Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 4 - 9.28.2007.4

Concluding from Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 3...

You go on to say that OJ was freed, actually he was found innocent by a jury of his peers which included Whites. He did nothing more than what other rich men have done. Afforded a great legal team. How much time did Senator Ted Kennedy spend for Chappaquiddick?

The D.C. Mayor was elected. Drug use or not. And how many politicians are duplicitous in their actions? Perhaps you might also find fault that Senator Hillary Clinton took $850,000 from a man (Norman Hsu) that had a warrant for his arrest, evaded prosecution, and scammed people for that money. Even after the fact of his past was revealed, the Clinton campaign spent weeks before mentioning how much money he had given. They even initially tried to give away only $32,000 AFTER they knew of his record. You want to speak about questionable political figures; a Presidential candidate may be where you want to start.

And the Duke Lacrosse team. Those innocent boys, that hired strippers for a drunken party with minors. Whose actions prior to this event gave pause to their credibility and claim of innocence. That had every media outlet defending them from day one. That received justice, fame, and monetary gain for their troubles. Do I feel bad for them? No, they are richer today, several having graduated, and have no long term problem.

“How is it that so many black people care so little for truth? With the turnout at the Jena march it suggests there is a huge disparity in understanding that exists between the black population and the rest of America.”

Truth? I think I have clearly stated the events involved. What part of the events in Jena do you see as a lie? You disagree that there were nooses hung? You already said they were. You dispute the honesty that the White boy was attacked? No one has said he wasn’t. That all of this was started because of remnants of the segregation that was rampant in the South in your youth? While no one has said it exactly as I just have, everyone agrees that the source of all this was Blacks sitting under a tree that was considered Whites only. So what lie have African Americans assumed as truth?

I agree there is a disparity, but not in the manner you suggest. If you are the ‘Average American’, which I severely doubt having read your words several times, then there is a large disparity between Americans living in the 21st Century and yourself. The rest of us are willing to say a law or action is wrong. White, Black, Hispanic/Latino or any other minority. The average person I know in America wants a rule of law that is fair and equal, in execution and meaning. Those I know would not only write in protest, but march for what they believe. An even smaller portion, and no less or more loyal, have taken an oath, as I have, to defend this nation and ALL her people.

I have given an oath, as did my father, both grandfathers, and a sister. I believe in the Constitution and the Amendments. I have and those before me, and many today, have sweat and bled for this nation. That means I believe in your right to have your opinion and voice it. I further invite and encourage commentary on the posts that I make. But that does not mean that either of us has to agree.

I feel that you have a mind that is closed to some aspects of life. I believe you cannot accept that things happen in this nation that you would never allow to happen to a White American. I believe you think that life in America is fine as is, and because I believe you are White and have never faced any of the events and problems I, my family and friends have encountered they don’t exist in your mind.

If rose colored glasses could work in reality, the world would be far better. But they don’t. Slavery was real, as was Jim Crow laws. Segregation lasted longer than the 60’s, and racism persists today. That doesn’t mean I will blithely accept these things. I am successful and strive for better.

At the same time, I am constantly reminded that I am an African American Puerto Rican, and that everything I have made can be lost quickly. I am reminded that for every obstacle I surmount there is another waiting. And I am reminded that people that share your views will make my life difficult, sometime without their own conscious intent, to live.

I leave you with this thought. Life is fluid and in constant motion. The moment you stop trying to improve you start to decay. This is true of Justice, Equality, and personal actions.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 3 - 9.28.2007.3

Continued from Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 2...

When you say

We all know how it works, there will be no justice here or anywhere Al or Jessie chose to spin the truth.

Who do you mean by “WE”? If you imply White America you may be correct. But that is yet another reason why this is a problem. The truth of this case has been discussed on blogs for MONTHS prior to the case ever being spoken by Jesse Jackson, Senator Clinton or the major news media. The Johnny-come-lately news media has yet to cover all the facts, from start to finish on this case because they don’t know. They are still trying to figure out what happened, while bloggers have long discussed it.

If you mean that Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton bringing this to national attention because major news media ignored it is spin, all the better. I am no fan of sensationalized events. I have commented on what I feel are the short-comings of both reverends. Yet there is no question that this is a newsworthy item that the media ignored, in my opinion, because of the racial component.

As for no justice, well I believe that happened when the Jena 6 were charged with attempted murder, that they were charged as adults, that no charges were brought against those that hung the nooses, and when the shotgun was brought to the school. Where was the justice in all those acts?

Were is the justice in the media ignoring Me. Megan Williams, or Jonathan Riches, or Sean Bell? Who does this blind-eye benefit? None of these cases are separate, and all indicate a pervasive problem in America.

You make an accusation against the reverends, claiming that

You can not seek equality and justice by perpetrating the exact opposite.

I ask, where have they committed crimes? What have they done that is vile or dangerous? How have they prevented justice from being done? As far as I am aware, while you might call some of their actions grandstanding, they have not violated any rights or broken laws (with exception of civil disobedience which is not violent – and they were charged and served their punishment for).

Lastly you come to Rodney King. Obviously you come to this with a certain frame of mind. Your focus is on the prior actions of Mr. King, which could not and were not known that night. There was no prior knowledge or justification for 6 or more POLICE officers to stun and beat a man repeatedly for a traffic violation. I ask you, if this were a White man with the same criminal record, or without one, being beaten in the same manner would you still think that the beating was justified as you imply?

To say that this was a critical point, that this changed things in the nation, I disagree. The difference was that there was a videotape of the event. There was no tape when I was driving with friends and the police decided to pull us over and draw guns on ME in the passenger seat, while asking the 2 White guys in the back seats if they were ok. No ticket, no problem with the car. Just that question while I held my hands to the top of the car with 2 guns on me. (The driver was Asian if that matters in your mind. Oh no one in the car took drugs or had been drinking, in case you wondered.)

There was no camera when I was in college and was walking home from buying cigarettes and had officers roll up and pull guns on me. While they were looking for someone, I could clearly hear that they were looking for a White male with blonde hair, it’s what the dispatcher was saying on their radio and I could hear it at a distance of roughly 20 feet. Yet with that fact, as I stood under a streetlamp, in 1987 New Brunswick NJ, I spent the next 20 minutes providing my identity and waiting for them to confirm that they were looking for a White, blonde haired male with a gun pointing at me and my hands in the air. Rodney King was not special, it was just video taped.

Concluded in part 4...

Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 2 - 9.28.2007.2

Continued from Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 1...

As for where a hate crime should be claimed, Ms. Megan Williams of West Virginia was kidnapped, raped, tortured, stabbed, had boiling water poured on her and had her hair ripped out while being called the N-word and other derogatory names for a week. There was no motivation for the prolonged crime committed by 6 people, comprised of men and women. The racial impetus for this crime is not questioned, yet the hate crime statute has been denied. I ask why has there been no coverage of this case, and the failure to apply the federal statute.

Back to the point at hand.

There was nothing fake about the nooses. And as a resident of the South that has been around long enough to recall the 70’s you know that a noose is a threat. It has every intention of implying a lynching and death. It is also, by definition a hate crime which has not been charged. In fact no crime has been charged, which at the least can be called disturbing the peace and criminal mischief.

All penalties for that threat of death were ignored, similar to how you brush off their presence. I assume from this comment that you are White, because I know of no Black American that does not see a noose in the same manner as a burning cross. There is no comparative image in White America, so I am not surprised that the impact it creates is not recognized immediately.

As for your comparison that a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King justified his murder, you make several fallacies. The first is that you assume I do not wish any criminal penalty against the Jena 6. That is untrue. A crime was committed, punishment is due. I want that punishment to be commensurate to the crime committed and equal to the punishments for the crimes of all the others involved. Lopsided justice is bad for everyone, no matter who is on the favored side. There are several crimes that whites have committed in this case from its start to conclusion, yet none have been punished. That I do not agree with. Nor do I agree with penalizing anyone with a crime more severe than what they committed. Lastly I do not agree that legal minor, who has not committed a serious offense, should be treated as an adult. That is the law in this nation, and as I do not see this as an attempted murder, they were wrongly accused and bail was severely over-charged.

Secondly, hate speech should not ever justify an attack. How can you compare words calling for compassion and understanding to threats and physical harm? Where do you see the connection? It was that same logic that caused the nooses to be hung from the tree creating this problem in the first place. You imply that speaking against an over punishment for a crime is the same as murder for seeking equality. I cannot see that logic forwards or in reverse. It’s simply illogical.

Continued in Part 3...

Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage - 9.28.2007.1

This is in response to a comment from Average American on my post Compare White and Black news coverage Part 2 - 9.25.2007.2. My response was so long I felt it was better as a post of it's own. Please refer to the link to see the comment that lead to this post.


