Dear White Friends

It has been brought to my attention that some of my Caucasian friends don’t know if they are a racist or not!  I know just the idea of this post is probably making some of you gasp and the rest of you salivate knowing me as you do.  Well, this editorial will hope to enlighten you that “don’t know” and bring to light to the rest of you what you already know.  Let me be clear, this is not intended to shock or offend you, this is just to educate you, because you just don’t know.  Let me be clear, I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him..., (insert wink, only if you understand).  So here we go, “Dear White friends”…, 

Take this quiz to LEARN if you are a racist or not.  Don’t be afraid, and please feel free to share it with others who also don’t know who they are.

  You are a racist if:

1. You have Black friends, but they are the “good ones”.

2. You think “those Black guys who the police shot would be alive today if they had only complied with the cops orders”.

3. You don’t want all of those Mexicans in this country.

4. You don’t believe Obama was born in America.

5. You feel that racism ended in America when we elected a Black MAN as President.

6. (Bonus) you think racism got worse in America because of how Obama did everything for only Black people.

7. You think Black people need to “get over it” about slavery.

8. You think Trump was right for saying there were “very fine people on both sides” of the unrest at Charlottesville. 

9. “These Black people who had the police called on them may not have been doing anything wrong, but it is okay for the cops to be called because, well, you never know”.

10. You think “those Black guys in Starbucks should have just bought something”.

11. You see an mixed race couple and think it is “a shame”.

12. You think the Confederate flag and monuments are about heroes and to removes them is un-American.

13. You think Santa Claus IS White and should be portrayed and drawn that way.

14. You have a lot of good Black friends, but you would NEVER date one.

15. You think the NFL players should just shut up and stop kneeling for the flag because it is turning the protest into a racial issue that is dividing the country.

16. Your definition of “Make America Great Again” is to roll things back to when “all the good jobs went to all the right people”.

17. (In lieu of the Roseanne situation) You think ABC was unfair to fire Roseanne Barr based on just a tweet.

18. Now, this was just a quiz.  How did you do?  Do you think you could do better if this quiz was “more fair?”  (That was a trick quiz question)

Look, racism is a hard discussion in this country, and there are some sincere folks on all sides that want to make things better but harbor racist ideas themselves.  Heck, I myself feel some kinda way, based on some certain situations.  I ain’t proud of it, but I work hard at trying to be a better me, every single day.  But if you don’t want things to be better between all races in this country or you think that you and your “people” are better than “those people”, you will never live in a better America, you just want to live in your own version of it.  But as I said, it is a hard discussion, but it IS a discussion that we need to have if we are going to make things better.  Discussion is part of what makes America’s Democracy the envy of the world, we need to embrace that factor and stop retiring to our own silos and complaining about how bad things are.  Democracy was not created in America, it has just been defined here better than anywhere else.  But Democracy is not the exclusive property of some people; the Constitution was not meant for SOME of the People.  It is said that slavery is America’s “original sin”, but it is not.  The “original sin” of this nation was to steal land from, subjugate, and relocate the indigenous peoples of this land and to this day, keep them from achieving socio-economic equality here.  Racism does not mean you have feelings of superiority against just Black people.   It means you feel that regardless of who anyone else is or does or how they treat you, YOU always know that “they” should not have more than you and you will work to do whatever you can to keep perpetuating that belief.
Let me let you in on a little secret, we are ALL in this together, ain’t not a one of us getting out of it alive.  We might as well love, respect, and get along with each other because hating someone else just gives you a reason to make your life poorer for the few minutes you have left.
Oh, and as for scoring the test; how many do you have to “get right” to be a racist?  ONE!

As my good friend used to say: America is a tough town, you snooze you lose, you can’t get everything you want, sometimes you can’t get nuthin’, but you can ALWAYS get somethin’, whether you want it or not!

The Insanity of it All

NiteLifer meets Jason Johnson

You know what fellow students, I am down here in N’awlinsfor the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention and it has been an eye opening and educational experience.  I have thoroughly enjoyed myself and learned quite a bit.

