucus Legislative weekend - you will see an array of corporate logos plastered behind the podium as title sponsors for the event. In the course of their activism for the year there is little doubt that SOME corporation, somewhere will be a target of their attack. They will no doubt register their concern for "the little guy" that is being trampled by those who are operating in a more systematic fashion, striking a blow against the little guy who didn't know what hit him. Their political ideology will likely include a tax strategy which demands that the government extract more money in taxes, regulation and punitive damages against corporations.

SYSTEMATIC - isn't that what Black people need as a means of addressing our most plaguing problems? Hasn't the corporation proven their ability to aggregate money? What other entity - aside from the Black church - has done a better job within the Black community to aggregate money FROM our community and apply it toward a specific mission? (Now that I mention it - let me also include the government via taxation to this list of exceptions). In the matter of job creation - the corporation has also shown superior ability to translate the people's POTENTIAL into ACTION, rewarding them with a wage and presenting them with a framework upon which they can aspire to rise, increasing their education, skill and as a result compensation in the process.

The corporation has addressed the market demand. The community requires goods and services, the corporation steps in to address these needs. The presence of competition between the various corporations insures that the survivor is the one that best matched the demands of the community.

I am not afraid to stand up and sent out a countervailing message from that which is popular among my people. This is especially the case when it is clear to me that the POPULAR STANCE has failed to provide for them despite their unwillingness to break free from the gravitational pull of what the masses enforce upon them.

One of the key forces that allows the anti-corporate factions to continue on is their ability of ABSTRACTION. In their rants they fail to make note of how much they personally consume the goods and services of these same hated corporations as they push forward with their message. There are many "Anti-Capitalists" who have a web page and an e-mail broadcast list. They are immune to the fact that they make use of several billions of dollars worth of telecommunications and computing equipment to broadcast their message. They dutifully pay the invoices sent from these corporations for "services rendered".

Surely the developmental history of the Black man in the United States lends to the ability for people to accept an "anti-corporate", "anti-establishment" stance in matters. The brutality against the worker that was addressed in the Labor Movement in this country was not restricted to only Black people. What happens, however, when the dawn of a new day shows that the previous gross and systematic offenses of discrimination against Black people by corporations are proven to have been checkmated by a system and a set of policies that the corporations have adopted as their operating mandate? Please be clear - the fact that these policies are in place does not mean that OCCURRENCES of racism will never be seen by corporations. But lets be clear - just as murder is illegal there will always be examples of murder in violation of the law. Thus how can individuals who are "racism chasers" claim things have not changed in this country from 40 years ago? My argument is that it is NOT the list of racist actions that bear out their point - it is in fact the PRESENCE OF CHANNELS FOR REDRESS for the offense that matters most. If indeed a corporation fires a manager who violated its code of conduct then the corporation has done its part in the matter. (That is until the trial lawyers step in and vie for their 1/3 cut of the proceeds).

I challenge my anti-corporate adversaries to come out of their defensive posture and instead FIELD A BETTER MODEL. I am not talking about one that is based on THEORY. We all know that all men are created equal and that the land was made by God and that no one man should own it. I realize that everyone deserves a "living wage" and that generating electricity by coal pollutes. I am asking you all to put forth an alternative that yields ORGANIC GROWTH. Not based on confiscation and redistribution but one that maximizes the potential of the people while at the same time respects the fact that we are human beings that are given to our own self interests rather than ANTS.

You have the floor.

BARACK OBAMA - "Present" or "President"?

BARACK OBAMA = "Present" or "President"?


Obama’s vote in Illinois was often just ‘present’
Voting record becomes issue in presidential campaign
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22335739/


This is the primary attribute of a person seeking to maintain "CLEAN HANDS" on IMPORTANT issues rather than a display of POLITICAL COURAGE as what is needed today.

Again my previous views of the man are corroborated once again. If you notice that when there is legislation or a speech in which the RIGHT WING or Corporate interests can be attacked - Mr. Obama is front and center pulling the pin on the grenade and lobing it - innocent victims who are blown up in the generalization be damned.

But......let there be an issue or a piece of legislation in which OBAMA MUST CHOOSE between maintaining his rhetorical defense of "the little guy" and doing what CONSENSUS HOLDS is "the right thing" - THEN you will see Mr. Obama go into meltdown as he is made neutral by two opposing forces that are tugging against him.

This was shown in his BOTCHED response to the debate question from Wolf Blitzer about drivers licenses for ILLEGALS. His voting record in the IL congress would seem to bolster this claim against him.

If we FAIL to look at the big picture impact of illegal immigration and CRIME upon the Black community where Mr. Obama is more comfortable throwing out intangible platitudes rather than dealing with the issue at hand we see that too often it is the BLACK COMMUNITY that gets thrown under the bus with his policies WHERE THERE IS NO EVIL CONSERVATIVE at hand to take the hit.

Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans; Reconstrucructing In Preparation for Hurricaine Lorretta

The picture above shows an example of the problem with rebuilding the infamous "Lower 9th Ward" section of New Orleans. What you see is a house that has been constructed on a platform that has been raised about 3 feet.......when the flood waters from Hurricane Katrina were about 10 to 12 feet high.

As I drove through this place that was full of destruction I could not help but to tell the people who accompanied me in the car that This was like upgrading a shotgun shack to a mansion........in 'Love Canal'. It is indeed WONDERFUL that you are building the people's houses back.....but you have FAILED to address the key problem that destroyed their homes before and you have successfully put them back square in harms way. WHO IS GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DECISION?

When your house is KNOWN TO BE BELOW SEA LEVEL before you build and you are knowledgeable of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Betty before her and you STILL build...the only conclusion that I can make is that you are doing everything that is necessary to be a victim of "Hurricane Lorretta", which comes after "K" for "Katrina". Lorretta is going to do the same thing that Katrina did to you.

My Photographic Journey To The Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans - October 2007

Oh yes. I saw the pink houses that movie stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Joele had put up as they did their press conference detailing how the new community would look after they rebuilt with GREEN complaint houses. I even walked on foot to see the "Artist's Row" which was being built by Habitat for Humanity and several other volunteer groups. An accomplice of mine who accompanied me asked "Why are the heat pumps on stilts? So no one cans steal them?" I told her NO! This is because the area is flood prone and thus they raised the HVAC unit up about 3 feet so it wouldn't be flooded.

Listen - I must applaud the efforts of all of the volunteers who are rebuilding these houses on the western side of the Industrial Canal. (I don't believe this this is considered the Lower 9th Ward.) As I pulled out my hand held GPS I saw that this area was STILL below sea level though not as much as the Lower 9th Ward.

In my opinion a combination of Poverty Politics, Racial Politics and Government Incompetence has us setting the stage for yet another grand flood some years off. Some people are pacified that the new "Inverted T" canal walls are really going to hold this time. As I look at the environment when it is at rest and then I look at the "Hurricane Katrina book" that I purchased where the water that is now about 10 feet from the wall was up to the wall and then at least 15 feet beyond its current state I would have to believe that a case of "Reckless Endangerment" can be made for allowing at least some of these areas to be rebuilt for human habitation.

Add to it the claims of GLOBAL WARMING. When the first UN Report broke about 5 months ago a climatologist proclaimed that in 100 years the sea level will rise to where the Gulf shore line runs up to Baton Rouge. If the interval between Hurricane Betty and Hurricane Katrina was about 40 years - what are the chances that these new canal walls are going to hold off a tidal rush from a heightened Gulf Of Mexico?

I hate to say it but I believe that some of the advocates for the "Right Of Return" especially in the Lower 9th Ward must accept some liability in the immediate future events that might happen in this same area.

I would NOT allow a loved one of mine to live in the Lower 9th Ward. If there was no choice then - in addition to the garage door opener and appliances an INFLATABLE RAFT had better be standard equipment for these houses.

Clayton County GA: Things Are Going To Be Different Now That "We" Run Things

These words closely approximate was was seen on campaign signs in Clayton County Georgia which is to the south of Atlanta (Fulton County) about 4 years ago. This was the "tipping point" of the county when the majority population switched to African-American. The election and the one 2 years later cemented "Black" control of many of the elected seats in the county. To be clear - the previous "Good Ole Boys" were mostly White DEMOCRATS (not the fire breathing Republicans that Black folks hate so much). Many of the Whites moved further south to Henry County, Fayette or Coweta.

There was great fanfare regarding this new day that had dawned for Clayton County. Gone would be the racial conflicts that took place in the City of Riverdale, with the county sheriff and with the White dominated county board. I recall attending a rally (as an observer) that was drummed up by a local talk radio host regarding the alleged racially charged dismissal of a Black police officer by the White police chief at the time. The Civil Rights Old Guard kicked into action signing "We Shall Overcome". One would have sworn that this small town police chief was a reincarnation of Bull Conner from back in the day.

Now that all of the external adversaries have departed - much of the dust racial has settled in Clayton County. Oh you thought that the fighting had stopped in its wake? Think again!!!

It seems that the new cast of characters have picked up the battles from where the others have left off. You have the Black Sheriff of the county fighting tooth and nail with the Black County board chairman who used to be the police chief of Atlanta and thus knows a bit of something about running a law enforcement troop. But this is not the worst of it.

The Clayton County Public School System continues have trouble getting the basics straight. They are now on their 4th school superintendent in a few short years. A last minute replacement was put in after an abrupt resignation just before school started.

Now we hear that the county is at risk for losing its accreditation once again after being as close as can be to having it snatched away a few short years ago.