Thank you for responding Average American.

I too feel I am an Average American. I’m 39, of Black Puerto Rican decent and grew up in the Bronx going to public schools. As I state in my bio, I did not grow up in any special way and wealth was never a factor in my young life.

Given that, I do recall how the N-word was used back in the 70’s and throughout my life, including recently. I can recite multiple events, in New York City and the Northeast, where race and law enforcement directly collided against me. Oh, let me add another fact of my life. I’ve never been arrested nor involved in any crime. Yet off the top of my head I can recall several incidents where I have had police draw guns on me, while at college or driving on the parkway, or driving down Hollywood Blvd with friends (White and Asian). I have lived with the knowledge first-hand and through observation that race is a MAJOR factor in how the law and justice are applied in America.

I also have spoken with friends of mine of other races and found that consistently White Americans are not faced with these same events and outcomes. To deny the fact of how race affects issues in my decades of life is to ignore facts that exist. You may not have experienced them, or not recognized when they happened, but that does not change that they happen.

While I agree that if, in the Jena 6 case, race is not considered there is no question that there was an attack made. There is no question that there were 6 against 1. There is some dispute, as stated by Rev. Jesse Jackson and others, whether or not the victim was kicked and/or when he became unconscious. That makes this a crime and prosecution is justified. No one has questioned that.

The question is the application of the law. The victim was not seriously injured. He attended a dance, or some other social event, later that same day. If murder was the intent, 6 people are more than enough to accomplish this, especially if he were unconscious. This was a fight, lopsided but a fight all the same. To charge attempted murder is over the top.

In comparison, days earlier a White student brought a shotgun to school to intimidate one or several Black students. That student, in a nation that has endured Columbine and college shootings, was not charged or reprimanded. Is not a firearm attempted murder when used in this manner? Where is the justice and equal treatment under the law?

While you might say this is a hate crime, I disagree. Were this a random White male selected you might be right. But this student was part of a group of White males that attacked one of the Jena 6; I believe it was Mr. Bell, the day prior striking him allegedly with a bottle. The attack by the 6 Black males was an opportunistic attack in retribution. If the first attack the day earlier, and the shotgun being brought to school, are not hate crimes, then neither is the Black males fight. In fact because this was retaliation on other violence it can be easily argued that race was never a factor.

Continued in part 2...

Reaction to Rev. Jesse Jackson and Bill O'Reilly Part 3 - 9.27.2007.3

Continued from Reaction to Rev. Jesse Jackson and Bill O'Reilly Part 2...

I must admit my annoyance with Whites that presume to understand Black America’s issues and present answers with a sense of moral authority. Yes, Mr. O’Reilly is correct that fathers in the community are a major issue, but it is not the only one. Rev. Jackson presented several others that are equally important.

The rant by Bernie (I forget his last name, and honestly have lost massive respect for him after attacking Rev. Jackson) presuming to understand what ails African Americans smacks of the classic ‘White Savior and Protector’ image that portrayed, and continues to, Blacks as jungle savages. Bernie needs to be reminded that Africans created the number system the world uses today. Africans made the pyramids that cannot be duplicated today. Africans have helped create the world that exists today, in virtually every field of endeavor that Man is aware of at this time, and the slave descendants of those Africans continue to be important in America today.

We are as diverse in our culture, though major media ignores this, as much as any group in America today. To say that there is just a simple answer and that he UNDERSTANDS what I have gone through in this life is preposterous. At the best he may comprehend, but it is impossible for him to understand, much in the way I could not understand what it is to be White or female in America.

I can continue to go on. The issues are far flung and deep-rooted in American culture. Fear is a major factor; I have live through many aspects of it. The problems are multiple and come from within and without the Black community. [As I have noted before, having books older than myself while in high school, being denied word and training as a stockbroker because of my looks, being prodded to get into a fight because my manner of dress is upscale and mashed an obviously weak and tiny ego, and far more]

The point is that this is a discussion that needs to be continued. I hope that Mr. O’Reilly is incorrect. Whites need to speak up. Debate, especially passionate debate, must occur. Fear can only be defeated by action.

I will close with this though, but when I get more composed and when I get to read some of the responses from you my readers. I will come back to this.

The only thing you have to fear is fear itself. Franklin D. Roosevelt

**I am posting this here and at Black & White Blog. That is a site where discussion on racial issues are exchanged between myself and the other co-contributor, who happens to be White. For those uncomfortable commenting here for whatever reason, I suggest commenting there as an option.**

Reaction to Rev. Jesse Jackson and Bill O'Reilly Part 2 - 9.27.2007.2

Continued from Reaction to Rev. Jesse Jackson and Bill O'Reilly Part 1...

I do not deny that I have criticized Rev. Jackson and Sharpton for their actions in recent years. I still question why they have not lent their considerably publicly accessible voices to the tragedy in West Virginia, or the absence of reporting on Jonathan Riches, or why the major media seems to have completely forgotten the Congressional hearings on the music industry, specifically dealing with gangsta rap. I feel they can make far more noise than most, gaining attention to these matters that demand attention.

Am I glad they are raising the bar on what is being reported on Jena 6? Definitely. Should this have happened months ago? Without question. Do I feel that the major news media is seeking any means possible to avoid the subject and their abysmal responses? Do you even need to question that?

Even so, this does not mean that the media can round up any figure they can get a hold of and allow vile personal attacks on people that are reporting facts they were first person witnesses to. The attacks on Mr. Juan Williams are not out of context. How dare he call any Black American a ‘Happy Negro’. Being Black does not justify such a comment, nor does it automatically allow news commentator at CNN the ability to not challenge such offensive actions. They would not allow a White interviewee to get away with such a comment, nor should a Black one.

I feel insulted that the implication made by CNN is, via their acceptance and lack of action on the insulting attack on Mr. Juan Williams, that any African American (or Latino/Hispanic, Asian and so forth) that agrees in part or whole with views of Mr. O’Reilly is an Uncle Tom, mindless, foolish, minstrel. Would they let someone call a Spanish public figure a spic? Or an Irish one a ‘Happy Mick’? How about an Italian as a ‘Happy Wop’? Is my point made?

Since when have African American been relegated to a singular viewpoint? Since when did anyone get to be the singular voice of African Americans determining what is or is not permissible Blacks? How dare CNN allow such an image to be created, without question or challenge!

I know I have long said that I do not feel that Rev. Jackson or Sharpton are Black ‘leaders’, but that does not mean they are not important figures. I do not believe that this means that any person chosen by major news media can spout any kind of commentary and it be taken as gospel. Being Black does not mean you can say anything you please about other Blacks, nor does it excuse Whites from standing up and correcting such vicious and unwarranted attacks.

Continued in Part 3...

Reaction to Rev. Jesse Jackson and Bill O'Reilly - 9.27.2007.

**I am posting this here and at Black & White Blog. That is a site where discussion on racial issues are exchanged between myself and the other co-contributor, who happens to be White. For those uncomfortable commenting here for whatever reason, I suggest commenting there as an option.**

I hope that Fox News, and Mr. Bill O’Reilly make the transcript of the program tonight, September 27, 2007, available to the public. They covered a large number of issues, all of which need to be dealt with more in depth. The conversation needs to be had. And I found Bernie Goldman’s (I believe that is his last name) comments about Rev. Jesse Jackson offensive, cruel and unjustified.

I agree that the whole issue on O’Reilly has detracted from more important issues. I was unaware of the 50th anniversary of the Little Rock 9 (I’m not that old) occurred during all this hoopla. I’ve mentioned several issues that I am aware of that also have been unfairly ignored.

I must mention that I found the words of Rev. Jackson riveting. This is perhaps the best conversation and most informative allocution I have heard from him in decades. There has never been a question in my mind of his intelligence. I have a great deal of respect for his past actions and achievements. At the same time, I admit that I have found fault with his more current actions and failure to address issues that I feel are very important. The same can be said, to a lesser degree of my feelings towards Rev. Al Sharpton.

Rev. Jackson has to be commended for finally being the person that got the actual story of the Jena 6 out to the media. Until this conversation, major news media has picked at parts of this case, sensationalizing aspects of it and ignoring others. Every major news station and news media outlet can share in the blame for failing to properly cover the Jena 6 for MONTHS.

I also have no problem stating that I agree with Mr. O’Reilly, and Mr. Juan Williams, that the absence of fathers is a major source of the issues in the Black community. I do not feel that it is the root of the problem. Mr. O’Reilly is correct that this goes back to the days of Slavery, and that fear motivates many of the actions of Whites (not all but in my opinion most) in America.

