Just a quick reminder that it's not too late to enter the Free dinner giveaway being sponsored by M V Consulting and Instinct Restaurant.
The contest will run until Oct 14th at midnight. Entery is as simple as sending an email to contest@vassconsult.com with the words I'm Hungry. That's all it takes to be entered.
Winners have the choice of a dinner for 2 or for those farther away, a donation of the equivalent of the prize donated to a charity of their choosing (as allowed under United States law).
A free dinner, or a charitiable donation. I think it's worth entering, but I am biased as I did create it.
Bon Apetite!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
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.
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?
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
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
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...
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...
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