41 years after the Loving’s union was deemed legal, predjudices keep many from marrying

It's not the scare tactic du jour for this election cycle but gay marriage is still not resolved. Mildred Loving the black woman who with her white husband brought a suit against the state of Virginia that declared interracial marriage legal in 1967 died last Friday. Our parents and grandparents remember this era. This isn't the late 1800s or pre-war. Only a few years ago was it deemed acceptable by law. After 348 years people of different races could marry. There was actual "scientific" evidence that mongrel children of parents of different races were slower and had defects. As we all know this extremely ridiculous, there probably isn't one black american who has 100% black african blood. The main argument was black men marrying white women. They feared that black men would violate pure white women and steal them from their "natural" mates, the white man. The legalization of this type of marriage did not lead to the end of US civilization. Little mixed kids are just as capable as their counterparts. There isn't a higher rate of divorce or violence for mixed race couples (for every OJ there's a Scott Peterson). Life as we know it still exists and we even have a presidential hopeful to show for it.

For all of the arguments against interracial marriage there are only a few against gay marriage. It's not natural, the bible says it's wrong. That's it, no other arguments. Apparently unbeknownst to me if gay people are allowed to be married all other marriages will be null and void. Rights and services to married couples will have no value because a gay person also has that right. Children throughout the nation will think that it's ok to be gay and eventhough they aren't they'll turn gay, just because. This will be another step in pushing forth the gay agenda to take over the world and make it fierce. I say this of course jokingly but people out there really believe this.

While we wish to be offended by damn near everything on earth we should remember people who don't have the right to get married discover you hate your spouse and get a messy divorce.

Drugs, Guns and Prostitution should be legal in all 50 states

Lately I've been bombarded by news stories, commentary and conversation discussing the evils of people doing what people do. While I am morally against damn near everything I think that American citizens should be able to have certain freedoms. The main rights are the right as adults to engage in adult activity, whether it be smoking crack, being a john, or taking in target practice.

First on drugs. Drugs are dangerous, addictive, hazardous to your health and screw up many peoples lives. And I say so what, they chose to take drugs they need to suffer the consequences. Alcohol, smoking and legal drugs can do the exact same thing. All drugs should be legal and sold like alcohol or cigarettes. Because (prepare to be shocked and appalled) anyone who wants to do drugs now can get them. The only thing this would do would be to lessen the prison population. Taking drugs in and of itself should be legal however when you break laws that harm or inhibit the freedoms of others you should pay steep consequences. Example: If you decide to shoplift because of your drug habit you should get double the time. Because doing drugs is a personal choice you don't need meth to live. Anyone seeking help to end drug addiction should be able to enroll in FREE rehab. No one should be forced to go to rehab (ok Amy). I've watched enough Intervention to know why it does and doesn't work. There should be no second chances for parents on drugs who do not successfully complete rehab. No probation or suspended sentences for people on drugs who commit other crimes.

Now to guns. Gun manufacturers, the government and society does not make inner city black men shoot each other. They take it upon themselves to procure a firearm and use it for the most inane reasons known to man. The thousands if not millions of other gun owners in this country have never had to pop a cap in someone's rear. Every citizen over the age of 18 (with no prior convictions for violence) should be able to buy a gun. When they use that gun for something other than self-defense, hunting or target practice (in a controlled environment) they should face life in prison whether they kill someone or not. This is true even for cops (looking at the Sean Bell Murderers). Crazy and deranged people are able to legally buy guns now (VA Tech). The rest of us should have the same rights.

Prostitution is a victimless crime. I'm not talking about the sex slaves or women forced into prostitution. I'm talking about the one's who know exactly what they are doing and are of age. Men are always going to pay for sex. Whether it's on a run down corner or meeting some hooker dressed chick at the club. Let's remove the stigma. Men and women pay for prostitutes and that's their business and the business of their significant others. Making it illegal doesn't stop it. If a person that is married has sex with someone else does it matter if they paid or not?? No, it's still "immoral" according to most religions. Regulate it like any other profession. Make sure none of the prostitutes are younger than 18, no violence, give free STD/HIV testing and provide medications or a medical plan to those who may be infected, let people know. They should get hazard pay as well.

I personally want the government involved in my personal life as little as possible. Their job shouldn't be to save us from ourselves. That's actually our parent's job. It should be to protect our freedoms. If anyone attempts to interfere with our American liberties then there are plenty of jails for them. If I choose to be a AK-47 owning, coke head with a penchant for chiseled featured male escorts that's my right. If I shoot up the motel room while hyped up on PCP because the escort was taking too long with my doritos then I deserve to be locked away forever.

