New Possibilities

Candidate Obama versus President Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 03:01:00 +0000

In my last article, I said that there are two Barack Obamas. The first Obama is candidate Obama. Candidate Obama wants to protect our civil liberties. Candidate Obama condemns the Bush Administration for invading our privacy.

The second Obama is President Obama. In the name of protecting national security, President Obama supports government surveillance of our phone records, emails, Google searches, Facebook activities, Skype calls and other internet information. President Obama embraces the Bush Administration by invading our privacy.

I prefer Candidate Obama over President Obama. Any questions?

The Two Obamas, His Zombies, Black Progressives and the Move Towards an Orwellian Society

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:36:00 +0000

There are two Barack Obamas. On one hand, there is candidate Obama, the young charismatic eloquent brother on the campaign trail who says all of the right things. That Obama condemned the excesses of the Bush Administration. As a candidate, Obama challenged the Bush Administration for violating our civil liberties. He opposed data mining. He opposed the government snooping around and gathering our information at public libraries.

The other hand, there is the older, greying President Obama. In the name of fighting terrorism, this Obama has no problem with the federal government gathering and analyzing the phone and Internet records of millions of innocent Americans.

The UK Guardian reports that:

The National Security Agency is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of US customers of Verizon, one of America's largest telecoms providers, under a top secret court order issued in April.

The order, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, requires Verizon on an "ongoing, daily basis" to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the US and between the US and other countries.

The document shows for the first time that under the Obama administration the communication records of millions of US citizens are being collected indiscriminately and in bulk – regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing.

The secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa) granted the order to the FBI on April 25, giving the government unlimited authority to obtain the data for a specified three-month period ending on July 19.

Under the terms of the blanket order, the numbers of both parties on a call are handed over, as is location data, call duration, unique identifiers, and the time and duration of all calls. The contents of the conversation itself are not covered.

But wait, there is more. The UK Guardian also reports that:

The National Security Agency has obtained direct access to the systems of Google, Facebook, Apple and other US internet giants, according to a top secret document obtained by the Guardian.

The NSA access is part of a previously undisclosed program called PRISM, which allows officials to collect material including search history, the content of emails, file transfers and live chats, the document says.

The Guardian has verified the authenticity of the document, a 41-slide PowerPoint presentation – classified as top secret with no distribution to foreign allies – which was apparently used to train intelligence operatives on the capabilities of the program. The document claims "collection directly from the servers" of major US service providers.

Although the presentation claims the program is run with the assistance of the companies, all those who responded to a Guardian request for comment on Thursday denied knowledge of any such program.

This is contrary to basic notions of civil liberties. This is an indefensible violation of our fundamental right to privacy. It is a gradual step toward an Orwellian society. This problem did not start with Obama. However, contrary to his beautiful campaign rhetoric, he continued those Bush era abuses. The President is not solely to blame. Congress is to blame as well for repeatedly reauthorizing the Patriot Act and the FISA courts. To justify their actions, the Administration and Congress conjure up the mysterious boogie man called terrorism. The fight against terrorism does not justify the government violating the privacy of millions of innocent and ordinary Americans.

To make matters worst, there are legions of sycophants and Obama groupies who no longer think for themselves. They suffer from a condition that Princeton University professor Eddie S. Glaude Jr. calls "selective moral outrage." Those people condemned Bush when he violated our civil liberties. They also rightly condemned Bush for his imperial wars and drone attacks.

Yet, they are silent as church mice when Obama does the same thing. As the government monitors our phone records, emails, Skype calls and Facebook activities, these Obamaholics believe anything that the Obama Administration tells them to believe. They rationalize and justify any and everything that this President does.
These people are nothing but zombies. Like an episode of the Walking Dead, herds of mindless Obama zombies lurk on the Internet and elsewhere ready to grab and devour anyone who has the audacity to question their Lord and Savior, Barack Obama. It is a damn shame and disgrace.

For fear of being ostracized and devoured like Cornel West and Tavis Smiley, many black progressives are reluctant to speak out. Black progressives are reticent for another reason as well. We support the many positive accomplishment of Barack Obama. We are immensely proud of the first African American president. We understand that President faces Republican obstructionism. We understand the Republicans are desperately trying to undermine the President's second term agenda by diverting the public's attention to fake controversies like Benghazi. In such a toxic political environment, our natural impulse is to defend the President.

However, the violation of our fundamental right to privacy is not a fake controversy. It is real. Our liberty is at stake. Therefore, we must speak truth to power. Just because something is legal that does not make it just or right. Like we ended the oppressive Jim Crow laws in the South, we must end tyrannical laws like the Patriot Act and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Act. If we do not act now, Obama's successors may take away even more of our civil liberties.

Obama Promotes Susan Rice to Be National Security Advisor

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:29:00 +0000

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Good morning fam. Yesterday, in a bold and courageous move, the President Obama promoted Susan Rice to be the National Security Advisor. President Obama basically told the Republicans to go to hell with their fake Benghazi scandal. Good move, Mr. President.

Trayvon Martin is Our Brother

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Wed, 29 May 2013 03:34:00 +0000

Shout out to 3chicspolitico for the video.

Apparently, the defense will not be able to dehumanize and niggerize Trayvon Martin in court. The Washington Post reports that:

Lawyers for George Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Trayvon Martin, will be barred from mentioning Mr. Martin’s marijuana use, history of fights or high school suspension during opening statements in Mr. Zimmerman’s trial, which begins June 10.

At a hearing Tuesday in a Seminole County court, Circuit Judge Debra Steinberg Nelson denied a string of defense motions concerning evidence that was intended to portray Mr. Martin as a troubled teenager with a propensity for fighting and an interest in guns. Prosecutors argued that such evidence had nothing to do with Mr. Martin’s death.

Mr. Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, was killed in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2012, by Mr. Zimmerman, who said he shot him in self-defense.

Mark O’Mara, Mr. Zimmerman’s lawyer, argued that Mr. Martin’s drug use could have made him aggressive and paranoid, which the defense said might have prompted him to attack Mr. Zimmerman, 29, a neighborhood watch volunteer.

“All of that fits in squarely to what the defense is going to present: that George Zimmerman was put in the position that he had to act in self-defense,” Mr. O’Mara said. “How could you keep us from arguing that?”

Judge Nelson replied, “The rules of evidence keep you from doing it.”

The judge left open the possibility that some of the information, including Facebook postings and text messages, might come up at trial, but she set a high hurdle for the defense. Mr. O’Mara called the decision a victory, saying that it would force prosecutors to be careful in how they portray Mr. Zimmerman.

Mr. O’Mara, as he has in the past, asked that Judge Nelson delay the trial because the defense is still taking depositions and reviewing material that was turned over by prosecutors only recently. That request was denied.

Judge Nelson denied a request that jurors be allowed to visit the gated townhouse complex where Mr. Martin was shot, calling it a “logistical nightmare.” Mr. O’Mara said he wanted jurors to get a feel for the shadowy path between two rows of town houses where Mr. Martin was shot.

The judge also denied a request that defense lawyers and prosecutors be prevented from talking publicly about the case, and she refused to sequester the jury pool, which could number 500 people, during the selection process. Prosecutors said it would be too expensive and unwieldy to sequester that many people. The judge has not ruled on whether the jurors who are selected should be sequestered.

