Where Two Or More Are Gathered..........

Silence...

2005-10-25T11:34:00.000-05:00

Recently life hasn't left much time for blogging. I will do my best to post something in the near future. In the meantime... say something kind to someone- it may be the only nice thing they hear all day. Laugh. Love. Live life.

Do YOU Really Want To Know...

2005-09-20T13:30:00.000-05:00

www.wanttoknow.info

Placing Blame And Taking Responsibility...

2005-09-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

The following is an article that was published in a recent edition of BlackNews.com. Although I am posting this without permission from the author, I hope he will understand and appreciate my intent. He is on point...

The big guns of mainstream black leadership from the Congressional Black Caucus to the NAACP have royally beat up on President Bush for his bumbled, and bungled response to Katrina. Bush deserves their fury for his terrible stumble. But black leaders also deserve blame for their abysmal failure to be an active voice for the black poor. Their failure to loudly speak out on their behalf happened long before Katrina struck, and it tells much about the glaring disconnect between mainstream black leaders and New Orleans and the nation's black poor.

The first warning of that disconnect came in the 1950s. Sociologist E. Franklin Frazier complained that many blacks were becoming what he contemptuously branded a black bourgeoisie that controlled the wealth and power within the black community. Even then, many members of Frazier's black bourgeoisie had begun to distance themselves from the black poor.

The expansion of federal entitlement programs, civil rights legislation, equal opportunity statutes and affirmative action programs initiated during Lyndon Johnson's administration during the 1960s broke the last barriers of legal segregation. The path to universities and corporations for some blacks was now wide open. More blacks than ever did what their parents only dreamed of: They fled big city blighted inner-city areas in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, and, of course, New Orleans in droves. By the end of the 1980's, a significant percentage of blacks were affluent enough to move to the suburbs. They now owned more and better businesses, marched into more corporations, and universities, spread out into more of the professions, won more political offices, bought bigger and more expensive homes, cars, clothes, and jewelry, took more luxury vacations, and joined more country clubs than ever before in their history.

Mainstream civil rights organizations, and black Democrats became the political voice for this fast emergent black middle-class. They fought hard to get more blacks in corporate management, in elite universities, in front of and behind TV cameras, elect more black Democrats, secure more business loans, and, waged symbolic fights against antique icons such as the Confederate flag. This grabbed media, and public attention, and corporate support, but their symbolic victories also sped their retreat from visible cutting edge activism on the thorny problem of black poverty.

Civil rights leaders and black politicians were trapped in the middle by the twisting political trends and shifting fortunes upward of the black middle-class, and downward of the black poor. A tilt by them toward a hard-edged activist agenda carried the fearful risk of alienating the corporate donors and the Democratic politicians that the civil rights leaders have carefully cultivated in past years. They depend on them to gain even more jobs, promotions, and contracts for black professionals and businesspersons, to bag contributions for their fundraising campaigns, dinners, banquets, scholarship funds and programs, and increased political patronage. This left the millions of blacks that wallowed below the official poverty level with no one to cajole, browbeat, and prod business leaders and public officials to deal with their increasingly dire plight. Lacking education, competitive skills and training, the black have-nots were further hurtled to the outer fringes of society.

New Orleans is a near textbook example that neglect and leadership disconnect. In the months before New Orleans' current black mayor Richard Nagin, a former corporate communications executive, slammed Bush and the feds for their glacial response to Katrina, he drew fire from anti-poverty activists and some black residents for being snuggling up to close to business interests, while ignoring the poor.

Nagin was hardly the first black official to take heat for the plight of the city's poor. For the past three decades, blacks have had near unbroken control of city government in New Orleans. They've controlled city hall, and had black majorities on the school board, and the city council. The police chief, and the District Attorney are black. During their tenure, Bourbon Street, the French Quarter, the Casinos, and tourism, have boomed. Large parts of the city have become gentrified, downtown business interests have grown richer, and black businesspersons and professionals especially those with close ties to the black establishment at City Hall have done well. City officials have been hammered with accusations of cronyism, patronage, and influence peddling.

Before he left office in 2002, two-term mayor Marc Morial, who now heads the National Urban League, got credit for cleaning up the police department, and creating a friendly climate for business. Yet, the city's poverty rate by then had soared to triple the national average, and had become a national disgrace. Black leaders did not ignore the poor in New Orleans or anywhere else for that matter out of indifference, callousness, or insensitivity. It was simply another case of black political and economic shot callers protecting their class turf; a turf that the poor could never inhabit.

Now thousands of New Orleans' poor, and displaced have no turf at all to call theirs. While the Bush administration deserves much blame for that, so do those black leaders that ignored their plight and their numbers for so long.

(This is a continuing series on the devastation of New Orleans and America's Black Poor.)

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a columnist for BlackNews.com, an author and political analyst. He is the author of The Crisis in Black and Black (Middle Passage Press).

What will it take...

2005-08-31T15:00:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time, if ever, that I can remember having such a feeling of hopelessness for mankind. As I look around the country and around the world, I wonder what it will take for PEOPLE to demand a change.

Is it acceptable that PEOPLE in this country are too poor to flee an impending disaster and thus must risk their lives?

Is it acceptable that hundreds of PEOPLE are killed in a stampede sparked by fears of terrorists and gunshots?

Is it acceptable that PEOPLE are forced to make a decision between food, medication, or gas to heat their homes as winter looms?

Is it acceptable that our President spends weeks on vacation while all this, and more, is going on?

What will it take for PEOPLE to demand a change.

Children need to be getting they edumacation...

2005-08-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

With the new school year fast approaching, the topic of implementing "Ebonics" into public school curriculum has resurfaced. Some believe that if African-American children are taught in a language they can easily comprehend, they will be more apt to excel. Well, well, well... ain't that be something! The irony is astounding. In the seventies, there was a study done that placed two children- one black, one white- in similar environments. Both children excelled at the same rate. This study confirmed that black children are capable of learning and excelling when placed in an environment that is conducive to doing so. Maybe the problem isn't one of "language" but a broader problem of environment.

For hours of amusement, try this site: www.joel.net/EBONICS/translator.asp

Funny Pics!!!

2005-07-29T09:52:00.000-05:00

I hope someone finds some sort of humor in these pics!!!

Death Toll From War On Terrorism Reaches Almost 9,000

2005-07-25T23:30:00.000-05:00

At the start of the war on terrorism, President Bush personally ordered that no pictures be taken of flag draped coffins as they arrived home. He claimed that it was out of respect of the grieving families- even though most grieving families disagreed. According to the DoD, to date over 1,800 soldiers have been listed as killed in action. However, the number of military personnel killed in this war might actually be closer to 9,000. This is because U.S. Military Personnel who died in German hospitals or en route to German hospitals have not been counted as killed in action. As of January 2005, they total over 6,200. There are at least 15,000 that are listed as seriously wounded. As many as 5,500 have deserted. Iraqi civilian casualties have yet to be reported but International Red Cross, Red Crescent and UN figures indicate that as of 1 January 2005, the numbers are just under 100,000.

American's deserve to know the truth about what is happening to our brave soldiers.

The Republican Party Needs You...

2005-07-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, President Bush was trying to appeal to Black Voters while attending the Indiana Black Expo. The Expo is an annual event that promotes black businesses, healthcare, jobs, education and other opportunities for the Black Community. In Bush’s speech he stressed that small businesses and black homeownership is at an all-time high under his watch. He also talked about his efforts to improve education, Social Security and increase aid to Africa. The timing of this speech couldn’t have been more ironic- considering he just left the G8 Summit, where he tried to convince other Nations to decrease their aid to Africa to make it appear that America’s aid was increased. He also conveniently left out the fact that black homeowner foreclosure is at an all-time high under his watch.

At the same time Bush was delivering his speech, Ken Mehlmen (RNC Chair) was addressing members of the NAACP at their annual convention. He even went as far as to express regret for “Republican attitudes towards Blacks in the past. Saying that, “Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization.” That’s the first sign of truth that I’ve heard from someone in the Republican Party in a long time. It makes me wonder what they’re up to. The Republicans can’t expect that just mere acknowledge of such mistreatment will cause Black voters to come running back to the Republican Party. There is much work yet to be done.

Since the 2000 campaign, Bush has only reached out to carefully chosen minority audiences. In fairness, all of his audiences- black or white- are carefully chosen. Since taking office, Bush has declined several invitations to speak at NAACP sponsored events. Some think it’s because of an ad that was run during the 2000 campaign that portrayed Bush as being unsympathetic towards the dragging death of James Byrd. In the past couple of years, the IRS is investigating whether or not these ads violated the NAACP’s non-profit status. Many think the investigation is revenge.

Whatever the motive is for the recent push to motivate Blacks to vote Republican, it’s cause for Blacks to be on alert. We must hold ALL political parties accountable for our vote. Obviously the Black vote has power. We must recognize that power and use it to our advantage. It’s time to start getting some stuff done for our community.

Karl Rove Likes Little Gay Boys

2005-07-15T13:01:00.000-05:00

Karl Rove likes little gay boys. He is a closeted homosexual that likes to have his genitals bound in scotch tape and leather straps. He likes to be picked up from the Rose Garden by Jeff Gannon wearing nothing but construction boots and a hard hat. He also derives pleasure from wearing a pig costume and forced to roll around in mud and slop. He is well known in his inner circle to solicit boys as young as 5. Karl Rove is a sexual deviant.

Turd Blossom, as Karl Rove is affectionately called by the president, can only achieve sexual stimulation if he is shown homosexual child pornography !!! This loser is as low as they get !!! I wouldn't let this idiot around my loved ones , simply because he gives me the creeps !! Really, sometimes when I see footage of him, I literally become weirded out and repulsed !!! He seems like Damien Omen type evil!!But still not as evil looking as the new Pope!!!Now that guy is Poltergeist, Carol Anne type scary!!!I bet this guy sold his soul thinking he doesn't need his anyway!!!

I know that this is no way to attack someone and slander their name simply because you don't like them for whatever reason!!I am in no way saying that I have proof of any of these allegations!!!!But...you know when you just get that feeling that you know what someone is about, and it's NOT good!!!Well, I feel strongly that Karl Rove is not a good guy!!I think he would sell his mother to the devil, just because he thought the devil short changed him on their last dealings!!I also strongly believe that he eats babies!!

Are Black Men Retarded?

2005-07-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

"All my Brotha's eatin' chicken and watermelon, talk broken English and drug sellin' See I'm tellin' and teaching real facts. The way some act in rap is kinda wack. ("My Philosophy" -Boogie Down Productions)

Every family has one, that cousin who got stuck in a 1980's time warp and just refused to grow up. You see him at every family reunion walking around in a Members Only jacket with a 40 ounce braggin' about how he has 10 children by 10 different women and is too smooth to pay child support. While the rest of the grown folks slip away to the family room to discuss important family business, Cousin 'Junior' stays outback with the children trying to do the Cabbage Patch off of the Whisper Song, not much different than what he was doing 20 years ago....

If we look in the dictionary, we will see the definition of retarded as 'slow or backwards in mental or emotional development ' along with a big picture of one of the Ying Yang twins. While the off the chain behavior of some Brotha's has been discussed in detail by some of our greatest scholar's such as Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, this issue is rarely discussed in a Hip Hop-centric context.

Historically, white supremacy has made it virtually impossible for Black boys to become Black men. Back in tha day (and even now in a small town just south of Tupelo, Mississippi) it was common for 70 year old Black men to be called 'boy' by 10 year old white children. The system has put so many obstacles in our way that it is hard to live up to the basic meaning of manhood: one who provides food, clothing, shelter and security for his family. So much so that many Black men choose to live in a perpetual childhood instead of risking the wrath of white supremacy by asserting their manhood. This is why, in 2005, we see that our development has gone way beyond being arrested; it is on major lockdown.