One thing I learned, sadly, is that despite being in Office for 200+ days, the Trump administration still can’t get even the easiest of lay ups right!  I attended a panel discussion last night on the troubling trend of police involved murders of innocent Black men.  On the initial panel was, and the focus was on, the mother of Philando Castile and the aunt of Alton Sterling.  Moderated by Ed Gordon, the emotional stories of these women of courage was brought home and made real by the stories these women detailed to the gathered audience of journalists from around the country.  Young or older, new to reporting or seasoned veterans of this craft, all were mesmerized by the reality of what happened to the two young men whose lives were taken so unnecessarily at the hands of people who had a badge and chose to take a life as the initial course of action.  Philando Castile’s mother was particularly engaging as she pointed out that the officer who shot her son, AFTER being informed by Castile that he had a permit to own and carry his gun, did so several times while an unarmed woman and child were in the car.  A collective chill went through all our spines when we grasped the gravity of that deadly encounter as well as the aftermath that happened following the murder that was captured on camera and broadcast live via social media by Castile’s girlfriend.  Then we all listened in horror as Alton Sterling’s aunt told us how the police department came to her sister’s house and let her watch the full unedited video of the murder of Mr. Sterling and how since then the protests and demonstrations have resulted in further injustices by other police departments here in the “great state of Louisiana”.  And this is important to note because following these heart wrenching firsthand accounts of  how easily loved ones were taken from their families by the police, the follow up panel was joined by the invited whirlwind of foolishness that is Omarosa (whatever her last name is these days).

Make no mistake, the room was filled and abuzz because we were also there to see what Miss Omarosa was there to say in defense of the administration she works for. To be clear her job is really just to give her Massa, President Donald J Trump, some cover to say his cabinet and administration is diverse.  Ed Gordon started the initial panel by explaining that he has attended other events where Omarosa was on the dais to take the slings and arrows for her employer.  He commended her beforehand for her bravery and cautioned the crowd not to fall victim to the urge to act out.  When “Miss Thang” arrived she did so to little fanfare and to be honest, she initially seemed ready to participate.  However, that quickly, no, immediately changed after she recounted her story of losing her father and brother to street violence and tried to frame HER story as in some way akin to what not only the two ladies had been through and are still dealing with.  The crowd turned and turned on her verbally when she tried to hijack the panel and commiserate along with them. 

Protesting Omarosa's shenanigans

When Gordon calmed the crowd and told her he would not allow things to turn into a mess, the reality TV celebrity that she is, came out.  It was a total train wreck after that.  Acting every bit the petulant child that her Massa Trump is when he does not get HIS way, Omarosa stood up and confronted Gordon face to face to attempt a power play move on the stage.  I can only imagine what was going through the minds of the other panelist on stage.  The night before I had met with Dr.Jason Johnson to ask what his plan was to confront her and he assured me that he himself would not be drawn into a staged show with her so that others could “watch monkeys fling shit at each other”.  I admired his resolve at that moment but know that while things were unfolding in front of all of us in that ballroom, he could not have been anything but disappointed.  I was uncomfortable with the way Ed Gordon allowed her to pivot from the what he was trying to get her to speak on which was, “what is your role in this administration and how can you, or are you even trying to, work some kind of influence with President Trump to do SOMETHING, to deal with this national crisis”.  Again she pivoted and tried to turn the discussion back towards herself and her own story.  She became so irate that she sat down and pulled out her (probably unsecured) smartphone to replay what Gordon had asked her to show that she wasn’t “here for this”.

Look, others have and will report on and detail how all of that 15 minutes of madness went down, but what I would like us to keep focused on is, what those two women and others like them have to say about how their families have been torn apart by the disturbing trend of cops getting away with murdering Black men and women without repercussions.  But what strikes me most is that Omarosa could easily have said to the gathering, “the administration is working hard to make changes in how we engage law enforcement practices across the country and will continue to facilitate changes.  Despite the ill fated attempt to make light of a serious issue by the President recently, we are seriously committed to ensuring that all American citizens are treated fairly and equitably by law enforcement”.  But as is the administration’s collective way of doing things, she didn’t even attempt to apologize, engage with or work with those who were there to try and help understand what our country has become.  At some point someone needs to remind her and her boss/ Massa, Dear Leader, “Bitch you work FOR us, you are now an employee of the taxpaying citizens of the United States of America!”

Today we learned of the crazy events that took place on the campus of the University of Virginia.  What has been the response from President Donald J Trump?  A tweet!  A tweet that said, “we ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for.  Let’s come together as one!”  Later in remarks made about the violence that resulted in one death, Trump said, “this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, many sides.”

Let THAT sink in on you for a little while, then take the totality of both events for what they are.

Trump's Lies Matter!

I have been procrastinating on writing this article because it just seems like as soon as I am ready to tie his lies up in a bow, Donald Trump drops another bombshell that is worse than the last and I can't get caught up.  But enough is enough, I have to tailor my point to just not detail them all but encourage you, an informed citizen, to always be mindful that just about all that comes out of that man's mouth is some bull.