Whether the defense likes it or not, Trayvon Martin is not some worthless piece of human garbage. He is our brother, imperfections and all. We will stand by him and his family until we obtain Justice for Trayvon.

Stuff You Didn't Hear on the Sunday Shows

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Tue, 28 May 2013 11:41:00 +0000

Good morning fam. I am sure that all of the Sunday shows hailed Obama's national security speech as some major policy shift. For a different prospective, listen to Medea Benjamin of Code Pink and Jeremy Scahill of the Nation discuss it. To view Mr. Scahill's interview, click this link.

The Niggerization of Trayvon Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Sat, 25 May 2013 12:01:00 +0000

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As reported in the Associated Press,

George Zimmerman's defense attorneys have released photos and text messages from 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's cell phone ahead of a hearing that will determine whether they can be used at the neighborhood watch leader's trial.

The photos released Thursday show Martin blowing smoke and extending his middle finger to the camera. The photos also show a gun and what appears to be a potted marijuana plant.

In the text messages, Martin tells a friend that his mother has told him he needs to move out of her house and move in with his father since he was caught skipping school.

Zimmerman is charged with fatally shooting Martin last year during a confrontation at a gated community. Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense.

George Zimmerman's attorneys want to inflame prejudice. They are attempting to pollute the jury pool with smelly, slimy racist fecal matter. Since they have no legitimate defense or arguments, they are trying to niggerize the brother Trayvon Martin. In essence, they seek to justify the lynching of Trayvon Martin by depicting him as a worthless, marijuana smoking, gun toting, middle finger pointing, thug nigger. Basically, they want the public to believe that Trayvon Martin got what he deserved.

As the lawyers indicated in the attached videos, many of those photos and text messages will not be admitted into evidence for two reasons. First of all, they are complete irrelevant. They have absolutely nothing to with what occurred on the night in question. Trayvon Martin was not armed with a gun on the night in question. Therefore, photos of his gun are irrelevant. In addition, character evidence is generally inadmissible. Thus, the marijuana photos and middle finger photos are irrelevant and inadmissible. Besides, smoking marijuana is not a capital offense. No one deserves to die for smoking marijuana. No one deserves to die for growing little marijuana plants. No deserves to die for throwing up the middle finger. No one deserves to die for wearing gold teeth. No one deserves to die for wearing a hoodie. No one deserves to die just for being black. Second, even if the photos and text messages had probative value, they would still be inadmissible. Their probative value would be substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.

We must categorically reject the prejudice being promoted by the Zimmerman team. We must continue to focus on the relevant facts. Trayvon Martin was unarmed. Trayvon Martin was not engaged in any criminal activity on the night in question. George Zimmerman racially profiled him. Against the advice of law enforcement, George Zimmerman continued to stalk and hunt Trayvon Martin. George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. After Trayvon Martin was killed, the punk police failed to file charges against Zimmerman until the people raised hell.

We must continue to raise hell and demand justice for Trayvon Martin.

The President's National Security Speech was Full of Contradictions

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:22:00 +0000

Yesterday, President Obama gave his national security speech. He outlined a flowery justification for drone attacks. Certainly, the President wants to do what is necessary to keep the American people safe. There is no reason to doubt his sincerity. However, his speech was full of contradictory messages. He essentially tried to advocate both sides of the issues.

On one hand, he emphasized his commitment to Constitutional principles. On the other hand, he essentially argued that the U.S. has the right to execute Americans abroad without due process, without evidence or trial. During that segment of the speech, he focused on Anwar Al-Awlaki and conveniently failed to provide a rationale for killing the other three Americans. The President talked about working with Congress to increase oversight of the drone program. However, that is no guarantee that anything will actually happen. We see what happened with GITMO.

In one breath, he complained about the U.S. waging perpetual war. He further mentioned that the Authorization for Use of Military Force resolution ("AUMF") should be refined or repealed. In next breath, despite acknowledging that Al Qaeda is defeated, he proceeded to justify waging and supporting perpetual war around the world in countries such as Libya, Syria, Yemen, Mali and Somalia. Since President Obama acknowledges that Al Qaeda has been defeated in Afghanistan, why are U.S. troops still there?!?! Why do the American people have to wait until the end of 2014 for the troops to leave.

Moreover, the President talked about defeating Al Qaeda and its affiliates. Yet, by aiding so-called rebels in Libya and Syria, the Administration has inadvertently aided Al Qaeda affiliates. They have filled the power void created by America supporting coups in those countries.

One minute, Obama expressed concern about civilian casualties. The next moment, he justified civilian casualties by claiming that more civilians would die if he did nothing. By the way, no one is arguing that the President should do nothing.

President Obama discussed addressing the root causes of extremism. Yet, his drone policy is breeding future generations of terrorists. Every time an American drone bombs innocent women, children and men, it serves a recruiting tool for terrorists. It is hard to convince people that you are not waging war against Islam when you bomb villages and kill babies and women. It is hard to convince people that you are not waging war against Islam when you waging wars in Muslim countries around the world.

In addition, if the U.S. wants to truly stop "the well spring of extremism", America must fundamentally change its foreign policy. The U.S. can no longer afford to continue to provide unconditional support to the rogue State of Israel. Furthermore, the U.S. cannot profess to love democracy as long as it continues to support some of the most repressive regimes in the so-called Middle East. Such regimes violently oppress secular opposition and promote religious fananticism.

At the end of his speech, the President talked about the need to close Guantanamo Bay. He explained how detaining suspects indefinitely without charge is contrary to American values. Nonetheless, here we are into his second term and GITMO remains open. I understand that Congress has failed to act. However, what is stopping the President from taking more action to close Guantanamo Bay?

In sum, the President's speech was not an announcement of a major policy shift. For the most part, it was simply a justification for continuing to use drones around the world. Despite all of eloquent rhetoric, Obama's drone policy is George Bush's drone policy on steroids.

Finally, in a time when many so-called progressives have become sycophants and Obama worshippers, it was refreshing to see Code Pink protest. Ironically, during the Bush years, many progressive commended Code Pink for holding similar protests against the Bush Administration. Today, many of those "progressives" are now condemning Code Pink for protesting against Obama. That is hypocrisy. Principles are more important than personalities. No politician, including President Barack Obama, deserves unconditional support.

President Obama Encourages Morehouse Graduates To Serve the Community

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:08:00 +0000

Good morning family. Yesterday, President Barack Obama addressed Morehouse College graduates. The symbolism was compelling and powerful, the first black president speaking to a group of educated black men. Seeing all of those brothers gathered for a positive purpose reminded me of the Million Man March. Who would have known that we would have an African American president approximately 13 years later?

During his commencement address, the President urged the graduates to do good by serving humanity. He encouraged them to be world competitors and leaders. He encouraged the young men to be role models for the community. It was a truly inspiring speech.

Although he acknowledged that racism still exists, the President urged African Americans to stop making excuses and take personal responsibility. Most of us understand his point. Most black people are not making excuses. We are striving against the odds each and every day to improve our lives and our communities.

Happy Birthday Brother Malcolm X

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:56:00 +0000

Every year during Black History Month, I was taught about the diluted and sanitized version of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His famous I Have A Dream speech was drilled into my head. I was taught that people should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. I was programmed to embrace the virtues of non-violent resistance. Conversely, Malcolm X's name was only mentioned in passing.