Article: Personal, professional conflicts add to disarray at Clayton school board
Threat to system's accreditation sparks talk of recalling board members

For the second time in five years, the association is threatening to revoke the school system's accreditation, which would have severe consequences for students. High school graduates would lose HOPE scholarships and have trouble getting into some colleges, and pre-kindergarten funding would be threatened.

No Georgia public school system has ever lost accreditation. But the turmoil in Clayton is already having other effects: The Metro South Association of Realtors, which represents 3,000 real estate agents in Clayton and Henry counties, said Clayton property values dropped 20 percent in the last four years because of the problems. The association is considering asking Gov. Sonny Perdue to impeach the entire nine-member board.

Teachers are also starting to look for new jobs.

Many parents say the latest incidents are just a fraction of the nightmare they have lived through the past five years. Four years ago, the district was facing a loss of accreditation over allegations of micromanaging and interfering with school operations.

"It is not as if they had not been warned," said Larry O'Keeffe, a Morrow father of four. "The cry for a recall is being circulated. ... These are much the same reactions that surfaced the previous time we faced the specter of losing our accreditation."

I am not PICKING on Clayton County. I am only making note of the tendency for some of our people to think that having the MAJORITY was the accomplishment. IT WAS NOT!! The accomplishment is in taking the reigns of the county and maintaining or IMPROVING the quality of service as compared to what was the case before.

The sad part about it is that - as usual - FEW PEOPLE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. Certainly the "Black Political Machine" that dominates Clayton County and elsewhere in places that Blacks are highly concentrated will no have to face any fundamental scrutiny regarding IF the popular assumptions that come along with this movement is actually helping the Black community to PROGRESS or if it is only helping the MACHINE to gain more dominance at the Black community's expense. I have yet to be convinced otherwise.

My Favorite Ideological Adversary Has Died :(

BLACKCOMMENTATOR.COM

We are closing in on the end of our year and we are facing a $15,000 shortfall. Now is the time for you to help if possible. Any amount will help. Please become a BC Paid Subscriber, or send what you can as a BC Contributor

Farewell.
I have enjoyed reading your hard left commentaries over the years. It has helped me to gauge just how far the Black Quasi-Socialist Progressive-Fundamentalist Racism Chasers have spun out to the left extreme these days.

I'd always envisioned your headquarters offices. Typically a publication would have a wall full of editorial cartoons plastered on the wall to show the great works of their contributors. In the case of BC I fight it odd that such a publican would have more pictures of "enemy Blacks" on their wall than the PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY HOLD POWER OVER BLACK AMERICA via the political machine that dominates us. Of course there would be multiple derogatory pictures of Clarence and Condi - the Prom King and Queen of this publication which is the official oracle of the "Black Attack Sheep Dogs" who's job it is to ENFORCE UNITY OF THOUGHT among Black people and to savagely attack any "wayward sheep" who dare to buck the Black orthodoxy. With Clarence and Condi would be JC Watts, (oh - competing with Clarence for king) Ward Connerly, Alan Keys, Michael Steele (do you see a pattern folks?). Let we forget - BLACK DEMOCRATS who have strayed just a little bit off message - Harold Ford Jr, Cory Booker and strangely enough Rep. Meeks of NYC and Shelia Jackson Lee of Texas. (BC must have been smoking something on these last two.)

The point is is that my friends at the soon to be defunct Black Commentator have made their name in WHO THEY ATTACK rather than their ability to communicate WHAT THEY STAND FOR......with EVIDENCE presented that their great socialist take over scheme has worked anywhere and been sustainable.

I will miss the cadre of leftist guest journalists who have been given "whitespace" to broadcast their talking points to Black America. I used to call BC "Pacifica Network In Black Face" as their tactics and perspectives have so correlated with their White left wing brotheren on the radio dial.

I had a running e-mail battle years back with brothers Glen Ford and Peter Gamble (or who ever answered the e-mail for 'publisher@blackcommentator.com"). In reading their scribe and the letters to the editor I was amazed that there were Black people in America who agreed with this hook line and sinker and who did not consider the "half truths" that resided on the ground. You see in my view both BC and Pacifica cherry pick the facts in order to construct their version of the story. While indeed they both do a good job at promoting "their truth", the fact remains that in leaving the OTHER TRUTHFUL facts on the ground they have indeed assembled a "whole truth" out of two "half truths" but they have also left a "whole truth" on the ground, unanswered.

Both BC and Pacifica error on the side of FREE SPEECH. They allow guests to come into their forum and say what they want to say even if it is not based on fact but instead a CONSPIRACY THEORY. A person who is deeply engrossed in consuming their version of events but failing to view other perspectives will indeed be taken along for the ride.

