Can Bill Cosby Just Go Away? Please!

Why does Bill Cosby get to decide what the measure of blackness is? Seriously, why is this guy's opinion forced upon me?

I had a very heated discussion with a conservative friend the other day about the responsibilities of rappers to the Black community. My friend thought it reprehensible that Jay-Z isn't building schools in Brooklyn or giving significant amounts of money to charity after "making money off those poor Black folks in Marcy projects." Word?

Don't get me wrong I think it would be a beautiful thing if Black people would actually grab the reins and take hold of our destiny as a collective. However, why is the burden always placed on rappers? Why are rappers always held up as a plague on the community for sharing stories of their lives? During the discussion my friend bemoaned Black young men who won't get civil service jobs but will instead hustle because they want fast money. Sigh, really that's the only reason brothers hustle?

I am bewildered by people who have these attitudes. Do they not know that Reagan basically eviscerated all programs that served the inner city in the 80's? Are they unaware that Clinton's welfare reform essentially purged welfare roles of mothers trying to feed their kids? Perhaps they don't understand that Guliani's Stop and Frisk program ensured that Black boys couldn't grow up to be bus drivers because piling on misdemeanors eventually creates a felony record.

I'm all for personal responsibility, but we must acknowledge that the game is fixed.

I was reading a blog and someone mentioned how much money Mr. Cosby gives to Spelman. Aren't there any community colleges or community based college prep programs in West Philly where he is from? I'm sorry where is the school Bill built again?

See, people like my friend and Bill they complain about Black folks. They say we don't raise our children right; we give them silly names, but they never look pass the stats at what's really happening. Jay-Z doesn't control what the corporate-owned radio stations play. Maybe that's why people like me who own the CD's love him and people who have only heard the club bangers hate him. There are jewels there if you listen. There is regret for how fame and fortune were attained. I have issues with his liberal use of the word bitch but I don't like everything about Quentin Tarantino either.

I wonder if Bill Cosby will suggest Barak Obama change his daughters' names given his disparaging parents that name their children Jamal or Sharonda.

Aah Black conservatives...hypocrites wrapped in denial.

I'm not watching him on CNN or MSNBC or wherever he'll be spouting his bullshit. Please email me though and let me know what he says. Maybe a few cabs will drive by him when he leaves the hotel to go to the studio and he'll have an epiphany before he goes on air.

One can hope.

Peace & Blessings

Don't Believe the Hype

Oh media you may fool them but you don't fool me. Try this scenario....Record executive "Hey Kanye, man can you do me a favor? This Taylor Swift is really not blowing up like we want her to. You think maybe at the MTV awards you can pull something outrageous and get her some attention. Thanks man. Hey is it still the same account number? Okay uh Word Up! Peace."

C'mon. While marginally popular for dating, getting dumped and writing pretty good songs about getting dumped by a Jonas brother; who really cared about Taylor Swift prior to last Sunday. Yeah I know, I'm supposed to be outraged, but I know the media. I know how it manipulates all of us. It distracts us so we don't pay attention to what we should. For example, did anyone hear that last month was one of the most deadly in Afghanistan? Of course you didn't. The media would rather you get all worked up about whether or not teabaggers are racist and (Gasp*) Jimmy Carter thinks they are.

Whatever.

You know what? We still don't have universal healthcare and Cuba does. As a matter of fact, their infant mortality rate is better than ours. (I'm tired I'll post the substantiation links later).

Hey, but you go on and be mad at Kanye and download some Taylor Swift. It's all your own idea.

Nobody can put anything over on you.

Where the hell is Dave Chappelle when you need him?!

Hmmm...

I'm going to be hella busy in the next few weeks so I'll only post my random thoughts. Unless I become inspired (as I was tonight) and instead of the three lines I intended to write an entire post emerges.

Hopefully my random thoughts give you pause. Maybe you'll be inspired to look at the world around you in a completely different way. If you're on the wrong side of history now, perhaps you'll get on the right side by the time you're finished reading.