What is in place now doesn't stop any of the above from occurring. People who want drugs get drugs, they get illegal guns and pay for sex every day. Making it legal with stiff consequences and (gasp) help to overcome the vices makes more sense. It's the government's job to take care of what I as an individual have no control over like these gas prices, the economy, illegal immigration, roads, the wars etc. There are plenty of issues the government needs to address before they get involved in my personal life, regardless of how warped it may be.

Now its Planned Parenthood who’s trying to do us in

Apparently a group of Black church leaders has decided to protest Planned Parenthoods funding due to the "genocide" it is participating in against blacks http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352537,00.html. This pisses me off, not only because there are so many other things the black leaders could be protesting but because the rationale is ridiculous. First and foremost it is a woman's right to get an abortion if she so chooses in this country. I am all for that right. Second planned parenthoods are all across the country including many large urban areas because, wait for it, there are a lot of people in large urban areas. Third Planned Parenthood does not contact and harass all black women that become pregnant these women go here on their own accord to have this private procedure done.

This is just religion butting into the most personal of issues. I'm sure no woman is happy about getting an abortion. It's a painful and hard choice. Only that woman knows what her circumstances are. For a group of pastors to wish that this organization that provides health educational materials, contraceptives, STD and HIV tests to many young men and women that probably don't even have primary physicians is ridiculous. I completely understand the argument against abortion it's killing a baby, stopping the cells from reproducing, terminating the pregnancy whatever you want to call it. Abortion exists for a reason. Before it was legal women got them, if it ever becomes illegal again women will still have abortions.

If you don't know a series of calls were made by people posing as donors to Planned Parenthood suggesting that their dollars be used only to support the abortion of black babies, yeah you read that right. The posers were very overt and obvious with their racist requests and the planned parenthood workers who received the calls were happy to tell them what they wanted to hear to get the donation. This I will agree is wrong and anyone who agrees and encourages philanthropy based on racism should be swiftly relieved of their post. Do I believe that Planned Parenthood is trying to kill off the black race, of course not! Not too long ago there was another group of church folk who are white that complained that Planned Parenthood was apart of some conspiracy to kill off white children. Every group feels that Planned Parenthood is trying to do them in.

Birth control needs to exist, people are going to have sex, it's a fact of life. Abortions serve a purpose. If everyone who engaged in sexual activity was monogamous and married or in a stable relationship with jobs to care for themselves and their children there probably would be no need. As we all know that's <1% of people who have kids. Even if you are in said relationship and don't want to lead a Mormon like existence with 15 kids, you still want to have sex with your mate and you need to prevent the kiddies from popping out. To say that all abortions are done on poor women is completely false. It transcends race and socio-economic class.

As always I have a solution. Instead of these black pastors trying to end the "genocide" they could encourage open speech about health and sexuality in their churches. Provide classes for girls and young women that teach facts, "just don't do it" won't suffice. Go out into the community and provide mentoring and child care services for young women. Seek out young women who are pregnant or who have kids dedicate one of the many offerings to providing some help for them, doesn't have to be a lot but some diapers or formula once a month would be great. Encourage an open message of acceptance even if a woman does decide to have an abortion don't make her feel like she's some evil wicked person. Encourage the members of your congregation to "adopt" a young woman in their lives to help with their self image to be someone to turn to in a crisis. Doesn't have to be all Jesus this and God that but many young black women who wind up pregnant would benefit from positive female role models,b black or not. While abstinence is great its not realistic, be able to give accurate information on birth control and make them believe that their body is a temple that is nothing to be ashamed of. Let's stop blaming everyone else for what we as individuals decide to do. Planned Parenthood doesn't force abortions on anyone, women make that choice. If you want them to avoid that choice it's up to you to reach them first.

All Obama All the Time!

Is it just me or did there seem to be a huge influx of Obama related news over the past week or so. I was able to pretty much avoid the Rev. Wright fiasco to a degree, but geez, he's going to subliminally win votes for president. Not that I mind because the more I learn the more I like him (compared to the other two options). Some interesting tidbits that gave him more respect for him included an interview in the Advocate magazine: http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid53285.asp. For those who don't know (and I didn't) the Advocate is an award winning (per their website) national GLBT magazine. Some issues Obama touched on were why he doesn't give more time to the gay media and he doesn't seem to fully address gay issues. After one response I understood why people have hope in him. Obama declared (I'm paraphasing) that he addresses GLBT issues as a part of the American experience and he doesn't believe in separating out different constituencies of people.