In all seriousness - I enjoy reading left wing media sources. The reason why is because they are FURTHER TO THE LEFT than the mainstream Black political machine and the Democratic party in this country. Thus I am able to get damning truth about both of these that I am not inclined to get from operatives within. I frequently watch Link TV and I purchase International Socialist Review magazine. I don't agree with their conclusions but I rather like the muckraking that all of these sources do.

It was the recommendation from a panel that contained Professor Cornel West that prompted me to purchase the book "When Affirmative Action Was White". This book was SUPPOSED to be an indictment about the double standards on race in AMERICA. In fact it turned out to be a greater indictment upon the WHITE LIBERAL and how he has a history of promoting HIS IDEOLOGY above his concern for RACE and thus his RACISM is exposed in the process.

Bringing all of this back to Black Commentator - they indeed are left wing, socialist leaning people. They are indeed FUNDAMENTALISTS upon that which they belief - intolerant against any challenges to that which they believe as well. They are so blind in their attacks against their ideological enemies that they are not able to see some of the intrinsic flaws of THEIR OWN IDEOLOGY and the racism of some of their bed buddies. Greater than this - however - is the perversion of the fact that their plan for the salvation of Black America is FUNDED by the very same CAPITALISTIC resources that they condemn. Thus I assume that in their mind - "stolen resources" when redistributed failure become duly laundered since they are ultimately used for a greater good.

I will miss BlackCommentator.com. I guess I'll have to settle for The Black Agenda Report.

Democrats Point Fingers At Each Other For Their Failures

Democrats Blaming Each Other For Failures

When Democrats took control of Congress in January, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) pledged to jointly push an ambitious agenda to counter 12 years of Republican control.

Now, as Congress struggles to adjourn for Christmas, relations between House Democrats and their colleagues in the Senate have devolved into finger-pointing.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) accuses Senate Democratic leaders of developing "Stockholm syndrome," showing sympathy to their Republican captors by caving in on legislation to provide middle-class tax cuts paid for with tax increases on the super-rich, tying war funding to troop withdrawal timelines, and mandating renewable energy quotas. If Republicans want to filibuster a bill, Rangel said, Reid should keep the bill on the Senate floor and force the Republicans to talk it to death.

Reid, in turn, has taken to the Senate floor to criticize what he called the speaker's "iron hand" style of governance.

Democrats in each chamber are now blaming their colleagues in the other for the mess in which they find themselves. The predicament caused the majority party yesterday surrender to President Bush on domestic spending levels, drop a cherished renewable-energy mandate and move toward leaving a raft of high-profile legislation, from addressing the mortgage crisis to providing middle-class tax relief, undone or incomplete.

Once again Black America has been sold a bill of goods. We were told that IF WE help the Democrats regain both houses of Congress that the Black Community's PRIORITIES would be address. While I am indeed a "living wage worker" because my skills command money from the market place - I hardly believe that the increase in Minimum Wage was any type of monumental economic advance for Black people. In fact it is the educational issues that limit their ability to earn more rather than a government policy that tells consumers of labor what the minimum cost for the labor is, abstracting the VALUE of this labor from that which is added to the production process.

Even the Armenian Americans have more to cheer about with regard to what was delivered to them by this new Democratically controlled house and senate. Their request to have the World War I antics by the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) labeled as genocide was acted upon. It wasn't until last week that John Conyer's HR40 bill, that called for a STUDY of the impact of Reparations got any traction after nearly 20 years of him submitting it to Congress. While he was able to hold hearings on the matter in the committee that he controls - lets see if the "Democrats who just love Black folks" will vote affirmatively on this measure and put it on Bush's desk - effectively given him this hot potato. Interestingly enough it is Hillary Clinton who's position against Reparations that will offer no relief to Black folks who support Reparations upon her ascension into the Oval office. She is inclined to veto the measure just as Bush.

I will write a blog entry about the "pyramid" vs the "fabric". This details the political outlook of many Black Americans. Many believe in the "pyramid" scheme in which by having a favored President in place at the top and then Congress and Senate that our racial dreams will be met in this "trickle down" theory. It is my belief that the reverse is true. Thus the "fabric" points to the broad covering of LOCAL elected officials, activists, businesses, schools and other entities that blanket Black America which are the key to our development. Just yesterday I noticed that the local Chevron that I sometimes purchase gasoline from had switched ownership from a "good ole boy" White man into the hands of Asians. So in addition to the growth of ownership in Black communities these Asians are increasing their holdings in majority white/mixed communities. I am not mad at them one bit. They are doing what they need to be doing as other folks are sidetracked on national political issues that they have less control over. They are building a sound FABRIC as their numbers increase in America.

Principal In Harlem Seeks To Dumb Down The Standards In His Government Operated School

Harlem principal gets a slap over memo

The principal of an East Harlem high school Thursday took heat from top city school officials for a memo he wrote that pressured teachers to dumb down their classes.

