More Government Cover ups, it’s sad and disheartening. I hope you will pass this information on as I have after receiving an email with this information. I warned about our lack of attention to such serious issues ina  former post, I pray that we all stand together and fight for what’s right!

This young woman was raped, murdered, and her body was burned… …the Army called it suicide.

—– Dear Spencer,

 

LaVena Johnson was a 19 year old private in the Army, serving in Iraq, when she was raped, murdered, and her body was burned–by someone from her own military base. Despite overwhelming physical evidence, the Army called her death a suicide and has closed the case.¹

 

For three years, LaVena’s parents have been fighting for answers. At almost every turn, they’ve been met with closed doors or lies. They’ve appealed to Congress, the one body that can hold the military accountable. But, as in other cases where female soldiers have been raped and murdered and the Army has called it suicide, Congress has failed to act.

Will you join Mr. and Mrs. Johnson in calling on Congressman Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee, to mount a real investigation into LaVena Johnson’s death and the Army’s cover-up²? Will you ask your friends and family to do the same?

 

http://www.colorofchange.org/lavena/?id=1918-356539

 

From the beginning, LaVena’s death made no sense as a suicide. She was happy and had been talking with friends and family regularly³–nothing indicated she could be suicidal. And when the Johnsons received her body, they noticed signs that she had been beaten.⁴ That was when they started asking questions.

 

After two years of being denied answers and hearing explanations that made no sense, the Johnsons received a CD-ROM from someone on the inside. It contained pictures of the crime scene where LaVena died and an autopsy showing that she had suffered bruises, abrasions, a dislocated shoulder, broken teeth, and some type of sexual assault. Her body was partially burned; she had been doused in a flammable liquid, and someone had set her body on fire. A corrosive chemical had been poured in her genital area, perhaps to cover up evidence of rape.⁵

 

Still the Army sticks by their story. They refuse to explain the overwhelming physical evidence that LaVena was raped and murdered and continue to claim that she killed herself. For many Black youth, and working class young people of every race, the military is seen as an option for securing a better future. LaVena came from a deeply supportive family, and while the military wasn’t her only option, she was attracted by its promise to help her pay for a college education and the opportunity to travel around the world. She also thought that by joining she could continue her lifelong commitment to serving other people in need. She made a decision to serve in the military, with all its risks, and expected respect and dignity in return.

 

LaVena’s death is part of a disturbing pattern of cases where female soldiers have been raped and killed, and where the military has hidden the truth and labeled the deaths suicides.^6,7 In virtually all cases, Congress has been slow to investigate or hold the military accountable in any way. Unfortunately, most families simply don’t have the resources, time, and psychological strength to push back.

 

We can help the Johnsons, and other families, by holding Congress accountable in the LaVena Johnson case and by demanding it investigate the pattern of cover-ups by the military. Please take a moment to join those calling on Congressman Waxman to investigate the cover-up of LaVena Johnson’s death:

 

http://www.colorofchange.org/lavena/?id=1918-356539

 

Thanks and Peace,

 

– James, Gabriel, Clarissa, Andre, Kai, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
   July 28th, 2008

This one’s for the kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honorable Mention

God doesn’t require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.

I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.
- Mother Teresa

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1: 12-13
 
I might get long winded today so please bare with me. While my students are sitting here writing a reflection letter, I am reflecting myself. I knew after last night that today would be all about my 31 beautiful students. And when I opened an email, a close friend had emailed me a scripture about our youth and then biblegateway had a message about our children of God so I knew that I was on the right path writing this message. It’s been a long summer and to have the pleasure to watch these children evolve into better lawyers than some real lawyers I have seen was absolutely amazing.
 
Last night was the first night of their Mock Trial Competition. Words can not describe the greatness that these students exhibited last night while putting forth their God given talents. No matter whom they pray to, they are a reflection of OUR Creator. I watched students who in the first week would not utter a peep, articulate arguments that were better than my own when I did this same mock trial a month ago. I mean their voices were loud, their dress was professional, you would have thought that you were in a true legal proceeding with experienced lawyers. I’m not exaggerating they were that good.
 