I have addressed the fear that prevents America from apologizing for Slavery. I have addressed the fear that prevents discussion of reparations. I have discussed how this fear leads to anger on both sides, and that this anger is a poison in America that is not going away.

I commend both Rev. Jackson and Mr. O’Reilly for honestly stating the issues before America, and denouncing racism – especially when it is used as a tool to manipulate and divide American opinion for the gain of a few extreme groups or worse yet, money.

There is no easy way to address race issues in America. Both sides, actually all sides are wrong at points, and absolutely right in others. All sides are passionate on their view. And there is no question that none completely understand the feelings and viewpoints of the others. Comprehend, sometimes but understand, ABSOLUTELY not.

Continued in part 2...

Congress discusses gangsta rap music Part 3 - 9.26.2007.5

Continued from Congress discusses gangsta rap music Part 2...

So the net result of the Congressional hearings seems to be that the executives claim they aren’t responsible for the poor portrayal of African Americans. Rappers say they aren’t responsible for the content they produce and they are simply reflecting the neighborhood some of them used to live in. Record companies aren’t responsible for figuring out what is good or bad, and to do so is censorship. Basically most disavow any responsibility in any aspect of what they do. But no one wants the government to step in. That would be censorship – plus it will destroy profits. But how can the government not step in if no one else will be responsible?

I believe in the First Amendment, even when I disagree on how it’s used. I also believe in personal responsibility. If rappers want to sell-out (and I think they have), and corporate executives want to continue to profit, they should at least be honest that that’s why they continue to put massive amounts of garbage out targeting African Americans. Drug dealers are honest about what they do and why, for the money. Gangsta rappers and those that nearly exclusively promote them should be at least as honest. It would be the manly thing to do, and they all want to be men right?

Net net, nothing changes. Lots of talk, everyone gets to say they did their thing, and no one changes the flow of money. Unless you do something. Write a letter, a blog, or don’t buy a record or watch a channel and program. Stop the flow of money, and I guarantee there will be swift change. Until then sell-outs will keep cursing while using drugs and using their fame to shield them from being thrown (back) in jail. Corporations will continue to suck up money for letting someone curse you out and saying words they would get prosecuted for saying. And the youth will be drawn down the vortex just a bit more.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Congress discusses gangsta rap music Part 2 - 9.26.2007.4

Continued from Congress discusses gangsta rap music Part 1...

Perhaps the funniest part of the Congressional hearings is the arguments made by corporations. I don’t mean funny ha-ha. Executives constantly like to say that they don’t control the content that gets out their. ‘It’s the other guys fault.’ Yet they spend millions to promote this exclusive form of rap music. The spend tens of thousands to create music videos of a particular style only. They flood airwaves with this singular format since 1992, and they have reaped tens of billions of dollars if not hundreds.

The other common excuses are that this is no different than the outrage against Elvis in the 50’s and the Beatles in the 60’s. What crap. Elvis may have wiggled his hips (which they found suggestive and objectionable back then) but you never saw him smoking a crack pipe. Elvis had bodyguards, but you never heard of shoot-outs between him and say Frank Sinatra. For all the wives, women and possible affairs Elvis may have had, you never heard him speak disparagingly about any woman. The only similarity was that when Elvis started, like rap, he was shunned because he was different. 15 years later he was treated as the norm, and some considered him conservative. Rap started out being called a fad, and until the emergence of gansta rap stayed that way. 15 years after gansta rap started it is not a fad, but it is nothing like Elvis either.

Executives like to say they maintain standards and support the community. I say where? Philippe Dauman believes

“We have a responsibility to speak authentically to our viewers”

His manner of authentic speech? Read-a-Book. Music videos of the most graphic nature – shown on BET - that are so extreme the other music video cable channels his corporation owns would not play them. Programming of such a poor quality it’s insulting to think anyone would watch it. When was the last time you saw a movie by Lawrence Fishburne, Denzel Washington or Morgan Freeman on BET? How many times have you seen a movie about rappers, drugs, violence and women barely clothed only seeking sex – like Soul Plane – on BET? I mean it’s not like BET own Paramount Pictures and has an entire movie library that they can access to provide quality movies with. It’s not like they are a multi-billion dollar international corporation that could afford to create original programming that stars or prominently features African Americans that are not drug dealers and rappers (Like the Blade series on Spike, Eureka on SciFi, or the Shield on FX).

Oh thank you Philippe Dauman and Viacom for deciding that the only original programming that should target African Americans are College Hill (laden with profanity and violence), Hot Ghetto Mess (I don’t care that they changed the name it’s still exploitative), and a never ending variations on ‘Flava Flav needs a ho.’ [I should apologize for calling some of the women involved in the various Flav programs ho’s – but I won’t.]

Continued in part 3...

Congress discusses gangsta rap music - 9.26.2007.3

So what else have you not heard about? What might the major news media, particularly the cable news networks, have considered less than newsworthy? We know that the news about Ms. Megan Williams of West Virginia barely deserved 3 minutes, that OJ Simpson demanded 4 days of virtual non-stop coverage, and the 13 year old in Virginia has garnered 2 days of college so far. But what is too mundane to be covered?

How about the Congressional hearings on the language and images used in gangsta rap music. Did you know that on the 25th the House was holding hearings? I bet most didn’t.

The discussion included present and former rappers, music industry executives, and of course our friend Philippe Dauman of Viacom (which owns MTV, VH1, and Black Entertainment Television). The various personalities discussed their views and in some cases justification for gangsta rap.

Rapper Levell Crump, known as David Banner – who ever that is, defended his use of foul language

“I'm like Stephen King: horror music is what I do…Change the situation in my neighborhood and maybe I'll get better.”

Well isn’t that special. Gansta rap is horror music. I couldn’t agree more. But at least there are choices and varying degrees of horror in movies and books. More importantly rap music should not be defined in such a narrow and limited manner.

Rap started as an expression of fun and having a party. It evolved to include personal views on life, and political statements. It wasn’t until 1992 that music companies started to promote, virtually exclusively, the current concept of what rap is. It just happens to also be the most profitable form of rap music for corporations, luckily for the single-mindedness of their choice for promotion.

And then there is the desire for someone, other than Crump, to fix his neighborhood. What a cop out. If he wants a better neighborhood, he can stand up and fix it. Asking someone else to change the situation is no different than asking the government (whom I presume he was inferring) to provide individuals with welfare so they can languish both socially and economically, I feel. It’s a poor justification for taking advantage of other African Americans. I find it no different than the excuse that someone will sell drugs because if they don’t someone else will.

On the other end was rapper Master P, Percy Miller. He provided an apology to women for his songs and lyrics. He noted that he wouldn’t let his own kids listen to the work he had done previously. I’m not surprised. I’ve heard that many rappers and executives in the music industry would never allow the use of words and references they use in their songs to be used or applied in their homes or to their families. Kind of like the old saying among drug dealers, ‘Don’t get high on your own supply.’

Continued in Part 2...

Accusations against Bill O'Reilly Part 2 - 9.26.2007.2

Continued from Accusations against Bill O'Reilly Part 1...

That is not to say that he is completely balanced. I am far from a sycophant. But I have watched his program for a long time, and listened to his views and words. I have observed him taking up issues and asking questions the majority of major news media ignores. The fact that he is conservative and right-leaning does not make him wrong. Nor does it make him a racist. I am not saying that he is nor is not a racist. Rather I am saying that I would expect that either Mr. Williams or Rev. Sharpton would be on bullhorns if he had crossed a line with either. Personally I have no idea as I do not know the man personally. Then again, neither do 90% of the bloggers and websites that attack him.

The thing I really am upset about is that racism is being used as the tool to launch attacks at Mr. O’Reilly. This created argument lessens the real racism that exists. There are real issues of media turning a blind-eye to issues affecting African Americans. I have consistently mentioned the many cases that present this racism head on. I have addressed the disparities in the legal system, and in entertainment. There can be no question on my position on the commoditization of Black culture by entertainment corporations like Viacom, and the music industry.

Those are all reasons to speak up, and things that need to change. These are issues that need to be addressed. But distractions of this nature are not. Mr. O’Reilly may be insensitive to some African American issues, and he can be quick to judge individuals, but that is not racism. Let’s not get lost in the political circus, rather let’s focus on the real issues.

And for those that think I am wrong, cite your reasons. Also keep in mind one other thing. Rev. Al Sharpton will be on the O’Reilly Factor Wednesday at 8pm est. Not a press conference, just the show. Perhaps we will learn more then. If I am correct I think the left-leaning bloggers, that don’t watch his program, may be proven wrong. Then again I may be. We shall see.

