Most are beaming with glee, after Donald Trump was released from his partnership with NBC in terms of his Miss USA Pageant shows and The Celebrity Apprentice. Folks tweeted, and posted on Facebook, their joy, after Trump (which is true to form) made racially insensitive comments toward Latinos and immigration.
But my question is, why now? What is the back story? What or how much did Trump cost NBC for them to make this decision? I say that NBC is a day late, and a dollar short.
Just look at Donald Trump's Twitter feed. He is always saying something racist or sexist. In fact, Trump is the prime leader who started the "Birther" Movement. You know those hacks, who insisted that President Obama was not born in this country, and wanted to see the long form version of his birth certificate (I still to this day, am wondering what a long form birth certificate is, seeing as how I have seen the original and copies of mine, and the information is the same, but okay!).
He is made much of his fortune exploiting African Americans on that cesspool of a show, The Celebrity Apprentice. Remember, the more we argued, fought, and cursed each other out, the higher his ratings were, the more money he took to the bank, and he absolved himself by donating in the name of the winner's favorite charity (insert eyeroll here).
All the while, sometimes while the show was airing and he was exploiting us, saying vile and disgusting things about President Obama, which only a card carrying member of the Klu Klux Klan would utter.
Remember, we have been here before people...can you say Donald Sterling? The Clippers knew for years about his poor treatment of players, his racist remarks, but not until his mistress caught him in a recording for the world to hear, and sponsors started dropping like flies, did the Clippers take action.
So the question for me is, what is NBC's end game? Is this to boost their network ratings, by appearing to take a stand on racist behavior? Did sponsors threaten to pull out? Something occurred that the general public is not privy to, because Donald Trump has been racist, and we have over six years worth of tweets and screenshots to prove it!
Until next time....
Monday, June 29, 2015
It's Just A Flag, Until It's Not
I remember the first time that I was called a nigger. It was third grade and by a classmate (who shall remain nameless), because I had angered him. I didn't even understand what the word meant. We didn't use that type of language in my household, but I went home and told my grandmother, and I received an early education into racism, and its products.
I have been watching the debates over the Confederate flag and just shaking my head at how clueless we have become when it comes to the feelings of our fellow man, and how we want to wave a magic wand and make racism go away.
Is the Confederate flag racist, or is it just a flag? Well, the Confederate flag was the official flag of the Confederacy, which wanted to secede from the Union. They wanted to protect states' rights. These rights were the right to own slaves. Slaves were property, and a source of free labor. Having to pay people for labor, cut into their overall profit margins, and good old Southerners were not having that.
President Lincoln, or the "great emancipator" as he is called, wanted to keep his union in tact. He used slavery as a bargaining chip. Freeing slaves was never about humanity or loving black people, it was about crippling the Confederacy financially, so they would have no other choice but to rejoin the union. The Confederacy of course that it was their God given right to own slaves, so of course they fought back, hence the Civil War.
If you are not convinced yet, of the Confederate flag and its racist origins, then why does the KKK, Dylan Roof, and every major hate group use it as its flag of record?
When individuals scream "heritage", this heritage is one built upon slavery and the oppression of black people. If you are okay with that, this is a matter between you, and your God.
If you want to place it on your car, your home, buy Confederate memorabilia, I say be proud in your racist ideologies.
But this flag has no place in government spaces, ie, the capitol building in Columbia, S.C. One of the most heartbreaking things for me as an American citizen, is to know that Rev. Pinkney's body had roll past that disgusting flag, during his funeral service,
Did you know that the flag was placed in the S. C. capitol building in 1962, as a direct response to the rise of the Civil Rights Movement? But it's not racist right?
I prefer people who are honest about race, so if the Confederate flag is part of your heritage as you claim, this tells me everything that I need to know about you, and how you feel about me as a black man, and a fellow citizen of this country.
Until next time....
I have been watching the debates over the Confederate flag and just shaking my head at how clueless we have become when it comes to the feelings of our fellow man, and how we want to wave a magic wand and make racism go away.
