OUR MIS-EDUCATION OF SEX IN OUR COMMUNITY

We all should know that sex plays a very important part in our lives, but we also have to understand that its real function is to procreate. However, it’s the mis-education of sex among Black youth in our community that is creating serious problems: child abuse. It’s a crying shame to have to watch news reports about Black children that have been strangled, burned, starved, trashed, abandoned, beaten, poisoned, and left in cars to suffocate, usually by young parents or family members. I remember a young Black mother leaving her two children in the car to suffocate while she was getting a new hair weave. Same year, a Black man threw acid in the face of his sleeping three-month-old son. Also, the following year, police were summoned to a house where family members told them that a pet “pit bulldog” had attacked their newborn baby, only 48 hours old, who was left unattended in a room with the vicious hungry animal. The police found the bloody headless body of the baby on the floor of the room, and had to kill the dog to reclaim the baby’s head, which the dog was chewing on! And in Philly, a Black woman called police after becoming suspicious of a peculiar odor coming from the apartment next door. When the police arrived, they found a baby barely alive lying in a roasting pan in a hot oven. When police asked the mother,” Why would she do such a horrible thing to her own child?” Her reply was “The devil made me do it!” And the list goes on and on. Real-life horror stories of which there seems to be no immediate remedy as to how to put an end to these human atrocities. The Department of Welfare and Children’s Services are not helping either. In fact, in most of the child abuse cases handled by these agencies, the abusive parent receives inadequate counseling and/or rehabilitation; saving tax payers money, and the real victim (child) is quickly returned to the same abusive parent, who in most cases continues to abuse and/or kills the child. We cannot expect social service agencies or any institution that doesn’t have our best interest at heart to resolve our problems. We Black folks have to do it. Unfortunately, there are too many temptations out there that lure our Black youth into the world of sex and perversion. The number one culprit is the television, watched by millions of Black youth, which employs the use of ads to promote the very early interest in sex. It’s the most powerful tool the propagandist has to influence their thinking and behavior. Sponsors pay millions of dollars, the networks get richer and filthier and the government rakes in more money. Sex is a multi-billion dollar industry, and the big time hustlers: Uncle Sam and the networks don’t give a damn who’s child they string out as long as they’re making money. Young Black men and women get caught up in the “1-800-LOVE LINE” which promotes prostitution, and young girls emulate and idolize some whorish female personalities, unprepared for the consequences that lay ahead. Planned Parenthood, and birth control clinics signal to our youth that sex outside of marriage is okay as long as they don’t get caught, ( pregnancy, AIDS.) When young women find themselves “In trouble,” they believe that the easiest route is to abort the child. After all, it’s just a fetus not yet fully developed. These clinics remove personal accountability and responsibility from the clients and replace them with coils, jells and methods of sterilization. They offer nothing to our youth, and in particular, the unborn child. In some areas of the U.S., public schools systems are teaching our young Black boys (9 and 10 year olds), the proper use of condoms. Their argument is that “children are becoming more sexually conscious and active at an earlier age, and therefore, to protect them from the spread of highly infectious diseases, like AIDS; it is better to be safe than sorry.” In the meantime, police in Chicago arrest two 10-year- old boys for gang raping a 7-year- old girl while their friends casually watched and cheered. No one should be talking to your children about sex but you, the parent, or another concerned responsible family member. Parents played an active role in their child’s birth, and should take an equally active part in their moral training and development. Sex education is clearly not the responsibility of the government. Teaching our children to abstain from sex before marriage is by far the best solution in avoiding unwanted pregnancies, social diseases and character assassination. However, teaching our children about sex should not begin when they are already engaged in it. The process of educating them should start early and be gradual. Families that show love, genuine concern, and are sensitive to their children, are better able to discuss concerns and feelings they may have and don’t understand. As our children continue to grow and develop, they’re undergoing very confusing periods in their lives. False accusations and unfounded suspicions only block the lines of effective communication further. If our children are uncomfortable or reluctant to talk to us about sex, they may look for answers elsewhere. Knowing who your children are hanging out with is equally as important in educating them about sex. If we know where our children are going to bed and whom they’re with, it won’t be too difficult to figure out what they’re doing. In other words, get familiar with your child’s friends and associates. If their “homies” are the type that attract trouble, then it may be better to cut the contact altogether. Their peers will probably ridicule them, but they will survive. When people don’t have good sense of values, their direction is usually uncertain as well. REAL TALK: “ANGRY BLACK MAN”…. TO YOU YOUNG BLACK GIRLS More than ever, you young impressionable girls must face the inevitability of raising your children alone, especially if you are poor and have no education. Think about this, you will become just another statistic filed away for someone’s research (Black, young, pregnant, unwed and on welfare) if you don’t use proper values! Soap operas, videos, reality shows, BET, and made for television films only glamorize the real world because they’re centered on white values rather than Black values. If you young Black girls want a shot at achieving some of your goals in life, you must begin now by preparing to make certain sacrifices. Learning self-restraint and moral ethics can be the key to your future and the future of your children too. Chances are that if you are in a “Cycle” of having babies every year or so, opportunities become almost impossible to achieve. Lets face it, there will be no responsible brother waiting for you in the wings now or anytime, if you persist in repeating past mistakes. What you will get, however, will be somebody nobody wants or needs…leftovers. Parenting is a tremendous responsibility, which requires maturity, patience and love. Two of those won’t be there if you see your child as burdens or free tickets to getting a man. Self –respect, self-love and looking out for your own future is far more important. There is a lot of good and bad in our communities, and having the right set of values, and planning realistic strategies will better prepare you for some of the good life in the near future. Give your life a chance to enjoy what is good out there. Put sex on the backburner until you marry. You’ll never regret it, I’m Phillip Norton and I’m out!!!!!