We need to start with the fact that Donald Trump's initial foray into this election was taken as a joke by not only myself, but the national (and probably international) media as well.  The people of this country who refuse to read and investigate (if they are at all capable) are so desperate for a person that they can connect with that they mistakenly believe they can connect with a billionaire who wouldn't talk with them if they somehow got stranded together for 3 hours in the same elevator.  But a TV reality show star, who, they have watched for years, and professes to be "super rich" captured their attention.  But you see, that is the first lie.  Donald Trump is not as rich as he professes, which is why most of us are speculating he refuses to release his tax returns.  But though that is the first lie, that is not the most important one.  The big lie that we keep glossing over is, Donald Trump is NOT a "businessman"; he is a salesman.  If you are a salesman/ person, or have dealt with them you know that in order to make a sale, you tell the customer exactly what they want to hear. You emphasize the positives and downplay the negatives.  Donald Trump does this, and does it in spades.  But before delving into that, allow me to explain why he is not a "businessman" as opposed to a salesman.  Do you remember the movie Boomerang with Eddie Murphy?  If you do then you remember Lady Heloise, played masterfully by the late Eartha Kitt.  She was the face of the company that acquired Eddie's company, but she held absolutely zero power within the company.  But like the lunatic fringe of this America, Eddie was determined to get in bed with that face to advance his own selfish ambitions.  And like Donald Trump, Lady Heloise was an aging insignificant who was desperate to be stroked in order to feel better about herself.
Trump sells his name and uses that name to make his money while fooling everyone into thinking he runs anything within his own company.  Trump puts his name on a "university" and promises that if you spend your money there, you will become a wealthy and successful real estate broker.  When that doesn't work out he tells you that YOU didn't have what it takes.  Trump puts his name on steaks and tells you that if you pay exuberant prices for these regular quality steaks you will be getting the best steaks ever.  But you THINK you are on the same level as Trump because you are eating the same steaks he eats; you have bought into the lie yet again.
When I think of a true businessman/ person, I think of a Warren Buffet or Oprah Winfrey or even a Bill Gates.  These are true "business people" who took an idea and built globally recognized successful businesses and are hands on in all important aspects of their businesses.  (Bill Gates is no longer running the day to day operations of Microsoft but until he stepped away no one could argue with the success and importance of the way he ran that company).  If Donald Trump were indeed all that he pretends to be in business, he would not have time nor the inclination to always be interviewed about political matters.  You see that entire farce, where reporters would actually interview him about world affairs, went straight to his overblown ego and allowed his pontifications to seem important and worthwhile, to himself.  Like assholes, everyone has an opinion and Donald Trump has the biggest of both.
But back to the specific lies.  Trump will stand at a podium or even in an interview and tell all who listen that he is can fix all the ills that America has.  No he can't, no one person or President can.  To be 110% honest, all of America's ills cannot be fixed.  But the ills that he is telling you are a problem, either do not exist, or are being over emphasized by the Right while some of the serious major issues are either being underplayed or ignored.  He will tell you that our military is in shambles, it is not and any serious military person would be insulted to be told they are inferior.  Yet, for some reason I will never ever understand, the Republicans always win the military card despite Presidents like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama using them to their fullest without unnecessarily exposing them to harm's way, yet George Dubya started wasting lives as if they were just useless pawns on a chess board.  Trump will tell you that he is doing "great with Blacks", yet he is polling at 0.0% in most polls in urban areas.  Trump will tell you that President Obama and Hillary Clinton are the founders of ISIS, yet the truth is the decision to go to war in Iraq was squarely on the shoulders of again, George Dubya Bush. The lie that Russian leader Putin called President Obama a nigger was an out and out lie that was solely designed to inflame Black voters possibly to his side, while advancing the false narrative that Obama is a weak leader.  The lies become even more bizarre after that when he declared that the NFL sent HIM a letter asking that he change the date of the 1st Presidential Debate so it wouldn't interfere with the start of the season, yet the NFL says no such correspondence ever happened.  And let's just look at THAT one for a second please?  The NFL is the only sport in America that literally owns a day of the week.  They literally print cash.  The last thing the NFL is concerned about is losing ratings to a Presidential debate.  And to be clear, IF the NFL did wish for the date for a debate to be changed, they would make a request to the Commission on Presidential Debates; they are the ones that are in charge of the debates.  Trump will say that the only way he would lose Pennsylvania is if the elections are rigged.  Hello, the rigging of elections are the tool of the Republican party when they make changes to districts and regions to make it more difficult for minorities to get to the polls.  But the truth about that issue alone is that Trump is polling so badly in urban and suburban areas in that state, (as well as other battleground states) that he can't make up ground with his silly and inflammatory rhetoric.
Finally, I have to bring up my favorite of all of Donald Trump's lies; this idea of a wall to keep illegal aliens out of our southern and border states.  The entire idea of a wall is far fetched in and of itself.  Though there is definite need for more border control, and some sort of serious conversation should be brought to the forefront; the idea of a wall and Trump being able to build it is some hooey.  Friends, on a recent trip to Nevada I visited the Hoover Dam.  It is truly a modern marvel and when you consider that in 1937 they were able to get that built in 2 years is utterly amazing.  But this is 2016 and in the atmosphere of this political discord, it would take at least 2 years of jockeying in Congress just to find the funding for such a project.  But if we wanna play "shits and giggles" lets just pretend that on Day 1 of a Trump Presidency he is allocated the say, 40 billion dollars needed just to start a project of this magnitude.  Then if by some other miracle within a few magic days a viable and deliberate effort begins to start construction of an impenetrable wall, how long do you think it would take to complete a wall that would deter determined South and Central Americans from crossing our borders?  How long did it take to clear and rebuild just around ground zero created by the 9/11 attacks in New York?  We are talking about a 20 year project at best, and oh by the way, no, Mexico would NOT pay for it.

