Joe Madison has been honored with the Sharon L. Harrison Memorial Award for Community Service by a Radio Talk Show Host.

C H E C K T H I S O U T

TWO VIEWS OF THE HEALTH CARE PLAN - Helen Burleson

Dear Conductors, These are very interesting assessments of the problems OUR PRESIDENT is having with the health care reform. The first is from one of our Beloved White Conductors, Bob, and the second is from a Black university professor, Dr. Karenga. Both arrive at the same conclusion though expressed in different ways. Please read both carefully and share them, especially with the naive who either do not know, or pretend not to know what all the furor is about. We have got to contact our representatives to give them intelligent and informed reasons why they must fight for the public option so that ALL AMERICANS can enjoy the benefits of quality health and wellness care. The article from Dr. Karenga was sent to me by our Beloved Conductor, Gloria. Helen

From Bob:

When Bush was in the White house NO one made claims that he was Hitler.
Yet he lied about Iraq and we went to war. He took a country that was in
the black and spent so much money on Iraq that we were hopelessly in
the red before he left office. The economy also went into the toilet
because of Iraq and other reason we all know.
Obama comes in says he wants to reform health care and all everyone does
is complain. It doesn't matter what he does people complain.Yet he
campaigned on Health care reform and won 87 % of the votes.
The Republican fight with the Democrats or the democrats fight with the
republican. It doesn't matter NOTHING is getting done.

People the whole world is watching us make asses out of our selves and
laughing at us..... Let's Knock off the crap and give the man the same
respect we would if he were a white man. How can we treat him so
poorly ? We didn't treat Bush this way and Bush lied about war.

For all of you complaining about Health care, if you have it,,, its run
by politics now. When you get older it will be run by the government. It's
called Medicare.

This is why it must be about his race, if not then what ?

From Dr. Karenga:

BLAMING WHITE ANXIETY ON OBAMA:
PROXY PROTESTS AND RACIAL RAGE
Los Angeles Sentinel, 08-20-09, p. A7
DR. MAULANA KARENGA

No one who is honest, serious or sane, can truthfully deny that President Obama has done all he can do, without irreparable damage to his dignity and sense of self, to put Whites at ease about him, his patriotism, his plans and his dedication to a post-racial, post-partisan and truly just America. Not since Dr. Martin Luther King’s initiative to reassure and involve Whites in creating a just and good society, and to offer possibilities and opportunities for redemption of even the most unrepentant racists, have we witnessed such an effort, even given the obvious differences.
During the campaign and after his election, Obama has practiced a judicious racial self-concealment and an office-based distancing from his community at given times to make Whites feel more a part of his project for the country. Moreover, he put aside the expansive multicultural model of government promised, at least for now, and surrounded himself with an abundance and variety of Whites. And he has bowed out and backtracked when they have questioned the text, tone, and appropriateness of his statements, especially where they could be racially misread as an expression of Black anger or “a Black thing” Whites might not understand or appreciate.

And yet there are some Whites who for clear or closeted racial “reasons” will not give him rest, relief or credit and who, as one of their favorite talk-show hosts and heroes has said, are dedicated to discrediting him and making him fail. Thus, in spite of a litany of denials and labored alternative explanations about the intense and aggressive rage and racial rant against his health care proposal, they bear serious signs of proxy protests against him, reflecting the racial antipathy some Whites feel concerning him, and the racial anxiety they have about themselves, current conditions and the future.

There is no need to deny the complex source of their anxiety and rage, i.e., the state of the economy, disinformation, misinformation, self-cultivated unawareness, fear of an uncertain future, real disagreement, “democracy at work”, prior similar patterns of other major policy proposals, and manipulation by Republicans, insurance and pharmaceutical companies and an assortment of right-wing groups. But the essential character of this confrontation and conversation is its rootedness in racial anxiety and antipathy.

Thus, the racial slurs on their signs, their hateful words, and their aggressive behavior are directed not so much against Obama’s health care proposal, but against him. There is a continuing racial rage which began during the campaign and rises out of a sense of loss of power and position to one and others less worthy, a reversal of the social, even natural, order in racialized thinking.

Therefore, it is not simply a town hall rage, but one which is rooted in a larger societal anger and anxiety. It is in the media and the political culture itself—residual, recurrent and continuing racism.

It is in the general criticism of him as “a joker with a chip on his shoulder, creating chaos and crisis, wearing a mask to fool White people”. Others burn Obama in effigy at the rallies, wear guns openly and suggest “the trees of liberty must be watered” with someone’s (?) blood. In this miasmic mix emerge so-called “birthers”, fixated on proving, against all evidence, that Obama is “foreign-born” and thus ineligible and unworthy of being President. Then, too, there are those who ask, as if it had real merit or sensible meaning, “can we still call the White House White with a Black man, indeed a Black family in residence in it?” I’m not sure what more Obama can do to deal with White anxiety and antipathy. In addition to the things mentioned above, he has assured them of their greatness, generosity and capacity for kindness and offered beer for racial bonding at the White House. And he has committed himself and asked us not to remind them of past racial injustice or call current racial injustice by its real name. Furthermore, Obama has spared them the public lectures on personal and communal responsibility he has given us. Indeed, he refuses to engage racial discourse, except on ceremonious occasions to note how far we, as a country, have moved from it. But race still matters and has developed a life of its own, as a social and psychological virus resistant to reason or any remedy, except the struggle for and achievement of deep-rooted social change. The left and liberals have not been as assertive as needed in this debate. This is partially due to a sense that Obama has not fulfilled and even gone back on some of his campaign promises. But as Paul Robeson said, “the battlefront is everywhere. There is no sheltered rear”. Thus, even if we can’t, for good reasons, support Obama in some areas, there are still other areas in which he takes and maintains a progressive stand and there progressives should stand with him in defense and struggle for what is just, good and right in this country and the world.

Such a site of rightful support and struggle is the issue of universal health care. President Obama’s health care proposal carries within it stipulations to alter ways that the insurance companies do business negative to human life and well-being. It would, among other things, bar them from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions; dropping a patient if s/he gets ill; reducing coverage at critical times; increasing without limit out-of-pocket expenses; and placing a cap on the amount of coverage one can have in a year or a lifetime. And it would also cover preventive care, routine check-ups, screening and tests to insure ongoing health and well-being. Moreover, Obama’s “public option”, i.e., government-provided insurance, must remain a part of his proposal. He must not cave in to corporate and right-wing campaigns to discredit it and convince the majority of American Whites, even poor and needy ones, this proposal is bad for them. But it’s White racialized thinking that makes them susceptible to this discrediting. For many, who already have and benefit from Medicare and Medicaid, government sponsored programs, feel compelled to go against their own interests, if it means sharing with the less worthy, the poor and/or people of color.

Again, we must realize the health care struggle is linked to a larger one, the struggle against racial or class dominance of any group, against racialized conceptions and approaches to human life. And it is a struggle to insure the health and well-being of all, and to open up the horizons of history and human possibility in new, elevated and ever-expansive ways. Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach, Chair of The Organization Us, Creator of Kwanzaa, and author of Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle: African American, Pan-African and Global Issues

www.MaulanaKarenga.org www.Us-Organization.org www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org

This is the original text of the bill as it was written by its sponsor and submitted to the House for consideration.

Text of H.R. 1964: National Black Clergy for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS Act of 2009

JOE MADISON TO HOST A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION MARKING PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S 100TH DAY EXCLUSIVELY ON XM RADIO

XM host Joe Madison examines President Obama’s performance and takes a look at the challenges ahead of his presidency

Guests include Rep. James Clyburn, Howard Dean, Rep. Barney Frank, Danny Glover, Louis Gossett Jr., Dick Gregory, Rep. Charles Rangel and Helen Thomas

NEW YORK – April 27, 2009 – SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced it will broadcast “The Power Breakfast,” a special edition of The Joe Madison Show, featuring analysis of President Barack Obama’s first 100-days in office. “The Power Breakfast,” hosted by Joe Madison, will be broadcast on The Power, XM channel 169, on Thursday, April 30 starting at 6 am ET.

For “The Power Breakfast” edition of The Joe Madison Show, Madison has invited congressional leaders, political pundits, celebrity guests and activists to evaluate President Obama’s policies on issues including the economy, homeland security, education, foreign affairs and the state of race relations since his historic election. 20

XM listeners will hear live panel discussions with leading members from the House of Representatives, including Rep. James Clyburn, Majority Whip for the 110th Congress; Rep. John Conyers; Rep. Barney Frank, Chairman of the Financial Services Committee; Rep. Charles Rangel, Chairman of Ways and Means Committee; Rep. Bennie Thompson, Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee; and Rep. Donald Payne, past Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

XM listeners will also hear celebrity activists, including David Banner, Danny Glover, Louis Gossett Jr., Dick Gregory and Ahmir Khalib Thompson (aka, Questlove from The Roots), as well as former DNC Chairman Howard Dean; Janet Langhart Cohen, author, producer and wife of former Secretary of Defense William Cohen; Jonathan Rodgers, President of TV-One; Bill Lucy, Secretary-Treasurer of AFSCME Union; and veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas.

The Joe Madison Show, hosted by Joe “The Black Eagle” Madison, features Madison talking about politics and social activism, challenging the status quo and advocating for people of color ensuring20that they are not undervalued, underestimated, or marginalized. The Joe Madison Show is broadcast exclusively on The Power, XM channel 169, weekday mornings starting at 6 am ET.

XM Radio host Joe Madison is a human and civil rights activist, abolitionist against slavery in Sudan and genocide in Darfur, television commentator, columnist and lecturer. Talkers Magazine recently ranked Joe #12 of the 100 most important radio talk show hosts in America. Joe Madison has combined his role as a civil rights activist and media personality to impact public policy in the nation and around the world.

Obama's Minister Committed "Treason" But When My Father Said the Same Thing He Was a Republican Hero

Posted March 16, 2008 | 04:23 PM (EST)

When Senator Obama's preacher thundered about racism and injustice Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late father -- Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer -- denounced America and even called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr.

Every Sunday thousands of right wing white preachers (following in my father's footsteps) rail against America's sins from tens of thousands of pulpits. They tell us that America is complicit in the "murder of the unborn," has become "Sodom" by coddling gays, and that our public schools are sinful places full of evolutionists and sex educators hell-bent on corrupting children. They say, as my dad often did, that we are, "under the judgment of God." They call America evil and warn of immanent destruction. By comparison Obama's minister's shouted "controversial" comments were mild. All he said was that God should damn America for our racism and violence and that no one had ever used the N-word about Hillary Clinton.

Dad and I were amongst the founders of the Religious right. In the 1970s and 1980s, while Dad and I crisscrossed America denouncing our nation's sins instead of getting in trouble we became darlings of the Republican Party. (This was while I was my father's sidekick before I dropped out of the evangelical movement altogether.) We were rewarded for our "stand" by people such as Congressman Jack Kemp, the Fords, Reagan and the Bush family. The top Republican leadership depended on preachers and agitators like us to energize their rank and file. No one called us un-American.

Consider a few passages from my father's immensely influential America-bashing book A Christian Manifesto. It sailed under the radar of the major media who, back when it was published in 1980, were not paying particular attention to best-selling religious books. Nevertheless it sold more than a million copies.

Here's Dad writing in his chapter on civil disobedience:

If there is a legitimate reason for the use of force [against the US government]... then at a certain point force is justifiable.

And this:

In the United States the materialistic, humanistic world view is being taught exclusively in most state schools... There is an obvious parallel between this and the situation in Russia [the USSR]. And we really must not be blind to the fact that indeed in the public schools in the United States all religious influence is as forcibly forbidden as in the Soviet Union....

Then this:

There does come a time when force, even physical force, is appropriate... A true Christian in Hitler's Germany and in the occupied countries should have defied the false and counterfeit state. This brings us to a current issue that is crucial for the future of the church in the United States, the issue of abortion... It is time we consciously realize that when any office commands what is contrary to God's law it abrogates it's authority. And our loyalty to the God who gave this law then requires that we make the appropriate response in that situation...

Was any conservative political leader associated with Dad running for cover? Far from it. Dad was a frequent guest of the Kemps, had lunch with the Fords, stayed in the White House as their guest, he met with Reagan, helped Dr. C. Everett Koop become Surgeon General. (I went on the 700 Club several times to generate support for Koop).

Dad became a hero to the evangelical community and a leading political instigator. When Dad died in 1984 everyone from Reagan to Kemp to Billy Graham lamented his passing publicly as the loss of a great American. Not one Republican leader was ever asked to denounce my dad or distanced himself from Dad's statements.

Take Dad's words and put them in the mouth of Obama's preacher (or in the mouth of any black American preacher) and people would be accusing that preacher of treason. Yet when we of the white Religious Right denounced America white conservative Americans and top political leaders, called our words "godly" and "prophetic" and a "call to repentance."

We Republican agitators of the mid 1970s to the late 1980s were genuinely anti-American in the same spirit that later Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson (both followers of my father) were anti-American when they said God had removed his blessing from America on 9/11, because America accepted gays. Falwell and Robertson recanted but we never did.

My dad's books denouncing America and comparing the USA to Hitler are still best sellers in the "respectable" evangelical community and he's still hailed as a prophet by many Republican leaders. When Mike Huckabee was recently asked by Katie Couric to name one book he'd take with him to a desert island, besides the Bible, he named Dad's Whatever Happened to the Human Race? a book where Dad also compared America to Hitler's Germany.

The hypocrisy of the right denouncing Obama, because of his minister's words, is staggering. They are the same people who argue for the right to "bear arms" as "insurance" to limit government power. They are the same people that (in the early 1980s roared and cheered when I called down damnation on America as "fallen away from God" at their national meetings where I was keynote speaker, including the annual meeting of the ultraconservative Southern Baptist convention, and the religious broadcasters that I addressed.

Today we have a marriage of convenience between the right wing fundamentalists who hate Obama, and the "progressive" Clintons who are playing the race card through their own smear machine. As Jane Smiley writes in the Huffington Post "[The Clinton's] are, indeed, now part of the 'vast right wing conspiracy.' (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-smiley/im-already-against-the-n_b_90628.html )

Both the far right Republicans and the stop-at-nothing Clintons are using the "scandal" of Obama's preacher to undermine the first black American candidate with a serious shot at the presidency. Funny thing is, the racist Clinton/Far Right smear machine proves that Obama's minister had a valid point. There is plenty to yell about these days.

Frank Schaeffer is a writer and author of "CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back

What Conspiracy? Talk Radio's Roar, From Right & Left

Bill Press is a smart and thoughtful liberal who has had a long and successful career in the TV and radio punditry biz. Yet there he was in Sunday's Post bemoaning the loss of "Obama 1260," the left-leaning Washington talk radio station that morphed into an all-financial advice outlet this week.

The way Press tells it, the loss of that format on WWRC, which had so few listeners it sometimes didn't register at all in the Arbitron ratings, amounts to an unfair allocation of the public airwaves, even a conspiracy to silence voices from the left.

Press is so exercised about this--his syndicated show was, after all, the morning drivetime programming on the station--that he's even calling for the return of the Fairness Doctrine, the long-discarded regulatory scheme by which the federal government prevented radio and TV stations from airing much in the way of controversial political programming.

Despite the passionate desire of some Democrats to see the likes of Rush Limbaugh silenced through regulatory trickery, the fact is that no one is going to restore a set of rules that made no sense when they were erased in 1987 and would be downright absurd in the digital age. More on that in a moment, but first, just a couple of facts:

Much as Press may lament the loss of his Washington outlet, it's simply not even close to true that, as he puts it, with the demise of Obama 1260, "our nation's capital, where Democrats control the House, the Senate and the White House, and where Democrats outnumber Republicans 10 to one, will have no progressive voices on the air."

Yes, the #8-rated station in the market, WMAL (630 AM), airs non-stop conservative talk hosts of the Limbaugh/Sean Hannity/Mark Levin ilk. And another right-wing talk station, WTNT (570 AM), the corporate sister of Obama 1260, will remain on the air despite scoring ratings every bit as anemic as the liberal talkers received.

Michael Baisden has been a reliable supporter
of Barack Obama. (Courtesy of Michael
Baisden)

But Press conveniently left out a plethora of liberal talkers heard every day in this market, from the market's #1 station, WHUR (96.3 FM), which features the Michael Baisden Show, which was a nonstop Obama campaign machine throughout the fall, to the #3 station in the market, Majic 102.3, where the morning host is Tom Joyner, a reliably liberal voice whose lovesong to Obama is currently featured on the station's home page. The liberal lineup includes another all-talk station, WOL (1450 AM), where hosts such as Joe Madison and Al Sharpton dish out just as partisan and powerful a menu of provocative talk as do the yakkers of the right.

Why didn't Press include any of these shows or stations in his rant against the purported domination of the airwaves by conservative voices? Might it be because all of the above hosts are black and their shows air on stations that are black-run and oriented toward a black audience? Blacks are the most devoted radio listeners in this or any other U.S. market. Why are they ignored in the liberal argument that radio is an all-right-wing zone?