Finally, when I attended Howard University many moons ago, I saw a excellent documentary on the life of Malcolm X. Before seeing that film, I never heard a black man speak with such boldness. For the first time, I heard a brave black man say that we have a divine and legal right to defend ourselves from racist brutality and oppression. Instead of begging the white man to recognize our humanity, brother Malcolm X taught us to know ourselves and our history. He taught us to love our motherland. He taught us to love our black skin, wide noses and kinky hair.

Malcolm's words awakened my political and social consciousness. I started devouring books beginning with the Autobiography of Malcolm X and Malcolm X Speaks. He inspired me to become a student activist in college. My commitment to social justice continues today because of the spark that he ignited within me.

I cannot thank Brother Malcolm enough. Thank you for sacrificing your life for our freedom. Thank you for inspiring me to join the struggle for equality and justice. Happy Birthday Brother Malcolm X. May God forgive you for your sins and bless you with paradise.

We Must End All Forms of Terrorism

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:06:00 +0000

"Hate begets hate; violence begets violence." Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Good morning family. I condemn all forms of terrorism. I condemn the Boston bombers for killing and maiming innocent civilians. There is no justification for such senseless violence. I also condemn America's drone policy. Many innocent civilians are killed during U.S. drone strikes. We must end all forms of terrorism.

Please take five minutes to listen to Farea Al-Muslimi testify before the U.S. Senate regarding the real world impact of this nation's drone policy. Mr. Al-Muslimi explains how U.S. drones terrorize villages in Yemen.

On Democracy Now, Jeremy Scahill described the true nature of America's drone and war policies.

What do you think about America's drone policy, the kill list and U.S. military intervention?

The Contradictory and Disgusting Politics of Terrorism

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:16:00 +0000

I pray for the people of Boston. May God bless and comfort the families and the victims of this horrible tragedy. I pray that law enforcement captures the cowards who committed this heinous and cowardly act of terrorism. Such senseless violence will not accomplish anything. It will only breed more violence and hatred.

We cannot let this tragedy consume us with hatred. If we do, the terrorists win. Unfortunately, some people have surrendered to hate. In response to the Boston bombing, Fox News Contributor Erik Rush tweeted that all Muslims should be killed. Here are his disgusting tweets.

We are constantly bombarded with news reports equating Muslims with terrorism. We see images of menacing Muslims wearing ski masks, shooting guns and blowing up innocent people. We see images of men, women and children killed in New York, Arlington, London, Iraq, Israel and other places by Muslim terrorists. Rarely do we see positive images of Muslims on the news. When we hear the word "terrorism", we immediately think of Muslims. A prime example of this problem is CNN's false report of a "dark skinned male" being arrested for the Boston bombing.

When one has the power to define, one possesses the ability to shape reality. When we think about terrorism, we do not immediately think about Timothy McVeigh, Ted Kaczynsky, Eric Robert Rudolph or other white men. When white people commit crimes, they are punished as individuals. They are not stereotyped, profiled and punished as a collective like Muslims, Arabs, African Americans and Latinos are. In America, that is one of privileges of being white.

In addition to contradictory standards for racial profiling, we also use a contradictory definition terrorism. We have been taught to accept and tolerate some forms of violence based on the source of the violence. The U.S. uses drones to kill innocent civilians around the world. Israeli airplanes launch missiles into residential areas and bulldoze houses in the occupied territories. Those violent acts are not called terrorism. They are called collateral damage. The word "terrorism" is reserved Muslims and Arabs.

That negative propaganda causes the American people to consciously and subconsciously hate and fear all Muslims. That hatred explains why most Americans do not care about U.S. drones killing innocent civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. That hatred explains why most people do not care about Muslims being held indefinitely in Guantanamo Bay without being charged or tried. Whenever there is a terrorist attack, we automatically assume that Muslims are responsible. Sadly, we begin to view and treat all Muslims as terrorists.

For example, no one knows who committed the Boston terror attack. Yet, people assume that Muslim terrorists are responsible. In response to the attack, people harassed and beat a man in the Bronx. The New York Post reports that:

A Bangladeshi man out for dinner at a Bronx restaurant was viciously beaten hours after the Boston Marathon bombing by thugs who called him “a f--king Arab” before pummeling him to the ground, sources said.

Abdullah Faruque, 30 — a native of the South Asian country who grew up in The Bronx — was at Applebee’s on Exterior Avenue in Melrose at about 11:30 p.m. Monday when he went outside for a smoke.

Three or four Hispanic males he’d noticed drinking at the bar followed him and angrily got in his face, he recalled yesterday.

“One of the guys asked if I was Arab. I just shook my head, said like, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ I didn’t even know that [the] Boston [bombing] happened because I had a busy day,” Faruque said.

He turned to head back inside as one of the men snarled, “Yeah, he’s a f--king Arab,” and the gang pounced, punching him on the head and body, dislocating his left shoulder and leaving him semiconscious.

“Before I could grab the door, they started swinging at me,” the network engineer said of the 90-second beatdown. “I’ve been jumped before. If you can’t win, you back up, you try to protect yourself.”

The victim said he went home and turned on the TV, and only then learned about the bombing and put two and two together.

Erik Rush's hateful tweets encourages that type of violence against innocent, law abiding Muslims. Unfortunately, Mr. Rush is not alone. Anti-Muslim hatred is acceptable in mainstream America. Politicians like Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin and others regularly make anti-Muslim statements without facing any real opposition.

So when someone like Erik Rush says kill all Muslims, there is very little public outrage in the media. That is frightening and dangerous. If Mr. Rush said kill all whites, kill Jews, kill all black people, kill all gays, kill all women or kill all disabled people, Congress would hold hearings. Politicians would have universally condemned his statement. His story would have been on every single TV news channel and in every newspaper. Fox News would have fired him immediately. People for the American Way is one of the few organizations demanding that Fox News fire Mr. Rush.

As an African American, Erik Rush should be ashamed. Throughout our history, we have been persecuted and oppressed. Today, we are still racially profiled, stopped and frisked just because of the pigment of our skin. In light of our history and current day realities as a people, no African American should embrace anti-Muslim hatred. By the way, many of Mr. Rush's fellow African Americans, including myself, are Muslim.

If we accept this kind of hatred, American society may degenerate into a state resembling Nazi Germany. Stand up to hate. Sign the People for the American Way's petition.

Shame on Congress for Rejecting Reasonable Gun Control Measures

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:14:00 +0000

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate shamefully voted against background checks for gun purchasers. Those heartless chumps do not care about the victims in Newtown, Aurora, Tucson and Chicago. In a nutshell, the Senate decided that it was acceptable for criminals, gangsters, terrorists and crazy people to buy firearms. Those NRA puppets put profits over public safety. That is not leadership. That is cowardice.

Here are the Senators who voted against reasonable gun control legislation. Remember these faces. We must vote each and every one of them out of office.

Courtesy of The Huffington Post, here are their Twitter names. They need to hear from you.

•Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) -- @SenAlexander
•Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) -- @KellyAyotte
•Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) -- @SenJohnBarrasso
•Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) -- @MaxBaucus
•Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) -- @SenatorBegich
•Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) -- @RoyBlunt
•Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) -- @JohnBoozeman
•Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) -- @SenatorBurr
•Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) -- @SaxbyChambliss
•Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) -- @SenDanCoats
•Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) -- @TomCoburn
•Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) -- @SenThadCochran
•Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) -- @SenBobCorker
•Sen. Jon Cornyn (R-Texas) -- @JohnCornyn
•Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) -- @MikeCrapo
•Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) -- @SenTedCruz
•Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) -- @SenatorEnzi
•Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) -- @SenatorFischer
•Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) -- @JeffFlake
•Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) -- @GrahamBlog
•Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) -- @ChuckGrassley
•Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) -- @SenOrrinHatch
•Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) -- @SenatorHeitkamp
•Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) -- @SenDeanHeller
•Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) -- @SenJohnHoeven
•Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) -- @jiminhofe
•Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) -- @SenatorIsakson
•Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) -- @Mike_Johanns
•Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) -- @SenRonJohnson
•Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) -- @SenMikeLee
•Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) -- @McConnellPress
•Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) -- @JerryMoran
•Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) -- @lisamurkowski
•Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) -- @SenRandPaul
•Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) -- @robportman
•Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) -- @SenMarkPryor
•Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) -- @SenatorRisch
•Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) -- @SenPatRoberts
•Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) -- @marcorubio
•Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) -- @SenatorTimScott
•Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) -- @SenatorSessions
•Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) -- @SenShelbyPress
•Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) -- @SenJohnThune
•Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) -- @DavidVitter
•Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) -- @SenatorWicker

Terror in Boston

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:02:00 +0000

Good morning family. I pray for the people of Boston. May God bless, keep and comfort them all during this horrific tragedy. I pray that the criminals be brought to justice.

The Washington Post reports that:

This city woke Tuesday morning to grief and unanswered questions, as investigators searched for the people who detonated two bombs near the finish line of the venerated Boston Marathon, lifting runners off their feet, killing at least three people and injuring approximately 140 others.

An eight-year-old boy fatally injured in the blasts was identified by the Boston Globe early Tuesday as Martin Richard, of Dorchester. The newspaper said Martin’s father, a community activist, ran in the marathon, and his family was waiting for him at the finish line. Martin’s mother, Denise Richard, and one of his sisters were hospitalized with “grievous injuries,” the Globe reported.

Many patients had lost limbs, and many remain in critical condition, a hospital official in Boston said. A number of children are among the badly injured.

The devastating impact of the explosions, which came 16 seconds apart at 2:50 p.m. on one of Boston’s most important days of civic celebration, spread almost instantly across the city and country, driving Boston and the nation once more into the grim work of responding to terror.

Read more.

I hope that the American people unite during this difficult time. I hope that the politicians exercise reasonable restraint. I hope that they do not use this tragedy to further erode our civil liberties.

The Grand Sellout

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:17:00 +0000

As the Washington Post reports,

For the first time, he is formally proposing to trim scheduled Social Security benefits — a GOP demand that is anathema to many Democrats. He is also offering to make meaningful reductions in Medicare benefits, including higher premiums for couples making more than $170,000 a year...

Of the entitlement cuts, Obama said, “I don’t believe that all these ideas are optimal, but I’m willing to accept them as part of a compromise.” He added: “When it comes to deficit reduction, I’ve already met Republicans more than halfway. So in the coming days and weeks, I hope that Republicans will come forward and demonstrate that they’re really as serious about the deficits and debt as they claim to be.”

The president’s debt-reduction proposal mirrors an offer he made to Boehner in negotiations over the fiscal cliff.

That includes nearly $400 billion from federal health programs, primarily Medicare, with the bulk of the cuts falling on drug companies and other providers. But Medicare beneficiaries would also take a hit, through higher premiums and requirements to substitute generic drugs for more expensive brand names.

Obama also proposes to slow the growth of Social Security benefits through chained CPI, trimming cost-of-living increases by roughly three-tenths of a percentage point a year and saving the government about $130 billion over the next decade.

White House officials said the change would not affect programs for the poor, such as Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, and would be adjusted to reduce the impact on retirees 77 or older. Still, the proposal has infuriated many Democrats, who have long demanded that Social Security be protected from any debt-reduction deal.

President Barack Obama has officially sold out. Perhaps, he sold out a long time ago and we were just too blind to see it. Here is what he said before he was even elected.

Obama is balancing the budget on the backs of our seniors. Many of our seniors are already struggling. This will only make it harder for seniors to buy food and medicine. Unfortunately, this is probably just the beginning. If we do not act now, the President will probably agree to make additional cuts in entitlements in order to reach a "Grand Bargain". That Grand Bargain will be nothing but a Grand Sellout. We cannot sit back and let that happen. We did not vote for austerity. We voted to move forward, not backward.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Welcome to Uncle Tom's Cabin: The Black Conservative Whine Fest

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:19:00 +0000

A couple of days ago, Sean Hannity assembled a group of black conservatives. Instead of offering an intelligent discussion about real issues affecting the black community, the show was nothing but a lame gripe session. The guests were just a bunch of crybabies. It was 40 minutes of whining and snitching. None of the guests offered a clear alternative vision. They did not offer any sound policy arguments.

Too much time was wasted crying about MSNBC host Toure's remarks. None of those guests provided a substantive critique of Toure's analysis regarding Ben Carson's sudden ascent in the GOP.

More importantly, those black conservatives did not articulate one valid reason why African Americans should join the Republican Party. Black conservatives always want to talk about President Abraham Lincoln "freeing the slaves" over 150 years ago. They always want to talk about Republicans supporting civil rights legislation almost 50 years ago.

They never want to talk about the GOP's Southern Strategy of appealing to white racists like David Duke, Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond. They never want to talk about the GOP's current opposition to affirmative action, a policy that made it possible for many of those black conservatives to become educated professionals. They never want to talk about Republican state attorney generals' current fight to eliminate Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. They never want to talk about the devastating impact that Paul Ryan's budget will have on low income black communities.

I have a simple question for black conservatives. What has the GOP done for the black community in the last 20 years? Everybody knows the answer to that question. Nothing. In fact, the GOP has only done things to us in recent years. Yet, black conservatives are shocked and stunned that people call them "Uncle Toms" and "Aunt Jemimas".

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

LL Cool J and Intentional Racism

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:46:00 +0000

"If you don't judge my doo rag, I won't judge your red flag.
If you don't judge my gold chains, I'll forget the iron chains...
The past is the past. You feel me?
Let bye gones be bye gones.
R.I.P. Robert E. Lee.
But, I gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me."
LL Cool J

Naw, LL. I don't feel you.

Even though slavery ended 150 years ago, some Negroes are still for sell. They will say and do anything for a dollar. They will coon, Tom, tap dance, shine shoes, eat watermelons and perform any other demeaning tasks for a quick buck.

A prime example of this phenomenon is the recent LL Cool J controversy. Recently, he released a song with Brad Paisley entitled Accidental Racist. In case you have not heard the song, the video is below.

The Confederate flag is not just some harmless symbol of Southern pride. It is a symbol of oppression. It is a symbol of exploitation. It is a symbol treason. It is a symbol of death. Confederate soldiers did not die for some great and noble cause. They died and killed in order to protect their "right" to own and sell enslaved Africans. The Confederacy waged a bloody civil war against the United States government. Thousands upon thousands of Americans died during the civil war. So, I do not wish Robert E. Lee well. I wish him hell.

During the 1950s and 60s, we fought for basic civil rights. We fought for the right to vote. We fought for the right to eat at lunch counters. We fought for the right to sit where we choose on the bus. We fought for the right to attend desegregated schools. We fought for the right to live and stay where we want.