Everyone should want equal treatment for all citizens regardless of their sexuality, race, gender, etc. I agree, being treated fairly and humanely isn't a gay thing or a black thing it's a human thing. I personally feel that this is a wonderful way to think for everyone. You shouldn't look at people in their little demographic boxes. When you stop viewing people just as their color or sexuality you can see the person. I don't think society should ignore or be blinded to our differences because our differences add to who we are.

Next item about Obama, indirectly. Michelle Obama's white college roommate was on the TJMS this morning. She told the story of her (and her mother's) negative reaction to having a black roommate. In a nutshell they felt it was unacceptable. The woman is orginally from New Orleans and her grandmother lived in Macon, GA. She stated that she'd heard her mom and grandma say very racist things about blacks but at the same time the grandmother spoke in glowing terms of the blacks that worked for her. After one semester this woman stated that she got along very well and respected Michelle but her mother arranged for her to have a single room anyway. She felt that is was horrible that her own and her families small minded predjudices prevented her from possibly having the Obama's in her life in the future because she has become a great individual. This woman and her mother are supporting Obama. Her message was that anyone who refuses to consider Barack because of his color is missing out on something special.

As a black female who's first roommate in college was a rural white girl (she lived on a farm and admitted she really didn't know any black people) I can relate on the other side. Regardless of what you are you can be sensitive to stereotypes concerning your particular sect. For a fleeting moment I thought she might be put off by a black girl from DC (still very much the district of crack), I'm not ghetto in the least but I do have some tendencies, lol. Would I have to explain my hair, my music (yes I gave impromptu lessons in go-go at St. Neumman to everyone not just the white girls), my slang. Yes the inevitable why don't you wash your hair everyday came up but it wasn't in an offensive manner. As far as I know, she didn't seem to have a problem with me being black and very urban, she was even extremely tolerant of the big black men on the basketball team that came to visit at all hours (completely innocent, lol). I didn't have a problem with her admittedly being afraid to venture into the city of Philly and riding the subway. We were very nice and cordial to each other but never really became friends (I don't even know if she graduated in '01 from LaSalle). The point is, it goes both ways and eventhough its natural to have preconceptions about others you shouldn't let it stop you from getting to know someone.

As with most black people I am happy with the Obama campaign simply because it does open the door for more issues to be discussed. Race is a big part of it but, it also allows parallels to be made in certain struggles. Including what people really say among their peers. For all of the shock an appaul being uttered because people have offensive opinions I welcome it. Regardless of how many gay people are out and proud, showing that they are people too, displaying that they have no intentions of forcing their lifestyles on others there will still be people who hate gays, they may have a gay best friend and still think that homosexuality is an abomination. Doesn't matter how many black people live adverse to the stereotypes, and show that we aren't some scary hoodlum, ignorant, whiny, backward group of people would open their mind and realize blacks and gays are really no threat to American (or Christian) society, they are going to exist and still hate. Just because you ban the F-word or the N-word from TV and the media doesn't mean people don't still use them. I don't think the American public or it's elected officials should be forced to be politically correct at all. We are all entitled to our opinions, and really wouldn't you rather have a candidate that you felt said what they believed not what you want to hear, offensive or not. If John McCain issued a statement that black people need to get it together and stop relying on the government to fix their communities, I'd respect that so much. He'd be labeled the biggest racist to run for prez since David Duke but hey it would be the truth and very in line with Republican party ideals. Somewhere we have to draw the line at being so offended all the time. I think that the fact that the (labeled) black man running for president gets so much attention for sometimes diverting from politi-speak is phenomenal. The more I hear the more I enjoy it, more fodder for my blogs.

While Hillary and Barack trade insults a 7 year old girl gets shot at 4pm in DC

A few days a go a little girl was playing outside her home with her older sister when at least five ignorant young black male niggas decided to shoot in the general direction of each other. She’s ok, she was released from the hospital with a broken arm. This is disturbing on so many levels. The first being I could easily be talking about my little 7 year old daughter playing outside with her friend Zoe enjoying her spring break. The second being this happens all the time in DC sometimes its a child but almost always it’s a black person. Third and the most disturbing of all was that it took place at 4pm in the afternoon in front of dozens of witnesses and no one has given the police any information.