Is the Confederate flag racist, or is it just a flag? Well, the Confederate flag was the official flag of the Confederacy, which wanted to secede from the Union. They wanted to protect states' rights. These rights were the right to own slaves. Slaves were property, and a source of free labor. Having to pay people for labor, cut into their overall profit margins, and good old Southerners were not having that.
President Lincoln, or the "great emancipator" as he is called, wanted to keep his union in tact. He used slavery as a bargaining chip. Freeing slaves was never about humanity or loving black people, it was about crippling the Confederacy financially, so they would have no other choice but to rejoin the union. The Confederacy of course that it was their God given right to own slaves, so of course they fought back, hence the Civil War.
If you are not convinced yet, of the Confederate flag and its racist origins, then why does the KKK, Dylan Roof, and every major hate group use it as its flag of record?
When individuals scream "heritage", this heritage is one built upon slavery and the oppression of black people. If you are okay with that, this is a matter between you, and your God.
If you want to place it on your car, your home, buy Confederate memorabilia, I say be proud in your racist ideologies.
But this flag has no place in government spaces, ie, the capitol building in Columbia, S.C. One of the most heartbreaking things for me as an American citizen, is to know that Rev. Pinkney's body had roll past that disgusting flag, during his funeral service,
Did you know that the flag was placed in the S. C. capitol building in 1962, as a direct response to the rise of the Civil Rights Movement? But it's not racist right?
I prefer people who are honest about race, so if the Confederate flag is part of your heritage as you claim, this tells me everything that I need to know about you, and how you feel about me as a black man, and a fellow citizen of this country.
Until next time....
Thursday, June 18, 2015
What Charleston Teaches Us About White Privilege
I remember attending prayer service on Wednesday nights with my late grandmother. She always referred to it as "prayer meeting." And sure enough, there were quite a few fervent prayers, singing, scripture, and some powerful testimonies. In other words, it was a condensed version of Sunday service.
In addition to being a condensed version of the Sunday service, prayer meeting also had a condensed crowd, usually comprised of church officials (pastor, deacons, mothers), the unemployed and retirees (because they held service so long (forgive me Jesus!), and those who just wanted a midweek spiritual pick me up!
Imagine my shock and horror, when I found out via Twitter (Because mainstream media is not worth a damn in delivering news) about the tragedy in Charleston, SC, where Dylan Storm Roof opened fire on a group of attendees (this is after he worshiped with them for an hour), killing nine.
This case as brutal and horrific as it is, it teaches us everything about white privilege and the state of race relations in this country (Go ahead and stop reading now, roll your eyes for good measure, label me a racist, feel better?). Now read on, so you can become educated on this very real thing, called "white privilege."
White privilege is before you are even positively identified, the media falls over themselves trying to diagnose your psychosis, and talk about how quiet and sweet you were as a young child (Remember Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown were horrible students and thugs from minute one, after their deaths, even though they were the victims).
White privilege is the police arresting you (while you are armed), but not before supplying you with a bulletproof vest and no handcuffs). This man viciously murdered nine people, is armed, and still police fall over themselves to protect him (ie, the bulletproof vest). I still don't know why he wasn't handcuffed.
White privilege is being arrested for drug possession in March, and your parents purchasing a gun for you in April (This is what Dylan's parents did for him).
White privilege is brutally murdering nine people, and the media refusing to label you as a "terrorist". Remember the Boston Marathon bombers murdered less, and they were labeled as terrorists.
White privilege is alluding the police for over 12 hours after you have brutally murdered nine people. (You can't tell me that in over 12 hours and after crossing over another state, that the florist is the only person who recognized him!) He is a scrawny white boy with a Beatles' era haircut. I don't run across many of those on a daily basis!
White privilege is your roommate knowing about your plans for your alleged crime for over six months, and not only wanting to be roommates with you, but deciding to keep quiet, and remains free at the same time. (Name one black person who can have knowledge of a crime, the media reports this knowledge, and that individual is walking around free....I rest my case).
