Waterstar

You can hear about "The War on the Middle Class" on almost any station and out of the mouths of many politicians as well as many protesters. Where is the opposition to "The War on the Poor"? How can one have humanistic intentions and declare opposition to the war on the middle class yet never even think to sincerely oppose the war on the poor?

The 6th annual Summit of Americas will be held on Saturday and Sunday in Cartagena, Colombia. Barack Obama will be in attendance along with 29 other government leaders, including Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos. Santos recently called for the discussion of the legalization and decriminalization of certain drugs (such as marijuana). This discussion is sure to be a major topic in this weekend's dialogue and could possibly spark drastic changes in the North American led "War on Drugs", which has become increasingly militarized. The following is a link for the transcript as well as audio option of NPR's show "Tell Me More" . "Will Americas' Summit Signal Shift In Drug War?": http://www.npr.org/2012/04/12/150496676/will-americas-summit-signal-shift-in-drug-war

LOL That's a great example re: the abusive husband that says how sorry he is...until the next time. In my opinion, it's high time we stopped allowin ourselves to be "Ike Turnered" around and get like Tina in da limo. Ah man, maybe it's deeper than Ike & Tina. Maybe the situation is more like Rick James & Charlie Murphy in Dave Chapelle's skit. At any rate, that's my opinion. I know, respect and even often appreciate,that my eyes are not the sight of the world. I think so, too@ Obama. Seems like every election, when you cast a ballot, you are doing your best to pick the lesser of evils.

I'm just seeing this post....and it's full of real talk/images.

From the Martin Luther King Jr. who is never played during "comfortable" Black History Month tribute sound bites. "I have almost readched the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's greatest stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Klu Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice who prefers a negative peace, which is the absence of tension to a present peace, which is the presence of justic'e; who constantly says, 'I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can agree with you in your method of direct action', who paternalisticaly believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a 'more convenient season'. Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.''' -From Martin Luther King Jr. in his "Letter from Birmingham jail"

Writergirl, like you and Troy, I also have thought about getting a gun. Perhaps our specifics have been different, but all of our motives behind the consideration seem common; protection. (Troy's gangsta moment not included. :-D) Hi, Xeon. I can't say that your answer is not realistic. It is very realistic. At the same time, how many people do you think said, "It will never happen" in response to the legal ending of slavery or women's suffrage or even America's majority population becoming a minority population? It wasn't so long ago that a black person had to drink at a coloreds only fountain with the thought that a different way would never happen. On the banning of guns not being the answer, I wouldn't be so foolish as to believe that the banning of guns is the social fairy dust to make all social ills disappear. As I said in a previous post in this same thread, I feel that the banning of guns would be one of many things to consider for the making of a better day.

U know, Troy, the reason I said "official" police state is because we, in many ways, already live in an unofficial police state. My point about the specialized police/military being the only ones allowed to have guns in an otherwise gunless society was that guns are not banned currently yet officials are already out of control with their abuse of power and that, at this rate, we would find ourselves needing protection from the "protectors" (as we often do now).