According to census data the population of Amerikka will become increasingly brown over the next twenty years. If you are a member of the demographic that's about to become the minority wouldn't it behoove you to behave better towards our nation's first African American president?

What exactly is the difference between this POTUS asking children to write down what they could do to help the president and JFK saying Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country? Why the hell wasn't this the response from the White House?! Oh that's right, we're democrats. We don't respond to ignorance we ignore it because that worked so well for Bill Clinton in the Whitewater investigation and Al Gore and John Kerry in the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns.

Some parent on the news said that President Obama should not be positioning himself as a role model; only parents should be role models for their children. To which my sister pointed out "Why then when an athlete gets in trouble he should be ashamed because he's a role model?" I suspect that in the minds of the majority, as athletes Black men serve less as role models and more as validation of stereotypes. But I digress.

Rachel Maddow (my current fav) played a snippet of Reagan's 1988 speech to school children. Watch as the beloved Gipper responds to a young lady's question about what he's done to promote diversity by saying he has instituted programs to help Negro schools of higher education.

I'm a rock in an ocean....oh fuck it.

I admire Barak Obama. I admire him because he has carried the mantle of being first with a grace NONE of his detractors could muster. However, after witnessing the latest ridiculous episode; I hope he rethinks post racial. Malcolm said, "If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches there's no progress. If you pull it all the way out, that's not progress. The progress is healing the wound the blow made. And they won't even admit the knife is there.”

I will offer this caution as the majority becomes the minority--there are many good examples of how to nobly gain and sustain equal protection under the law, fair hiring practices, etc. Conversely, there is a wealth of examples from the current majority in vicious, inhumane disrespect and ignorance.

Chickens welcome to your roost.

Fight the power!

Note: MS Word spellcheck marked O-B-A-M-A as a misspelling. Guess what suggested spelling it offered?

I am a rock in an ocean of chaos.

Do You Even Know What Socialism Means?

One of my favorite bloggers notes that racism is always chasing him and while he tries to dodge sometimes he has to stop so he can report on racism's latest affront. While I do feel racism shadows me, stupid walks up and slaps me in the face.

I'm chilling having an adult beverage with an acquaintance when the discussion turns to the healthcare debate. Besides the fact that I was enjoying my cocktail and its affects, I've made the decision not to engage in discussions of politics, religion or Michael Vick with just anybody. So it’s my fault I should have known better. I said something pretty innocuous like "jeez there would be bread lines right now if it weren't for social security, unemployment insurance, welfare etc. Why don't people understand that?" Becky says "Yeah but socialism, whew boy I don't know."

Sigh...I'm a rock in an ocean of chaos. I'm a rock in an ocean of chaos.

I asked Becky "What do you mean socialism?" "Well I mean why should I get the same level of care as a poor person? I work." I'm a rock in an ocean of chaos.

I proceeded to explain (with only a slight edge in my voice--just a slight one I swear) that having healthcare for all would actually RAISE the level of care so that poor people would get the same level of care as the rich. Then I asked what exactly is wrong with everyone getting Donald Trump, Cadillac healthcare. Why should great care be limited to people with money? What kind of Christian nation is this if everyone is more concerned with having more or better than the next guy? (Wait that’s a component of that racism thing too isn't it?)

If the next guy gets swine flu and gets on the subway, BART, or SEPTA, you're going to get swine flu too! Why not make sure the next guy can go for check ups so he doesn't make all of us sick? That's not just Christian that's logic--something rarely employed by the Beckys of the world.

I am a ROCK in an ocean of chaos.

What's unfortunate about this episode is I know she didn't see my point. I'm just some wacky, hippy, liberal.

Becky and her ilk make me want to scream. You can tell them the truth about something. You can hit them with logic. But its all for naught because stupid comforts them and Christianity is just a club they belong to.

I am a rock in an ocean of chaos.

Peace & Blessings