But liberal voices on the radio in Washington are not limited to what the industry calls "urban" radio. Pacifica's WPFW (89.3 FM) offers the daily "Democracy Now!" news and commentary program, hosted by Amy Goodman, one of the country's leading left-wing voices, as well as at least five other hours a day of news and talk from a left, and often radical left, perspective. Then there's public radio: Although National Public Radio in recent years has made a concerted and generally successful effort to include more conservative voices in its commentaries and other programming, the fact remains that its audience skews liberal, and that colors many of the call-in and other talk shows on public radio.

As I've argued in a piece on Slate.com, there is yet another oasis of liberal, or at least left libertarian, expression on the radio, and that is the shock jocks and morning zoo shows that are generally not thought of as political programming, but which nonetheless consist of hours and hours of rants on behalf of civil liberties, sexual freedom, and the rights of the little guy against the nation's big corporations and institutions.

So, do Press and like-minded listeners really want a return to the Fairness Doctrine, or are they just jealous that Limbaugh and a couple of other conservative talkers continue to draw strong ratings even as most of the old media lose audience to newfangled communications streams?

Perhaps Press is merely frustrated by the low ratings numbers he and his colleagues draw. Nobody wants to go back to the days when the FCC mandated how and when "opposing voices" might get their moment on the air ("Yes, sir, we'd be glad to put that on the air; would you prefer 4 a.m. on Sunday, or 3 a.m. on Monday?") And nobody wants to return to the bland tripe that aired on most talk stations before the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine opened the airwaves to all voices.

But in the end, the main reason there will be no new Fairness Doctrine is that time and technology have left the old concept of talk radio in the dust. On the Internet, a cacophony of voices ring out, most of them reaching hardly anyone, and nearly all of them being heard only by like-minded people. The real information problem our society faces has nothing to do with one perspective being drowned out by another; rather, our deepening media problem is that we are cleaving into two societies, each with its own, separate version of the truth, each startlingly segregated from the other.

The glory of the new media era is that anyone and everyone can sing out their message. The flip side of that democratic blossoming of voices is that without the scarcity of outlets that once forced us all to share the same information, we can and do drift off into separate realities. Drowning in an ocean of digitalia, we see and hear each other less than ever before.

2009 Inaugural Ball

Guests began arriving early. There are no place cards and no name tags.
Everyone knows everyone else here. Now, there's a grand foursome - Malcolm X
and Betty Shabazz sharing laughs with Martin and Coretta Scott King. Looks like
Hosea Williams refused the limo again, keeping it real. And my goodness; is that
Rosa Parks out there on the dance floor with A. Phillip Randolph? Seated at a
nearby table, Frederick Douglass has a captive audience in W.E.B. DuBois and
Fannie Lou Hamer, and Medgar Evers has just
joined them.

Marian Anderson was asked to sing tonight, but she only agreed to do it if
accompanied by Marvin Gaye, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix. Look, there's
Harriet Tubman. No one knows how she arrived, but there she is. And my guess is
that, when the time comes, no one will see her leave. There's Jackie
Robinson swiftly making his way through the hall as the crowd parts like the Red
Sea to the unmistakable sound of applause. "Run, Jackie, run!"Along
the way he is embraced by Jessie Owens.

Three beautiful young women arrive with their escorts - Schwerner, Goodman
and Chaney. Ms. Viola Liuzzo flew in from Michigan, exclaiming, "I could
not miss this." Richard Pryor promised to be on his best behavior.
"But I can't make any guarantees for Redd Foxx and Moms Mabley,"
he chuckled. Joe Louis just faked a quick jab to the chin of Jack Johnson, who
smiled broadly while slipping it. We saw Billy Eckstine and Nat King Cole greet
Luther Van Dross. James Brown and Josh Gibson stopped at Walter Payton's
table to say hello.

I spotted Congressman Adam Clayton Powell of Harlem having a lively political
discussion with Eldredge Cleaver. Pearl Harbor WWII hero Dorey Miller shared a
few thoughts with Crispus Attucks, a hero of the Revolutionary War. And there is
Madam C.J. Walker talking with Marcus Garvey about exporting goods to Africa.
General Benjamin O. Davis flew into Washington safely with an escort from the
99th Fighter Squadron - better known as The Tuskegee Airman. At the table on the
left are three formidable women - Shirley Chisholm, Sojourner Truth, and Barbara
Jordan - gathered for a little girl-talk... about world politics. As usual, all
the
science nerds seem to have gathered off in a corner, talking shop.

There's Granville T. Woods and Lewis Latimer needling each other about
whose inventions are better. Someone jokingly asked Benjamin Banneker if he had
needed directions to Washington. And George Washington Carver was overheard
asking, "What, no peanuts?"

Dualing bands? Anytime Duke Ellington and Count Basie get together, you knowthe
place will be jumping. Tonight is special, of course, so we have Miles, Dizzy,
and Satchmo sitting in on trumpet, with Coltrane, Cannonball, and Bird on sax.
Everyone's attention is directed to the
dance floor where Bill "Bojangles" Robinson is tap dancing. Right
beside him is Sammy Davis Jr., doing his Bojangles routine. And
behind his back, Gregory Hines is imitating them both. Applause and laughter
abound! The Hollywood contingent has just arrived from the Coast. Led by
filmmaker Oscar Micheau, Paul Robeson, Cana a Lee, and Hattie McDaniel, they
find their way to their tables. DorothyDandridge, looking exquisite in gold
lamé, is seen signaling to her husband, Harold Nicholas, who is standing on the
floor with brother Fayard watching Gregory Hines dance. "Hold me
back," quips Harold, "before I show that youngster how it's
done." Much laughter!

Then a sudden hush comes over the room. The guests of honor have arrived.
The President and Mrs. Obama looked out across the enormous ballroom at all the
historic faces. Very many smiles, precious few dry eyes. Someone shouted out,
"You did it! You did it!" And President Obama replied, "No sir,
you did it; you all - each and every one of you - did it. Your guidance and
encouragement; your hard work and perseverance. .." Obama paused, perhaps
holding back a tear. "I look at your faces - your beautiful faces - and I
am reminded that The White House was built by faces that looked just like yours.

On October 3, 1792, the cornerstone of the White House was laid, and the
foundations and main residence of The White House were built mostly by both
enslaved and free African Americans and paid Europeans. In fact, most of
the other construction work was performed by immigrants, many of whom had not
yet become citizens. Much of the brick and plaster work was performed by Irish
and Italian immigrants. The sandstone walls were built by Scottish immigrants.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that The White House is, ultimately,
The People's House, with each President serving as its steward. Since 1792

The People have trimmed its hedges, mowed its lawn, stood guard at the gate,
cooked meals in the kitchen, and scrubbed its toilet bowls. But 216 years later,
The People are taking it back! "Today, Michelle and I usher in a new era.
But while we and our family look toward the future with so much hope, we know
that we must also acknowledge fully this milestone in our journey. We want to
thank each and every one of you for all you have done to make this day possible.
I stand here before you, humbled and in awe of your accomplishments and
sacrifice, and I will dedicate my Presidency, in your honor, to the principles
of peace, liberty and freedom.

If it ever appears that I'm forgetting that, I know Ican count on you to
remind me."

Then he pointed to me near the stage..."Kenyada, isn't it time for you
to
wake up for work?

Isn't it time for all of us to wake up and get to work?" Suddenly I
awake and sit up in bed with a knowing smile. My wife stirs and sleepily asks
if I'm OK. "I've never been better," I replied, "Never
better. It's gonna be a good day."

A 78 year-old Black Woman's response to Michelle Obama's statement

As a 78 year old American of African descent, I feel compelled to respond to all this "much ado about nothing" when it comes to the statement that Michelle Obama made about the fact that this is the first time in her adult life that she has been proud to be an American.

The country needs to hear this from the Black perspective. Long before I was born, my grandfather Joseph Burleson, owned a considerable amount of land in oil rich Texas .

Because during that era, Blacks could not vote, nor could they contest anything in the courts of the United States ,
my grandfather's land was STOLEN by his White neighbor. My grandfather, who was literate and better educated
than my grandmother, drove to town.

Seeing my grandfather leave, the covetous neighbor asked my grandmother to show him the deed to the property.
He snatched it. She could no t insist that he give it back, nor could she have reported this THEFT to the sheriff because of the fact that Blacks had no rights in the 1800's. The prevailing law at that time was he who held the deed owned the land. Do you think that is something that I am PROUD OF? Right now I should be living off the oil and gas royalties.

In 1934 when my dad drove us to Texas to meet his family, when he stopped to purchase gasoline, his daughters and wife were not allowed to use the washroom. As a man it was easier for him to relieve himself in the bushes, but not for the females. We were, however, reduced to having to go in the bushes, also. Do you think I am PROUD OF THAT?

In 1938 when my oldest sister went to enroll in Hyde Park High School, she was told by the counselor that she did not want to take college preparatory courses, she wanted to study domestic science. Do you think I'm PROUD OF THAT?

When in 1943 my parents attempted to buy the 2 flat at 5338 South Kenwood, where we had lived since 1933,
in Hyde Park, Chicago , IL we were told that we could not buy it because there was a restrictive covenant that said that the property was never to be sold to "Negroes." Do you think I am PROUD OF THAT?

In 1950 when I graduated from college, I was unable to get a job because I was considered "overqualified." the code word for they would not hire me because of my race. All of the want ads called for Japanese Americans or Neisis (the word given to Japanese Americans at that time). Do you think that was something that I should have been PROUD OF?

My cousin's barbershop was bombed in Mississippi in the 50's because he was encouraging Black people to register to vote. His wife who had earned a Masters Degree from Northwestern University lost her position as the principal of the local school because of the voter registration activities. Is that something I should be PROUD OF?

As Senator Obama has previously stated, we have entered the silly season.

Barack Obama is a very rare individual, the likes of whom the world seldom sees. Like most geniuses, they are often misunderstood. They are objects of envy and jealousy. They are suspect because they soar above the average man who does not have the intellectual ability to understand the greatness of special people. They are also targets to be pulled down to the level of the mediocre who cannot stand to see an individual with deep convictions and high standards.

A true Christian loves his fellow man unconditionally.
A true Christian wants the best and tries to bring out the best in his fellow man.
A true Christian wants to unite and bring the world together in peace and harmony.

This is what Senator Obama stands for; but, unfortunately, he has had to get off point to answer these false charges, innuendoes, and just plain lies. We are in the presence of an angel unaware in Senator Barack Obama, and this country needs him, more than he needs us. He is the only person at this time in history who can restore respect for America with the worlds' people. Because of his family background, the influence of his beloved mother who instilled great values in him, the influence of his absent father who vicariously inspired a son to go to Harvard.

Like, Michelle Obama, after living in this country all of my 78 years, loving my country and not understanding why my country has not loved me, I now for the first time in my adult life feel PROUD OF MY COUNTRY because I sense a maturing, a recognition of talent and character, and not color, and a field of candidates aspiring to lead this nation coming from very diverse backgrounds of gender, religious beliefs, national origin, ethnicity, age and experiences.
This to me is the HOPE that America is coming into her own and will begin to CHANGE and will embrace the philosophy upon which this country was founded, where all men are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Now I truly believe, YES WE CAN!

Why America Can't Get Beyond Race

By Trish , Pensito Review
Posted on March 20, 2008, Printed on March 21, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://www.pensitoreview.com/80311/

Obama's speech on race made me think back to what I was doing five years ago. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a visiting professor at the University of North Florida, and offered a class to non-students which I was lucky enough to attend.

It was the eve of war, and all his comments were filtered through that certainty. We had some slight hope that Bush would back down, that the U.N. might somehow stop him, but we knew what was most likely coming.

But that's another subject. The class was on Tutu's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which helped South Africa end apartheid without massive spilling of white blood, an alternative most South African whites never thought possible. The Truth and Reconciliation process involved first confronting what took place, allowing victims to speak their truth and requiring oppressors to hear it, arriving at punishments that acknowledge no one is beyond God's ability to redeem, and reparations that restore dignity and compensate for loss on the part of those who were mistreated.

American blacks and whites, who filled the room, listened to this description and avoided eye contact with people in the next seat. They wondered why race is just under the surface of everything in this country, and how this continues to be the case when slavery and reconstruction are so long past. Someone finally found the nerve to ask Tutu why things are different here.

"In South Africa, we knew they intended to clobber us, and you had to deal with that and find ways to defend yourself and to survive. Here, there seemed to be a kind of conspiracy. And I have come to the conclusion that it seems to me that you are not going to be able to have normal relationships until you come to terms with the legacy of slavery and what happened to Native Americans. There seems to be a pain that is sitting in the pit of the tummy of almost all African Americans and Native Americans," Tutu said.

No, we haven't come to terms with it. Like Obama said in his speech, white people today, who never personally owned another person, can't understand why they should be held responsible for what was done in the past. And black people can't understand why we don't get their anger.

Obama's speech, even with all the attention it got, is underestimated because what people really wanted to hear was whether he denounced his pastor enough. They regarded everything else as just a backdrop for his anticipated but not delivered "apology." Instead, he gave us nothing less than the whole shooting match, folks.

The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through -- a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.

Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote, "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past."

We need this guy. This country is stuck, and it's going to stay that way until we do what Tutu and Obama urge. As long as we continue to say racism doesn't exist, or that it only exists in the South, or only in that person or this one but never in us, we will remain mired in blame and anger. Let's get beyond it. Let's do the hard work. Let's put Obama in the White House and see where it leads. I'm betting it's somewhere much better than where we are now.

AlterNet is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed by its writers are their own. Trish is a regular blogger for the Pensito Review.

© 2008 Pensito Review All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://www.pensitoreview.com/80311/

A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go
visit their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive,
some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: 'Notice that all the nice looking,
expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're
drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Some times, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.

God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything that they have.
Enjoy your hot chocolate in 2008!!!

Subject: BET Honors Spark Protest

January 12, 2008 - (Washington, DC)

Just as BET was honoring the best and brightest in education, business, and entertianment, protestors paraded outside of the Warner Theatre.

Braving windy, but bearable temperatures, hundreds of protestors walked up and down 14th Street in single film formation carrying signs that said "BET does not depict me", and "I am not a thug".

http://dculs.com/bethonors.html

THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

The fight for freedom

was for civil rights,

for peaceful days

and quiet nights.

Men stood strong

against mainstream strife,

knowing full well

it could cost them their life.

All that was wanted

was a chance to be,

alive in a land

that was truly free.

Thank you Lord

for their steadfast stand,

now change has occurred

across our great land.

From the fight for freedom

what did we gain,

the right to act

as though we are insane?

We glorify things

with a negative side,

live our lives open

with nothing to hide.

It’s now “keeping it real”

and “I need to get paid,”

be true to the game

or you will get played.

No respect for our women

we treat them like dirt,

our hatred for them

can be found on a shirt

We now quote from rappers

with the craziest name,

like Ghostface and Soulja Boy

and 50 and Game.

It’s just a big hustle

that no one can win,

words filled with hatred

living in sin.

I guess what I really

am trying to say,

is a new fight for freedom

is needed today.

We must fight against lyrics

of songs that are sung,

that poison the minds

of our future, our young.

We must up-lift our women

and fill them with pride,

let them know they are special

let them feel good inside.

We must teach our young men

that we’ll never be free,

til they live out the quest

of Dr. King’s legacy.

Terrell C. Flucas

A FREEDOM FIGHTER’S PRAYER

Legs that are weary from marching all day,

clothes that are wet from the fireman’s spray.

A headache so bad it reacts to all sound,

a smile on a face as I’m thrown to the ground.

Spit on and cursed at they yell with a wail,

a night in a cell there will be no bail.

This is my struggle somehow I’ll get through,

I believe in this cause it’s the right thing to do.

Lord all that I ask at the end of this fight,

is that those in the future never lose sight.

Of the price that was paid not so long ago,

Lord let the remember Lord let them all know.

I withstood the abuse I stood strong against strife,

I fought on to my death so they could have a free life.

Terrell C. Flucas

Voting Should Not Require a Photo ID

Monday , December 24, 2007
By Martin Frost

Once upon a time, in the dark ages of American politics, white Southerners conspired to prevent blacks from voting by passing a series of restrictive voter registration laws that included such things as poll taxes and literacy tests. These practices were outlawed by Congress with passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The lineal descendents of the people who tried to restrict black suffrage are back. Their new tactic is to require a picture ID to be shown by anyone seeking to vote. An Indiana law imposing such a requirement has been challenged, and its fate will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case set for argument early next year. Challenging the adoption of this and other voter photo ID laws is the single biggest civil rights issue facing the country today.

Let's take a close look at the Indiana law passed on a straight party line vote by the state's Republican legislature and signed into law by its Republican governor.

