So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2: 6-8

Pardon me on getting this message out so late. First I want to send a sincere apology to all of the teachers I have ever had. I am sorry for talking in your class while you were trying to teach, running in the halls, not handing in my homework and anything else I may have done to upset you. I am so beat and tired today that it is not even funny. I spent most of the day grading papers and working with my students, the highlight was that I got to take one to lunch for being an exceptional student and answering a series of questions correctly. Call it bribery, call it what you want but I need peace and happiness in the class room!

Sorry for the rant, I had all intention to stick with Peter for today’s verse but I found this verse and it spoke to me so I decided to share this instead. It is a common message that we stay and remain faithful to God’s word and his teachings but I appreciated being reminded of others deceptive philosophies. The tongue can be very manipulative and our minds tend to clutch at things that sound appealing to us. Many have done terrible things because they were manipulated into believing what they were doing was right or justified.

So in today’s world with the advent of the internet and some of the most charismatic speakers around people are constantly looking for something to align themselves with. We all are whether we would like to believe it or not. It’s easy to believe that if presented with something that seems out of touch with our upbringing we would reject it. But we all know this is not the case. So today I think of this word as a sign of warning. Beware of all that glitters for it is not gold, and be careful of slick tongues that may attempt to bring you down a path that is neither beneficial to you or in line with the teachings of our Creator. Peace and Grace be unto you!

The eyes of the wise person see through you.

I can’t call it people. Everywhere we turn we are confronted with race issues. It’s really sad that racism plays such an integral role in our lives but I guess when you live in a country founded upon racist principles this was bound to happen. Walmart shows good judgment I think by removing this comic if they are receiving backlash from people of color who feel it is offensive. Have you ever been to Walmart; I know in Philadelphia if they lost the support of their black customers they would go broke! LOL!

To me there’s a deeper issue here; I am not familiar with this comic book and obviously not familiar with how Mexicans perceive it. However I am familiar with the controversy over black and brown relations. I’m appalled by it because I feel all people are created equal no matter what their race, religion or any other affiliation that may make them different may be. It hurts even more when you see two groups of people who are constantly oppressed and instead of binding together, building an alliance and attacking systematic ills of our society. I often hear things that contradict such a beautiful plan of action.

A few nights ago I was watching the Michael Baisden show on TVOne and George Wilborn was asking black people on the street if they would be mad if Latino people had more positions of power. Some of the answers were ignorant in my opinion and they sought to create a divide between these two ethnic groups. Do blacks and browns not know that they are both derivitives of the African Diaspora and are one in the same?

Please do not take that comment as disregarding the rich cultures that both of these particular groups have to offer but I am merely talking about their ancestry. The conditions for both groups here in America are very similar, both groups are losing their young men to gang violence, prisons and the drug trade. Both groups are losing their young women to sexually transmitted diseases. Women of color whether they are Black or Latino are disrespected in the media and often unfavorable images are shown of them. Mistreated in the workplace, a severe housing dilemma and the similarities go on and on. Where does the divide stop? When do we as a people living in this land together, praying to the same God begin to follow those words in our dear Holy books and bind together to create a better future for our children. When?

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Wednesday it removed the comic book “Memin Pinguin” from its stores after receiving complaints the popular Mexican character was a racist depiction of blacks.

The series started 60 years ago in Mexico, and the main character, Memin Pinguin, is a black Cuban-Mexican boy with enlarged lips who often gets into mischief.

Wal-Mart recently started offering the Spanish-language comic in parts of California, Texas and Miami, where the giant retailer serves large populations of Hispanic customers.

“We understand that Memin is a popular figure in Mexico. However, given the sensitivities to the negative image Memin can convey to some we felt that it was best to no longer carry the item in our stores,” said Lorenzo Lopez, a spokesman for Wal-Mart.

“We apologize to those customers who may have been offended by the book’s images,” Lopez added.

A black woman in Houston told the Houston Chronicle this week she complained about the comic books after seeing them at a Wal-Mart.

“I said, wait a minute: Is this a monkey or a little black boy?” Shawnedria McGinty told the newspaper. “I was so upset. This is 2008.”

Many Mexicans argue Memin Pinguin is misunderstood in the United States and that he is a lovable character and not a racist depiction of blacks.