So today, you have 35 year old men acting like they are 14 year old teenie boppers. They may not be going around singing that jingle from the commercial from back in tha day 'I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid, but they are singing the Hip Hop remix, 'It's plain to see, you can't change me cuz I'm a be a nigga for life...'

While back in the day a rapper was shipped off to the Happy Valley Hip Hop Retirement Home on his 21st birthday, thanks to the industry's potent Hip Hop viagra, a rapper can still be pimpin' all over the world well into his 40's. So the natural progression to manhood has been altered.

While many Brotha's come into the rap game in their late teens with the 'product of my environment/ just keepin' it real like it is on tha streets' excuse,' it becomes problematic when the 18 year old kid becomes a 33 year old multimillioniare who has traveled the world several times over but still kicks lyrics about standin' on tha block with a 40oz, hollerin' at ho's. There is something very wrong in a society when in 2005, Snoop Dog is talking about virtually the same thing he talked about in 1992.

Also, problematic is the 'school yard brawl' mentality where instead of threatening to beat someone up after 6th period woodshop class, grown men like 50 cent and the Game threaten to annihilate each other if they cross paths in the hotel lobby after the after party.

Most disturbing is the crunk music coming out of the Dirty South which has done more to destroy Black manhood than when JJ Evans from Good Times was running around in those red pajama's screaming 'Kid Dy-no-mite !!!' With few exceptions, like Durham's 'Street Ambassador' Crown King, who is developing a sound called 'Conscious C.R.U.N.K. (Consciousness Raising Unleashing Nubian Knowledge) the subject matter is pretty much the same. It usually doesn't go much deeper than a Brotha threatening to shoot another Brotha over a parking space in front of the strip club or a Brotha whispering to a Sista like some sick pervert calling one of those 900 numbers at 3 in the morning threatening to do things to her that are illegal in most states. (Wait till ya see my.....OOOOh!!!)

In communities across the country, Black men should join together and put a mandatory age limit on actin' the darn fool. We must develop a Rites of Passage for the Hip Hop Generation that doesn't include a 10 year bid in the federal pen.

Just as in some countries every male is required to serve in the military, we should require every Black man to do a tour of duty in the Afrikan Liberation Army (or at least enlist in the Hip Hop DROP Squad). Also we must join efforts to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, like Bro. Sile, National Chairman of the RBG SOULdiers, is doing with the Take Back Black Music Campaign.

We, as Black men, must join together and boldly proclaim the words of Eldridge Cleaver, “We shall have our manhood or the earth will be leveled by our attempts to gain it!”

*An excerpt taken from an article written by Minister Scott for Black News. Minister Paul Scott represents the Messianic Afrikan Nation in Durham NC.

I Love Connie Rice!!!

2005-06-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

Not Condi Rice !! No , not that WITCH!!! Not that unattractive , sellout who is nothing more than a hand puppet for rich white men!!! No, not that skank!!! I wouldn't touch her with my worst enemie's privates!! Not the one who learned Russian to become a dominatrix for Russian ambassadors, and have since adjusted her sexual mind games to accommodate Israeli pigs!! I guess she wasn't smart enough to realize that the cold war would be OVER by the time she trained to be a cheap sex whore spy against Russia!! I guess she could always cross-train to be an Israeli dominatrix without much additional training, simply because the so called "Jews" are just Croats , Poles and Russians after all!!

No , not Condi, her fine ass cousin Connie!!!! Connie is everything Condi wishes she could be!!! Connie is smart, very beautiful, witty, personable, did I mention beautiful? Man, this situation reminds me of some fairy tale where there's the wicked WITCH cousin , then there's the beautiful lovely other cousin who has to defeat the evil witch in order to save the world from evil and tyranny!!! I could not make this stuff up!!!! Connie really has to try and defeat her evil WITCH of a cousin Condi, in order to stop world domination , cruelty and war!!!! I listened to Connie speak on some program, and I instantly fell in love with her!!! Not just her beauty, but her mind , body and SOUL!!!Yes ladies and gentlemen, she actually has a soul!!! I LOVE CONNIE RICE!!!

Mind Candy...

2005-06-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Riddle 1

A mile from end to end,
Yet as close to you as a friend.
A precious commodity, freely given.
Seen on the dead and on the living.
Found on the rich, poor, short and tall,
But shared among children most of all.

What is it?

Riddle 2

Three lives have I.
Gentle enough to soothe the skin,
Light enough to caress the sky
Hard enough to crack rocks.

What am I?

Riddle 3

Luke had it before,
Paul had it behind.
Doctor Lowell had it before and behind,
And twice as bad as before.
Miss Gallager had it twice in the middle,
Before she was married.
Girls have it,
Boys do not.
It is in life,
But not in death.

What is it?

Riddle 4

Touching one, yet holding two,
It is a one-link chain.
Binding those who keep words true,
'Till death doth rend it twain.

What is it?

Blacks should've been grateful for segregation...

2005-06-23T15:30:00.000-05:00

I can still remember the stories Big Mamma would tell us about the good ol' days of segregation. As a young girl growing up in the early 70's, I dreamed of living in the world she spoke about. I dreamed of going to an all black school. Dreamed of having teachers that looked like me. Dreamed of being surrounded by folks that understood my history and were as willing to teach me as I was eager to learn. Instead, I went to a predominately white suburban school, where I was told I would get the best education. I didn't have any teachers that looked like me, nor were they as willing to teach me as I was eager to learn. Unfortunately, I paid a grave price for this "quality" education. The price resulted in my lack of confidence and shattered self-image. It wasn't until later in life that these qualities would be restored.

Although there were many harmful aspects of segregation, there have been many obvious detrimental effects to the Black community due to desegregation. Black businesses- especially farms- don't flourish like they use to. In 1920, Black Farmers owned 14% of this countries farms. Today, that number is less than 1%. This represents a loss of 13,000,000 acres of black owned land.

Only 50% of black males graduate from high school. And only a 1/3 of them go on to higher education- most because of athletic scholarships. Less than one percent of college enrolled black men actually graduate. Enrollment at HBCUs is so low, that many have been forced to close their doors, due to the lack of endowments and federal funding. At predominately white colleges, due to the push of affirmative action, many have actively recruited Black students in order to meet their mandated quotas. Unfortunately, a significant number of these students fail and drop out because they are ill prepared to compete academically- mostly in part because of the substandard education that they received in their "integrated" primary and secondary schools.

During segregation, the Black community was filled with black lawyers, black doctors, black teachers, black dentists, and black business owners. There was even a huge black upper class society. Through desegregation, blacks are being systematically forced into a permanent underclass. The pride that was once so prevalent in the community has faded with the infiltration of drugs and crime. I know that many people sacrificed their life so that I could receive that segregated quality education. I know that things weren't all good under Jim Crow. I just wish we could have some of those good things back in our community.

A Call to Action!!!!

2005-06-20T12:49:00.000-05:00

As many of you may already know, the federal government is threatening to cut funding to PBS. The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on cutting 45% of federal funding to WGBH! The House may vote on these cuts as soon as June 22. These cuts will affect PBS , NPR and your local WGBH stations. If you would like to voice your opposition to these proposed cuts , there are steps you can take!!You can go here to the WGBH homepage and read more on how you can make a difference !! Thank you!!

EDITORIAL: I know that people are tired of the bickering back and forth between Democrats and Republicans, but this is just another example of how the Republicans are trying to silence the voice of truth. Republicans have accused WGBH of being a leftist, liberal station that only shows the views of one side!!This could not be further from the truth because programs like Frontline and Nova , focuses on facts.

So, if PBS is being accused of being liberally biased, then the truth must be "liberal". I have always hated being labeled as one thing or another, because it enables the labeler to put you into a group, when your views might just simply be the truth!!!Last time I checked, the truth was neither liberal, nor conservative !!!It has always been the truth!!Notice how Republicans have a problem with anything that tends to give people the truth!!This is because they want you to get your information from a Rupert Murdock owned outlet !!!Yes, it's called propaganda folks!!

I have seen these slimeballs go from accusing Cookie Monster of teaching American children to become obese, to trying to censor Postcards From Buster , when Buster visited a same sex household!!What's next, Bert and Ernie are GAY? Big Bird is a lesbian from the WNBA?What could be the problem with Reading Rainbow? Is it because Kunta Kinte can read, and is teaching others to read?

I must admit , I watch a lot of Frontline and Nova, as well as other informative programs on WGBH!!But this is not about me, this is about the millions of children who will lose out on great educational programming that has been around for years helping children to read , write, and be loving and TOLERANT of others!!!I hope Republicans are PROUD of themselves!!!! They have let the tobacco industry off the hook by some 120 BILLION dollars , during the same time that they proposed the cuts to children's educational programming!! I guess they would rather children smoke cigarettes than learn to be tolerant of ALL people!!

Update: I have just gotten late word that Republicans in some circles have come out and accused Oscar the Grouch of being a liberal bum, who is teaching American kids to be lazy and live a lifestyle of homelessness and mooch off the taxpayers!!Also, this just in, Mr. McFeeley from Mister Roger's Neighborhood has been charged with 11 counts of child molestation , and is responsible for the moral depravity of millions of children!!!And sadly, I have to mention that Republicans have arrested Barney and the Teletubbies, and are holding them indefinitely at Gitmo!!Apparently, they were charged as co-conspirators with conspiracy to conspire against the U.S. When asked about these charges, unnamed Republicans say that this in "NO WAY" has anything to do with Bush's dropping approval ratings!!Tinky Winky has issued a statement through his lawyer stating that he is neither a terrorist, nor is he gay!! The jury is still out on that one!!

Maybe I like Rehnquist and Thomas after all...

2005-06-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

In a unanimous 8-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that marijuana may not be distributed to persons who prove a medical necessity for the drug. The court's decision upholds an existing federal law that classifies marijuana as an illegal substance and offers no medical exceptions.

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Clarence Thomas dissented.

Writing for the three, O'Connor noted that she "would not have voted for the medical marijuana initiative" in California, but she chided the majority for stifling "an express choice by some States, concerned for the lives and liberties of their people, to regulate medical marijuana differently."

In a separate dissent, Thomas added that if "the majority is to be taken seriously, the Federal Government may now regulate quilting bees, clothes drives and potluck suppers throughout the 50 states."

If the Government's own study has concluded that there are medicinal benefits to marijuana, they should stop doing what's in the best interest of the drug companies and start acting on behalf of the people that employ them.

The Race Card

2005-06-14T12:28:00.000-05:00

All throughout my life , I have heard the term , "the race card", used to describe and justify many incidents and situations! Often, it is used by whites who need to label a situation in which race is involved, but want to make it a point that race has nothing to do with an issue!! I have come to the conclusion that first , whites cannot determine anything about race concerning blacks simply because they are not of the affected group! Secondly, race has to do with EVERYTHING, at least from my point of view!!

Many are quick to say, well, that's the reality in which you choose to look at things. Others say , we live in a color blind society today in which race is no longer an issue!!!Of course , most of these people are guess what....White!!! I know that I may come across as an angry black guy who chooses to see race as an issue. Well, I am a man who has experienced life in many different settings, and I can honestly say that as a black man living in the United States, race is a BIG factor in everything!!

Let's start from present and work our way backwards, shall we!!!Yesterday, Michael Jackson was found "NOT GUILTY" by a jury of his peers. I was not present for the trial, so I don't know the details, and the testimony given. However, I made it a point to watch Fox to see what angle they took on the matter. This is a trick I frequently use to see where white Republicans are going with a certain topic!! Suprisingly enough, Fox stayed fairly neutral, until the end of the trial , then their true colors came shining through!!!Fox played it neutral until just before the end of the trial , then poured on the anti Jackson propaganda . They even went as far as to show the cell that Michael would serve out his conviction, and describe his daily routine and how he would be stripped of his wig and nose!!One day after the trial, I have noticed that many whites believe that he should have been found guilty!!!Based on what? Were they present at the trial? Did they hear the full testimony of the witnesses? NO, they are reacting from the media's interpretation of the event, not the facts of the matter!!

The other big story has been the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba! Musafir posted a very interesting article about how America has fallen into the "Damsel in Distress" syndrome! Basically, this means that the US media frequently focuses on stories in which white , petite , women are made into national headlines whenever something happens to one of them. Cases such as this , as well as Chaundra Levy, Laci Peterson, the runaway bride, etc., all are used to reinforce a message. Each year, literally thousands of women , and men for that matter, disappear , or is murdered. The US media likes to focus on petite white women because it puts them up on a pedestal as the thing to most cherish in society!!Two "natives" were originally arrested for her disappearance and their images were beamed across the globe , but it turns out that it was actually three "white Dutch men" that are being held for her disappearance!!!I have had trouble finding photos or footage of these three men!! I know these photos exist, I just find it less accessible than those of the two black men that were originally held!!

From O.J. , Kobe, and now Michael, it seems that race should no longer be an issue in the US, but these events only serve to bring out the reality of just how prevalent race is in today's society!! After all, with the 80 year old ring leader of the 1964 murders of three men during the "freedom summer" in Philadelphia, Mississippi set to go on trial, and the senate issuing an "apology" for not acting against lynching in America, it seems that we have come a LONG way........The problem is it took such a LONG time and we still have a LONG way to go!!Maybe I'm just playing the race card!!

Planned Attack? Or Terrorist Act?

2005-06-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

"Most people prefer to believe their leaders are just and fair, even in the face of evidence to the contrary, because once a citizen acknowledges that the government under which he lives is lying and corrupt, the citizen has to choose what he or she will do about it. To take action in the face of corrupt government entails risks of harm to life and loved ones. To choose to do nothing is to surrender one's self-image of standing for principles. Most people do not have the courage to face that choice. Hence, most propaganda is not designed to fool the critical thinker but only to give moral cowards an excuse not to think at all."
~ Michael Rivero

http://www.prisonplanet.com/911.html

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4372.htm

http://thewebfairy.com/killtown/

http://www.crisispapers.org/topics/9-11.htm

http://www.petitiononline.com/11601TFS/petition.html

http://www.greatdreams.com/trade.htm

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/index.html

http://www.geocities.com/vonchloride/

After Careful Consideration.......

2005-06-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that religion is bullshit!!!All of it!!!I know that people might find fault with this, but give me one solid , real , indisputable proof that ANY religion is based in fact, and I will be willing to rethink my position!

First of all, we are dealing with a bunch of incredible stories that remind me of fiction!Sure, God created the heavens and the Earth in six days, and rested on the Sabbath!!!Yea, I know that one day is like a kazillion to God, so when he rested for the Sabbath, he rested for like a trillion years. Sure, he created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!!!Yep, so when archaeologists find remains of "Lucy" , the female Neanderthal, that was probably Eve!!!Don't tell me, Dinosaur bones and fossils of Cro-Magnum man was planted by the Devil!!I got it!!!Furthermore, who was there to document the "beginning"?It sounds as if the story is being narrated in the third person!Yep, God had a personal biographer there to take it all down!

Many will be quick to claim that certain landmarks and locations mentioned in the Bible exists in REAL LIFE!!!WOWZERS!!!!You know , I thought about this very long and carefully before it finally dawned on me that Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz lived in Kansas!!!So, because Dorothy lived in a place in which we can all go to and visit today, Dorothy and the story of the Wizard of Oz MUST be true!!!In that case,King Kong must have been true because I saw him atop the Empire State Building in New York !O.K., Enough monkeying around!!!

I won't get into all the details about what a pile of rooster shit this is, I will spare you the details!!I will however say that religion serves a valuable purpose!It teaches people morals and values that they can use to guide them through life. It's the same as Mother Goose stories, or Dr. Seuss, or even Aesop's fables, they all attempt to teach mankind important lessons in human virtue and behavior. Love, understanding , compassion , fairness, justice, honesty, and peace, are all morals and values that we all need to comprehend and exercise!!If a two year old can learn not to lie from the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", I think he might be better served by Aesop , rather than King James!

Sidenote: I would like to state that I do believe in a higher power!!I don't need to affiliate myself with any religion to understand the concept of energy. So to clarify, Jesus and Mohammad mean nothing to my religious beliefs. My spirituality doesn't need affiliation to be validated!!!!

Opinion Corner

2005-06-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

I hate the war!!!I know most people don't want to hear anymore bickering about Bush, the war , etc. I just feel that if everyone stops talking about it because of complacency, it creates the atmosphere for these things to continue. I have learned that during Vietnam, many people took to the streets in protest, and kept constant pressure on our government. I have also learned that many anti - war protesters were targeted by our government and were killed , discredited, or jailed.

I can see why people today might be resigned to the fact that there is nothing that can be done. With the past knowledge of what happens to anti-war protesters, coupled with the fact that this has been framed as a fight between good and evil, I understand people's reluctance to even deal with the reality of what is happening!!!

I see the news report U.S. casualties on a daily basis, and for some reason, it gets me upset!!I know some people can see the reports and say " uhhh, that's too bad", or "that's so sad",then go about their daily routine. I try to do that, but I think deep down inside it hurts me. Maybe it hurts me because I don't buy in to the reason for the war in Iraq, and I see it as an unnecessary war, making the death of those soldiers unnecessary.Maybe because I was a former soldier and I understand the dilemma that these soldiers face: Either follow orders , or face court martial and disgrace.Then again, I understand that it's simply a matter of self preservation for them now. I just think that it's an unfair position to be in!!

I notice that even though the death toll continues to rise each month, the media coverage seems to be getting less and less. I think it is unfair to restrict media coverage of fallen troops as they make their final trip home to the land that they represented in their ultimate sacrifice! I know that this is by design, because if the American public were allowed to see the flag draped caskets, it might cause some to rethink the situation. I really think that if Americans thought about what is actually going on, and was made to face the grim reality , I truly believe that they would feel as upset, if not more, than I do!

Sidenote: It is my opinion that if the war supporters were really behind the principles and reasons for this war, they should not only volunteer to serve in any and all capacity possible, but they should make sure that their children serve without reservation!!

2005-05-28T20:07:00.000-05:00

Election Results
Most Americans are familiar with the famous photo of Harry Truman holding a newspaper with the banner headline "Dewey Defeats Truman." Part of the reason that the paper was willing to go to press without the final electoral tally was the anticipated effect of the Dixiecrat and Progressive (Henry Wallace) candidates on both the Southern and liberal elements of the Democratic Party. The final tally:

* Harry S. Truman, Democratic — 49.5%
* Thomas E. Dewey, Republican — 45.1%
* Strom Thurmond, States' Rights — 2.4%
* Henry A. Wallace, Progressive — 2.4%

Thurmond carried Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina.

Strom Thurmond and the Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was introduced and strongly supported by Senator Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX). It passed in spite of a filibuster led by Senator Strom Thurmond (D-SC, who switched to R-SC in 1964), during which Thurmond spoke for a Senate record of 24 hours 18 minutes.

Debating the History

Herbert Humphrey's speech on Civil Rights at the 1948 Democratic Convention was the final straw for the Dixiecrat contingent. They staged their walkout soon after.

The States' Rights party, also known as the "Dixiecrats," was a rump party that split off from the national Democratic party and ran candidates in the 1948 presidential election.

The party sprang into existence on July 17, 1948 when it held its national convention in Birmingham, Alabama. It was the formal expression of a growing sectional and civil rights revolt against the national Democratic party.

South Carolina Governor J. Strom Thurmond and Mississippi Governor J. Fielding Wright were nominated, respectively, for president and vice-president.

Alabamians played a major role in founding, directing, and sustaining the organization. Alabama was one of the most important Dixiecrat states thanks especially to three men who may be properly referred to as the "Dixiecrat triumvirate": former-Governor Frank M. Dixon, state Democratic Executive Committee chairman Gessner T. McCorvey, and Birmingham attorney and political boss Horace C. Wilkinson.

Dixiecrats organized in response to President Harry S. Truman's proposed 1948 civil rights package, understood by many whites as the greatest threatened federal intrusion into the South since Reconstruction. The package consisted of four primary pieces of legislation: abolition of the poll tax, a federal anti-lynching law, desegregation legislation, and a permanent Federal Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) to prevent racial discrimination in jobs funded by federal dollars.

Dixiecrats portrayed their movement in the best possible light, as one designed to guarantee state sovereignty and constitutionally-guaranteed states' rights and reestablish Southern preeminence in the Democratic party. But the most important motive behind the movement was securing states' rights and constitutional principles in order to accomplish an overriding goal: preservation of the South's racial status quo.

In Alabama, the Dixiecrats won an intramural state fight with regular or "Loyalist" Democrats and thereby controlled the state's party machinery. As a result, incumbent President Harry Truman's name did not even appear on the 1948 presidential ballot in Alabama.

Despite the splintering of the Democratic party by the Dixiecrats on the right, and the Progressive party on the left (which nominated former Vice President and Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace), President Truman won reelection in the biggest upset in American political history. His margin of victory over Republican Thomas E. Dewey was only four-tenths of one percent. The Dixiecrats and the Progressives polled over a million votes, and the Dixiecrats were able to sweep four states (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina), securing 39 electoral votes.

ELECTIONS : 1948

President Harry S. Truman, who had succeeded President Roosevelt after his death in 1945, stood for reelection on the Democratic ticket with Alben Barkley of Kentucky as his running mate. When the Democratic convention adopted a strong civil rights plank, southern delegates walked out and formed the States' Rights party. The Dixiecrats, as they were called, nominated Governor Strom Thurmond of South Carolina for president and Fielding Wright for vice president. A new left-leaning Progressive party nominated former vice president Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for president with Glen Taylor, a senator from Idaho, as his running mate. The Republican slate consisted of two prominent governors: Thomas E. Dewey of New York and Earl Warren of California.

Although polls and conventional wisdom predicted a Dewey victory, Truman campaigned vigorously as the underdog, making a famous whistle-stop tour of the country aboard a special train. Results were uncertain to the last minute. A well-known photograph shows Truman the day after the election smiling broadly and holding aloft a newspaper with the headline dewey defeats truman. The paper was wrong: Truman had received 24,105,812 popular votes, or 49.5 percent of the total; Dewey, 21,970,065, or 45.1 percent. Thurmond and Wallace each received about 1.2 million votes. The Democratic victory in the electoral college was more substantial: Truman beat Dewey 303 to 189; Thurmond received 39 votes, and Wallace none.

The Truth about the Dixiecrats
What they were about.

Besides segregation, what was in the 1948 platform of the states-rights' Democratic party? On the Larry King's CNN show, Senator Lott said that Strom Thurmond would have been a good president because he would have made a strong national defense and a balanced budget priorities. Let's take a look at the official Dixiecrat platform, as published in the reference book National Party Platforms. To start with, there's nothing about national defense or the budget.

By far the largest portion of the Dixiecrat platform is an extensive endorsement of states' rights. This defense was couched in strongly stated appeals to constitutional values, such as "the constitutional right to choose one's associates; to accept private employment without governmental interference, and to earn one's living in any lawful way." Yet state segregation laws interfered with all these rights, and with the Constitution.

Jim Crow laws forbade interracial marriage. They imposed segregation on private business such as trains, trolleys, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and theaters. For example, some states made it a crime for a black barber to cut a white woman's hair. Some of the businesses covered by Jim Crow laws would have segregated anyway, but some would not have bothered, and the laws which Governor Thurmond was attempting to shield from federal interference were laws which interfered with the rights of business to choose how to serve their customers, and likewise interfered with the rights of customers to choose businesses.

The Dixiecrats were also angry that Truman, like Franklin Roosevelt, fervently supported union rights — another important element of "the constitutional right to choose one's associates."

There were five major sections of the Dixiecrat platform, one of which denounced "proposed FBI powers," and featured frantic warnings that the Democrats and Republicans both wanted to impose a totalitarian police state. In the platform's final section, "New Policy," two of the eight platform items further condemned "the effort to establish nation-wide a police state in this republic." (The Smoking Gun has an online version of the final section; TSG's version is from a state convention, and differs in some small ways from the final section of the official platform.)

Now if Senators Thurmond and Lott had adhered to this particular language of the 1948 platform, things might indeed be better in this country. But to the contrary, the Dixiecrat concerns about a police state appear to have existed solely in the context for federal efforts to secure civil rights for black people.

No senator outdid Strom Thurmond in the 1960s for outraged denunciation of the Supreme Court's strict enforcement of the criminal-procedure provisions of the Bill of Rights. In 2000, he and his staff were leading advocates of a proposal to allow government agents to conduct secret searches without obtaining search warrants.

In 1973-74, it was revealed that the Nixon White House had engaged in numerous police-state tactics, illegally attempting to use the IRS, the FBI, and the CIA against the president's political opponents. Article Two of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's Articles of Impeachment summarized these offenses. Yet first-term Republican Representative Trent Lott voted against this Article of Impeachment.

He likewise voted against the first Article of Impeachment, based on President Nixon's cover-up and obstruction of the Watergate investigation. Hypocritically, he later voted to impeach President Clinton for obstruction of justice and perjury — although the Clinton offenses had occurred in the context of a private civil-rights lawsuit, whereas Nixon had been obstructing a criminal investigation about a presidential election.

After the House Judiciary Committee had reported the Articles of Impeachment, an unanimous Supreme Court decision forced the Nixon White House to release several of the tapes which Nixon had secretly recorded. The tapes proved Nixon's guilt of obstruction of justice beyond any doubt. Senate Republican leaders who had staunchly defended Nixon, such as Barry Goldwater and John Tower, decided that the president could no longer hold office. With Nixon's guilt certain, the White House found that only two senators were still certain to vote against impeaching the criminal president. Strom Thurmond was one of them.

Like Lott, Thurmond inconsistently voted to impeach President Clinton.

Thurmond bolted the 1948 Democratic Convention after Minneapolis Mayor Hubert Horatio Humphrey won a floor fight to amend the Platform to strengthen the civil-rights language. Humphrey's Amendment read:

We highly commend President Harry S. Truman for his courageous stand on the issue of civil rights.

We call upon the Congress to support our President in guaranteeing these basic and fundamental American Principles:
(1) the right to full and equal political participation;
(2) the right to equal opportunity of employment;
(3) the right to security of person;
(4) and the right of equal treatment in the service and defense of our nation.

That's why Thurmond ran for president. A principled advocate of small government could, as Barry Goldwater did, oppose the second item as applied to federal control of private employment. But every other item was a straightforward application of the equal-protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and of the Fifteenth Amendment: the right of black people to vote; the right of black people to be hired for federal, state, and local government jobs without discrimination; the right of black people to own and carry arms for protection, and to receive police protection, against criminals such as the Ku Klux Klan; and the right to serve equally in the United States military.

The Dixiecrat platform quoted from the 1840 Democratic platform, which was the platform of the great Democratic President Martin Van Buren. More than any other President, Van Buren faithfully followed the Constitution, so his platform — fewer than 1,000 words long — is an especially valuable guide for constitutionalists. The part quoted by the Dixiecrats resolved:

That Congress has no power under the constitution, to interfere with or control the domestic institutions of the several states; and such states are the sole and proper judges of everything pertaining to their own affairs, not prohibited by the constitution….

The 1840 platform went to warn, accurately, that Abolitionism would endanger the Union. As a result of the Civil War, the Constitution was changed, and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were added. From the late 1870s onward, the equal-protection clause and the prohibition of racial discrimination in voting were nullified in much of America. In seeking to enforce the Constitution, President Truman was following in the footsteps of constitutionalist President Van Buren.

The Dixiecrats made sure not to quote another paragraph of the 1840 platform:

that every citizen and every section of the country has a right to demand and insist upon an equality of rights and privileges, and to complete and ample protection of persons and property from domestic violence or foreign aggression.

That statement is the principle on which the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments are based. States' rights were not a legitimate constitutional basis for states to violate the constitutional rights of their citizens.

Senator Lott shouldn't be pilloried for once calling the Civil War a war of "aggression," for there was a plausible case to made the that Confederate states had a right to secede. There are a good number of Southerners of his generation and older — some of them quite liberal and quite in favor of civil rights — who say the same thing.

But in 1948, with the south firmly in the Union, the south had a duty to obey the Constitution. The Dixiecrats of 1948 stood for nullifying the Constitution, not obeying it, and they were renegades against not only Harry Truman, but against the great historic principles of the Democratic party.

The Dixiecrats supported the raw power of Jim Crow over the lawful command of the Constitution; likewise, Congressmen Thurmond and Lott supported a criminal president of their party who attacked the constitutional rule of law. It is truly a blessing for America that Strom Thurmond never became president. Senator Lott is the wrong choice to lead a party which seeks to follow constitutional values.

America’s Journey From "Dixiecrats" to "Rednecklicans"
by David Benjamin

For much of 20th-century politics, one of the dilemmas of being a liberal was that vast swathes of America teemed with unsavory and grossly illiberal characters who were fiercely loyal to the Democratic Party. This is because -- despite its Northern, progressive elements -- the Democratic Party was ironically the historic home of Jim Crow. The party of FDR, Harry Truman and Julian Bond also harbored America's staunchest segregationists. The breakaway "Dixiecrat" movement of 1948 was led by a South Carolina Democrat named Strom Thurmond.

Thurmond said, "All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the army cannot force... the southern people to break down segregation and admit the Negro race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes and into our churches."

Strom changed parties after a turncoat southerner named Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965. LBJ then said that Democrats had lost the South for the next generation. He was right. In a rush of bitter defections, southern voters and politicians fled the Democratic Party.

Richard Nixon, campaigning in 1968, did his utmost to assure that America's segregationist diehards, white supremacists and anti-Semites would find a new political klavern. Nixon invented the "race card" and transformed the Republican Party, the party of Lincoln and the wellspring of the Emancipation Proclamation, into the last bastion of the Confederacy. The G.O.P. has been playing the same hand -- with remarkable impunity -- in every election since.

As Robert Kuttner noted in a January 2003 issue of The American Prospect, ever since Nixon devised his southern strategy, "the Republican grand electoral design has been based on locking up the white South while playing to the white backlash in the North. Often the appeals to race are tacit, sometimes they are crude; but the stance is unmistakable to anyone who bothered to notice."

Among the cruder of these appeals was the Willie Horton slander fomented against Michael Dukakis on behalf of George H.W. Bush in 1988 by a campaign hatchetman named Roger Ailes, who is now CEO of Fox News. Comparatively tacit among the G.O.P.'s racist efforts was the suppression of black votes in Florida in 2000 (and again in Ohio in 2004). The winner both times, George W. Bush, insists that he’s "compassionate" about blacks, especially the type who reject "affirmative action," "quotas," and other liberal stumbling blocks to a "color-blind" America. And he loves getting his picture taken with pickaninnies.

The Republicans deny that they are the electoral refuge for America's bigots. But whenever an ex-Klansman, decrying the mongrelization of the white race, enters a primary election somewhere in Louisiana or Texas, it's always a Republican primary.

The Republicans insist they are "working hard" to win African-American votes. But the G.O.P.'s chronic failure to crack even 10 percent among black voters indicates that they're working harder to foster a constituency they value much more dearly, commonly described as "non-college-educated white males," which is pollster code for "rednecks and yahoos."

The G.O.P. regularly trots out black appointees to showcase their openmindedness. Trouble is, when these G.O.P. "house Negroes" are allowed to speak, they avoid terms like "social justice" and "voting rights." Examined closely, they tend to be non-partisan overachievers like Colin Powell or -- at worst -- self-loathing Stepin Fetchits like Clarence Thomas. Or they're just trying to pass for white, like Condoleezza Rice.

The "race card" works for the G.O.P., in a circular way. It validates racists by giving them a place to go, thus perpetuating America's historic traditions of bigotry and segregation, which nurtures the Republicans as the party that's not prejudiced against the prejudiced. Around and around...

Still, I gotta ask: Why aren't some (or any) Republicans embarrassed?

I can't believe that most white Republicans favor racial hatred. But they must know that that their ranks include people who vote for white candidates solely because they’re white, and who would never vote for a black candidate simply because he or she is black. Surely, they must know that many of their fellow Republicans think it was a fine idea to shoot Medger Evers, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner... Etcetera.

Democrats were embarrassed by George Wallace and Bull Connor. Why aren't Republicans embarrassed by David Duke and Bob Jones?

Maybe it's just pragmatism. The G.O.P. tolerates its hordes of red-state rednecks because, if not for all those straight-ticket bigots, the Republicans don't think they could win.

Not long ago, Democrats certainly thought so. They stayed embarrassed for a long time. But eventually, Democrats told their leaders we'd rather lose a few votes in Tallahatchie County than be on the same side as the monsters who lynched Emmett Till. They said, hey, let’s try a trade with the Republicans. They get electoral votes in Georgia, Virginia, Carolina, Alabama, Texas, etc. In return we get the legacies of Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks, Judge James Horton, Justice Thurgood Marshall... Etcetera.

Maybe Republicans could do it, too -- tell their leaders they don't want to be the party of voter intimidation and KKK nostalgia anymore. Maybe then, the race card would finally become too risky to play, even among campaign strategists.

Yes, I hear you, Dr. King. It’s just a dream.

Red States are Slave States

2005-05-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

Since the 2004 election, I have been baffled by how this neo-con, right-wing, ultra-conservative, so-called Christian based administration has been able to hold sway over the majority of this great country. I have heard many theories, and none has stuck with me quite like this one: The current red states are the former slave states, and although the laws have changed, the feelings and beliefs of the people, for the most part, have not. This theory would explain why the fine citizens of the "red states" are so willing to blindly follow this administration into Armageddon. This administration speaks to their deep-rooted feelings and desires of supremacy over all other people in this world.

There is one thing that this seriously misguided group has right- WE need to do the will of God, Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, The Most High, in order for this horrible situation to turn out right.

So, You Mean To Tell Me That..............

2005-05-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

So, you mean to tell me that President Bush ended up WINNING the 2000 election , even though Al Gore WON the popular vote?

So, you mean to tell me that it all boiled down to a state in which his brother, Jeb is the governor?

So, you mean to tell me that the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Bush was the winner because it was in the best interest of the country?

So, you mean to tell me that the National Security Advisor repeatedly try to warn the Bush Administration about people willing to use hijacked airplanes as missiles on targets in the U.S. , but was frequently ignored?

So, you mean to tell me that a PDB(Presidential daily briefing) was sitting on Bush's desk warning him about a potential 9/11 scenario , while he was clearing brush in Crawford Texas?

So, you mean to tell me that hours after 9/11 , the names, pictures , and information of all 19 hijackers were known and broadcasted on television, yet 9/11 could not be prevented?

So, you mean to tell me that we went into Iraq because Bush tried to link Saddam Hussein to 9/11?

So, you mean to tell me that when they failed to link Iraq to 9/11, the Bush administration claimed that Iraq posed a THREAT to us with weapons of mass destruction?

So, you mean to tell me that when the U.N. was about to declare Iraq FREE of WMD, Bush rushed us to war with Iraq?

So, you mean to tell me that the plan to invade Iraq was in the works since Bush 41, but was rejected as crazy and impractical, and also because there was no EXIT strategy?

So, you mean to tell me that these same "Neo-Conservatives" that planned this war in Iraq since the 80's, are the SAME ones in KEY positions in the Bush 43 administration?

So, you mean to tell me that with all the evidence that has come out to show that the American people have been repeatedly LIED to , there is no call, or movement, to do anything about it?

So, you mean to tell me that American Soldiers have been exposed as war criminals, and abusers of prisoners in Iraq, yet only "foot soldiers" are taking the blame, when the Administration stated early on in the war that they would NOT abide by the Geneva convention?

So, you mean to tell me that the U.S. is holding INNOCENT human beings in Guantanimo Bay, yet these human beings have NO rights or due process?

So, you mean to tell me that these people being held in Gitmo are being subjected to inhumane and degrading torture and nothing is being done to stop this?

So, you mean to tell me that we appointed Chalibi as OIL MINISTER in Iraq, yet we claim that we are NOT after their OIL?

So, you mean to tell me that Bush "won" the 2004 elections because he "won" Ohio which heavily relied in electronic voting machines created by Diebold,whose owner is a big Republican supporter of Bush, who "promised" him the win before hand?

So, you mean to tell me that the American Press no longer has the right to report the truth?

What ARE you telling me?

UPDATE: Two Dogs has just corrected my spelling of Diebold, the company that makes those electronic voting machines!!!!I would like to apologize to anyone that might have been misled by this error!!!!Also, the owner didn't promise the whole election to Bush, just Ohio!!!!!

Free Friday's Friendly Forum

2005-05-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

O.K., after meeting with my staff(Imara), and checking the numbers, stats, and graphs, we have decided to try out an open forum on Fridays. We here at "Where Two or More.....", have decided to open up a free forum called "Free Friday's Friendly Forum", where we will give our reader(s) a chance to express what's on your mind(s), in an effort to try and offer advice to you, the reader(s), with whatever issues and problems you might be facing.

It is our goal here at "Where Two or More....." to try and connect with the public and see just what issues are of concern to you. We also want everyone to know that no subject is off limits and no issue too taboo to confront. We understand the need for some of our readers to remain private , so we have agreed to allow anonymous comments for Friday(s) only(Two Dogs). This will provide those who wish to raise sensitive issues, to be able to remain anonymous and still be able to participate. However , if it becomes a problem, anonymous commenting will be turned off , suddenly, and without warning(Two Dogs). If all goes well, this will become a recurring fixture here at our site.

Disclaimer: The parties that comprise"Where Two or More......" are not responsible for the advice given over these internets. Individuals who seek advice from "Where Two or More....." are urged to seek professional council for problems concerning psychological , sociological, psychiatric, emotional distress or any other issues that may need professional counseling. "Where Two or More ...." and it's affiliates and subsidiaries, cannot , by law , be held legally or personally responsible for any actions resulting from advice or commentary dispensed from or around this blog. We also reserve the right to disregard any and all comments , questions and/or advice posed during said interaction. Any damages, or problems that may arise from advice dispensed from this site , cannot be used, or submitted as evidence in legal motions , suits, or any other proceedings involving a court of law. All persons affiliated with "Where Two or More...." are not licensed as professional therapists ,psychiatrists, or psychologists, nor do we claim to be acting in said capacity, Biatches!!!!

Memogate...

2005-05-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

When President George W. Bush told the American people on March 20, 2003 that he issued a command to attack Iraq as a matter of national security, most American's stood by their President. Nobody wants to go to war, but when we do, we trust our leaders to shed blood in our name only as a last resort and only when absolutely necessary.

The Downing Street Memo that was leaked on May 1, 2005, reveals that President Bush decided to overthrow President Saddam Hussein in the summer of 2002. A full 8 months prior to the start of the war! It also reveals that Bush was determined to ensure that U.S. intelligence supported this action. The intelligence and facts relevant to WMD (the given reason for the war) were "fixed". This "Memo" is actually transcribed minutes from a meeting with British Prime Minister, Tony Blair on July 23, 2002. British officials have not disputed the authenticity of this document. The minutes detail how our government did NOT believe that Irag was a greater threat to America than other nations; how the intelligence was manipulated to sell the case for war to the American people; and how the "talk" of diplomacy was mere hollow pretense.

Regardless of political affiliation, all Americans should ask themselves: "Did Bush tell the truth when he said he would not take this country to war unless absolutely necessary?"

The Bible........Fact or Fiction?

2005-05-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

About two weeks ago, I watched a program on The Learning Channel, or was it the Discovery Channel? Anyway, the program attempted to prove if the story of Noah's Ark could have been true. The program was very interesting and informative because it went about trying to prove the validity of the story by using the words in The Bible to try and analyze if ,in fact the story was credible.

The program went on to prove that the measurements of the Ark could not be true because the dimensions of the Ark would mean that it was the size of a modern day super tanker. The reason why this was impossible was because the Ark was made of wood , and this superstructure would have simply broken apart and sank. In order for the Ark to be the size listed in The Bible, it would have to be made of steel or some other substance that was strong enough to withstand the tremendous weight of a structure that size!

The program also went on to show that Noah could not have herded two of every species of animal unto the Ark. They went on to cite the number of species as being in the thousands, thus making it IMPOSSIBLE for this feat to be accomplished . They also proved that the food and water needed to sustain these animals would be just too much, and too heavy to load in any Ark.

The program basically disproved the story of Noah's Ark with information from The Bible. It also used computer generated graphics and programs , to illustrate the facts and analyze the probability of the information. The program went on to say that ancient tablets were found in Iraq(ancient Babylon), in which a very similar story to Noah's Ark, was found. What I found interesting, was that these tablets dated back before The Bible. It could not be proven definitively, but the program states with high probability that the story of Noah's Ark was derived from this story . Both stories were similar, yet the one found in Iraq, described Noah as a wealthy lawyer , who paid for the construction of a much smaller boat. The story found in Iraq, describes the overflowing of a river, not the flooding of the whole world.

Without boring one with further details, I just wanted to ask this simple question: Do you think that The Bible is fact or fiction? Is The Bible just man's attempt to try and set rules and divine law , through fictional stories ?

Weekend Edition

2005-05-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

This is the weekend edition of "Where Two or More.....".I would just like to throw some topics out there and see what I can reel in!

1. What do you think of the fact that the Bush administration is contemplating closing a number of military bases in the U.S.? Are these decisions politically motivated?

2. Do you think the war in Iraq is a "good thing"?

3. What is your opinion of the Michael Jackson trial?

To Blog Or Not To Blog...

2005-05-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

Blogging has become quite the phenomenon. There are blogs to suit everyone's taste. Political blogs. Personal blogs. Informative blogs. Blogs in different languages. Blogs about sex. Even blogs about nothing. Some use blogging as a form of therapy, others as a way to stay in touch with friends, or meet new ones. If not kept in it's proper prospective, blogging can take on a life all it's own.

There are many different reasons to blog, what's yours?

Black and White

2005-05-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

"forget the N word. your next post should why is interracial porn so popular and every where?"- Goldi Tue May 03, 05:16:26 PM 2005.

These were the exact words that immediately caused me to affirm my belief that I was not the only pervert that noticed this strange phenomena.I began research on this very topic months before these words were written,thus the shock to hear the very same issue brought up by Goldi.I knew this was a topic that would cause controversy because of the history of interracial relationships in America.

If I was writing about the midget scene, or trannie love, many wouldn't see the reason for alarms to sound, or for red flags to go up.I think that we've all seen our fair share of this type of depravity. Interracial relationships seem to have exploded on to the internet. Remember , it was not that long ago when Betty and Barney Hill were the first interracial couple to be abducted by aliens.This rare accurance was made even more rare with the alledged encounter with a spaceship. I think that this graphic backlash of slavery and oppression has somehow come back to bite Masa's great granddaughters in their curvaceous white asses.

It took me several weeks to pour over data and go through material. It was stop and go work. I found myself taking frequent breaks and rest periods, just to fight off the fatigue that would build.I have come to realize that this problem may have it's roots in slavery . Could it be that the hateration that the black female generates is enough to cause black men to run into the arms of white women?Is it because of financial stability, why more and more black women are looking for the trappings that come with white men ? ( Hat Tip Two Dogs) Can it be all so simple then, that it just boils down to attribute envy?Read all about it here.

Word Association....

2005-05-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

O.K..... I don't know if this is going to work out, but I want to try and at least write a random, and interesting story , by having people use their imaginations and add on as the story develops on this post.

I will start it off by saying: In a village , not far from the river.................... then everyone adds on to the story. Please try and keep it decent and interesting. I want to see just how imaginative and talented people can be. I am asking that everyone copies the whole story as they add on their part. You can add as much, or as little as you want.

P.S. I will try it with anonymous comments off , and if people can behave(NZYME) , I might enable it.

Free Friday's Friendly Forum

2005-05-05T23:01:00.000-05:00

Nigger, Nigga, Please...

2005-05-03T12:40:00.000-05:00

There is a direct and strong link between the word "nigger" and racism. All racial and ethnic groups have been victimized by racial slurs; however, no American group has suffered as many racial epithets as have blacks: "coon", "tom", "savage", "picanniny", "mammy", "buck", "sambo", "jigaboo", and "buckwheat" are typical. Many of these slurs became fully developed pseudo-scientific, literary, cinematic, and everyday caricatures of African Americans. These caricatures, whether spoken, written, or reproduced in material objects, reflect the extent of anti-black prejudice.

The word nigger carries with it much of the hatred and repulsion directed toward Africans and African Americans. Historically, nigger defined, limited, and mocked African Americans. It was a term of exclusion, a verbal justification for discrimination. Whether used as a noun, verb, or adjective, it reinforced the stereotype of the lazy, stupid, dirty, worthless parasite. No other American ethnophaulism carried so much purposeful venom, yet today, many young African-Americans use the word "Nigga" as a term of endearment. Why? And if it really is meant as a term of endearment, why can't everyone use it?

Money Is The Route Of All Evil...

2005-04-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

People always say, "Money is the route of all evil". But where did that expression come from? Is it really true?

The dollar bill contains many symbols, and if you understand the meaning of this symbology, it will help you to answer this question. Every symbol, from the pyramind to the number of feathers on the Eagle's tale has a meaning.

If money is the route of all evil, and we're forced to use it, is it's energy transfered to us in some way?

Free Friday's Friendly Forum

2005-04-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Brutal Truth...

2005-04-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

For Americans that are not of color, police brutality is an abberation. For people of color, especially Blacks and Latinos, such behavior is common-place. Police brutality has always been a problem in the minority community, dating back to the Civil Rights Era, but in the past few years there has been a dramatic rise in the brutalization of minorities. The declaration of the "war on drugs", and tougher sentencing laws has perpetuated the criminalization of the black race, and has contributed to the rise in such crimes.

90% of black men can expect to have some sort of negative interaction- most times including arrest- with the law.

Granted, police officers have a tough job, and not all of them are "bad", but if police brutality is the result of a "few bad apples", why aren't more of them found guilty of the brutal crimes they commit?

To learn more about police brutality, click here. To find out how you can combat this problem , you can go here and just click on the link that says "what you can do".

Sacred Institution?

2005-04-26T21:20:00.000-05:00

I would like to open up a channel for discussion on something that has puzzled me for a while. I was recently reminded of it while reading a comment by Two Dogs on Imara's post "Low Down" , about men living a bi- sexual lifestyle. The comment made by Two Dogs had to do with his judgment of people who live together. Two Dogs stated that "living together " doesn't count as a committed relationship. To this, I asked Two Dogs why he felt this way. I also asked him other questions concerning his Catholic faith, such as , if one sleeps with another person out of wedlock , why is it considered a sin? I also asked him if living together was "in sin" , what was the "sin" part of it , the sex? I have yet to receive an answer from him. This is typical when he has no good rhetoric to spew.

I would just like to briefly go over my understanding about the institution of marriage and it's history. If one has belief in the Christian Bible, then one would know and understand the story of Adam and Eve. These two humans were supposedly the first beings to walk the Earth. According to the story, God first made Adam, then fashioned Eve from Adam's rib. They were NOT married , and if the story is to be believed, all human beings came from these two people. This would mean that these two sinners had sex out of wedlock. Also, while searching through the Bible, I came across a list of forbidden sexual relations that one is supposed to adhere to if they believe in Christianity. It lists sex with one's mother, sister , neighbor's wife, aunt, pet , sister in law, daughter in law , daughter , grand children, during menstruation, and with another man as forbidden. No where does it list sex with someone not related to you and not married, of the opposite sex as forbidden. These rules were supposedly dictated by Jesus, who stated that these were his rules , and not the word of God. I must also note that these rules were written for a man to abide by. It does not address a woman's relations because at the time the Bible was written, a woman had no rights and was considered a man's property.

It is also written in the Bible that marriage was an agreement between a man , and his wife's father . This institution was equivalent to slavery in the sense that a man who married a woman, had to trade a set number of cattle and a different assortment of farm animals in order to claim rights to his wife. This was strictly prearranged by the man and the wife's father as a transaction of property. After such a transaction, the woman was then the legal property of the man without consent or approval from the woman. This practice still goes on today in some countries around the world.

Marriage was primarily devised as a way for society to transfer property, protect bloodline, and provide a secure environment for perpetuation of the species. Throughout history, marriage has slowly evolved into what we tend to think of today as marriage. In the past , and even today, marriage was arranged by families for economic reasons, without consent from the two parties. It was in 866 when Pope Nicholas I declared that marriage must be performed with the consent of both parties in order to be valid. Even today , this is not always the case because prearranged marriages are still common in some cultures. Marriage was often performed without witnesses or ceremonies. It wasn't until 1563, when the Council of Trent declared that marriage should be performed in the presence of a priest, and at least two witnesses. There are several different types of marriages that exist . Polygamy, polygyny(my favorite), polyandry, endogamy, exogamy, common law marriage, and monogamy are all types of marriages still practiced today all around the world.

What Hypocrites!!!!

2005-04-23T11:58:00.000-05:00

After referencing the Republican pedophilia sex ring involving young boys from Boys Town in Nebraska, I was surprised that many were unaware of this! But, after thinking back on how the ordeal was handled and the suppression of the story, it dawned on me that most people probably haven't heard of this vile and widespread problem that has been ongoing since the 1980's.

In order to fully grasp the severity of this issue, one needs to realize that this scandal is said to have reached the head of the White House, then President George H. W. Bush. Lawrence (Larry) King Jr., no, not the famous talk show host, was a rising black star in the GOP during the early 80's. He sang at both Republican Conventions in 1984 and 1988 for the party, and was known to have strong ties with many very influential people from the Republican party, including then President George H. W. Bush. Mr. King was Director of The Franklin Community Credit Union in Omaha, Nebraska. King was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for embezzlement of some 40 million dollars from the credit union. However, the more serious charges of child prostitution and even murder, was never sought , some say due to a coverup that stretched all the way to the White House!

It is unfathomable that a story of this magnitude did not make a greater impact, but when one reads further into the story, it's obvious that this scandal involved many prominent politicians, businessmen and yes, even the former President of the United States. Allegations include child prostitution , drug use and satanic rituals , including human sacrifice. This ordeal has links to the CIA and it's involvement with developing truth serums and mind control. It is also known that these allegations were part of larger allegations in which individuals were said to have been brainwashed and used as sex slaves and pawns in the CIA's attemps to experiment with creating a Manturian Candidate, as well as suicide bombers and assassins. There is little to no information on this very real and very serious topic on MSN, but one can find plenty of information about this topic from here.You can view the banned documentary about the scandal from here. You can also link to these articles by clicking on the title of this post, or by clicking here.

Update: Many reporters familiar with this story seem to think that the recent discovery of Jeff Gannon as an embedded reporter in the White House Press core, who is an admitted homosexual prostitute and gay porn site owner, is just a continuation of the original scandal involving King and his ring of young male prostitutes. It is suggested that Karl Rove is a homosexual, and is the reason for Mr. Gannon's unusual access to information and privilege.

Needless Update 2: It was brought to my attention that the criticism of hypocrisy was not fully proven in the contents of this post. Thinking that we were all rational minded adults, I saw no need to spell out the obvious hypocrisy coming from the Republican party, but I will state it in this needless update. The Republican party tends to tout itself as the champions of moral values and traditional beliefs, so seeing that this issue exposes MANY REPUBLICANS as pedophiles and moral deviants , would count , in my humble opinion , as hypocrisy!

Happy Anniversary!!!!!!

2005-04-22T00:15:00.000-05:00

Seeing that today marks our cherished one month anniversary here at "Where Two or More....", we here at "Where Two or More...." would like to thank the many individuals responsible for our longevity in the blog world. We understood from day one that the support of our readers was key to us being able to last this long. The list of those responsible for our survival stretches far and wide, so Imara and I would like to collectively thank all those who take the time to stop by and read our blog. We would especially like to thank those who take the time to comment .We would like to thank Two Dogs , Nzyme , Geekbird , Goldi , Musafir , Kelly , Oddybobo , Erik Grow , Patches and anyone else that we might have forgotten.

In celebration of this momentous occasion, I have provided music here, as well as food here, and drinks here. I have also decided to leave this post open as sort of a message board for all to leave messages. Our regular posts usually turns into a message board anyway, so it's business as usual!! Feel free to write whatever, and Imara and I will be sure to try and continue to bring you the best and brightest in cutting edge blogging.

Update: Oh, I almost forgot to thank Half_Cent.

Update 2: This was added at the request of Goldi, because you know you people just have to go there and mess up a classy function. So here!!

Yet another Update: Due to the ungratefulness of some Negroids at this party, I was challenged on my music selection, so I put up something just for you Goldi!!!! I am willing to take one more request, but that's it!!! And NO MORE UPDATES!!!

Politically Incorrect

2005-04-19T23:10:00.000-05:00

I think it's time we took the gloves off(no pun at O.J) and got to it. I am not doing this strictly to be controversial, I am merely stating what I believe to be true. All throughout my life , I have had strong opinions on a variety of subjects ranging from politics to religion, and I am just going to put it out there , right here right now. If you disagree with some or all of these statements, then I suggest that you explain your rationale for doing so , and state your opinion on these topics.

First, I would like to go on record as saying that I think that O.J. Simpson is innocent. Some may find this statement laughable, but I do not. I think his late ex- wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were victims of Columbian drug dealers who got tired of waiting for their money from Faye Resnick. I think the "Columbian neckties" were telltale signs that the murders were all due to Nicole and Faye's expensive drug habit. Faye thought that she could check herself into rehab and hide from those seeking their money for thousands of dollars worth of drugs that she owed. Those murders were a direct message sent to Faye Resnick , telling her that she had to pay up.

Since I just commented on O.J. , I want to be an equal opportunity commenter by saying that Robert Blake was guilty. I don't want people to think that I am basing my opinion on race, because justice is color-blind. I am merely stating my opinion based on evidence that I heard about the trial. First of all, Mr. Blake had tried on more than one occasion to solicit someone to murder his wife, Bonnie Blakely, prior to her murder.Robert Blake also made statements about wanting to kill her because he felt that she had trapped him into a situation where he felt he was forced to marry her after fathering a child by Ms. Blakely.This not only provided motive , but substantial evidence to draw a reasonable conclusion of guilt. Oh yea, not to mention that she was killed during a five minute time frame while Mr. Blake went to retrieve his gun from the restaurant where he had just taken her out(no pun intended) to eat. I would say that this was too small a window of opportunity to be random!

Lastly, I want to go on record by saying that Bill Cosby was the target of Republicans out to tarnish his image and ruin his reputation because of his open dislike of the Bush Administration. Bill Cosby has been around for decades entertaining millions through wholesome films and television programming. He has made it a point throughout his career to stay away from commenting on controversial issues such as race and politics. Mr. Cosby has recently become outspoken of the Bush administration, even refusing to sit next to Condoleezza Rice during a function. I think that Mr. Cosby knew that he lived in a racist and unfair society , and steered clear of race issues during his long and successful career. Sadly , I suspect that the death of his son Ennis , has caused Mr. Cosby to become proactive and more vocal about these divisive topics. The sudden and deliberate attacks on Mr. Cosby was a direct result of his new outspoken attitude towards issues he's been silent about for far too long.

Update: This particular post only deals with conspiracy theories, but I will periodically continue this post and focus on different subject matters! Next week, I will state my argument for why I think Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster are real , and why UFO's are not only real, they are being used by our government to kidnap and rape unsuspecting people.

Update 2:It has become obvious to me, as well as other people affiliated with "Where Two or More...", that there is another conspiracy that needs to be dealt with. This conspiracy involves Two Dogs from Mean ol' Meany and his frequenting of gay bars. Mr. Two Dogs claims to have an on going relation with a "Beyonce" look alike , and claims that "she" performs at this said gay bar. Mr.Two Dogs has offered up pictures to prove the validity, and the sex of this individual, so far, no such photo has surfaced. We here at "Where Two or More....." and it's readers demand that these photos be provided as proof of Mr. Dogs' claims!

Young, Gifted, and Black...

2005-04-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

A debate has been raging between this site and Mean Ol' Meany regarding the impact of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and reparations. During this debate a comment was made regarding the contributions of African Americans to modern day society. Below is just a small list of the many inventions by African Americans, most of which we take for granted everyday without even a thought of who invented them.

The idea of a blood bank was pioneered by Dr. Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950). Dr. Drew was an American medical doctor and surgeon who started the idea of a blood bank and a system for the long term preservation of blood plasma (he found that plasma kept longer than whole blood). His ideas revolutionized the medical profession and saved many, many lives. Dr. Drew set up and operated the blood plasma bank at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, NY. Drew's project was the model for the Red Cross' system of blood banks, of which he became the first director.

George Washington Carver (1865?-1943) was an American scientist, educator, humanitarian, and former slave. Carver developed hundreds of products from peanuts, sweet potatoes, pecans, and soybeans; his discoveries greatly improved the agricultural output and the health of Southern farmers. Before this, the only main crop in the South was cotton. The products that Carver invented included a rubber substitute, adhesives, foodstuffs, dyes, pigments, and many other products.

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA. French fries were popular at the restaurant and one day a diner complained that the fries were too thick. Although Crum made a thinner batch, the customer was sill unsatisfied. Crum finally made fries that were too thin to eat with a fork, hoping to annoy the extremely fussy customer. The customer, surprisingly enough, was happy - and potato chips were invented!

Clatonia Joaquin Dorticus was an African-American inventor who received many patents. He invented an apparatus for applying dyes to the sides of the soles and heels of shoes, a machine for embossing contouring the paper of photographs, a device that helped develop photographs, and a leak stopper for hoses.

The street letter drop mailbox with a hinged door that closed to protect the mail was invented by Philip B. Downing. Downing, an African-American inventor, patented his new device on October 27, 1891.

Sarah E. Goode was a business woman and inventor. Goode invented the folding cabinet bed, a space-saver that folded up against the wall into a cabinet. When folded up, it could be used as a desk, complete with compartments for stationery and writing supplies. Goode owned a furniture store in Chicago, Illinois, and invented the bed for people living in small apartments. Goode's patent was the first one obtained by an African-American woman inventor

Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928) was an African-American inventor who was a member of Edison's research team, which was called "Edison's Pioneers." Latimer improved the newly-invented incandescent light bulb by inventing a carbon filament

Elijah McCoy (1843 or 1844-1929) was a mechanical engineer and inventor. McCoy's high-quality industrial inventions (especially his steam engine lubricator) were the basis for the expression "the real McCoy," meaning the real, authentic, or high-quality thing.

Garrett Augustus Morgan (March 4, 1877 - August 27, 1963), was an African-American inventor and businessman. He was the first person to patent a traffic signal. He also developed the gas mask (and many other inventions). Morgan used his gas mask to rescue miners who were trapped underground in a noxious mine. Soon after, Morgan was asked to produce gas masks for the US Army.

Norbert Rillieux (March 17, 1806-October 8, 1894) was an African-American inventor and engineer who invented a device that revolutionized sugar processing. Rillieux's multiple effect vacuum sugar evaporator (patented in 1864) made the processing of sugar more efficient, faster, and much safer. The resulting sugar was also superior. His apparatus was eventually adopted by sugar processing plants all around the world.

Madame C. J. Walker (December 23, 1867 - May 25, 1919) was an inventor, businesswoman and self-made millionaire. Sarah Breedlove McWilliams C. J. Walker was an African-American who developed many beauty and hair care products that were extremely popular. Madame Walker started her cosmetics business in 1905. Her first product was a scalp treatment that used petroleum and a hot comb. Sarah later invented a system for straightening hair. She added Madame to her name and began selling her new "Walker System" door-to-door. Walker soon added a hair-growing ointment and other cosmetic products to her line. The products were very successful and she soon had many saleswomen, called "Walker Agents," who sold her products door to door.

"Africa is not only the original home of humanity, it is the cradle of its intellect. It was on Africa's savannahs, riverbanks, highlands, deserts, and forests that the first men and women used the power of their minds to shape their environment in ways that suited them. Here man established himself as a tool maker and hunter and advanced social animal. Over the course of millions of years, groups of prehistoric Africans of the genus Homo reasoned, judged, understood, and created the basis for much of the technology and industry that exists in the world today." - John E. Pfeiffer.

Low Down...

2005-04-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

When you find out that there has been infidelity in your relationship, you no doubt will be consumed with feelings of rage, betrayal, and self-doubt. In most instances, it will be enough to make you want to hunt that b*tch and beat her down, but what if you found out that the "other woman" is really a man? Yes, your man has been secretly having an affair with another man! This is a growing trend in the African American community known as the "DL", or the downlow lifestyle.

Because of the stereotypes of homosexuality in our society, men are either unwilling or unable to admit that they are involved in relationships with other men. Most of them do not consider themself to be gay or bi-sexual. This behavior is causing a grave health risk for women. HIV and AIDS infection rates are up among heterosexual women, in particular, African American women. The rate of infection among black women is 25 times the rate for white women. Over 30% of men who have had sex with another man admitted to having sex with a woman during the same time period.

In this day and age, with all of the risks involved and information available, what would cause a man to cheat, especially with another man?

Step Two

2005-04-14T10:11:00.000-05:00

On March 23, 2005 , I began to tackle the huge and seemingly insurmountable task of trying to bring to light , the subject of slavery and it's consequences .In a post titled "Step One" , I used a method based loosely on AA's(Alcoholics Anonymous)Twelve Step program in order to slowly deal with the sobering reality of the massive scale of slavery and all of it's ramifications. In that first post, I merely brought up the issue and included a diagram of a slave ship that was used to transport "human cargo" from the Coast of Africa , to the Americas. That first step was only to introduce the reality of what was an atrocity of grave proportions. In this post, I will move to step two, in which I will include some of the facts and statistics about this unimaginable horror. Hopefully, this second step will move this subject from a state of denial, to a stage of acceptance , or a "surrender" to the stark reality of what was slavery.

Although slavery "officially" began in America in 1619 , when the first Dutch trader exchanged a cargo of slaves for food in Jamestown ,Virginia, the Trans-Atlantic slave trade had been going on since the early 1500. Portugal and Spain were the two countries responsible for dominating the early slave trade to South America and the Caribbeans. They were later joined by England , who began it's involvement in 1562 , when Sir John Hawkins became the first Englishman to transport slaves to the New World. These ventures were commonly backed by royalty such as Queen Elizabeth and Charles II. The slave trade was considered a highly profitable venture and quickly became essential for these nations to fund and supply their colonialism efforts in the New World.

In 1969 , Phillip Curtin conducted a study called "The Atlantic Slave Trade: A Census" in which he determined the number of blacks transported across the Atlantic at 8 million. There have been other , more accurate studies, in which the number of slaves that reached the Americas was calculated to be between 10 - 15 million. These numbers only dealt with the slaves that survived Middle Passage. It is also estimated that half the amount of slaves did not survive, thus increasing the number of total slaves involved at around 20-30 million .Yet, because documents were often lost or non existent, and little or no records were kept of the dead slaves that were thrown into the ocean , some have put the number even higher at around 80-100 million .

It is impossible to determine an accurate figure of just how many slaves were taken from Africa and brought to the Americas, but the numbers, be it conservative or liberal, cannot fully convey the horror and brutal treatment these human beings had to endure. If they were fortunate enough to survive the inhumane conditions of Middle Passage , unspeakable horrors and torture awaited them when they arrived in the Americas .

I hope that everyone who reads this post will just stop and take one minute to think about what it must have been like to be a slave in those times. The fear and terror that they must have felt, the pain and torture that they must have endured. The humiliation and helplessness they surely felt as a result of being captured and treated like animals. I ask that you simply "surrender" one minute of your time in order to reflect on what it must have meant to be a slave during this era. You can read more about slavery and the Middle Passage from here. (Thank you Nzyme).

What a Doll!

2005-04-11T10:38:00.000-05:00

As some of you might already know, I have embarked on a spiritual , self induced "strike" against having sexual intercourse with women. My reasoning for this was simply to drive home the point that men are just as important and desired by women as women are to men. During my "strike", I have been heckled and ridiculed, badgered and scorned , all in an effort to break down my willpower and my determination!I have refused "numerous" advances and I have thwarted several attempts to lure me into a trap in order to break my will!I knew going into this that it was going to be a difficult and demanding challenge.

Today, I am proud to say that I have successfully proven my point . I have met, and began dating a woman who agrees with my rational .From the start, she agreed whole heartedly with my views and was willing to concede that I was correct in my assertions. I can truly say that this woman has filled a void that has been far too present in my life. I must admit, she has changed my views of women , and taught me that females are kind and loving creatures , that are necessary for the wholeness of a man. I am declaring my love and devotion to this woman. I must say that this woman was the only one that was able to convince me to cross the "picket line" , and get back to the business of love!! I stand here before you today, a changed man and all the better thanks to her. I love you baby doll!!!

I have provided a link of her lovely photo here for all of you to bear witness to my true love!!!

Doesn't Anyone Care...

2005-04-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

In what little coverage the media has given to the crisis in Darfur, they have often represented the conflict as a case of murderous, government-backed Arab militias called Janjaweed against a virtually helpless indigenous African population. This oversimplified analysis has failed to put the conflict in its proper perspective. In fact, Darfur's Arabs are black, indigenous, African and Muslim, just like Darfur's non-Arabs, who come from Fur, Masalit, Zaghawa, and a dozen smaller tribes.

The conflict began in 2003, when two new rebel groups, The Sudan Liberation Army and The Justice and Equality Movement, took up arms against government military installations. The two groups represent various ethnicities, all of which speak Nilotic (originating in the Nile region) languages and come from sedentary farming communities. The sedentary Nilotics of Darfur were intermittently subjected to attacks by the Janjaweed- nomads of various local tribes who speak the Darfuri Arabic dialect. Conflicts in Darfur between these groups were commonplace for centuries, but traditionally solutions were reached by negotiations. In fact, nomads and farmers in Darfur have a long history of interdependence and intermarriage. However, during the 1980s and 1990s, conflicts caused by resource competition escalated. The current conflict in Western Sudan is an economic one, over land between two groups facing water scarcity in a changing ecosystem. Due to the grim realities on the ground, the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement has demanded that the Sudanese government stop arming the nomadic groups in Darfur and address long-standing grievances over underdevelopment in the region.

Various observers maintain that since Darfuri militants launched their rebellion, the Sudanese government has embarked upon a "scorched-earth campaign" in which it has deployed bombers, helicopter gunships, paramilitaries, regular armed forces, and local nomadic tribal militias known as the Janjaweed. Some analysts argue that the campaign has produced the greatest single exodus of refugees in the world. In 2003, 1.2 million people internally have been displaced and more than 200,000 in neighboring Chad. In July of 2004, experts warned that without rapid humanitarian intervention, what UN officials called, "The worst humanitarian crisis in the world today", could claim 350,000 more lives in the next nine months. Since this time, there have been many conflicting reports on the actual number of people, including women and children, who have died from curable diseases, starvation, and murder.

Since the US has expressed an "interest" in spreading Democracy and stopping crimes against humanity, one would think that the US would rush in to help. However, for decades, civil wars have taken the lives of many millions in Africa, yet the US has only expressed outrage occasionally! Aside from its most recent military intervention that forced the Liberian President, Charles Taylor, into exile in Nigeria, the US has been satisfied with making occasional statements on crisis' in Africa. The US and the rest of the International Community remained silent as the Christian Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda killed tens of thousands of people, often mutilating their bodies, displaced more than 1.6 million people, kidnapped thousands of children, and forced many to become soldiers or sex slaves. The US-controlled global financial institutions, such as the IMF and the World Bank, have contributed to obstructing the development of Sudan, Chad, and other countries in the region. The Guardian's analyst, George Monbiot, contends that the "cannibalistic IMF [is] responsible for more deaths every year in Africa than the Janjaweed."

"African oil is of national strategic interest to us, and it will increase and become more important as we go forward." said, Walter Kansteiner, US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa. So, the US' interest in Sudan suggests that strategic and not humanitarian reasons are the main motivating factors for action, if any are taken.

Recently, the International Criminal Court has been handed documents outlining allegations of war crimes committed in the Darfur region of Sudan. A United Nations inquiry identified a number of government and army officials, militia and rebel leaders. The UN Security Council ordered that the 51 named suspects should appear before the court in The Hague. It is the first time a case has been referred to the court in The Hague by the Security Council.

When will American's start to care about what is happening in Africa, and put pressure on our government to take action to stop "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today"?

Why is That?

2005-04-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about things lately and it started to dawn on me that men are being played!Check this out, men are always viewed as pigs and dogs because of their need for sex, right? But women want and need sex just as bad , if not more than men!So why are men being played as the dogs and the animals when the women want it more?Then, the act is looked upon as giving and taking. Yea, the women give something , and the men that are fortunate enough to be offered , take something.When in reality , the men give something and it is the women that take something. Women must be real good at the Jedi Mind Trick, because they need sex more than men, yet , they have men thinking that they can do without and they are giving men something!Why can't sex be looked on for what it really is, a sharing of man and woman , a coming together(no pun intended)of male and female? I think men of the world should unite and go on strike and then we will really see who is more wanting and more animalistic!Then , and only then can men show that sex is an equal opportunity employer and both men and women need it equally .Only then can sex be changed from a commodity that can be bargained and traded , sold and bought , into something truly beautiful and shared , as it was intended to be!!

Life After Death?

2005-04-03T23:01:00.000-05:00

While having an online discussion with someone, the topic of life after death came up. I found it quite interesting that this individual held the belief that there was life after death. This individual also stated that believing that there was life after death gave their existence a sense of purpose. I asked if there was no life after death , would they still find meaning in their life. The answer that I got was that they would question the reason for their existence and would not feel that they had a sense of purpose in this life. This answer caused me to think more in depth about just how important the belief of an afterlife is to many people.

In most religions , there is a concept of an afterlife or some other state of being . Some religions even promote the thought of having another go at this form of living, but as another person or living thing. I began to wonder if the "purpose" that this individual conveyed in our discussion , was the source for some religions promise of an afterlife. Meaning , that if people thought that this was it, they were more likely to sin or break the law thinking that they had no real reason to do good deeds. I pose this hypothetical question to you, if there is no life after death , would this life lose meaning ?Be honest or else you might go to hell in your afterlife............if there's an afterlife.

Late Breaking News

2005-04-02T15:16:00.000-05:00

Pope John Paul II
1920-2005

I am very sorry to report that Pope John II has just passed away. May God rest his soul. News of his unfortunate passing can be found here .

I wish, I wish...

2005-04-01T16:17:00.000-05:00

To date, all of our posts have pertained to heavy topics, and have sparked much debate. In light of that, I would like to lighten things up a bit with an old childhood game called, "I wish, I wish...". It's very simple... all you have to do is think of three wishes that you would want granted to you. Unfortunately, your wishes may not be granted here, but hey... you can play along anyway! There are three rules- you can't ask for "more wishes", or for "all the money in the world", and you have to list your wishes in order of importance. Be careful of what you wish for...

BREAKING NEWS

2005-03-31T10:42:00.000-05:00

Terri Schiavo 1963 - 2005

Terri Schiavo has passed away. May she finally rest in peace.

You can read more from here .

The Project For The New American Century....

2005-03-29T10:10:00.000-05:00

What is the "Project", and why is it cause for concern? The people behind it are now prominent "players" in the Bush Administration. Most notably, Vice-President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Their plan is for nothing less than securing U.S. global domination for decades to come. This is according to their own testimony.

The roots of the Project- both ideological and the people identified with it are in the Reagan Administration. Combining an aggressive foreign policy with a then, unprecedented military buildup, they helped lead the invasions of Panama and Grenada, counter-insurgency wars in Central America, the Cold War showdown with the Soviet Union, and the arming of Iraq as a counter to radical Islamists in Iran.

After the first Gulf war, Paul Wolfowitz, then the Undersecretary of Defense, drafted a defense planning document that laid out the core ideas of what was to become the Project for the New American Century's vision. It was a strategy of maintaining and strengthening unchallenged U.S. military superiority against a potential future superpower rival and against unrest around the world, through pre-emption rather than containment and unilateral military action. Bush 41's Administration rejected this plan as too radical, and didn't believe it would work. Even PNAC admitted that the process of accomplishing this transformation was, "likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event— like a new Pearl Harbor". Then came Sept. 11, the type of catastrophe PNAC had posed as necessary for the realization of its agenda. As hard a question as it is to ask, is it possible that PNAC played some role in the attacks on America?

Only days after 9/11, PNAC released a letter arguing that "even if evidence does not link Iraq directly to the attack, any strategy aiming at the eradication of terrorism and its sponsors must include a determined effort to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq." That determined effort culminated in the war taking place in Iraq today. The real rationale ultimately was not weapons of mass destruction, oil, human rights violations, or any of the other reasons given publicly. It was, as had been written two years earlier, the desire for a permanent role in the strategically important Gulf region

How did a group of little-known intellectuals gain the power to control an administration? Partly by capitalizing on fear, with the American people kept constantly on edge by color-coded terror warnings. Partly by keeping the focus on one piece at a time—Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Iran. And partly by their arrogant belief that there is ultimately no force that can defeat them. It is the same hubris that always accompanies an empire... a desire to dominate the world through military power.

Fear no more my friends, there is an alternative to empire and endless war. The plan of the Project for the New American Century must be countered with a vision that insists militarization and pre-emptive war is not the path to real security. We must advance the vision of a world where international institutions are strengthened rather than destroyed, where global poverty is seriously addressed, where ALL countries, including the United States, no longer have weapons of mass destruction, and where human rights are taken seriously.

To access the Project For The New American Century's website, click on this link.
www.newamericancentury.org

Key participants in the Project for the New American Century and their current/past positions in the Bush administration:

Richard Cheney, Vice-President

Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense

Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense

Peter Rodman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs

Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State

John Bolton, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security

Elliot Abrams, Senior Director for Near East, Southwest Asian, and North African Affairs, National Security Council

James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence; member Defense Policy Board

Lewis Libby, Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice-President

In the Beginning....

2005-03-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

As we should all be aware of by now, there is a big debate brewing between the Christians who believe in Creationism, versus scientists who agree with the Theory of Evolution. Volcanoes of the Deep is an IMAX film that is being banned in theatres in the south because it contains references about evolution. I don't have a definitive opinion as to which theory is correct, however , I do find it disturbing that the Evangelists are protesting anything that makes even the slightest mention of any viewpoint other than Creationism.

If people are not given the opportunity to hear and see different theories or opinions, then how can one truly make up their own mind as to what they think is right? If evidence is being suppressed that may support an opposing viewpoint, then I think it is wrong, and amounts to censorship and propaganda!People should have the right to see and experience what ever they want and not be afraid that it may contain something that others disagree with. Christians are threatening movie theatres to not show this film , or face being boycotted. I find it alarming that anyone would be so afraid of other points of view. If one's faith is strong , there should not be anything that can challenge, or shake it.

A Gift From God...

2005-03-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

"The Terri Shiavo case is a gift from God". That's what the House Majority Leader, Tom Delay, said in a recorded speech just a few days ago. According to Robert Novak, a Neo-Con journalist, analysts at the RNC sent out a warning this week to the House of Representatives that the GOP is in danger of losing 25 seats in the 2006 election. The Schiavo case “is a great political issue” for Republicans, Republican Senators were told in an unsigned memo this weekend.

I wonder if Terri's Mother thinks this is a "gift from God"?

This isn’t about Terri Schiavo. Its about rallying the base of poor Christian voters who regularly vote Republican... even against their own best interest! They haven't received their "thank you" yet, unless you count the sweeping cuts in the budget and tougher treatment for the folks who file for bankruptcy! The GOP is hoping that those voters will forget about all that, and they will be able to hold on to those 25 seats. It's ironic, actually... polls show that two-thirds of people who consider themselves "Evangelical Christian" (the very people they are trying to fool!) believe the Government does not have the right to intervene in this very personal matter. Maybe they're a little smarter than the GOP thinks!

I wonder if Terri's Father thinks this is a "gift from God"?

This isn’t about Terri Schiavo. This calculated, manipulative move is about distracting Americans from lawlessness and murder in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s about changing the subject from a cruel and killing budget that favors the rich, and just possibly, about obscuring the news that, according to a new National Defense Strategy, the Pentagon has made "pre-emptive strikes", like those used in Iraq, a permanent part of the nation’s military policy.

I wonder if Terri's Brother thinks this is a "gift from God"?

This isn't about Terri Schiavo. The President rushed back to Washington (from vacation) to sign this bill set forth by Congress, because he believes in a "culture of life". Keep in mind, a baby was just taken off life support this past week, against the mother's wishes, because of a bill HE signed as Governor. If Bush really believed human life is sacred, he would never have pushed for a war(s) that has resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi lives, because of the off-chance that the future might bring another terror attack, somewhere, sometime, that might kill Americans. If Bush really thought that human life was sacred, he wouldn't be traveling the country trying to scare people out of their Social Security, with a plan of privitization, that most economist agree will only benefit Wall Street. Judging by the latest numbers (some where around 65%), most American's agree with the economist.

I wonder if Terri's Husband thinks this is a "gift from God"?

This isn't about Terri Shiavo. The GOP knew that the chances of the numerous, previous rulings being over-turned was very weak. Mark my words, after Terri has passed-away, they will come out and say that this is a prime example of why "we" need to appoint the "right" Judges to the bench. So that another family will never have to endure this pain again.

For the GOP, it isn’t about Terri Schiavo’s life at all; it’s about the life of the GOP.

School Of Thought....

2005-03-24T08:19:00.000-05:00

2005 Class Photo of Jeff Weise

Today, I would like to discuss a tragic event that happened on Monday, in Red Lake Minnesota. There has been so much coverage of the Terri Schiavo ordeal, that little attention has been given to this senseless and unbelievable event. On Monday March 21, Jeff Weise, shown above , walked into his high school, Red Lake High School, and started shooting indiscriminately at faculty and fellow students. He apparently had just come from his home, where he had already murdered his grandfather and a companion. Rather than rehashing the incident word for word(you can get that on MSN or Yahoo), I would like to address the bigger issue .

Ever since the fatal shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999, I knew immediately, what the underlying motive was behind senseless school shootings. I did not have to hear the details of the shootings to know what could possibly spark such rage and violence in a human being. Needless to say, I was very disappointed when the media neglected to focus on the primary reason . See, I know from prior experience that children have a nasty habit of picking on other children by teasing, and sometimes subjecting them to violence. Everyone who went to High School is well aware of bullies and punks who get their kicks(no pun intended) from humiliating and degrading other students. I was one such student who was picked on and I still remember clearly to this day, the anger and rage that I felt towards those bullies. I remember entertaining thoughts of revenge and violent retribution. I did fight some of these bullies , and I was able to stick up for myself without resorting to the type of extreme behavior we see today. Although, I did have vivid thoughts of revenge and murder. I won't lie , I wanted to kill those bastards, but I did not act on those feelings.

I am in no way condoning this type of behavior. I know that the reason why the media does not address this issue is because of the fear of giving the perception of condoning this type of action. Yet , by not focusing on the root of the problem, it is guaranteed to repeat itself. If people don't understand that ALL human beings deserve respect, this type of thing will reoccur! Without shining light on why this is happening , then there will be more school shootings and more senseless killings. It is not enough to dismiss these events as random acts of violence, because they are NOT random. They happen at schools, where one or more individuals feel that they have been bullied and ostracized. These shootings are in response to a wide spread problem that takes place all over this country.When People learn to respect and tolerate each other , despite their appearance, race, color , creed, sexual orientation, etc., then we will all have seen the last of the phenomenon known as school shootings.

First and Foremost...Step One.

2005-03-23T11:26:00.000-05:00

Slave Ship Diagram

It is not my intention to be divisive or antagonistic,but I feel in my heart that this topic should, and will be the first subject to be put out there. I am not going to argue about who was behind it, who profited from it, who suffered from it, who is alive and not alive that are related to it, or who are the descendants of it. I will simply treat this like the first step of a twelve step program that addicts go through, and address the denial portion of it. This is a diagram of a Slave Ship, one of many thousands that sailed from the Coast of Africa to the Americas. This is not a made up event. This is not half truths. This is not speculation, though I wish it was. We have to first understand what exactly took place and to what extent. This is just a representation of one(1) ship full of human beings, that were brutalized and robbed of every shread of dignity and decency. Many of these human beings never made it through this trip called "middle passage". No, many died from the inhumane conditions and were thrown overboard with such regularity, that it was said that sharks infested the routes taken by these vessels. I won't get into numbers, because we are not dealing with that now. I won't get into much of anything by way of actual statistics or facts, because as I stated before, I want everyone to just focus on the mere reality of this ! Step one, overcoming your denial or minimalization of the problem.Hopefully , I will go through the other steps in due time. For now, just think about that.

Let's Get It Started In Here

2005-03-22T20:09:00.000-05:00

Hello, welcome , g'day, khanichuwa,chao, a salam a lakum, howdy, heil, bonjour and every other way of saying greetings and salutations!!Myself, along with my partner Imara, will do our very best, to make sure we provide you with a place where all ideas are welcomed. We are not about the business of censorship, nor do we seek to change your opinions. We merely strive to open up discussions on a wide variety of subjects. Nothing is forbidden, nothing taboo....O.k. I broke out into a Prince song for a moment, but please feel free to discuss anything here.We only request that you be civil to each other and allow everyone to express themselves in whatever way one deems fit. Let the games begin. Send in the lions!!!!!