White privilege is being a mass murderer and nobody blaming your parents or questioning their parental abilities (even though they bought you the gun used in the crime). Remember people have said all kinds of hateful and disgusting things about Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown's mothers!
White privilege is brandishing a real gun, and cops take you alive. (Tamir Rice was playing with a toy gun, and murdered in just two seconds).
White privilege is having the Confederate flag hanging on all of your government buildings in 2015. This is the case in our neighboring state of South Carolina, and nobody questions it.
Still believe white privilege is imagined? I have just given you several concrete, factual examples that it does indeed exist.
The question now becomes, what are we going to do about it?
Until next time.....
In addition to being a condensed version of the Sunday service, prayer meeting also had a condensed crowd, usually comprised of church officials (pastor, deacons, mothers), the unemployed and retirees (because they held service so long (forgive me Jesus!), and those who just wanted a midweek spiritual pick me up!
Imagine my shock and horror, when I found out via Twitter (Because mainstream media is not worth a damn in delivering news) about the tragedy in Charleston, SC, where Dylan Storm Roof opened fire on a group of attendees (this is after he worshiped with them for an hour), killing nine.
This case as brutal and horrific as it is, it teaches us everything about white privilege and the state of race relations in this country (Go ahead and stop reading now, roll your eyes for good measure, label me a racist, feel better?). Now read on, so you can become educated on this very real thing, called "white privilege."
White privilege is before you are even positively identified, the media falls over themselves trying to diagnose your psychosis, and talk about how quiet and sweet you were as a young child (Remember Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown were horrible students and thugs from minute one, after their deaths, even though they were the victims).
White privilege is the police arresting you (while you are armed), but not before supplying you with a bulletproof vest and no handcuffs). This man viciously murdered nine people, is armed, and still police fall over themselves to protect him (ie, the bulletproof vest). I still don't know why he wasn't handcuffed.
White privilege is being arrested for drug possession in March, and your parents purchasing a gun for you in April (This is what Dylan's parents did for him).
White privilege is brutally murdering nine people, and the media refusing to label you as a "terrorist". Remember the Boston Marathon bombers murdered less, and they were labeled as terrorists.
White privilege is alluding the police for over 12 hours after you have brutally murdered nine people. (You can't tell me that in over 12 hours and after crossing over another state, that the florist is the only person who recognized him!) He is a scrawny white boy with a Beatles' era haircut. I don't run across many of those on a daily basis!
White privilege is your roommate knowing about your plans for your alleged crime for over six months, and not only wanting to be roommates with you, but deciding to keep quiet, and remains free at the same time. (Name one black person who can have knowledge of a crime, the media reports this knowledge, and that individual is walking around free....I rest my case).
White privilege is being a mass murderer and nobody blaming your parents or questioning their parental abilities (even though they bought you the gun used in the crime). Remember people have said all kinds of hateful and disgusting things about Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown's mothers!
White privilege is brandishing a real gun, and cops take you alive. (Tamir Rice was playing with a toy gun, and murdered in just two seconds).
White privilege is having the Confederate flag hanging on all of your government buildings in 2015. This is the case in our neighboring state of South Carolina, and nobody questions it.
Still believe white privilege is imagined? I have just given you several concrete, factual examples that it does indeed exist.
The question now becomes, what are we going to do about it?
Until next time.....
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Enabling Josh Duggar
A few weeks ago, reports surfaced that Josh Duggar, the eldest of the Duggar brood, had molested a total of five girls (four of which were his sisters and the other a close family friend who he had access to while she was staying with his family). The behavior began when Josh was 14, and one of his victims was as young as five.
TLC, after much public outcry and advertisers dropping like flies, decided to cancel his family's reality show. His parents decided to do damage control with an awkward and maddening interview with Fox's Megyn Kelly, and two his sisters, who were also two of his victims, gave an interview to People Magazine where they defended their brother and claimed the media had victimized them more than their brother ever had.
