Dumb & Dumber

When I consider just how ignorant the electorate is I cringe. By the way, ignorance knows no color and does not discriminate.

Check out @BlueNationUntd’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/BlueNationUntd/status/530979741432827904?s=09

This graphic says it all. Many in the majority demographic allow race to trump all, so it’s fear over logic. So stupid and so backward! The mid-term red states that voted on November 4th had no interest in moving our country forward. They only wanted to politically lynch President Obama.

The next two years will be combative.

Bundy, Sterling and the Supreme Court

Affirmative Action Okay, here we go again. Right on the heels of the Supreme Court’s deplorable affirmative action decision we have more comments from old white men who apparently have a very low opinion or downright hatred of black people. Are we surprised?

The Roberts Court essentially ruled that racism no longer exists, then here comes Cliven Bundy and Donald Sterling. I continue to ask the question, if people could choose to be black in the United States of America, would they do so? Until the answer to this question becomes, “it doesn’t matter what your color…”, then affirmative action will be needed. Affirmative action does not only address inequities of the racist past, it addresses ongoing race inequities and perpetuated race hatred.

The recent shootings of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis substantiate the risk of being black in America. Then there is Renisha McBride shot by a homeowner who thought her to be an intruder. Her car broke down at 2:30 a.m. in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and because her cell phone was dead she knocked on a nearby door and was shot in the head and killed. Her family claims she was racially profiled. How about two black men in their sixties shot and killed in West Virginia while inspecting a newly purchased property. The shooter, Rodney Black, shot them at 2:30 p.m. because he thought they were breaking into a shed on a property that his family had previously owned. How about Roy Middleton, a 60 year-old black man shot by Florida police 15 times in his own driveway (13 bullets missed). He was mistaken for a car thief at the age of 60 ? He survived, but his leg was shattered. Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr., a 68 year-old, Marine veteran was killed by White Plains, New York police. He had a chronic heart condition, and the police were called by LifeAid, a medical alert service, to the public housing development where Chamberlain lived alone. He was shot with a stun gun and a bean bag gun and later died as a result. Police are recorded calling Chamberlain a “nigger” on a LifeAid tape. One of the worst incidents is the eight year old boy shot by a Dallas man, Brian Cloniger, simply because “he wanted to”. The child was playing tag outside a Dallas apartment complex and was shot by Cloniger who was arrested and held on $2.2M bond for the shooting, but he has admitted shooting the child. The child has undergone multiple surgeries and suffers from nightmares as a result of this hate crime.

How much evidence does the John Roberts led Supreme Court need to conclude that race hatred in America is still alive. The real-life stories are some of the more overt and blatant examples of this hatred, but every day there are incidents and examples in corporate America, in sports and in society. Cliven Bundy is just an old, ignorant racist who was given a platform to spew his ignorance on FOX news. Sterling was simply caught on tape, but there was plenty of prior evidence to back up his ugly comments about black people. Many have disavowed Sterling for his comments and several sponsors have dropped their relationship with the Los Angeles Clippers. Bundy has had his 15 minutes of shame, so we’ll leave it at that.

The Boston Globe termed the recent Supreme Court 6-2 vote to uphold Michigan’s 2006 ban on affirmative action in higher education admissions as upholding the tyranny of the majority. Justice Sonya Sotomayor’s 58 page dissent (pp. 51-108) has been, of course, attacked and maligned by conservatives on the right. Sotomayor detailed the long history of racial discrimination in the United States by documenting the many ways that southern states, primarily, manipulated laws to ensure that black people were disenfranchised from the vote or remained separate and unequal. Justice Kennedy indicated that he could find “no infliction of specific injury” to restrict Michigan voters from banning affirmative action. In 2006, a majority of white Michigan voters voted in favor of the ban on affirmative action while the majority of blacks in the state voted to uphold affirmative action. Michigan is 80% white. The tyranny of the majority has indeed been upheld.

L. Jackson/04.28.2014

We Are Marching!

John Lewis MOW2013Today in Washington, DC we commemorated, celebrated and marched on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. The report is that tens of thousands of people were in attendance .  NAACP, Labor, Gay, Straight, Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, young and old alike were in attendance and marching to say, “we shall not be moved”. This is what the right-wing racist is terrified about. This is why they obstruct President Obama and subvert the federal government.  But I say, where there is unity, there is power, and the people are uniting to march and stand against injustice — racial profiling, stand your ground, stop and risk, income inequality and the list goes on. This is why we must march on, organize and fight the injustice of racism, classism and any other “ism” that seeks to divide and conquer Americans.

I was pleased to see so many different ethnic groups and cultures coming together to embrace the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Just like Barack Obama, the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King has galvanized all kinds of people from many walks of life. Many speakers brought words of exhortation and challenge today. I encourage each of you to find your passion and put your heart and soul into it. I am increasingly burdened by the vicious attacks on voting rights in America as well as the injustice system that continues to incarcerate so many African-Americans. We are 13% of the population yet 44% of the prison population. I will be using this space to focus on those two key issues.

