New Possibilities

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.

Obama Spoke the Truth in Chicago!

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 19:36:00 +0000

After the death of Hadiya Pendleton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Min. Louis Farrakhan and many other activists urged President Obama to come to Chicago and address the problem of gang violence. Following such calls, First Lady Michelle Obama attended Hadiya Pendleton's funeral and invited Hadiya's mother to attend the State of the Union. President Obama wrote a letter to Hadiya's family, mentioned Hadiya during his State of the Union address and traveled home to Chicago to speak about violence and poverty. This is a prime example how the voices of the people can make a difference.

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

As the Chicago Tribune reports:

President Barack Obama returned to Chicago for a few hours Friday to address the high-profile gun violence that continues to plague his hometown and suggested the solution is not only more gun laws, but community intervention and economic opportunity in impoverished neighborhoods.

The president didn't delve into his specific call for an assault weapons ban and other gun control measures, instead choosing to illustrate Chicago's plight by comparing it to the December elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., where 20 children and six adults were shot.

"There was something profound and uniquely heartbreaking and tragic, obviously, about a group of 6-year-olds being killed," Obama told an audience in the gymnasium of Hyde Park Academy High School, less than a mile from his home. "But last year, there were 443 murders with a firearm on the streets of this city, and 65 of those victims were 18 and under. So that's the equivalent of a Newtown every four months."

The president's visit brought a national and international spotlight on Chicago's gun violence. Emanuel sought to make the case Chicago's struggles aren't particular to this city.

"Like every major city in the country, Chicago faces two critical challenges: the strength of our schools and the safety of our streets. Our streets will only be as safe as our schools are strong and our families are sound," Emanuel said.

But the president brought the violence issue back to the city's streets, talking about the impact the shooting death of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton has had on him and first lady Michelle Obama, who attended the band majorette's funeral last weekend. Hadiya was shot in Harsh Park in North Kenwood after returning from Chicago from inauguration weekend festivities.

The teen's mother, Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, joined the 700 or so students, politicians and religious leaders in the audience, sitting with a group of other mothers of slain children.

During his speech, President Obama said that:

"No law or set of laws can prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. When a child opens fire on another child, there is a hole in that child's heart that government can't fill. Only community and parents and teachers and clergy can fill that hole...There are entire neighborhoods where young people, they don't see an example of somebody succeeding. For a lot of young boys and young men in particular, they don't see an example of fathers or grandfathers or uncles who are in a position to support families and be held up and respected. And so, that means this is not just a gun issue... Nothing that would be more important for us reducing violence than strong stable families. We should do more to promote marriage."

Some progressives take issue with the President talking about fatherhood and marriage. After some reflection, I don't. I strongly sympathized with the President when he said, "I wish I had a father who was around and involved." It may be uncomfortable to hear, but the President is speaking the truth about fatherhood and community. Although the presence of strong fathers in the home is not a solution to all of the problems plaguing the black community, strong fathers and strong mothers together forge strong communities. Please stop pretending that fathers don't matter.

Without love, support and guidance from family and community, all of the government programs in the world will not save our children. Even if the schools have equal funding and resources, students will not succeed if they do not value education. If even if there are jobs available for our young people, without the proper guidance and values, many of them will continue to chose dealing drugs over legitimate lower paying jobs. When the family is absent, many young people turn to gangs to fill that void. Gangs give them that missing sense of identity, brotherhood and manhood. Without strong and positive men in their lives, many young men turned to thugs, gangsters and dealers as role models to emulate.

Today's popular mainstream hip hop music reinforces and perpetuates this self-destructive behavior. Many hip hop songs feed and glorify gangs, violence, drug use and drug selling. Instead of instilling pride and celebrating true African American heroes, mainstream rap idolizes notorious drug dealers like Big Meech, Larry Hoover and Frank Lucas. That ignorance is epitomized by the controversy regarding Lil Wayne's despicable lyrics referencing Emmett Till. Unfortunately, many young people have more respect for a minstrel like Lil Wayne than they do for the President of the United States.

