Pioneer1

Troy I don't know how quickly vets can get a Passport, I know for us civilians it can take a while after applying. And you never know what type of emergency may jump off where you might have to book up out of here immediately. Especially if Trump is President talking about building walls around the country to keep people out........or will it really be to keep people in? Mine has really come in handy in more ways than I could imagine. I got my Passport originally so that I could go to Europe but now it helps me get into Canada. When I first started going to Canada at 17 all you needed was ID to prove your citizenship. Then after 9/11 they started demanding you bring your birth certificate to cross over. Now you need either a Passport or "Enhanced ID" just to get across the river.....AND GET BACK! Border security will harass you even if they know you're an American, especially Blacks and Arabs. I'll also co-sign on your point about how traveling abroad tends to change one's perspective and offers you someting to compare the United States to. Much of my dissatisfaction with how things are managed here actually COMES from my having been to Europe and my frequent trips to Canada which showed me there were better more effecient ways of doing things. I went to Europe and every day I interacted with Black people who could speak 3 or 4 different languages, MOST had academic degrees and professional jobs or their own businesses, and most had clear criminal records and were on friendly terms with the local police. That let me know that there must be something wrong with the SYSTEM Blacks find themselves in here in America more so than a problem with Black people themselves. If being Black in and of itself was the problem (as racists and most conservatives would have you believe) then you would find the same social dysfunction among Black people in other Western nations....but you don't. I was in Belgium and was suprised to find the Congolese population there own atleast 2 television stations and have their own districts . They are members of parliament and hold other offices of authority. I didn't know ANY of this until I actually traveled 6,000 miles and saw it for myself. You don't hear about this on U.S. television. Haitians also have a lot of power in Montreal Canada. 　 I think BOTH of you are remarkable btw... Aside from health, imparting knowledge is one of the greatest gives one human could give another so anytime Black men are willing to join the TEACHING profession and impart knowledge to the youth from a perspective only a Black man could give....that deserves applause and admiration. Just like I personally believe Black police officers are BEST qualified (not that others can't) to handle other Black people in a proper manner because we tend to KNOW eachother and can tell the decent from the not so decent better than those outside of our community can.... It's the same when it comes to teaching. There are certain things about Black males that only other older Black males who have been through what they've been through already can teach them...and in the WAY they need to be taught. CD Your story reminds me of one of my friends growing up who used to carry all types of guns and dope to school. He used to come to class just to sleep and then wake up bragging about what he saw at the dope house last night...lol. He wasn't necessarily hard...just criminal minded. People thought he would be dead or in jail before even graduating. But he was good at hooping and the coach helped him graduate. 10 years later I saw the brother in line at the bank in a suit, overcoat, and briefcase looking like Denzel Washington. That negro fucked around and got a Doctorate and ended up PRINCIPLE of one of the local Middle Schools! When he told me this, knowing him, I said he HAD to be lying so a few weeks later I decided to go to the school and ask around and before I could park I saw him outside the school in a different suit and a stack of papers in his hand giving little kids high-fives and bumping fists with parents as they came to pick up their children. I was glowing the rest of the day after witnessing that. It just goes to show, you never know where life will take you....if you keep on living.

Troy Well I would be honored if Sara, Cynique attended the party I'm co-hosting in Chicago on May 11th, out 10th annual Black Pack Party. If that got Pioneer out that is even better. LOL..... I was actually joking. But since you invited them both you better HOPE they get it together before before coming to your event or you're going to NEED me to come.....as well as CD, Del, and nearly half of the Black men in America just to keep order. They'll turn that mug from a Black Pack Party to a Worldstar Hiphop Auditioning ...lol. But I don't think we have to worry about that, because I'm confident things WILL work themselves out in short order. ((smile))