Memin Pinguin was at the center of a controversy in 2005, when the Mexican postal service issued a series of stamps featuring the character.

President George W. Bush called the stamps offensive, which put him at odds with Mexico’s then president, Vicente Fox.

Link

Very interesting read about Dictatorships in Africa and their relationship to the United States!

Wednesday, 09 July 2008
African Dictatorships and Double-Standards
Stephen Zunes

This article originally appeared in Foreign Policy In Focus

“U.S. credibility as a defender of human rights and free elections is seriously compromised.”

The Bush administration has justifiably criticized the Zimbabwean regime of liberator-turned-dictator Robert Mugabe. It has joined a unanimous UN Security Council resolution condemning the campaign of violence unleashed upon pro-democracy activists and calling for increased diplomatic sanctions in the face of yet another sham election. In addition, both the House and the Senate have passed strongly worded resolutions of solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe in support of their struggle for freedom and democracy.

However, neither the Republican administration nor the Democratic-controlled Congress is sincerely concerned about human rights and democratic elections as a matter of principle. Rather, they are more likely acting out of political expediency. Despite claims of support for the advancement of democracy, the United States continues to support other African dictatorships that are as bad as or even worse than that of Zimbabwe.

Indeed, the United States currently provides economic aid and security assistance to such repressive African regimes as Swaziland, Congo, Cameroun, Togo, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Gabon, Egypt, and Tunisia. None of these countries holds free elections, and all have severely suppressed their political opposition.

The Worst Abuser

Among the worst of these African tyrannies has been the regime of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea. Obiang has been in power even longer than the 28-year reign of Mugabe and, according to a recent article in the British newspaper The Independent, makes the Zimbabwean dictator “seem stable and benign” by comparison. Obiang originally seized power in a 1979 coup by murdering his uncle, who had ruled the country since its independence from Spain in 1968. Under his rule, Equatorial Guinea nominally allowed the existence of opposition parties as a condition of receiving foreign aid in the early 1990s. But the four leading candidates withdrew from the last presidential election in December 2002 in protest of irregularities in the voting process and violence against their supporters. In that election, Obiang officially received more than 97% of the vote (down from 99.5% in the previous election.)

Though the U.S. State Department acknowledged that the election was “marred by extensive fraud and intimidation,” the Congress and the administration devoted none of the vehement condemnation that was so evident after the recent, similarly marred election process in Zimbabwe.

One major reason for the difference in response is oil. The development of vast oil reserves over the past decade has made Equatorial Guinea one of the wealthiest countries in Africa in terms of per capita gross domestic product. Virtually all of the oil revenues, however, goes to Obiang and his cronies. The dictator himself is worth an estimated $1 billion, making him the wealthiest leader in Africa; his real estate holdings include two mansions in Maryland just outside of Washington, DC. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the country’s population lives on only a few dollars a day, and nearly half of all children under five are malnourished. The country’s major towns and cities lack basic sanitation and potable water while conditions in the countryside are even worse.

“The development of vast oil reserves over the past decade has made Equatorial Guinea one of the wealthiest countries in Africa in terms of per capita gross domestic product.”

During his most recent visit to Washington in 2006, Obiang was warmly received by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who praised the dictator as “a good friend” of the United States. Not once during their joint appearance did she mention the words “human rights” or “democracy.” At the same press conference, Obiang praised his regime’s “extremely good relations with the United States” and his expectation that “this relationship will continue to grow in friendship and cooperation.” None of the assembled reporters raised any questions about the regime’s notorious human rights record or its lack of democracy, instead using the opportunity to ask Secretary Rice questions about the alleged threat from Iran.

In 2002, the dictator met with President George W. Bush in New York to discuss military and energy security issues. He followed up in 2004 with meetings with then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and then-Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham.

Cozy Relations

Equatorial Guinea receives U.S. government funding and training through the International Military Education and Training Program (IMET). In addition, the private U.S. firm Military Professional Resources Incorporated - founded by former senior Pentagon officials who cite the regime’s friendliness to U.S. strategic and economic interests - plays a key role in the country’s internal security apparatus. Furthermore, as a result of Obiang’s understandable lack of trust in his own people, soldiers from Morocco - one of America’s closest African allies - have served for decades in a number of important security functions, including the role of presidential guards.

