teabaggin...republican style...

nothing annoys me more than people who can't think for themselves...and more than annoying, it's a dangerous part of society, those who follow blindly...the streets of every major city in america are rampant with those who need the guidance and approval of others to feel adequate.  hell, these days, even the rural and suburban areas are filled with those who crave acceptance (and those who can't find it like to take violent revenge).

today, i was more amused than annoyed, but i was still troubled nonetheless.  thousands of people across the country decided to protest taxes a la the boston tea party of the revolutionary era...  the obvious humor aside (see urbandictionary.com for the definition of tea bagging), i have to continue to laugh at the fact that conservatives have resorted to merely becoming contrarians now that they are no longer "the establishment".  to them, government has suddenly become evil and taxes have suddenly appeared without representation. 

while those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, what is the fate of those who choose to ignore history?  today, quite a few of those people displayed public outrage, as is their right, but where were they a few years ago or even a few months ago while mr. bush was turning a $100B+ surplus into a $270B+ deficit?  they also protested the intrusion of government into states' jurisdiction but where were they when mr. bush gave the fbi and cia the right to search and seizure without a warrant.  i even saw someone call mr. obama a fascist with no facts to support his views, and wondered where that man was when mr. bush gave authority of law enforcement to snatch people off the street, hold them indefinitely and torture them.

despite my distaste for the near hatred that is espoused by fox news, i force myself to watch them to try to get an understanding of what it is that people who think for themselves have to fear.  i see commentators who use terms like socialism and communism and fascism with little regard for the fact that most of the people who are truly listening to them don't even understand what those words mean.  they only know that those things are evil because, we, as americans have been conditioned to believe that they are evil, and so anyone who is labeled with those terms must be evil too.

to the average fox viewer, minorities are evil because we benefit from welfare because we don't work and collect checks from the government at the expense of the working people.  a month or so ago i had someone tell me that and he was serious.  forget the fact that corporations and the ultra rich have been getting a form of welfare in the reduced taxes they get to pay depsite shipping jobs overseas.  what's sad is that the average fox viewer is probably a middle class working person who is glad to see the extra few bucks that's showing up in his or her paycheck thanks to the recent tax cut, but nobody is protesting that because republicans seem to have forgotten to mention it.

perhaps that's the idea of republican teabagging...dipping the truth into empty minds just long enough for only part of it to remain...

trying to rediscover my voice...

i used to be a prolific blogger, but i can't seem to figure out what to write about.  it's not for lack of topics...we're in the midst of domestic upheaval, international uncertainty and there are a host of moral and ethical issues that have gone from a simmer to boiling over.  perhaps its a matter of where to begin...what topic is the one that should be on the tip of my tongue...my fingertips...

what i keep stumbling over, however, is the fact that all of the ills of the world seem to center around a single idea: i'm better than you.

i'm better than you because i'm christian and you're muslim or hindu or buddhist or some religion other than mine.  i'm better than you because i'm heterosexual and you're homo or bisexual.  i'm better than you because i'm black and you're white or mexican or asian.  i'm better than you because i'm thin and you're fat.  i'm better than you because i'm smart and you're dumb and ignorant.  i'm better than you because i have a car and you ride the bus.

i could go on forever because we as humans seem to be able to exploit any differences between ourselves as proof that we are superior to one another.  the fact is, we all have faults that we were not born with...not skin color, not intelligence, not financial or environmental...faults that we, ourselves, created.  things like lack of integrity, lack of motivation, lack of empathy for others.  these should be the only factors that determine who is better than another, but not in a sense that one is superior, but because that shows how much progress there is to be made. 

we live in a society that promotes the idea that success is something that can be measured by things that are visible...but the things that really matter in life: love, respect, honor...where do you go to see these things?  i've found that these things are evident in the quality of relationships that you carry with you through life.  in that, i'm truly inferior because i haven't always been loving, honest or honorable...but i'm hoping that i can change that for the better...