The broken families and degenerate music are not the only problems in the black community. The churches and mosques have failed our communities as well. Sadly, too many religious leaders are more concerned about building beautiful cathedrals and large congregations than they are about building our communities. Instead of concentrating on enriching their bank accounts, our religious leaders must focus on saving souls and lives. So, yes. The President is correct for stressing the importance of family, community and clergy.

The President also realizes that government is vital to remedying the problems haunting urban areas. Although Obama did not use the words "black" or "African American", that speech focused on the Black Agenda. He described a multifaceted approach to addressing violence and poverty in the black community. He began by urging Congress to pass reasonable gun control laws. Further, the President talked about "building ladders of opportunities for everybody willing to climb it." Then, he talked about reforming child support laws to get more men working and engaged with their children. The President acknowledged that men without jobs will not be present and financially supportive.

Many of us have urged the President to develop targeted plans to specifically ameliorate the problems of high unemployment and poverty in the black community. Last night, Obama made steps in the right direction. He talked about creating tax incentives to encourage businesses to invest and hire in struggling urban communities like Chicago. Such businesses would bring jobs and opportunities to economically depressed black communities. The President also talked about increasing the minimum wage. Such an increase will substantially benefit poor people who are disproportionately African American. The President talked about creating jobs through construction projects building affordable housing and repairing dilapidated buildings in blighted urban communities.

Finally, the President talked about ensuring that every child receives a quality preschool education. He went on to describe his plan to reform high school education. His proposed reforms would give students the necessary skills to obtain good jobs upon graduation. In the words of Malcolm X, "education is the passport to the future." Providing quality education is the best way to fight crime.

Instead of wasting precious time debating about marriage and fatherhood, we should join the President and support his education, minimum wage, jobs and gun control initiatives.

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

African History Before Slavery

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:43:00 +0000

African history did not begin with slavery and colonialism. Before the oppressor invaded and plundered our lands, we built magnificent civilizations. Africa is the cradle of the human civilization. We should read books by great African scholars like Ivan Van Sertima, Chancellor Williams, Dr. John Henry Clarke and Dr. Chiekh Anta Diop.

In the National Geographic article entitled the Black Pharoahs, we get a brief glimpse of black civilization's glorious past. The author writes:

Piye was the first of the so-called black pharaohs—a series of Nubian kings who ruled over all of Egypt for three-quarters of a century as that country’s 25th dynasty. Through inscriptions carved on stelae by both the Nubians and their enemies, it is possible to map out these rulers’ vast footprint on the continent. The black pharaohs reunified a tattered Egypt and filled its landscape with glorious monuments, creating an empire that stretched from the southern border at present-day Khartoum all the way north to the Mediterranean Sea. They stood up to the bloodthirsty Assyrians, perhaps saving Jerusalem in the process.

Until recently, theirs was a chapter of history that largely went untold. Only in the past four decades have archaeologists resurrected their story—and come to recognize that the black pharaohs didn’t appear out of nowhere. They sprang from a robust African civilization that had flourished on the southern banks of the Nile for 2,500 years, going back at least as far as the first Egyptian dynasty.

Today Sudan’s pyramids—greater in number than all of Egypt’s—are haunting spectacles in the Nubian Desert. It is possible to wander among them unharassed, even alone, a world away from Sudan’s genocide and refugee crisis in Darfur or the aftermath of civil war in the south. While hundreds of miles north, at Cairo or Luxor, curiosity seekers arrive by the busload to jostle and crane for views of the Egyptian wonders, Sudan’s seldom-visited pyramids at El Kurru, Nuri, and Meroë stand serenely amid an arid landscape that scarcely hints of the thriving culture of ancient Nubia.

#SOTU13, Highlights and Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Last night, the President gave his State of the Union address.
My top five favorite moments from the State of the Union address were when:

1. The President said that the Newtown victims, Hadiya Pendleton, Gabby Griffords and other victims of gun violence deserve a vote.

2. The President said that he is going to form a non-partisan commission to address voting problems such as voters waiting in line for hours to cast their ballots.

3. The President mentioned ways to address poverty, i.e. increasing the minimum wage and making sure that quality pre-school education is available to all children regardless of family income. Obama proposed creating high school programs that would enable students to graduate with associate degrees.