Well, few things work without a solid plan to implement them, big or small. If you recall..... One of my first posts in this thread offered a defense for Obama in that with all of the complaining so many of our people have about his performance....most haven't put forth the slightest effort to raise up off their ass and ORGANIZE an agenda for him. One of the problems with our people whether it comes to national politics or local grassroots activism is that many of them don't like THINKING. Too busy posting x-rated pictures on Facebook and Instagram to waste time on an agenda to offer the first Black President that may have gotten them more jobs and better education for their children. Like you said, I've found that the biggest difference I can make is at the local and county levels and thats where most of my focus was until the situation arose up in Flint which is another region. I've come to the conclusion that whether it comes to installing politicals allies, grass roots social activism, or hard work as a means of achieving Black success; It's not a matter of either or....it's all of thee above. Simultaneously! It's a constant dance of organizing to set an agenda, finding the right people to impliment it on the city, state, and federal levels, and once they push the agenda and get it through it's up to US to take advantage of the newfound opportunities and make them work (whether it's entrance into a university, access to government contracts to build, or business venture), and turn around and use the wealth and capital we've acquired to push for MORE political influence to do the same thing over and over again increasing our success and influence. It shouldn't stop....once we get the momentum going it should increase. One of the biggest problems with our people is they are too easily "satisfied". After all the yelling, and marching and stomping and fighting to get in the damn place...as soon as they get their foot in the door they stop moving, get complacent, get happy just to sit down on the couch and watch television in the lobby.....who cares what's going on in the boardroom. We have to learn how to take advantage of the momentum that we work so hard to generate.

CD Lol.....well daaaang-ee, now I wanna move to Memphis! You know what bro, I have to step back and say you're right I don't live down there so I'm in no position to tell you what's going on in your own city. I can only speak from MY experience just like you've been speaking from yours. I will say that I've live in almost every region of this nation (North, Midwest, WestCoast, South, ect....) so I feel I have a pretty good grasp of what's going on around the nation, but still....you know your city better than I do. As it has been pointed out by yourself and Cynique, we don't necessarity disagree...we just see two different paths to get to the same destination of Black economic and social success. ..and BOTH paths are needed. Everyone is different and they must find their own success by methods that work for THEM, not the next man. By the way, I'm not the political rabble-rouser you may think I am. I'm definatly more grassroots and only dabble in politics when necessary to accomplish goals that CAN'T (or shouldn't) be handled on a grassroots level. I cuss too much and ain't considered "cute" enough to be a professional politician...lol. It's just that some things CAN'T be handled on an individual or grassroots collective level no matter how sincere the effort, and MUST be addressed by a government entity. For example a couple years back my community had a problem with a surge in homeless people resulting from the '08 realestate crash that hit Detroit especially hard. I don't live in Detroit, I live in one of it's major satelite cities. But back then there were no homeless shelters here, and to complicate things there were a lot of churches and feeding programs that attracted hundreds of homeless people. Also, Detroit was so dangerous that living on the actual streets here was more appealing to many homeless men and women and their families than staying at one of Detroit's shelters. So as hundreds of homeless started fleeing the city, many came with drug and mental health problems and started harassing the residents, committing petty crimes and that escalated to cats overdosing on the street, wandering around and some were hit by cars, others froze to death...and some even got killed by police. Me and other Black residents saw this and didn't like how the city was handling this situation so but there is only so much we as private citizens could do so we had to organize, come up with an AGENDA (as I said before concerning Obama) and take it to the city and county governments and after months of squabbling we eventually FORCED them to take action and renovate a vacant building for shelter and provide enough drug and mental health counselors to meet the demands of the people. We NEEDED government for that...we didn't have the resources to do it by ourselves. The purpose of a GOVERNMENT isn't just to take your money in taxes and give it away. It's to protect and help you.....especially when you can't help yourself. You can take the, "Fuck you I don't need your help I can help myself just fine thank you"...attitude. But do you think you will be young and healthy forever? Again, no man is an island. Most of our successes aren't due to our own efforts alone, there is always someone else involved in assisting you whether you're aware of it or not even if they laid the grounwork for YOUR efforts. The success all Black men and women....hell most of the success LATINOS AND ASIANS AND ARABS. enjoy today isn't because of how hard they worked. Hell, Arabs and Chinese were working HARD in Iraq and China and other nations....but all that hard work was useless because they were toiling under a repressive government that stifled their success. It wasn't until they came to AMERICA where Blacks had earlier paved the way for ALL RACES to enjoy a piece of the pie, did all of these foreigners start seeing the full fruits of their labors. You can focus on owning a business and sending your children to the best schools to get an education instead of complaining about racism holding you back. But you can only do that because others fought to make racism less of an issue for you to focus on. Every man who decides to pull himself up by his bootstraps should thank those who struggled to pay for his boots. BTW, get yourself a passport bro.... I keep mine updated, you never know when you might have to book up out of this mug. P.S....you BETTER get it before Trump is sworn into office...lol.