The Indiana law requires that a prospective voter show a current photo ID that has been issued by the United States or by the State of Indiana. It must have an expiration date, and the name on the document must conform "to the name in the individual's voter registration record."

This sounds reasonable on its face. Not so. This law in fact discriminates against people who do not drive and do not otherwise need a state-issued photo ID. Who are we talking about? Elderly, disabled, poor and minority voters, to be specific. Most of these coincidentally are Democrats.

According to the brief submitted to the Supreme Court by the individuals challenging the constitutionality of this Indiana law, the statute clearly is aimed straight at these groups. The brief notes that "About 12% of voting-age Americans lack a driver's license. And about 11% of voting-age United States citizens -- more than 21 million individuals -- lack any form of current government-issued photo ID. That 11% figure grows to 15% for voting-age citizens earning less than $35,000 per year, 18% for citizens at least 65 years old, and 25% for African-American voting-age citizens." This is what is called in the law a "disparate effect."

What's the other side of the argument? An amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court on behalf of a group of Indiana and Southern state election officials notes, "Political power is, unfortunately, a proven inducement to corruption. As James Madison noted in Federalist 51, men are not angels and sound government must be structured in light of that unfortunate, but realistic, understanding." Madison, of course, helped draft our Constitution, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for census purposes. The government-sanctioned racial discrimination of our founding fathers took a civil war and almost 200 years to reverse.

The peculiar nature of all this is that no one can cite examples of in-person voter fraud, which is what a photo ID theoretically is designed to prevent. The only examples of voter fraud ever cited involve absentee ballots where no photo ID would be necessary.

Trying to impose a photo ID requirement as a condition to vote is a step backward. It is an effort that will suppress the vote of minorities and the elderly. It has been vigorously opposed by all the civil rights organizations in the country and by fair-minded people of both parties.

We should be doing everything possible to make it easier for eligible persons to vote in this country, rather than making it more difficult. The United States has one of the lowest percentages of voter participation rates in the world. Every time we erect barriers to casting votes, we erode our image as a great bastion of democracy.

There is no question that anyone involved in voter fraud should be prosecuted. But you don't eliminate voter fraud by making it harder for honest people to cast their votes. There are plenty of other ways to ensure that the person who shows up to vote is the person on the registration rolls and not someone else. Establishing a system that discriminates against low income, elderly and minority voters is not a reasonable response to this particular problem.

Many middle class and wealthy white people can't understand why someone would not have a current photo ID. These are the same people who didn't understand why poor blacks and the elderly weren't able to get out of New Orleans before Katrina hit. It was because many of these unfortunate victims of the storm didn't have a car and, of course, also didn't need a driver's license with a photo ID.

This is not the bad old days when the government tacitly or explicitly excluded blacks and others from the polls. Let's hope the Supreme Court doesn't take a big step back in time.

Martin Frost served in Congress from 1979 to 2005, representing a diverse district in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. He served two terms as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, the third-ranking leadership position for House Democrats, and two terms as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Frost serves as a regular contributor to FOX News Channel and is a partner at the law firm of Polsinelli, Shalton, Flanigan and Suelthaus. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree from the Georgetown Law Center.

Stone

Two friends were walking through the desert
During some point of the journey, they had an argument;
And one friend slapped the other one in the face

The one who got slapped was hurt, but
Without saying anything, wrote in the sand
Today my best friend slapped me in the face

They kept on walking until they found an oasis
Where they decided to take a bath
The one who got slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning

But the friend saved him
After he recovered from the near drowning,
He wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life"

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him
"After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now,
You write on a stone. Why?"

The friend replied "When someone hurts us
We should write it down in sand, where
The winds of forgiveness can erase it away

But, when someone does something good for us,
We must engrave it in stone
Where no wind can ever erase it."

Learn to write your hurts in sand
And to carve your benefits in stone

They say it takes a minute to find a special person,
An hour to appreciate them,
A day to love them,
But then an entire life to forget them

Take the time to LIVE!

Do not value the things you have in Life,
But value who you have in your Life!

Friend For Life,
James Short

--
God, give us faith to trust your good intent for your world and courage to act to make those intentions a reality.

Did You Know...?

I bet you didn't know that... (at least not all of the
'facts' below)

Alaska
More than half of the coastline of the entire United
States is in Alaska.

Amazon
The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the
world's oxygen supply. The Amazon River pushes so much
water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one
hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river,
one can dip fresh water out of the ocean.
The volume of water in the Amazon river is greater
than the next eight larg est rivers in the
world combined and three times the flow of all rivers
in the United States.

Antarctica
Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not
owned by any country. Ninety percent of the world's
ice covers Antarctica. This ice also represents
seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world.
As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is
essentially a desert. The average yearly total
precipitation is about two inches. Although
covered with ice (all but 0.4 % of it, i.e.), Antarctica
is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute
humidity lower than the Gobi desert.

Brazil
Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way
around.

Canada
Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world
combined. Canada is an Indian word meaning "Big
Village."

Chicago
Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish
population in the world.

Detroit
Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, carries the
designation M-1, named so because it was the f irst
paved road anywhere.

Damascus, Syria
Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand
years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the
oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.

Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world
located on two continents.

Los Angeles
Los Angeles's full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra
Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula --and
can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A.

New York City
The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz
musicians of the 1930's who used the slang expression
"apple" for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York
City is to play the big time - The Big Apple. There are more
Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland; more Italians in
New York City than in Rome, Italy; and more Jews in New
York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Ohio
There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, every
one is manmade.

Pitcairn Island
The smallest islan d with country status is Pitcairn
in Polynesia, at just 1.75 sq. miles/4,53 sq. km.

Rome
The first city to reach a population of 1 million
people was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C. There is a city
called Rome on every continent.

Siberia
Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.

S.M.O.M.
The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world is
the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.). It
is located in the city of Rome, Italy, has an area
of two tennis courts, and as of 2001 has
a population ;of 80, 20 less people than the
Vatican. It is a sovereign entity under
international law, just as the Vatican is.

Sahara Desert
In the Sahara Desert, there is a town named Tidikelt,
which did not receive a drop of rain for ten years.
Technically though, the driest place onEarth is in the
valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island. There has
been no rainfall there for two million years.

Spain
Spain literally means 'the land of rabbits.'

St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Paul , Minnesota, was originally called Pig's Eye
after a man named Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant who set
up the first business there.

Roads
Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%, in
Canada: 75%

Texas
The deepest hole ever made in the world is in Texas.
It is as deep as 20 empire state buildings but only 3
inches wide.

United States
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that
one-mile in every five must be straight. These
straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of
war or other emergencies.

Waterfalls
The water of Angel Falls (the World's highest) in
Venezuela drops 3,212 feet (979 meters). They are 15
times higher than Niagara Falls.

So, didn't it feel good to learn something new
today???

I have always said you should learn something new
every day. Unfortunately, most of us are at that age
where what we learn today, we forget tomorrow.

But, give it a shot anyway! ...

Being Black in the Work Place

They take my kindness for weakness.

They take my silence for speechlessness.

They consider my uniqueness strange.

They call my language slang.

They see my confidence as conceit.

They see my mistakes as defeat.

They consider my success accidental.

They minimize my intelligence to "potential".

My questions mean "I'm unaware".

My advancement is somehow unfair.

Any praise is preferential treatment.

To voice concern is discontentment.

If I stand up for myself, I'm too defensive.

If I don't trust them, I'm too apprehensive. I'm defiant if I separate.

I'm fake if I assimilate.

Yet I'm constantly faced with workplace hate.

My character is constantly under attack.

Pride for my race makes me, "TOO BLACK".

Yet, I can only be me. And who am I you might ask?

I am that Strong Black Person

Who stands on the backs of my ancestor's achievements, with an erect spine pointing to the stars with pride, dignity and respect ... who lets the workplace in America know
That I not only possess the ability to play by the rules, but I can
Make them as well! Black History 365

The Black Eagle And The Chicken

Once there was this chicken farmer who had a barnyard of white leghorn chickens. Hard times befell the farmer, and the chicken business wasn't doing too well. A friend of the farmer came to him one day and said, "I have an idea how you can make yourself some extra money."

Of course, the farmer was all ears. The friend went on and said, "Up there in the mountains I spied a black eagle last week. Now, if you set a trap for her and capture her, you can bring her down, show her off, and charge admission to see her."

The farmer thought that was a good idea. So he built a big trap, went up in the mountain, and finally caught the black eagle. He brought her down and tried to transfer her from the trap to a big viewing cage he had built. But the black eagle was too used to freedom, so she bit him, she clawed him, she fought him every time he tried to get near the trap. The farmer became so angry he got his gun and killed the poor black eagle who only wanted her freedom.

The friend came again, saw what had happened, and said, "Look, brother farmer. I believe that black eagle laid a couple of eggs. Go get those eggs of hers, bring them down, and put them under one of your setting hens. Then, when the eggs hatch, those little eaglets won't know who they are. They will think they are chickens, so they won't fight back and bite you. They won't claw you. They will be peaceful and calm because they won't know who they are. Then you can show them off in that big viewing cage, charge admission to see them, and make yourself a whole lot of money."

The farmer got the eagle eggs and put them under one of his setting hens. In time, one of the eggs hatched, and a little eaglet came out. He didn't know who he was. He thought he was a chicken. The farmer was happy. When he went near the little eaglet, the eaglet got frightened and ran away as fast as his little legs would carry him. The farmer called him "Tom".

Tom ran around with the chickens and was very happy until one day he saw himself in the stream of water that ran through the barnyard. He saw he was not white like the chickens. He saw the feathers on his head did not lie down slick like the feathers on chickens' heads. He became so ashamed of his color and his head feathers. He took some cream and rubbed it over his feathers to lighten them up. Then he put some on his head feathers to make them lie down. Now Tom felt happy that he was beginning to look more like a chicken.

By and by the other egg hatched. Now this eaglet broke bad when he came on the set. Somehow he got the nerve to stand his ground when the farmer stamped his foot. The farmer called him Turk. The other eagle, Tom, began coming over to give advice to Turk. "Here's some cream to put on those feathers so you can lighten them like mine and the rest of our brother chickens. Then do something about that head. Do something."

When Turk refused and shied away, Tom whipped out a silk cloth. "Well, at least put this silk rag on your head to do something to those feathers up there."

But Turk said, "I kinda like my color and my head feathers the way they are, thank you."

Tom turned away in disgust, and happily joined the other chickens in play, leaving poor Turk all by himself.

The only joy for poor, little, lonely Turk was in looking up at the sky for long periods of time, because somehow he felt that was where he belonged.

One morning while he was looking up in the sky, a speck appeared. The speck got larger and larger until it became the largest bird he had ever seen. You and I know it must have been a Black Eagle. Well, the black eagle saw little Turk on the ground and came in on a branch overhanging the barnyard. The eagle looked down at Turk and said with a deep an strong voice, "What are you doing down there with those chickens?"

"Why, I am a chicken," replied Turk.

The old black eagle laughed, and said "You're no chicken."

"Then what am I?" asked Turk.

"You're Black Eagle."

"An eagle?" asked Turk. "What's an eagle?"

"An eagle," bellowed the old eagle, "is the ruler of the skies. Spread your wings and come up here on the branch so I can tell you who you are."

But poor little Turk, with tears in his eyes, said "I can't. You know chickens can't fly that high."

The old eagle became very angry at Turk. "I told you that you are not a chicken. You're an eagle. Now spread those wings."

Turk spread his wings out, as far as he could spread them.

"Now flap them," said the old eagle.

Turk began flapping them, faster and faster, and to his surprise he rose higher and higher - higher than he had ever risen in his life - and came in on the branch beside the old eagle.

"Now settle down," said the old eagle, "and I will tell you who you are. I will tell you your history. Your father, as a black eagles are, was king of the skies. No bird was as strong. No bird could fly as high or as far as your father without rest. And your mother, as queen of the skies, ruled the skies alongside your father. And you are their son."
"But, but, but what about my color?" asked Turk. "You see, the chickens are white, and I am black."

"Don't you know what that color represents?" asked the old eagle, "It represents royalty."

"That's heavy," cried Turk. "But what about the way the feathers are on my head?"

"That's your crown. I told you, you are a king."

"That's deep," said the young eagle. "Let's tell Tom." Spying Tom on the ground with the chickens, Turk called down, "Tom, Tom! This eagle up here is telling us about our history. It's so beautiful." But Tom shouted back, "I don't want to learn anything about our history, I'm too busy getting these crumbs off the ground. Anyway, you better come down out of that tree before you get us all in trouble."

The old eagle shook his head sadly. "Come, let us fly away to our destiny."

They took off. Pretty soon they flew over a deep valley. The young eagle was frightened. "We'll fall."

But the old eagle smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. You won't fall. This is the Valley of Oppression. You will fly safely over the valley because you have the strength of kings in your wings. Fly on!" And they flew safely over the valley.

They came to a big desert. Again, the young eagle was afraid. "I don't see any trees on which to rest." But the old eagle said, "This is the Desert of Mediocrity - the Desert of Don't Care - the Desert of Only a C Average. But you don't need to rest. You will fly safely over the desert because you have the strength of queens in your wings. Fly on!" And they flew safely over the Desert of Mediocrity.

But straight in front of them loomed a high mountain. Young Turk then asked, "Will we crash into the mountain?"

The old eagle smiled. "No we won't crash. This is the Mountain of Injustice that we will fly safely over because we have the strength of the ancestors in our wings. Fly on!"

And both Black Eagles, young and old, flew over the mountain.

Fly on Black Eagle, Fly on!

Author unknown,

ON ECONOMIC VIOLENCE

<<Printer-friendly version of this article.

Have you ever received money from a Chinese person for anything other
than them making change for you? No, is the answer I have been receiving
when asking this question as part of an informal survey to Black People.
The follow up question is, "Have you ever given money to a Chinese person?"
The answer invariably is yes. This imbalance of give and take is reflective
of the consciousness of Black people and consequently our relationship with
ourselves and others.

There is a reason why every Black Ghetto has a Chinese food restaurant, but
there are no Soul Food restaurants in Chinatown. In fact, the most popular
Soul Food restaurant in Harlem, New York on 135th Street and Malcolm X
Boulevard is owned and operated by a Chinese family.

Again, there are no Soul Food restaurants in Chinatown and there certainly
is no Chinese Food restaurant in China town owned and operated by a
Black family. If a Black person tried, the business would be shut down,
before it started. Why? Economic Violence.

Every group of people understands practices and strategically utilizes the
concept of economic violence, except Black people. In fact the economic
violence that we, as Black people, practice is economic violence against
ourselves. Economic violence is the art and science of using the exchange
of money for goods and/or services as an aspect of ethnic warfare, survival
and prosperity.

The Chinese will not support a Black business over their own, because they
are not interested in ethnic suicide. The Chinese are logical, as self
preservation is the most basic of human instincts. So not only will a
Chinese person not support a Black business over a Chinese business, they
take it one step further and plant their business in a Black community and
implement plans to take Black people's money. This ideological posture is
pure and scientific economic violence. Replace Chinese with any other
ethnic group besides Black, and the picture becomes clearer.
The above is not a condemnation of Chinese, Korean, Arab or white businesses
at all. It is a condemnation of Black people who have forgotten The Honorable
Marcus Garvey's mantra of "Race First." Every ethnic group has mastered
this concept except Black people. It is in my interest to come from a powerful
people. Therefore, my interest is committing economic violence on behalf of
Black people. That means purchasing a Black person's service or product
"first" before I purchase any other ethnic group or race's service or product.

Have you committed economic violence on your behalf or against yourself today?
If you are a Black person reading this, I am sure that you are familiar with the
notion of, "I just want the best product or service for my money and a lot of
times, Black folks just aren't up to par."

My response is,
1) If that's your attitudinal posture, then do not get mad if
people don't patronize your Black business (product or service) for fear of
deficiencies.
2) Since when has the uncleanliness of a Chinese food restaurant stopped you
from buying a to-go order of shrimp fried rice, or the messiness of an Arab or
Indian corner-store, gas station or bodega stopped you from purchasing those
pork rinds you love and a soft drink. Have you committed economic violence
on your behalf or against yourself today?

Black people: Due to our lack of economic militarism, we are losing the fight
for economic independence. That's why everyone, and I mean everyone, "bangs"
on Black people. All ethnic groups gain their financial strength in America by
economically banging on Black people. This is how white people became
wealthy in this world.

The European transatlantic slave trade of kidnapping millions of Africans as
Prisoners of War was the biggest gang bang of all time. Chattel and plantation
slavery was a continuation of this policy of economic violence. Since then, we
have been left open to economic attack by every ethnic group that makes it to
America. Nothing has really changed, because the relationship between slave
and slave-master is still the same. *Tastes, Interests and Values: Stop Eating
Pizza,*You're not Italian The first step in perpetuating economic violence
against a people is to change their tastes, interests and values to the tastes,
interests and values of the invading culture. Tastes, interests and values are
the sole determinative factors in the decision to purchase a service or product.