Of course in a competition, someone has to win but in my book they are all winners. The judges do not know where they have come from, how much work they have put into this to make it so successful. So Mr. Shine crowns you all winners! And then something else happened and I know it was God sent. A student quickly gave me a card while others were not looking. This same studnet’s mother then thanked me later in the night for the role that I have played in all the children’s lives this summer. The Black Mac came up, lol, cant escape it! The mother asked me did I ever get it back and that she had been praying for me. At that moment I reilized I will have another computer, I will write more pieces and take more pictures but God filled moments like this are rare. The card was filled with talk of God and his blessings and I truly appreciated it. May we all bless the children in our lives and the ones we see on the street because it is them who hold the keys to our future. With a little hard work, some compassion and love together we can all make this a better place. Peace and Grace be unto you!
 
Use of brains begets wealth.
 
Ps. If you want to come tonight and share with me this joyous occassion we will be in Brooklyn, email me for directions.

When I first read this I was like WTF, Obama condemns Ludacris! Apparently Ludacris made a song praising Obama but he made it in typical hood fashion which we know Barack is trying to distance himself away from. Now I was upset when Barack distanced himself from Louis Farrakhan because I felt he was allowing the white media to demonize a man who really preaches the word of God and attempts to broker peace in urban communities. That was a denunciation I could have done without.

But Luda, my main man Luda, fellow Virgo, you had to know they were going to denounce this song. You called Hillary Clinton a bitch and spoke of John McCain being paralyzed in a wheelchair. That’s straight barbershop talk, you can’t put that out for the world to hear because the reality is Barack Obama needs the votes of all people and it’s not hard for different groups to write him off. Think about Will.I.Am’s “Yes We Can” song, this was a song that inspired hope, inspired change and it transgressed gender and ethnicity.

See in Hip Hop rappers can say whatever they want and white people will still buy their music because they are “ENTERTAINING” them. However when it comes to leadership, such lyrics would not find themselves center stage at any Unity Conference. I appreciate your effort brother and I like that you told black people to get off their “asses” and vote. Their are alot of people who do not vote in the black community and complain loudly about the public policy that affects them. All of this could “start” to change with the power of their vote, when we begin to vote in numbers and control public offices that deal with the policies that affect our communities. Luda don’t be offended, Barack still listens to you, you have lost no fans. You have however inspired Fox News to find more nonsense to attack Barack Obama about, in fact it was there that I first read this nonsense. Bill O’Reilly will attack Barack Obama and you over the next few weeks, take a page out of Farrakhan’s book and continue to support despite the denunciation. YES WE CAN! OBAMA 08

Link

In his new song “Politics: Obama Is Here,” rapper and staunch Barack Obama supporter Ludacris trashes presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain and former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton.

“Hillary hated on you, so that b—- is irrelevant. … McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed. Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped,” Ludacris sings.

The Grammy Award-winning rapper, whose real name is Christopher Bridges, also takes aim at the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was recently caught on video slamming Obama.

“Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what? If you said it then you meant it how you want it have a gut,” Ludacris sings, refering to Jackson’s off-the-cuff criticism of Obama’s speeches on morality at black churches.

In another line, he disses Bush.

“Ball up all of his speeches and I throw ‘em like candy wrap, cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant and you the worst of all 43 presidents,” the lyrics read.

In his song Ludacris encourages people to go to the polls and make Obama the first black president of the United States: “So get off your ass, black people, it’s time to get out and vote. Paint the White House black and I’m sure that’s got ‘em terrified.”

Obama’s spokesman Bill Burton told Politico the presumptive Democratic nominee condemned the song.

“As Barack Obama has said many, may times in the past, rap lyrics too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to,” Burton told Politico. “This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics.”

Shout out to Pops Rums, he put me onto this good music. 

When I was young, I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures.  So I did ten times more work.  ~George Bernard Shaw

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5: 14
 
Hey remember this, you can not want more for people than they want for themselves. This is another random Ced thought of the day but I think it blends into today’s message. You are the light of the World, God has lit the world and Jesus remains our Savior and he lights the world. But God is in you, he exists within you, so you light the world as well. It is through you that his magnificent works are done, it is through you that his splendor is talked about. So you truly are the light of the world. But lights go out, and some switches have yet to be turned on!
 