4. The President said that he would end the war in Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

5. The President mentioned proposed legislation to eliminate the wage gap between men and women.

My top five questions for the President and Congress are:

1. Why is the U.S. waiting until the end of 2014 to leave Afghanistan? Al Qaeda is defeated in Afghanistan.

2. Will Congress pass any of the President's bold ideas? For example, President Obama has been talking about rebuilding American's infrastructure and closing tax loopholes for years. Yet, Congress has done nothing.

3. Is the Obama Administration going to continue to use drones to kill Americans without evidence or trial? The President conveniently glossed over that major issue with vague generalities and flowery pleasantries.

4. Does Obama plan to implement austerity measures such as cutting Medicaid and Medicare? The President talked about the need for compromise and about neither party getting everything that it wants. I just hope that he does not compromise too much.

5. Why did Obama deliberately avoid using the words "black" and "African American"? Obama directly addresses the needs of women, LGBTs and Latinos. However, when it comes to his most loyal supporters, African Americans, he has to communicate to us in code language. Why?

Any way, what did you think about the President's State of the Union address?

Our History of Armed Resistance

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:33:00 +0000

"Arms and arms with arms, we fight this little struggle." Bob Marley

Good morning family. In celebration of African History Month, lets honor our ancestors, the brave men and women who took up arms to fight for liberation, those who sacrificed their precious lives for the cause, those who had the audacity to hope in the face of hell on earth. We must cherish our martyrs and remember our battles year around.

I Have A Drone: Obama's License to Kill Americans Without Evidence or Trial

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:38:00 +0000

"The problem with always being a conformist is that when you try to change the system from within. It's not you who changes the system. It's the system that will eventually change you." Immortal Technique

Yesterday, NBC reported that:

A confidential Justice Department memo concludes that the U.S. government can order the killing of American citizens if they are believed to be “senior operational leaders” of al-Qaida or “an associated force” -- even if there is no intelligence indicating they are engaged in an active plot to attack the U.S.

The 16-page memo, a copy of which was obtained by NBC News, provides new details about the legal reasoning behind one of the Obama administration’s most secretive and controversial polices: its dramatically increased use of drone strikes against al-Qaida suspects abroad, including those aimed at American citizens, such as the September 2011 strike in Yemen that killed alleged al-Qaida operatives Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan. Both were U.S. citizens who had never been indicted by the U.S. government nor charged with any crimes.

The secrecy surrounding such strikes is fast emerging as a central issue in this week’s hearing of White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan, a key architect of the drone campaign, to be CIA director. Brennan was the first administration official to publicly acknowledge drone strikes in a speech last year, calling them “consistent with the inherent right of self-defense.” In a separate talk at the Northwestern University Law School in March, Attorney General Eric Holder specifically endorsed the constitutionality of targeted killings of Americans, saying they could be justified if government officials determine the target poses “an imminent threat of violent attack.”

But the confidential Justice Department “white paper” introduces a more expansive definition of self-defense or imminent attack than described by Brennan or Holder in their public speeches. It refers, for example, to what it calls a “broader concept of imminence” than actual intelligence about any ongoing plot against the U.S. homeland.

Michael Isikoff, national investigative correspondent for NBC News, talks with Rachel Maddow about a newly obtained, confidential Department of Justice white paper that hints at the details of a secret White House memo that explains the legal justifications for targeted drone strikes that kill Americans without trial in the name of national security.

“The condition that an operational leader present an ‘imminent’ threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future,” the memo states.

The United States claims to be a model democracy, a beacon of light for the world to follow. The rule of law is a fundamental concept in a democratic society. All citizens are supposed to be entitled to due process and equal protection under the law. The accused are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty.

In the post 9/11 world, America has declared war not only against terrorism. She has declared war against her own cherished values. Under the Bush Administration, the United States lost it standing in the world for several reasons. The U.S. launched an unnecessary and costly war in Iraq based upon the false claim that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. waged war in Afghanistan. Since the beginning of the Afghan war, U.S. has imprisoned many so-called enemy combatants in Guantanamo Bay and held them indefinitely without charges or trials. Additionally, America used torture against allegedly terrorists. Finally, the Bush Administration deployed drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan to assassinate alleged terrorists. Frequently, those drone attacks killed innocent women and children. In sum, all of those problems tarnished America's image before the world.