Well, I believe Marcus Garvey said he might "come back" as a whirlwind to inflict punishment on White America. I never did care too much for Paul Mooney's work. Too me, his jokes seem a bit dry and he looks too serious about his subjects to make a good joke out of them. Lol...is it just me or does anyone else pick up a slight "gay vibe" from our brother Paul?

Troy I'm sure you don't need ME defending you, but in your defense I would say that you've done your job by keeping the site up and keeping the trolls off (Don't post it Sara!...lol). If I were a betting man, I'd wager you don't have the time or desire to hang around this site all day babysitting grown women obsessed with slinging shit at eachother. Maybe you should invite both Cynique AND Sara to your presentation in Chicago next month. Becaue if they BOTH agree to go...I know I'LL be there.....lol. Cynique I'm ready to move on. Ahhhhh theeere we go! That's what I expected from you and I wasn't disappointed. Now, I suppose the conventional thing to tell you is how pleased I am that you took the first step toward progress, but that would be slighly deceptive as truthfully whether or not you both make peace doesn't make THAT big of a difference to me and probably most of the other men on the site. Both you and Sara are smart, opinionated, socially and politically conscious Black women (Well, Cynique I don't consider you really "Black" but....lol) whom I enjoy corresponding with. And I know if this keeps up one of you will probably wander off and stay away which I really don't want. Like I said, you don't have to be bosom buddies.....just an end to hostilities so that you can post questions and comments to eachother without fear of being attacked by the other. Sara Alright Sara, where you at Miss Lady? Cynique has laid her gun down for a hot second. ((smile)) I know you've been peeping in from time to time. Come on back in this room and do the RIGHT thang....lol.

CD There is absolutely NO city in this nation that Black people control completely or even by half. The mayor and city council have just about as much control over the REAL economy of a city as the President and Congress has over the country.....lol. They are mere figureheads that hide the political and social elite who control the REAL flow of wealth. Flint had both a Black mayor and a Black city council and still the Governor was able to override the power of them all and impose his authority. Racist rightwing governors control most of the power in this nation, especially when you have a weak Democrat like Obama in office who is convinced a non-confrontational all-compromising approach is the base strategy to get things done. In nearly every city in America, the police unions are ran by Whites. The teacher's unions are ran by Whites. In nearly every city there is a cartel of White economic and political policy makers who work behind the scenes usually in banking and realestate to determine housing stock, property values, interest rates, zoning laws, ect.... The media in just about every city is owned and operated primarily by Whites and racist editors use their authority to shape and influence public opinion in a way no Black Mayor or city Councilman has done. The gas, water, and other power companies in just about every city including Memphis is owned by private White firms who can shut off the gas, water, and lights of anyone they choose. Black people in America today whether in Memphis Tennessee or Los Angeles California with the few businesses and houses they THINK they own (because as long as you have to pay taxes you never really "own" property.....you basically rent it from the government) are in little better position than the Jews were in Nazi Germany back in the 30s. They thought because they had a little economic success that they were safe, but they didn't control the media nor hold any real political power in Germany which allowed them to falll victim to a facist dictator. And Trump fits that bill today as the conditions are similar. Now don't get me wrong bro, I'm not saying people shouldn't be held accountable for the bad decisions they make in life. But in order to be RESPONS-IBLE....one must be ABLE TO RESPOND. When people are deprived of knowledge and limited in their options, as so many in our communities are....limited opportunity leads to limited thinking ability which leads to desprate behavior. People do what they have to do to survive as survival is an instinct. You can't preach to someone about not selling drugs or hitting licks to get money if you offer them no other alternative based on their abilities. They are in no position to be responsible for what they do out of desperation or ignorance. When people KNOW better they DO better. Again, I offer no conspiracy THEORIES.....these are conspiracy facts. The fact is Black children are purposely being miseducated, targeted for incarceration, and denied basic opportunities and it's being brought by an organized group of individuals called Conservative Republicans. It's recently come out that Richard Nixon purposely targeted the Black community to and used the war on drugs as an excuse to lock up Black men and stifle Black success. The poisons in the water as well as OTHER environmental toxins (like vaccines) have been well documented to contributing to the violence and learning disabilities in Black youth. Also the poor public educational system found in cities all over the nation have contributed to a degenerate way of life in most urban centers around the nation. Our children today don't recieve as good as an education as our parents got 50 years ago in the public schools. 50 years ago boys used to learn auto-mechanical skills, construction and carpentry, electrical....girls learned home economics. Black students had more skills coming out of highschool 50 years ago than they do graduating from college today. And tended to be more articulate. Look at some of the old Black and White footage of Black youth back in the 60s and 50s and how they were able to intelligently articulate their ideas and concerns about the civil rights movement.....and contrast that to the mumble-mouth clowns of today who seem to talk much slower. Even the rap music today is much slower than it was 20 years ago...some of these cats sound retarded, lol. My mother is from Mississippi and used to take me down South from time to time to visit relatives. Back in the 70s the Black youth down their basically sounded the same as the Black youth in Detroit...only with a slight southern twang. Today I can barely understand WHAT the hell most of those younger cats from Mississippi and Georgia are saying they are mumbling and dragging and half pronouncing so much of thier vocabulary. White kids born and raised in the same district don't even sound like them. Some of these young negroes sound like slaves who just stepped off a plantation. No wonder kids form both Asia and Africa can come over and kick thier ass academically. This is no accident. American children (especially Black children) are being PURPOSELY dumbed down and miseducated. My basic point is, you have people in government who are actively involved in trying to DESTROY Black America and this is an absolute fact. You can't fight this by yourself, or by giving pep rallies and motivational speeches to young people. You need political ALLIES. People in high places of government who will keep these enemies in check ad protect you and your interests.