This is what I think, what will you think?

Accusations against Bill O'Reilly - 9.26.2007.1

Why does the left like to use racism like a weapon? I’m so tired of it. It’s aggravating. If you have not noticed it yet, there has been a lot of media stating that Mr. Bill O’Reilly is a racist. They state that his commentary from his radio show was racist.

"It was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun” he said. "And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all."

That is the main quote. It is referring to a dinner at Sylvia’s, a famous restaurant in Harlem, NY. Something that needs to be understood at the outset. The dinner was with Mr. O’Reilly and Rev. Al Sharpton.

I want that to be clear because if this was really what was going on, I would expect that either Rev. Sharpton, who is no shy wall-flower, or Mr. Juan Williams would have called Mr. O’Reilly out on the matter. Both have the ability to make national press conferences and easily would be able to comment on this in no time at all. Considering the historical matters that Rev. Sharpton usually covers, this would have been the first thing he would have talked about upon leaving Sylvia’s.

The quote comes out of context from a discussion on racism on Mr. O’Reilly’s radio program. When the program aired, over a day ago, on reportedly 400 stations there were no complaints. Mr. Juan Williams was on air as the comment was made, in context of how the media often portrays African Americans as simply thugs and rappers, and this influences what some Americans think we are like. I’d say that the media influences how the world views us.

Yet, CNN, which was given the opportunity to review the actual conversation, went and continued to state that Mr. O’Reilly was a racist. The internet has picked up the ball and run with it.

Obviously, left-leaning bloggers and websites constantly find Mr. O’Reilly to be a huge target and oppose everything he says, so there is no surprise in their reaction. Others that have not seen anything other than the claims of his racism accept this news without question. I did not.

I have said before that I agree with Mr. O’Reilly on several issues. I feel that he is basically fair in his opinions. His desire to protect children is unquestionable, his belief in a balanced legal system is prominent, and his views against criminal illegal aliens match my own.

Continued in part 2...

Compare White and Black news coverage Part 2 - 9.25.2007.2

Continued from Compare White and Black news coverage Part 1...

Beyond the fact that the Jena 6 just got a lot of coverage over the inequality and unfairness of the punishment, there is no difference on the face of it. Now what if it’s proven the police that the White teenager did something to provoke this, like beating on a younger Black kid or selling drugs to someone? Will the media still follow this case? Will they still feature the video tape? What if this was an arranged fight that was meant to go on YouTube? Will the media still be implying the boy’s innocence?

Let’s go to an even bigger issue. In West Virginia there were 6 Whites that tortured, sexually abused and violated in the worst ways, a Black woman. Ms. Megan Williams had boiling water poured on her, stabbed, and raped. This lasted for DAYS. Sadly for the news media there is no video of this vile torture, but there is of Ms. Williams in the hospital. Where is the sympathy for this woman and her SEVERE injuries?

This boy has gotten 2 days of coverage so far. In day 2 he has gotten more than twice the coverage of Ms. Williams of West Virginia. In fact the coverage, in day 2 has been maybe 5x that of the West Virginia case in total to date.

Where is the local police interview? Where are the city council members denouncing this repeated and aggravated attack? Why has the federal government not filed hate crime charges?

The bias sickens me. If a boy being beaten with minor wounds is worthy of news (and I don’t doubt that) then why is the rape, kidnapping and torture of a woman not?

I want to know from CNN, Fox News and all the other major news media why they don’t care about Ms. Megan Williams of West Virginia. I want to know why it takes MONTHS before the injustice of the Jena 6 is acknowledged though bloggers were aware and constantly speaking on it. I want to know why this one situation deserves more attention and investigation while these others do not. I demand to know why Jonathan Riches can evade prosecution and gain local legal authority protection for DECADES, and when he is finally brought to justice there is no coverage for his double murders.

Can anyone explain why I can have found and investigated information about these issues, and discussed them, but the major news media with dozens, if not hundreds, of employees and reporters cannot. Why is it that bloggers can see bias and inequality but major news media can’t?

What agenda is being promoted by the major news media? There must be one as I cannot see another reason why one case is followed and others are ignored. Corporate policy is dictating that one is a higher priority than the other. Does that bias benefit or detract from America?

This isn’t some loony extremist vision. This is what major news media is doing. This is the coverage they are presenting to America and the world. What messages are they providing and why? That is an issue that I feel must be addressed.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Compare White and Black news coverage - 9.25.2007.1

I find it interesting what has been reported yesterday and today. The news has made a big deal on an issue that you probably have seen. It’s the beating of the 13 year old boy in Norfolk, Virginia.

First things first, I do not advocate the violence this case is about. There is no reason that 6 people should beat upon one person. I don’t understand why kids today feel the need for such kinds of fights, if they must fight at all. If it takes so many to beat on one person, either that person is a real badass (a la Bruce Lee) or the attackers are punks. My opinion, like it or not, group/mob attacks are mindless and cowardly.

But there is an issue here beyond the fight. Actually several. The major news media and I will use Fox News again as I watch them predominantly, jumped on this story Monday. That was the first I saw anything on this case. Today I have noted that there is further follow up. 6 minutes of coverage occurred at 2:54pm alone.

I’ve seen the video tape and an interview with the boy several times by the point of this post. The media is being very generous in providing the view (which the boy and family promote) that this was a racial attack.

Yet it seems that this is incorrect. But before I go there, here are the apparent facts. The boy, who is white, was going to a basketball game on Saturday with his friend (who happens to be Black it was reported). Somewhere along this route they ran into the 6 boys, who range from 13-17 as reported, who then ‘suddenly’ started beating the kid. Luckily there was a friend of the boy being attacked who stood there and videotaped the altercation. Portions of that videotape are what are seen on Fox News.

So, we have a portion of a fight, showing several kids fighting one kid. The attackers are Black. And the media is making a lot of noise on this. But why is the supposed friend of the kid taping this and not helping his friend? Is this another Youtube fight that went too far? The kid was beaten, but seems to walk away from the fight without serious harm, and seemed fine when interviewed Monday. I’m not excusing the actions, just investigating the facts as the news should have done.

Why would the 6 ‘suddenly’ do this? Was it racial? Well, today the police of Norfolk have stated, on air, that this was not racial. It seems there is something that the White teenager did previously that motivated the attack. So much for the racial claims major news media jump on at first. And the presumed innocence that they implied in the coverage. That doesn’t make it right, it just points out a bias.

Now I ask this, why was the major news media so quick to cover this story and totally ignore the Jena 6 situation? Both had a white kid being beaten by several Black kids. Both were allegedly over racial issues. Both were in the South. What is the difference? Think about that, what is the difference?

Continued in part 2...

Update on free contest and clothing line - 9.24.2007.5

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Either way, spread the word and as always, I look forward to hearing from you.

Democrat and Chronicle editorial response Part 2 - 9.24.2007.4

Continued from Democrat and Chronicle editorial response Part 1...

Another part of the dropout rate could be seen in the inability of many rappers to speak English, some making up words and virtually a whole language rather than learning how to use their native language. The lack of educated gangsta rappers (who are seen as role models by some) also adds to the motivation of dropping out. Add to that the implication of violent crimes being more ‘manly’, lucrative, and preferable to honest work and you have another factor.

I would note that the prison population has increased, and the proportion of younger African Americans in jails, since 1992. Equally of note is the number of drug related crimes that they are in jail for.

In America, famous individuals are role models for those that wish to follow someone. Regardless of the denial by celebrities and entertainers, they are role models. Given that, we have seen a move from figures like Michael Jordan to 50 cent since 1992. Where Mr. Jordan represents a successful businessman, with a college degree, no criminal record, and worldwide fame, we see 50 cent as a convicted drug dealer that used violence as part of his daily actions, and was a victim of that same violence. 50 cent has made use of his violent past to glorify and promote his lifestyle. Which is a better image?

Language is the verbalization of thought. The ability to communicate those internal thoughts is reflected by that verbalization. As abovementioned gangsta rap ignores actual language on a regular basis, and uses the most simplistic grammatical format even when inappropriate. This is a limitation of communication, which affects verbalization and thus the mind.

The acceptance of gangsta rap, since 1992, and its strong connection to illegal drug use implies a public acceptance of drugs. Much as the use of alcohol and cigarettes was found to be a massive influence on the public, and thus not allowed on television or in magazines for decades, the same correlation can be found in gangsta rap music.

Because of the language used in rap music, people internationally are lead to the belief that such terminology applied to African Americans is common and acceptable, as they have no context or comparative information to counter that belief. As I have often heard, ‘Why is that a bad word? They say it in the videos all the time. Isn’t it right?’