Every time a young person gets shot in DC the community demands the police do something. Everyone is so afraid of little black boys. Little black boys hold their neighborhoods hostage and no one in the hood dares do anything about it. Because they are afraid. Fear and indifference destroy black communities. Black people have been poor for as long as we’ve been in this country, black families have had to deal with the lack of black fathers, but this new phenomenon of cowardice is what is truly marking the ruin of blacks in America.

The fear of black men used to be everywhere but the black community. We had real people to fear, racist whites. Young black men are the new lynch mobs. They hate black people because they’re black. They go about their days murdering, raping, robbing other blacks, they are grossly disrespectful to their fellow black person. And who’s fault is it? Blacks. No member of the establishment, government or white supremacy group sits down young black men and forces them to kill each other. No white person forces black men to sell drugs, abuse their women or carjack their fellow black person. But they do it. I don’t care what "society" tells them they should be. Society tells me I should be an uneducated, welfare scamming, section 8 housing living, serial baby momma with HIV.

It’s slowly starting to dawn on me how black people got to this state. Fear. Blacks who fought for Civil Rights weren’t afraid. The Little Rock 9 didn’t say oh I might get hurt it’s not worth integrating Central HS. Can you imagine if black people in the hood decided to talk loudly to the police about all crimes. If they refused to allow their criminal family members to seek refuge. If they said my community and my family is important enough to put my life on the line. Instead it’s an unending cycle. Nothing happens, because if you don’t care enough about your own safety why should anyone else. The old school blacks knew they couldn’t just sit around complaining that their communities and schools were sub-par they had to demand their own change. They felt their people were worth their lives.

The people who live in the most dangerous communities are full of shit. They are because income has nothing to do with how dangerous you neighborhood is. You mentality has everything to do with it. Criminals don’t last long when the community refuses to be held hostage. If they really wanted peace they would be the ones patroling the streets and reporting all criminal activity. They would be the ones picking up litter and watching out for the children of others. They would be the ones turning in their sons, nephews and cousins.

In the Washington Post article about this shooting they stated that the video surveillance may have caught a picture of the assailants. I am strongly against video surveillance on public streets. I feel its a complete invasion of privacy. Why the police have to even look at this video is troubling. But as I say, fear is paralyzing black communities across the country. Prince George’s County MD is the richest black county in America and it has the highest rate of crime in the DC area (higher than DC!!).

I’m about to sound like Pat Buchanan, but black people really should be happy with the opportunities that we have. We have access to free education through 12th grade but just this morning I heard Alma Powell (Colin’s wife who I’m a big fan of usually) state that the majority of black students drop out because they’re bored. There was general agreement that teachers and curriculums should be reworked so they can be entertained. Look, no one was more bored than I in my 11th grade AP History class but I sat there, stayed awake, and learned a whole hell of a lot! I hate to hear people accept school is boring as an excuse for anything but it’s just another form of cowardice in the black community. Afraid to learn and be challenged. Instead of possibly getting something wrong and looking stupid we just don’t try so it’s boring. Not the teachers fault or the schools.

The culture of fear that has a strong hold on black america is our own doing and we are the only ones that can undo it. The only way to do this is to force black people to take responsibility for their own communities. First step is to admit we are the cause of our own problem. Its not whitie, its not being poor, because just speaking for DC, libraries, museums, rec centers, school, volunteering are all free. Guns, drugs, cable tv cost money. Lets stop accepting ignorance!

So while Hillary and Barack are fighting over who is more qualified to run the country (while slowly handing the election to McCain) a little girl gets shot in DC. There is nothing that any of them can do about the state of Black America. More money, funding and social programs that encourage blacks to embrace laziness are part of the problem. I know I tend to get a bit passionate and preachy when I discuss black people behaving badly but, these are my people and I for one am not ok with them not taking advantage of all that awaits them when we come together and put our community first.

Why I am opposed to Affirmative Action

Because it’s wrong, the end. Seriously. Many states are now challenging their affirmative action programs. All of these laws created to help black people "recover" from centuries of oppression are completely missing the mark. Sorry that’s not even correct, it’s supposed to encourage diversity. As it stands the amout of women and people of color you have the more benefits you receive.

Black people especially are seen a incapable of securing an education and a good job at large companies on their own solely due to their skin color. Because as we all know no black person ever obtained a college degree or secured a good job with a "white-owned" company before the advent of affirmative action. Whites in this country are still so racist that not one white controlled major company or university would allow intelligent, hard working, law abiding, honest negroes anywhere near their establishments. Racist ideas are now bannished from the country. So glory be that we have affirmative action to force the racist good ole boys into diversifying by force.