Pioneer sits down with Cynique and Sara to work things out. Sara Well I GUESS I could mind my own business but.... What if seeing my two sisters at peace with eachother is part of my business??? Hmmm???? Cynique I don't have time for this. I don't either. I'm about to go to bed in a minute...(but not to sleep).....lol.

Cynique Now come on.... Look at Sara's post. Nobody who puts those many smiley face emoticons in their posts can be THAT terrible...lol. Why don't you take a chance and poke that sweet little hand out there for Sara to shake.

Cynique I have backed off and not responded to saran wrap's lies. But she's obsesssed. I don't give a damn. Indifference. .....that's a start. Sara Saaraaaaaa......((smile))

I've come to realize that many of my beliefs about what and who constitutes a "real man" were formed by philosphies and ethics shaped during a time where strong aggressive men were absolutely NEEDED by society to protect the family from outside intrusion as well as to be called upon by the community to protect it or the nation from outside aggressors (war). In that settting, ofcourse a strong aggressive very mascuine man would be a necessary component to show young boys how to be the ideal man (ideal for war and fighting). But in a more refined society such as this where you have a superpower military to protect you from outside enemies and a police force to call on to protect you and your family....both of which now have a large percentage of women.......the role of the aggressive macho man seems to be increasingly dispensible. Infact, having a violent father who teaches his sons how to be violent may actually be COUNTERPRODCUCTIVE to properly raising successful young men....as the current laws of the land tend to condemn and punish excessive violence rather than reward it as a virtue as in the past. Perhaps what is really need to help raise a child is the passive/aggressive benefits offered by one parent who is feminine and the other who is masculine....regardless as to the actual SEX of the parents who assume these roles. Meaning, maybe two women could raise a decent productive boy into manhood just as effectively as a man and woman....provided ONE of those women were feminine and caring and the OTHER woman was more masculine an disciplinary.

Troy If institutional racism is not the cause; what is? The only plausible answer must be that Black folks, at least the ones in Memphis, are more violent, and lazy. What else is there? During this converastion I've purposely tried to stay away from *conspiracies as Mr Burns doesn't seem like the type of fellow who puts much stock in them....lol. However I've mentioned numerous times on this site the link between lead contaminated water found in the inner cities all around this nation and provided scientific evidence of being a major cause of the psychological problems, learning disabilities, as well as the high levels of violence found in corresponding regions. But hey...... * Notice I didn't say conspiracy "theories"...because most of these conspiracies have been proven to be absolutely FACTUAL beyond any doubt.

I couldn't have said it better myself ! Just today I was looking at an article about former congressman Mel Reynolds being arrested down in Atlanta. They tend to follow our people around hounding them and hounding them And then we think of Harold Washington...the Black former mayor of Chicago that some say was hounded and harassed so much it gave the man a fatal heart attack.