Perhaps these reasons and others are too subjective for JWilliams and others. Perhaps there is no smoking gun, and they cannot connect the actions in one place and the results in the other. But I believe there are. More importantly I believe that even if there is a potential for these items to be related, it has too much of a potential harm.

Much as there has not been definitive connections of lung cancer to smoking (there is not) or heart attacks to fast food, a reasonable person can fill in the gap. To think this is merely a politically correct issue is to accept that children taking drugs, having multiple children to multiple fathers out of wedlock, violence in various forms, and lack of education as rhetorical issues. I for one cannot.

Some might say the acceptance of rap is no different than the acceptance of smoking, or calling African Americans the N-word, or lynching for looking at the wrong person. Each was considered acceptable at one point in this nation’s history. Thankfully they are not today, though I do not agree with such an extreme view of gangsta rap. To minimize the importance and impact of this genre of music is to ignore the impact it has.

I submit this as the last piece of proof. If gansta rap was of little importance, with no impact on America or the Black community, why do so many companies spend millions to promote it and reap billions from it? That’s not politically correct, that’s economics. And if economics prove anything, it’s that someone is paying a lot of attention.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Democrat and Chronicle editorial response - 9.24.2007.3

Wow. I’ve heard various reasons why some defend gansta rap, but never one quite like this.

At issue is the editorial by Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. In this they comment on the public pressure that has been placed on this genre of rap music, and commercial organizations (such as Black Entertainment Television) that profit off the promotion of this genre.

“While speaking with one's wallet is a powerful tool, it doesn't mean society should abdicate its responsibility to hold rappers and music executives responsible for much of the junk that passes for hip-hop music these days.

The fact that Black Entertainment Television, one of the major enablers of violent and misogynistic music, has decided to put together a three-part series, Hip-Hop vs. America, is another telling sign of what public pressure can do.”

The response by JWilliams at 5:04am is what struck me. Somehow JWilliams felt that this is a non-issue. Specifically

“…what consequences there are of gangster rap's prevalence, you certainly cannot quantify them; you in essence have no idea about how bad or good gangster rap is, only your pre-conceived dubious notions…”

I wish to provide some of those quantified consequences. Some of my reasons are based in the facts that have been widely reported, others just my personal observations. I’m sure most will be qualified as ‘dubious notions’.

The emergence of gangsta rap began in 1992 with N.W.A. This form of rap promoted the use of drugs and the violence found in that lifestyle. That is not to say that police violence and injustice in the legal system was not also addressed, but the preference was to these issues.

It can be noted that the growth of gangs, such as the Bloods and Crips went lock and step with the growth of this music format. It is accepted that the primary income from these gangs is drugs and violent crimes.

It has been stated for over a decade that gangsta rap denigrates women. It promotes the image that women are a commodity, without souls or a purpose greater than the sexual gratification of a man. View any current rap video and you can see that. This constant barrage of worthlessness creates an environment where women can have a lowered sense of self-esteem. That can result in a multitude of issues, from eating disorders, to lack of education and beyond.

One aspect of the lowered self-esteem is the perception that education is not a positive in a woman. This goes hand in hand with the thoughts that a man is above a woman, and that a woman should not be more educated than a man. That is one factor in the current 50% or greater dropout rate today, I believe.

Continued in Part 2...

Reflections on Bill Cosby's words 3 years ago - 9.24.2007.2

3 years later and finally Dr. Bill Cosby is getting some respect for his statements about the Black culture and community in America. It’s about time.

At that time, and since there has been a huge outcry that Dr. Cosby should not have said what he did and has since. I’ve never understood why. He was speaking the truth and it was as obvious then as it is now. In fact it’s been true for a lot longer than just when he made his statements.

But the fact was that more than a few were either embarrassed, in denial, or oblivious to these facts. How I am unsure. A casual observation at high schools around the nation, or prisons, say everything right there. The Black community had become complacent about the advances made in the 60’s and was doing nothing about the wholesale commoditization of the culture since the mid-90’s.

Perhaps the impact that Dr. Cosby was speaking about can be summed up in these words

“If we can get outraged enough to trek by the busload to Jena, La., then the dysfunction destroying our communities from within should compel the same outrage -- and the energy to do something about this black implosion.”

Strong words. And appropriate. I would add that if we can feel a national outrage by the words of Don Imus, revulsion by the idiotic definitions of Snoop Dogg, endangered by the torture in West Virginia, and angered by the lack of compassion provided by Michael Vick, then we must look to the roots of those problems and what we can do to correct them. Sitting by passively allowing these things to exist cannot provide answers, or more accurately answers that will engender a positive response.

The major news media has no interest in discussing the positives in the Black community, apparently. Universal condemnations of OJ Simpson and Michael Vick, excusing acts of denigration (Don Imus) or completely ignoring them (How long was Michael Richards in the news?), and promotion of the worst aspects of rap music and videos seem all that they are interested in. When that is the message being presented by the news on a daily basis, coupled by the virtual non-existence promoted by television programming, we need to step up in our communities to provide the positive impetus that is desperately needed.

I mentioned

Of the centuries that our ancestors struggled to gain the right to read and be treated as equals, is the only benefit our chance to compete in games for the selfish monetary return it provides? I cannot agree that the only benefit of the past efforts is our increased ability to entertain the masses. Dr. Martin Luther King did not dream of an equal chance to ‘shake dat ass’ on an iPod. Mr. Malcolm X did not want to defend his life and family “by any means” so that his children could sell drugs, or have ‘baby-mama drama.’ Mr. Jackie Robinson did not endure the stresses of proving his abilities to hostile crowds so that drop-outs would have the inability to read about his challenges; and Mr. Richard Pryor didn’t make us laugh and think about what was inadequate so that the youth could use a term that is the single most offensive term in the English language as a greeting because they haven’t learned enough to know the words meaning and history.

I feel no different today. I would hazzard to believe that Dr. Cosby would agree. The fact that others are also joining in this mindset is a positive. Perhaps that is the best news, after 3 years. That there are positive moves being made, and that the community has gotten over the minor reasons to avoid Dr. Cosby’s words and are now embracing them. If that is the case I look forward to the next 3 years.

This is what I think, What do you think?

Major soccer star pulls a Spears/Lohan move - 9.24.2007.1.

There hasn’t been a lot of talk about soccer (futbol) in the United States since the initial appearance of Mr. David Beckham at the L.A. Galaxy early this summer. His lackluster performance was covered widely, bringing in huge numbers. But that was then, and little is to be found about how he is doing now.

Not that America’s interest in Soccer can be called meaningful. I mean, really, have you seen the ads for women’s soccer? The only reason the league even exists is because the men’s team can’t win. I mean the Ivory Coast outscored us in 2006 at the World Cup. Of course, all the women play better than me, and many others, but the U.S. leagues are still a joke.

But I didn’t intend to beat up on Women’s soccer. Nor soccer in general, though it needs a kick in the pants to get jump started. Beckham has yet to live up to expectations so far, and while there is more attention on the MLS, a lot is left to be desired.

Yet elsewhere in the world things aren’t going as well as would be expected either. One of the best players in the world seems to be traveling down a path Maradona and many others have gone. If this happens it would be a horrible shame.

I’m speaking of Ronaldinho. Watching him play, when he is on his game, is a site to be seen. The kid is good, top of the world good. And now it seems that’s all going to waste.

Reports from Spain are mentioning that Ronaldinho has taken a page from Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan. Recent, and repeated, sightings in nightclubs prior to matches seem to match his lackluster performances this year. The situation is extreme enough that the club president and manager have both made public statements about his need for help.

This is a huge fall from being named Footballer of the Year in 2005. What’s next? Shaving his head and falling over drunk on the sidelines? I pray not. Hopefully someone will help him, and not like the half-hearted rehab some celebrities engage in. But only time will tell. We shall see.

Because I want to see more ads like this

Issues stemming from Jena 6 Conclusion - 9.23.2007.4

Continued from Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 3...

mike vass: No, he is going to be released.

MH: No he is not being released. Check CNN.

mike vass: I stand corrected, what is happening then?

MH: I am still reading. That sucks, even after the protest they still didn’t get "justice".

mike vass: Not really. But protest has been ongoing for months. At least now there is a chance, Congress is supposed to get involved.

MH: Which makes my point. I think that is just a spin.

mike vass: It is, but it may get justice served along the way. They may be self-serving, but he may get help by accident.

MH: So in order for us to get justice, we need to call Al and the gang and have a march?

mike vass: We need to pursue it, and realize it won't happen immediately. If we stop it's like stopping swimming, you drown. May still die while swimming, but at least you have a chance.

