Stefan

I was not aware of the travails of Pioneer and Cynique. I really enjoy reading Cynique's posts. I love reading ProfD's posts as well. And the same with Mel Hopkins. There are probably a few others whose monikers escape me for the moment. The problem with some posters is that they are simply negative when reacting to others who don't agree with them. This turns into resentment which evolves into rage. You can reach some people with consistency, accuracy and a calm demeanor. But I avoid people who breathe fire right off the bat and are so focused on certain things they cannot see beyond their presumed evidence.

People have a right to call themselves what they wish. Since we're being specific about Latino and Hispanic, it is downright foolish for anyone not part of those demographics to weigh in on what they should be called.

You must have thought I was talking to only you, Chevdove. I wasn't. I was making a general comment. I could be wrong, but methinks you and a few others are focusing on the 28th Chapter of Deuteronomy and what's referred to as the Blessings and Maledictions. For those who may be unaware, the maledictions were serious warnings for Jews if they disobeyed Yahweh in the future. Most of these warnings focused on natural disasters, diseases and crop failures. But some referred to Israel being conquered and the resulting tragedies that would befall its people. Starting with verse one: "However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you: "You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. "Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. "The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. "You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. "The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. The Lord will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. "The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. "The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. The Lord will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. "The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. "Your carcasses will be food for all the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away. The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. "The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. At midday you will grope about like a blind person in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. "You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and rape her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. "Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days. "The sights you see will drive you mad. The Lord will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head." "The Lord will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your ancestors. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. You will become a thing of horror, a byword and an object of ridicule among all the peoples where the Lord will drive you. "You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. 39 You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off. "You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity. "Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land. "The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail. "All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. "Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. "The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. "They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or olive oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined. "They will lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the Lord your God is giving you. "Because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you. "Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities. "The most gentle and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot—will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For in her dire need she intends to eat them secretly because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of your cities. "If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the Lord your God — the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. "He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. "The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God. "Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess. "Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known. "Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. "You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. 6 In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!” — because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. "The Lord will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you." ( Deut. 28 1-68 ) I never considered verse 68 to be representing a prophecy about Slave ships. Because following the Exodus from Egypt, the Old Testament deals only with the people of ancient Israel and showcases a bevy of prophecies foretelling the coming of the Israelite Messiah. According to some Jewish historians, a few Israelites did seek safety in Egypt centuries later. But only following the Babylonian military's destruction of the two tribe kingdom of Judah almost a thousand years later. That's after King Zedekiah and many others had turned away from Yahweh. But most survivors of the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's armies (as prophesied by Jeremiah and Ezekiel), were carried off to Babylon. The Israelites were kept captive in Babylon for 70 years and included among them was the prophet Daniel. It was Persian King Cyrus the Great who conquered Babylon and freed the Israelites. That was a long time ago and none of those people are living today. If you are saying that verse 68 means Moses foretold the Great Slave Trade from Africa, count me out. There is nothing to indicate that. I definitely believe hundreds of thousands and perhaps a couple of million Black Africans were kidnapped and taken to the Arabian peninsula. But I have yet to find scriptural evidence for this. And debating history books, academic studies, anthropological evidence about Africa, Blacks and Slavery and dealing with virulent viewpoints - it gets tiresome. So I avoid it. Especially, since it appears that either later this year or early next, there may be the beginning of a concerted effort to enlist Saudi Arabia to join in with Israel and the U.S. in a war against Iran.

I understand the point Cynique is making. But I will not agree because the Russian justice system is a friggin' joke. Brittney Griner made a mistake. Who among us has not? And now she is a civilian hostage. She is not a criminal and she is not a drug dealer. She does not belong in a cage. When Brittney finally comes home, I am hoping she can resume her career. But I bet she will hear angry shots of '"Druggie, Bi---!" in many areas of this country. Because some people will not let this go. White celebrities get popped for illegal drugs all the time. They say awful things, get caught in compromising situations and do silly chit. They disappear in rehab until its safe to come out again. Rush Limbaugh was addicted to pain killers. I don't remember vast multitudes lambasting him over his addiction, but for his nasty comments. He still had copious defenders. Black people cannot get a break. It pains me that so many are beating on this young woman. I say, let her come home first before any recriminations begin. Because we know talk show hosts and op-ed writers will tear into her without remorse.

@Pioneer1 There are many translations of the Old Testament, or Hebrew Scriptures. So, the rendering of the color White ( "laban" ) means something different to you than it does to millions of others. Now, peruse the different translations of the scripture. https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Song of Songs 5:10 You claim the Bible gives exact dates of the birth of Noah's sons? Completely untrue. I am sure non-Biblical sources claim this as well. But the Bible is actually silent on the exact birth dates of Noah's sons. The Bible simply notes how old Noah was. ( He was 500, according to Genesis 5:32 ).

I hear you. According to the Bible, skin hue meant little to the Creator. There really was no indication the Almighty condemned nations of people based on their skin color. For their religious practices and beliefs, yeah. That's why scriptures condoning or ordering regional slaughtering and enslavement were always troubling to me. I can recite them, but don't agree with them. Especially now, with the beginnings of Christian Nationalism and the inherent threats to folks unacceptable to bigots such at Marjorie Taylor Greene. Some in our human race must always find new excuses to continue waging war against each other.

@ProfD BTW, those 57 Senate votes were good enough to protect that private equity tax break.

@Cynique Brittney Griner had visited Russia before. Perhaps she thought she was becoming so well known and so well liked she could get away with certain things. I doubt her association with Paul Whelan is helping her. He's a former U.S. Marine accused of spying. She's a famous civilian hostage. There is a lot of opposition to attempts to free Brittney. A lot of people said she deserves her sentence because she sided with Colin Kaepernick in his anthem kneeling protests. She's been accused of not liking her own country.