CD The government moves in stages as you know. Obama Care will be changed to become a better solution (at least I hope it will), but it had to start somewhere and it is a start. It will never be the solution that everyone wants, but my sister in law is in that middle class no man's land. So for her it was a good thing. Yes, but this time I think the government has moved in the WRONG direction. It's basically FORCING citizens to buy a product even if it may cost them financial hardship. Atleast under the old way people could elect not to have healthcare. Now they are FORCED to get it under the threat of being fined, plus you have to disclose your assets and give all type of other personal information for often inferior service. Businessmen should hate this plan because private buinesses are FORCED to give their employees benefits or regulate them to part-time status. Too much policy and regulation produces dishonesty and forces a lot of people to lie just to avoid the hassle and confusion. As far as your accomplishments..... Brother when most Black men have criminal records, unskilled jobs or unemployed, and can barely take care of themselves....you ARE exceptional. Our people are in a vulnerable position economically and it's not going to improve until we DEMAND more decent paying jobs that require little to no skill such as we were enjoying in the factories. I've never lived in Memphis, but I've been through there as well as many other southern cities. Yes, the jobs are plentiful....but unless you have a Master's degree they don't pay shit. If you aren't making enough to support yourself I don't consider that a job...it's just an "occupation" to keep you occupied until the next thing comes along. I have friend who left Detroit and went down to Murphysboro Tennessee to become a private contractor specifically because of the cheaper labor he found down there. And I do recognize that many of the Civil Rights laws that were passed were done for the purposes of "window dressing" during the Cold War. You can't go around fighting wars in Korea and Veitnam in the name of democracy and lecturing Russia on human rights while denying them to millions of your own citizens. But regardless as to the REASON those in government caved and gave in to our demands.....the fact is they DID...and it HELPED. It's like telling an old man his sexy young girlfriend is only with him for his money....he KNOWS that....lol. He don't give a damn. I don't care if MARTIANS came down and forced my government to help me under threat of total destruction....as long as I can get some benefit from it. But to answer your question of what more the government can do to help Blacks succeed... They can start buy producing more good paying jobs that require little to no skill. They can also start putting skilled trade programs BACK in the public school system so that young Black men and women who may not be as intellectually gifted will atleast have an alternative to college....besides prison. And REAL universal healthcare would be a tremendous boost to the economy because employers could spend more of the profits on wage increases instead of providing benefits for their employees that governments in OTHER industrialized nations provide for their own citizens.

Cynique and Sara How about you two agree to a temporary cease in hostilities? Say...until the end of April? It appears both of you find SOME interests in each other's posts, but because of the ongoing feud you probably feel akward trying to give ask a legitimate question or respond to something the other might have said that you find interesting. So worried the other may see you as weak and caving in, you can't even make a serous observation without an insult to let them know it's still "on". "Hey, that sure is a pretty dress.....for an ugly bitch like YOU to be wearing" "Thanks ho.....yo daddy said yo fat ass mama didn't look good in it so he snatched it out the closet and gave it to ME last night." This cease-fire doesn't make you friends. Some things were said that probably will never be forgotten. .....I know I won't forget some of them, lol. It only eases the tension so you can relax and have an occasional exchange on a mutually interesting subject without feeling you have to defend yourself or go on the attack to save face. Besides, a few weeks will give you enough time to think of some REALLY HORRIBLE shit to say to eachother when the ball drops.

Sara Take the compliment and stop trying to start mess I'm gonna take more than the compliment, I'm gonna take an OPPORTUNITY. Since I have both you and Cynique's attention right now.......lol. CD Pioneer, my sister in law had a condition and couldn't get health insurance at all. Because of Obama Care she was finally able to get health insurance although she had a pre-existing condition. What you see as a horrible plan is at least a plan that repaired things for many. This is why blanket dismissal of what this President has done is a complex discussion. For you, Obama Care is not Universal Health Care, for my sister it was a life saver. I don't know what your sister's in laws financial situation was like , but millions of very poor people already had medicaid that covered EVERYTHING before ObamaCare. Obama Care doesn't even cover dental or vison care. I've seen first hand the chaos the Affordable Health Care Act (Obama Care) has cost not only subscribers who have to straddle their income just to qualify, but also a lot of people I know have either lost their jobs or have been busted down to only 20 hours a week since the law forces employeers to cover all full time employees. Plus the cost of treatments and prescription drugs have SKYROCKETED since Obama Care has taken effect because of all the new participants that have been dumped into the public pool. Universal Healthcare was and still is the best and only solution to the health care crisis in America.