Troy, You might find this surprising, but I agree of much of what you have said. As for the 99% -1% question, I am not one to knock anyone for considering him/herself to be a 99 percenter, but I will tell you why I was never with that. Many of the people went to protest in parks in which people sleep. Where was that issue on the platform? People protesting the housing market issues in a park that people with no homes sleep in and leaving to return, in most cases, to a house where they will go to sleep without even the first thought of the homeless people in that park or anywhere else in America (or anywhere, really) is not really my idea of a movement that truly represents the people. On one side, there are the Tea Party people saying, "We want our America back". On the other side, you have the 99 percenters saying, "We want our America back." Meanwhile, the dispossessed indigenous Americans are watching, many from reservations, and have been wanting their America back for years. Where was the plight of the struggles faced by indigenous Amerians on the 99% platform? How long have people of color been systematically disenfranchised simply because of their race (not the economy)? There have always been disenfranchised whites, but let's not forget that many disenfranchised whites passed joining hands with blacks for a better day and, instead of joining hands, joined the klan to protect the interests of white privilege and to secure jobs . My problem with the 99%, Troy, is the artificial kumbaya chorus that happened to pop up when the problems that have plagued communities of color for many, many years began to spill over to the white communities. Disparities between the more affluent whites and the less affluent whites became more apparent and then doggonit, something had to be done. The system of American apartheid was just fine with many of those 99 percenters until THEY started to feel like second class citizens.Perhaps I would be much more apt to support the whole 99% thing if I felt that the majority of those protesting were against ANY group of people being treated as second class citizens...but I just do not feel that that's the case. Speaking of the towers, I'm glad you brought that up. That, to me, was another moment of artificial kumbaya-ness... Where did it leave U.S. race relations? As far as the democrat/republican thing, I basically look at democrat/republican as good cop/bad cop and not a whole lot more. I don't know of too many politicians, white, black or otherwise who have really been for the people.. Someone like Huey Long would come to my mind much sooner than Barack Obama would. In terms of enemy, our biggest enemy, in my opinion is our own lack of loyalty, not the big bad white wolf. Now, I know that not everything is about race, but race and political power (or lack thereof) might be separable in theory but not in practice. Don't misunderstand me; I fully agree with your saying that we all breathe the same air. Maybe when destruction has reached an all time high, when no one's money can do anything to stop it, maybe just maybe then, people will be forced to focus on reaching for a higher level of consciousness. Who knows? Maybe it will bring on a sincere outpouring of kumbaya.

Forreal@ Writergirl. Madness. Cynique, the question about protection from aggressive people is an interesting one. LOL It makes me wonder something that I hadn't wondered prior to your raising that question. I wonder if the number of openly aggressive people would decline as a result of the banning of guns. I tend to think that a lot of punks turn into tough guys when they holdin something. (Cops not exempt.) This can kinda go with what Writergirl was saying. I wonder how many people would be less apt to initiate acts of violence when they have to deal on a level of man to man (woman lol) combat. Nuff a these people with guns probably know how to shoot but don't know how to really fight. Why? Who needs to go through all dat when u have your handy dandy trigger? Even with knives, knife related deaths/injuries are a lot less common than those related to guns. With guns, you can keep a comfortable distance and shoot someone to his/her death. Not so much the same with knives. I think that knives would require people to second think initiating an attack sooner than guns would... but the banning of guns would be just one of many things that would need to be considered for a better day. First and foremost, the collective mentality is a need of major makeover. Troy, I agree almost completely. The almost comes from the specialized police/military part. Oh my gosh, it is like their "authority" and access to weapons give them a license to lose they' darn minds. Heck. They are out of control. Now we'd have to have somethin to protect us from THEM if they had guns. The banning of guns for everyone except them would certainly make the police state official.