Maintaining close ties with such a notorious ruler has led even conservative Republicans like Frank Ruddy, who served as President Ronald Reagan’s ambassador to Equatorial Guinea in the mid-1980s, to denounce the Bush administration for being “big cheerleaders for the government - and it’s an awful government.”

“U.S. oil companies paid hundreds of millions of dollars destined to state treasuries directly into the dictator’s private bank accounts.”

Though the Chinese have also recently begun investing in the country’s oil sector, U.S. companies ExxonMobil, Amerada Hess, Chevron/Texaco, and Marathon Oil have played the most significant role. A report by the International Monetary Fund notes that U.S. oil companies receive “by far the most generous tax and profit-sharing provisions in the region.” Congressional hearings recently revealed how U.S. oil companies paid hundreds of millions of dollars destined to state treasuries directly into the dictator’s private bank accounts. A Senate report faulted U.S. oil companies for making “substantial payments to, or entering into business ventures with,” government officials and their family members.

The irony of the relative silence of Congress and the Bush administration regarding the human rights abuses and the undemocratic nature of Obiang’s regime is that, due to the critical role of U.S. economic investment and security assistance, the United States has far more leverage on the government of Equatorial Guinea than it does on the government of Zimbabwe. As a result, Americans can feel self-righteous in their condemnation of a regime in Zimbabwe with which the United States has little leverage while continuing to support an even more repressive regime over which the United States could successfully exert pressure if it chose to do so.

This does not mean the United States should have waited until it first ends its support of Obiang and other African dictatorships before joining the rest of the international community in condemning the repression in Zimbabwe. However, as long as the United States maintains such blatant double-standards, U.S. credibility as a defender of human rights and free elections is seriously compromised and thereby plays right into the hands of autocrats and demagogues like Robert Mugabe.

Stephen Zunes is a senior analyst for Foreign Policy In Focus and a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco.

I’m wondering if there is any real crime in Flint. Ofcourse I know the answer is to this question is yes so then the next question becomes  “do the cops in Flint not have more to worry about than the harm of saggy jeans”. Who hires these idiots, everyday people are being murdered, raped and a host of other violent crimes and you want to harrass people who wear their pants sagging.

It’s indecent and immoral, ok I hear you but what about the drugs being sold on the streets of Flint, the armed robberies, crimes that actually affect the well being of our communities. Make those crimes your priority not saggy jeans which is no more than a tacky fashion statement that I myself used to partake in.

Unless the real reason behind this saggy jeans thing is more remniscent of the broad view of racial profiling. The broad definition allows that you utilize race and other factors; ie. geography, dress, location, age and other factors to profile certain individuals. People who don the style of baggy, saggy jeans are more likely than not, young black males so this would give the police ammunition to approach young black males. Why? Because they fit the description and by wearing these saggy jeans, they are breaking the law.

So maybe the police chief has bigger hopes in mind. Maybe while taking these young black men off the streets for such a petty crime they will find drugs or some type of other criminal activity afoot during their harassment of these males. Just something to ponder!

Michigan police chief: Wear saggy pants, get arrested Flint’s top cop calls it ‘immoral self-expression,’ but others fear racial implications By BRYN MICKLE Newhouse News Service Published on: 06/27/08

This city’s new police chief is saying no to crack.

Interim Flint Police Chief David R. Dicks announced this week that officers will begin arresting people wearing pants or shorts that sag too low, exposing rear ends. “This immoral self-expression goes beyond free speech,” Dicks said in a statement released Thursday.”It rises to the crime of indecent exposure/disorderly persons.

” It’s a style that irks many — a few cities nationwide have outlawed the rear-revealing pants (the Atlanta City Council proposed a ban amid much debate, but the plan was ultimately tabled). However, the order also raises serious questions about how it would be enforced, whether it disproportionately targets young black men and whether ultra-low riders should be considered constitutionally protected.

Is Dicks going too far?

Greg Gibbs, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney in Flint, said how people wear their clothing is a form of expression but cautions that not all of those forms are protected by the Constitution.

“The issue is: Does it violate the First Amendment?” Gibbs asked.

Some Flint residents are all for busting those who go bottoms out. “It’s overdue,” said Sam Berry, 73, of Flint.