CD I must admit that's a hard act to follow bro, especially given MY humble academnic background. I didn't make it past Admissions.....lol. They started talking to me about Pell Grants and student loans, I asked them could they guarantee me a job after I get my Bachelors.....they told me nothing is guaranteed and I told them to kiss my ass and walked out. (true story) I also had a great paying job in sales at the time and at that age didn't have the wisdom to realize how unstable entry-level jobs like that tend to be. Not only would I call you EXCEPTIONAL, I would call it a BLESSING. I know quite a few cats who were denied entry into both major universities and the military for offences less serious than Grand Theft Auto....obviously you had somebody pulling for you to get you in the door. However do we want to live in a society where only exceptional people of remarkable talent and drive like yourself can make it? If so....that means we want a society where MOST people are doomed for failure. That type of society is called THIRD WORLD..where only a wealthy or exceptionally talented few are able to earn a living and the rest of the population is trapped in a cycle of poverty, ignorance, and social decadence. I would like to see an America where the average Black woman and man is able to achieve what you have WITHOUT going through the hell and stress to get there. Your information is possibly more valuable for those lurking than it is for me because no matter what you write, you can never explain to me how the last 40 years is any way worse than the first 400 for Blacks. You can't do it Why would I even TRY to.......especially when it proves my point ! There's a REASON why the past 40 years have been better....lol. The demands, protests, and pressure on the Federal government that forced it to change it's domestic policies IMPROVED the lives of AfroAmericans. Despite negatives like high incarcerations rates and dysfuntional families, Black Americans for the most part are enjoying more prosperity overall than our foreparents had in the past 400 years. Again, all of this wasn't by accident. It wasn't because a handful of Black men decided to button BOTH straps on their overalls and put in some EXTRA work. Most of our economic and political success can be directly tied to changes in social and political policies that this government was FORCED to impliment. By the way I read your article and agree with you about the problem with nepotism in Black businesses. Nepotism is a major handicap in too many Black businesses as so many "good" Black folks feel they are obligated to hire every cousin who gets out of jail or every nephew who got fired at their old job for stealing. And once you hire them....it's hell trying to fire them. If THEY aren't threatening you, the family is looking at you akward It's one of the major obstacles to the efficient functioning of most Black businesses

Cynique 　 You have a very broad scope of knowledge, Pioneer, and are rarely a candidate for being blitzed with a lot "information" that's old news to you. You're mellowed out, and I like exchanging gibes with you because you got that wry humor going for ya, something which helps to keep things in perspective. Ahhhh shucks........stop. Actually...don't stop...I LIKE hearing that shit. I have a somewhat different perspective of the world since I first started posting here a few years ago. Back then I was speaking more from a structured and somewhat religious point of view. If you'll recall although I didn't BASH gays, I was against homosexuality. I was also quite patriarchal. But I decided to re-examine my thinking and beliefs and I started focusing on accepting things I KNOW through experience and observation to be true rather than outdated ideaologies, theories, and religious dogma. To me, its obvious that even if Obama did try to launch wide spread programs to benefit his race, the Republicans would've blocked them. And you gotta give the guy an "E" for effort for his performances during news conferences. He was pretty good at shedding tears and looking sad every time a black kid was shot down by the cops. His pensive line that "Trayvon Martin could've been his son" was classic You know, one of the biggest problems I've had with Obama is he "thinks" too much. And as usual with overly cautious people... his cereberalism too often leads to inaction. He's so busy anticipating and worrying about what the Republican opposition thinks and how they may counter his moves...that despite his crocodile tears and lip service he either refuses to move on liberal social issues or actually takes a REPUBLICAN position on an issue beating them at their own game...to the dismay of his supporters. A good example is Obama Care. Most of those who voted for him (including myself his first term) voted for him expecting for him to push Universal Healthcare. He didn't even bring it up....out of fear of what the Republicans MIGHT do. Instead he promotes and passes a mandated program that is more right wing than most Republicans could have dreamed of....and claims it as a victory. His position on gun control (or lack there of) is another example of him being frozen in fear of what the Republicans may think. There has probably been more mass shootings under his Administration and he's done LESS on gun control than any other President in the last 80 years. That's pretty much how he's ran his Presidency, walking on egg-shells and trying to "out Republican" the Republicans as some sort of twisted strategy to avoid inevitable confrontation. Meanwhile Conservatives are sitting back and enjoying an Administration that has been more helpful in pusing THEIR foreign and domestic policies than any other Democratic Administration since Woodrow Wilson. Sara I have to add that I am impressed with Pioneer who not only shares, but receives information he was not privy to before and incorporates it into his repertoire of knowledge, and especially with Troy who not only shares and incorporates new knowledge, but expresses his appreciation for same. It's the mark of a thoughtful person, a big person. It's the mark of one not wholly ruled by ego who truly cares about the black condition Thaaaank ya, baaaaaaby.... Lol, who needs a Pioneer1Fan when I got you! But for some reason, I get the feeling that the real focus is on who you left out.....lol