During that struggle, one symbol was used to rally violent, racist opposition. That symbol was the Confederate flag. We were beaten under that flag. We were lynched under that flag. We were shot and buried in ditches under that flag. That racism was not accidental. It was intentional. So, no. I cannot forget about that flag. It is not a symbol to be respected and honored. It is a symbol that should be trampled upon and burned to ashes.

I definitely will not forget about slavery. Jewish Holocaust survivors say "never forget." I respect that. I honor that. Well, we are victims of a holocaust as well. Millions of Africans died during the Middle Passage. Those of us who did not die were forced to endure hell on earth. We were bought, sold, whipped, burned, raped, maimed, castrated, hung and shot. We are supposed to just forget all that suffering?!! We are supposed to just let "bye gones be bye gones?" Seriously?! That is outrageous and ridiculous! We have been taught to never forget Pearl Harbor and 9/11. So, why are we so quick to forget our own suffering?

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

No More Newtowns

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:07:00 +0000

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Good morning fam. On this issue, we must join the President. We must pressure Congress to enact effective gun control laws now! If we do not act, there will be another Newtown.

The Lynching of Trayvon Martin - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:42:00 +0000

Apparently, according to Robert Zimmerman, Jr., Trayvon Martin did not die hard enough the first time. Robert Zimmerman is doing everything in his power to assassinate Trayvon Martin's character. Check out Zimmerman racist tweets below. Clearly, racism runs in the Zimmerman family. Mr. Zimmerman, keep tweeting. It will only help us secure justice for Trayvon Martin.

It is Time for the Black Community to Learn from the LGBT Community

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:15:00 +0000

My view on gay marriage is no secret. Last year, I explained why I do not support same sex marriage. I may write a more comprehensive part 2 to that article. Then again, maybe this will be my last article regarding this topic.

After the President publicly supported same sex marriage around election time, all of the sudden the American sheeple are prepared to discard thousands of years of human history to embrace what is trendy and cool for the moment. I don't care if I'm the last man standing in the blogosphere. I will never, ever support same sex marriage. I'm sure that the thought police will call me "closed minded", "a bigot" or even worst. I'm sure that they will threaten me like they did the last time. Frankly, I don't give a damn. I will not remain silent.

Anyway, that's not even the point of this article. In an interesting piece by Keli Goff on the Root entitled Gay Marriage Coverage: A Media Shut Out?, Ms. Goff raised some interesting questions. She asked:

"Quick question: Who is the latest Democratic senator to come out in support of affirmative action?

OK, another question: Who is the latest Republican senator to come out in support of affirmative action?

How about this one: Do any Republican senators support affirmative action?

Last question: Do you know the answer to any of the above questions?

Chances are you don't. Most of us don't. But I bet you know that Republican Sen. Rob Portman now supports same-sex marriage, spurred by his love and compassion for his openly gay son. I bet you also know that 10 Democratic senators oppose gay marriage.

The reason you know both of these facts is that same-sex marriage has become the mainstream media's civil rights cause célèbre --even though it ultimately affects just under 4 percent of the population. To be clear, this population deserves rights and protections regardless of how few of them there may be, but not at the expense of other groups.

Though I have sensed a disparity in civil rights coverage for months in print, online and on television, I only recently tried multiple online searches to see if I was being paranoid.

I wasn't.

A search of "Affirmative action before the Supreme Court" produced just over 100 million results. (This number came up whether I tried including the year 2013 or used parentheses.) "Voting rights before the Supreme Court" netted more than 400 million results. But "Gay marriage before the Supreme Court" produced article after article after TV clip after TV clip, with just over 800 million results. "Same sex marriage before the Supreme Court" produced even more: just under 900 million results.

I have been baffled by the fact that while the Supreme Court's upcoming rulings on voting rights and affirmative action were relegated to a couple of days of nonintensive media coverage, coverage of the court's upcoming rulings on same-sex marriage has been treated as the second coming of the Brown v. Board of Education case, which literally changed America for all Americans, as opposed to the second coming of Loving v. Virginia, which the gay-marriage case more closely resembles, and which ultimately changed the lives of some Americans: those pursuing interracial relationships."

Ms. Goffi is baffled. I am not. Many Negroes let the media define what is important. The media tells them to support gay marriage. So what do they do? Support gay marriage. Now, my misguided brethren are all up in arms, waving their rainbow flags, tweeting their butts off in support of same sex marriage. Yet, many of those same people do not have a damn thing to say about affirmative action and voting rights. If African Americans do not prioritize affirmative action and voting rights, how can we expect others to do so?!!?

Although I don't support LGBT community's position on same sex marriage, I admire their organizing skills and their commitment to their cause. I just have one question. Why isn't the African American community as organized, as passionate and as successful as the LGBT community?

The LGBT community successfully pressured Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama to publicly support same sex marriage. Through traditional media, social media and public pressure, they transformed American culture. They replaced the phrases "homosexual marriage" and "same sex marriage" with the more palatable phrase "marriage equality". They pushed their opponents into the margins of society by calling them "bigots". On the other hand, they rewarded those who adopted their view by describing them as "evolved". Through such powerful propaganda, they convinced the public to parrot their phraseology and champion their cause.

What was once considered an abnormality is now widely accepted. Like alchemists turning lead into gold, LGBT activists morphed a common sense, moral issue into a "civil rights issue." Despite the fact that same sex marriage is clearly contrary to everything in the Bible, LGBT activists persuaded some prominent African American preachers to appear in political ads supporting same sex marriage in Maryland. Everyday, like grotesque mushrooms sprouting out a lawn, another opportunistic politician miraculously comes out in favor of gay marriage. Activists even recruited my man Yoda from Star Wars to support gay marriage. Yesterday, my Facebook news feed was been bombarded and blanketed with photos like the one used for this article. When I saw that Yoda photo on social media, I thought to myself, "Give me a freaking break." However, I also reflected on the sheer brilliance of their social media campaign. As I write this blog post, the New York Times reports that the Supreme Court is poised to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. In sum, LGBT activists have hustle, and I can't knock it.

People waited in line for days outside in the cold weather in order hear oral arguments for the two same sex marriage cases. When arguments were heard, there was a large crowd outside of the court house. That's dedication. That's commitment. That's a story that cannot be ignored by the corporate media.

On the other hand, I don't see the same level of commitment and organization in the black community. Affirmative action and Section 5 of Voting Rights Act are in jeopardy. Both tools enabled African Americans to advance as people. Affirmative action is a natural extension of the Brown v. the Board of Education legacy. It opened the doors of higher education and helped to increase the size of the black middle class. It helped many black people to become doctors, lawyers, judges, engineers, scientists, teachers, business people and other types of professionals. If it was not for affirmative action, I would not be a lawyer today.

The Voting Rights Act is just as essential. If it was not for the Voting Rights Act, Jim Crow and segregation would still exist. There would be no black mayors, no black city council people, no black U.S. representatives and no black senators. Barack Obama definitely would not be in the White House. Obviously, the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action have a much greater impact on African Americans than same sex marriage.

Yet, we did not wait in line for days to hear arguments in Fisher v. The University of Texas and Shelby County v. Holder. Our young people would rather wait in a line for the new Air Jordans or the latest iPhone than wait in line to hear cases that have a direct impact on their future. It is a damn shame. Where is our sense of urgency? The crowd outside of the court for the Fisher case was not nearly as large as it should have been. I am sure that the crowd for the Shelby case was not as large as the crowds for the Proposition 8 and the DOMA cases. Unfortunately, we have become apathetic and complacent. Many of us believe that we have made it to the Promised Land and that civil rights movement is a relic of the past. Some of us have actually started to believe that America is a "post-racial society".