Gwendolyn R. Allen, 72, of Flint agreed: “It’s so disgusting … It’s disgraceful.” Claude Carter, 49, of Flint sees the issue differently, though. He said wearing pants in that manner is a fad — not a crime. “I see young and old wearing their pants that way,” said Carter. The crackdown on buttocks is an apparent response to “significant” complaints from citizens, according to Dicks. Under the chief’s orders, any sworn officer who sees “sagging/exposing buttocks” will have probable cause to make an arrest under the city’s disorderly person ordinance — a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine and three months in jail.

Flint NAACP President Frances Gilcreast is no fan of the style but worries about police focusing on young black men.

“My concern is how (the policy) will be applied equitably,” Gilcreast said. Some Flint police officers, however, aren’t too sure how they will enforce it. “What about ‘plumber’s crack’?” said Keith Speer, president of the Flint Police Officers Association. In the past, Speer said, officers would issue warnings if too much skin was showing but reserved the handcuffs for full moons. “Most of the time, if they’re wearing sagging pants, they’re also wearing boxers,” he said. Memo notwithstanding, Speer doesn’t expect any big changes in how officers handle the issue. “It’s like issuing a memo telling officers to enforce the law,” Speer said. “Are we going to get a memo every time somebody complains?”

Ok first, this is a message to all the young black males and females in America who struggle when their class mates say that they are talking white because they choose to speak proper English.

This fallacy has gone too far, in fact there is nothing “white” about being an articulate and intelligent individual. And now we have to hear these same type of attacks from Presidential hopefuls who know they have no chance in hel of ever becomig the President of these United States.

I am sad that Cornell West once endorsed your run Mr. Nader for you are the epitome of ignorance and you have taken upon yourself to promote discension and misunderstanding throughout the land with your careless remarks.

Recently Nader said, “”There’s only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He’s half African-American,” Nader told the paper in comments published Tuesday. “Whether that will make any difference, I don’t know. I haven’t heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What’s keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn’t want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We’ll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards.”

So to speak to blacks or about black issues is only to speak about what is going on in the ghettos. Are both whites, blacks and latinos alike not the victims of predatory lending, payday loans, asbestos and lead.

And what is this “talking white” you speak of. Barack Obama often speaks of changing politics, changing America and creating a better world for people of all ethnicities to live in. Is that talking white Mr. Nader. Deep down Nader has the same white supremacist attitude that others before him have had and will inject race into this equation or election whichever you want to call it whenever he can.

I just wonder how does it feel to go down in history as the quintiessential loser. As the man who helped put George Bush in office, who has destroyed the reputation of America and kept us in a bloody war with Iraq where Iraqi officials kill U.S. troops.

Beat it Ralph Nader!

“I will vote for the individual I think that brings the best set of tools to the problems of 21st-century America and the 21st-century world regardless of party, regardless of anything else other than the most qualified candidate,”

“Both of them certainly have the qualifications to be the president of the United States, but both of them cannot be,”  - Colin Powell

For quite some time Colin Powell has been expressing his admiration for the way Barack Obama is uniting the country. Of course we appreciate the support, and Colin Powell is an asset to have in your corner. Many will fault him for being on the Bush team. I admire that he admits the poor decisions that he made and has since abandoned that post when he saw that he could not affect the type of change that was needed under the current administration. Colin Powell, YES WE CAN!

“You fathers - if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Luke 11:11-13

Still no wallet, and the nerve of the conductor today. The man looked me straight in the eye and was like “so what”, pay up. Hands me some paper where he charges me $16 for a one way and makes me sign over my information. Now I could have given him false information, its not like I have my license (lol) but I didn’t I obliged and here I am still venting about the lost wallet. On another note I think a common theme throughout the Bible is understanding how diligently the Lord works for those who relish in his word and follow his commands. So that part of today’s message is obvious but the part that stood out to me is how we know how to give good gifts.