This is extremely important as all products and services spring from a cultural
landscape. Here are some extremely basic examples to illustrate my point:

(1) An overwhelming amount of people in America, purchase turkey on the third
week of November, every single year. The turkey is an imperative for a Thanks-
giving dinner. Thanksgiving is a white cultural holiday designed to celebrate
white conquest and genocide of the native American population, but is masked
as a day of family togetherness and thanks. The people who own turkey farms
are white poultry farmers. They are the direct economic beneficiaries of the
values of this particular cultural holiday. If native American and Black people
were the owners of turkey farms, you can bet your last dollar that turkey would
not be a requirement of that holiday. White people understand economic
violence and under no circumstance would they allow anyone other than
whites to benefit from a white holiday.

(2) This is the same reason why U.S. federal, state and municipal government
cars must be American cars.They understand economic violence. Have you
committed economic violence on your behalf or against yourself today?

(3) Selling beef to Hindus won't work. The Hindu religion absolutely forbids the
killing of cows as the cow is sacred to them. Therefore selling beef products
to this crowd is not economically feasible. However, if you are able to convert
the Hindus away from their religion into say, Christianity, you would have not
just brought a new group of people to the priest or the pastor on Sunday, but
a new group of people to McDonald's and Burger King, because their tastes,
interests and values concerning cows would have changed.

A further examination of tastes, interests and values reveal that once you adopt
or are coerced into perpetuating the tastes, interests and values of another
group of people you will not only be committing economic violence against
yourself but you will be committing violence against your health.

*Example 1: In Hawaii*, over 50 percent of native adults 40 years old or more
were diagnosed with diabetes. The Hawaiians are a Polynesian people who have
for centuries flourished on a local diet of vegetables and fruits from their
land. After the U.S. invasion and displacement of the Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani,
the tastes, values and interests of native Hawaiians were changed to the tastes
of white people. Hawaiians began eating Hamburgers, Pizza, etc. and became
zombies of American fast foodism and forgot about their traditional foods.
Something interesting happened: Disease in the form of Diabetes. Diabetes was
never a problem for Hawaiians until their tastes we re changed. In effect,

Hawaiians were funding their Diabetes. A Hawaiian doctor trained in western
medicine and traditional healing sciences went on a crusade to save her people
from Diabetes. She did not prescribe insulin-controlled by white pharmaceutical
companies, which is a band-aid to the real problem, but she prescribed a
traditional Hawaiian diet and forbade her patients to eat European made food. As her
patients ate green leaves, fruits and root food vegetables from the place where they
evolved, their diabetes was wiped out completely. Additionally, in this manner, Hawaiian
farmers benefit from the purchase of food grown on their own land, thereby
restoring economic and physical health-simultaneously.

*Example 2: I was at a supermarket in Miami,*Florida buying a yam. Not a sweet
potato, but a real yam, brown and hard. The cashier was Black and said, "What's
that, a turnip?" I was startled and had a serious epiphany. Black people have
been so oppressed in America, that we do not even recognize our own ancestral
foods. The implications again are self inflicted economic and physical violence
(dis-ease).

* A major disease that affects Black Americans is Sickle Cell Anemia*.

However, this disease does not affect Black people in Africa nearly as much.
The reason: The shifting of tastes, interests, and values much like the Hawaiian
example. The sickle cell trait is a trait that helps Africans fight off malaria.
The sickling of the red blood cell helps prevent the malaria parasite from binding
to the cell due to the peculiar shape of a sickled cell and its hemoglobin. Since
Black Americans are literally from West Africa, they have this trait just like
any other West African. The difference is the West African diet contains root foods
from the Africans soil like cassava and yam. Studies by Nigerian researcher,
Dr. Ogi Agbaihave, shown that thiocyanate in cassava and yam and their leaves
alleviate the symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia. Black Americans do not eat
cassava or true yams, so Sickle Cell Anemia is rampant. Instead, Black

Americans have been forced to develop a taste for everything, other than
African root food, therefore the disease is present. Disease is defined as
imbalance. When a person or a people have tastes, interests and values
outside of who they really are, all types of imbalances occur such as
economic and physical health imbalances. Recalibrating a Black American
diet from chitlins and fried chicken back to a West African diet of plantains,
cassava, yams, etc., will create a necessary economic balance by supporting
African commodities markets and enriching personal, group economic and
physical health simultaneously. Have you committed economic violence today?

**The Opium Wars: There is Nothing You Have That We Want** China** In
studying economic violence, tastes interests and values, a cursory discussion
on the Opium Wars is extremely important.

Please note that major wars occur due to the addictions of Europeans.Today,
there is a war in Iraq, due to the European addiction to oil. In the 19th
century, the Opium wars between Britain and China were due to the British addiction to
tea. The Chinese have an ancient tradition of drinking tea as part of their
daily ritual. The British developed this custom due to the travels of many European
"explorers" who successfully made it over to Asia. By the 19th century, tea
became a staple of the British, particularly the middle class and ruling class.
The British imported all of their tea from China. In a short amount of time,
there was a huge trade imbalance between Britain and China in favor of China. The
British paid China for their tea with gold. Soon, the British became nervous as
their gold reserves were being depleted. However, the British population's taste
for tea was insatiable and there would have been riots if the British population
was deprived of their tea. In response to the economic violence that Britain
was suffering at the hands of China, British leaders arranged a meeting with
Chinese leaders.

The British wanted to stop trading tea for gold. They told the Chinese that they
would trade anything else that Britain produced for the Chinese tea.

The Chinese response was laughter as the Chinese retorted, There is nothing
that you have that we want." The British were stunned as they took this as an
offense to their way of life and their plans to keep their gold.

The British went back to Britain and decided to pump opium into China.The opium
was to be traded for gold in China, and thereby getting the gold back into
British hands. In addition, the British took lands from the Indian subcontinent for two
purposes:

1) for growing the poppy plant for opium to facilitate their drug trade and
2) for growing various other plants for tea so that trading tea with China would be
obsolete. In fact, today one of the most famous tea names is Ceylon tea. Ceylon is
the former British colonial name for the country in the Indian sub-continent
now named Sri Lanka.

One day, in 1839, the Chinese seized a ship off of its shores containing tons
of opium. The Chinese rightfully seized the ship as opium was illegal in China
and anyone caught with opium was given the death penalty. The British
declared the Chinese seizure of their ship as an act of war, and hence the
initiation of the Opium wars which were from 1839-1842 and 1856-1860
between Britain and China.

The Chinese have never forgotten the economic war with Europeans and
the implications are felt today. Consequently, the Chinese have nuclear
weapons, the largest standing army in the world and Europe and America
as debtors in trade. Their major strength has been maintaining their own tastes,
interests and values and the ability to look at Europeans in the face and say,
"There is nothing that you have that we want." Black people, can we say
the same? The reason why we have been in trouble as a race for so long
is our unrelenting taste for things European.

Remember, African prisoners of war (slaves) were traded for white commod-
ities like European processed rum, spare parts and European textiles. Have
you committed economic violence today?

**Slavery and the Value of Labor: Adam Smith* *Adam Smith was an economic
philosopher from England and considered the patron saint of European Capitalist
thought. He was also an opponent of the enslavement of Africans in America
and Europe. However, he was not opposed to our enslavement for moral or
noble reasons. He was opposed to slavery because he thought it was
inefficient in the capitalist world. He believed Africans should be paid for
our labor so that we could buy European goods. That was his sole
argument. He didn't like the idea that such a large population could not
be consumers because slaves were not allowed the ability to earn money.
What does this mean? It means that the only reason why it was acceptable
for you and I to not be enslaved is so that we could feed the economic
system of white supremacy better and more efficiently. And what are Black
people now? The biggest one-dimensional pure consumers the world has
ever seen.

The slavery relationship is still the same. If you work a job that pays you
ten dollars per hour and you pay $150.00 to Tommy Hilfiger for his jeans,
you have effectively given 15 hours of your labor to Tommy Hilfiger.
You worked 15 hours for him. When are you going to work for yourself
and your people, by purchasing Black goods and services with your
labor hours? Tommy Hilfiger and company doesn't even have to whip
us anymore to turn over our labor to him. He is still economically
violent, and we are still bleeding.

Lesson: In your economic life, if you are not buying from your own
people first, then you are committing suicide on many levels and
enlisting for slavery and zombification. Buy Black with no apology
and if you have to buy from others, try to make sure it's a bootleg.
*Never pay full price for anything from others-especially those who
have historically and continue to benefit from your underdevelopment.
For in fact, our relationship is dialectical to our oppressors.

Their development is dependent on our underdevelopment.* Have
you committed economic violence /self-hate today?

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE NOT APPLYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS:
Even if you do not have a college-aged child at home, please share this with someone who does, and to anyone and everyone that comes to mind. Though there are a number of companies and organizations that have donated money for scholarships to African Americans, a great deal of the money is being returned because of a lack of interest or awareness.
No one is going to knock on our doors and ask if we can use a scholarship.
Take the initiative to get your children involved. Money shouldn't be returned to donating companies because we fail to apply for it.
Please pass this information on to family members, nieces, nephews, friends with children etc. We must get the word out that money is available. If you are a college student or getting ready to become one, you probably already know how useful additional money can be.
(If clicking on the link doesn't work, then type in the Web site address manually.)
1) BELL LABS FELLOWSHIPS FOR UNDER REPRESENTED MINORITIES http://www.bell-labs.com/fellowships/CRFP/info.html
2) Student Inventors Scholarships http://www.invent.org/collegiate http://www.invent.org/collegiate/
3) Student Video Scholarships http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html
4) Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships http://www.coca-colascholars.org/programs.html
5) Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships http://holocaust.hklaw.com/
6) Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships http:/ /www.aynrand.org/contests/
7) Brand Essay Competition http://www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002Rules.htm
8) Gates Millennlum Scholarships (major) http://www.gmsp.org/nominationmaterials/read.dbm?ID=12
9) Xerox Scholarships for Students http://www2.xerox.com/go/xrx/about_xerox/about_xerox_detail.jsp
10) Sports Scholarships and Internships http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html
11) National Assoc. of Black Journalists Scholarships (NABJ) < /B>< /FONT> http://www.nabj.org/html/studentsvcs.html
12) Saul T. Wilson Scholarships (Veterinary) http://www.aphis.usda.gov/mb/mrphr/jobs/stw.html
13) Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/sk_v6.cfm
14) FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships) http://www.finaid.org/
15) Presidential Freedom Scholarships http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships/
16) Microsoft Scholarship Program http://www.microsoft.com/college/scholarships/minority.asp
17) WiredScholar Free Scholarship Search http://www.wiredscholar.com/paying/scholarship_search/pay_scholarship _searc
h.jsp
18) Hope Scholarships &Lifetime Credits http://www.ed.gov/inits/hope/
19) William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students http://www.apsanet.org/PS/grants/aspen3.cfm
20) Multiple List of Minority Scholarships http://gehon.ir.miami.edu/financial-assistance/Scholarship/black.html
21) Guaranteed Scholarships http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/
22) BOEING scholarships (som e HBCU connects) http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/educationrelations/scholarships
23) Easley National Scholarship Program http://www.naas.org/senior.htm
24) Maryland Artists Scholarships http://www.maef.org/
26) Jacki Tuckfield Memorial Graduate Business Scholarship (for AA students in South Florida) http://www.jackituckfield.org/
27) Historically Black College & University Scho larships http://www.iesabroad.org/info/hbcu.htm
28) Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students http://www.beanactuary.org/minority/scholarships.htm
29) International Students Scholarships &Aid Help http://www.iefa.org/
30) College Board Scholarship Search http://cbweb10p.colle geboa r d.org/fundfinder/html/fundfind01.html
31) Burger King Scholarship Program http://www.bkscholars.csfa.org/
32) Siemens Westinghouse Competition http://www.siemens-foundationorg/
33) GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds http://www.lulac.org/Programs/Scholar.html
34) CollegeNet ' s Scholarship Database http://mach25.collegenet.com/cgi-bin/M25/index
35) Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid http://www.aflcioorg/scholarships/scholar.htm
36) Federal Scholarships &Aid Gateways 25 Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel http://www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm
37) Scholarship &Financial Aid Help http://www.bl ackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm
38) Scholarship Links (Ed Finance Group) http://www.efg.net/link_scholarship.htm
39) FAFSA On The Web (Your Key Aid Form &Info) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
40) Aid &Resources For Re-Entry Students http://www.back2college.com/
41) Scholarships and Fellowships http://www.osc.cuny.edu/sep/links.h tml
42) Scholarships for Study in Paralegal Studies http://www.paralegals.org/Choice/2000west.htm
43) HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships (for study around the world) http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/packard_nomination.html
44) Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities http://ccmi.uchicago.edu/schl1.html
45) INROADS internships http://www.inroads.org/
46) ACT-SO bEURoeOlympics of the Mind 'A Scholarships 'ttp://www.naacp.org/work/actso/act-so.shtml
47) Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships 'ttp://www.baeo.org/options/privatelyfinanced.jsp
48) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing 'ttp://www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html
49) Graduate Fellowships For Minorities Nationwide 'ttp://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/list.phtml?category=MINORITIES < /A>
50) RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS AT OXFORD 'ttp://www.rhodesscholar.org /info.html
51) The Roothbert Scholarship Fund 'ttp://www.roothbertfund.org/schol

No FEAR Congressional Tribunal 2007
Notification of Federal Employees Anti-discrimination and Retaliation Act - 5th Anniversary
(No FEAR)

To see more pictures of the Tribunal, please go to:

www.victorholtphotos.com/client/no_fear2

Joe Madison, the co-chair of the No FEAR Tribunal (along with Congressman Walter Fauntroy), WOL radio personality and MSNBC consultant -- is featuring a whistleblower once a week. His interviews focus on individuals who testified at the No FEAR congressional hearing. Today, he interviewed Darlene Fitzgerald. She insightfully told her chilling story about uncovering tons of narcotics and contraband with the apparent approval of US Customs managers. The Coalition, applauds Darlene for her remarkable courage.

To access the Joe Madison radio show:

http://players.eonstreams.com/FastAim/Player/Player.php?PlayerID=789#

Please find below an op-ed by Washington Whistleblower Week co-chair and founder of Doctors fo Open Government, Dr.Jim Murtagh.

Modern Day Paul Reveres Ride to Washington

By James J. Murtagh, M.D.

(James Murtagh spent 20 years as an Intensive Care Unit physician. Dr. Murtagh is the founder of Doctors for Open Government and is a co-chair of Washington Whistleblower Week.)

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm S
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the doorS

Paul Revere is America's most well known whistleblower. Present day patriots who sound the alarm when danger threatens our society rightly believe Paul Revere to be the founding father of whistleblowing. Like modern day patriots, he called on the Sons of Liberty to oppose the grave, immediate dangers posed by redcoat troops sent to impose the will of an unresponsive king and parliament.

Last week, a conference as unique as Paul Revere's ride took place in our nation's capital. Whistleblower's Week in Washington (WWW) alerted the countryside of the grave dangers threatening our nation's security and well being. Modern patriots from a broad spectrum of government and private employers - health, environment, national security, civil rights, veterans, and more - have all banded together in a single meeting. The program was initiated and organized by the whistleblowers themselves. They were joined by more than 50 eminent public interest organizations in Washington to sound the alarm on dangers proven too real to be ignored. Hundreds of citizens took part.

Whistleblower's Week in Washington provided the time, place and voice for whistleblower patriots to band together for the first time to speak out against fraud, waste and corruption. These heroes and heroines represent a broad spectrum of government and private employees - national security, veterans, healthcare, environment, civil rights and justice.

Activities included congressional forums and hearings, an award ceremony for Senator Charles Grassley, rallies, and a film screening and book signings by eminent whistleblowers. Participants visited legislative offices to alert individual members of Congress of grave concerns.

Speakers and participants included both well-known figures and unfamiliar but important whistleblowers such as:

o Republican Senator Charles Grassley who was the keynote speaker. He was given a lifetime achievement award for his fight against waste, fraud and corruption in government. The award, like the conference, is completely bipartisan and has been endorsed by both blue-chip conservatives and liberals.

o Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Dr. Kanubhai R. Gandhi and EPA whistleblower and civil rights activist Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo asked to keep America beautiful and safe from "Sea to Shining Sea.

o Religious leaders, including Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy, stressed the role of speaking the truth and the role of faith based initiatives in America's civil rights heritage.

o Climate Change Whistleblower Rick Piltz who suffered numerous retaliations after reporting that White House officials with no scientific training tampered with critical reports.

o Susan Wood who resigned in protest against the FDA's delaying of a ruling on whether the Plan B pill would be made more accessible to patients. She charged that then-acting FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford was interfered in FDA decisions.
o Physicians Dr. Helen Salisbury and Dr. Larry Poliner who put their careers on the line to protect quality patient care. Dr. Janet Chandler battled to protect the humane treatment of her patients, and after more than a decade of legal appeals won a Supreme Court verdict upholding her stand for integrity in medical decisions for patient care.
o Coleen Rowley who blew the whistle on the FBI's negligence preceding the September 11 terrorist attack. Ms. Rowley was named as one of Time Magazine's Person's of the Year, along with conference supporter and Enron whistleblower Sherron Watkins.