It is utterly appalling and disingenuous to speak of liberty and freedom yet work to subvert and undermine Democracy when the outcome of an election is not to one’s liking. This is essentially what the Republican Party is doing.  Because the Republican Party is pissed that a black man is President of the United States, they seek to delegitimize him. This modern Republican Party is nothing more than former Dixiecrats who were, in recent history, blatant white supremacist bigots who sought to stop black people from voting and receiving basic civil and even human rights.

Well, the Supreme Court under the corrupt leadership of John Roberts, has found a way to undermine the Voting Rights Act (VRA) by striking down Section 4.  I refuse to salute JR as a Justice. He is a racist and works to revive, establish and underpin Jim Crow law. Since the attack on the VRA by the Supreme Court, several southern states, with great haste, are pushing legislation to make it harder for people to vote and aiming these obstacles squarely at black and brown, young and old specifically. All that they do to hinder will backfire because the people are not deceived by these malicious GOP tactics. We will do what we must to register to vote and to acquire official government identification. All that they are doing will simply piss us off so that we will turn out to vote in not only the general, Presidential elections, but in mid-term elections and in primaries. Declare your Party, register to vote, acquire your government sanctioned ID. Help someone to do the same or help pay for them to get their identification. The haters will not win.

L. Jackson/08.24.2013

CBC Reacts to VRA Decision

BurnVRA

The Congressional Black Caucus Chairperson, Marcia Fudge reacts to the Supreme Court decision on the Voting Rights Act. I share Representative Fudge’s outrage and disgust at this racist decision perpetuated by the so-called high court. When Sarah Palin declared that it was time to “take the country back”, this is exactly what she meant. This decision from the Supreme Court is probably more than these hoods could have ever hoped. I only hope that people born after desegregation in this country see this decision as the wake up call that it is. Do not take for granted that the rights you have today will always be. We must ensure that the rights that we have gained through blood, sweat and tears are not lost, and that we further build upon and solidify those rights. There will always be hateful people who want nothing more than to control and subjugate people of color. Let’s not allow these haters to win. Do what you must to ensure that you have what you need to VOTE these haters out of office so they can never again nominate anything like a John Roberts, Antonin Scalia or Clarence “Thom”as.

The Gutting of the Voting Rights Act

If I were a tennis player, which I am not, and I had to score a match between the United States Supreme Court vs the American people, I would score it “50 No Love”. No, that is not a valid tennis score, but this week’s decision by the Supreme Court to cut out the heart of the Voting Rights Act is also an invalid score for bigotry, and it is utterly contemptible! There ain’t no love in it. Since the election and reelection of Barack Hussein Obama the racist and fascist elements of the United States have villified, demonized, obstructed, resisted, rebelled, practiced sedition, fabricated scandal, threatened impeachment, secession and physical ill will against our black President.

I can hear the conversation now, it probably went something like, “We must never again allow a black president to be elected. We gotta kill the Voting Rights Act! John Roberts is just the man for the job.” That probable conversation was neither videotaped nor recorded, but hope springs eternal that some whistle-blower was in proximity. Unfortunately, the John Roberts Supreme Court has proven to be all that it can be, disgustingly partisan, demonstrating judicial activism, and according to Justice Ginsberg, hubris. From the Citizens United decision to the VRA. The SCOTUS may have won this game for fascist-loving, right-wing Republicans and Tea Party bigots, but they will not win this match. You can read all about this recent SCOTUS travesty at The Grio.

This is the wake up call of our time. I challenge all Americans, but especially marginalized disenfranchised, neglected and poor people like never before to do what you must to vote. Get your documents in order now in preparation for 2014. Unjust laws and impediments are being crafted already, especially in Southern states, making it harder for people to vote. We must not be deterred. Do what you must and vote!

Good Riddance, Paula Deen!

No Racism

Let me say that I am personally glad that The Food Network terminated Paula Deen. There is even rumor that QVC may also be dropping the food maven. It is high time that there were real consequences for business people who choose to demean and discriminate against African-Americans. Black people have endured the humiliation and degradation of racism long enough in these United States. Now, if only it were that easy to get rid of these nasty, bigoted Republicans. Without a doubt, this incident with Deen is another example of the racism that is still alive in this country. It has raised its ugly head in the attack on the Voting Rights Act and is manifesting itself in the debate about Immigration Reform. What’s interesting is Bill Maher’s defense of Deen on his show this week. While we may have the freedom of speech in America, we are not free from the consequences of that speech.

March Againt Monsanto

Today, in 400 cities in 41 countries, over 200,000 people are marching against Monsanto in approximately 330 different marches. Some are calling Monsanto an eco-terrorist. Hundreds of thousands are marching in protest of Monsanto and their monopoly on food and genetically modified organisms (GMO). Sounds creepy doesn’t it? Well, it is. In some cases Monsanto holds exclusive rights over seeds and their genetic makeup. Once again, Congress sides with big business (profits over people) by striking down Senator Bernie Sanders bill that would have required products with GMO to be labeled as such. Be informed; be aware. You are what you eat. Bon appetit!

The GOP is the Real Scandal!

Republican Obstructionism Is The Real Scandal That’s Plaguing Washington

By: RmuseMay. 19th, 2013

They have, though, been very proficient at obstructing the President from their minority position and it is a sure sign they have nothing but contempt for the American people, the government, and particularly President Obama as they have done absolutely nothing for over four years except prevent the government from operating for the people.