After the Daily News published the memo, High School Superintendent Francesca Pena sent Central Park East High School Principal Bennett Lieberman a sharp rebuke, admonishing him for "[leaving] the impression, perhaps unintended, that your staff should have diminished expectations for the students in your school and should ensure a 65% pass rate, whether warranted or not."

In his controversial memo, Lieberman reminded his staff that the school's students have difficult home lives - "They DO NOT have a similar upbringing nor a similar school experience to our experiences growing up" - and told them that if they're not passing at least 65% of their students, they're not designing expectations "to meet their abilities."

This guy should quit his principalship and run for office as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Before You Attack Clarence Thomas On The Crack Sentencing Ruling - How Is Crack A "Black Drug"?

I assure you that after a 2 month hiatus on their savage attacks on Justice Clarence Thomas upon the release of his autobiography yesterday's Supreme Court ruling will surely have the usual suspects to go back into attack mode.

Justice Thomas desplayed a strong measure of judicial consistency. He argued that the relaxed sentencing are going to lead to the reverse of what people have demanded. (More on this later).

I ask that we back up a bit and address some fundamental questions. The key question that I have is "WHAT MAKES CRACK A 'BLACK DRUG'?" Are there any physical qualities of cocaine in the form of crystalized "crack" that acts upon melanated people? If a WHITE PERSON was caught with crack cocaine would THEY be sentenced via the CRACK guidelines or via the powered guidelines - indicating RACISM in the sentencing guidelines.

For some reason, having learned from the long stated words of the Black Baptist preacher "CLAIM IT AND IT IS YOURS" - the usual suspects have CLAIMED crack as a "Black drug" and thus made this mental association between our RACE and this SUBSTANCE when no permanent one exists.

The onus is upon the JUDICIAL SYSTEM to recognize the deletarious impact of Crack SENTENCING has had upon the Black community via the imprisonment of fathers, breadwinners and potential wealth creators for our community. When will the INDIVIDUALS invovled in the CRACK GAME recognize the IMPACT of their actions on our community, the consequences of getting caught and the results of being away from their families as a DETERENT FROM BEING INVOVLED IN THE CRACK GAME?

This entire argument is yet another example of how a certain ideological strain within our community seeks to constantly shift the burden of societal outcomes OFF OF the backs of the INDIVIDUALS and upon the backs of the ENTERPRISE (ie: government, corporation, and system in general).

Is this a VICTORY for Black America? What will it do to the amount of Crack that is on the streets and those who are willing to take the risk as distributors?

Supreme Court gives judges more leeway in crack-cocaine sentencing

NJ NAACP To Democratic Governor Of The State: "What Are We Getting Out Of This Relationship Again?"

New Jersey NAACP Critical Of NJ Governor Corzine

I have to give a begrudging applause to the New Jersey state NAACP organization for scrutinizing the record of New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine on several front (though I don't agree with some of the NAACP positions). This is noteworthy because the NAACP has recently been in the back pockets of so many Democratic elected officials and the party in general that it has arguably lost their focus on promoting the interests of Black people. Instead they have adopted a one off approach which says "the best interests of Black people is promoted by having DEMOCRATS in power since the views of the Democrats are closer to ours than are the conservatives who oppose them". It has been this flawed strategy which has rendered today's arrangement - The Democrats have NEVER BEEN MORE POWERFUL WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.......the Black community despite this Democratic power and having more people than ever before OF OUR OWN CHOOSING IN POWER over our communities - still has our basic future positioning and viability as a community in question now and in the forseable future. I am not mad at the Democrats. Their job is to AMASS POWER. I am mad at the BLACK OPERATIVES who have adopted this one off strategy but have FORGOTTEN to seek THE BLACK COMMUNITY'S END OF THE BARGAIN. It was the "Democrats who are Black" that are most responsible for this strategic error.

I am at least happy to see that the state NAACP in New Jersey has established a score card that scrutinizes the people who they have assisted to get into office on the actual results delivered. Let me be clear, however. The "NAACP Legislative Report Card" is only a plotting of the "NAACP'S POSITIONS" and where elected officials stand in reference to what the NAACP believes is the "Best interests of the Black community". It is my view that the NAACP itself needs to be vetted regarding THEIR ability to deliver the BEST INTERESTS OF BLACK PEOPLE TO BLACK PEOPLE.

One again we have the issue of POPULARITY vs EFFECTIVENESS. The mere fact that the NAACP operates on the notion that they are "representing the best interests of the Black community" does not in and of itself BEAR THIS OUT. Only OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT of their efforts over time proves this. Too many times as Black people we fall for the "unity" call and then enforce the beliefs that are "popular" which ever Black person in good standing should believe. This does indeed produce UNITY but it does not necessarily produce EFFECTIVE RESULTS.