Patriotic commitment united this band of whistleblowers who oppose hazardous, illegal and unsafe conditions, waste, fraud and abuse. They unite in order to maintain an open society, and to protect the rights of U.S. citizens to speak without reprisal on matters threatening the general welfare and defense of our nation.

In true Jeffersonian tradition, America's truth-tellers invited the press, Congress, and the American people to take part, to hear their stories, and to judge for themselves. Like Paul Revere, they rode to Washington to be heard throughout the land. New Sons and Daughters of Liberty must rise to defend our safety, our national defense and our honor.

The joint task force of WWW urges you to write your congressman, your senator, the media, and your friends to support the goal of a safer, freer America.

James J. Murtagh Jr.

Atlanta GA 30329
404-633-9715

http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0510-11.htm

http://makeitsafecampaign.org/www/

http://whistle-week-in-dc.org/Jim.htm

May 20, 2007

It's True Black Owner Partial Preakness Winner Curlin Named For Black Slave
By Basn Blackbox

YES it really happened an African American OWNER of a Triple Crown Race WINNER Preakness winner Curlin partially owned by Shirley Cunningham, Kentucky attorney

Please we know it is ABSURD we have to get excited that FINALLY for the first time in Modern History an African American is the even partial owner of a horse that has won one of the Major Horse Races of the Year. On Saturday at the Preakness. By a nose Curlin upset highly favored Street Sense.

So our Story is not about the Preakness or even Curlin. This one is for you Lexington, Kentucky attorney Shirley Cunningham. Of course the question is Who The Heck Is Shirley Cunningham. That is what we will do for him and you. Tell you who he is so you will know.

You can be sure the rest of the media won't. They will be gushing over the Upset, and Curlin and the Jockey and the Trainer and the WHITE owners. Lucky if Cunningham even gets his named mentioned at all in the White Media.

Hear that SPIKE Lee. Forget about getting a few future fellow Morehouse alumni jobs at ESPN. They still won't be able to do a story about Shirley Cunningham. That will take BLACK media. That is where you should be putting your Big Bucks Spike not kissing up to White Sports Media. Begging for a few jobs.

Sorry Mr. Shirley Cunningham this box is about you but we needed to send Spike a MESSAGE

Back to you. First of all Congratulations. Allow us rather than inventing the "wheel" especially as we are on deadline to profile you by quoting a thoughtful article about you ( one of very few ) that identified you because of your ownership involvement with Preakness Champ Curlin. done way back on May 1st.

AND GET THIS

The Preakness winner is not only named for a legendary Kentucky African American "slave" Charlie Curlin, Shirley Cunningham is his DIRECT descendant. Cunningham is Charlie Curlin's own great grandson !!

HERE ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE ARTICLE

( written prior to the Kentucky Derby ) from the Lexington Herald - Leader by reporter Maryjean Wall worth reading carefully " Charlie Curlin of Trigg County was a slave whose name will live forever if the horse called Curlin wins the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Curlin the horse actually might wind up the post-time favorite: no surprise, given Curlin is undefeated going into a wide open race."

" But the story behind this intriguing Derby hopeful is much larger than one colt's perfect record going into America's greatest horse race. The story goes back to the decade before the inaugural 1875 Kentucky Derby. The story takes us down the road southwest from Louisville to the border of Tennessee and into rural, secessionist Trigg County."

"What we know of Charlie Curlin's story begins in 1864 when the slave signed on with the Union Army in the United States Colored Troops. Like many soldiers in Kentucky companies of the U.S. Colored Troops, Curlin found himself assigned to Camp Nelson in Central Kentucky. "

"Charlie Curlin was truly confused about who he was fighting for. That's very clear from stories he told when he got back home," said lawyer Shirley Cunningham Jr. of Georgetown, the man who named Curlin, the horse."

" Cunningham is part-owner of Curlin, the horse. He is also the great-grandson of Charlie Curlin of Trigg County. He has heard the Curlin family stories all his life.
If Curlin wins the Derby, Cunningham will become the first African American to own a percentage of a Derby winner since Dudley Allen of Lexington was lead partner in the Jacobin Stable that raced 1891 Derby winner, Kingman."

" It's also interesting "to have a horse owned by a great-grandson of a slave that possibly wins the Derby," said one of Cunningham's partners in Curlin, lawyer William Gallion, formerly of Kentucky and now a resident of Captiva, Fla."

" But just as compelling will be the story told about Curlin the man as it unfolds, should Curlin win the Derby. For, although Charlie Curlin's confusion over his wartime identity might seem strange to us, it could have been more the norm in the context of his time and place."

"If only we had an explanation from Charlie Curlin himself, we might understand how it was for a veteran of the federal army's U.S. Colored Troops who returned home to live in a county that had wanted to secede from the United States."

" Kentucky's Civil War history is confusing enough when viewed from the whites-only perspective. Imagine how it must have been for African Americans who could not read and probably did not often hear the truth."

" The "truth" for anyone, black or white, depended on the Kentucky county where you heard it. Some counties were predominantly Unionist, others largely Confederate. Kentucky did officially side with the Union, after a few months of neutrality, but never was unified in its Northern or Southern sympathies, either during the war or afterward."

" All this confusion had to affect the slaves just as it did white people, although whites generally did not consider the slaves' perspective when writing early versions of Kentucky history. Slaves throughout Kentucky might have understood the war on varying terms, depending on where they lived. For most, the war presented an opportunity to run away. And they did leave, in the thousands, expressing their urgent desire to be free."

" Many chose to enlist in the U.S. Colored Troops as a way to gain freedom for themselves and their families. Many also came into the Colored Troops involuntarily, impressed by the federal army. A total of 23,703 Kentuckians went into the U.S. Colored Troops. Soldiers in the Colored Troops found status among themselves and self-esteem, outfitted with rifles when, as slaves, they had been forbidden to carry arms. They admired themselves in their army uniforms."

" Whites throughout Kentucky regarded the Colored Troops with hatred. The very idea of people seen as slaves carrying arms was frightening and repulsive. The U.S. Colored Cavalry endured taunts and assaults from whites as the soldiers marched out from Camp Nelson to leave for battle in Virginia. Whites knocked off the soldiers' hats. They stole some of their horses, too."

" Charlie Curlin's descendants do not know precisely how his enlistment came about. But his enlistment and other papers, located at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., show he joined the Colored Troops at Bowling Green in October 1864. Curlin the horse prompted Cunningham, Curlin's great-grandson, to hire a researcher to learn more about the man's story."

"After the horse started doing well, I said, 'I need to try to authenticate what happened,'" Cunningham said. He contacted Alicestyne Adams, director of Georgetown College's Underground Railroad Research Institute. We research a lot of African Americans in the Civil War," said Adams, who also owns Yesteryear Research Unlimited Inc., in Georgetown."

" Adams happened to be in Washington when Cunningham telephoned her. She went right away to the National Archives and began to research Curlin's military history. The records produced some curiosities: among them the spelling of Curlin's name. His enlistment papers show it as "Curling."

" Later, the "g" is dropped. The muster roll shows that Curlin "owed services to James Curling," a landowner at Golden Pond, Trigg County. The records describe Curlin, or Curling, as 5-foot-4, weighing 145 pounds, and born approximately in 1841 or 1842. He was thought to be age 21 or 22 when he joined the Colored Troops."

" His unit was the Thirteenth Heavy Artillery and his job, as Cunningham described, "was like an ammunition mule. He was loaded down with ammunition. He said he was injured from having to walk long distances with heavy ammunition on his back."

" The disabilities -- an injured back and a hernia -- explained Curlin's mustering-out of the army in 1865 before his three-year term had ended. But when he applied for a disability pension, Curlin faced a maze of bureaucratic stonewalling. He did not begin collecting his initial $25 monthly pension until sometime between 1893 and 1900. There is no record of back pay."

" Adams, excited about the information that has turned up on Curlin, described his military records as "a great case study, what he had to go through" to receive his pension. "He had to go through a lot to get it," she said."

" Charlie Curlin died in 1925. Cunningham, 52, remembers the family passing on stories about him and that family lore concerning Curlin was always a focal point at reunions. Now the torch passes to Curlin, the horse, to secure the Curlin family name in Kentucky Derby lore. "

END OF ARTICLE

WHAT A STORY !

Now Shirley Cunningham and all of us can Celebrate Curlin's Preakness Victory in a way White America doesn't even know about nor care about at all ( get it Spike ?? )

King sculptor meets stony resistance

By Bartholomew Sullivan
sullivanb@shns.com
April 11, 2007

WASHINGTON -- The selection of a sculptor from The Peoples Republic of China to carve the image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Chinese granite for his memorial on the National Mall has Memphis artist Morris T. Howard and many others upset.

"They've selected a Chinese sculptor from Communist China to do it," said Howard, 48, an oil painter. "There's a lot of dissatisfaction with that."

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Foundation held a competition for the overall design of the four-acre memorial and decided on a winner in 2000 from the 900 entries it received. It then chose sculptor Lei Yixin after seeing his work last summer at a St. Paul, Minn., sculpting competition, said David L. Hamilton, retired program manager for the National Capital Planning Commission.

"It was absolutely incredible," said Hamilton, a member of the selection committee.

Hamilton said any time a major project is proposed for the National Mall, which he called "America's front yard," there is controversy. When Maya Lin, a Yale University architecture student from Ohio, was selected to do the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, detractors called her a "gook" and "the enemy," Hamilton recalled.

"Dr. King was a national and an international figure," Hamilton added. "Dr. King's message was spiritually based. Dr. King was talking about the content of a person's character, as opposed to the color of his skin. Quite simply, we were looking for the best sculptor."

A spokesman for the foundation, Rica Rodman Orszag, noted that 90 percent of the committee that selected Lei are African-Americans.

What has Howard and Atlanta artist Gilbert Young dismayed is that the committee even considered going outside the African-American community to make its selection for the artistic elements of the first monument dedicated to a black man on the Mall. Young says the project, which has raised $87 million of a planned $100 million, has been hijacked by corporate interests.

"It's a smack in our face.... It insults our community. It insults our craftsmanship," said Young, 65, who has created the Web site KingIsOurs.com in protest. "You mean to tell me we couldn't find a stone in America that was good enough? You mean to tell me we couldn't find a black artist who was good enough?"

Young has taken to talk radio to drum up opposition to the selection of the ROMA Design Group, the selection of Lei, and the use of Chinese granite. He says the sculpture should come from rock hewn from Stone Mountain in Georgia, mentioned in King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The memorial will be along the Tidal Basin between the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials.

Howard, 48, who as a Navy submariner served on both the U.S.S. Tennessee and the U.S.S. Memphis, said he called WDIA radio to raise the issue in Memphis but that there wasn't a lot of response. He said the selection of an African-American artist for such a high-profile project would lift the self-esteem of black youths.

"This is just another opportunity that I hope hasn't been squandered," he said.

Beverly Robertson, director of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, said she can understand how African-American artists could feel "slighted." She said that normally, when the centerpiece for a historic site is selected, a call for artists is made both in the U.S. and abroad, and a panel of judges selects the submission that best represents what it's seeking.

For the King memorial, the selection committee didn't invite submissions for the sculpture. It visited the Minnesota Rocks! International Stone Carving Symposium in St. Paul, began discussions with Lei, and then visited with him in China.

As for the selection of a Chinese artist, Robertson said King inspired admiration and respect around the world and "his impact is felt by all people of all races, colors, creeds, religions. ... He doesn't just belong to us in this country. He belongs to the world."

-- Bartholomew Sullivan: (202) 408-2726

Previous memorial controversies

Some objected to the architectural style of the World War II Memorial, dedicated in 2004, saying it was reminiscent of the grandiose projects of Nazi architect and planner Albert Speer.

When Maya Lin designed the sunken V in black granite now known simply as "The Wall" for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 1982, traditionalists objected and a sculpture of three servicemen by sculptor Frederick Hart was added in 1986. Scuptor Glena Goodacre's Vietnam Women's Memorial was added in 1993.

A group calling itself Save Our Mall has repeatedly suggested the public space is growing too congested -- with monuments.

African-Americans may see contracts

Harry E. Johnson Sr., president and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, said that "if at all possible," the foundation hopes to award the $58 million to $66 million construction contract for the memorial to a firm headed by African-Americans.

Darfur Awareness Rally

Raising Awareness for the Victims of the Sudanese Genocide

Thursday, April 19^th

11:00am - 1:00pm

George Mason University - Quad

4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia

Join the Senior Social Work Students for

Music, Dance, and Phenomenal Speakers

Featured Speakers:

Joe Madison ~ Elnour Adam ~ Adam Russell

Mohamed Yahya ~ Amal Allagabo

Performances by:

Indigo Sun ~ Mikuak Rai ~ Kristen Arant

Kukuwa Nuamah ~ Mark Francis Nickens

Princess of Controversy

*Refreshments Served*

For more info go to http://mason.gmu.edu/~rgehl/darfur

UNITED MOVEMENT TO END CHILD SOLDIERING

www.endchildsoldiering.org

In response to the global scourge of child soldiering, the wars that perpetuate child soldiering and the poverty and displacement created by war, United Movement to End Child Soldiering (UMECS) was established to address the needs of communities, children, youth and women affected by war and grassroots organizations serving these needs.

Anchored in Uganda, our geographic focus is Great Lakes Region and Southern Africa . What distinguishes us from other organizations is our programs are community-based, our staff comes from the same communities in which we work and our major goals combine upliftment of youth through education, peace building and community development.

In Northern Uganda, a war has devastated the lives of people steeped in strong traditions from once land rich communities, displacing millions to squalid Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps where hunger stalks children. Murder of civilians, rape and mutilation are weapons of war and abducted children are the soldier of choice. Up to 60,000 children have been abducted, many of whom have been forced to commit unspeakable atrocities in their own communities.

Our Programs
Sponsor former child soldiers and formerly abducted children and youth living in IDP camps in Northern Uganda war zones in secondary schools and higher education, with counseling, guidance, mentorship, and other services.

Build capacity and provide service to grassroots organizations serving children, women and communities in Northern Uganda 's war zones

Combine peace building, rehabilitation of youth, community development, and land management activities in conflict-affected communities

INVITES YOU TO A FUNDRAISER HOSTED BY

JOHN CHAMBERS

President, Board of Directors

Host Committee:

Beverly Barnes, Maureen Bunyan, Eric Easter, Shane Evans, Melissa Fitzgerald,

Gabrielle Glore, Gediyon Kifle, Joe Madison, Jacob Mann, Arthur Serota

On Saturday April 14, 2007

Address:

1212 Lamont Street, NW (13^th & Lamont)

Washington, DC 20010

7:00 - 9:00 pm: Silent Auction, Live Music, Cocktail Reception

9:00 - 12:00 midnight: DJ, Saturday Night House Party

RSVP: info@endchildsoldiering.org

$25 Friend $75 Patron $150 Benefactor

United Movement to End Child Soldiering (UMECS) sponsors secondary and higher education for former child soldiers and formerly abducted children and youth living in IDP camps in Northern Uganda war zones. UMECS' mission includes providing counseling and mentorship to students, as well as peace building, community development, and grassroots organizational support in conflict-affected communities.

Metro: Columbia Heights Metro Station/Green Line

Parking: Giant Supermarket on Park Road between 13^th and 14^th Streets - $2.00 per hour Exit parking lot and walk left toward 13^th Street, turn right on 13^th and turn left on Lamont

UMECS is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization and a registered NGO in Uganda

All checks payable to: United Movement to End Child Soldiering

UMECS is a (501) (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit organization and a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Uganda

GREAT DECISIONS
Child Soldiering in Modern Society
by Arthur Serota

I come from a culture where traditionally, children are seen as both our present and our future so I have always believed it is our responsibility as adults to give children futures worth having. In the two years spent on this report, I have beenshocked and angered to see how shamefully we have failed in this responsibility.

From a Personal Note by Graca Machel, introducing the Report of Graca Machel, Expert of the Secretary-General of the United Nations: Impact of Armed Conflict on Children.

Notwithstanding the considerable gains society has made throughout the world, wars and their aftermath continue to set back the rights of people and communities to live in peace, prosperity and pass along something worthwhile to the next generation.