Cynique: What a thing~ I started to mention how I remembered when things were different, too...I mean I wasn't born "too" many years before Reagan became president, but Lawd, even in my years, I have seen different. Never have I seen ideal, but different for the better? Yes, I've seen different for the better. I can only imagine what others such as yourselves who have had many doses of different. You know, the "war on drugs" has made so many addicts and corporate drug/prison industrial complex kingpins. Crack cocaine, gangsta rap, and mass incarceration (and, consequently, further breakdown of the black family/community) were like Reagan's holy trinity. "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." Who says best or worst? Depends on who is asked. However, we are so scared of being labeled "conspiracy theorists" that we won't even consider the logic in connecting any of these dots. I also believe that life is cycles, patterns, seasons, etc. That ever swinging pendulum will keep on swinging. Universal shifts are occuring, just as they have always, as they will continue to do so. Whether one wants to say, "The first shall be last and the last shall be first." or "life is about cycles", it is the same thing said in different ways. LOL The first shall be last and the last shall be first and then they all gonna get jumbled right back up again and positions will change, because that's life. Troy, That's so real@ lack of appreciation for the magnitude of the crisis we are facing.. and you know what? It's almost impossible for one to appreciate that which he/she does not know. We have become so desensitized until we are basically unaware. Severe dysfunction is not the exception but the rule, so this violent, apathetic, disconnected, profit-oriented society is the norm. Now I don't know if it's relative youth in my case or if it is just my being wired this way, but I just can't bring myself to believe that the state of things HAS to be this way. I don't believe that our kids gotta be pumped on Ritalin as the rule and not the exception. I don't believe that black men have to disrespect black women and that black women have to disrespect black men as the rule and not the exception. I don't believe that black fathers have to be active participants in the lives of their children as the exception and not the rule. I don't believe that our children have to grow up believing that the ceiling is the limit as the rule and not the exception. I just do not and cannot believe these things and many, many more. Black America has always been a third world country inside of one of the world's richest nations. Why not focus on a new way of nation building, within but without this nation? For those who think we can't, I ask: Why can't we? Who built this nation? Whose blood, sweat, and tears financed this "super power" Certainly not the ones who take credit for it. Certainly not the descendants of those whose success has been financed by cotton, indigo, sugar cane... Do not get it twisted, Folks...Slavery was America's biggest welfare program. So maybe we should start calling George Washington and all a dem "welfare kings". In fact, I think I'll start today. Tell these politicians and their minions to quit sweatin Shaniqua. Wall Street is a bigger welfare queen than Shaniqua will ever be. (...and no I don't represent the "99%" movement cause it don't represent my people). You asked me a good question, but in your next sentence, my answer was stated so beautifully until all I have to do is to copy and paste it. You said: 'I too believe things will ultimately improve, but not before they get much worse..." That sums my interpretation up so beautifully! You don't seem to be missing too much of anything that I'm feeling on that.

Tell dem, Judge Betta Mus Cum! I LOVE this!

Ona move! http://yearningforunity.tumblr.com/post/18171851104/bob-marley-interview-with-mumia-abu-jamal

Affirmation by Assata Shakur I believe in living. I believe in the spectrum of Beta days and Gamma people. I believe in sunshine in windmills and waterfalls, tricycles and rocking chairs. And I believe that seeds grow into sprouts, And sprouts grow into trees. I believe in the magic of the hands. And in the wisdom of the eyes. I believe in rain and tears. And in the blood of infinity. I believe in life. And I have seen the death parade march through the torso of the earth, sculpting mud bodies in its path. I have seen the destruction of the daylight, and seen the bloodthirsty maggots prayed to and saluted. I have seen the kind become the blind and the blind become the bind in one easy lesson. I have walked on cut glass. I have eaten crow and blunder bread and breathed the stench of indifference. I have been locked by the lawless. Handcuffed by the haters. Gagged by the greedy. And, if I know anything at all, it is that a wall is just a wall and nothing more at all. It can be broken down. I believe in living. I believe in birth. I believe in the sweat of love and in the fire of truth. And I believe that a lost ship, steered by tired, seasick sailors, can still be guided home to port.

What do you think about the idea of guns being banned in America? What, if anything, do you think it would change about society?

LOL! U too funny!

Those caps are hilarious! hahaha I don't really keep up with celeb gossip too tough, but I do remember hearing recent news talks on Chris Brown and Rhiana being back together... and that,like Cynique has said, ain't really nobody's business. I'm much more concerned with unmanned drone attacks than I am celebrity lovers' quarrels.