The whole thing with Donald Trump is fool's gold.  He is not only a salesman, he's a snake oil salesman and he is selling his followers a bag of beans.  Just as the snake oil salesman of Western lore sold hopes and dreams to those who were too ignorant to know better, Donald Trump is selling a product to people who are willing to swallow any swill that he puts in front of them.  And also like those snake oil salesmen of yesteryear, Trump will be gone as soon as the deal is done, or hopefully rejected.  You have to understand something when it comes to this guy; he is not interested in helping you, helping me, helping anyone in this country other than himself.  Donald Trump is doing this just because he wants to prove to all that disbelieved him and to himself, that his ego is able to be stroked all the way to the White House.  The sad part of all of this is is that Donald Trump is so obsessed with winning this race that he has given little to no energy towards actually governing should he win.  He just wants to prove a point, and he will say anything to get to that point.  And the irony of this whole "candidacy" is this man's lies shows how dangerous he is because of the lies and how sad it is that no matter how outlandish they are, there are those that are willing to believe every word he says.  Trump lies to so he can win; he very well could win because there are always enough people willing to buy snake oil to cure a problem that they don't even have.

No More Terrorists Allowed In

Honestly? George (Dubya) Bush was 110% right.  The terrorist do hate US for OUR freedoms...,  These people will stop at nothing to keep us from being comfortable and feeling safe here in our own country.  I have to take a page out of the Trump playbook and advocate for rounding up as many as we can that are already here and sending them away.  Too many folks want to make excuses or find an easy way to justify how things are now as a way to say it is OK not to go after them aggressively when the reality is fact, these people are evil and corrupt, they have hijacked and ancient religion and misrepresented what is written and used its teachings to justify the evil that they do.
The apologists and rationlizers will downplay what the terrorists are capable of because they want to embrace everyone and say things like, "you can't clump all these people in a bunch based on the actions of a few". But we all know that is just bull shit, right?  There is no justification for the atrocities that these people have done, continue to do, and will do again in the very near future.
If we just list out the attacks that have happened recently, you should be afraid to leave your home.

• Shooting up entertainment venues filled with civilians
• Infiltrating religious gatherings to kill those who share their religion
• Herding women and children together to kill them
• Videoing the wanton murder of people they have in "custody"
• Blowing up house of worship
• Plotting and calling for, the murder of political opponents and leaders
• Attacking protesters who don't follow their ideology
• Murdering babies
• Calling for the violent overthrow of the elected government
• Violently disrupting peaceful protests
• Use of social media to justify their evil and to recruit more to their cause
  

 When their evil is exposed or condemned they rush to justify it by invoking God's will or twisting facts to keep the populace frightened and scared.  Their actions are predicated on that, they plot to do what they do just because they know that the end result will justify the sacrifice of lives on both sides, just to advance their agenda.  The idea that America is evil comes from these people, these terrorist, these anarchists.  Yet, no matter what they do, no matter what we call them, or what they call themselves, the bottom line is, they are all evil and need to be stopped.  How can you do evil things and then call OUR government "evil" for using drones to track your movements?  Your actions NEED to be tracked by drones and those drones NEED to have the capability to take your sick asses out!  Be afraid of what American do to you, because we should be doing MORE.
Oh, and these terrorists I am wailing against?  These people are not ISIS, or ISIL, they are the crazed people here in America who shoot up schools, churches, movie theaters, and people on the street.  Police are targeting civilians regardless of the race of these victims, but as we see more and more young Black Americans die at their hands, the religious Right takes to the social media space to find justifications.  When children are murdered inside an elementary school right before Christmas, the NRA leadership and their more ardent supporters try and re-frame the reality to make it seem as though this heinous act is either a hoax, or just the work of someone "crazed".  When a hooded Black child is murdered while trying to defend himself from an terrorist, intent on doing evil things, that terrorist became a celebrity and continues to do evil things to this day.  No one has arrested or taken him off the streets because the story was framed to make him a hero, though nothing he did that fateful night was justified nor legal.  When a terrorist walks into a church in South Carolina, sits and prays with a group of God loving fellow Christians who have accepted him with open and loving arms, his betrayal and murder of those same people actually has caused some of the people on outlets like Fox News to jump up and scream, "It was NOT racially motivated, he is sick".  Never mind that survivors of that horror have detailed how this terrorist said Black people are evil and his own history reveals that he hated Blacks. 