States around this country are enacting laws designed to suppress black voters. For example, as reported on the Huffington Post,

Civil rights advocates say a new voter ID law signed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) on Tuesday will creating more hurdles to voting.

“Rather than address the real issues Virginians have faced at the polls on Election Day, such as waiting in line for 6 to 7 hours to vote, the Governor decided to impose unwarranted restrictions that will only further exacerbate existing problems,” said Marcia Johnson-Blanco, co-director of the Voting Rights Project at the Lawyers’ Committee. “This law will inflict undue burdens on the very communities we should be encouraging to participate in our democracy – students, communities of color and poor persons.”

The Justice Department has to sign off on the law before it goes into effect. But that could change if the Supreme Court strikes down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires states like Virginia with a history of racial discrimination to have their voting laws and procedures approved by either the DOJ or a panel of federal judges in D.C.

Equally as important, the United States Supreme Court recently agreed to hear another affirmative action case. As reported in the Washington Post,

The Supreme Court decided Monday to take a second case concerning affirmative action in university admissions, agreeing to review a lower court’s decision that said Michigan’s ban on the use of race in college acceptance decisions was unconstitutional.

A bitterly divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit struck down the ban in 2012, six years after it was approved by 58 percent of the state’s voters. It is similar to constitutional amendments in several other states, including California and Florida.

The high court accepted Michigan’s appeal of the 6th Circuit opinion and will hear the case in the term that begins in October. The case will be heard by just eight justices; the court noted that Justice Elena Kagan recused herself.
The court earlier this term considered a challenge to the admissions process at the University of Texas, which considers race as one factor in choosing part of its freshman class. The justices heard oral arguments in that case in October and have not issued a decision.

Some had thought the court might hold the Michigan case until it rendered the Texas ruling, but the cases present different issues for the court. Michigan’s is a constitutional amendment forbidding the use of race. Texas contends that its use of race in limited circumstances is sanctioned by the Supreme Court’s recognition that universities have an interest in building diverse student populations.

A bare majority of the Michigan appeals court ruled that the ban on race-conscious admission decisions “reorders the political process in Michigan to place special burdens on minority interests” and thus violates the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection for all races.

Circuit Judge R. Guy Cole Jr., writing for the majority, said Michigan’s Proposal 2 “eliminated the consideration of ‘race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin’ in individualized admissions decisions, modifying policies in place for nearly a half-century.”

Why aren't black intellectuals, activists, and media forcing the media to cover these important matters? There has been some coverage, but not nearly enough. When the Michigan affirmative action case is heard, thousands upon thousands of African Americans should be rallying in front the Supreme Court. As the LGBT movement has done, we must develop more persuasive messaging. We cannot allow affirmative action to be defined as "reverse discrimination" or a "quota" system. We cannot allow the Voting Rights Act to be defined as "a racial entitlement". We must do better.

The LGBT movement adopted its strategies and messaging from the civil rights movement. Now, it is our turn to learn from the LGBT movement.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Obama Tap Dances for Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:54:00 +0000

The Washington Post reports that:

President Obama arrived in Israel Wednesday for a three-day trip designed to engage a new Israeli government and skeptical public about his second-term foreign policy intentions, after a first term that stirred resentment here about the way he approached the Israeli-Palestinian peace issue.

After disembarking from Air Force One to a lavish greeting ceremony, Obama was quick to articulate the primary goal of his trip, his first overseas since beginning a second term.

“I see this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our nations, to restate America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” he said. “It makes us both stronger. It makes us both more prosperous. And it makes the world a better place.”

In welcoming Obama formally, Israeli President Shimon Peres said the visit, which Obama put off during his first term in the White House, is a demonstration of “the profound relationship between our two nations.”

In welcoming Obama formally, Israeli President Shimon Peres said the visit, which Obama put off during his first term in the White House, is a demonstration of “the profound relationship between our two nations.”

“From the depths of our hearts, from the depths of our history, toda raba — thank you,” Peres said, adding that Israel wants to live in peace with the Palestinians and all Arab nations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Obama “for standing by Israel at this time of historic change in the Middle East” and affirming its “unequivocal right” to defend itself, a tacit reference to the growing threat Netanyahu believes is posed by Iran’s uranium-enrichment program.

“The need for our alliance is greater than ever,” Netanyahu said, also adding that “we seek a peace with our Palestinian neighbors.”

Obama is packing much into his visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank over three days. His goal is primarily remedial, fixing his sometimes poor relations with Israeli and Palestinian leaders as a precursor, perhaps, to a new U.S.-led push for peace talks. John F. Kerry, his new secretary of state, is accompanying him on the trip.

This story bothers me for a couple of reasons. I hate to see the President pander to AIPAC, especially after Benjamin Netanyahu disrespected him and basically endorsed Mitt Romney for President. Like his predecessors, President Obama unconditionally supports for Israel. Yet, his critics are still not satisfied. Instead of standing up to his critics, Obama decided to tap dance for Israel and shine Netanyahu's shoes.

During the trip, the President will reiterate and emphasize America's unwaivering support of Israel. America has squandered billions of dollars financing Israeli occupation and terrorism. At the same time, America never has enough money for the poor and the elderly at home. America never has enough to rebuild its infrastructure. America never has enough money to improve crumbling urban schools. Yet, America always has plenty of money to build Israel's arsenal of death and destruction.

Even more disturbing, this trip appears to be laying the groundwork for military action against Syria and Iran. 10 years after the Iraq fiasco, the war hawks are essentially pressuring the President to take military action against Iran and Syria. The last thing that the US needs to do is get involved in another armed conflict. It would be horrific and ironic if Nobel Peace Prize winner, Barack Obama, invades Syria based on the same sketchy rationale used to justify Bush's idiotic invasion of Iraq.

Thousands of US troops and Iraqi civilians were killed because of a lie. Many people are missing limbs because of a lie. Many people are paralyzed because of a lie. America's standing in the world is diminished because of a lie. I sincerely hope that President Obama does not repeat Bush's mistake.

Finally, the trip highlights the fact that the President has done very little to negotiate peace in the Middle East. The American people, the Israeli people and the Palestinian people do not need any more eloquent speeches and photo ops. We need peace.

Howard Students Make A Difference In The Community

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:24:00 +0000

Shout out to Khyla Craine

Many moons ago, I went to Howard University. Under the leadership of April Silver and Ras Baraka, we took over the Administration Building and demanded that racist Republican strategist Lee Atwater be removed from the university's Board of Trustees. As a result of our efforts, he resigned and the University implemented some reforms.

I am proud that Howard's legacy of activism continues today. Instead of hanging out on the beach partying and getting wasted, Howard students are spending their spring break serving communities plagued by poverty and violence. That spirit of activism and service gives me hope for the future.

The Violence Will Never Stop!

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:39:00 +0000

Over the past week, two sickening tragedies occurred. The first one is the killing of six month old Jonylah Watkins. The Huffington Post reports that:

The 6-month-old infant girl shot five times on Chicago's South Side Monday died in the hospital Tuesday morning.