The NAACP and other groups should be seen as the executors of a certain METHODOLOGY in achieving the common goals of Black folks (education, economic development, safe communities, healthy lifestyles). They should be judged on their methodology and should be duly criticized and force to change when their METHODOLOGY has been seen to have FAILED to achieve the promised outcomes for the Black community. This key point separates those who seek to have "The Democrats to win" versus those who seek "the Black community to have the ultimate victory". Unfortunately the former has taken over where the latter is the requirement to have the DEMOCRATS be more responsive to our community's needs.

With respect to this specific story - I disagree with the NAACP's stance against School Vouchers. With their favored party in power over the state. With candidates who they have supported (many of them Black) in office running these local communities, the school boards and the state - the simplistic litmus test of "Do you support vouchers - Yes or No" seems to miss the point. Vouchers are a MEANS TO AN END and thus a "methodology". Those who are scrutinizing the various elected officials and also the NAACP need not battle over methodology as much as they need to EFFECTIVE RESULTS.

As it stands right now the logic of the NAACP on the issue of vouchers is: "We are not happy with the state of our public schools in New Jersey BUT we must also insure that we keep the plan for vouchers from seeing the light of day because they threaten the educational distribution system as it stands today." This statement is one of protection of the Public School system rather than protection of the Best interests of the students - many of them disproportionately Black. Many White families living in the state have pulled their children out of public school (except in lily White communities where they have exclusive control over the public schools). This is where the BLACK COMMUNITY that has given the NAACP the "power of attorney" to represent its interests should place a check on the organization and what it is doing. It is clear that the "Pre-Voucher policies" have failed to deliver us our goal of quality education. The community needs to have the NAACP and other operatives to reaffirm THEIR ability to deliver on the goals. Left unchecked they will continue to battle on the small points of methodology, introducing concepts such as "Vouchers are a Republican plan to privatize our schools". If your goal is the effective education of Black children AND YOU ARE FAILING TO DO SO RIGHT NOW, how is it that you have WON by fighting off an alternative plan rather than PRODUCING RESULTS?

Meanwhile, acting State Treasurer Michellene Davis emphasized the racial income gap and pointed to education as an economic equalizer that can reduce costs to the state in the long term, such as in law enforcement and welfare.

This quote above FURTHER advances my point that the need if for the expression of "quality education" for Black kids rather than achieving alignment on the "anti-Voucher" bias. If in fact education is the "great equalizer" then by definition the current results as delivered by the elected officials and the advocacy by the NAACP is positioning our community for a repeat of the current state of affairs in the next 10 to 20 years. This can't be tolerated.

Lionel Leach, now director of outreach for U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), has worked with the NAACP to boost black voter turnout. He criticized the deficiency of education in the black community that not only cripples turnout, but may also help elect candidates who do not best represent its interests.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. The gravity of this comment did not hit me until I read this a few times.
Let me translate it for you.

The presumption is that the Black voter is a DEMOCRATIC voter. No surprise there.
Lionel Leach said that he is in the game of Black voter TURN OUT. Again - when Black voters "turn out" it is the Democrats who benefit.
So if these same people who are in elected positions AND who Black people have helped with their "turn out" are FAILING TO DELIVER QUALITY EDUCATION then don't we have a circular reference since Mr. Leach said that the lack of education is what cripples turn out?

The greatest offense in the statement, however is the last line. Mr Leach says that the lack of voter turn out HELPS ELECT CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT HAVE OUR BEST INTERESTS IN MIND. Did you get license for that truck that just ran us over? First of all VOTING is an affirmative act. You help someone when when you cast a ballot. NOT VOTING can not be claimed to be "helping the other guy to win". This defies logic.
You help YOUR GUY to when when you vote - adding your ballot to his pile. You only help the other guy to win if you vote for him. To think otherwise is to assume some de facto and prescribed linage between Blacks and Democrats. This is a CONDITIONED relationship and not a predisposition.

Finally - if indeed the OTHER GUY does not have the best interests of Black people in mind how is it that we establish that the people we support have our best interests in mind? The fact that they are TRYING? The fact that they have POPULAR viewpoints? I think not. It is clear to me that the EXPRESSION of the benefit to Black people can be the one and only measure of this statement lest we continue to "live vicariously" through the success of the other guy while still waiting for the resulting benefit to kick in to us. This guy is going to always tell you that "we need to win this one next election before you see the benefit. In this next election we can gain these many addition seats". Score one for your guy. Not sure how the Black community scores though.


"When you look at the politics in this state and you look at African-Americans and the foundation of the state, New Jersey is one of the most segregated states in the country," Leach said.