Time after time, terroristic acts are perpetrated on Americans here in "the Homeland" by terrorists who were born and raised here, and yet we are constantly pointed to people who aren't "us" as the ones to be feared.  Don't talk to me about posting a flag on my Facebook page to support Paris or France; we are under attack right here at home.  Was it so long ago that Tim McVeigh blew up a federal building and day care filled with babies that we have forgotten what the REAL face of terrorism looks like HERE in America?  And no, by writing this I am not excluding what Black Americans are doing to Black Americans on the streets  ourselves, that is just a subject for another time.  I will address that and I will again, pull no punches.
But for now? To Hell with not bringing in refugees for fear THEY will become a threat, let's go after the ones that are here now, and put an end to the terrorism we already face at home every day.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
On November 23rd, armed masked terrorists hunted down and shot five members of a Black Lives Matter group who were peacefully protesting the police involved shooting of a young Black man in Minnesota. Read the rest of the story here. 

Trumpback Mountain - The Art of Screwing Everyone from the Top

When commercial fishermen go to do their jobs, which is to catch as many fish as they can, they do what is called "cast a wide net".  You see the larger the net, the wider the area they can fish, the higher the likelihood they will catch enough fish to have a successful day or "campaign".  The whole idea is not to narrow your options, but to expand them so you can be successful, IF that is your intent.  In case you are reading this and wondering, "where is The Nitelifer going with this one". I will get to my point.
Donald Trump announced his campaign by riding on the wave of anger a certain element in this country feels towards Hispanic immigrants, legal or illegal.  There is nothing new about this in America.  After emancipation, Blacks were framed to be all that were wrong with the country, later it was the Irish, then the Italians.  In the 1980's Japanese were the hate targets for "buying up all of America" and then of course, anyone Muslim is gonna be hated from now on.  But what Trump did that day is what all Presidential candidates do; he chose a target and set the target for his campaign.  The problem is, today, Hispanics actually represent a voting block.  There are stats that say overwhelmingly Hispanics vote together.  Is that 100%?  No, of course not.  But with the percentage of the voting population that Hispanics represent, Trump narrowed his net right out the box. After taking hits from all sectors on this stance, Trump, as you well know, didn't back off; he doubled down.  He stuck to his guns and showed us his "tough side".  Points for the Donald from the xenophobes.
Then less than a few weeks later, Trump got embroiled in a "war on women", by character attacking Fox News' Megyn Kelly.  Not that she isn't deserving of disdain, but by going after her, then Carly Fiorona and other female reporters who had the nerve to find fault and question his methods and words.  So now he has garnered sympathy for women that lots of women (and men) normally wouldn't like.  Well done Sir, you have drawn that net even tighter.  But what does that matter, right?  He still has his base, angry White males, most of the 300 Black Republicans.., oh wait!  Well see there is this guy; Dr Ben Carson?  He's "a Black"...., of course HE is going to get ALL the Black Republicans anyway right?  Sure! So why not attack Carson like Trump did on Wednesday; he was closely associated with the birther movement that was laser focused on proving President Obama wasn't born in America, (spoiler, he wasn't, he was born in Hawaii).  But Trump, always the extremest extremist, took it to another level by saying Obama couldn't have achieved as much as he did academically because you know he is "a Black"!  So what if Trump went after Carson's history, he's no Obama.
Now as you know if you've been reading The Nitelifer this year, I am no fan or supporter of Carson.  In my opinion he is just 3 blinks from full blown insane.  He says things that should make EVERY SINGLE BLACK PERSON IN AMERICA uncomfortable and angry.  Statements like "Obamacare is the worst thing in America since slavery" & no gunshot wound he ever treated in an ER was worse than having our gun rights under attack; are just plain crazy talk.  But Trump attacking Carson and in the process calling out all the people of Iowa who are supporting Carson, just narrowed his net, yet again.  Unless in the course of a week, the population of Iowa skewed dramatically, Trump starting cutting into his bread and butter, middle class, middle America Whites.

