When Will Tom Joyner Tell Black America: "I'm Sorry, I Messed Up"?

The arrogance of the inside players is stunning to me.

With a hat tip to blogger Alicia Banks I was made aware of some Internet posts that nationally syndicated radio talk show host and political operative Tom Joyner had recently made with regard to his present disagreement with his long time friend Tavis Smiley.

They are in a spat over their disagreement regarding the disposition that "Black America" should have with the present President of the United States - Barack Obama.

The Tom Joyner/ Al Sharpton Black Quasi-Socialist Progressive-Fundamentalist Racism Chaser clique believes that Barack Obama is a "Black leader" and thus should be SERVED and dutifully protected.  They fear that in criticism him for failing to deliver upon our community's "permanent interests" they might sound like Obama's critics - the Republicans.   On the Tavis Smiley side of the Black Quasi-Socialist Progressive-Fundamentalist Racism Chaser clique you have an equally misguided assumption that the President of the United States should be referenced within the BLACK AGENDA.  If he fails the "Black Agenda" then he should be attacked as such.

The reason why both of them are wrong is because they both fail to INCLUDE THEMSELVES in the domain of operatives which deserve scrutiny for failing to address the Black Permanent Interests.  This is the purpose of this post - to call them out.

First I feel little empathy for Tavis Smiley.  For decades he sat among this group, controlling the message which purportedly spoke from the perspective of the "Black Community". Smiley attacked a long list of Black people "who did not think right".    Smiley now sees that his is an "insider" only to the extent that he is willing to go along with the flow, absent any fundamental questioning of them and their agenda.  Please note - this is not a battle over fundamentals.  This is merely a disagreement about tactics.   They both are BQPFRCs in the end.

Think about all of the non-democratic nations in the world which have dictators.  Those who are aligned with the dictator retain their positions and their lives.  They often live tentatively, noting how those who disagreed with the dictator were quickly dispensed of.  In essence the UNITY that they present to the rest of the world is merely a function of the consequences that disagreement with the status quo would render upon an individual.  Thus we cannot appraise this band based on their UNITY.  Instead we must set up more transparent measures of their EFFECTIVENESS. 

It is my opinion that the present Black Establishment overlay in America operates based upon the same level of cajoling and "enforced unity" that we see elsewhere.  "Unity for the sake of unity" and not wanting to let the dirty laundry out. 

The words said by Tom Joyner against Tavis Smiley in the two pieces that Alicia Banks brought to my attention shows the consequence of those who have been allowed to operate untethered within the VOID which exists in the governance of Black America.  Failing to construct the required institutions certain operatives promote themselves as the "voice of Black America", pointing to their popularity and the military medals that they purchased themselves and placed upon their uniform.

• Can Tavis Come Back? By Tom Joyner
• Tavis, Al and Unconditional Love By Tom Joyner

Here are some interesting notes from both posts by Tom Joyner

1. "I don’t discuss family business outside of the family. " - Who controls the borders of "the family"?  I can find several Black people that Joyner has blasted publicly thus proving that HE wants to be the gatekeeper of "the family".
2. He said he’s never given the president a pass and holds him as accountable as he would any other president. You can hear all of it on BlackAmericaWeb.com.  - PLEASE!!  Obama saves a lot of money by having BlackAmericaWeb act as his unpaid press agent.  Again the problem is - for Joyner to fully tie the conditions of Black America to the political machine in question - he would have to INDICT himself since he played such a strong hand in assembling it.
3. I hope that somehow, someway, Tavis will realize that if he is ever to gain the love and respect he once received from black America, he will have to find it in his heart to show love and respect for the president. - STUNNING!!!   In essence the condition for membership "within the family" is that one loves, respects and accepts Barack Obama?   Can you imagine a group of WHITE FOLKS having the same mandate about the other 43 US presidents that preceded Obama?  In as much as we talk about the RACISTS who oppose Obama - there has been far too little press about the RACISTS that support Obama - unable to separate him as a "Black Leader" from "The President Of The United States".   There is nothing that he can do, it seems, to molest the permanent interests of Black America.
4. When I hear and read about the hate people have for Tavis right now, it makes me sad. - STUNNING AGAIN!!! Its a good thing that these haters are not "Tea Party Members" for they'd be called racists.  Mr Joyner has no bit of "intellectual curiosity" by which he is motivated to step away from where he stands and evaluate the veracity of BOTH sides in the debate, concluding that in as much as Obama can only serve at most 2 terms - it is a flawed strategy for Black folks to fuse our racial development interests in NOT criticizing the president because he is "Black and Favorable To His Ideology".  We need to put Joyner's IDEOLOGY on trial then.
5. So, I make my appeal to you, black America: Don’t use your energy to spew hate against a brother that you know deep inside is in a bad situation. Use your energy to help black leaders - including the president -  Once again we see the key flaw in Mr Joyner's argument.  What he purports to be a "Black Interest Protection Racket" for the good of Black people is in truth merely an Ideological and Political Hijacking of the "Black Interest".  This can be easily proven.  Tom Joyner doesn't have a veil of protection for all Black public officials.  He only protects those who are "Black and Progressives".  Thus we can't separate these two components.  Those Black people who are making note of the lingering problems that our communities face despite the "Mission Accomplished" signs that are hanging all around have no other choice but to PUT THE ENTIRE PROGRESSIVE-FUNDAMENTALIST ESTABLISHMENT ON TRIAL, making it prove that it is indeed in our best interests.
6. find solutions to some of the issues that are plaguing our community. Use your energy ..... EXCUSE ME Mr Joyner.  Today our community is living in the time of YOUR SOLUTIONS from the last interval as the controlling order in our communities.  It is time for YOU to prove the veracity of your solution set.  I personally refuse to yield to your will.