MH: We need to get the hell out of the pool then. This is crazy.

mike vass: You can only get out of the pool if you win, and we aren't winning.

MH: We only make up 12 percent of this country, we will never win.

mike vass: Actually, we are at 15% and Hispanics are 15%. We are roughly 1-3 for people of color, which means things have to start to change.

MH: Oh excuse me. So even if we and the Hispanics teamed up (don’t hold your breath) and really rallied, we would still be basically doing nothing. We don’t even like our own people.

mike vass: But how depends on what we do, and not being divided, or distracted (like by trying to be the next sports star, or the whole rap/hip-hop thing).

MH: Black Americans don’t like Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans don’t like Dominicans. But we get bent out of shape when whites don’t want us around.

mike vass: No real reason for it. But it makes things easy for others to maintain control.

MH: Jamaicans are idiots because they say "Black Americans allowed themselves to be mistreated during slavery so they are now lazy." Which is asinine. Black Americans think "West Indian men beat their women and cheat on them all the time and they are arrogant."

mike vass: That’s so stupid.

MH: Yes it is. Which is why I can see why Whites don’t like us.

mike vass: Where does all this come from?

MH: We spend too much time doing stupid things. It comes from the fact that the English were much more humane to their slaves (Black Caribbean’s) than American slave owners were. They were not beaten nor treated as harshly as American slaves were. So there was some level of pride left in Jamaican slaves, when they were freed, they were in a better position and they look down on American slaves.

mike vass: Ah, that makes a big difference.

MH: It does, but it’s stupid because we were all slaves. Hating one another doesn’t make sense.

mike vass: Exactly, still suffering the effects of all that.

MH: No he is not being released. Check CNN.

mike vass: I stand corrected, what is happening then?

MH: I am still reading. That sucks, even after the protest they still didn’t get "justice".

mike vass: Not really. But protest has been ongoing for months. At least now there is a chance, Congress is supposed to get involved.

MH: Which makes my point. I think that is just a spin.

mike vass: It is, but it may get justice served along the way. They may be self-serving, but he may get help by accident.

MH: So in order for us to get justice, we need to call Al and the gang and have a march?

mike vass: We need to pursue it, and realize it won't happen immediately. If we stop it's like stopping swimming, you drown. May still die while swimming, but at least you have a chance.

MH: We need to get the hell out of the pool then. This is crazy.

mike vass: You can only get out of the pool if you win, and we aren't winning.

MH: We only make up 12 percent of this country, we will never win.

mike vass: Actually, we are at 15% and Hispanics are 15%. We are roughly 1-3 for people of color, which means things have to start to change.

MH: Oh excuse me. So even if we and the Hispanics teamed up (don’t hold your breath) and really rallied, we would still be basically doing nothing. We don’t even like our own people.

mike vass: But how depends on what we do, and not being divided, or distracted (like by trying to be the next sports star, or the whole rap/hip-hop thing).

MH: Black Americans don’t like Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans don’t like Dominicans. But we get bent out of shape when whites don’t want us around.

mike vass: No real reason for it. But it makes things easy for others to maintain control.

MH: Jamaicans are idiots because they say "Black Americans allowed themselves to be mistreated during slavery so they are now lazy." Which is asinine. Black Americans think "West Indian men beat their women and cheat on them all the time and they are arrogant."

mike vass: That’s so stupid.

MH: Yes it is. Which is why I can see why Whites don’t like us.

mike vass: Where does all this come from?

MH: We spend too much time doing stupid things. It comes from the fact that the English were much more humane to their slaves (Black Caribbean’s) than American slave owners were. They were not beaten nor treated as harshly as American slaves were. So there was some level of pride left in Jamaican slaves, when they were freed, they were in a better position and they look down on American slaves.

mike vass: Ah, that makes a big difference.


MH: It does, but it’s stupid because we were all slaves. Hating one another doesn’t make sense.

mike vass: Exactly, still suffering the effects of all that.


I hope this conversation was of use and interest. I want to thank Michael H. for allowing me to present this to everyone. And thank you to everyone that read it all.

Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 3 - 9.21.2007.3

Continued from Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 2...

MH: Well then here is the crux. The black student wasn’t arrested for sitting under the tree; they left nooses basically taunting him. Not hanging him outright. So what would have happened if he ignored it?

mike vass: Who knows? I feel a noose is more than a taunt. In the South that's a death threat.

MH: Agreed, a noose is more than a taunt.

mike vass: somehow I don't think it would have ended with the threat.

MH: We will never know, but the escalations that followed were done by blacks retaliating with physical harm.

mike vass: If you don't respond then it's a sign of fear and/or weakness and the aggressor pushes to see how far they can go. I agree that they reacted badly. But that was a death threat. Not justifying it, just a point.

MH: So then report it to the authorities, we have that right now as opposed to the 60's when we were on our own.

mike vass: True and I agree they should have. But to charge attempted murder is going overboard. Especially when other fights around that time, by whites against blacks, were never given charges most of the time and the ones that were got misdemeanors.

MH: Why is it overboard? It was 6 to 1 right? Were blacks beaten up? If the colors were reversed, how would it play out?

mike vass: Yes. And it would be like in West Virginia with Megan Williams.

MH: This is not in WV

mike vass: Fine, but nothing so serious would have happened. It wouldn't make the news or the blogs. You know that.

MH: But would justice be served? That is the important thing, not whether I can see it on CNN. If it doesn’t make it on TV and the people have been prosecuted correctly then I don’t need to see it. TV would probably put a negative spin on it anyway.

mike vass: Does justice get served now? Jonathan Riches took 43 years to get arrested and convicted and not a blip on national news. And as true as your words are, it isn't getting prosecuted correctly.

MH: And it’s on the TV, so what is the difference?

mike vass: For every one case we do hear of there are 15 that don't get any attention. I mean it took months to get this news out on the Jena 6, and bloggers were speaking about it for months. Oh, by the way, I just heard one kid just had his conviction overturned. Which is more just.

MH: But it didn’t make a difference, the boy is still in jail.

Continued in Part 4...

Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 2 - 9.23.2007.2

Continued from Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 1...

mike vass: Given. These are all very true points. So where is the issue with what I said? I tried to address and suggest sparking debate over those feelings.

MH: Had the black student kept those facts in mind, he would not have asked to sit under a tree where it was CLEARLY seen to be a white’s only area, or whatever. Why did he have to choose THAT area?

mike vass: Why shouldn't he be able to is the question. Not that he should have, but should be able to. And why did they have to respond with a threat of death? Especially over a tree.

MH: No we know why he shouldn’t be able to. Because he should be able to sit where he wants.

mike vass: Because of segregation and racism.

MH: Which is the norm in the South.

mike vass: Which I address in the post.

MH: Which is why he didn’t need to sit there.

mike vass: That's why this nation will always have race issues. It's also why there will never be an apology for slavery.

MH: This nation will always have race issues because there will always be racists. I don’t want an apology for slavery. You can never apologize for that. But whether there are laws telling whites to accept me or not, will not change the fact that they will not want me around them if they don’t like me.

mike vass: I agree

MH: Then the real question is how far do I want to push the issue knowing that the more I try to integrate myself, I will certainly run into resistance. Is it worth it just to prove a point? Just to be able to sit under a tree?

mike vass: Sometimes yes. Because if you don't try to sit under a tree, eventually you can't sit in a diner, and so on. Especially as kids today pay less attention to the issues that affects them, and buy into the commoditization of being black.

MH: I don’t think so. A diner is not a tree. The tree was not specifically mapped out for whites only. It just so happens that the groups of whites have always been under that tree.

mike vass: A diner can become one with time. The point is the segregation and not where it happens. It just so happens that they may eat at a diner, or go to a classroom. Where is the difference?

Continued in Part 3...

Issues stemming from Jena 6 - 9.23.2007.1

The following is a conversation that I had recently with my best friend Michael H. (MH). MH has known me since elementary school. I think this conversation may be of interest for some, because it’s separate views on this Jena 6 issue.

MH, like many in America, only recently became aware of the situation. He has heard of some of the details and discussed the matter with me. He is my age, college educated, and a father. He currently lives in the South, though we both grew up in the Bronx, and he moved south relatively recently.

I thank my friend for allowing me to share this conversation with you all. Take what you will from this.


Michael H (MH): I have a problem. This whole Jena 6 issue got started because a black student wanted to sit under a tree. Not a library, a diner, or the front of the bus. A f***** tree.

mike vass: yep.

MH: Now I know that he did have a right to sit under a tree, but should we have all this media attention based on the fact that tempers got flared, and a boy is now in jail because he and 5 others beat up another student.

mike vass: They were charged with attempted murder. One of the boys got 15 years, though it's being review by the courts. One of the kids was a minor and was charged, and convicted as an adult.

