Cynique

As is to be expected, when death claims an iconic figure, included among the eulogizers are a few who criticize. Nelson's ex-wife, Winnie, agrees that while Nelson Mandela was a great and courageous man, he was too preoccupied with the concilliation and compromise that reinforced white control and neutralized black demands. She says that in spite of all the adulation over Mandela, under his leadership little has changed in South Africa when it comes to reducing poverty and increasing opportunities among its black masses. In response to those in this country who compare Obama to Mandela, Obama's critics say concilliation is the main thing that he and Mandela had in common because Obama's obsession with being president of all the people has led him to ignoring his own people whose glaring needs remain unfulfilled. Although he never ascended to Mandela's position of authority, pundits give significant credit to Martin Luther King's adopting Gandhi's non-violent agitating for true change. Whereas, the terrorist tactics that landed Mandela in jail culminated with him opting for concilliation instead of reform once he became president after his release. Elsewhere, using the social media as a platform, a few have expressed relief that Mandela's demise has provided a respite from the orgy of grief inspired by the death of Paul Walker, an undistinguished cast member of "The Fast and Furious" movies. And so it goes...

The stumbling models are not only funny but they're ludicrous to the point of being pathetic. Women are slaves to fashion. Not only do they transform themselves to attract men, but they dress to inspire envy in other women. Until they rise about the superficiality of a fashion industry dominated by gay men, females can never truly be liberated.

Kanye West is a magnet for controversy. Love him or hate him, he bears watching because he epitomizes the excess and egoism that genius and success can give rise to. Here's a link to an article entitled: "Kanye's Frantz Fanon complex". I thought this article by Jessica Ann Mitchell was interesting. "I recently wrote an article called, “Harry Belafonte Was Right About Jay-Z.” The article went viral, generating a huge response from the Black community and beyond. A few readers were puzzled when I stated, “Kanye West…often laments about racism but strives to uphold the same materialistic values that help drive economic disparities.” Now, I will explore this more thoroughly. There is no denying that Kanye West has had a tremendous impact on the music industry and pop culture. From the beginning of his mainstream career, Kanye has been critical of issues dealing with racism and the structures within it. His infamous, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people,” statement caused a media frenzy and solidified the general sentiments of the Black community during the Hurricane Katrina tragedy." Read the full article: http://ourlegaci.com/2013/12/02/kanyes-frantz-fanon-complex/

Well, it's the last month of the year 2013 as we trudge through the darkness on our way to the end of the winter solstice that will occur December 21st. Getting past that, we begin a new journey toward the light which will reward us with the longest day of the year on June 21st, 2014. If you check out the night sky you'll probably see Venus, the "evening star" blazing extra bright as it does every year at this time when it's closest to our planet, reminding us of how predictable astronomy is. So, there does seem to be order to the universe. But the planet earth didn't get the memo. Everything here seems to be in a random state of flux thanks to a world-wide blitz of disastrous weather, global power struggles, religious wars, and wide-spread poverty in the midst of decadent plenty. Peace on earth, good will toward all men? Not so much. Back on the homefront, this nation is holding its own when it comes to instability as the un-United States continues to be polarlized along racial lines and sexual orientation; mired in political folly and shackled by biased law enforcement. The economy is limping along, while jobs and pension funds are drying up and the rich get richer. The infra-structures of our cities are deteriorating, and our landscape is eroding along with our morals We've morphed into a computerized society at the mercy of inept programmers and the whim of diabolical hackers. Toss all this into the mix of a social media that mirrors a shallow populace who flock to online sites inundated with shared drivel, lewd selfies, sexual predators, cyber bullies and celebrity gossip. An addiction to iPhones and computer games round out our state of dysfunction. Where are we headed? Wherever we go. Religious soothsayers say the end is near and it's time to repent and be saved. An option that accomodates chronic sinners while shafting humanitarian atheists. Thank ya, Jesus. The good news is that what ails the colonies of life on the third rock from the sun is nothing new. Troubled conditions have existed from time immemorial, - variations on a theme droned by perennial prophets of doom. Everything began with a big bang and if the asteroids don't get us first, it'll be eons before we fizzle into the oblivion of an imploding black hole. As luck would have it, however, the certainty of sunrises and sunsets provides a coping mechanism to simply take things one day at a time. New tomorrows are lined up just waiting to be reborn todays. What can also be considered with a degree of certainly is how "life is a journey that is homeward bound." Keep on truckin.