In trying to stroke his own ego, (as always) Trump continues to proclaim that anyone who is not for him, is stupid.  He really reminds me of a spoiled brat who, if he cannot have his way, will throw a tantrum and call everyone else dumb.  But what is truly interesting and what you really have to deeply delve into is, by his words Trump is not only casting a shrinking net, he is tossing his existing crew off the boat.  If you start out holding hands side by side a diverse group and keep attacking things that people don't line up 100% with you, you can start losing people to hold hands with; you end up hugging only yourself.  No matter how much money you have and spend, you cannot win an election when you are reducing the amount of people who want to vote for you.
Look, the top of a pyramid is its smallest design point, but in order for that point to be supported, it has to have a broader base.  This is why I am wondering if Trump is really trying to work his way out of this race and find a way to scapegoat everyone and anyone so that he can turn to the cameras and declare "I am still the best, I know what's best, but America is too stupid to want ME".
If you want Trump, vote for Trump.  He will not win, and what is worse, he will do absolutely nothing to help you or your family have a better life here in America.  He will just find a way to blame you when any of his reality TV show ideas get shot down as just fantasy.  But he doesn't want to be President America, Trump just wants a platform that we are giving him so that he can try and show just how great and powerful he is.  Just like the Wizard of Oz what just a hollow man behind a hollow smoke and mirror show, Donald Trump is also just a carnival barker who has a captivated audience.

Can We Talk?

I am having a really hard time with the Republican Clown Car Debates these days. I need someone to help me understand the silliness of what is going on. Last night I watched Fox Business News' Debate and for the first 90 minutes I was engaged and interested. But during that 90 minutes, I saw and heard some of the most outlandish double talk it has been my displeasure to hear this election season.

From Ben Carson's ridiculous statements about minimum wage is unneeded because right out of college he worked in a lab and they didn't pay him a "high salary" to Donald Trump going on about how his business is so great he can fix the government, it all had my head swimming.  It makes me wonder how desperate are rational thinking folks, whom I normally respect, that they are clamoring for any of these people?

All this year I have listened to these people pontificate about how they will "fix the country"; Donald Trump even wrote a book with that as the title.  I have yet to hear ANY OF THEM say they are running to HELP THE CITIZENS.  Donald Trump, before the debate had the unmitigated nerve to say, "once I am elected we will ALL say Merry Christmas".  I think what is easy to forget, especially when these people are tossing raw meat to the madding crowd, that America is not a Christian nation!  The so-called "forefathers" decried separation of church and state, right?  In THIS country, Christians, Jews, Muslims, agnostics, atheists, Protestants, Wickens, Buddhists, or what ever, are supposed to have an equal voice here.  No one group is SUPPOSED to rule.  But truth be told, Christians have been the dominant religious group here for a long time, but we have all supposedly worked together to make sure we all benefit as a nation.  When the Klan does not like a group, they do all their narrow minded evil asses can to keep that group scared and intimidated.  With comments like this, is Donald Trump pandering directly to THEM?  When he says he will round up 11 million illegals and send them back to Mexico, does any Holocaust survivor NOT shudder?  Shouldn't Japanese Americans who either lived through or were raised by those who were relocated to internment camps during WWII sound an alarm?  Are we now really now Germany of 1929?  Have we slipped into a country on the lines of a Taliban controlled Afghanistan, where we are forcing a singular brand of religion onto the populace?  Or is this just something a lot simpler?
Is this just a case of candidates saying the most outlandish bull shit to gin up their base of supporters so that they can look good in the polls, knowing full well that the things they say now, have no basis on how they'd plan to govern?  There is such a danger in poking that tiger that it should be noted that the anti-gun control rhetoric of 2010 and before caused a crazed man to shoot and kill people gathered to hear Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords speak.  That attack resulted in Congresswoman Giffords suffering brain damage and life threatening injuries herself.  Extreme pandering is not a game, it can rile up the wrong people to wrong action.
I don't want to understate what I am about to say.  I want to anyone reading this to fully understand my points.  The only person on that stage last night who made ANY sense, who talked somewhat rationally was John Kasich.  I don't take what I say lightly.  I can honestly say that I am not sold on any candidate on either side of the aisle right now, I have issues with just about all of them.  I say just about all because quite honestly I cannot name ALL of them.  It is just way too many to track all and take all of them seriously.
Please Americans, please, don't swallow the crap being said at these debates, look at the records of the people who vie to lead you.  If I were to need brain surgery, I would never choose Donald Trump over Ben Carson to do that surgery.  If I were to need business advice I would never choose Dr Carson over Donald Trump.  If I honestly believed that this country was in need of professional leadership, professional governmental leadership, why would I want a doctor or a businessman to TRY and figure it out, on the fly?  We had a "businessman" as President for 8 years already; how did THAT work out for us?