What good gifts, of course I know how to buy my mom plants, that always makes her smile. Or diamonds, you can’t lose when you buy Momma Mack diamonds but what about intangible gifts. A simple nice gesture is a gift, a gift of kindness. How is it that so many people are looking to receive but lack the willingness to give. With Father’s Day around the corner I am thinking how can I repay my father, what gift can I give him. Nothing could repay him for the many lessons, the roof over my head, the food in the refrigerator. But maybe just letting him know how appreciative I am of his time could be a gift, a gift of gratitude. I want to receive all of the blessings the Lord has for me but I recognize that I too must be a giver. Enjoy this Father’s Day weekend and give a little you never know what you might get back. Peace and Grace be unto you!

Adversity causes some people to break down and many to break records.

Hmmmm bets are on! Celtics up 1 game. Coming from the East I’m repping for Boston but I can’t front like Kobe ain’t gonna bring this heat! Well Game 1 is over, place ya bets in the comments section!

Today I was watching the video below of a young girl who is using youtube to rile people up to help her. The video is really sad and it reminds me of a piece I wrote about how the court systems treat women like prostitutes and are not helpful to rape victims. The piece is below as well!

Sadly this young woman is looking for justice after dealing with this terrible ordeal and when the courts hear her they may not give her the justice she deserves. It’s a sad system!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfg3w11_A_E&hl=en]

Treat Her Like A Prostitute
Think of North Philadelphia, think of the abandoned row homes; already I can see the drug addicts standing around outside waiting for their daily fix. The cops aren’t paying much attention to this block; this is a typical block in the heart of North Philly where abandoned homes stand in desolate neighborhoods; a criminal’s safe haven. Inside this fateful house a young woman is being RAPED, she is being forced to have sex with four men at gunpoint. On this lonely block I can see this young woman fearing for her life. While in this house these men are beating her and taking her womanhood from her forcefully. Wait……. This story is biased, did I mention our victim is a prostitute! Does that matter? Or, because she is a prostitute is this merely an occupational hazard? Let’s take away our moral judgment and rely solely on the law, which is meant to protect the citizens of this country. Well according to Judge Teresa Carr Deni in Philadelphia, a woman who was raped in late September in North Philadelphia experienced such an occupational hazard. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm…

So what type of message are we sending, I remember hearing NO MEANS NO! Rape victims are already not supported by the criminal justice system, which is why so many sexual assaults go unreported every year. Moreover, essentially what the courts are saying is that if you are a prostitute then you are not a credible citizen and your rights can be violated because you put yourself in that situation.

I am not here to defend prostitution as a viable means of income but I am concerned with how people are treated in this country. Now to give the whole story without any bias I will give you the information as provided to me by the local newspaper, The Philadelphia Daily News. As the story goes, the woman was working as a prostitute, she charged two men $200 to have sex with them. They refused to pay her, and here is where this story gets ugly. A gun then comes out and two more men rape the woman at gunpoint. The 5th man saw the woman crying and decided to help her get dressed so that she could leave the house without further harassment from the other individuals. Unfortunately, the judge said that she would not waste her time on such a case because there are real rape victims out there. Again I ask does No not mean No? I mean, I’m just curious, or are we letting our moral judgments affect who the law will protect and whom it will dismiss as this poor young woman was dismissed in Philadelphia?

It’s very interesting how we vilify the media, Hip-Hop, movies and all other proponents of misogyny when it comes to the mis-representation and treatment of women. However, here is our sacred criminal justice system picking and choosing who deserves to be protected under the law and who does not. I just wonder if this is a sign of things to come. A woman has one to many drinks, she’s forced to sleep with several men and the argument goes something like this; “well she’s normally a very promiscuous girl, she had on a short skirt, or the infamous, she wanted it”!

It’s our time to stand up and have our voices heard if only to protect our sisters, cousins and mothers and ourselves in the future. If we are outraged by the way women are treated in the media, we should be equally outraged at how women are being victimized by the criminal justice system. It is not ok for a man or a group of men to maliciously rape a woman no matter what her occupation is. If we continue to allow this type of behavior to persist than we will continue to get the same results that depict women as sexual objects who are not deserving of respect. We have allowed the media to say this for far too long, now it has spilled over into the law of our land. We can not allow our women and their presence to be belittled, lets fight to preserve their image and their constitutional right as human beings that deserve the right to be protected in this country. We can start by sending letters to our Congressmen and the Philadelphia Bar Association to let the powers that be know that we will not take this type of injustice sitting down. Let’s Make It Happen!