Why I as a black female am I so opposed? Because it has more of a negative than positive impact on me. I’m a super minority. I don’t want to be labeled as such. If my grades and test scores are not high enough to get into college then I should have been DENIED. If universities want to encourage minority enrollment I’m all for it, but don’t force it on them. If white student X has to have a certain GPA and SAT score Black student Y should have the same thing. Race should not be taken into account any more than the ability to pay should be. This should also apply to student athletes if the admission requirements dictate a certain level of scholarship the ballers need to fit into that too. I personally don’t appreciate skilled dumb as a brick athletes taking up precious space in class while biding their few years before going pro.

What the US goverment should do is create explicit and strict rules concerning work place and educational discrimination. The consequences of denying work or education to a person based on race or gender should be extreme, suspension of accreditation, major million dollar fines and possible business license removal. This is a better way to ensure equality. If you’re on the up and up you can have an all white company. There aren’t always minorites qualified in every field that apply for specific jobs. When you have black people getting hired and promoted soley based on their race you get the DC government (I wouldn’t with that on anyone).

If affirmative action doesn’t end they should at least alter it to reflect real historical discrimination. To get it you should have to prove that you are directly affected by some atrocity. No Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern, African, West Indian person in this country deserves to benefit from affirmative action. They came here on their own, any mistreatment you suffered is your own fault. Because if you open it up to them what’s to say decendents of Irish, Jewish, Russian, German, Italian immigrants should be given the same benefits? They all suffered forms of discrimination as well. Damn near anyone in this country can claim discrimination or hardship based on their race, religion, sexuality or ethnicity.

I know the awful history of this country but I can’t sit around and expect to be rewarded because my ancestors were enslaved. I’d much rather my 40 acres and mule (or hybrid). Isn’t that why our ancestors wanted to be free, to be able to live our own lives, to have our own property, housing, jobs, education for our children? Didn’t Martin and Malcolm preach that we want to be treated fairly with no attention being paid to our race, because race is unimportant in these two aspects of life. When race is forced to be acknowledged is divides instead of unites.

Reese Goes To Church (this is not science fiction or fantasy)

Yes I really went to church on Palm Sunday, The National Cathedral, and that’s like super church. I was asked nonchalantly to go and have lunch afterward and I accepted. Because as hard as I am on religion I really respect it. While at church three things did not happen: 1 - I didn’t burst into flames upon entering, 2 - I didn’t receive some epiphany to turn my life over to Jesus and 3-I didn’t get annoyed and walk out.

This was one of the churches I talk about when I refer to the good ones. The first thing that was said was welcome to everyone whether you’re a Christian or not thank your for coming. I loved that. Throughout the entire service there was not one word of condemnation that everyone was a sinner or that if you don’t accept Jesus as your Lord you’re going straight to Hell. It was all about reflecting on the meaning of palm sunday (they even had a skit) and how Jesus’ sacrafice can be seen in our own lives and how we should take his dying for our sins and make it our own.

Love, peace and sacrafice, no hate, no blame, no anger. No loud screaming or shouting, no holy spirity, no multiple collections. My daughter and I were blessed by the priest at the High Alter since we don’t take communion. She though that was so cool. I would have to agree. Because the priest has no idea how I live my life or what I believe in, but the first thing he said was "God Loves you". I believe that. God loves everyone regardless. Nothing in my mind or in my living has ever led me to believe that God hates. I feel like if God loves me, who am I to hate anything or anyone. If I am able to learn, absorb and reflect my own reality and the spiritual world why would I destroy my mind with hate?

There is so much beauty in life to pick it apart and find what’s wrong. I’ll continue to open my mind and be grateful that I am blessed. Because in the immortal word of Jill Scott (who brought down the house this weekend) "He loves me".

Anyone in the Clinton or Obama Campaigns or their supporters should be banned from speaking

This is pretty much what it's getting to. Not a day goes by where someone affiliated with either campaign says something negative about the other and they have to resign, apologize and cause a huge media dust up over a simple opinion. What happened to having an opinion? If you don't agree who cares, its just an opinion, it's not fact.

To all the people who are speaking on behalf of, about or in the direction of Hillary or Barak just keep it to yourself. Only speak about your candidate and the good they've done for mankind. You are only permitted to speak in glowing flowery remarks that cannot be deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, anti-Christian or against puppies.