DO YOU HAVE TO LOOSE YOUR MIND TO RE-CLAIM YOUR SANITY?

Late last night I was caught by surprise when the television began to play old songs from the fifties and sixties that I grew up listening to. It was one of those Time/Life paid commercials that lasts for about thirty minutes, but lure you into buying a set of Compact Discs that seems to be a good deal, and it actually is. Now anyone who truly knows me, knows that I don’t give my conscious and subconscious mind to the television at all ,and when I do, I filter everything that I observe on it, and keep my viewings limited to CNN/MSNBC/FOX News because I will never submit myself to being “dumbed down.” And I only watch FOX because I like to keep up with the enemy within! But because this was music that I could trust, it was already embedded in the deepest recesses of my mind from my childhood, I was happy to take a trip down memory lane as they played lil pieces of the many songs that they had to offer. The songs came at me fast and began to stir up the long forgotten but ever present memories that had settled behind the present events of my life, like that huge spoon that I can remember my Mother used to give us Father Johns and Castor Oil! Ugg, damn, I can taste it now! As the thoughts developed once again for me to enjoy as the music played, I couldn’t help but think of how the world that we currently live in is so much different from those golden times that brought us those warm feelings as we lived them. I came to the conclusion right then and there that there will never be another time like that for the rest of my life unless something very drastic changes. While looking back on my younger years (I ain’t that old yet, but I have enough years under my belt to be able to speak about them and the precious lessons learned in hindsight!) and believe me when I tell you, excitement was always my constant companion and it had a way of finding me even when I tried to hide from it. But those days I had good clean fun. Sure, I had a few fistfights, but you shook hands and nursed your bloody nose and busted lip and found a way to become friends after your differences were settled. There were no shootouts or deaths, and being arrested was out of the question. It was a different time than it is now, this is why for me to arrive home to a quiet apartment, and the only sound that I can hear is the gentle humming of my old desk-top is more exciting than those crazy parties that I used to throw and more satisfying than the even more outlandish things that I did at them! But such is maturity and I do thank God that I made it to 57 ¾ years at the time of this writing (Well almost!) and it makes me think why most people ( including me) aren’t operating and functioning properly in the world the way it is today. This music commercial had me feeling so, so good, but at the same time wishing that that world was still around. I wondered, just as I’m reminiscing on the wholesome golden times of my childhood by these songs that were passionate, emotional and family friendly clean, what will the present generation look back on as they hit middle age and beyond, and when they do look back, will they realize that they have been literally robbed by the mindset that they were coerced to adopt? Will they realize that for most of their formative years and beyond, that they have lost their minds? Some of us who should know better (including me), have continued on with our destructive indulgences long beyond the point of being able to cry ignorance because we just downright love and have committed to living such a filthy life and refusing to adopt the new mindset that will have us ascend to that next level. In order to gain anything in this life, you have to be willing to part with something. The reason why many of us never make it to that next desired level in our lives is because we want to bring everything in our current reality with us to our new one. That is so foolish but it is something that I constantly execute and never realize why I will reach my new level of existence or damage that place by tainting it with the things that should have been left in the past. Whew! But we can be stubborn folks indeed, so for those who of you who are a bit more humble in their demeanor and are willing to embrace all that they’ve hoped for, know that you must lose your mind in order to gain your sanity. But wait. Does that even make sense? Sure it does! In this so called modern world, we have lost our unique identities, we do not feel that we’re good enough to be our original selves so we have exchanged and forfeited our original selves for the cookie cutter lives that we strive to live. Through the constant bombardment on our good senses via the internet, print, and television, attacks on our minds have softened us up to accept anything that is given to us in our altered mental state. We go through life not looking dead on and focused on our particular path, but we’re moving forward, but looking sideways to see what others are doing and setting ourselves up for a sure disaster because we are not 100% focused on our real affairs. Damn, did I say that? Life, to many of us (including me) is like drinking that cup of Seven Up that was left out a lil bit too long with melted ice ensuring that twangy taste is watered down and the sparkle gone! It may appear to be the drink that we craved, but upon a closer inspection it is nothing like what we’ve come to expect. We copy each other in style, fashion, likes and dislikes and wonder why we feel like we’re going insane from a life that does nothing for us. Our year old car is now not good enough because our next door neighbor has a newer one that is more expensive. We stopped talking to our good friends because they have moved on to live in a community with a higher tax bracket. We lust after our friends spouse and neglect the one we have at home, lying to ourselves in saying that we simply “lost it.” Damn! We are the reasons why we make our lives so shallow and paper thin! It’s like making love and not feeling a damn thing, or taking a bite of your favorite food and having it taste like chalk. Sure, it’s enough to make a motherfucker crazy because after all of the hype, to possess the mind of this imposter in your head will give you absolutely no choice but to give that person a false happiness that has no flavor. We have more technology, more gadgets than we could have imagined! Remember way back when we all wanted a watch that worked like Dick Tracey’s or a communicator like Captain Kirk’s on Star Trek. We have so much, yet we’re losing our minds reluctantly in record numbers because it is nature’s attempt to bring us back into a divine balance and true sanity! If we continue to consume these genetically engineered foods and flood our internal organs with medications to boost our abilities to do for our bodies artificially what should be done for itself, we will feel no joy in our daily lives because of this. After a hard day’s work, and not being able to easily sleep, or after an ample and stimulating view of beautiful titties, you get no erection? What gives? We have pushed our minds, bodies and souls as far as they can go, and in order for us to continue to have a shot at a normal and totally fulfilling life, we have got to lose our collective minds. Doesn’t this make complete sense? We’re seeing the regular mass shootings of innocent lives from those who are socially isolated and disconnected from that universal sense of being included which is part of our divine D.N.A. Children and young teenagers walk the earth with an anger that was once reserved for old folks who were disgruntled with a life filled with poor choices and realize that more exists ahead. Why are our youth, with so much time in front of them seeming to be burdened with the stresses and dysfunctions of a lifetime? It wasn’t like that just a short time ago when I was growing up, so where did this come from and why don’t more people notice it? Teachers who were just as influential as, and sometimes closer to their students than the parents, are now crossing the line and actually having sex with the youngsters whose safety and well-being they have been entrusted with. Police are more corrupt than ever, and have taken center stage over the good ones who are hard to be found when it is time to break that blue wall of silence. Sex scandal after sex scandal peppers the psyche of humankind and is appearing in every area of endeavor populated by humankind including the church, so what gives? Our work ethic has diminished, and the biggest concern for an ever growing majority of workers is to do less and pass the time until it’s time to clock out. The pride of doing a great job has literally disappeared and the joy we used to possess in showing up to our jobs to do our absolute best has all but become a distant memory. We go to work with the mentality of one who is going to war…..Kill or be killed. Morale doesn’t exist anymore and it’s just a matter of time before the next school shooting that will dominate our news channels and social media networks once again. We have got to lose this type of mindset in order to make room for sanity to return! We have been co-opted and we don’t even realize it. We have had our very lives “baited and switched” right from under us and we think that it will be alright and all will go well. No one seems to want to give of themselves anymore and most prowl this world as though they’re in a market where things can be bargained down. Everyone seems to want “the hook up” or some inside deal that no one else has access to. But with the mentality of always seeking to get over, we will never get that deal that we feel is so elusive to us. If we would only lose this current carnal way of thinking, we could then regain our sanity. So as you can see, losing your mind can be a great thing when it is exchanged for the intended sanity that we seem to lack now. To keep thinking the way that we do will only manifest the later stages of a degradation that has already surpassed anything that was written in scripture and will incur a harsher wrath more so than anything that has ever been witnessed. Lose your present mind to gain your sanity. I think I’ve said enough!!