%tDPGLH1elV%

%%IztcEzgM%%

hilarity, hypocracy, and the NOP

hilarity, hypocracy, and the NOP

i haven't blogged much in the last couple years because there has simply been too much going on in my life and in the world to keep up.  i'm back on the grind, the world is in a financial tailspin and a dude who is only a degree or two of separation from me is in the white house.  rip van nigga winkle would have a field day.  me, i found my voice again because i'd be remiss to remain silent.

now let me preface my comments by saying that i'm an information junkie.  i read the news all day long on google reader and i google anything i don't know.  i can't stand to not know something.  unfortunately, i'm in the vast minority, and our anti-obama family members (remember, we're all citizens of the same country) don't seem to have the same desire for knowledge (e.g. truth).

i'm not even going to spend any time citing facts and figures in this blog, because what bothers me more than anything has nothing to do with facts...other than the fact that so many of the republican faction have such disdain, nigh hatred, for our president that they don't even seem to listen or hear what he has to say except to say that they oppose it.  it's actually kind of hilarious given the fact that 3 or 6 months ago when so many things were so obviously wrong with our political and economic policies they had nothing to say except that mr. bush and the republican party were doing a wonderful job.  now, less than 3 months into the obama administration i have to laugh when i hear how anti-obama people chirp at how the president has ruined the economy and will cause the country to fall into utter chaos.

i know i'm a dumb obama supporter but it seems to me that the path we are on was cleared by 8 years of an imagined mandate.  but i guess i must be drinking the koolaid.  however, if one more person brings up "welfare" to the poor as the scourge of americanism, i might have to ask that person when the last time they've even seen the benefactor of corporate tax cuts (who love to send manufacturing jobs to china and customer service jobs to india) in their local walmart.  it's so funny to see how stupid people will accept stupidity as truth.

funny thing is, we're being told that if the rich pay less taxes us poor folk will keep our jobs.  last time i checked, the rich folk are still paying less taxes and i'm still only workin 3 days a week with no benefits.  splain that lucy...but no, them there republicans must know what to do because they led us out of poverty when reagan was in office...when crack overran the cities and crime in urban areas spiraled out of control.

again...the rich like to dupe the wanna-be rich into thinking that the poor are their enemies, when in actuality, the rich are looking out for themselves.

who woke up the 800 pound gorilla in the living room?

I'm surprised it took so long for the idea to come to light. it's hilarious to me that it's actually news to people. And now, with Hillary Clinton crying sexism as the reason for her loss, the gorilla gains a hundred more pounds. While there definitely have been sexist episodes and comments during the campaign so far, how many people are voting against Hillary just because she's a woman? In fact, she's got a huge group of people who are voting for her because she's a woman, just like there is a group of people who are voting for Barack Obama because he's black. But the 900 pound gorilla that's going to climb onto Obama's back during the regular election is the fact that a large group of people will be voting against him for no reason other than the fact that he's black. The election results and exit polls in Kentucky and West Virginia are proof positive that a large portion of Hillary's voter base, the so-called "working-class whites", might be less voting for Hillary than voting against Obama.

Now are all these people card-carrying racists? Probably not in the sense that we've defined racism, as hood-wearing or skin-headed radicals, which is why the average white person would say that there is no longer a problem with prejudice or racism in the country. White people, and even some blacks, think that things like affirmative action are outdated and have no purpose in the new millennium. The problem is, however, the fact that racism never went away, it evolved. Politicians no longer stand on courthouse steps and shout their prejudiced opinions for all to hear, they simply act on them and feign horror at the idea of being a racist. Much the same happens in corporate America and everywhere else there are people who have control over the lives of others, which is why blacks, in general, are less educated, less employed, less affluent, and more likely to be convicted of or the victim of crime than whites. Is it some conspiracy created and executed by "The Man" and his minions? Even Rev. Wright doesn't believe that. But what the Kentucky and West Virginians basically confessed to is what black folks have been telling the rest of America since King died: racism didn't go away, it went underground.