Both New Jersey and Michigan share the common characteristic of being "the bluest of Blue States" and being highly racially segregated. How is it that Black people's "party mates" have segregated themselves from us and our struggles? Does this information have anyone to speculate that despite having "Blue victories" true benefit will continue to elude the Black communities that cheer on election night UNLESS they are clear what they are to gain from the union between these distinct groups under one platform and hold them to delivering on them? Where as Philly which is a city that is 80% Democrat and thus should be the showcase on how Blacks are benefiting with our strong affiliation with the Democratic party, New Jersey as a whole state that is solidly blue should do the same at the state level. The fact is quite the opposite however. Camden, Newark and Irving are instead highly concentrated with misery and dashed dreams. A change in tactics is needed - some people have simply not come to consciousness regarding how to achieve the benefits of the change.

Hate Crimes Laws and Blacks

Please don't ever claim that I did not warn you all about "Thought Crimes" legislation. It is my view that in the long run far more Black folks are going to be given add on sentences from "Hate Crimes legislation" than we will actually benefit from them.

Last night I finally got a chance to watch the latest episode of "Gangland" which is shown on one of the cable television channels each week. This week's episode was about racial violence between Blacks and Hispanics in Los Angeles. Violence between these two groups now make up the bulk of the inter-racial violence in the city and region. In blunt terms the report said that "Los Angeles is becoming a Hispanic city and SOME street thugs are literally killing innocent Black people to send a message that Blacks are not welcomed in the changing neighborhood." Black people are returning the favor as they kill a Hispanic in response to the death of one of their own.

Now there is news of a race based beating of a White woman who was riding on a bus in Baltimore. The group of Black thugs warned her not to sit down.

I have little doubt that the great Rosa Parks is now unsettled in her grave. (Not to mention that some thug attacked her while she was alive because he was ignorant as to who she was and how she provided for his freedoms with her sacrifice).


A white woman beaten by a group of black students on a bus has prompted a hate-crime investigation, attempts by transit officials to reassure riders of the safety of the system, and radio talk-show chatter over comparisons with the Jena Six case.

New Orleans - Street Musicians Provide Unique Flavor - Part 3

At the corner of Bourbon Street and Canal Street each evening a group of young men gave an impromptus concert that drew a large crowd of people. Each night that had a core set of musicians - two on the trumpet, a trombone, and two drummers. One night there was a guy on the guitar and on the third night there was a guy with a tuba. This was the spirit of New Orleans.

I brought my young children down from the hotel to listen in on the live music and its impact on the crowd. Both of them are taking music lessons and this was a chance to see how years of practice can be practically applied in the real world.

I only got a chance to walk down Bourbon Street one of the evenings that I was in town. All of the music clubs were back in full swing. With a "190 Octane" in hand I walked and then stopped outside of a club to listen in on the good music that was blaring out of many of them.

I recall about 15 years ago I came to New Orleans with some friends and on a cold January night we went bar hoping between music venues. There are few other cities that can match New Orleans for its live music venues and the spirit of levity that flows from it.

Now if I can just find the data cable for my cellphone I could post some pictures of the street performance on this web site. Stay tuned.

John Conyers Obtains Hearings On HR 40

On the eve of a major House hearing on the subject, Green Party leaders called for reparations for the descendants of slaves and a national discussion on how reparations should be implemented.

Since I have long criticized US Rep. John Conyers for his failure to leverage the new Democratic Majority to advance his "HR 40" bill which calls for a study on Reparations for the enslavement of Africans I must in fairness give him credit for getting hearings organized in front of the Judiciary Committee that he chairs. In 2006 the activists for Armenia were able to get a bill that called for the USA to state that the nation now known as Turkey committed genocide against the Armenians in World War II. The Armenians did not play a large part in getting the Democratic party back in control of the US Congress as African-Americans did. I have to give grudging credit to Mr. Conyers for getting the bill to this point.

At the end of the day, however, hearings are very different than passage by both houses of Congress for delivery to the President. If indeed President Bush vetoes the bill then IF the Democrats win the White House next year but retain both houses of congress by all means bring it back up. Hillary Clinton has already done what her husband was not willing to do.....publicly state her OPPOSITION to paying Reparations for American Slavery.

This issue has the potential of smoking out many White Liberals from their position hiding behind the "White Conservatives" who say bluntly "Hell No". At least Black people know where they stand - as Malcolm X eluded to.

Armed Black Man Defends His Family - Thank Goodness For The 2nd Amendent

DeKalb homeowner shoots, kills would-be robber

Ronald Johnson, his wife and two children, ages 4 and 16, were returning to their Stardust Circle home shortly before 9 p.m. when "he noticed two men standing at the bottom of his driveway by a fence," DeKalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said.

Johnson, 36, told police that as he pulled into his driveway, "those suspects pulled out handguns and attempted to rob him," Parish said.

"The victim was armed and he pulled out his gun and immediately started firing, and the suspects fled," Parish said. "The victim and the family then ran inside the home and called police."

When officers arrived, they found one of the suspects dead in the back yard, a handgun near his body," Parish said.