MH: Well was it attempted murder?

mike vass: Nope, the kid that was beat up was at an event (a dance) that same day. It was just a high school fight.

MH: I have heard of minors being charged as adults under extenuating circumstances

mike vass: These weren't them

MH: I am not familiar with all the details but is the battered student really worse off?

mike vass: Nope the kid is fine. He was bruised but nothing serious.

MH: I just have an issue with the viewpoint you make in your post. I have 2 facts of reality I come into the discussion with.

1) If you are a black person in the South, you have to be careful about racists

2) No matter how you try, you cant legislate people's feelings

Continued in Part 2...

A salute to MoveOn.org - 9.21.2007.5

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A conversation on the Jena 6 Part 3 - 9.21.2007.4

Continued from A conversation on the Jena 6 Part 2...

I mentioned to my friend what he thought about a situation. I said, ‘Does a case where an individual got away with murder for 43 years before being brought to justice deserve national airtime?’ The answer was yes. I went on, ‘If that person committed 2 murders, and the local police covered up the case knowing who committed the crimes, and it took 43 years, does that deserve coverage on the national cable news channels?’ Again yes. ‘Does it matter the race? And how much time do you think it deserves? 5 minutes? 3?’ he answered that it doesn’t matter, that is does need to be covered, and should have at least a couple of minutes. Then I asked him if he knew who Jonathan Riches was and how much time his case got on national news. He had no idea. Check the link if you want to find out.

America is afraid to address the roots of the problem. We want to turn a blind eye to the Jonathan Riches in the nation. The major news media ignores the Jena 6’s that occur. The media wants to emphasis OJ Simpson, and gloss over Ms. Megan Williams of West Virginia. And when this willful detachment of facts reaches critical mass and we have events like the Rodney King riots, everyone acts shocked.

I’m tired of the feigned ignorance. I’m tired of the propped up ‘leaders’ and politicians that seek to puff up their election chances and political clout with contrived concern over issues that have been ongoing for some time prior to their sudden involvement when the television cameras roll.

I deserve better. We deserve better. America must do better.

National news media needs to do their job. They need to investigate the roots of the problems in these cases. Then need to promote discussion on what is not changing in this nation. They need to shine the spotlight, which bloggers like me cannot yet do, on the shadows of the past of America that remains with us today.

The Jena 6 case is a problem. It’s racial, unjust, and reminiscent of a separated ignorant violent past of America that really wasn’t long ago. In the history of America it was just yesterday that African American were still being lynched for being in the wrong place or looking at a member of the wrong race. It was just a few months ago, in that historic clock, that slaves became free. And if America does not, as a whole nation, move forward to a better way, we will always carry the past on our collective backs.

This is what I think, what do you think?

A conversation on the Jena 6 Part 2 - 9.21.2007.3

Continued from A conversation on the Jena 6 Part 1...

When that segregation was acknowledged and challenged, the response was to place nooses on the tree. That is a powerful message, especially in the South. When my friend thinks about a noose he thinks of a hanging, but I informed him that for an African American it evokes an image of a BLACK person being hung – a lynching. And when that happens in the South you get the image of KKK and slavery. It’s very different for me to see that and for my friend. I wanted him to comprehend that. I know he cannot understand it as I do, but the comprehension that those nooses are a death threat. It makes the difference of how the reactions unfolded. It provoked anger, and that is not an excuse. Violence is a bad response to provocations, but it is one response when death is the message.

As I recall, back in the 1970’s a court (I believe the Supreme Court) held that incendiary words exist, and their use could provoke actions. These actions could be crimes, but due to the incendiary words the punishment could be minimized or removed. I’m not a lawyer but I recall that well [any lawyers that know better or the exact case, feel free to correct/support me here]. Thus, back then, if an African American were called the N-word, and he beat the crap out of a White man that said it to him, the incendiary clause could be used as a defense.

The nooses were the incendiary. The tree is the segregation. Essentially what happened and was said is, in my opinion, ‘Hey N*****, you don’t belong here. Go away.’ When that was challenged with the thought that segregation doesn’t have a place in 21st century America the response was ‘Uppity N***** I will KILL you.’ Which lead to the violence.

Perhaps it’s the fact that African Americans still feel the weight of the past of America on them, or that America has never apologized for slavery (nor willing to provide reparations as the nation has for other groups that were wronged in the past) because America is not beyond the thoughts of that time, but this is the sentiment that still pervades the nation.

It goes both ways. As my friend correctly mentioned, there are places that he cannot go in New York City. There are places that any race or ethnicity cannot go in America, to this day. We have not gone as far as most of us wish we have. And as long as we don’t address the root of the problem, we never will.

America has its head in the sand when it comes to race relations and segregation and prejudice. Slavery is a subject no one wants to speak about. Reparations is so terrifying a concept, because of what it addresses, every Presidential candidate except one (not Senator Barack Obama) refused to even speak about it in a debate. And these events, like Jena 6, continue to happen.

Continued in Part 3...

A conversation on the Jena 6 - 9.21.2007.2

Suddenly after months of bloggers speaking about the Jena 6, the major news media has finally woke up and realized there is an issue. It would be funny that they are treating this as a new thing, except there is no humor in this. Rev. Jesse Jackson is holding rallies and blaming Sen. Obama over this case, suddenly. Democratic Presidential candidates are all jumping forward to make a comment on how they feel about this injustice. And the President was asked to speak on the controversy. You would think this all just came up in the last day or 2, yet that is a false impression. At least it’s finally getting attention.

But what I want to share with you is a conversation I had yesterday with a colleague and friend. He is a White man about my age, owns businesses, and a good person. He also writes to a couple of blogs and was completely unaware of the Jena 6 case. After hearing all the news yesterday, he decided to write some thoughts on it, and then got in touch with me to discuss it.

His position was basically

In every racial injustice case, we tend to measure the punishment and forget that a crime was committed.

To a degree I agree with him. But there is a lot going on with this case that most are not getting. There is something not being conveyed. The main question is not as much that there should be no punishment, but that it should be equal. Attempted murder was hardly the correct charge, if charges must be made in this case. I say must as others White males were not given any charges for their fights. But if a crime is done, punishment is mandatory. But it shouldn’t be blind or biased.

Given that, the conversation evolved to discuss the real issue that Jena 6 represents and the major news media seems to never want to discuss. Race, segregation and anger. These are the roots of the Jena 6 case. And these are the things not being addressed. The charges and the imbalance of the legal system are only symptoms of this root.

The facts are that no one in this nation should be fearful of entering an establishment or standing in a space and being punished for it. In this case a tree was designated ‘Whites Only’, harkening back to the segregation of the 1950’s (for the younger readers, that’s really not as far in the past as you might think). A tree.

Continued in Part 2...

I feel good - 9.21.2007.1

It's nice to see that my efforts are starting to get some attention. I was checking my logs today and noticed that the Chicago Sun-Times included one of my posts in thier references of an article.

That's exposure and attention I had not expected. I thank whichever staffer found my post worthy of inclusion. I also hope that my writting is up to par for future inclusion, and the enjoyment of an ever increasing number of readers. I promise I will try.

Here is the link for the Chicago Sun-Times article (suntimes.com).

Dinner give away contest - 9.20.2007.2

In celebration of the 500th post on Black Entertainment USA (http://www.blackentertainmentblog.com), owned by parent company M V Consulting, Inc., a give-away contest has been created in association with the Instinct restaurant and nightclub.

Announced today by M V Consulting, Inc. president Michael Vass, the give-away contest will be open to all visitors of the blogs and websites owned by the Company. Mr. Vass stated,

"I wanted to give something back to all the repeat visitors that have helped the company and all the blogs grow. Without their attention, comments, and word of mouth there would never have been 500 posts seen in over 62 countries each month. That is impressive growth and repeat visits. It just seems to justify what I believe, that giving back to this community is the right thing to do."

The terms of the contest are as follows:

1. The contest will be providing gift certificates for a full meal, with a bottle of wine for those age 21 and older, for 2 at the Instinct Restaurant located in Endicott, NY valued at $75 each certificate.
2. For those that are not in the Greater Binghamton area, or not planning to be in this area to claim their prize, a donation can be made by M V Consulting, Inc. to the organization of the winner's choice (as allowed by the United States law) for an amount equal to the original prize.
3. Contestants need to send an email to Contest@vassconsult.com with the headline or body containing the words "I'm Hungry"

4. Contestants must be 18 years of age to be eligible, no purchase is necessary. Winners must be 21 or older to have any alcohol products.
5. Contest will run from September 24, 2007 to October 14, 2007 at 11:59pm.
6. All emails received must be valid email addresses.
7. Upon notification winners must provide an address where gift certificates can be received. Only 1 address per family is valid for this contest.
8. Winners of contest agree to allow the use of their first name, last name initial and state for promotional purposes by M V Consulting, Inc. and any of its websites.