Face it, nobody wants to be branded a racist, not even the most hardcore. Even skinheads claim that they're only pro-white, not anti any other race, in an attempt to appear mainstream. It's not cool to be racist anymore, but don't think everybody is keeping up with what's in style. I actually admire the Kentuckians and West Virginians for being honest about how they feel. But they're used to not being cool, so it probably wasn't much of a stretch. What's unfortunate is the fact that poor, uneducated white folks have much more in common with black and Hispanic folk than anybody wants them to know. The rich republicans want the poor folks isolated and uninformed, to keep them from understanding the choices they have available to them. Right now, poor white folks have the choice between someone who has spent his adult life helping people like them, versus the continuation of policies that have hurt everyone but the rich. I see that because I see the candidates and their positions and records, poor white folks see a black Muslim who hates white people running against a white person.

Between now and November, Obama's got a huge task ahead of him, much more significant than even the know-it-all pundits suspect. It's not enough that he prove himself the better candidate because of his character and platform, he has to convince people that he's not all the things that people say he is (I've even heard of a website that proclaims he's the anti-Christ).

I'm sure when it's all over, that gorilla will be a lot bigger, and irritable because he couldn't sleep through it all.

his(story)

i really tried not to write this blog but the more i've watched the news, the more i've been prodded to speak. the more i hear shit that's decorated to look like opinion, the more i feel the need to speak truth that's based on facts.

i'm a history buff...don't know where i got that from but i am who i am. the history channel is my favorite and long before you could watch history on tv, my parents made sure i got a chance to walk through it. i've been to monticello, gettysburg, little bighorn and the houston space center. one of my favorite vacation spots is the smithsonian (i've probably worn out more shoes on the mall than many people have bought in the mall). having said that, i have to set some shit wright.

yup...i'm defending rev. wright. never liked him much, never will...but he ain't as cracked up as most folk would have you believe...especially those who work for fox news. they actually likened him to "demagogues in history". on that note, let me preach.

"demagogues in history" (sean hannity) - as much as white folks are horrified by rev. wright's remarks, the fact is, they are just that...words. as much as those words can be divisive and no matter how the media would have the world believe that trinity is a hive of racists, there has never been a violent uprising against the US government fostered by black folks in this nation's history. in fact, black folk have never been involved in a targeted plot to threaten or harm any group of white folk with the idea of denying them of their civil rights. however, look up the history of the klu klux klan.

"the government created aids" - ok...he went way out there on that one...or did he? i googled the tusgegee experiment and was amazed to find out that, although the experiment started in the 1940's and penecillin was found to be a cure within a few years, not only were the subjects NOT treated, but the program wasn't ended until 1972...after the program was leaked to the public.

"the government sent drugs into the black community" - nah...couldn't be...but...does iran/contra ring a bell? does anyone else notice that the drug scourge of the late 80's seems to coincide with the drugs for guns program fostered by the cia?

"hillary aint never been called a nigga" - do i need to say anything to this?

"a country run by rich white men" - well...there have only been a handful of US presidents who were not "rich" when they took office. additionally, most of the congress has been white men, if not rich white men. when we add in the list of executives of the largest US corporations throughout history, i think the list might be slightly skewed towards the rich white man.

as much as people would love to equate rev. wright with the kkk, the fact is that nobody has ever walked out of trinity and dragged a white man from a pickup truck. no group of black men has ever hung a white man from a tree in front of his family. no group of black men has ever stopped a white man from voting. no group of black men has ever declared a white man less than human. 40 million acres can't undo that, a herd of mules cannot run over what has been the black experience in america.

so much self-riteousness, so little analysis...

all weekend i've alternately hidden from and soaked up as much of the news coverage regarding reverend wright and trinity as i could, all along figuring that i'd have ammunition for a great blog come monday morning. boy, i was so right, there was so much coverage, my mind is jumbled with so many ideas...only one thing to do: let my fingers do the talkning and edit, edit, edit. at this point, i'm turning off my mind-filter until my brain dump on this topic is complete. i'll rejoin you in 1,000 words or less...