You cannot reverse black people's attachment to Christianity. These god-forsaven people are grateful and beholden to it for providing them with something to cling to as they struggle to survive in a world that mistreats and abuses them. The idea that the "son of god" loves them, altho the bible helped to justify their being enslaved for centuries and devalued to this day, is what pacifies the faithful. And the empty promise that they will get their reward in the hereafter continues to sustain them. Similarly, Islam is just a haven for African Americans who overlook its slave trade history, and become black Muslims drawn to exotic names and the garb and ritual that distracts them from the idea that Allah don't give a damn about them either. But, - that's the function of religion. And it works because people need something to believe in and something to hope for. Black people refuse to take credit for the inner strength and guile which is what's really responsible for their ability to endure. They prefer to attribute this to an imaginary old man in the sky who they worship in spite of how "he" has never shown them any favoritism. The idea of "god" being an "impersonal almighty force of nature" is not something they can wrap their minds around. They need the impact of myth. So be it.

Yeah, Israel literally gets away with murder because anybody who opposes their belligerancy is branded anti-semitic. Blacks try to invoke this ploy by accusing any faction that criticizes them as racist. But this doesn't always have an effect because Blacks don't have the financial muscle to intimidate their detractors. Secretary of State John Kerry is doing all of his big talk while taking bows for his diplomatic coup with Iran. But if the nuclear deal with these tricky Arabs falls through, which it just might do, President Obama will get the blame, as yet another blemish stains his legacy.

Yep, the forked-tongued bitch is what America is all about.

The question that resonated throughout the country on this day is what were you doing on November 22, l963, when you got the news that President John F Kennedy was assassinated? I was 30 years old at the time, married with 3 kids, ages 5, 3, and 8 months and around noon of that day I was just kinda rambling around the house. My two oldest children were seated on the floor in front of our 24 inch black and white TV, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwichs while watching Bozo's Circus, a local kitty show. Still stewing over what I considered a case of racial bias after I was rejected for a part time job in the office of an envelope factory located in the next town over from where I lived, I was restless. I had all the qualifications but I was politely told that they weren't doing any more interviewing and I should probably seek employment elsewhere. Anyhow as I lingered in front of the TV watching the silly antics taking place between the goofy clown and his sidekick, the program was suddenly interrupted by a bulletin announcement quickly followed by a talking head reporting that shots had been fired at President Kennedy's motorcade as it was crusing down a street in Dallas, Texas. I stood there shaking my head, and with the frame of mind I was in, I immediatly figured that some disgruntled crackers were shooting at the president because of his civil rights involvement. The idea that JFK would be seriously or even mortally wounded, was not something I gave any thought to. But as the newsman continuted to update the events, I dropped down on a foot stool, my eyes glued to the screen. When his death was confirmed shotly after, I was just stunned. I couldn't believe that somebody would kill the president of the United States, and I was hungry for more details, wondering who did it, and what this would mean to the country. Needless to say, for the rest of the day and throughout the night, I rarely took a break from gawking at what was unfolding on TV. Little by little my shock gave way to sadness, and in the days that followed there were tears as I, along with the rest of America, mourned. Mesmerized by the pageatry and ceremony surrounding the televised funeral and burial of one of the most powerful men in the free world, knowing that history was being made, I realized that I was witnessing one of the most monumental and intriguing events of the 20th century. I liked the witty and charming Kennedy because he was not only stalwsart, but seemed determined to insure liberty and justice for all. Everybody was so impressed with his inaugural speech and the question that he posed. "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." To most everyone this was an original utterance But to me, these words were familiar, which made them extra special. I'd heard them before in a conversation between my father, who was a Mason and my mother, who was an Eastern Star, Discussing their disappointment with some of the underhanded goings on within the local chapters of these organizations, my father had said about certain self serving members, that it behooved them to not ask "what the Masons could do for them but what they could do for the Masons." Fifty years later, this tragedy still casts a pall over the nation. Most pundits concur that whether or not JFK's death was a conspiracy will never be known. Historians have further determined that the death which martyred Kennedy prevents them from thoroughly assessing his legacy. Everyone also agrees that President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a catalyst for change both in life and in death and when he was shot down, a little bit of America's invulnerability died with him.