Right and Wrong Has No Color Line

So if you REALLY REALLY know ME you know that I'm all about calling it like it IS; I don't just call an issue by the social media, news media defined "lines". These days we are being divided along color or political lines at every turn. #BlackLivesMatter is real, but it's not mutually exclusive to the idea that #AllLivesMatter as well. It is important to keep in mind that though the latter is true, what has been documented across this country since the days of slavery is that there is an underlying belief in this nation that a Black life is far less important than a White life. That holds true on both sides of the color line. We Blacks have become desensitized to the value of Black lives almost to the same level as some Whites have. When it comes to police involved killings of Blacks, we have to keep in mind that not all cops, White or Black, are bad and not all are good. You can't arbitrarily condemn ALL cops for the actions of some. You can't arbitrarily DEFEND cops based on "they put their lives on the line every day" mantra that is so quickly trotted out by the #FoxNews pundits who immediately seek to draw lines on any issue that could remotely be framed down racial lines. Truth be told, just as in your life or on your job or in your social circles, there are people who are just WRONG right out the box. Whether they are incompetent or just evil, some people should not be doing the jobs that they do.

I say all this to present this case to you.

 Cops Who Killed Autistic First Grader Arrested for Murder, One Had Prior Indictment for Rape

Again, #BlackLivesMatter and there is nothing wrong with the President saying so. He's the President of this country, not the President of Black America. There is nothing wrong with a candidate, Republican or Democrat saying #AllLivesMatter because though the former is true, the reality that we seem to have forgotten, is ANY life, no matter the color of your skin, SHOULD BE PRECIOUS. White cops in some places are targeting Black citizens but guess what? In some places bad Black cops are targeting Blacks as well and some cops are just targeting PEOPLE! A license to carry a badge is not a license to hunt and kill other people!  So whether you are Black, White, Hispanic, Asian or whatever, this story should not only sicken you, but reinforce what as a child you should have learned, wrong is just wrong and no one should be hunted by those who are SUPPOSED TO serve and protect us!

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What it AIN'T About!

America you are disappointing me. The Trayvon Martin story is a sad one but it ain't about what certain people are trying tell you it's about. This story ain't about gun laws or gun rights. This story ain't about George Zimmerman or HIS story. This story ain't about Skittles or hoodies. The story of the tragic death of Trayvon Martin is about the murder of a child. The loss of a mother's 17 year old baby boy is sad in and of itself but when that child is taken from his mother by the hands of someone who felt he had a duty to do makes this even more disturbing and sad.
Shame on those on both sides of the aisle who try to push their own agenda over the body of this kid. Shame on the NRA for trying to defend the shooting and framing the shooter as some sort of hero. Shame on the anti gun lobby for trying to use this story to push their agenda of no guns over this kid's body. I am flabbergasted but not shocked that there are people on Fox News who try to impeach the character of this young man so that they can find some sort of justification for the murder on the street that night. This story ain't about that. Those who try to defend George Zimmerman by making the TV talking head circuit and say he wasn't a racist are profiting either financially or celebrity only to further their own cause. And for those on the Left who shout and pontificate about how it is a certain fact that George Zimmerman is a racist and hated or distrusted Blacks, I am sorry to tell YOU, this story ain't about THAT! As much as I am in solidarity with those that don hoodies and march the streets and stand in front of city halls across this nation to decry what happened in Samford Florida, I am sorry to say, "Lord KNOWS, this story ain't about THAT!! To be sure, racial divides in this country still exist. Let me repeat that because there are those that don't want to read, believe, hear or acknowledge this as fact. But racial divides STILL EXITS in this, the greatest country on this planet. But again I have to say, this story of the death of Trayvon Martin ain't about THAT!
As President Obama said and as Trayvon's mother continues to tell everyone who are open to listen, what this story IS about, is the murder and death of not only Trayvon, his mother's child, but the possibility that if it can happen to YOUR child, MY child and ANYONE'S children if we all don't wake up and take a step back. Was George Zimmerman overzealous in his pursuit of this person HE suspected? Well the proof of that is here for anyone to see. But we all have to work TOGETHER to find a better way my friends. We have to work together to TRY to keep this from happening again.
The police in that community and the in all communities in this country have to step up and stop doing drive by policing. They need to be able to invest in bringing awareness and protection of the people's trust back to the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. This story, this sad tragic totally unavoidable story is about what that mother now has to deal with for the rest of her days, that burden that she must bear so that hopefully no other parent here in America will never have to again. If we as a people, the children of a God fearing nation can come together and work together, none of us, Black, White, Brown, Yellow or whatever will have to wonder if someone who is steeped in distrust will gun down our babies because they fit a certain profile.
My heart cries out to Trayvon's mother and father. My child is 12 and if I were to lose him for whatever reason at 17 to something as tragic and senseless as this, I know I would not have the strength to go on.
Learn to love one another People.