But notice who is visibly silent through this whole ordeal? The perp himself, Josh Duggar! My question is, why the silence? The statute of limitations has expired. Civil litigation is highly unlikely given than 80% of his victims (at least the ones that we know about) are family members, God has forgiven him (according to his religious nutjob parents), his wife knew for a full two years before marrying him, and is now pregnant with his fourth seed, so why the silence Josh?
The why is because Josh Duggar represents an ever growing and steadfast patriarchy and privilege. Males in this country get away with countless crimes against women and girls, and we just minimize their behavior to "boys will be boys" or we slut shame their victims asking ridiculous questions about what the "victims" did to make them hurt or abuse them.
His parents minimized his behavior. The sheriff who his parents turned him in to was convicted of being in the possession of kiddie porn. His sisters, his victims, apologize for him and minimize his behavior, and his wife co-signed when she married and had children by him. Everyone in his inner circle is either rationalizing, excusing, or protecting him.
Even politicians like Sarah Palin, are turning their angst on celebrities rather than dealing with Josh. Religious zealots are preaching forgiveness and casting stones. Um, newsflash, I guess you'll missed that part in the Bible, which teaches even God only forgives with a confession and a repentant heart.
I have seen neither from Josh Duggar, and I doubt that I will.
Even when confronted with the ugliness of his deeds, his parents sent him to do manual labor. I did the same as 16 for money, and I didn't do anything close to what Josh has done!
The saddest thing in all of this: his victims are left to deal with the aftermath of this alone, while a society which is supposed to protect them, spins and lies to protect their assailant.
Another sad component of this saga, is Josh hasn't been punished or treated, so it is my belief that he is not done with this abhorrent behavior.
For those who enable Josh, you have my disdain! Let's hope there is some kind of justice for his victims, both the known and the unknown.
Until next time....
TLC, after much public outcry and advertisers dropping like flies, decided to cancel his family's reality show. His parents decided to do damage control with an awkward and maddening interview with Fox's Megyn Kelly, and two his sisters, who were also two of his victims, gave an interview to People Magazine where they defended their brother and claimed the media had victimized them more than their brother ever had.
But notice who is visibly silent through this whole ordeal? The perp himself, Josh Duggar! My question is, why the silence? The statute of limitations has expired. Civil litigation is highly unlikely given than 80% of his victims (at least the ones that we know about) are family members, God has forgiven him (according to his religious nutjob parents), his wife knew for a full two years before marrying him, and is now pregnant with his fourth seed, so why the silence Josh?
The why is because Josh Duggar represents an ever growing and steadfast patriarchy and privilege. Males in this country get away with countless crimes against women and girls, and we just minimize their behavior to "boys will be boys" or we slut shame their victims asking ridiculous questions about what the "victims" did to make them hurt or abuse them.
His parents minimized his behavior. The sheriff who his parents turned him in to was convicted of being in the possession of kiddie porn. His sisters, his victims, apologize for him and minimize his behavior, and his wife co-signed when she married and had children by him. Everyone in his inner circle is either rationalizing, excusing, or protecting him.
Even politicians like Sarah Palin, are turning their angst on celebrities rather than dealing with Josh. Religious zealots are preaching forgiveness and casting stones. Um, newsflash, I guess you'll missed that part in the Bible, which teaches even God only forgives with a confession and a repentant heart.
I have seen neither from Josh Duggar, and I doubt that I will.
Even when confronted with the ugliness of his deeds, his parents sent him to do manual labor. I did the same as 16 for money, and I didn't do anything close to what Josh has done!
The saddest thing in all of this: his victims are left to deal with the aftermath of this alone, while a society which is supposed to protect them, spins and lies to protect their assailant.
Another sad component of this saga, is Josh hasn't been punished or treated, so it is my belief that he is not done with this abhorrent behavior.
For those who enable Josh, you have my disdain! Let's hope there is some kind of justice for his victims, both the known and the unknown.
Until next time....