War has always been devastating to humanity. However, how wars are conducted today has worsened their impact on civilians, especially women and children. Today's wars are different from wars of the past when mostly male armies attacked opposing male armies. Looking back to the era of WW I, approximately 90% of the casualties of war then were combatants and 10% were unarmed civilians. Today, that paradigm has dramatically shifted. In today's wars, approximately 85-90% of the casualties are unarmed civilians, mostly women and children. This is no accident. This paradigm of who dies and who lives occurs in such large numbers because the strategies of today's wars have changed. Today's wars are intended to terrorize and win the "hearts and minds" of civilian populations. This entails committing wholesale atrocities on women and children, such as what happened in Bosnia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mozambique and Angola - to name just a very few examples in recent times - and continues elsewhere today. In today's wars, rape is a weapon of war and mutilating and killing civilians is the modus operandi.

As the paradigm of how today's wars has shifted, children and adolescents - vulnerable, easily manipulated and disoriented, traumatized, unpaid, physically fit and blindly obedient - are the soldier of choice. Globally, where targeting and terrorizing civilians is the modus operandi of armed conflict, child soldiering has become institutionalized as a component of armed conflict.

Whereas child soldiering takes place throughout the world, including in Burma/Myanmar, Sri Lanka , Bhutan , Colombia and Eastern Europe, child soldiering in Africa has become a pandemic. Child Soldiering in Africa - and the needs of former child soldiers and their communities - has and continues to affect major segments of society in Angola, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Sudan, Chad, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Algeria, Central Africa Republic, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Republic of Congo.

I work in Northern Uganda where a twenty year war has devastated the local population and direct an organization called United Movement to End Child Soldiering (UMECS). I was first exposed to child soldiering in the 1980's and 90's while teaching secondary school and conducting rural development projects in Zimbabwe on the Mozambique border. There, a proxy army known as RENAMO was attacking rural villages in Mozambique and Zimbabwe . Between 1986-1991, RENAMO killed over one million civilians in Mozambique and many thousands in Zimbabwe , conducting the most unspeakable atrocities. Many RENAMO "soldiers" were children, forcibly abducted by RENAMO to commit these atrocities. While I was living there, many civilians were brutally murdered, raped, and mutilated in neighboring villages.

In Northern Uganda , a rebel army called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been waging war against the Government of Uganda. The victims of this war, however, are the pastoralist Acholi communities of Northern Uganda who have been caught in the crossfire of the LRA and Government forces. 85% of the LRA's army are abducted children, some as young as eight years old. Girls as well as boys are abducted, with the average age of abduction between 12 and 14. In addition to being trained as fighters, girls become sex slaves to LRA commanders.

More than two million people in Northern Uganda have been displaced from their land and cattle-rich villages to squalid Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps where hunger stalks children, and hundreds of people - mostly children under five - die each week from preventable and curable diseases. Tens of thousands of women have been raped and mutilated in LRA raids, and over 60,000 children and adolescents have been abducted, many pressed into child soldiering.

Our work in Northern Uganda is focused on eradicating child soldiering, addressing the root causes of war through peacebuilding, building the capacity of grassroots organizations serving the needs of children, youth and women affected by armed conflict, and directly addressing the needs of children and youth, including former child soldiers, in the war zones.

What many organizations and programs including our own have discovered is that all children and youth in war zones have been deeply affected by conflict. In addition, children and youth who have been abducted, and/or have been forced into child soldiering have additional rehabilitation needs. That said, the greater discovery is that, contrary to popular belief outside war zones, formerly abducted children and former child soldiers respond well and successfully to programs and services that address their needs, and the most effective strategies combine cultural and community traditions with secular services. This works best because such children and youth are not "walking time bombs" as the popular stereotype has it but were raised within strong traditional families and communities. Although recently escaped former child soldiers remain traumatized for a while and need sufficient time to heal and restore, including initial specialized rehabilitation in safe, professional centers, former child soldiers and formerly abducted children actually excel in education, jobs training programs and community-minded endeavors. The examples throughout the world are numerous - how rehabilitation leads to success, how success nurtures hope and how the power of hope restores humanity.

In Northern Uganda, three of our inter-related programs foster success and hope with 78 children and youth deeply affected by armed conflict, approximately 60% of whom were formerly abducted children, many of whom are former child soldiers forced to commit repeated atrocities in their own communities. These programs are known as: Northern Uganda Education Program (NUEP); Northern Uganda Internship Program (NUIP) and Peace Fellows Program (PFP).

Now in Year III, our Northern Uganda Education Program selects our students using criteria of vulnerability, orphaned children, academic readiness, community accountability and gender balance. We follow a community-led process in which our staff and community members, local leaders, IDP camp leaders and primary school staff collaborate in the selection process to ensure transparency and fairness. We do not intentionally select "former child soldiers" as this tends to divide communities in great need. However, by following a community-led selection process, approximately 60% of selectees are formerly abducted children and former child soldiers.

We then make a commitment to our new students for their entire secondary and higher education journey, with an ongoing regimen of high expectations and standards. We also enroll our students in "partnered secondary boarding schools," i.e. schools we have investigated and built relationship. Hence, we send our students in small teams or cohorts, which creates peer support and peer mentorship, to partnered schools.

What makes our program successful - 97% of our students since January 2005 have stayed in school and stayed in the program - is our holistic approach. We pay for all school fees, school uniforms, medical exams, scholastic materials, school and sports attire, calculators, math kits, mattresses, trunks, personal hygiene supplies and transport.

In addition, through an all Northern Uganda education staff, we provide ongoing mentorship, counseling, and guidance, including career counseling. To address the psychosocial needs of our students affected by trauma from their war experiences, we launched a Counseling and Guidance Program in collaboration with Africa University .

What provides the greatest amount of hope and motivation is our higher education component. Secondary school education is important but by itself, will not provide jobs or sufficient opportunities. Higher education is essential and Northern Uganda needs to restore itself with professionals in healthcare, education, social work, agriculture, environmental programs, engineering, community planning, and entrepreneurship.

Tied in with these strategies is our Northern Uganda Internship Program, partnered with Africa University 's Institute of Peace , Leadership and Governance (IPLG). Also in Year III, this program brings mature graduate students from around Africa ( Zimbabwe , Liberia , and Kenya ) who are classroom teachers, counselors, peacebuilders, trainers and business managers who serve as additional mentors to our students. In this way, mature, successful, culturally connected role models from Africa serve youth with needs in Northern Uganda . It has been a highly successful component.

Finally, we sponsor university graduates from Northern Uganda war zones to the Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance two year graduate program at Africa University as Peace Fellows who return to their communities as peacebuilding practitioners.

Through our 78 students, we serve many families and communities in addition to our students and schools, but it is a small number compared to the hundreds of thousands of secondary-school age youth in Northern Uganda IDP camps not in school. Other organizations also provide education programs, although with fewer holistic services and shorter term commitments.

What is needed is a huge boost in education resources for children and youth now, while they are children and youth. We advocate collaboratively for the right of children and youth in Uganda to be educated and there is nothing that substitutes for primary, secondary and higher education. What makes this vision even more exciting is the zeal Ugandan children and youth have for reading and learning.

The war in Northern Uganda has been winding down. Although formal peace talks between the Lord's Resistance Army and the Government of Uganda have been stalled since they began eight months ago, there have been no war-related incidents of violence in Northern Uganda since they began. Although 1.4 million people remain confined to IDP camps, fearing insecurity if they return home, approximately 300,000 people have returned to their villages, rebuilding their houses, restoring their lands and restocking their livestock. The holiday season in December and January was peaceful for the first time in 20 years.

In early February, 60 nations, including many in Africa, Asia and Latin America where child soldiering has been rife participated in the "Paris Conference on Child Soldiering." Although largely symbolic, the conference was a positive step forward to recognize and condemn child soldiering as an intolerable global scourge. This article from the February 6, 2007 Chicago Sun-Times, Nations Pledge Not to Use Child Soldiers, tells more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/245761,soldiers020607.article

Two excellent book resources:

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah
Innocents Lost: When Child Soldiers Go to War, by Jimmie Briggs

"A CHINESE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.!!"

By Gilbert Young

One of the greatest men in history said if a man is not willing to die for something he is not fit to live. I believe that to be true. In today's society, standing up for a belief-especially if it seems politically incorrect-can be the same as dying. As a professional who just turned sixty-five, I know that to be true. Still, I'm willing to yell at the top of my lungs my disgust at the decision made by the King Memorial Foundation to choose a Chinese artist to sculpt the image of Martin Luther King Jr., for the first ever national memorial to an African American man.

Where are those who are supposed to protect the ideals and champion the cause? Among those pretending to be in charge are obviously too many who can not see the travesty of justice in having the "national treasure of China," Lei Yixin-that's Communist China-sculpt the center piece of the most important African American monument, in recognition of the most important African American movement in the history of the United States. A movement that never could have taken place in China . I am appalled.

Is it that Alpha Phi Alpha, one of the country's oldest African American fraternities, and the executive staff of the King Memorial project-also all black, and the Memorial Foundation Leadership, could not find one African American sculptor good enough to create a likeness of King? That's crazy. You best believe, there is not ONE national memorial, not ONE monument to a leader or historical event in China , Russia , France , Italy , India , Germany -go ahead and name them all-that has the name of an African American artist engraved in its base. It's probably not that they don't like us or appreciate our abilities. It's that a commission of such importance is a legacy for a country and its countrymen. Why should the King Monument be any different?

Here was the opportunity for a national monument to a Black man in Washington D.C., to be created, developed, designed, and executed by the best that African America arts and culture and development has to offer, a testament to all our own achievements as Black people who benefited from Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. There won't be a second chance to make our first impression. Yet once again our worth is kicked to the curb.

So far, creating and developing the site of the King Memorial has gone to the ROMA Group, out of San Francisco , a group headed by Boris Dramov. The historic centerpiece of the King Memorial is supposed to be created by the Chinese guy. So let's see-that leaves the digging and hauling, which in some folks' eyes may be appropriate because this nation was built on the backs of Blacks. I, for one, am not willing to bob my head and grin over the fact that some Black subcontractor will be employed to move the dirt. Nor am I willing to allow my children's children to visit a memorial that will not reflect African American art and culture and artistry. What was the Civil Rights Movement all about?

Lei Yixin is politics, and politics was not King's way. We all know, as U.S. citizens, how much money our government owes the Chinese (and everybody else). But here's the thing; the artistic accomplishments of African Americans has long been celebrated. We too have national treasures, and low and behold some of them are sculptors. More importantly, politics should not be allowed to sell the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the historic impact of the Civil Rights movement to the Chinese.

"The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Lei Yixin"

Whose artistry and history will that plaque honor 300 years from now? The answer is NOT OURS.

As an artist, I stand against it-even if I stand alone.

Gilbert Young

P.O. Box 7190 Atlanta , GA 30357

Youngartone@aol.com

678-886-2271

LETS SAY I BREAK INTO YOUR HOUSE

A lady wrote the best letter in the Editorials in ages!!!   It explains things better than all the baloney you hear on TV.

Her point:

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration.

Certain people are angry that the US might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and, once here, to stay indefinitely.

Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests.
Let's say I break into your house.
Let's say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave.
But I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors.
I've done all the things you don't like to do.
I'm hard-working and honest (except for when I broke into your house).
According to the protesters:

·     You are Required to let me stay in your house
·     You are Required to add me to your family's insurance plan
·     You are Required to Educate my kids
·     You are Required to Provide other benefits to me and to my family (my husband will do all of your yard work because he is also hard-working and honest, except for that breaking in part).

If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my RIGHT to be there.

It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself.
I'm a hard-working and honest, person, except for well, you know, I did break into your house.

   And what a deal it is for me!!!   I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of cold, uncaring, selfish, prejudiced, and bigoted behavior. Oh yeah, I DEMAND that you to learn MY LANGUAGE!! so you can communicate with me.

Why can't people see how ridiculous this is?! Only in America .....if you agree, pass it on (in English). Share it if you see the value of it.

If not blow it off......... along with your future Social Security funds, and a lot of other things

Asian paper's 'I Hate Blacks' column assailed
San Francisco Chronicle, Leslie Fulbright, Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 27, 2007

A San Francisco weekly newspaper that bills itself as "The Voice of Asian America" is facing harsh criticism from that very community for publishing a column Friday titled "Why I Hate Blacks."

In the column, AsianWeek regular contributor Kenneth Eng listed "reasons" to discriminate against African Americans. The piece has been pulled from the newspaper's Web site, but the print edition of the free paper, owned by the politically influential Fang family, was still available in news racks Monday.

Eng called himself an "Asian supremacist" in January in another installment of the column, which runs under the label "God of the Universe."

Prominent Asian Americans immediately condemned Eng's current column.

"The hate is based on ignorance and is very similar to the rationales that the KKK uses against African Americans," said Henry Der, director for 22 years of Chinese for Affirmative Action and the former state administrator for Emeryville's schools.

"What gives me the greatest concern was AsianWeek's judgment in printing such a piece out of context," Der said. "It is so trite and hateful, it doesn't speak well for the publication."

San Francisco NAACP President Amos Brown, who heard about the column from a Chronicle reporter, was speechless at first.

"I can't believe this," Brown then said. "I am surprised the Fangs, who have supposedly been involved in interracial-understanding issues, would publish something like this. I am flabbergasted. We can't afford for these kind of racist flames to be fueled in that kind of setting."

AsianWeek issued a statement regretting "any offense caused by the one opinion piece," and Editor in Chief Samson Wong declined further comment.

Editor at large Ted Fang did not return phone calls seeking comment. Members of his family, who are Chinese American, have owned a number of local publications, including AsianWeek and the Independent. They bought the Examiner in 2000 and sold it in 2004.

Ted Fang's brother James, who is president of the paper, has spent more than a decade on the BART Board of Directors and previously worked as international trade director for former San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan.

Eng's "reasons" for hating black people include:

-- "Blacks hate us. Every Asian who has ever come across them knows that they take almost every opportunity to hurl racist remarks at us."

-- "Contrary to media depictions, I would argue that blacks are weak-willed. They are the only race that has been enslaved for 300 years."

-- "Blacks are easy to coerce. This is proven by the fact that so many of them, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, tend to be Christians."

Eng, who is in his early 20s, according to material on the Internet promoting his science fiction writing, started at AsianWeek in November after moving from the East Coast. In 2004, for an online magazine called Down in the Dirt, he wrote about experiencing racism as an Asian American student at New York University after he "expressed my negative views on America, religion and African Americans."

Other AsianWeek columns of Eng's -- including "Proof That Whites Inherently Hate Us" and "Why I Hate Asians" -- have resulted in criticism. In the first, he complained about the scarcity of Asian heroes in the media. In the second, he described Asian Americans as apathetic, brown-nosing and lacking in cultural pride.

Eng could not be reached for comment Monday.

Leaders of the Asian Law Caucus, Asian American Justice Center, Chinese for Affirmative Action and other groups and individuals began circulating a petition Friday calling for the paper to apologize, terminate its relationship with Eng, print an editorial refuting the column and review its editorial policy. The leaders' statement, issued in Washington, D.C., called the piece "irresponsible journalism, blatantly racist, replete with stereotypes and deeply hurtful to African Americans."

In its statement, AsianWeek, which has a circulation of 48,505, said it "sincerely regrets any offense caused by the one opinion piece which reflected that author's personal views. We apologize for any harm or hurt this has caused the African American community. AsianWeek has great respect for all that the African American community has done for Asian Pacific Americans."

David Lee of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee said Eng's statement echoes the feelings of some Asian Americans. He said that rather than condemning the paper, black and Asian people should participate in a town hall-style meeting to address tension he said exists between the two communities.

"There is a segment that feels the way Eng does, but the sentiment is underground and not brought to the surface," Lee said. "If you don't have a discussion, then I think it allows these types of views to fester and turn into something much more negative. Rather than refute and bury this, we should be calling for a community dialogue to address this."

The paper said it will announce in this Friday's edition plans to co-sponsor a town hall-style meeting with the Willie L. Brown Jr. Institute on Politics & Public Service.

"What this controversy points out is the lack of community leadership in addressing the critical and difficult issues of race relations, particularly between Asian Pacific Americans and African Americans," the paper's statement said.

San Francisco writer Claire Light, one of several bloggers who wrote about the column over the weekend, said the newspaper in general -- and especially Eng's column -- makes her embarrassed to be Asian. She said that "most Asian Americans have never even heard of AsianWeek, much less agree with its editorial decision making."

Der said the column was offensive not only to African Americans but to everyone -- and especially because it was published during Black History Month.

"It is pretty despicable that the piece would do that at this time," he said. "If we are to talk about race and issues, then there should be a thoughtful presentation of the diverse views on this topic. If they had done that, however offensive, we would at least understand it in the context in the larger community."

Ling-chi Wang, retired chairman of the ethnic studies department at UC Berkeley, said there is an urgent need for Asian Americans to be aware of the history of this country and know that Asian American gains have come largely as a result of the efforts of black people.

"Personal experiences cannot be generalized," Wang said. "It is really sad to see the racism sentiment being expressed so publicly. I can't believe Ted Fang would allow such a column to go to print. It is really offensive and damaging and is not one that contributes to a better understanding of diversity.