The word todays says “A city on a hill can not be hidden”. I disagree, anything can be hidden when we ignore it to a point where we can not recognize it anymore. A city on a hill should be clear for everyone to see, but if the city is abandoned for so long, if the buildings are worn down, houses torn away by tornadoes, vines and trees and grass come up so high that you think you are looking at a forrest. When this happens, then that city, on that hill, is hidden. Maintenance, there was no maintenance. Just like this light, when the wires are rusty, they’re shorting out, when the switch is taped down, there is no light. There is potential for the light but no physical light will exist.
 
Well we are that city, we are that switch, we need maintenance. We need to be worked on in order for our light to shine. That work is through God, that switch is our relationship with ourselves, our talents and our God. The maintenance of the city is work that must be done through us but we must believe in our higher power to get that done. So what am I saying. Just because you are the light of the world does not mean you are destined to shine. In order to shine you must work and turn the light on. Peace and Grace be unto you!
 
G.aining O.ne’s D.efinition!

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=4er1_zdHmP0[/youtube]

Here we are, Disney’s First Black Princess. The trailer has arrived. Ofcourse nothing can go off in this country without some controversy. Read what people are saying about Disney and their first black princess.

Back to the Drawing Board for Disney’s First Black Princess
Disney’s popular animated films have been criticized for creating 2-D characters from various non-Western (or non-white Western) cultures, so the Mouse House made an attempt to clear its name by creating a “black princess” character who … works as a chambermaid for a bratty white Southern debutante in 1920s New Orleans. And that’s not the half of it: The first version of “The Princess and the Frog” featured a heroine named Maddie who, as The Independent put it, was to be “helped by a voodoo priestess fairy godmother to win the heart of a white prince, after he rescued her from the clutches of a voodoo magician.” Oops.
Now, after some storyline tweaking, the story looks a bit different. Enter Princess Tiana.

I told you there was DRAMA!

When Disney announced it was casting its first black princess for its latest animation film, the African-American heroine was hailed as a positive role model for little girls and an ambitious marketing ploy, not to mention an attempt to ward off the allegations of racism that have lurked since the heyday of Walt Disney Productions in the 1940s and 1950s.
But now the film studio finds itself fending off a chorus of accusations of racial stereotyping in its forthcoming big-budget cartoon, The Princess and The Frog: An American Fairy Tale, which marks a return to hand-drawn animation.
A musical set in 1920s New Orleans, the film was supposed to feature Maddy, a black chambermaid working for a spoilt, white Southern debutante. Maddy was to be helped by a voodoo priestess fairy godmother to win the heart of a white prince, after he rescued her from the clutches of a voodoo magician.
Disney’s original storyboard is believed to have been torn up after criticism that the lead character was a clichéd subservient role with echoes of slavery, and whose name sounded too much like “Mammy” – a unwelcome reminder of America’s Deep South before the civil rights movement swept away segregation.
The heroine has been recast as Tiana, a 19-year-old in a country that has never had a monarchy. She is now slated to live “happily ever after” with a handsome fellow who is not black – with leaks suggesting that he will be of Middle Eastern heritage and called Naveen. The race of the villain in the cartoon is reported to have also been revised.
The film studio began making changes a year ago, first to its title, The Frog Princess, which some had interpreted as a slur. Amendments to the plot followed.
Rodney Hinds, features editor of The Voice newspaper, said: “We are talking about a big company who has had to go back to the drawing board. It’s disappointing… Some of the stereotyping of people from our community is still rigid in people’s minds. We have our own dreams and stories like everyone else, and we want them to be portrayed positively. This is about how people are perceived and a princess is normally a positive character who most people aspire to.”
Disney commented: “The story takes place in the charming elegance and grandeur of New Orleans’ fabled French Quarter during the Jazz Age… Princess Tiana will be a heroine in the great tradition of Disney’s rich animated fairy tale legacy, and all other characters and aspects of the story will be treated with the greatest respect and sensitivity.”
Disney’s efforts to be multicultural have not always gone according to plan. In 1993, there were protests from Muslims who said the animated film Aladdin depicted the Middle East as barbaric. One lyric included with the line: “I come from a land, from a faraway place, where the caravan camels roam, where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face; it’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.”