I have to wonder when he set his sites on the presidency, if Barack Hussein Obama ever envisioned what lie ahead for him. Did he have any idea how, once elected, his "audacity of hope" would eventully descend into an "abyss of hell"? Certainly he knew that a victory would mean inheriting the dregs of his do-nothing predecessor, and it’s a given that there’s no way to prepare for the job of being the most powerful man on earth. But you’d think that realizing this, Obama would’ve kept in mind the importance of designating authority to people he could depend on. One year into his second term, the survivor of a lackluster first term, Obama is presently mired in the deep doo-doo that threatens to stink up his legacy. Yes, the vicious racism of Republican colleagues have contributed to his ongoing problems, but the albatross of the affordable health care fiasco along with the emasculating confrontations with Syrian and Iranian leaders are of his own making, leaving him hard pressed to maintain his swagger. Even his popular wife seems to be keeping a low profile, cracking her whip behind the scenes. While the press and talking heads are having a field day deconstructing Obama’s woes, conspicuously silent are the president’s left wing detractors. Guys like Cornel West and Tavis Smiley have suddenly become mute, possibly gloating over an opportunity to witness the decline of the leader who consistently snubbed their input, and whose approval ratings have plummeted to an all-time low. Black conservative Republicans like Dr. Ben Carson, however, have become very vocal in their criticism, taking shots that are putting smiles on the faces of Tea Party zealots Even some Democrats are disillusioned and have started to distance themselves from their fearless leader. Not to worry. Obama’s black constituency remains faithful and true. How did it come to all of this? Everybody has a theory I guess. And what started out as minor gaffs alerted me to suspect that an undercurrent of leaks and hearsay now surfacing around Chicagoland have susbstance. Talking trash about Chicago’s sports’ teams, or using beer diplomacy to smooth the ruffled feathers of combatants invited to settle differences over a bottle of Bud were signs to me that Obama’s attempts at being a regular guy were a reflection of his close knit Chicago posse, who are “regular” to a fault. Being advisors to POTUS calls for people who are extraordinary, as opposed to being obstinately inept in a manner typical of bush league Chicago politicians. This inner circle of his and his wife’s good friends, early on demonstrated that they were in over their heads, excelling mostly at rendering the president clueless about things he should have been on top of. This also triggered a situation where white aides jockeying for position among those resistent to any attempts at usurping black power, gradually began to resign and defect. You have a recipe for disaster if you add to this, something which perennially plagues black organizations and entrepreneurships: not being detail-oriented, and lacking executive prowess. These shortcomings seem to have been the downfall of Obama’s self-important posse members. The result? An embarrassing hot mess. Can Obama rehabilitate his image and secure an honorable place for himself in the annals of the American presidency? Who knows? If all the black prayers reach the ears of Jesus, and if Jesus sends capable people to assist the president in keeping obamacare from imploding, and the tinderboxes in Iran and Syria from exploding, Obama may yet escape the brand of being a man who the office made, and triumphantly emerge as a “man who made the office”! But the way things are going now, the only thing he may be remembered for is maintaining “grace under pressue” while losing his credibility.

Yes, it's kinda like how winners get to write history. Losers may have given a good accounting of themselves and just barely lost, but this is all ignored in the subjective boasting of the final victor. It seems like we just can't trust anything that is perpetrated by Man. I hate to keep referring to the bible, but a lot of its detractors say the scriptures were subjected to the whims of whomever was copying or translating them, and those doing this were often "drunk monks" or ones high on hallucinagens and they would write anything that suited their fancy. Apparently, science is only as good as the person applying it Just like a computer is only as good as its programmer.

Be that as it may, the point is that down through the centuries so-called Christians have interpreted bible verses to condone whatever it is they are in favor of, - or against. This included slave owners in the southern states of America, who cited this and other similar verses as justification for keeping Blacks in bondage. Mormons did the same thing to keep them subservient. Today, of course, verses are spouted to condemn homosexuality and, the latest "sin" - unemployed people getting food stamps. Heaven forbid! If that bible verse by Paul can be misinterpreted, think of all the others ones that can called upon to manipulate god-fearing people.

All those apoplectic ministers and their flocks who give so much weight to bible verses that support their opposition to things like the legalization of same-sex marriage are nothing more than "Cafeteria Christians". They pick and choose from a menu of caveats, ignoring anything that doesn't support their self-righteous beliefs.