Our first African American President, Barack Obama, was elected based on the promises of hope and change. Unfortunately, Obama has continued and even expanded some of the Bush Administration's reprehensible policies, namely the use of drones. He has used drones far more frequently than Bush. Obama is using drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and other countries. As Commander-in-Chief, he is responsible for the deaths of many innocent civilians.

Sadly, most people do not care. The American people are shielded from the grotesque realities of war. Too often, we are presented with an abstract, sanitized, video game type image of war. We do not see the obliterated corpses of innocent women, children and men. If we did, maybe our attitude about the President's use of drones would change. As reported on CNN,

U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan have killed far more people than the United States has acknowledged, have traumatized innocent residents and largely been ineffective, according to a new study released Tuesday.

The study by Stanford Law School and New York University's School of Law calls for a re-evaluation of the practice, saying the number of "high-level" targets killed as a percentage of total casualties is extremely low -- about 2%.

In contrast to more conservative U.S. statements, the Stanford/NYU report -- titled "Living Under Drones" -- offers starker figures published by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, an independent organization based at City University in London.

"TBIJ reports that from June 2004 through mid-September 2012, available data indicate that drone strikes killed 2,562 - 3,325 people in Pakistan, of whom 474 - 881 were civilians, including 176 children. TBIJ reports that these strikes also injured an additional 1,228 - 1,362 individuals," according to the Stanford/NYU study.

Based on interviews with witnesses, victims and experts, the report accuses the CIA of "double-striking" a target, moments after the initial hit, thereby killing first responders.

Instead of ending terrorism, such actions will only breed more future terrorists.

To make matters worst, the Department of Justice's memo basically gives Obama a license to kill Americans without any evidence, trial or proof of an imminent attack. According to news reports, that license is not necessarily limited to use against Americans abroad. It is possible that the federal government may be able to use such power against Americans here at home. Such power is contrary to America's values. In the words of Kanye West, "no one man should have all that power."

To some people, Obama is like Jesus. They have complete unconditional faith in his judgment. Not me. All men are fallible. We all make mistakes. No one person should be judge, jury and executioner. What about Obama's successors? If we do not act now, it will create a dangerous precedent for future presidents. Imagine if someone like Mitt Romney or some other right wing Republican had that power. How many more innocent people must die before we end this madness? Where is the peace movement?

When George W. Bush was President, large numbers of progressives marched and protested against war. Many progressives oppose senseless wars and the death penalty. Yet, with cult like devotion, many of those so-called "progressives" blindly defend the President's right to kill Americans. That is deeply disturbing and disappointing. Now, only a few people are protesting against the Obama Administration's wars. Hopefully, the release of that Department of Justice memo will wake up the peace movement.

Instead of simply marching and blogging, we should join U.S. Representative Barbara Lee's call. We must urge Congress to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force law. It is time to end this perpetual war. No President, even if he is a Democrat, should be given a blank check to launch undeclared wars around the world.

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

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

What Does Immigration Reform Mean for Black People?

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:14:00 +0000

Good morning family. Yesterday, President Obama urged Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. As reported in the Washington Post,

President Obama on Tuesday put the weight of his administration behind efforts to pass legislation allowing many of the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants to earn citizenship, seeking to build on a rapidly shifting political consensus around the issue.

Obama dedicated the first trip of his second term to calling for an overhaul of immigration laws, making clear that it is one of his top domestic priorities. The president — who has said that not passing an overhaul in his first term was his biggest failure — also suggested he has little patience for Congress and would demand that lawmakers vote on his more permissive plan if they do not swiftly pass their own.

I have a few questions for you. Will these immigration reforms impact the African American community, a community struggling with chronic high unemployment? How? Should we support immigration reform? Why? Why not? The President has prioritized the concerns of Latinos, women and LGBTs. When will he prioritize the black community's concerns? Please share your thoughts.