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Why Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner is Not Your Business
In today's society, celebrity status is synonymous with ownership, or at least it is the minds of narcissistic individuals who worship them.
When Bruce Jenner was an Olympic gold medalist and was someone who men could worship as a great athlete, or who women could lust after as a good looking man, he was on top of the world, and was everyone's hero.
Now that he has made a very private decision to live HIS truth, he has fallen from grace (not in the traditional sense) but the grace of public opinions who do not agree with HIS personal decisions.
And before you start spouting Bible verses, offering up how disgusted you are, how much you admire him, how beautiful he is, and the list goes on, let me pose a few questions to you:
How much of Bruce's transformation into Caitlyn, affected your personal finances?
How many of you are related to Bruce/Caitlyn?
And if you are pursuing the religious agenda, what does Bruce's transformation, have to do with your soul or personal relationship with Christ?
If the answer to any of these is nothing or none, it means that it is none of your business.
We have an opinion about a myriad of things, doesn't make them our business, doesn't mean that we have all of the facts, nor does it mean we are well versed in what we are speaking about anyway.
Why? Because Americans love exercising their First Amendment rights, well, that is until we become the subject of or have to deal with the consequences of exercising those rights.
The interesting thing is I see Christians posting all types of think pieces and blog posts, which further their religious agendas, but are visibly silent about Josh Duggar molesting his sisters and other victims.
All I hear in regards to Josh Duggar are "forgiveness" and "mistakes". He impacted children's lives, and not just any children, children who were related to him, broke the law, but you are quick to forgive, but not an individual who made a personal decision, which did not affect anyone? This is the God you serve? Well, I don't want any parts of that God!
Then I saw black people, one of the most marginalized and discriminated against populations of people, posting memes from white supremacists ridiculing Bruce/Caitlyn, individuals, who would not spit on you, if you were on fire, but as long as another group is being discriminated against or ridiculed, it is okay? In what parallel universe?
Ask yourself, is what I am doing, or saying helping my fellow man/woman? If not, you might want to keep it to yourself!
Until next time.....
When Bruce Jenner was an Olympic gold medalist and was someone who men could worship as a great athlete, or who women could lust after as a good looking man, he was on top of the world, and was everyone's hero.
Now that he has made a very private decision to live HIS truth, he has fallen from grace (not in the traditional sense) but the grace of public opinions who do not agree with HIS personal decisions.
And before you start spouting Bible verses, offering up how disgusted you are, how much you admire him, how beautiful he is, and the list goes on, let me pose a few questions to you:
How much of Bruce's transformation into Caitlyn, affected your personal finances?
How many of you are related to Bruce/Caitlyn?
And if you are pursuing the religious agenda, what does Bruce's transformation, have to do with your soul or personal relationship with Christ?
If the answer to any of these is nothing or none, it means that it is none of your business.
We have an opinion about a myriad of things, doesn't make them our business, doesn't mean that we have all of the facts, nor does it mean we are well versed in what we are speaking about anyway.
Why? Because Americans love exercising their First Amendment rights, well, that is until we become the subject of or have to deal with the consequences of exercising those rights.
The interesting thing is I see Christians posting all types of think pieces and blog posts, which further their religious agendas, but are visibly silent about Josh Duggar molesting his sisters and other victims.
All I hear in regards to Josh Duggar are "forgiveness" and "mistakes". He impacted children's lives, and not just any children, children who were related to him, broke the law, but you are quick to forgive, but not an individual who made a personal decision, which did not affect anyone? This is the God you serve? Well, I don't want any parts of that God!
Then I saw black people, one of the most marginalized and discriminated against populations of people, posting memes from white supremacists ridiculing Bruce/Caitlyn, individuals, who would not spit on you, if you were on fire, but as long as another group is being discriminated against or ridiculed, it is okay? In what parallel universe?
Ask yourself, is what I am doing, or saying helping my fellow man/woman? If not, you might want to keep it to yourself!
Until next time.....
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