President Vass went on to say,

"My thanks to all the visitors to all the sites of M V Consulting, Inc. (http://www.mvass.com, http://www.vassconsult.com, http://www.cafepress.com/nova68) including Black Entertainment USA. Good luck to all who participate."

**Review of Instinct restaurant**

Can Rev. Jesse Jackson define "acting white" - 9.20.2007.1

In my post Rev. Jesse Jackson throws stones at Senator Barack Obama - 9.20.2007.1, I mentioned that Rev. Jesse Jackson is alleged to have said that Sen. Barack Obama acts “white”. This accusation was leveled in reference to the relatively little that Senator Obama has said about the Jena 6.

I’ve already discussed the equally little said by Rev. Jackson on the Jena 6 case, which has been widely covered and discussed by a multitude of Black bloggers for months. Don’t let the major news media fool you, this is not a new thing. And while Sen. Obama has said virtually nothing, neither has Rev. Sharpton, Jackson, or any of the Presidential candidates. They have all failed to even acknowledge the existence of the case until yesterday, and all their surprise and posturing is annoying.

[I admit that I have not covered the issue either, as I felt many other bloggers had covered every angle of this far better than myself for far longer. Check the archives of African American Opinion and you will see what I mean. In my opinion to cover what had already been said would have been pandering and I try to never do so.]

But the point of this is the “acting white” accusation. Among African Americans such an accusation is a vicious attack. It is a massive insult that does not have a match in other racial groups in America, to my knowledge. It’s a verbal low blow, and in this case totally unfair.

The implication that Rev. Jackson makes, and he is a supposed supporter of Sen. Obama, is that Senator Obama is a sell-out. The reason is that the Senator has not acted on a controversial case to the liking of Rev. Jackson. Point of fact is that Rev. Jackson hasn’t done anything either. As I mentioned before many Black bloggers have, but Black “leaders”, like Rev. Jackson and Al Sharpton have said nothing to my knowledge.

But why is Senator Obama “acting White”? Why does he constantly have to defend himself from claims on one hand that he is not Black enough, and that he is too Black on the other. That is he is Black and thus scary to some (who have very small minds in my opinion).

In the African American community though, some (with equally small minds) feel that Sen. Obama does not portray the race well. I’m reminded of a Mr. Chris Rock comedy routine. I’ll paraphrase

“They call Colin Powell articulate. They say he speaks well. What do they expect him to say ‘Yo yo, Imma bout ta drop sum bombs ova heya!’”

I’m so tired of the bar existing that says you are only African American if you act like X and dress in Y. What the Hell does that have to do with my heritage or the color of my skin? When I walk down the street I’ve never heard anyone wait to see my clothing tags or my resume before calling me N***** (and not in a manner that the hip-hop community thinks is positive).

Why do we need to continue to define what is Black by the material mannerisms one has? I’ve commented often that to be Black in America is becoming more of a commodity than a fact of birth. Let me correct that. To be what the media portrays, and music videos glorify, as their impression of Black is a commodity. The facts are quite different.

Let’s take a moment to remember the spectrum here.

Blacks have been in America since roughly the early 1600’s. Blacks built the infrastructure of America, and were the key part of the agricultural economy that allowed the nation to grow. White Americans have mixed with African slaves and African Americans of later centuries and decades constantly, partially accounting for the different shade we all come in. Add to that the mix of Native American Indians, Latinos, Hispanics, Asians and various Europeans and you get all the shades and backgrounds that make up many African American families today.

An example is that my family tree reaches into Italy, Ireland, Spain, Puerto Rico, Taino and Native American Indians as well as Africa. And that’s just the parts I can name off the top of my head.

Beyond the mix of ancestry, African Americans don’t all live in the ghetto or speak eubonics. While watching any major news media, especially if you see the news internationally, you may not realize it but not all African Americans are poor. [I realize that those who are Black reading this will say “I know that”, but I reach 62 nations on average every month and not everyone reading this is Black or American]

Many African Americans are quite educated. We are doctors, lawyers, businessmen and women, professors and a multitude of other professions. Few of these professionals, if any, speak like JJ from Good Times or Snoop Dogg. But the media would liken us all to a rapper far faster than Secretary of State Condellezza Rice. [I’m not saying that all rappers are uneducated, but I will say I’m only aware of 2 that actually graduated college since the inception of rap. There may be more but it’s not spoken about much and seen little in their public personas.]

So given all that, what is “acting white”? Is being successful now restricted to that one particular race? Speaking our collective native language well is a racial preference? Dressing in clothing that both compliments and stands out well in any social occasion is betrayal to a race?

Doesn’t that sound stupid? Perhaps if you look at it conversely.

If Reverend Jackson said that Senator Obama could act more Black by ‘speak with smaller syllable words, misuse the meanings of those words or just make them up, dress in baggy ill-fitting clothing that are more appropriate for an 18 year old in a dance club, lose several jobs by being late or not showing up, take drugs in public, and walk around eating fried chicken.’

Doesn’t sound white does it? Doesn’t sound Black either. It just sounds foolish. Acting like a grown man (or woman) should be enough. The color of the skin is just a birthright and that conveys no obligations to any corporate ideology, no matter how many music videos and commercials are made saying so.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Letter to Sheppard Smith of Fox News Part 2 - 9.19.2007.2

Continued from Letter to Sheppard Smith of Fox News Part 1...

I noted that in your Studio B program of that same Friday, you spent approximately 40 minutes covering the aspects of the OJ case. Roughly half of that time was review of coverage that had been expressed consistently on Fox News since at least 10am that day. Other items of news, particularly a storm warning as I recall, received barely 30 seconds of coverage. Why did you focus so much time to this one story?

Over the past year and a half, you have consistently referred to OJ Simpson’s prior case when referring to any questionable murder involving family members or interlinked persons. I believe that you have made such references roughly 7 times a month over the last year and a half on average. In each case your usage of the OJ murder trial inferred, or outright declared as I recall, guilt on the part of OJ. But as you are aware from the coverage you did of the trial, 12 peers found Mr. Simpson innocent of the charges. What justifies your tacit implication of Mr. Simpson as a murderer?

Do you feel that your negative commentary about Mr. Simpson and the outcome of his case on national television has had a negative impact on African Americans in the nation? If not, how do you justify that belief?

On September 13th, you were the only individual in national televised news media, that I am aware of, to cover the then breaking news on the torture, rape, and abuse of Ms. Megan Williams of West Virginia. To my knowledge your roughly 3 minutes of time on television was the only televised coverage to date. Why has this story not been covered?

In your coverage, and that of Fox News and other major news media, of the Bobby Cutts case, you were able to learn of every job Mr. Cutts had ever had. You were able to report on every child and relationship he had, within the first 3 days of the breaking news as I recall. You also presumed, apparently from your words and tone, his guilt from the first day of coverage. That same presumption of guilt, in depth fact finding, and emotional responses were not provided to coverage of Mr. Christopher Vaughn who murdered his wife and 2 children at the same time. Why is that?

Do you believe that there is a bias in the media against African Americans?

Why was there no coverage, that I am aware of, on the conviction of Mr. Jonathan Riches, who murdered 2 Black men 42 years ago and has only just been brought to justice, although authorities knew at the time of the murders of his guilt?

I want to note that while I have asked hard questions here, I realize that some answers can only be your speculation and that you have no control over what is done at the corporate level. I also want to commend you on much of your reporting.

As I mentioned, only Studio B covered the news about Ms. Megan Williams, to my knowledge. I share your love of this country, and those in the Armed Forces that protect us. I agreed with your anger that you received more emails about an injured dog as opposed to homeless vets being dumped on the streets instead of receiving medical treatment. And I continue to watch Fox News and your coverage daily.

Again, my purpose is to provide you an opportunity to respond to my questions and to allow my readers and myself the chance to understand how the news is covered. Perhaps more importantly this is a chance for my readers and I to learn what determines coverage and degree of depth we see on televised national cable news.

Mr. Smith I look forward to your response, in part or in whole, and I will publish it verbatim as I stated previously. If you and/or the staff of Fox News would like to reach me directly on this matter or any post I have made, you may contact me at info@vassconsult.com or 718-344-6921.

Sincerely,

Michael Vass
President – M V Consulting, Inc.
718-344-6921
info@vassconsult.com