Jonylah Watkins was rushed to Comer Children's Hospital Monday afternoon in serious-to-critical condition after being shot in the 6500 block of South Maryland Avenue in the city's Woodlawn neighborhood around 12:48 p.m. Her father, Jonathan Watkins, had been changing her diaper in the front passenger seat of a Chevy Venture minivan when a gunman approached them and opened fire. He fled in a waiting van.

Jonylah had sustained wounds in her lung, liver, leg, shoulder and bowel or intestine, according to DNAinfo Chicago, and had undergone at least five hours of surgery.

The second story is the police killing of Kimani Gray. The Huffington Post reports that:

Carol Gray, her head wrapped in a black scarf and her tearful eyes concealed by sunglasses, held up a photograph of her 16-year-old son, who was shot and killed by police.

The picture revealed a grinning boy wearing a blue cap and gown, his arms wrapped around his mother. It was taken the day he graduated from middle school.

"He was slaughtered," Gray told a room filled with reporters. "And I want to know why."

Gray held a sorrowful press conference on Thursday to talk about her son, Kimani Gray, the kid nicknamed Kiki, who died on Saturday night after being shot seven times by two police officers. Police say the plainclothes officers opened fire after Gray pointed a gun at them.

A .38-caliber revolver purchased in Florida was recovered from the scene.

Gray was killed in front of his best friend's house as he left a Sweet 16 birthday party, said his grieving mother, who doesn't believe he could have pointed a gun at police.

"Today was very hard," she said, and paused for a long moment before she was able to finish the sentence. "I had to choose the color of the casket that I wanted."

The teenager's death has provoked outrage in East Flatbush, the working-class area of Brooklyn where he lived and died, a place that is among the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. Long-simmering resentment against the police officers who patrol these streets has erupted into violence in recent days, with 46 people arrested in the most recent protest on Wednesday night.

Inner city violence and police brutality are twin evils that plague our communities. They are symbiotic and seemingly permanent. No matter who is in the White House, the state house, or the city hall, those evils continue to exist. Under Democrats and Republicans, those problems continue to exist. After all the prayer vigils, marches, rallies, speeches, punditry and even rebellions, inner city violence and police brutality continue to exist. Since the 1980s, we have been talking about stopping the violence. Since forever, we have been fighting to end police brutality.

Every day, from Baltimore to Chicago to Los Angeles, we hear about the shooting and killing of another black youth by another black youth. It is so routine and regular that we become emotionally numb to it. We expect it like we expect the sun to raise. When these young brothers and sisters die, there are no national photo ops. When these young brothers and sisters die, there are no national calls for gun control. Our communities are an afterthought.

The victims are usually killed by their own "brothers and sisters". Although they are not killed by white racist skinheads and KKK members, they are killed by institutionalized racism, unemployment, poverty, inferior education, ignorance and benign neglect combined with the influx of guns and narcotics. As long as those problems remain unabated, inner city violence will persist.

Only a couple of months after the death of Hadiya Pendleton, Chicago gang violence has taken another precious life. At the tender age of 6 months, Jonylah Warkins' life was snuffed out by gangsters. Not even the babies are safe in this cold violent world. In the movies, even the gangsters have a code. They do not kill children. In real life, they don't give a damn.

Such senseless violence perpetuates the stereotype that black men are inherently violent and dangerous. Unlike white people, we are not judged as individuals. We are judged and punished as a collective. After Newtown, Columbine, Aurora, Oklahoma City and all the other massacres committed by white males, police did not start profiling white men.

However, racial profiling is an immutable part of the black experience. African Americans are viewed as thugs, gangsters, killers and drug dealers. Sadly, that perception is fueled by media. Every day on the news, we are bombarded with images of black men as criminal suspects. We see black men being put in shackles like slaves. We hear about black male suspects killing innocent children like Hadiya Pendleton and Jonylah Watkins. All of those things make the public in general and the police in particular fear the black man. Such perceptions breed police misconduct and brutality. They give the police a license to stop, frisk, humiliate and kill black people. As long as those conditions exist, the cycle of violence will never stop. We continue to read about the Kimani Grays, Sean Bells, Amadou Diallos, Rodney Kings and Oscar Grants.

John Brennan's Appointment Exposes the Democrats' Hypocrisy

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:40:00 +0000

“If they come for me in the morning, they will come for you in the night.”
Angela Y. Davis

As reported in the Washington Post,

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) forced Washington slightly off its axis Thursday after he filibustered President Obama’s pick to head the CIA. The rare “talking filibuster” generated extraordinary scrutiny of the Obama administration’s drone-strike program and revealed some surprising divisions and alliances on Capitol Hill over the president’s anti-terrorism tactics overseas.

The filibuster culminated in the Senate confirmation of John O. Brennan to be director of the CIA by a vote of 63 to 34. But it scrambled the usual partisan landscape in the Capitol, with some Republican lawmakers attacking Paul for criticizing the president, while liberals and Democrats praised him. Of the 81 votes to end the filibuster, 28 were from Republicans, 13 of whom also voted to confirm Brennan.

The filibuster began Wednesday afternoon and lasted for nearly 13 hours, ending after midnight on Thursday. Paul was demanding that the White House clarify that it would not use aerial drones on U.S. soil to kill American citizens suspected of terrorism — a point on which he felt the administration had not been sufficiently clear.

Brennan’s nomination forced the administration to be more forthcoming about its secretive drone operations, which have devastated al-Qaeda’s core leadership in Pakistan and have been expanded to target affiliated groups in Yemen and Somalia.

...Brennan, a CIA veteran and former station chief in Saudi Arabia, has served as Obama’s principal counterterrorism adviser for the past four years and one of the chief architects of the program that has emerged as the spy agency’s signature counterterrorism tactic. The Brennan nomination brought unprecedented scrutiny to the administration’s use of drones to kill terrorist suspects overseas, and in recent days critics have questioned whether it could be imported to the United States to target American terrorism suspects at home.

A still-theoretical discussion about the domestic use of armed drones emerged in recent days from congressional demands to review Justice Department legal opinions that justified the 2011 drone killing in Yemen of Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen.

Brennan supported torture. He is the architect of the drone program. For more information, read the Salon article entitled 5 Terrifying Facts About John Brennan. I am deeply disappointed that only a few progressives opposed Brennan's nomination. His appointment exposes the Democrats' hypocrisy. It is hypocritical to oppose one policy under Bush and then support the same policy under Obama. Sadly, that is exactly what some liberals have done.

During the Bush Administration, progressives marched in the streets and on the White House demanding an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They marched against America's drone policy. Some continue to protest. Prominent Democrats, including candidate Obama, voiced opposition to the Iraq war. In fact, many progressives voted for Obama because of his opposition to the Iraq war.

After Obama's election, most liberals became pacified and unconscious. Basically, the peace movement in America is dead. Except for a few fringe groups like Code Pink, many so-called liberals don't care about the drone program as long as Obama is the Commander-in-Chief. They don't care about the President having the power to kill Americans abroad, and possibly at home, without evidence or trial. They do not care about the government violating citizens' due process rights. They don't care about the drones killing innocent men, women and children in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and other countries around the world. They don't care about military intervention in Libya, Syria and other countries.

Some of them attempt to promote group think by demonizing and isolating anyone who has the audacity to question Obama's kill policy and Brennan's appointment. In addition, they desperately try to change the subject by demanding that people talk about Chris Dorner, the LAPD and police brutality. Those important issues should be thoroughly discussed by the media as well. However, Obama's kill policy must be discussed as well. It cannot be ignored.