if your chickens come home to roost, keep them away from foxes (and fox news)

don't get me wrong, i hate all the news networks equally, i just hate fox more equally than the rest. maybe it's their "wow" factor, because "wow" was what i kept hearing myself saying every minute or so i was tuned into the coverage on fox. from the cross-examination of sen. obama by major garrett to the near-continuous airing of rev. wright's remarks ("in case you missed it the last 20 times we've shown them this hour, here is what has everyone in america outraged"). at one point they had me so fired up i was ready to rouse the townspeople to go around the corner to castle trinity and kill the monster and dr. wrightenstien. the shocking thing was that mister conflagration himself, bill o'reilly, was actually the voice of reason...i'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop on that one. sean hannity was in rare form though, calling for obama to not only quit his presidential campaign but to resign from the senate. wow.


stupid is as stupid does

imagine me calling a harvard-educated senator and his team of political ringers stupid but...back last year, when obama started his campaign and asked rev. wright to "sit this one out" on the capitol steps in springfield, the thought, "say...you think we might wanna keep an eye on this old codger in case he gets extra crotchety? and while we're at it, maybe we might wanna see if there are any more codger-esque moments that we've missed?" growing up in chicago we usually test out of the 100-level politics courses, so i'm gonna give obama a pass since he didn't land here until the 80's, but david axlerod gets 1000 demerits and has to sit in the corner with a dunce cap on for the rest of his life if obama's campaign flames out because of this.


shut up already, damn (since you damnin folks)

you'd think that rev. wright would have gotten the message when he got benched for the opening tip of obama's campaign. he's obviously an intelligent man capable of making deductions (do i need to mention his talent for jumping to conclusions?), what da hell was he thinking? of course he can't take back the stuff he said back in '01 and '03, but if he's so concerned about changing the fact that america is run by rich white men, why didn't he just shut his ass up for a couple years so a poor mixed boy could become the speck in the grits? i don't know where i heard it but i live by the saying, "just because you can say something doesn't always mean you should." i think ima make that into a plaque and send it to rev. wright as a retirement gift.


condensation leads to corrosion, condescension leads to presumption

if one more white person talks as if they know what it's like to be black, because they have black friends or have been to black churches, i'm going to become a skinhead because i know what it's like to hate niggers. i love the fact that white folks think that successful black folk have no reason to be angry because they made it. no matter what they had to endure being the previously mentioned speck in the grits to get there, no matter how many times you heard, "i'm not talking about you, of course." or "you're so well spoken.", among other, not-so-niceties. no matter how many times you were told you couldn't, shouldn't or aught not because of any reason other than the fact that you're black (when you know that that is the reason). do white people have conversations amongst themselves about having to live in two separate worlds every day? about having to choose between the "new" life that we've earned and letting go of everything that drove us to become who we are? are white people considered sellouts because they become successful? if you're white and know someone who's black, ask them about these things...it's the closest you'll get to walking a block in our shoes. a mile is simply out of the question.


eat, drink and be merry...for tomorrow we might be on the bus back home...

the general consensus among the talking heads is that obama needs to "hit one out of the park" tomorrow to get his campaign back on track, but i think that's a bit of an understatement. he needs to load the bases and hit a grand-slam, all while having pitched a perfect game. the damage that this "crisis" was meant to create cannot be undone. the white voters who were on the fence about obama will, most likely, fall off into hillary's yard, giving her more ammunition come super-delegate time. if obama happens to escape this firestorm and make it to the general election, this phoenix of an issue will rise again. honestly, i don't know what he can stand to gain tomorrow. i doubt he can change the minds that have been influenced by rev. wright's sound bites, no matter how silver-tongued he is. those who were determined to see this story come to light aren't going to give up just because obama gives good microphone. but while i don't think he can gain much, the country just might gain a great deal if he opens a frank dialogue about prejudice in america. that's a big if, but it would be worth losing an election.