Sat 10 March 2012 Opinion:" Whitney Houston had Merits and Demerits" Norman (Otis) Richmond recalls the merits of Whitney Houston’s life after meeting her at Toronto's Club BlueNote in 1986. Submitted By: Norman (Otis) Richmond aka Jalali In 1986 Whitney Houston made an appearance at Toronto’s Club BlueNote. I was among the press people chosen to meet and greet the lovely Ms. Houston. She did a track date and performed a few songs. After her brief performance she walked around the room and shook every one’s hand - including mine. At that time Kathy Hahn and Kevin Shea were working at RCA/BMG. RCA/BMG were distributing Arista Records, who had signed the unknown Houston. Shea points out: “A special cassette sampler with three tracks was prepared, and a showcase at Club Bluenote on Pears Avenue. Remember she was an unknown commodity at the time. It was difficult to fill the club, but we had all of our opinion leaders from radio, press, clubs, etc. invited. Whitney performed three tracks and was sensational. We then took her to every single person in the room, introducing them and thanking them for coming out. We had a photographer there too in order to chronicle the meet and greet. She was reserved (shy) yet more than accommodating. She charmed every person in that room. Few, if any, realized that they were meeting music royalty and that, within a year, she’d have four #1 singles, a huge album and be on the verge of becoming the biggest artist of that era. I later saw her debut Toronto concert at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and was pleased that she revealed the REAL Whitney Houston, singing like she was in front of the congregation at Newark’s, New Hope Baptist Church. I could dig it! I also loved the amen-hallelujah-thank you-Jesus style of singing. I knew at that moment she was in the tradition of Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin and David Ruffin. She did not follow the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle so non-Africans could sing along. The 48 year-old Houston hailed from Newark, New Jersey or as Amiri Baraka says “New Ark”. Newark has produced a number of top-of-the-line female vocalists including Toronto’s own Salome Bey, and the divine one, Sarah Vaughan. If that is not enough her mother, Cissy Houston a star in her own right, (she also backed up Elvis Presley), Dionne Warwick and her underrated sister Dee Dee Warwick (check her rendition of “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me) were cousins. You know it by Eddie and Ms. Ross with The Tempts and The Supremes. And to get deeper still, she was Aretha Franklin goddaughter. Born Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 - February 11, 2012), she was a recording artist, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all-time. Houston was also one of the world’s best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. She released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification. Houston’s crossover appeal caused some to complain that she was not “Black” enough. Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. She is the second artist behind Elton John and the only female artist to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards on the Billboard magazine year-end charts. Houston’s debut album Whitney Houston became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. The album was named Rolling Stone’s best album of 1986 and was ranked at number 254 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Her second studio album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Houston’s first acting role was as the star of the feature film The Bodyguard (1992). The film’s original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single “I Will Always Love You”, became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. With the album, Houston became the first act (solo or group, male or female) to sell more than a million copies of an album within a single week period. The album makes her the top female act in the top 10 list of the best-selling albums of all time, at number four. Houston continued to star in movies and contribute to their soundtracks, including the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher’s Wife (1996). The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack became the best-selling gospel album in history. Whitney Houston When the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) like Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu were locked down in Robben Island and other South African dungeons they said the music of Houston was one of the things that helped them though their days. Mumia Abu-Jamal also spoke highly of Houston praising her in a recent commentary. Says Abu-Jamal, “Her voice, her pace, her phrasing, her stage presence and her beauty was a package that virtually defined Star. Indeed, she was that rarest of creatures... Superstar.” Ironically, the very media that savaged her for years, flipped into worship mode, when she was gone and could no longer hear them. Whitney Houston was a daughter, wife, mother and actress. Her songs will be heard, sung and loved for generations. Houston was an international traveller and visited South Africa (after the cultural boycott was over) and Israel (to visit the Israel’s Black Hebrew community in 2003). In 2003, she visited the Black Hebrews in the desert town of Dimona. The group moved to the Holy Land from the U.S. decades ago. They believe they’re descendants of a lost tribe of Israelites. Unfortunately, she met with the-then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during a six-day trip and said that she felt at home in the country. It was reported however, she refused to shake Sharon’s hand-- she left that to her then husband Bobby Brown. It was a completely different situation in South Africa. She appeared to be at ease and at home with the ANC’s leadership. Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson had two things in common. One was the gift of music, both were blessed with voices that sold millions of units all over the world. The second thing that Houston and Jackson had in common was that both were made in and killed by America. Much has been written about Houston’s struggle with substance abuse and her sex life. I will only say two things about drugs and sex. Houston would not be the first or the last creative human being to struggle with alcohol and drugs. As for the question of sex, that is a personal matter and should be treated as such. I have always felt that those seeking movie deals with Hollywood felt they had to stress size and performance in their autobiographies or memoirs. Houston like Don Cornelius, Etta James, Gil Scott-Heron had merits and demerits. However, in my judgement her merits outweighed her demerits. I will always remember her as the beautiful young woman with a short Afro who shook my hand in the Club BlueNote in 1986. Norman (Otis) Richmond