"I was very disappointed to see it published, and I'm glad there are people protesting."

Dingell: Thanks, but I'm not the second-most senior -- yet

By The Hill Staff

March 03, 2005

From Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.):
While I am flattered that you wrote about my "nearly legendary" 50 years and two months in Congress in your March 1 Under the Dome column, I need to let you know that the statement is only "nearly correct."

I was sworn into office on Dec. 13, 1955, by Speaker Sam Rayburn [D-Texas], a real legend and a mentor of mine when I was a young member. On Aug. 26, 2004, I proudly surpassed Speaker Rayburn's tenure in office, becoming the fourth longest serving member of the House. However, I have yet to bypass the third longest serving member, Emanuel Celler [D-N.Y.], who served 49 years, 10 months and 13 days - although I plan to do so on Oct. 14 of this year.

On Feb. 16, 2006, I also look forward to passing Carl Vinson's [D-Ga.] tenure of 50 years, two months and 13 days to become the second longest serving member of the House. As you mention in your article, the late Jamie Whitten [D-Miss.] holds the record for service in the House with 53 years, two months and 13 days, and, while it would be a great honor to hold this record myself, ultimately I hope to be remembered not for the length of my tenure but instead for my effectiveness and accomplishments as a legislator.

Also referenced in the article was the fact that my late father, John Dingell Sr. [D-Mich.], was one of the architects of Social Security. This is absolutely true and continues to be a source of pride for me today. Dad stood behind President Roosevelt when he signed the Social Security law, and now I am standing behind the working men and women whom Social Security protects to preserve that law.
Washington, D.C.

Understanding Social Security

From Keith Mauck:
Social Security doesn't make sense to me. Even as a teenager earning $1,000 a summer, I wondered, "Why do I give FICA my money for 50 years of my life, only to get it back at marginal returns? Of course, that is if I live past 65 years. (Won't I be too old to spend it?)"

Those among us making under $90,000 annually pay into the system to fund the Social Security checks of the retired. Counter to the beliefs of my grandparents, who are living in a nice retirement community in Florida, there is no "lock box" keeping their life-long contributions safe.

I don't mind funding my grandparents' retirement. I see it as a "time-share investment." They move to Florida and I go mooch off them. It's a cheap vacation.

My grandparents aren't alone in their dependency on Social Security; half of all seniors rely upon it for the majority of their retirement income. It's time to start equipping the citizenry to manage their retirement savings.

President Bush's plan to include personal retirement accounts in the reform of Social Security will begin this financial empowerment. Borrowing, large tax increases and cutting benefits should be ruled out as answers. Each of these would stop a growing economy in its tracks. Personal accounts that would take the form of a 401(k) or individual retirement account are the most sensible.

If Congress can't get this done soon, I'd be happy to donate all of my 16 years of FICA contributions to Social Security for an ability to opt out of the system. I'll do this gladly, especially when I view my 2005 Social Security statement and realize I could have done better.
Cheasapeake, Va.

African-American voices on the radio

From Michael Beverly:
I am disturbed by the article about the biggest names in talk radio in Washington, D.C. ("D.C. mouths among 100 most important hosts"), in your March 1 Under the Dome column.

You overlooked one of the most influential, powerful and popular African-American voices in talk radio in the Washington, D.C. area and the country who is on the 2005 list compiled by Talkers Magazine, Joe Madison of WOL AM 1450, based in Lanham, Md. He is also nationally syndicated on the Power, XM radio Channel 169.

As a young African-American professional on Capitol Hill who reads your publication, this is frankly insulting. Joe Madison is one of only three African Americans on the magazine's "Heavy Hundred" list. He is inspiring to all who listen to him and connects very often with African American members on Capitol Hill.

Your insensitivity in overlooking such a key figure in talk radio and the African-American community coming off the heels of Black History Month makes this oversight all the more disturbing. I hope you will make note of this oversight in a future publication to the Capitol Hill community who reads your paper.
Washington, D.C.

Asian-Americans condemn 'Why I Hate Blacks' column
POSTED: 9:49 p.m. EST, February 27, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Asian-American leaders are calling on a weekly newspaper to apologize and cut ties with a writer who penned a column titled "Why I Hate Blacks."

In the piece, which appeared in the February 23 edition of San Francisco-based AsianWeek, contributor Kenneth Eng lists reasons why he supports discrimination against blacks, writing, among other things, "I would argue that blacks are weak-willed. They are the only race that has been enslaved for 300 years."

An official at the nationally circulated paper apologized and called the column's publication a mistake.

Leaders at the Asian American Justice Center, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Coalition for Asian Pacific Americans and other groups are circulating a petition denouncing the piece as "irresponsible journalism, blatantly racist, replete with stereotypes, and deeply hurtful to African Americans."

The petition calls on AsianWeek to cut ties with Eng, issue an apology, print an editorial refuting the column, and fire or demote the editors who published it.

"Something like this should never have been printed," said Vincent Eng, deputy director of the Asian American Justice Center in Washington, who is not related to the columnist. "Deliberate action needs to be taken to make sure this type of hate speech doesn't continue."

AsianWeek, with a circulation of 48,505, issued a statement apologizing for "any harm or hurt this has caused the African American community."

The newspaper plans to hold a news conference with NAACP leaders in San Francisco on Wednesday to discuss how the Asian and black communities "can be different and yet get along and work together," said Ted Fang, the paper's editor at large.

"The newspaper is sorry that this got published, and I am personally sorry that this got published," Fang told The Associated Press. "The views in that opinion piece do not in any way reflect the views of AsianWeek."

The paper plans to review its policies to "understand how this happened and make sure it doesn't happen again," Fang said, calling the decision to publish Eng's piece a "mistake."

Fang's family publishes AsianWeek, along with a local newspaper called the Independent, and owned the San Francisco Examiner between 2000 and 2004. AsianWeek calls itself "The Voice of Asian America."

The column was among several written by Kenneth Eng, who has described himself as an "Asian Supremacist." Previous columns have been titled "Proof That Whites Inherently Hate Us" and "Why I Hate Asians."

A telephone listing for Eng could not be located.

Sophie Maxwell, one of the city's top black officials and a member of the city's board of supervisors, said she doesn't believe Eng's column will hurt relations between blacks and Asians in San Francisco. She has co-sponsored a city resolution condemning the article and AsianWeek's decision to publish it.

"This man clearly is very ignorant of African-American history and his own history, and he's very angry," said Maxwell, who represents a district with large black and Asian populations.

Penny Lane was road to slavery

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sunday, March 18th 2007

LIVERPOOL, England - Beatles lovers who seek out Penny Lane imagine it as that magical place "in my ears and in my eyes, there beneath the blue suburban skies." But it has a sinister undertone that still reverberates.

The street in Liverpool, hometown of the Fab Four, is named after James Penny, a slave trader and investor in 11 voyages that took 500 to 600 captives at a time to the New World.

Penny was among the many who enriched themselves and their city on human trafficking until the slave trade was abolished 200 years ago. Their ships carried millions of human beings from West Africa to the plantations of the Americas in a triangular trade that also brought profitable cargoes of sugar, tobacco and rum to England.

Liverpool's rise, says British historian Ray Costello, is summed up in a carving on a local bank facade: two black children supporting Liverpool as Neptune.

"What it really means is that this bank was founded on the slave trade," Costello said.

That revelation resonates all the more with the approach of the March 25 anniversary of the British parliamentary act that abolished the slave trade in Britain's colonies 200 years ago - though not slavery itself.

Liverpool's past has not gone unacknowledged.

The city council formally apologized in 1999, expressing "shame and remorse for the city's role in this trade in human misery."

And it has commissioned statues titled "Reconciliation," two abstract bronze figures embracing, which will be dedicated this year in Richmond, Va., and Benin, a West African port of call for Liverpool's slave ships.

On Aug. 23, the anniversary of the slave uprising in French-ruled Haiti in 1791, Liverpool will also open the International Slavery Museum.

Liverpool council member Barbara Mace last year proposed renaming streets associated with slavery, and was surprised to learn that Penny Lane was among them. After a lively controversy the proposal was withdrawn.
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Subject: Black German Holocaust Victims
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:02:56 +0000

So much of our history is lost to us because we often don't write the history books, don't film the documentaries, or don't pass the accounts downfrom generation to generation.

One documentary now touring the film festival circuit, telling us to "Always Remember" is "Black Survivors of the Holocaust" (1997). Outside the U.S, the film is entitled "Hitler's Forgotten Victims" (Afro-Wisdom Productions). It codifies another dimension to the "Never Forget " Holocaust story--our dimension.

Did you know that in the 1920's, there were 24,000 Blacks living in Germany? Neither did I. Here's how it happened, and how many of them were eventually caught unawares by the events of the Holocaust.

Like most West European nations, Germany established colonies in Africa in the late 1800's in what later became Togo, Cameroon, Namibia, and Tanzania. German genetic experiments began there, most notably involving prisoners taken from the 1904 Heroro Massacre that left 60,000 Africans dead, following a 4-year revolt against German colonization.

After the shellacking Germany received in World War I, it was stripped of its African colonies in 1918. As a spoil of war, the French were allowed to occupy Germany in the Rhineland--a bitter piece of real estate that has gone back and forth between the two nations for centuries.

The French willfully deployed their own colonized African soldiers as the occupying force. Germans viewed this as the final insult of World War I, and, soon thereafter, 92% of them voted in the Nazi party.

Hundreds of the African Rhineland -based soldiers intermarried with German women and raised their children as Black Germans. In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote about his plans for these "Rhineland Bastards". When he came to power, one of his first directives was aimed at these mixed-race children. Underscoring Hitler's obsession with racial purity, by 1937, every identified mixed-race child in the Rhineland had been forcibly sterilized, in order to prevent further "race polluting", as
Hitler termed it.

Hans Hauck, a Black Holocaust survivor and a victim of Hitler's mandatory sterilization program, explained in the film "Hitler's Forgotten Victims" that, when he was forced to undergo sterilization as a teenager, he was given no anesthetic. Once he received his sterilization certificate, he was "free to go", so long as he agreed to have no sexual relations whatsoever with Germans.

Although most Black Germans attemp ted to escape their fatherland, heading for France where people like Josephine Baker & Paul Robeson were steadily aiding and supporting the French Underground, many still encountered problems elsewhere. Nations shut their doors to Germans, including the Black ones.

Some Black Germans were able to eke out a living during Hitler's reign of terror by performing in Vaudeville shows, but many Blacks, steadfast in their belief that they were German first, Black second, opted to remain inGermany. Some fought with the Nazis (a few even became Lutwaffe pilots)! Unfortunately, many Black Germans were arrested, charged with treason, and shipped in cattle cars to concentration camps. Often these trains were so packed with people and (equipped with no bathroom facilities or food), that, after the four-day journey, box car doors were opened to piles of the dead and dying.

Once inside the concentration camps, Blacks were given the worst jobs conceivable . Some Black American soldiers, who were captured and held as prisoners of war, recounted that, while they were being starved and forced into dangerous labor (violating the Geneva Convention), they were still better off than Black German concentration camp detainees, who were forced to do the unthinkable-- man the crematoriums and work in labs where genetic experiments were being conducted. As a final sacrifice, these Blacks were killed every three months so that they would never be able to reveal the inner workings of the "Final Solution".

In every story of Black oppression, no matter how we were enslaved, shackled, or beaten, we always found a way to survive and to rescue others. As a case in point, consider Johnny Voste, a Belgian resistance fighter who was arrested in 1942 for alleged sabotage and then shipped to Dachau. One of his jobs was stacking vitamin crates. Risking his own life, he distributed hundreds of vitamins to camp detainees, which saved the lives of many who were starving, weak, and ill--conditions exacerbated by extreme vitamin deficiencies. His motto was "No, you can't have my life; I will fight for it."

According to Essex University's Delroy Constantine-Simms, there were Black Germans who resisted Nazi Germany, such as Lari Gilges, who founded the Northwest Rann--an organization of entertainers that fought the Nazis in his home town of Dusseldorf--and who was murdered by the SS in 1933, the year that Hitler came into power.

Little information remains about the numbers of Black Germans held in the camps or killed under the Nazi regime. Some victims of the forgetten Nazi sterilization project and Black survivors of the Holocaust are still alive and telling their story in films such as "Black Survivors of the Nazi Holocaust", but they must also speak out for justice, not just history.

Unlike Jews (in Israel and in Germany), Black Germans receive no war reparations because their German citizenship was revoked (even though they were German-born). The only pension they get is from those of us who are willing to tell the world their stories and continue their battle for recognition and compensation.

After the war, scores of Blacks who had somehow managed to survive the Nazi regime, were rounded up and tried as war criminals. Talk about the final insult! There are thousands of Black Holocaust stories, from the triangle trade, to slavery in America, to the gas ovens in Germany.

We often shy away from hearing about our historical past because so much of it is painful; however, we are in this struggle together for rights, dignity, and, yes, reparations for wrongs done to us through the centuries. We need to always remember so that we can take steps to ensure that these atrocities never happen again.

For further information, read: Destined to Witness: Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany, by Hans J. Massaquoi. Thi s black history moment brought to you by Stogie Kenyatta: Paul Robeson black history show

Brenda J. Vondo
Glajan Care Inc

Bush Moves Toward Martial Law

In a stealth maneuver, President Bush has signed into law a provision which, according to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), will actually encourage the President to declare federal martial law (1). It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that limits the President's ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush is seeking to undo those prohibitions.

Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."

President Bush seized this unprecedented power on the very same day that he signed the equally odious Military Commissions Act of 2006. In a sense, the two laws complement one another. One allows for torture and detention abroad, while the other seeks to enforce acquiescence at home, preparing to order the military onto the streets of America. Remember, the term for putting an area under military law enforcement control is precise; the term is "martial law."

Section 1076 of the massive Authorization Act, which grants the Pentagon another $500-plus-billion for its ill-advised adventures, is entitled, "Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies." Section 333, "Major public emergencies; interference with State and Federal law" states that "the President may employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States, the President determines that domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of ("refuse" or "fail" in) maintaining public order, "in order to suppress, in any State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy."

For the current President, "enforcement of the laws to restore public order" means to commandeer guardsmen from any state, over the objections of local governmental, military and local police entities; ship them off to another state; conscript them in a law enforcement mode; and set them loose against "disorderly" citizenry - protesters, possibly, or those who object to forced vaccinations and quarantines in the event of a bio-terror event.

The law also facilitates militarized police round-ups and detention of protesters, so called "illegal aliens," "potential terrorists" and other "undesirables" for detention in facilities already contracted for and under construction by Halliburton. That's right. Under the cover of a trumped-up "immigration emergency" and the frenzied militarization of the southern border, detention camps are being constructed right under our noses, camps designed for anyone who resists the foreign and domestic agenda of the Bush administration.

An article on "recent contract awards" in a recent issue of the slick, insider "Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International" reported that "global engineering and technical services powerhouse KBR [Kellog, Brown & Root] announced in January 2006 that its Government and Infrastructure division was awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in the event of an emergency." "With a maximum total value of $385 million over a five year term," the report notes, "the contract is to be executed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," "for establishing temporary detention and processing capabilities to augment existing ICE Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) - in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs." The report points out that "KBR is the engineering and construction subsidiary of Halliburton." (3) So, in addition to authorizing another $532.8 billion for the Pentagon, including a $70-billion "supplemental provision" which covers the cost of the ongoing, mad military maneuvers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places, the new law, signed by the president in a private White House ceremony, further collapses the historic divide between the police and the military: a tell-tale sign of a rapidly consolidating police state in America, all accomplished amidst ongoing U.S. imperial pretensions of global domination, sold to an "emergency managed" and seemingly willfully gullible public as a "global war on terrorism."

Make no mistake about it: the de-facto repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act (PCA) is an ominous assault on American democratic tradition and jurisprudence. The 1878 Act, which reads, "Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both," is the only U.S. criminal statute that outlaws military operations directed against the American people under the cover of 'law enforcement.' As such, it has been the best protection we've had against the power-hungry intentions of an unscrupulous and reckless executive, an executive intent on using force to enforce its will.

Unfortunately, this past week, the president dealt posse comitatus, along with American democracy, a near fatal blow. Consequently, it will take an aroused citizenry to undo the damage wrought by this horrendous act, part and parcel, as we have seen, of a long train of abuses and outrages perpetrated by this authoritarian administration.

Despite the unprecedented and shocking nature of this act, there has been no outcry in the American media, and little reaction from our elected officials in Congress. On September 19th, a lone Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) noted that 2007's Defense Authorization Act contained a "widely opposed provision to allow the President more control over the National Guard [adopting] changes to the Insurrection Act, which will make it easier for this or any future President to use the military to restore domestic order WITHOUT the consent of the nation's governors."