EUGENICS????

Eugenics……"the idea that society can be improved by allowing people to become parents only if they are likely to produce healthy and intelligent children." I’ve danced to the Temptations on a semi-nude beach in Italy. I’ve successfully dodged gunfire while hobbled with a badly sprained ankle. I’ve gotten lost in someone’s bed before. (I was drunk and, well, it was a big-ass bed.) I read the 560 page Hannibal in less than 24 hours, and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in no less than 4 days. I even managed to not fuck an AKA. Oops! Basically, I’ve had a pretty fulfilling life so far. Well, at least that’s what I thought until I read about this dude named Asim Taylor. He is a father of four, who owes $97,000 in back child support, and has been ordered to stop screwin. Wow!! I’ll get to the actual meaning of a judge making a ruling on somebody’s sexual activity in a minute. Now, though, I need to take a moment to recognize and acknowledge the fact that nothing I’ve done in my life compares to being able to strip but naked, walk to the full-length mirror behind your bathroom door, stare at your dick, and know that whatever you’re packing is potent enough to make a fucking judge craft a legal precedent because of it. There’s nothing I or anyone else can ever do to top that. No experience measures up, no activity or achievement compares to……….”my dick has a court (cause) docket number.” Penis envy aside, the judge’s decision is something I can reasonably assume we’ve all wished we could do at one time. If you’re one of those Nigga’s who say they’ve never been in Target, or on the train, or on Facebook, or in Detroit, or at a family reunion, and looked at a man or a woman and thought to themselves “Some motherfuckers just shouldn’t be allowed to procreate”!! I don’t believe your ass, but fine. For the rest of us, though, this fantasy takes up a surprising—and disturbing—amount of brain space. I pray that certain people don’t have kids. And, for some of those who do already have kids—and have proven to be as useless as parents as tits on an ant—I pray they don’t have any more. But, my wishes never come true. In fact, the amount of children a person has nowadays seems to be correlated to the amount of times someone looked at them and thought their name should just be “Fuckmeplease Jones.” So, why does the judges’ decision wub me the wong way? Let’s forget about the Pandora’s Box it opens. (For instance, if he knocks a woman up, can she be charged as an accessory to a crime?) Let’s even forget about whether it’s constitutionally relevant or even fucking legal. As much as I’ve wished I could be king for a day and tie the tubes of every hood-rat ahead of me in line at Kroger’s, proudly bringing 18 items to the 10 items or less aisle, the thought of actually possessing the power to do that—just doesn’t seem right. Perhaps it doesn’t seem right because, on a fundamental level, I know that it is. On every practical, logical, and biological level, it makes perfect sense to do what we can to deter “undesirables” from having children. In fact, considering that we’re the only species that not only allows the weakest and dumbest of us to have the most children, but puts valuable resources into saving weak and dumb children instead of allowing them to die off, it’s senseless not to practice eugenics. But, when what is or isn’t undesirable is left up to something as arbitrary as human determination, who’s to say that your name won’t eventually be on that list? Basically, if you start eugenics, where does it stop?

Black Naming Rights

Recently in a conversation with friends, someone mentioned Quvenzhané Wallis, the star of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and youngest actor ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Before I could remark about having never heard of the film, or show praise for her high accolades at such a young age, I immediately focused on her name. “Wait, is her name really Quvenzhané?” What the fuck? I googled her to see if this wasn’t some kinda rumor. My follow up response to my search was, “Why the fuck is her mama’s name Qulyndreia?” This certainly wasn’t the first damn time I’ve seen an “ethnically creative” name that caused me to form a serious side eye. I mean, I’m a serious NFL fan – seeing names like D’Brickashaw, Jacquizz, Knowshon, De’Anthony and LaQuinton are common. I have also come to regularly expect texts from my friend Platitarius containing a list of students he works with named LaDravious, Dan’kevien, Markevius, Jonquerrius, Marionique, Jamorrious, and LaPhil. My reaction is always the same: “What is with the flagrant use of apostrophes, La- prefixes, and -ious/eous suffixes?” My friend Platitarius and I have even gone so far as to try to conjugate and combine the most common names into as many remixes as possible just for the hell of it. And then, of course, there are the infamous (and possibly nonexistent) Orangejello, Lemonjello, and Le-a. I think some of these “unique” and “uncommon” names are just too over the top and I don’t like em. But it wasn’t until being introduced to Quvenzhané that I considered my reaction was judgmental. I was so distracted by a name that I failed to acknowledge and credit the person to whom the name belonged. I felt bad about it. Does this make me a namist? Lol!! We all have our prejudices and make assumptions based on inconsequential bullshit knowledge. We might even justify our opinions based on our experiences, especially if the opinions are ruder! We also have our preferences, our likes and dislikes. We’re perfectly entitled to them and don’t have to explain them to anyone. But sometimes the line between preference and prejudice is so thin and we can cross it before we know it. This is where I’m a bit conflicted about my feelings about names – do I harbor some deep rooted prejudice against “Black” names? On the one hand, I just think some names are ugly and silly as hell! A person named DaRealyst? Really!! Kids with names that belong one a bottle… Tequila and Hennessey… and not on a playground? Why? It’s like the parents were having a damn stroke when thinking of a name. Why do Black folks have to stand out with names that make no sense? On the other hand, who the hell cares what I think? Who am I to say someone’s name is acceptable or not? There isn’t some set standard or criterion to measure an appropriate name, other than it just sounds/looks weird to some. But yet I’m guilty of asserting an arbitrary bias on others. People have the right to be as creative as they please, right? Do names have to have a deep meaning or translation to be legitimate? Sure, there are studies to suggest “Black sounding names” are more likely to be passed over in the job market. There’s even a study that correlates unpopular/uncommon names with criminal activity. But so what? Should parents be restricted to certain types of names because of possible discrimination (discrimination that may come regardless of name)? Should negative perceptions guide one’s decision on what to name their child? How important is the perceptibility of names? Do our names define who we are, where we come from, and where we’re going? Are names more than an ID? Perhaps this is just a Black burden. White people don’t have to answer these questions or have to defend their names. They can have seemingly unorthodox names without suffering consequences more severe than others. But Black folks know different. Our differently composed names can warrant much harsher scrutiny – even from our own – that goes beyond aesthetics. Assumptions of class, education, and potential for success are often made. I don’t think I’m wrong to find Quvenzhané, LaDravious and any name with a stupid ass apostrophe to be unappealing, just as I don’t think it’s wrong to find people’s art, fashion sense, or faces unappealing. I don’t like what I don’t like. But I do worry that my dislike of these names are just a symptom of a larger problem. I worry that my preference for more subtle names is really a prejudice, and I’m subconsciously reducing people’s worth based on their name. I don’t mull over what kind of person I think they are or where they come from (her name is Twerkeisha so she must be a low budget stripper or have parents only 13yrs older than her), but I’m worried I might actually be doing something worse – dismissing them all together without bothering to scratch the surface. And being that judgmental makes me uncomfortable. I’m out!

Hypocritical Al Sharpton……

A funny thing has happened with this gun control debate that I didn’t see coming; but, to tell you the truth, I shoulda seen it coming before now, after all the talk about keeping guns outta the hands of the “bad guys.” I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that I always thought that translated to keeping guns out of the hands of Black folks. Of course this sounds crazy, but I’ll get to that in a minute — yea, do hold that thought, will ya? As if the gun control debate couldn’t have gotten any more ridiculous beyond the suggestion of giving the teachers guns? It has now taken a racialized turn. What’s bad is that this racial slant is now being used on both sides. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Ann Coulter remark in an interview with racist Sean Hannity, that America’s gun violence problem is more of a problem of Niggers with guns, rather than the notion of it being too many guns in the country. As you can see, she sure wasn’t referring to America’s white population as being the problem. Instead, as pretty much all racists do, they blame every problem in the country on us Black folks, and the evil white liberals who enable us. So with that in mind, you could imagine my astonishment to find out that right-wing pro-gun enthusiasts have launched a “What Would Django Do?” campaign, to counter the advocates for tougher gun laws in the United States. Damn!! Yea, the same fuckin people who are not-so-friendly to us, the descendants of slaves who overwhelmingly voted for President Barack Obama, are now using a movie about a Negro slave with a gun to advance their cause for freedom, as given by the second amendment —yea this really is happening folks!! As absurd as it sounds, you must admit it’s a lot better than the racist Republicans gettin together and hosting a meeting on minority outreach at a former plantation. After all, us Black folks are into that whole idea of having a gun or two or three if the rednecks get the idea to bring back slavery. But nonetheless, there’s a bit of irony that borders on hypocrisy coming from this move. Why? Well for one it’s silly, because back in the day, states did all they could to ensure that African slaves were not armed. Secondly, with recent attempts to infringe upon the right to vote by Black folks with the introduction of Voter ID laws, none of these nutty motherfuckers stood with us Black folks to fight. Yeah, in November, voting was reduced to a privilege, but today, the second amendment is sacrosanct, untouchable, and should not be regulated — yep, equal protection, right? This now brings me to our beloved champion of freedom, justice, and equality…Rev. Al Sharpton! Did you happen to catch Al and Marc Morial at the National Urban League’s press conference on gun control? Don’t worry, if you haven’t, you can look it up on YouTube. But at any rate, it seems that certain Black folk have stepped up to the plate to counter the gun-toting crazies on the right-wing. And of course, the White House’s favorite lap dog mouthpiece when communicating to the Black community was front and center, much to the delight of his handlers at 1600 Pennsylvania Av. Okay, so what’s wrong about what Sharpton said? Well, how about me starting with the obvious hypocrisy of him stating that “People do not have the right to unregulated rights in this country.” Now this is some really funny shit to me. It’s because this is coming from the same man who fought against recent attempts to infringe upon the right to vote by implementing Voter ID laws. Aside from me mentioning this earlier in the post, do you remember that? Yeah, just like we all argued, voting or the right to vote is the most fundamental right protected by the Constitution. I’ve said it, Attorney General Eric Holder has said it, and even Rev. Al Sharpton has said it as well. So, why the sudden flip-flop? I mean, if no Constitutional right is exempt from regulation as Sharpton said, why then did he fight to protect the attempted disenfranchisement of potential voters in the last election cycle? What’s even funnier is how he used the same argument about flying and airports posted by proponents of Voter ID. Maybe I’m wrong, but I remember people like Sharpton arguing the point that entering an airport is not a right, but instead a privilege. See what I’m saying? Hypocritical!! So why would Sharpton make what is possibly the most flagrant statement of his career? Short answer: it’s because the president is Black…In other words, having received a seat at the table otherwise seen as access to the White House. Sharpton, taking up this cause as Obama’s number one ally in the Black community — a community which has seen more than its fair share of gun violence — gives Obama an easy out on addressing gun violence in Black communities. Why? Because if the face of the gun violence victims continues to be twenty elementary school children from Newtown, Ct. as opposed to Black folks, Obama is guaranteed continued majority support for new gun control legislation. The real tragedy here, however, is that much of the proposed legislation will do very little to address the problem of gun violence in cities like Chicago. Why? Because tougher gun laws don’t create jobs or improve the economic opportunities of residents of these communities. And this is particularly sad, when you think about how Black folks are being pimped by both sides in the gun control debate, but hey, don’t tell that to Al Sharpton or the gun nuts that I said so, Okay? Here’s to hoping that Voter ID thing never comes up again…

CALL UP THE DAMN MILITIA

At least a portion of the national screaming match about guns has turned to action taken by the President. But there is one lil suggestion I have…... Call up one of those right-wing militias. Call em up!! Guess who is the commander-in-chief of the militia the racist right-wingers reference in the part of the Second Amendment that no one seems to know about? That’d be the President of the United States, according to Article II. Hum? So I think brother Barack, him being the commander-in-chief, should activate the militia. Clearly, “security of a free State” is at stake if we ordinary citizens are not safe to go to schools, shopping malls, movie theaters, public appearances of our elected representative, and I almost forgot…Unitarian churches. So, I think brother Barack should call up the militia. Any white person who owns a gun is ordered to report Friday with their weapons for militia training and assignment. They will be evaluated as to their fitness for duty — including a mental health screening — as well as the condition of their guns and their skill in handling them. They will be furnished with proof that they reported for and completed this training. Thereafter, any white gun owner who cannot furnish such proof will be subject to penalties, and still be required to report for militia duty. Hum again? It’s simple. It’s in the Constitution. And dammit, it’s 100% unworkable. For starters, I think we know the folks hollerin the loudest about the Second Amendment would never surrender to this sort of “tyranny.” (For 99% of em, the definition of “tyranny” is having to do anything a Black person says.) It would cost a lot of money and time, both for organization and enforcement. Military resources would almost certainly have to be diverted to the task. And last, but certainly not least, “the militia” was redefined in 1903 to mean The National Guard, which brings me to the fun part! Just who do you think would waste no time loudly and repeatedly bringing up that last fact? I’m gonna go with “gun owners” on that one. Maybe even Mr. NRA, Wayne LaPierre his own self. But even if they don’t point to that particular law, one way or another it’s a safe bet that they will make the point that they are not subject to being a militia in the sense that the Founders not only intended, but specified. And once we’ve established that the first clause of the Second Amendment is outdated and irrelevant, maybe — just maybe — we can have a sensible conversation about the whole amendment. (Yeah, I know. But I said “maybe” twice, so cut me some motherfuckin slack...) Sure, it’s kind of an intricate way to make a point, but our racist right-wing Republican friends do that shit all the time — how many votes has the House held to repeal Obamacare? Government-as-performance-art can work for our side too, once in a while... Bye!!

Barack…Michelle… Black Love, And I’m Okay with That

I’m not sure why I’m so cynical about everything. I’m sure if I dug far enough into my own background I’d find out it had something to do with losing a damn teddy bear or my mama not hugging me enough. Either way, I can be extremely cynical. Often times I just claim to be a realist…but maybe I just hate love. Hum? Which is why I was so surprised to find myself cheesing like a rat at watching Barack and Michelle do their first dance at the Commander-In-Chief Ball last night. Oh, and Michelle was killing them with them new bangs and that red dress, but I don’t find her to be the hottest woman on the planet. And half the time I wonder if I see the wrong Michelle Obama with how frequently folks try to say she’s fine. But she’s a beautiful woman who has the adoration and love of her husband. And that’s beautiful. That brings me to my point. I’ve long argued with people when folks fawned all over Barack and Michelle. Because I’m not racist, I’ve also felt that way when folks did the same over Jay-Z and Beyonce. Yuk! I think it’s the natural cynic in me who gets irritated by this savior complex we have in the Black community. Anytime somebody does something even a little bit right – and are famous – we make them the patron saint of that thing they did. Folks get married, and oh fuckin my, are they the perfect couple and role models? Rarely do I see people writing odes to their parents, but the famous folks get all the love. “Erbody need a lil love” I now feel like I’ve begun looking at Barack and Michelle with a comforting vibe. Actually, it’s probably because I know that in 4 years, Barack and Michelle will still matter, but won’t be as prevalent or present. And to some degree that saddens me. These last four years, while not perfect politically for us Black folks, have represented a significant amount of excitement for our people. America feels a little bit different. Not necessarily better, just different. And that had as much to do with Michelle as Barack. See, she’s a Black woman. And she’s comfortable in her skin. She does everything with a certain grace that’s inspiring. I appreciate her just as much as I appreciate Barack for being so in love with one another. I appreciate Barack for staring at her ass to remind us all the he’s becoming a real Nigga. And I love that when they did their first dance that they hit a few moments of groove and swing and showed that they had that Chicago rhythm. I appreciate that. I like seeing them smile at each other and look like they actually like each other. I’m sure they have issues like everybody else, and though he’s the leader of the free world, I don’t doubt for a second that he knows when to defer to his wife just like she lets him be the man. He never forgets to give her the props she deserves. I’m sure he’s a man and does man things that are so common place that they don’t need rehashing here. And I’m sure she has her moments. But so do us all. Earlier today I was thinking about the idea of Black love. It’s just like every other noun with Black in front of it. It symbolizes some strong bond and commonality amongst us all that even it can’t be defined with simple words and phrases; you just know it exists when you see it. It’s palpable. But more importantly, it’s necessary. Seeing Black love is not only necessary for us as a community, it’s important for the world to witness it even if they don’t fully get it. Don’t have to bump it, but please respect it. I’ll skip the statistics about love and how dire it is because I’m not sure the stats tell the story of what I see. Sure I’ll always cringe when folks get too hype about anybody’s love that’s famous, but if Barack and Michelle are the symbol of Black love that I have to fall back on, well, I’m good with that. Because it looks real and it looks beautiful. And it looks like something towards which to aspire in a world where so many images in the world of “reality” skew towards odd visions of love for anybody. Cheers to Barack and Michelle for showing us how to do this son. Or more accurately, just showing us their love and letting us do with it what we might.

HOW LONG...WHITE AMERICA ????

Andrew M. Manis is associate professor of history at Macon State College in Georgia and wrote this for an editorial in the Macon Telegraph. "For much of the last forty years, ever since America "fixed" it’s race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, "When are African Americans finally going to get over it? Now I want to ask: "When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color? Recent reports that "Election Spurs Hundreds' of Race Threats, Crimes" should frighten and infuriate every one of us. Having grown up in "Bombingham," Alabama in the 1960s, I remember overhearing an avalanche of comments about what many white classmates and their parents wanted to do to John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Eventually, as you may recall, in all three cases, someone decided to do more than "talk the talk." Since our recent presidential election, to our eternal shame we are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk I remember from my boyhood. We white people have controlled political life in the disunited colonies and United States for some 400 years on this continent. Conservative whites have been in power 28 of the last 40 years. Even during the eight Clinton years, conservatives in Congress blocked most of his agenda and pulled him to the right. Yet never in that period did I read any headlines suggesting that anyone was calling for the assassinations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, or either of the Bushes. Criticize them, yes. Call for their impeachment, perhaps. But there were no bounties on their heads. And even when someone did try to kill Ronald Reagan, the perpetrator was non-political mental case who wanted merely to impress Jody Foster. But elect a liberal who happens to be Black and we're back in the sixties again. At this point in our history, we should be proud that we've proven what conservatives are always saying -- that in America anything is possible, EVEN electing a black man as president. But instead we now hear that school children from Maine to California are talking about wanting to "assassinate Obama." Fighting the urge to throw up, I can only ask, "How long?" How long before we white people realize we can't make our nation, much less the whole world, look like us? How long until we white people can - once and for all - get over this hell-conceived preoccupation with skin color? How long until we white people get over the demonic conviction that white skin makes us superior? How long before we white people get over our bitter resentments about being demoted to the status of equality with non-whites? How long before we get over our expectations that we should be at the head of the line merely because of our white skin? How long until we white people end our silence and call out our peers when they share the latest racist jokes in the privacy of our white-only conversations? I believe in free speech, but how long until we white people start making racist loudmouths as socially uncomfortable as we do flag burners? How long until we white people will stop insisting that blacks exercise personal responsibility, build strong families, educate themselves enough to edit the Harvard Law Review, and work hard enough to become President of the United States, only to threaten to assassinate them when they do? How long before we start "living out the true meaning" of our creeds, both civil and religious, that all men and women are created equal and that "red and yellow, black and white" all are precious in God's sight? Until this past November 4, I didn't believe this country would ever elect an African American to the presidency. I still don't believe I'll live long enough to see us white people get over our racism problem. But here's my three-point plan: First, every day that Barack Obama lives in the White House that Black Slaves Built, I'm going to pray that God (and the Secret Service) will protect him and his family from us white people. Second, I'm going to report to the FBI any white person I overhear saying, in seriousness or in jest, anything of a threatening nature about President Obama. Third, I'm going to pray to live long enough to see America surprise the world once again, when white people can "in spirit and in truth" sing of our damnable color prejudice, 'We HAVE overcome.'"

Stacey Dash… "Clueless" Aunt Jemimah!

I didn’t watch Single Ladies so I honestly can't say I've heard much from/about Stacey Dash since she starred in the 90's silly hit movie Clueless. Recently, Dash, who I believe is somewhat between jobs at the moment, endorsed Mitt Romney, starting all kinds of shit! And by "shit", I mean the Conservatives have found yet one more Black person to elevate as "ostracized by other Blacks for having the nerve to vote against a Black President". Hum? Dash told clueless talk show host Piers Morgan she "was shocked, saddened," by the ferocious attacks she received on Twitter after voicing her support for Mitt Romney. The "Clueless" actress, who voted for Barack Obama in 2008, said she supported Romney "because of the state of the country, and I want the next four years to be different." "I believe him. I watched him, the Governor and his wife, on 'Meet the Press,'" she explained. "They spoke to me, they seemed authentic and genuine." Damn!! Dash also echoed Martin Luther King, Jr. in her support of Romney, saying: "I chose him not by the color of his skin but the content of his character." Ouch!! Seriously, Fox News dedicated probably a half dozen segments praising Dash for her "bravery in the face of interracial hatred". I'll give Dash one thing and one thing only: she didn't lapse into the typical Black Conservative victimology bit. She admitted she was an Obama supporter in 08', but isn't now. No mention that Romney's "better for the Black community" than Obama, or that Obama and the Democrats "take Black voters for granted". No self-loathing here. Good for you, Stacey. On the flipside, her reasons for supporting Romney weren't really all that substantive. If you think Obama hasn't done that great a job, but can't point out any reasons why Romney would be better other than "I trust him", your opinion's kinda irrelevant. And while Dash didn't play the "woe is me" victim role, she did seem delighted that she got a phone call of support from Paul Ryan. Because we know Paul Ryan loves the sistas and whatnot. So don't be shocked to see Dash at some campaign event with Romney before all is said and done. You'd have to be truly clueless to not see that one coming. Dash would also have to be clueless to think Conservatives suddenly elevating her to folk hero status actually give a shit about her for any reason other than advancing their own self interests. Seriously, if they can't name a single one of your career accomplishments other than a 20 year old movie you co-starred in, they're probably just using you. Question: Do Stacey Dash's reasons for joining Team Romney make any sense? Does her justification sound any better/worse than your typical low information "celebrity"!?

WHAT OBAMACARE DOES AND WILL DO FOR US POOR BLACK FOLKS

By now I know most of us Black folks have heard of ObamaCare but you probably say….what the hell is ObamaCare? Well the President has taken on health care reform through a series of health care reform proposals since he was sworn into office. And you still didn’t know?? Thus the name…. "ObamaCare". The President’s major healthcare reform plans can be broken down into two phases; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and The Health Care for America Plan (which we refer to today as ObamaCare). I am a Black man and a private citizen who is very interested in presenting the facts on Obama's health care reform. The Angry Black Man does not have any funding or agenda, I lean toward truth, not a party line. Of course, if you would like to donate to my broke ass…..send in please! The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The first phase of Obama health care reform began in 2009, which included The Affordable Health Care for America Act; followed by The Patient Protection Act, which ended with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 2010 also known as the "Affordable Care Act" (this is what we should call it). After going through several changes, the "Affordable Care Act" was signed into law by the President on March 23, 2010. This Act reformed certain aspects of the American Health Care system, but there was still more work to do. ObamaCare: The Health Care For America Plan The Next phase of ObamaCare (this is what Obama Care Means as of today... July 2, 2012, is the current Health Care for America Plan. ObamaCare or the Health Care for America Plan is smartly focused on health care funding, reducing the cost of healthcare for us Black folks, increasing coverage, and removing the burden that health care has become on us Black people! In the two years since it's become a law the Affordable Health Care Act, has already made a big difference in our communities. In Connecticut, health insurance companies are now required to provide health insurance for sick Americans. That’s right….sick Americans, which we Black people are, at an alarming rate! No system is perfect, but this shit aims to reform the American medical system towards the favor of the people and away from the monopoly of the medical industry. ObamaCare Update The last memo from the Obama administration, congressional Democrats, and much of the media (that includes me) is that if the Supreme Court struck down all or part of Obamacare, it would place the Court’s legitimacy itself at risk. It did!! After all, 28 state attorneys generals, two District Court Judges and five Circuit Court Judges (including a Bill Clinton friend), numerous out of touch law professors, and 72 percent of the American public believed that Obamacare’s attempt to force every American to buy a specific commercial product is unconstitutional, it would have obviously be an unprecedented act of judicial activism for the Court to agree. News of The Day: Can ObamaCare Save Medicare There was a lot of talk from supporters of Obamacare saying that if Obamacare is not allowed, Medicare may be heading for disaster. Obamacare supporters say Medicare's payment system which handles over 100 million monthly claims is in jeopardy if health care reform does not "fix" this issue. Obama Care: National Health Care For Everyone ObamaCare or Health Care for America is a universal health care reform plan that will grant affordable health insurance to all Americans. This means that Black folks who have the means to pay for private health insurance will still do it, while those who don't make enough will be provided aid. This system of health care will work similar to Medicare and existing employer-provided healthcare plans. Hum!! The aim of Obama Care is not to take away things from people or to give handouts to people who don't deserve it. It is only to provide affordable health insurance to all Americans so they can continue in their pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness without the American Health Insurance companies standing in their way. Obama Care Health Care Reform: Health Care For America Under the Health Care for America Act, every legal resident of the United States of America who is not already covered under Medicare or an employer-provided health care plan will be eligible to purchase coverage through "Health Care for America". Black folks will be presented with the choice between affordable and free health care choices and more expensive private health care choices. It will be up to every Black person to look at the situations of themselves and their families and pick the right health care option for them. What does ObamaCare Cover? ObamaCare Healthcare for America Plan provides complete and comprehensive medical coverage for every damn body. Health care for America when combined with private insurance and current Medicare plans will cover every aspect of necessary healthcare including mental health, child health and woman's health. It will also provide drug coverage and free preventative care and checkups for our children. IN A NUTSHELL Medicaid already covers the poor, WHICH MANY OF US ARE. Many lower income families will now qualify for Medicaid or low cost plans, if you don't already have insurance through your employer (as most Americans do). If you have kids, they can stay on your policy until age 26. You can no longer be dropped from your health insurance if you become ill. You can no longer be denied insurance if you are sick. You will get all of you basic checkups with no copayment. You no longer have to worry about caps in coverage.....so if you get cancer and need chemotherapy, they will cover ALL of your treatments, and not deny your care midway through your chemotherapy. Etc. Damn good shit ain’t it!!!!!!!! When will the law go into effect? Actually, parts of the plan have already gone into effect. For example, new health plans are required to provide free preventative care for services like colonoscopies and mammograms, and young adults are covered by their family's insurance plan until they turn 26. So parts of the plan have already been implemented, but with this ruling, we will see more changes to come. In addition, many of the major changes will happen in 2014. MORE GOOD SHIT!! What are some things to look forward to? We Black folks will see a lower cost of medications and more preventative care coverage. You'll also be able to access the new health insurance exchange programs, which are said to be the healthcare version of online travel companies like Orbitz. Competition among the companies is expected to drive down insurance prices. Other benefits of the plan include more help for our people who can't afford insurance, and insurance companies won't be able to deny people with preexisting conditions coverage. What's this about a fine if I don't get health insurance? If you ain’t covered by insurance by 2014, you need to get it or your ass will be fined. In 2014, uninsured people will face a fine of $95 or one percent of their income, and in 2015, the penalties are even steeper. This fee is meant to encourage younger people in good health to take up insurance, and the money goes towards funding for the older patients and those who AIN’T in good health. Those exempt from this fine includes people make very little income, certain religious groups, and families who pay over eight percent of their income to insurance premiums even after employer contributions and federal subsidies. How will we Black folks fund the new law? In 2013, people who make more than $200,000 have to pay an additional 0.9 percent tax for the Medicare Part A payroll tax, on top of the 1.45 percent they already pay. This will help fund the healthcare changes. Those who make money through investments might have to pay a 3.8 percent tax on what they make on capital gains and dividends. The mandate to buy insurance or pay a fine will also help fund these new efforts. How does this affect insurance companies? In 2014, insurance companies will not be able to exclude or limit coverage to people who have current or past health conditions. In 2014, businesses with more than 50 employees will be required to insure their workers or pay a $2,000 fine per uninsured worker. This places more pressure on your employer, but it doesn't necessarily mean the company will comply. Is this law here to stay? I don’t know…… It will stay in effect for now, but the future of the plan depends on the outcome of the November elections.

AN OPEN LETTER TO YOUNG FATHERS

By now you should know that discipline plays an important part in the life of your children. Do you really? You have to begin to understand that the basic function of that discipline should be administered by you. However, it is that lack of discipline among your children that is creating very serious and lasting problems for everyone in our community. Real problems! You watch news reports daily about little Black children that have been involved in armed robberies, home invasions, burglaries, drug dealing, school violence, and murder. You probably know some active participants, but you just sit. And these young Black children are usually born to young parents, just like you. You are living a real-life horror story and don’t even know it, to which there seems to be no answers. When your baby’s mama tries to get help with her lack of parenting skills, she goes to a social service agency in the neighborhood. In fact, in most of the cases handled by these agencies, your baby’s mama will receive inadequate counseling; and the real victim (your child) is still lacking any real discipline or direction, and in most cases continues to lead that destructive life. Where are you at? You cannot expect social service agencies or any institution that doesn’t have your best interest at heart to fix your problems. The proper training of respect and discipline should start at a very early age by you. You played an active role in your child’s birth and should take a very active part in their moral training. I believe when a Black man shows love, and genuine concern, his children become sensitive, then are better able to discuss the concerns and feelings they may have and don’t understand. As children in the Black community continue to grow and develop, they undergo very confusing periods in their lives that are unique to the Black community. Extreme peer pressure and unfounded suspicions will be a road block to communication with your child. If your children are uncomfortable or reluctant to talk to you about their feelings, they may look for answers elsewhere. You do not want this. Knowing who your children are hanging out with is also one of the most important things in educating them about life. If you know where your children are going to bed at, and whom they are with, it won’t be too difficult to figure out what they are doing. In other words, get familiar with your child’s friends and associates. If their “partners” are the type that attract and stay in trouble, then you should cut the contact altogether. Their peers will probably laugh, and ridicule them, but they will survive. If you let your children live without a good sense of values, their direction is usually uncertain. You young Black fathers have to be the ones to effect change. You have to step up. The media has made a joke of you. You need to love and embrace your children. No one is going to do it for you. It all comes down to perception. What people perceive is what reality is to them. You have to change not only your child’s perception of right and wrong, but you need to change your perception of yourself too. People are waiting for you to mess up. You have let not only the media, but also the government and the world taint the pure essence of you. They have stripped you down to the point where you only believe you can sit at home and make babies. You can be so much more. Call me…317-531-8404, I’ll help.