Cynique As old and as diverse as humanity is, it's hard to believe there is ANY type of familial or living arrangement that is new under the sun. The problem...again..is Western Civilization. Despite it's modernclaims of religious and social freedom, it is still very limiting....constricting...so they tended to stamp out a lot of alternative lifestyles and systems that benefitted those who may not fit into the neat little "Adam and Eve" concept of family life. I've long seen how the typical "nuclear family" as promoted by Western Society was for the most part unattainable for MOST Black and Brown families. It costs massive amounts of money for one person to make enough to support an entire family and provide a home for them. This has been next to impossible for people in most societies around the world....which is why the extended family is the norm. But let the average wealthy White American tell it, "other people" are weird because they don't have the wealth and free time maintain a stable family with a picket fence and dog. The old ideas of what a "family" should be will most certainly be replaced. I predict the biggest obstacle in the implimentation of alternative family structures won't be moral or religious...I think the biggest obstacle will the the physical infrastructure itself. Most homes in the United States are designed for the nuclear family. Right now we're brainstorming ideas on how to redesign living units for new housing in Flint that will reflect a more extended family culture offering more bedrooms and a larger "living space" within each house or apartment unit.

Pioneer1Fan The gig is up homie.....lol. I think they know you are me and I am you. .....unless Kerry Washington is lurking on this site for real and wants to assume the role !

Sara Well thank you for amplifying my point with more examples of how just about everyone has benefited off of the United States federal government.....even more so than Black America itself. Reminds me of ole mammy's titty that used to feed a dozen little white babies before it got to feed her own. BTW, I didn't forget about the Marshall Plan, I was actually saving it for later along with the rebuilding of Japan and making it a technological center. Ronald Reagan was the first to start shutting down mental health facilities in California to save the state money and once he started doing it and other governors saw him get away with it, it started a ripple effect all over the entire nations. Like you said causing the homeless crisis we see today. Most of the vicims of police shootings are mentally disturbed and developmentally disabled individuals who a couple generations ago would have been safely confined to mental institutions for their and the public's safety. Today they're out on the street either victimizing people or are victims themselves until they run across trigger happy cops. The recent situation in Texas involving that 17 year old Black boy accused of foul play in the disappearance and death of that 18 year old college student is an example of a failed system. Whether he's guilty or not, the question I have is why was a 17 year old minor with developmental disabilities homeless and out roaming the streets?

Ahh man, what happened to my Pioneer1fan joke post?