I am quite amused that my son "unfriended" me after we butted heads during the course of a lively FaceBook discussion. We laugh about it all the time, but he has yet to re-friend me. I understand your take on syncronicity. It's like when you buy a car, you start noticing how many other cars of that model are out there driving around. But to me that seems more like the law of averages. But my syncronicity has to do with how when I am keying and listening to the TV and I type a word that at the same time is being said by the person speaking on TV. Or when I'm reading a newspaper how a word I am reading is simultaneously being said by a person speaking on TV. I find this interesting especially since it happens quite frequently and the words are not really frequently used words. It's like the same word from a different source is drawn to its match. The intrigue comes from whether or not this is random or if it has something to do with my brain waves.

Well, I said that Rap is a showcase for clever lyrics. Rap per se is simply specialized verbalization and the average young person seems to have naturally mastered the ability to do this. Possessing the talent to compose compelling rhymes to verbalize is what separates the brilliant rappers from the mundane ones. I agree that Eminem is a rapper extraordinare.

LOL You and I really part company when it comes to the Wikipepdia, Troy. Why wouldn't I think you are offended because Wikipedia shared personal info about Alice Walker, when you went into great detail criticizing?? Are you saying that you aren't complaining about her being a lesbian, but rather that Wiki shared this information?? Would you even have brought the subject up if Wiki revealed that she was a Vegan? And, - are you implying that the highly vaunted Encyclopedia Brittanica would not share any personal information about a famous person? That it would just print the date of birth and date of death and what the person was famous for? OK. If a person is doing research on said famous person, what reference would they go to compile a definitive amount of info about this person if a biography doesn't exist or even if they, themself, are planning to write a biography? What Wiki prints is apparently in the public domain. When a person becomes famous, their life becomes an open book. They do have recourse if they don't appreciate this. They can sue or they release statements that deny what has been reported. Screw Alice Walker. People who buy her books, are curious about her and if they are fans, they think her having a lesbian relationship is their business, whether she likes it or not. And it is a legitimate curiousity if her personal evolution has had an impact on her body of work. Celebrities want to have it all. Publicity when it serves their purpose, and privacy when it doesn't. Tough. Stars may think they owe the public nothing but a performance, but "owe" is the operative word. You are selling yourself to the public and if the public makes demands about the product they are spending money on, that comes with the territory. If you do not cater to them, they feel no obligation to cater to you. That's how it goes. Whether this is good or bad boils down to making a value judgment. To me, Wikipedia is a sign of the times; instant information that sometimes holds up a mirror that reveals warts and all. And again, people do have options when it comes to removing what Wikipedia prints about them. Teachers and schools don't like Wiki because it makes it too easy for students to copy info from it verbatim and this amounts to Wiki doing their work for them.

My family is very often non-plussed by me, Troy. One of my sons even "unfriended" me on FaceBook. My grandchildren talk to me like I'm one of their peers, allowing me to pick their brains. Their friends just stare at me curiously. The cat seems bounded with me, and daily seeks out my company. I lead a rather strange existence. What I am discovering, is that when a subject comes up on this site, as I sit in front of the monitor, reading a post, my brain goes into retro mode, and things that just seem to be stored in my mind are transmitted to my fingers and I begin to type. Some of the topics trigger memories, things I've forgotten I knew. When I have exchanges with Delano, conundrums pop into my head. Others, like Pioneer, bring out the polemicist in me. Religious zealots invoke the devilishness in me. Is it any wonder that I admire your civility? What I've also noticed is that syncronicity is a phenomenon that regularly occurs in my waking hours: So often when I'm typing a word or am reading it in the newspaper, somebody on TV says that word, - or the other way around. When I begin working the blank patternless crossword puzzle that appears in the Chicago Sun-times every day, all I have to do is say to myself, this is too hard and I won't complete it and, suddenly, things all come together and I finish it. The same with playing solitaire on the computer. As soon as I concede the loss, voila! Very frequently the card I need is turned over next and I'm able to beat ol Sol. I find this all very quirky And I am now hoping that my verbalizing these occurrences will not dispel my Muse. With the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination coming up this month, all these TV specials and news items reporting what they think is fresh, are stale to me. It's all familiar because I was alive when it and so many other historical events happened. When I listen to the particular Music Channel that plays ballads from the 40s, 50s and 60s, I know the lyrics to every song. I try to not to be jaded, but the old ennui is taking over. I've outgrown my life. How bad can death be? zzzzzzzzz

Isn't Drake a bi-racial Canadian from a middleclass family?? Where is his street cred? I'd consider him a bogus rapper. Rap has morphed into nothing more than a show case for clever lyrics. It's like ghetto haiku. As I have previoiusly contended, nowadays, any young person can rap; it's lost its exclusivity. Just as all Hawaiians can do the Hula. This dance has so permeated their customs that it comes natural to them.