From "Can Tavis Come Back?"

1. Reverend Al, Roland Martin and I moderated - and I’m just going to say it - Tavis’s event in Harlem.  It was called “Measuring the Movement,” and it promised not to feature a lot of talking heads weighing in on the problems facing black America but people who were prepared to offer solutions. - Solutions To The Problems Facing Black America?  Mr Joyner - WHO sets the dimensions regarding a) How much time you have to show results?, b) What is the framework by which "success" should be measured?  It seems to me that after years of "inside baseball" the only thing that you have successfully done is to insure total Democratic Party control over the Black community where we live in our highest concentrations.  Unfortunately, sir, we can't afford any more of your SOLUTIONS.
2. “The State of Black America,” was the forum that brought black leaders, activists, educators, journalists and more to pretty much do the same thing. - This list provides a sound synopsis of whom should appear on the Court Summons that is generated as we place the Black Establishment Machine on trial
3. If we say we’re about brotherhood, healing, solidarity and all that stuff, than what better way to put this beef separating Tavis from most of Black America to rest than to have him be part of what he started. - STUNNING ARROGANCE!!!  Fear not Tavis - you are not "separated".  You should stand trial along with the rest of them who have lead us down this path. 
4. And whatever it is that keeps him from saying to Black America, “I’m sorry, I messed up,” is some powerful stuff. - Mr Joyner as I look over the places where you stand victorious and I see the continuing condition of our people I too wonder what prevents YOU from saying "Sorry I messed up.  I have mislead you to latch upon an entity that is not organic to your community because my agenda was not YOURS"?
5. Every one of us has come down on the wrong side of right … or the wrong side of what everyone else wrongly thinks is right. It doesn’t really matter.  It’s called being human.  - In his arrogance Tom Joyner can't define "what is RIGHT" but we know one thing - HE is going to be on the "right side" of it.
6. any wise person can figure out when they’ve been hanging out there alone for too long.  I’m not suggesting that he sell out, go against his beliefs or change his allegiance to anyone.  - Actually I disagree with you. BIGOTRY is a powerful force.  Tell me Mr Joyner, can you make an TRANSPARENT itemized list of what the "RIGHT SIDE" looks like?  I bet you can't.
7. He’s like a cordless phone that’s too far way from its base.  He can’t and won’t be able to get to the people who want to hear him anymore and the longer he’s away the less relevant he will become. - IF only Tom Joyner were to take his analogies and apply it to the Black Establishment of TODAY.  He would see that they are an empty container, performing mere rituals that they learned from the past battles when our very existence was under threat.  Today Chicago 2010 has the very same terroristic threats upon Black people suffered by Tupelo MS 1910 yet they can't see that while the skin color of the assailant has changed the same SPIRIT that both operate upon has not changed.  Joyner can't see that he must fight this SPIRIT and thus can't be so bigoted and selective in his activism. 
8. If Tavis is to make a comeback he needs to do it now while the door to Black America is still open, even if it’s just little bit because every day that door closes more and more and eventually will shut ... even mine.For this last comment Mr Joyner deserves to have a copy of the picture that I have made: