Here is an opportunity to have a little light-hearted fun. I took the time to listen (with all of the strength that I could muster) to Palin's farewell speech. I was hoping to find some indicators of her intentions in the months and years to come. Obviously, she has built up some political capital (I'm still confused as to how this was possible), and a tremendous following (even more confusing!) So, being the naturally suspicious person that I am, I listened to her very carefully.
The bottom line is -- -- I got nothing! I don't know WTF she was talking about. But apparently I missed something, because when I looked at Sean Hannity's show later that night, the pundits were praising her deep insights, conservatism, and leadership qualities. I on the other hand, get more insight from Curious George Rides a Bike (I love the cliffhanger ending!).
Here is Hannity's assessment. He brings in Frank Luntz - a pollster, linguist and frequent show guest. I find it hard to believe that Hannity really believes what he's saying....
This whole schtick reminded me of the In Living Color skits "Men on Films". Their analysis was laughable.
Then I saw the following interpretation, and her speech came into complete focus for me. I'm now on the bandwagon. I think she should go on tour with The Roots. She's got a poetic gift that shouldn't be squandered in politics. I see a career in designer, limited-edition greeting cards in her future.
I'm just being facetious. This woman is clueless. God help us all if she gets elected or appointed to another public office during our lifetime.
I’ve struggled to pick a side in the conflict between Dr. Louis Gates and the Cambridge Police Department. The media has a nasty habit of hyping up controversial situations like this. They spin the dialog, they often ask questions that make people take sides, and they do a great job of making sure the tension perpetuates. I try my best to not use the conveniently anonymous “they” to assign blame – because it’s a weak and empty approach. In this context, “they” is every pundit, anchor, and reporter who blatantly doesn’t care about resolution, but only the sensationalism of the topic. It’s like the rights to a new reality show just landed in their lap, and they are doing everything they can to trademark it!
My tact has been to listen to all angles to gauge how people are posturing and how they have interpreted the events. I also read the actual police report word for word. In the final analysis, it all leads me to see it as more of the same, and ultimately it will probably be another wasted opportunity. The opportunity I mean is that of “unpacking” the baggage of American racial and structural inequality in a way that people can trust. It also means taking advantage of the trustworthiness of spirit and honesty of these baggage handlers – in this case, Gates and Crowley.
To waste this opportunity would squander the valuable human assets involved in this particular case. Dr. Gates’ life’s work, back-story, and reputation could be leveraged to underscore the legitimacy of the claim that racial profiling persists through all strata of American society. He is a trustworthy spokesperson for THIS side of the story.
Sgt. Crowley, from most accounts so far, is a decent man and a conscientious police officer. His credentials as an instructor on Racial Profiling should mean that he has a healthy sensitivity to the issue. He is a trustworthy spokesperson for THIS side of the story.
The President has also provided a substantive catalyst in two ways. His humanness as a Black man in America, and his blunt charge about how the situation was handled by the law enforcement professional demands national attention. His presence also unsettles the natural inclination to simply let this episode dissipate, or charge it off as an "isolated" incident.
Trust. This is what has been the chronic deficiency of the discussions on this topic. If approached correctly, the likely positive outcome of this conversation would be much bigger than the sum of its parts. However, if Rev. Sharpton gets involved at all, or if Rev. Jackson or President Obama say much more about it, the aura of trust will be lost. I can’t think of any other national figure that would be as polarizing as any of these men.
I’ve deliberately not assumed the guilt or innocence of either party here. All of the facts are not in, and the facts that are available may not truly be what they appear to be. But in the end, does any of that really matter? Regardless of whether Dr. Gates sues, or if Sgt. Crowley gets reprimanded, if the conversation isn’t elevated by these brokers of the public trust, nobody will win. But everybody will lose.
This video is, in my opinion, the best summary that I've seen so far regarding how the Housing / Financial Markets disintegrated. So far, I've only been able to find this first chapter, apparently there are additional chapters.
In what will likely be a watershed moment of this decade, in April 2009 the Supreme Court opined that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 did not have absolute constitutionality. In other words – it’s up for debate.
Here’s the background: Section 5 of the VRA of 1965 mandates that certain states, counties, and municipalities have to get pre-clearance from the federal government before taking specific actions – like re-drawing district lines (called gerrymandering) or making changes to voting regulations. Section 5 was designed to prevent emergence of new laws akin to Jim Crow. The states where Section 5 binds 100% of the counties include AZ, TX, LA, MS, AL, MS, GA, SC, and VA – for obvious reasons. In addition, there are several counties in FL, NC, CA, SD, and NH that must adhere to this rule. Some sections of the VRA were written into law with an expiration date, and have had to be renewed many times since 1965. The last renewal came in 2006 when GW Bush extended the Act for another 25 years.
Recently, a case challenging Section 5 was brought by the Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District. They argued that Section 5 was not applicable in their case for several reasons. Among them were “Obama was elected President, so mission accomplished for the VRA” and “the Northwest Austin MUD has never been sued and/or found guilty of voter suppression.”
The outcome was an 8-1 decision by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reversed the lower-court ruling that upheld the constitutionality of Section 5. Justice Clarence Thomas, in a lone dissent, argued that Section 5 is no longer constitutional. In other words, as far as Justice Thomas is concerned, the US doesn’t need Section 5 anymore. So now the precedent is set. Counties can now begin gerrymandering in their districts and adjusting voting regulations without the oversight of the federal government or the checks and balances of Section 5. If challenged, they’ll just sue the government and leverage this precedent to make it happen. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to predict where this goes.
History is a Great Teacher (or, at least it used to be)
Another issue is a recent debate taken up by the Texas Board of Education (in Austin, TX). Each year, the board meets to review curricula and standards for classroom instruction across Texas. This process often includes independent, outside experts hired by the board to make recommendations.
This year, recommendations were made for the history curriculum to re-move or significantly de-emphasize references to many pivotal figures who have represented “liberal” ideas. The two most note-worthy names in question are Thurgood Marshall and Cesar Chavez. The experts argue that “promoting” the works of these advocates of social justice somehow gets in the way of the conservative agenda to promote American exceptionalism. Moreover, they want to promote Christianity as an overall force for righteousness in America’s history. In contrast, the experts suggested more emphasis on Sam Houston – a key figure in Texas history who, by the way, was also a slave-owner and documented opponent of abolitionism. Righteous.
Although teachers ultimately have the last word on what gets included in their day-to-day lesson plans, they are strongly encouraged to stick to the curriculum script. Publishers of textbooks, on the other hand, have even less latitude. The Texas market is very big, and publishers will adopt most editing suggestions from state education boards almost verbatim to ensure their business and reduce the costs of multiple textbook versions.
Can you see what is happening here? Can you see how things are beginning to slowly align? What was once old is new again. A famous quote that comes to mind is, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. “ Another way to say it is “Those allowed to re-write our history are empowered to write our future.”
My simple call to action is this: Stay informed, hold our elected leaders accountable, ask tough questions, take it personal, and get involved.
If you think we've crossed into a post-racial society simply because of the 2008 election, you're sadly mistaken. The same catalyst that has awakened the possibilities in the minds of US minorities has awakened the fears of the entitled and privileged. Just take a look at the following examples.
OK, so I know there has been a lot that's transpired since the last time I blogged, and you probably thought I had moved on to another passion or pursuit. Well, that's true to an extent. I thought since such a great accomplishment was made with the ascension of Obama to the presidency, that we (as a diaspora) would gradually get out of our own way and seek to reclaim the pride and self-respect that we had in decades past (Civil Rights era, early 70's). There are glimmers of that here and there, but for the most part I have to say "Boy, we have a long way to go!!!"
We just lost probably the singular most successful, iconic, influential, creative, and transcendent figure of modern history. For those of us in our 30's and 40's, Michael Jackson is the bassline and rhythm to the soundtrack of our lives. Regardless of origin, nationality, economic condition, religion, persuasion, whatever, virtually everyone who heard or saw his creativity was indelibly touched. But, like any great person in human history who could cast a powerful and magnetic aura over humankind, he was persecuted, mis-understood, tormented, and had inner conflicts. People who have such an enormous gift rarely are able to be "normal", and with their extra'ordinary' genius and gift, how could they be? Such was the case with Michael Jackson.
Regardless, Michael Jackson is a world treasure because of his global influence. He also belonged to the African-American community, transcendent as he was. Michael Jackson was and is a source of pride because he is from our community and he was able to break barriers. He exemplified the American dream - "from nothing to something by using your God-given talents and putting in hard work."
All of that brings me to this.......WTF was that on the BET Awards tonight?!?!?!??!?!? And I'm speaking specifically about the buffoonery starting with Ving Rhames and climaxing with Drake/Lil' Wayne/Birdman et al. Stephen Hill, EVP of Entertainment and Music Programming (if that is still his title) needs to be fired for allowing them to sing those songs and DISGRACE the memory of Michael Jackson. Did he not know the WORLD was watching?!?!?!? Maybe he couldn't predict Ving Rhames' ignorance, but surely he knew what these other clowns would be singing. And to top it off, whoever was manning the broadcast 7-second delay switch was definitely on "CP Time" because the vileness kept getting bleeped a second or two too late. The hostage audience had to take the full brunt of the vulgarity. No chaser. No forewarning for the parents who had kids in the audience. WTF? W-T-F?!?!
I was so embarrassed, I had to cover my eyes and hide my face - even while in the privacy of my own home. This is PRECISELY why we as a people don't get respected, stay marginalized, and are treated with indifference by so many other cultures. We do it to ourselves over and over again. Here, we have a rare occasion to coalesce around a singular cause, an opportunity to show the power of our unity and reverence for a product of OUR community. Granted, we did see humble and dignified performances by several artists in tribute to Michael Jackson. But, we also know it's the sensational and out-of-bounds ignorance that remains on the minds of most people who look for reasons to marginalize our people. The song selections for Drake and Lil Wayne were an abomination to the memory of Michael Jackson. I'm not knocking their hustle, and their songs are popular (although I think they are tasteless and lack substance), so I wish them continued success. But damn, is there nothing else more family-friendly in their whole repertoire? Or, could they stick to a PG version of their songs since they’re hollering "Rest in Peace MJ"? This clearly demonstrates the one-dimensional un-inspired limitations of their so-called talent. I have just three words for these fools.....TIME AND PLACE! They have effectively taken a DUMP on the memory of Michael Jackson with this vulgarity under the cover of art/music/entertainment. He would NOT be proud, I assure you.
No respect, no common decency, no regard for how this "tribute" will be received by the world. Just more of the same ignorance. Sometimes I think we as a people are putting our faith and future hopes into a generation that is morally, spiritually, and common-sensically bankrupt.
I know you thought I had given up blogging, choosing instead to recline in the afterglow of Obama's election to the presidency. The honeymoon has been sweet, albeit short. There has been a convergence of events over the last few weeks that have made the editorial side of me begin to ferment! I'll hit 'em and quit 'em as swiftly as I can.
If you listen to the conservative talk shows, you would think that Obama has gone back on his promises to bring in a new regime of honesty and full disclosure with his administration. These people (mostly Republicans) point out the problems that several appointees have had, and try to label Obama as dishonest himself. But, by the mere fact that these people have been removed by the administration before even getting to the confirmation stage speaks volumes to me. It says that Obama will not allow anybody with a questionable record to occupy a seat in his administration. The unfortunate thing is these transgressions were not discovered during the vetting process. But then again, these offenses could only be discovered if the appointee discloses them first because they were not public record (ie: tax returns are usually a private situation). So, if the appointee is found to have questionable integrity, they are disqualified by Obama. Seems like a good idea, don't you think?
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) & The Housing Recovery Plan
This is where the rubber hits the road. Obama has laid out two comprehensive plans to try and get our economy back into some degree of stability. His masterful display of leadership is so refreshing. I only wish he could have gotten involved in the first stimulus plan - - you know, the one that Bush and Paulson totally screwed up. Actually, I think they deliberately devised that farce of a plan in order to line the pockets of their friends as a sort of "last call" round of drinks from the treasury coffers. But I digress.
So far, Obama is honoring the promises he made for transparency. Of course, Republicans and conservatives are complaining (and making patently false accusations) about a lack of bi-partisanship and effectiveness. First of all, Obama's attempts to reach out to Republicans was widely covered by the media. The first draft of the ARRA was largely revised based on the objections and input from Republican members of Congress. This is clearly documented. That notwithstanding, they still unanimously voted against the bill. How's that for bi-partisanship? Nice.
Then, they claim the bill is not available for public scrutiny and review. That is 100% untrue. Any and everybody can go to www.recovery.gov where you can read the entire official document. Or you can go directly to the Act at The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
But, what I am most impressed with is the Housing Recovery Plan that Obama laid out today in Mesa, AZ. If anyone doubted his ability to pull together a comprehensive plan of action, those doubts were laid to rest today. Here is a summary of the initiative:
This plan helps an estimated 7 – 9 million homeowners re-structure of re-finance their loans to avoid foreclosure. It will help by:
• rescuing families who have played by the rules and acted responsibly; • refinancing loans for millions of families in traditional mortgages who are underwater or close to it; • modifying loans for families stuck in sub-prime mortgages they can't afford as a result of skyrocketing interest rates or personal misfortune; • taking broader steps to keep mortgage rates low so that families can secure loans with affordable monthly payments.
Who will this plan exclude?
• speculators who took risky bets on a rising market and bought homes not to live in but to sell; • dishonest lenders who acted irresponsibility, distorting the facts and dismissing the fine print at the expense of buyers who didn't know better; • people who bought homes they knew from the beginning they would never be able to afford.
Here are the 4 main parts of the plan:
#1: Remove restrictions to enable currently ineligible homeowners who receive their mortgages through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to refinance their mortgages at lower interest rates. • Ineligibility is due to mortgage value exceeding home value. Currently, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not permitted refinance mortgages valued at more than 80% of the home's worth. • This makes it almost impossible to sell or refinance, which makes options limited in the event of emergency / job loss. • Impact: 4 – 5 million homeowners • Estimated taxpayer cost: $0; while Fannie and Freddie would receive less money in payments, this would be balanced out by a reduction in defaults and foreclosures.
#2: Create new incentives so that lenders work with borrowers to modify the terms of sub-prime loans at risk of default and foreclosure. • Sub-prime loans usually have high rates and complex terms that often conceal their costs • They make up only 12 percent of all mortgages, but account for roughly 50% of all foreclosures. • The plan establishes clear guidelines for the entire mortgage industry that will encourage lenders to modify mortgages on primary residences. • Any institution that wishes to receive government assistance to modify home mortgages, will have to do so according to these guidelines • If lenders agree to offer rates that the borrower can afford, the government make up part of the gap between what the old payments were and what the new payments will be. • Lenders will be required to reduce those payments to no more than 31 percent of a borrower's income. • Impact: 3 -4 million homeowners • Estimated Cost: ???
#3: Keep mortgage rates low for families looking to secure new mortgages.
• Uses funds already approved by Congress to continue to purchase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities so that there is stability and liquidity in the marketplace. • Estimated cost: up to $200 billion
#4: A wide range of reforms designed to help families stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure.
• reforming our bankruptcy rules so that we allow judges to reduce home mortgages on primary residences to their fair market value - as long as borrowers pay their debts under a court-ordered plan. • That's the rule for investors who own two, three, and four homes. It should be the rule for ordinary homeowners too, as an alternative to foreclosure. • $2 billion in competitive grants to communities that are bringing together stakeholders and testing new and innovative ways to prevent foreclosures.
By design, this bill will not address every troubled mortgage, and will do little for those homeowners already too far into the foreclosure process. It also does not give any homeowners money for their mortgage payments. These have been loud and false objections from the opposition.
And finally, a sad commentary on the long road ahead for Obama specifically, and our citizenry in general.
WTF ???
This was "in your face" racism on the part of The New York Post (a Fox News property I might add). An opportunistic swat at Obama under the guise of "current events satire". But, any rational person has to ask:
• How come the proofreaders at the NYP didn't catch this one? Is nobody on the staff Black? I'm sure if a cartoon suggesting Rupert Murdoch was a cross-dressing Communist was submitted, it probably would not have made it to press.
• WTF does the tragedy (no matter how senseless and morbidly amusing) in Connecticut have to do with anything political? How could that ever be rationally linked to the state of the American economy?
• It's no mystery that Blacks in America have been compared to apes since the first African landed at Jamestown. How are we to not infer the racial stereotyping?
• How can you make fun of a tragedy where a women gets her face peeled off by a rabid chimp OR jokingly suggest that a government official (much less the President) be shot and killed by police officers.
But, that's how THEY do. I think we all know who THEY are. And to put the icing on the cake, neither Sean Hannity nor Bill O'Reilly mentioned this MAJOR news story on their shows tonight. Not a single word about it. Not even to defend the paper for publishing the cartoon as a form of free speech. Similarly, none of their invited guests mentioned the story. Fair and balanced MY ASS! Both Hannity and O'Reilly are cowards.
A new reality has finally been achieved in America. Since the birth of this nation, Black people have been intimately involved in its development. But there was never a seat at the table for Blacks. Sure, slavery was abolished, segregation was made illegal, and Civil Rights laws have been passed, but Blacks have historically been treated like invited guests.
Well, the day has finally come where an African - American is our countenance to the rest of the world. A modest and genteel human being, who embodies American family values, personifies academic excellence, and who carries the pride and perspective of the people of the heartland as well as the emigrant. With this event comes the ascension of a race, a new paradigm, and a broadening of entitlement to the promises of America. A perfect union? Not yet, but certainly better than it was on November 3, 2008.