Throughout our history, African Americans have been denied due process of law. Too often, police officers kill black people without evidence or trial. Clearly, we should be the last people to support Obama's kill policy. It is sickening to see so many African Americans support this unconscionable policy. It is appalling to see so many remain silent. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., there comes a time when silence is betrayal. That time is now.

Have they forgotten about all the African American leaders summarily executed during the Cointelpro era? Have they forgotten about the killing of Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Fred Hampton, Mark Clark and many others?

Today, Obama is in the White House. We may trust his judgment. But, what about the precedent being created? What about future presidents who may be even more militaristic? Today, Middle Eastern, Muslim men are the target. Tomorrow, it could be you. As Pastor Niemoller said in First They Came After the Jews,

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Now that Brennan's appointment is a done deal, we must speak out and demand more legislative and judicial oversight of the drone program.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

The Voting Rights Act is Not A Racial Entitlement

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:29:00 +0000

Last week, during oral arguments for Shelby County v. Holder, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Scalia made the following controversial comments:

"The problem here, however, is suggested by the comment I made earlier, that the initial enactment of this legislation in a -- in a time when the need for it was so much more abundantly clear was -- in the Senate, there -- it was double-digits against it. And that was only a 5-year term.

Then, it is reenacted 5 years later, again for a 5-year term. Double-digits against it in the Senate. Then it was reenacted for 7 years. Single digits against it. Then enacted for 25 years, 8 Senate votes against it.

And this last enactment, not a single vote in the Senate against it. And the House is pretty much the same. Now, I don't think that's attributable to the fact that it is so much clearer now that we need this. I think it is attributable, very likely attributable, to a phenomenon that is called perpetuation of racial entitlement. It's been written about. Whenever a society adopts racial entitlements, it is very difficult to get out of them through the normal political processes."

Justice Scalia's dismissive and condescending remarks are highly offensive for three reasons. First, the term" racial entitlements" implies that the Voting Rights Act ('VRA") is a voluntary handout to an undeserving people.

That outlook negates our history and our struggle for voting rights. We must never forget our history. Never. The VRA is written in our blood. Africans did not come to this country on the Mayflower. We did not voluntarily immigrate to this country. We were kidnapped and brought to this nation in chains. We were not citizens. We were property like a horse or cow. In fact, farm animals were treated with more respect and dignity than black people.

White supremacy was the only real racial entitlement system in America. By law, the white man was entitled to rape, beat and kill black people with impunity. In the words of the Dred Scott decision, the black man did not have any rights that the white man was bound to recognize.

After slavery, Congress passed the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. Those laws granted us citizenship rights. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery. The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed due process rights and equal protection under the law. The Fifteenth Amendment guaranteed all citizens the right to vote.

Despite the enactment of those crucial Constitutional Amendments, the forces of white supremacy used outright terrorism and Jim Crow laws to deprive African Americans of the right to vote and other basic civil and human rights. White racists did everything in their power to ensure that only white people were entitled to vote. The former states of Confederacy used poll taxes and so-called literacy tests to disenfranchise African Americans. Such tactics maintained the racist white power structure in the South with an iron fist.

We fought to end such racist practices. We marched and litigated. In response, police officers brutally beat us with batons and unleashed vicious dogs on us. The dogs bit us and ripped our clothes and flesh. To extinguish our hope, firemen used powerful blasts of cold water to slam us against buildings and throw us down the street. In addition to police brutality, we were victims of domestic terrorism. Terrorists assassinated civil rights activists like Medger Evers and countless others.

As a result of our struggle and sacrifice, Congress enacted the VRA to fulfill the broken promises of the Fifteenth Amendment. It was not a racial entitlement. Section 2 of the VRA prohibits discriminatory voting laws. Section 5 requires jurisdictions with a history of discriminating against African Americans to obtain preclearance from the Department of Justice and/or the United States District Court for the District of Columbia prior to enacting any changes in their voting laws.

Second, Scalia's comments suggest that Section 5 is unwarranted and unnecessary. VRA's effectiveness is unquestionable. It is evident by the increased black voter registration and participation rates. It is clear by the astronomical increase in the number of African American elected officials on the local, state and federal level. The election and reelection of President Obama, the nation's first African American President, epitomizes the VRA's success. However, the U.S. Senate remains virtually all white. Moreover, there have been very few black governors. Those are clear reminders that America still has a long way to go.

Section 5 is essential. Unlike Section 2, Section 5 prevents discrimination before it occurs. It saves plaintiffs the time and expense of trial. It places the burden on former Jim Crow states to demonstrate that their proposed voting laws changes will not adversely impact minority voters.

Shelby County, the petitioner, is prime example of why we still need Section 5. As Justice Sotomayer pointed out during oral arguments, the County had 240 discriminatory voting laws blocked by Section 5 and numerous violations remedied by Section 2 litigation. During oral arguments, Justice Kagan noted that the successful Section 2 litigation rate is four times higher in the covered jurisdictions than the rate in the non-covered jurisdictions. Again, that is more proof that Section 5 is still necessary.

Contrary to the Justice Scalia's assertions, Section 5 was not reauthorized for purely cynical political reasons. In 2006, Congress reviewed an extensive record, conducted hearings and determined that Section 5 was still necessary. Instead of respecting the role of the legislative branch and extending due deference, Justice Scalia and the other conservative justices question the findings and motives of Congress. If that is not judicial activism, I don't know what is. Where are those conservatives who usually love to complain about judicial activism?!?

As Congress did, we must realize that racism is not dead. As LDF attorney Debo Adegbile asserted during oral arguments, some white Alabama legislators in 2011 referred to African American voters as "illiterates" and "aborigines". Most of the time, racism is less overt. It is covert. It has evolved and adapted to the times. Poll taxes and literacy tests have been replaced with restrictive voter ID laws, voter purges, ending early voting, documentary proof of citizenship requirements, restrictions on voter registration and deliberate noncompliance with the National Voter Registration Act. Such modern day tactics are designed to suppress minority voters. As reported by Think Progress, Republican politicians in Florida, one of the states covered under Section 5, admitted that such laws are designed to suppress minority voters.

Section 5 is an effective tool to address this new covert form of racism. In 2012, Section 5 prevented states such as Texas and South Carolina from enacting restrictive voter ID laws. Without the safeguards of Section 5, such voter suppression and dilution tactics will escalate in the South and throughout the other covered jurisdictions.

Finally, Scalia's statements imply that only minorities benefit from Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Section 5 benefits the entire nation. It has enabled this country to get closer to fulfilling its democratic ideals. It protects all citizens' rights to participate in the electoral process. Such competition and involvement helps produce the best form of government. In sum, Section 5 is not a racial entitlement. It is a remedy to racial entitlement.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Zora Ball, Youngest Person to Create a Mobile App Video Game

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:07:00 +0000

Good morning family. I am going to use this blog to highlight positive stories about African American achievements. Here is such a story. The Grio reports that:

Seven-year-old Zora Ball has become the youngest person to create a full-version mobile video game application.

The Philadelphia native presented her new app at University of Pennsylvania’s “Bootstrap Expo,” reports the Philadelphia Tribune.

Ball attends Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School, located in West Philadelphia.

Harambee is where Ball learned the Bootstrap programming language through the after-school program STEMnasium Learning Academy.