Source- npr.org: "A divided Supreme Court has ruled that jail authorities may strip search people arrested for even minor offenses. The majority said courts must defer to prison officials to prevent new inmates from putting lives at risk. Dissenters said corrections officials should have to justify a strip search for someone brought in on a minor charge." http://www.npr.org/2012/04/03/149898842/supreme-court-rules-on-strip-search-issue

I neglected to mention that Labato was a firm believer in eugenics.

Cynique, I'm going to share some words with you that are some of the realest words that I have ever heard: "we can change reality. Before we know it, after a few cycles, true social change will happen." -Shawn McKie, social entrepreneur Those things that you have said about the conditions and the cycles are very real and, by the same token, those words offered by McKie are also very real. When we look around, we see things that have happened as a result of cycles. These things that we are facing did not just happen overnight. However, the reality is that we are now here and on the flipside, our present reality does not have to be our future reality. Perhaps if we could get past the fear of being labeled as "bitter" , "divisive", or whatever else we are called when we have sense enough to learn and learn FROM the past by analyzing it and connecting it with the present in order to strategize for the future, we would be well on our way to changing reality. I digress for now. You know, the thing about America is that it is changing so much and no amount of resistance to this change can stop it. No amount of redistricting can change the fact that America is changing. The majority is rapidly becoming the minority and the anxiety about this can be seen in legislation, in the news, in books (LOL i.e. Pat Buchanan LOL), all over. This population control mania is very telling, as many of the staunchest advocates for population control can also be observed lamenting the declining birth/fertility rates of Europe and America and moaning about immigration. Hmm... Control of "which" populations, then? The birth rates in Africa and Asia are soaring. Many immigrants from the Americas are already here and are still pouring in. A combination of arrogance, anxiety, and straight up denial would continue to make a soon to be minority demand that the "others" assimilate. Anyway, in my opinion, it has not really been about survival of the strongest here, rather the survival of whoeva got da most powerful weapons. Things are changing and I am convinced that they are changing for the better. What a world it will be when children don't look at what we are looking at without understanding that there is a different way.

You are welcome, you are definitely one that I remember from when I was on here years ago. That is unfortunate re: no dvd. Perhaps I'll know ahead enough next time to catch you live. Take care.

Oh I just love The Shrine of the Black Madonna. Nah, not saying that either of the stores that you mentioned are closed, but I'm in Augusta. That's about 2 hours away from ATL. Biggin up the only black book store here, Hamilton Book Store. Being in Augusta is like stepping into The Twilight Zone! Hamilton's book store is one of the only things in Augusta to help some of us know that we are not crazy. lol Wow, not even one black book store in those areas you mentioned? That is puzzling, especially in the case of Charlotte. You know though, Troy, the south is something else... I can't even really think about how things are here without taking back the "puzzling" part.

I am interested in the Facebook conversation as well. In the meantime, this is so sad, because black owned, independent book stores are much more than just stores to get books from. They are centers of culture, often portals of some sort, aiding many in transformation. There are many whose education has come mainly from their own will to educate themselves and the spirit/existence of the black owned, independent book stores are invaluable for this reason and so many more. All of this online stuff is cool as far as convenience and often price are concerned, but there is just something about these book stores that cannot be topped by the aforementioned. There is only one black owned, independent black book store here in Augusta, Georgia. Sadly, this has been the case for well over a decade. We have to support these stores; we need them.

Hi, Kola Boof. The way you write is amazing. Are dvds of the lecture on sale?

Yes, my son. Oprah will do all these things shortly before the Second Coming. Prepare yourselves, for the time is nigh! Oprah is coming back... Will you be ready? No man will get to God unless through Oprah. Don't pay me no mind, the fact that life is so short causes me to have such outbursts at times.