Cynique Well, Pioneer, I am of the opinion that West and Smiley were suffering from serious cases of bruised egos. I think that because he supported Obama's presidential run, Cornel thought he was going to become one of the resident black academics in Obama's white house inner circle and Obama snubbed. him. And Tavis was quite miffed and obviously hurt that Obama declined to appear at the big black think tank convention he sponsored and which ran on C-Span. I really believe Ben Carson was jealous of Obama because Barak stole a lot of his "Super Negro" thunder and Ben always had a lot of snide things to say about him. 　 I think, too, that there was a certain element among black leaders who may not have wanted to be president, but who thought they could do a better job than Barack was doing and, again, this includes Carson. To be honest I wasn't COUNTING the silly negroes who aspouse right wing self-depricating beliefs like Herman "999" Cain, Alan "get your hands off me" Keyes, and Ben Carson whom I DO have a little more respect for than the other 2. It goes without saying they were "hating" on Obama. But what you said about the others makes more sense to me now that you've detailed it. But could Cornel seriously see himself as being a part of Obama's Cabinet or one of his top Advisors? I mean, could YOU see him sitting up at one of Obama's diplomatic meetings in Moscow or Beijing rocking back and forth with that big Afro, talking loud and getting all up in people's personal space....lol. CD Pioneer when has any president really focused on domestic policies that shape Black America? 1. Franklin D. Rooselvelt....by proxy giving Blacks tremendous economic benefit through the New Deal and WPA programs. Through housing projects, he also solved the housing crisis so many Black people in the cities found themselves in. 2. Lyndon B. Johnson....giving us political/legal assistance with the Civil Rights Act and numerous inner city jobs programs But all this was well over 40 years ago, no other president has really focused on helping the Black community in an effective manner since.....because we haven't demanded it. While I believe we as a people need to be more self reliant, I recognize that the concept of "rugged individualism" is just a myth usually used by conservative White men...who certainly don't practice it themselves. ALL groups who have achieved anything of value in the United States have benefited off of the government helping them in one way or another whether it's Blacks who depending on the Federal Government to rescue them from the oppression of State monarchies (Civil War, Jim Crow) or Whites who took advantage of the Homestead Act to get FREE land to build a a future for themselves or took advantage of the GI Bills to acquire homes in the suburbs....ruining the property value of America's inner cities. Or Asian/Arab immigrants who benefit off of Federal government tax breaks and immigration policies that invite them in for an education and economic opportunities. Not only do other groups IN AMERICA benefit off of the government, nearly the entire REST OF THE WORLD benefits off of our Federal government in the form of foreign aid. Think about the billions of dollars sent to help the economies of Japan, South Korea, Russia, China, and other nations we are supposedly in "competition" with. But when it comes to helping fellow Americans, especially the Black man and woman in the city....they say stop asking for a hand out and pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. It would be one thing if Blacks were LEFT ALONE to scrap up enough money and resources to build their own businesses like the old days, but today not only is there an economic challenge to come up with the money but too often a LEGAL challenge when it comes to trying to start up your own business with zealous lawyers and other legalists who sit around making up unnecessary laws and policies and hoops to jump through just to open up a hotdog stand. I'm not sure about Memphis but back in the 1970s when Black folks made up less than a third of Detroits population we managed to elect a bold Black mayor, and owned hundreds if not thousands of Black businesses in the city. 10 years later afer Ronald flip-Wilson Reagan came into office most of those businesses were destroyed and many of the Black politicians were indicted and persecuted and the Black neighborhoods began to deteriorate. Reagan and his conservative allies at the state and local levels did this through LAWS, CODES, and POLICIES that went around nit-picking and finding faulth with the paper work and legality of many Black businesses causing them to constantly be in and out of court, renewing liscences, and filling out tons of paper work....all in an effort to crush their morale. This is why we need a FRIEND in the White house. We not only need someone who looks out for us economically but POLITICALLY too, to change and challenge adverse laws that seem to target small and Black businesses in an effort to limit Black success. Everyone who sends a man to office EXPECTS something from him. Everyone has their hand out....that's politics. No man is an island that he can do everything FOR himself BY himself. You need allies and friends. What good is a guy in office who ain't doing anything for you?

Ofcourse Blacks were coming here since before Columbus. It was the Blacks (Moors) who showed the Spanish how to get here in the first place, lol. Infact, one of Columbus's ships (The Nina or Nino) was named after the Black man who sailed with him and helped him get here and back....Pedro Nino

Today's college education teaches Black youth how to "fit in" to a society that has already been established by others. A society where they're increasingly not wanted. Marketing manager? Computer software designer? Intelligence expert? These are all careers for the individual who is already living in an established and well build society, and is welcomed in that society. These careers are for social "refinement". Black youth need to learn how to mold and BUILD a society for themselves within America that is more conducive to their own social, moral, and economic habits. This requires skills in building a basic foundation. Civil engineering Architecture Urban planning Metal works, ect..... THESE are what Black youth should be focused on learning ! How to repair THEIR communities and how to build new ones. I go to Starbucks and see a young Black man in glasses sitting on a stool and grinning at me talking about he wants to be the next Steve Jobs and I slap that chocolate latte out of his hand and all over his laptop making it sizzle and smoke! He doesn't even know how to grow food to FEED himself ,but some movie he saw or one of his goof-off White friends has fooled him into focusing on some hightech computerized garbage that does little to NOTHING toward solving the serious problems of his home'hood back in Philadelphia. I told him Philadelphia and D.C. and most urban inner cities are falling apart. Instead of focusing on a degree so you can beg some else for a job and then go chasing after them to get out of the ghetto.....learn how to rebuild the ghetto and make it a place others would want to move to.