Is Hillary Clinton Going to Run for President in 2016?

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:07:00 +0000

Good morning family. Last night, 60 Minutes aired a joint interview of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. What did you think about the interview? Do you think that Hillary Clinton is going to run for President in 2016?

Y'all Should Apologize to Spike Lee!

noreply@blogger.com (Anson C. Asaka) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:58:00 +0000

Shout out to Adrian Barrett

Good morning family.

Spike Lee said this...

and tweeted this...

“American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It Was A Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them."

and all hell broke loose. Everybody and their mama threw the brother under the bus. At the same time, those ingrates elevated and honored their white lord and savior, Quentin Tarantino. For weeks, I have been defending Spike Lee online. I thought I was done talking about Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino and Django Unchained.

Then, something happened. Early this morning, I was on Facebook and I saw a powerful Huffington Post article written by Morris W. O'Kelly entitled We Owe Spike Lee a Huge Apology. In his piece, Mr. O'Kelley writes:

Spike Lee doesn't need my help to defend him, but he does deserve our gratitude and respect.

I remember watching Pulp Fiction for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, if not loved it. It is fair to characterize it as a classic piece of American cinema. But that doesn't in any way mitigate the impact or excuse the "Dead N***** Storage" joke(s) in the film. They were unnecessary and wholly arbitrary in nature. They weren't for expository effect or "authenticity."

They were to generate laughs. He got none from me.

Then came Jackie Brown. This time, it was more of the same but for a lesser quality movie. Samuel L. Jackson was once again (like Pulp Fiction) used as the loudspeaker for the supposed humor. In fact, it was used 38 times. Again, not for expository effect or "authenticity" sake, (although Tarantino has argued publicly that the movie was an homage to the Blackxploitation genre in which the word was often used.)

But again... used to generate laughs... and I didn't.

My familiarity with Tarantino's work was neither linear nor chronological in nature. It wasn't until after Jackie Brown that I went back and discovered Reservoir Dogs... and there it is found too. Say it again with me... not for expository effect or "authenticity" sake.

This time it wasn't necessarily for laughs per se, but was used by "Mr. Pink" to specifically degrade and deride as an insult.

This is largely the history of Quentin Tarantino leading up to Django Unchained, a movie whose script was widely circulated in the year prior to its release. Spike Lee read it, I've read and virtually everyone else involved in entertainment had read it long before the movie premiered.

Lee, made it clear that he did not plan to support the movie, finding the whole premise of spaghetti western slave drama to be "disrespectful" to his (and my) ancestors. In response, Lee was criticized and castigated for not having viewed the movie first and for being a "hater," as the reductionist, simple-minded argument would go.

Lee's critique is not, was not and will never be dependent on the "quality" of the movie. It never was about the movie, it's about the very premise. I don't need to actually view "Slavery -- The Broadway Musical" starring Jennifer Hudson to forward the idea that slavery as a musical is wholly disrespectful in its very conception. I don't need to sit through "Slavery - The Daytime Soap Opera" starring Shemar Moore or "Superman The Man of Steel Frees the Negroes" co-starring Flava Flav either to come to this reasonable conclusion....

Lee was called (among other things) a "thug" and "punk" by comedian Dick Gregory and a "conniving and scheming Uncle Tom" by former 2LiveCrew leader Luther Campbell. I respect the former and laugh at the latter. Dick Gregory has a long, undeniable civil rights history, but such a classless rebuke for a film he wasn't in and criticism not directed at him is curious at best. And you also mean to tell me, the man BEST known for debasement of countless women of color and a career of misogyny, Luther Campbell was calling the director of Four Little Girls, When the Levees Broke, Malcolm X, Do the Right Thing and Miracle at St. Anna (producer) an "Uncle Tom?"

That would be laugh-out-loud funny if it weren't so sadly ignorant. Campbell knows about as much about Harriet Beecher Stowe as I do quantum physics.

...As in nothing...

Please read the entire article on Huffington Post. Y'all really should apologize to Spike Lee. Wake up!!!!