I am just glad the Civil Rights laws worked - life sentences.

@Delano So, are you going to start your dumb chit again? You were WRONG! What Abbott Labs was doing was immoral. You just got ticked off when I posted proof that even U.S. Senators agreed with me. I unblocked you because you sometimes have interesting things to say. But I see, that was a mistake.

@Cynique What you wrote should be engraved and placed in the offices of every Democrat, Progressive and Socialist.

Truth in Politics has rushed a news crew to where former Vice President Mike Pence is staying to get his reaction ... And folks -. here it is ... The Feds are probably searching for documents Trump and his minions may have unceremoniously and possibly illegally removed to use as keepsakes. It's against U.S. Archive laws to do that. But Lord Dampnut still thinks he is POTUS. The folks in Trump Land are going berserk, but not with happiness. Apparently, someone whispered the Feds were there to escort 45 back to Washington for immediate re-instatement. Which cannot be done. Trump was in New York anyway.

Russia needed a bargaining chip. And a week before its invasion of Ukraine, it decided on Brittney.

I'll leave that to the psychologists.

The two had already been sentenced to life for the crime in state court. And the judge rejected their request to serve their sentences in a federal prison. https://www.wdhn.com/news/national/3-guilty-of-killing-ahmaud-arbery-face-hate-crime-sentencing/

Why the ad hominen personal attacks? If you disagree with an opinion of hers, oppose it with facts and careful wording.

Gasoline pump prices were quite high. I don't blame folks for grousing. But they refuse to accept that no President has control of gasoline or diesel pump prices. The whole reason the Covid 19pPandemic got out of hand in the U.S. is because Donald Trump downplayed the seriousness of it, claiming it would go away with hot weather. His actions did not dispel any panic. Because you're suffering from temporary amnesia. There was widespread panic. People were all over Social Media, in your phone texts and emails with phony warnings, phony cures and outright untruths. You just don't remember this.

Republican Senators pulled the same stunt with Burn Pit aid for combat veterans. It's a good thing Jon Stewart was so outraged before TV cameras and that a group of Veterans stayed outside the Capitol until the GOP Senators caved. The GOP is heartless. But ... as we've known for a long time, Cruelty is what motivates many of them.

Republicans demand your vote, but don't care if you or your diabetic friends and relatives die when they can't afford their insulin. I guess that's why sliced a measure to prevent private insurers from gouging insulin patients from the Democrats' climate and economic bill that was just passed in the Senate. And before anyone says "it would have cost too much," remember those trillion dollar tax cuts for the rich. The money was supposed to "trickle down" to the Middle Class and the Poor. Republicans block cap on insulin costs

I believe Herschel has agreed to a debate with Rev. Raphael Warnock. If it holds up, I hope it's televised nationally.

@Pioneer1 Since I am not a member of either group, I'll allow those who are to determine the definitions. I don't like it one bit when arrogant non-Black jerks try to tell me about me about our History. It's the same with some politicians who think people are not applying for work because they received Stimulus Checks. That money went quickly to pay back rent, unpaid bills, to replace worn clothing and footwear and of course, for food. How long did Republican lawmakers believe funds from those Stimulus Checks would last? For two years? This is what happens when you never miss a meal or worry about making a rent or mortgage payment. Most of the rich have no idea what it's like to be poor or on a budget. @daniellegfny I keep telling you, but you simply won't accept the evidence: Donald Trump was a most horrible president for the U.S. economy. The man simply downplayed the Pandemic and millions suffered. Here's another link for you: https://fortune.com/2021/01/11/us-economy-jobs-numbers-trump-compared-past-presidents-worst-record-since-hoover/ Pump prices for gasoline have declined steadily As far as food and other essentials: Three words ... Greed - Price Gouging Unless of course, you think Trump's golf course shindig is responsible for that. By the way, what happened to your endless cheerleading for Bitcoin and other digital currencies?

What are you expecting Democrats to do, go to guns to enforce their will? The Dem Party is not in cahoots with Republicans. Those would be many of your so-called Independents and they pick and choose their moments when it is most advantageous for them. Look at Arizona Sen. Krysten Sinema, who was once a member of the Green Party. Check out New York representative AOC, who never misses a moment to trash Democrats because she thinks she was born to be Queen. Now, which Party is it that produces individuals who think Black achievements should never be taught? Which Party is it that encourages violence, voter suppression and constant insults as part of their agenda? The only way to fight Republicans is by generating alliances with like-minded voters no matter their demographic.

I never said weed was legalized every where. But one of the goals of passing laws to get it legalized was to reduce arrests and imprisonments. But that was just one of the goals. The others were to create a new and viable industry, make the active ingredient in marijuana available for cancer patients and in some areas eliminate the violence associated with territorial sales of weed. I am sure by now most have read news stories of cartels setting up shop in state forests to grow marijuana and threaten the lives of anyone with knowledge. I do not like to post links to popular morning news shows. But this link will take you an NBC Today Show segment that highlights the problem. https://www.today.com/video/mexican-cartels-are-growing-marijuana-in-california-s-national-forests-127609925776 For those who enjoy reading: https://news.yahoo.com/marijuana-wars-violent-mexican-drug-103332475.html I am not interested in selling weed, liquor, or guns. But here is a link for folks interested in becoming part of this marijuana dispensary industry: I simply checked a few states' requirements for entering this industry and they may be daunting for some. https://dispensarypermits.com/united-states-marijuana-dispensary-laws/

My thread is about Black figures in the Bible which cited scriptural references. It is not a written diatribe against other races.

Well, gee, nice to see you've jumped aboard the Stefan Freedom Streetcar.