I don't understand why you are offended by the info about Alice Walker's personal life, Troy. She is a feminist and, as such, after leaving her white husband and becoming detached about her bi-racial daughter, did enter into lesbian relationships. Walker, like a lot of artistic "geniuses" is tempermental and has become increasingly erratic with age. All of this is relevant to her body of work and her evolving persona. If she or her daughter had a problem with what Wikipedia revealed about their same sex liaisons, they could've protested and had it removed. Apparently neither of them considered their lesbianism something to hide or be ashamed of. All biographical "facts" depend who's supplying them because they rely on hearsay. Unless it's dealing with data about topics as opposed to reports about people, no reference source is that reliable.

What Umar Johnson has to say is very provocative which is to say that it is also controversial, mainly because it's all over the place. In effect, he is couching his eloquence in a lot of subtefuge, and using it to paint a picture that he insists can be hung on the wall in a white house. But, in the process, he is condemning the survival tactic of coping with reality. He is also assuming that life is fair. I try not to be the perennial skeptic but over the years, I’ve learned that talk is cheap. What Johnson is preaching, although a fine showcase for his impressive resume, will not wash in America. He should just sum up his argument by saying that Blacks should all go back to Africa where they can be their true selves without being negatively affected by European influences. Slavery was bad enough but the end of slavery was equally dire because Blacks were cut loose and set adrift in a hostile environment. With passage of time, there didn’t have to be a grand structured conspiracy to keep them down. The pieces were already in place for things to just take a natural course. Among Blacks, those who could, did. Those who couldn’t, fell along the wayside. Black culture gradually stratified into the old slavery denominations. The field hands were relegated to the ghetto plantations, and the slovenly aspects of their lifestyle produced a population that played right into the hands of the white power structure. But contrary to Johnson's claims, these latter day serfs are not interested in slave labor. To say that illegal aliens are stealing jobs from Blacks is not exactly true. They are taking the menial, low paying positions that Blacks are not interested in because they’d rather settle for street hustles or for milking the welfare system. His rant further ignores how we became what we are, and he overlooks how it was not to our advantage to preserve what is rejected by the dominant culture. Presenting yourself as an authetic African in America is not going to benefit you economically. Just giving your child a strange name can stigmatize him in the work place. If you don't modify your appearance and conform to the standards that EVERYBODY in this country adheres to, you will be excluded from the mainstream. Arab American women are constantly discriminated against for wearing their burka headdress. In this racist, superficial society you have to learn how to swim parallel to the shore or you will be a victim of the rip tide. Resiliancy is the trait that, dating back to slavery times, has been what got Blacks through. And Blacks with their double-consciousness have not relinquished their soul; their conventional avatars are just a way of getting over on white people. Not to mention that a lot of what we are, is what we have become from our 400 years in America. We are not solely African, we are a new hybrid tribe, and one that originated much of the style and trends that today Whites imitate. Unfortunately, Blacks also originated things like gangsta rap that has been so detrimental to their cause. I agree that mis-education is one of the main things victimizing Blacks. Schools are structured and designed to fail any child who cannot conform to a disciplined class room environment. But aggrandizing Frederick Douglass and Marcus Garvey is not a substitute for teaching a child to read. (And, incidentally, Michael Jordan didn’t marry a white woman; his new wife is Hispanic. And to call a conservative lacky like the Clarence Thomas a constitutional scholar when most of his colleagues agreed that he was not supreme court material, is a joke. ) Yes, the prison industry and how it is maintained is a major problem. Plus, the breakdown of the black family and the conflict between brothas and sistas all contribute to the ongoing black dilemma. These are monumental obstacles, so I can’t exactly condemn a well-meaning spokesman for wanting to surmount them by spouting these re-cycled arguments that have been floating around for years. What he suggests can do no harm but if he believes that giving up hair extensions and wigs and perms is going to work miracles, maybe special education classes can identify a child’s problem and help the cream rise to the top.