Senator Leahy went on to stress that, "we certainly do not need to make it easier for Presidents to declare martial law. Invoking the Insurrection Act and using the military for law enforcement activities goes against some of the central tenets of our democracy. One can easily envision governors and mayors in charge of an emergency having to constantly look over their shoulders while someone who has never visited their communities gives the orders."

A few weeks later, on the 29th of September, Leahy entered into the Congressional Record that he had "grave reservations about certain provisions of the fiscal Year 2007 Defense Authorization Bill Conference Report," the language of which, he said, "subverts solid, longstanding posse comitatus statutes that limit the military's involvement in law enforcement, thereby making it easier for the President to declare martial law." This had been "slipped in," Leahy said, "as a rider with little study," while "other congressional committees with jurisdiction over these matters had no chance to comment, let alone hold hearings on, these proposals."

In a telling bit of understatement, the Senator from Vermont noted that "the implications of changing the (Posse Comitatus) Act are enormous". "There is good reason," he said, "for the constructive friction in existing law when it comes to martial law declarations. Using the military for law enforcement goes against one of the founding tenets of our democracy. We fail our Constitution, neglecting the rights of the States, when we make it easier for the President to declare martial law and trample on local and state sovereignty."

Senator Leahy's final ruminations: "Since hearing word a couple of weeks ago that this outcome was likely, I have wondered how Congress could have gotten to this point. It seems the changes to the Insurrection Act have survived the Conference because the Pentagon and the White House want it."

The historic and ominous re-writing of the Insurrection Act, accomplished in the dead of night, which gives Bush the legal authority to declare martial law, is now an accomplished fact.

The Pentagon, as one might expect, plays an even more direct role in martial law operations. Title XIV of the new law, entitled, "Homeland Defense Technology Transfer Legislative Provisions," authorizes "the Secretary of Defense to create a Homeland Defense Technology Transfer Consortium to improve the effectiveness of the Department of Defense (DOD) processes for identifying and deploying relevant DOD technology to federal, State, and local first responders."

In other words, the law facilitates the "transfer" of the newest in so-called "crowd control" technology and other weaponry designed to suppress dissent from the Pentagon to local militarized police units. The new law builds on and further codifies earlier "technology transfer" agreements, specifically the 1995 DOD-Justice Department memorandum of agreement achieved back during the Clinton-Reno regime.(4)

It has become clear in recent months that a critical mass of the American people have seen through the lies of the Bush administration; with the president's polls at an historic low, growing resistance to the war Iraq, and the Democrats likely to take back the Congress in mid-term elections, the Bush administration is on the ropes. And so it is particularly worrying that President Bush has seen fit, at this juncture to, in effect, declare himself dictator.

BLACK PEOPLE, PLEASE, READ & HEED. POIGNANT.

The sad thing about this article is that the essence of it is true. The truth hurts. I just hope this sets more Black people in motion towards making real progress. Chris Rock, a Black comedian, even joked that Blacks don't read.

Help prove them wrong! Read and pass on.

Please Note:

For those of you who heard it, this is the article Dee Lee was reading this morning on a New York radio station. For those of you who didn't hear it, this is very deep. This is a heavy piece and a Caucasian wrote it.

Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they refuse to read, continue to buy anything they want, and keep thinking they are "helping" their communities by paying dues to organizations which do little other than hold lavish conventions in our hotels. By the way, don't worry about any of them reading this letter, remember, 'THEY DON'T READ!!!!

(Prove them wrong. Please pass this on after reading it.) Dee Lee, CFP

Harvard Financial Educators

Dee Lee

THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES. We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the effort of physical slavery Look at the current methods of containment that they use on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED, and SELFISHNESS.

Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said, "The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book." We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com, not to mention their own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to reach economic equality (which should have been their fight all along), but few read consistently, if at all.

GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since the abolition of slavery, have had large amounts of money at their disposal. Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during Christmas, out of their 450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%).

Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business venture we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it. Being primarily a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They continually want more, with little thought for saving or investing.

They would rather buy some new sneaker than invest in starting a business. Some even neglect their children to have the latest Tommy or FUBU, and they still think that having a Mercedes, and a big house gives them "Status" or that they have achieved their Dream.

They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in poverty because their greed holds them back from collectively making better communities.

With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that often broadcasts destructive images into their own homes, we will continue to see huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. (Tommy Hilfiger has even jeered them, saying he doesn't want their money, and look at how the fools spend more with him than ever before!). They'll continue to show off to each other while we build solid communities with the profits from our businesses that we market to them.

SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of the major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois said that there was an innate division in their culture. A "Talented Tenth" he called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are segments of their culture that has achieved some "form" of success. However, that segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn't read that the "Talented Tenth" was then responsible to aid The Non-Talented Ninety Percent in achieving a better life. Instead, that segment has created another class, a Buppie class that looks down on their people or aids them in a condescending manner. They will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness does not allow them to be able to work together on any project or endeavor of substance. When they do get together, their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of their goal. Their so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote their name without making any real change in their community.

They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels, and talk about what they will do, while they award plaques to the best speakers, not to the best doers. Is there no end to their selfishness? They steadfastly refuse to see that TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM).

They do not understand that they are no better than each other because of what they own, as a matter of fact, most of those Buppies are but one or two pay checks away from poverty. All of which is under the control of our pens in our offices and our rooms.

What is on the Back of the Two Dollar Bill?

The back of the $2 bill has an engraving of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In the image is a man who has dark skin and wearing a powdered wig while sitting at the table just to the left of the men standing in the center of the engraving. This dark skinned man is John Hanson in his position as president of the continental congress.

In the original painting hanging in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, the dark skinned man does not appear!!!

A "Black" Man, A Moor, John Hanson

Was the First President of the United States! 1781-1782 A.D.???
George Washington was really the 8th President of the United States!

George Washington was not the first President of the United States. In fact, the first President of the United States was one John Hanson. Don't go checking the encyclopedia for this guy's name - he is one of those great men that are lost to history. If you're extremely lucky, you may actually find a brief mention of his name.

The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation.
This document was actually proposed on June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this document until Virginia and New York ceded their western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states would gain too much power in the new government from such large amounts of land).

Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by Congress (which included George Washington). In fact, all the other potential candidates refused to run against him, as he was a major player in the revolution and an extremely influential member of Congress.

As the first President, Hanson had quite the shoes to fill. No one had ever been President and the role was poorly defined. His actions in office would set precedent for all future Presidents.

He took office just as the Revolutionary War ended. Almost immediately, the troops demanded to be paid. As would be expected after any long war, there were no funds to meet the salaries. As a result, the soldiers threatened to overthrow the new government and put Washington on the throne as a monarch.

All the members of Congress ran for their lives, leaving Hanson as the only guy left running the government. He somehow managed to calm the troops down and hold the country together. If he had failed, the government would have fallen almost immediately and everyone would have been bowing to King Washington. In fact, Hanson sent 800 pounds of sterl ing silver by his brother Samuel Hanson to George Washington to provide the troops with shoes.

Hanson, as President, ordered all foreign troops off American soil, as well as the removal of all foreign flags. This was quite the feat, considering the fact that so many European countries had a stake in the United States since the days following Columbus.

OPERATION TIMBUKTU

Saving the Timbuktu Manuscripts

South Africa has thrown its weight behind efforts to preserve the priceless Timbuktu Manuscripts, ancient documents that hold the key to some of the secrets of the continent's history and cultural heritage - and shatter the conventional historical view of Africa as a purely "oral continent".

A consortium of South African businessmen plans to build a new library to house between 200 000 and 300 000 ancient manuscripts currently housed in 24 private libraries in and around the Malian city, and to train local librarians in the preservation of a treasure trove that is threatening, literally, to disintegrate.

"Operation Timbuktu" is the first official cultural project of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), the socio-economic revival plan of the African Union.

It is also a South African presidential project, co-ordinated by the Presidency and the Department of Arts and Culture through the National Archives in Pretoria, that aims to make good on an offer of help to the Malian government made by President Thabo Mbeki during a state visit in 2001.

Ancient African texts
The Timbuktu Manuscripts - or Mali Manuscripts - some of which date back to the 13th century, are Arabic and African texts that hark back to city's glorious past, when Muslim merchants would trade gold from West Africa to Europe and the Middle East in return for salt and other goods.

Long-since a symbol in Western popular imagination for remote and exotic destinations, Timbuktu 500 years ago was not only a wealthy trading port, but also a centre for academics and scholars of religion, literature and science.

The manuscripts point to the fact that Africa has a rich legacy of written history, contrary to popular opinion that oral tradition alone preserved its heritage.

The largest collection of manuscripts, many from ancient libraries, is housed in the Ahmed Baba Institute, named after the famous 15th century Timbuktu scholar Ahmed Baba. The rest of the ancient texts are housed in the private libraries of families in and around the city.

Amid fears that many of the manuscripts - vulnerable to insects and Mali's annual rainy season, albeit a short one - are deteriorating, a number of initiatives been undertaken to ensure that the priceless texts are properly restored and suitably housed.

"There have been various attempts from the US and Europe to help preserve the texts, but none really came to anything", University of Cape Town historian Shamil Jeppie told Business Day. "We hope to be the first to really help Mali in this regard."

South African involvement
Following Mbeki's offer of help in 2001, South Africa and Mali launched a trust fund to elicit funds from the public both to upgrade the Ahmed Baba Institute and to finance the building of a new library equipped with the necessary technology to preserve the manuscripts.

South Africa also began sharing with Mali its own technical expertise on preserving ancient documents: training programmes for Malian archivists have started at South African institutions

Last month, Jeppie led a team of South African architects and engineers to Mali to evaluate the project to build a new library.

Adam Essa, director of project developers Coessa Holdings, told Business Day that the facility would be built opposite the historic Sankore mosque, close to Timbuktu's old quarter, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Construction, he said, could begin as soon as December.

According to Jeppie, the cost of building the library - estimates put it in the region of R13.5-million - will be borne entirely by the companies involved, along with a hoped-for R5-million boost from a gala fundraising banquet taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 8 April.

Local businesses have been invited to "buy in" to the project by sponsoring tables at the dinner, which will be hosted by Mbeki and Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool.

"Those who pay the most will have their own table and will be sitting with the President, others with Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel, MECs, the mayor, etc", Rasool said. (Those interested can contact Edel on 021 483-4212 or 083 369-3151.)

Western Cape financial services group Oasis has already pledged R3.5-million to the project, Business Day reports.

The 'song and dance' stereotype
Widespread interest in the Timbuktu Manuscripts was kindled in 1999 when an American professor of religion and history, John Hunwick, came across some of the documents in an old trunk in a family library in Timbuktu.

Hunwick was keen to show how the documents pointed to the existence of written records of Africa's civilisation.

Where previously the continent was thought to have relied on "oral tradition" alone to pass on its history, the texts show a wealth of documentation - manuscripts, letters, books - on issues as wide-ranging as justice, religion, philosophy and history from hundreds of years ago.

"Africa has for too long been stereotyped as the continent of song and dance, where knowledge is only transmitted orally", Hunwick said at the time. "We want to demonstrate that Africans think and write and have done so for centuries."

According to Jeppie, who has seen some of the manuscripts, they include mathematical and scientific texts covering astronomy, medicine and geomancy.

While most are in Arabic, some are in indigenous languages such as Songhai and Hausa, written using Arabic script.

Centre of trade and scholarship
Timbuktu was founded in around 1100 by ethnic Tuareg nomads near the northern-most bend of the Niger River. Their caravans took salt from Saharan mines to trade for gold and slaves, transported along the river from the south, and by 1330 Timbuktu was part of the Malian empire.

Two centuries later the city was at the height of its grandeur under the Songhai empire. Timbuktu was described by Spanish Moor Leo Africanus as a centre for "doctors, judges, priests and other learned men (who) are bountifully maintained at the king's expense".

It was also a centre of learning, where thousands of students were taught and large private libraries kept.

But Timbuktu's fortunes sank in 1591 when Songhai was defeated by a Moroccan army. When Portuguese explorers discovered new trade routes along the West African coast, Mali was sidelined. Under France's rule the country continued to slide into poverty and isolation.

Shining a light on the future
While Timbuktu remains a poor, dusty city, visitors still flock there today to experience the aura of mystique and legend that surrounds it.

And it is still home to many philosophers and scholars of Islam, with Sankore University catering to some 15 000 students.

Growing involvement from several countries, including South Africa, in helping to preserve the legacy of Timbuktu, have kindled new interest in the city.

According to Timbuktu philosopher and historian Ismael Diadie Haidara, Timbuktu was inhabited for hundreds of years by Muslims, Christians and Jews, who lived together in peace up until the end of the 19th century.

The city may be steeped in history, but Haidara believes it could also shine a light on the future.

SouthAfrica.info reporter

Please Don't Tell Martin by Bitter B

Thank you Ms. Coretta for the grace, strength, and dignity that you displayed. Since your wonderful husband was assassinated by the bullets of fear and hate.

You know they killed him because of their ignorance. Thank you for not allowing bitterness and anger to engulf your very existence.

Now that you are reunited with Martin tell him that they are stripping our rights away, day by day, but his fight was not in vain. Tell him that although my generation glorifies drugs, debases black women in song, and calls us vulgar names? that his dream still remains.

Our men no longer celebrate our natural black beauty ? we have to have long weaves, small waists, and big ole booties.

The videos are so degrading, they mirror soft porn. Us Blacks own television stations now, but that's all that's shown.

Tell Martin that my generation apologizes for its lack of respect for his legacy and the dormancy of our elders, we might as well call this the Civil Rights of Unvolvement Era.

Tell him that although we as black people make more than we've ever seen, that we squander it on diamond clad teeth, 24 inch rims, and designer clothes due to our sagging self-esteem.

Tell Martin that our babies are growing up without fathers, while the mothers are catching buses just like he remembers.

Our children take to the streets in droves, not to march or proclaim the injustice of this nation, but to pledge their gang affiliation.

I can't rhyme to this next line.

On any night thugs hang out while bullets ring out - not freedom.

And yes we continue to be judged by the color of our skin by America but I wonder most about the lack of the content of our character.

Advise him that the grand-daughters of the Civil Rights era are making their money as strippers.

The Grand-sons of the marchers are ignoring their sons and daughters and hanging and slangin' on corners.

They're going to jail in mass numbers, not for protesting, marching, or defying racism, but because they commit illegal acts to gain materialism.

Our children are making babies, ignoring education, committing felonious capers, I'd wish they'd read his Birmingham Jail Papers.

Tell Martin that those in the ghetto are not the only ones forgetting his dream. There are those who've forgotten where they came from because of a little cream.

Who refuse to give back to the community, because their motto is ?More for me?.

They've forgotten how to lend a helping hand, to help their fellow man ? all the while thinking, ?If I can make it, they can?.

Looking down without offering a leg up, getting on elevators with their noses up.

Some of us are even republicans now, but that's a very exclusive black crowd.

Striving to get to the top of the ladder, to make their pockets fatter ? instead of doing something that truly matters.

Leaving the ?hood? in droves and only moving back when Whites buy up all of the homes.

Tell Martin that we still like to dance and sing, but not Negro spirituals cuz we've got Beyonce grinding and shaking her thing.

Ms. Coretta, this may hurt poor Martin the most ? it just may seal the deal, we as a people don't attend church anymore. Cuz we've gotten a little education and found out that God wasn't real.

For those of us who still believe, it makes us want to holla, we've got a pimp named Bishop and a Bishop named Dollar.

I don't know Ms. Corretta, maybe you'd better not tell Martin that for all that he's done to make us free, equal, and just ? that we still migrate to the back of the bus. I'll bet looking down? he doesn't recognize us.

We've forgotten how to march, protest, and vote - but be at the club, standing in line for hours ? in the freezing cold.

Sporting the latest gear; stilettos, hoochie clothes, teeth that's froze, and Tims ? driving cars with less tire more rim. Dying to get in so that we can ?shake it fast?, drop it like it's hot? ? forgetting the respect and dignity that we were taught.

I neva' thought I'd think this thought, but please don't eva' give Martin your report. Ms. Coretta, maybe you should just avoid mentioning my generation all togetha'.

Bitter B Released: January 31st, 2006

Dear Fellow HRB Chapter Presidents -

Harvard University announced that from now o

n undergraduate students from low-income families will pay no tuition. In making the announcement,
Harvard's president, Lawrence H. Summers, said "When only 10 percent of the students in Elite higher education come from families in lower half of the
income distribution, we are not doing enough. We are not doing enough in bringing elite higher education to the lower half of the income distribution."

If you know of a family earning less than $40,000 a year with an honor student graduating from high school soon, Harvard University wants to pay the tuition. The prestigious university recently announced that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families can go to Harvard for free...no tuition and no student loans!

To find out more about Harvard offering free tuition for families making
less than $40,000 a year, visit Harvard's financial aid website at:
http://fao.fas.harvard.edu/ or call the school's financial aid office at
617-495-1581

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