If this man was not armed as certain people attempt to take away the guns of law abiding citizens......he would no doubt have been robbed. The question is - would this man and his family been shot and killed themselves?

The challenge is NOT about getting law abiding citizens to obey our gun laws. The problem is with getting law breakers to obey gun laws regarding obtaining guns AND to not use these guns to commit crime.

I am sorry that this man lost his life BUT HE initiated the set of circumstances that resulted in the loss of his own life.

I hope that this home owner and his family do not suffer any type of retribution from those who are aggrieved at the loss of their loved one who died.

New Orleans - Poverty Politics - Part 2

In New Orleans - the presence of "Best Buy", "Popeye's Fried Chicken" and "Wallgreen's Pharmacy" are not the only things that are present in Atlanta just the same as with many other communities around the nation.

In Atlanta as with New Orleans there is a massive debate going on concerning the demolition of "The Projects" and replacing them with "Mixed Income Communities". Where as in Atlanta there are protests to stop the removal of residents from the Bowen Homes Projects, in New Orleans there are at least 5 separate projects that are slated to be transformed.

Atlanta officials want Housing Authority to halt demolition of its developments

Since the mid-1990s, the AHA has renovated about one dozen apartment complexes into mixed-income, mixed-use properties. The effort has drawn national praise from public housing advocates. Critics complain such efforts have pushed some tenants into the suburbs, where it is tougher to get to public transportation, healthcare and other services.

In both cases the tenants who now call these run down developments "home" are some of the main people attempting to hold on to dear life to these places that they have gotten so comfortable with. Despite the fact that the physical plant of these places are below standard. Despite the fact that too many of these places are crime ridden, these are the places that they cleave to. The fear of change for the better is not worth letting go of the bird in hand - despite how sick this bird has proven to be.

One community activist warned in her testimony that if the contract to start demolition on December 15 of this year is executed there will be "War on the streets of New Orleans".

In listening to various people who did not live in the projects the note was made that these residences were originally intended to be TEMPORARY housing for people who were in transition in their lives. The fact that one woman told of the fact that she had lived in the same unit for 32 years is further proof that the original objectives for these unites had been whoafully gone astray.

Activists blast public housing demolition

According to activists, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has laid out plans to demolish New Orleans’ four largest housing developments, some 5,000 units, and replace them with “mixed-income” neighborhoods.

“This will drastically reduce New Orleans public housing by 82 percent at the cost of $762 million,” according to the New York Solidarity Coalition with Katrina & Rita Survivors.

“It’s a scheme to push long-time residents out of prime real estate; and that will drive up rents, so that even the supposedly affordable new units would be out of reach for many of the long-time residents who are fighting to keep the badly needed housing open,” said Ivy Parker, a New Orleans resident.

“There was no damage to those structures, so why can’t the people go home and reoccupy those units? Housing is a human right,” argued Joetta Chestnutt, a Gulf Coast survivor and coalition member. The protest was held Nov. 13.

New Orleans - From The Ground - Part 1

The following posts are my "Dispatches From The Big Easy". I took a recent trip to New Orleans for the first time since the big storm hit. From my perspective there is a continuing series of political storms that remain in this town. I specifically toured various parts of the city to get the perspective of the average person living in the metro area rather than as a simple tourist.

Yes the Super Dome has its cover restored, the French Quarter is still the party spot and the food is good as ever. It was my visit to the fabled "9th Ward" however that solidified my views of the city as a whole. More on this later.

I visited the "Ernest Morial Convention Center" because it has played such a key part of my career. Where as on television I saw thousands of stranded citizens waiting to be rescued from the destruction of the storm and the flood waters....today the convention center has been restored to its former glory. There were several shows going on at the same time upon my visit.

For me the Morial Convention Center was a critical transition period for my career. About 3 years ago I was desperate for a career change. Upon my research I saw that the cellular communications industry was the hot growth area where as my sector was experiencing massive layoffs. My supervisor at the time declined my request to attend the Cellular Telephone Industry Association because my job at the time had no direct requirements for cellular. I ended up taking a few days vacation and jumped into my car for the 7 hour drive. Upon pulling out my wallet to pay for the event I ran into a VP from my former job. I used to report to him. He now worked for one of the major cellular carriers. I told him about my current situation and he asked me if I wanted to work for him again? As they say - the rest is history. It was my decision to not allow my former supervisor to deny me from my larger goals that allowed me to get a pay raise and a job that is far more key to my career development goals than my previous one. (All this during the presidential term of George W. Bush - as a Black man).

For me that same "Earnest Morial Convention Center" was my access to opportunity. The people who were gathered there at the time were the providers of access to opportunity with me having done the proper research and preparation for the point when opportunity presented itself to me.

The Metro Area that encompasses New Orleans is full of both opportunity and misery - all depending on what the seeker is looking for.