This subject is one that is full of contradictions and irony which is why it's so difficult to sort out. I was watching the latest (?) episode of "Unsung" the other night and the subject was The Geto Boys, who were a hard core gangsta rap group during the 90s. They were complaining how white radio executives wouldn't give their records any airtime, and that the white-owned black stations boycotted them because their lyics were too violent. The members of this group seemed clueless as to why this was the case, and said that they were victims of racism since white stations played heavy metal music which was very graphic in its content...

As I recall, this song was at one time banned from being sung in popular white night clubs. When Bille Holiday wanted to include it in her repetoir during one of her engagements, the white patrons were so offended by the subject of this song, that the club's management demanded that she omit it. The title was taken from the name of a book by white author, Lillian Smith.

Unfortunately black people, for whatever reasons, have become participants in their own set backs. As an example, they originated and excelled in a genre that promoted negative vibes because by depicting the ills of black life, Rap music had the effect of glorifying them. Consequently, with the explosion of Rap, the black community became caught up in a violent celebration of the all things that were wrong within it. And while the monster that rappers created made millionaires of them. all it did for their rabid fans was to promotive self-destructiveness. Jazz, on the other hand, has never made broad inroads into the mainstream of Black music, and the Millennials have all but ignored what is another form of expression that was originated by their race. Rap totally resonates with this generation, however, becoming an integral part of the perennial hip-hop culture that crosses class lines. Is this because Jazz is too cerebral and sophisticated, while Rap is down to earth and simplistic, requiring no intellectual pondering? The latter can also be said of gospel music. Apparently, Blacks prefer to dull their pain by lovin' Jesus or diggin' Jay-Z, by praisin' da lawd or pullin' a trigger. And embracin' the bling, of course. The destiny of black people does not seem to be in their hands. They have yet to "overcome". Because so much of black woe seems connected to our past, I've always wondered if Rap with its beats and spits was a throwback to the tribal drums and griots of Africa, traditions that are still present in our DNA but corrupted by the hostile environment of our new homeland. The ancestors of African Americans were brought to this country in chains, and it's as if they are being blamed for the sins of their oppressors. They can't win. Is the white power structure impeding black advancement by using the hypnotic weapons that Rap has provided them with? Who's to blame? "Niggas" easily rolls off the tongue.

Maybe they're not referring to "gorilla" but to "guerrilla" which is what a member of terrorist cabal is called. Whatever. Antropologists often refer to Man as a naked ape. Kanye needs to practice what he preaches. He is a carping malcontent, so self absorbed that he erronerously thinks the world is his plantation. Wait! Kanye has inspired me to rap... He's a slave to the bling, imprisoned by his ego, a genius who can't sing, an alien who ain't legal. Just another whipped nigga thinkin money can buy him class. Tho his bank account is bigga all he got was Kim's fat ass.

This should be an interesting anthology. These controversial wars have to be a source for a broad spectrum of sentiments among those who participated in them. Where the miliary is concerned, it's like a microcosim of the general population. There are the good, the bad, and the ugly; Not all its members are heroes or patriots as evidenced by the sexually harassed female enlistees, not to mention the "fraggin" within the ranks where comrades kill each other.The high rate of suicides, and post traumatic stress that have triggered violent incidents are also tragic reminders of the toll these wars have taken. Nevertheless, the recent reports that many among the rank and file of the standing Army were disgusted with Obama for being "chicken" about Syria, are significant. They wanted him to be more aggressive. Apparently peace is not a priority among men trained to kill. Those, however, who are awarded medals for their bravery are true warriors, and are examples of a "few good men" being "all they can be".

A remarkable woman. I couldn't help but wonder why she allied herself with black people as opposed to Chinese ones who also have a long history of being subjected to racism in America. I can only conclude that she decided Blacks were who needed help the most because the Chinese are self-sufficient. The black race attracts activist humanitarians because it is where so many ills and woes reside. Its chronic afflictions, of which self destruction is a symptom, are a challenge for do-gooders who want to heal the world I like what Ms. Boggs said about not getting "bogged" down in old ideas. I wonder if she has any new ideas as to how African-Americans can cope with racism since the Civil Rights movement failed to dislodge it. I suspect she would focus on the word "cope" because eliminating racism is not an option. Racism is apparently a natural phenomenon that, like a virus, goes into remission and then a mutated version of it returns.