Don't Do ME Any Favors

After watching George Zimmerman 's "good friend" on the Lawrence O'Donnell show last night, if you THINK you are my friend, if I EVER find myself in a jackpot, PLEASE check with me before going in TV to show your support! This damned fool had the nerve to try and defend someone it turns out he does not know as well as he's been claiming and made his assertions of Zimmerman's innocence and racial neutrality seem even more absurd. Some words of advice to Mr Joe Oliver, for free, don't try and defend someone whom you barely know if you aren't solicited to do so. On every level imaginable your friendship has now been brought into question. Your so called knowledge of the details of what happened that night are no more full of truth, than MINE are sitting here in Maryland. Only 2 people know exactly what transpired between Zimmerman and Trayvon that evening that led to the confrontation an only police forensic evidence will reveal how things actually ended. Only one of those two people are alive now to tell a story but prayerfully the police evidence was not tainted to the point where it cannot be truthfully revealed. Make no mistake the public outcry in this matter has the eye of the nation focused on what will happen going forward and only the eye of God can see into the heart of George Zimmerman to see what his actual intent was. But certain facts are indisputable, a young man who was doing no more than walking back from a store is now dead and two parents are now without a son. A man who was not authorized to do so shot that young man and despite the outcome of the confrontation, no one would be talking about any incident had that man not followed then confronted that young man.
No one is wrong for wanting to ensure their neighborhoods are safe but we all have to be measured in how and when we interject ourselves into certain situations. You have the right to defend your family and property from harm and destruction, especially IN your own home. But only the police are paid and duly charged with risking their own lives to protect someone else's lives and property. Private security firms can be engaged and hired by private citizens and communities to be sure but they should be properly trained to make sure that incidents like what happened in Florida last month aren't going to happen. In the cases where citizens take it upon themselves to patrol and report on activities in their own neighborhoods they should be trained and sanctioned by local police authorities. From published reports coming out of Samford, the citizens patrol that George Zimmerman belonged to were not so trained or sanctioned. And from other accounts out of that community that police force has been a problem for Blacks living there. To be sure, across this country we as a people are always under served by police forces, but when you read of how a dead man is laying at the feet of the admitted killer and no one brings that shooter in to question him of events or takes the gun into custody for testing or takes photographs of that shooter to jive his story with what is evident on the street, one HAS to take a mental check of the calendar to see if this 2012 America or 1812 America. The term "and justice for all" is supposed to be a right that ALL citizens of this country should unquestionably be guaranteed regardless of what Rick Santorum would have you believe. Not all rights come from God Rick, some rights, such as civil rights are an expectation that MY people fought, marched, protested, prayed, and DIED for so that the Trayvon Martins who are born to live their lives in America can do just that without being hunted down and killed in the streets like rabid dogs.

GOP Debate take aways

After watching the GOP Debate tonight from the Reagan Library I have a few observations;

• Michelle Bachmann is no longer the craziest of the candidates, that now goes to Perry, Bachmann is now just VP of bat sh!t crazy
• Rick Santorum has a lot of kids and a lot of bad ideas
• Mitt Romney is correct, Tea Party does not require you to carry a card, cards, like reading, is bad
• Rick Perry says Social Security is a Ponzi scheme and that science should investigate whether science is actually science
• Herman Cain will never be elected nor nominated, he's being quietly marginalized by his fellow Republicans
• Ron Paul thinks America needs to take air conditioners out of the Green Zone and a fence will keep Americans locked in, instead of illegal immigrants out.  In other words, Huh?!?!?
• Newt Gingrich is still rewriting history to make himself out to be a hero and hasn't got an ice cube's chance
• And finally, together none of these people are strong enough to be a serious threat to Obama gaining a second term
• There is a sad section of people in this country that are excited about Texas executing 243 people since Rick Perry took office

It is true that America needs jobs, and it is incumbent upon President Obama to help make them a reality, but with Republican leadership like these people running to take him on, it will be hard to get anything done.  It is impossible to reason with unreasonable people.  None of these people are offering any new ideas, or are able to actually lead.  Other than Perry, I don't see either of them being able to make that call that President Obama did to send troops into a sovereign nation without notification to kill an enemy of the state.  I know Rick Perry will do it, Rick Perry seems to be amped up TO kill.