The Barack staffer called Hillary a monster. Now that she's no longer on his payroll she still thinks she's a monster and probably the b-word too. What did that really accomplish? Who cares if someone who works for your opponent doesn't like you? This is a non-issue. I'm sure many in the Barack and McCain camps have called her worse and believe she is such. My question is who cares? They aren't supposed to like Hillary anymore than Geraldine Ferraro is supposed to like Obama. Ferraro claims that Obama being black is what is helping him. Who cares if it is? Why even say it? He's obviously black, not changing any time soon. He could get 85% of the black vote in the general election just by showing his face. That's not his fault. Obama being black helps him about as much as Hillary being Bills wife helps her. If she wasn't the wife of Bill Clinton would she be a viable candidate? I think not. Is she going to renounce her marriage to even the playing field? No and she shouldn't.

Both of them have their advantages. Stating the obvious is a waste of air. People in general need to stop being so offended by every little thing. Calling a white person a racist because they acknowledge that race exists is ridiculous. We're not color blind. Saying that a black person has specific advantages because they are black is not completely untrue, just realize that white people also have advantages because they are white.

As a voter I care what candidates are going to do not what the other person is not going to do or why one candidate is winning over another. Stating that Obama is winning because he is black doesn't change the fact that he is winning. People who vote for and against him have known from day one that his mom is white and his father is African. Not a secret. All of these unnecessary attacks are really getting tiresome. I'm fine with people having opinions no matter how mean spirited and wrong they may be. This needs to be over already. I'm already very troubled by the lack of real ideas from both camps to change the country for the better. Instead of talking about each other lets talk about the fact that gas use by the US has steadily decreased while the price of oil is hitting record highs, let's discuss the housing market, what about the rising rates of unemployment among US citizens, lets do something about illegal immigration (how can you have 12 million jobs americans don't want and have rising unemployment, makes NO sense), the constant devaluing of the dollar, Iraq, Afghanistan (other than Prince Harry), East Africa, Cuba, China, record incarceration rates, education, real health care, Bush having the time to dance a jig for reporters while all of the above are going on. I could go on and on.

This name calling is STUPID on the parts of both camps. What Obama and Hillary should say about the Ferraro and monster comments: "She like everyone else is entitled to her opinion, my supporters and I believe I am in this position because of who I am as a person, there are many other issues that are far more important to Americans that I would like to discuss..."

I don’t care if an elected official cheats, I care that he’s broken the law

The moral majority are out in full effect because of Gov. Spitzer. People who stand on their moral high horse and expouse disdain for the "sinners" disgust me. Everyone is a little immoral in their own way, if you don't think you are, you're probably next in line for satan. At any rate. I could care less if anyone that is not married to me cheats on their spouse. It is a private matter. I personally think it's wrong. If the wife decides to stand by her husband throught thick and thin the good on her. That's their marriage kudos to them for trying to make it work. Just like with Hillary Clinton, you'd be amazed at the comments I've heard from other women stating that they wouldn't vote for her because she didn't leave her cheating husband. That's her friggin perogative! If you decide your vote for president based on the fact that she honored her wedding vows and believes marriage is for life then you should be stripped of your right to vote.

My issue is that I don't care what elected officials do in their personal lives as long as it's legal. Prostitution isn't legal in DC or NY. That's why he should step down. I don't care if he was caught with a hooker or crack, both are illegal. We have elected officials to uphold and create laws. They have to take an oath once they are sworn in to do so. I'd prefer the gay NJ governor stay in office over Spitzer. His relationship was consensual and legal. Although it may be common practive, paying for sex is still a crime, whether you think it should be or not. I think he should be forced to step down. If he hit his wife would this be up for discussion at all? I don't care if he was caught speeding. Elected officials should be held to a higher standard because they are our representatives. They don't have to be saints but they do have to follow the law like the rest of us. Doctors take oaths to help people through the use of medicine. Should a drug dealing doctor be able to continue preforming surgeries?

Unfortunately husbands cheat every day, they have wonderful wives and children, they do it anyway. It breaks up families and spreads disease. It is morally wrong. The US government is not run by what people believe is morally right or wrong, it is run by a group of elected officials that create laws and protections (supposedly) for the greater good. Elected officials are subject to the same laws as the rest of us common folk.

This is really a wonderful opportunity to those in the Obama camp to capitalize on Hillary's lack of real condemnation of Spitzer. I realize she supported him ,but her reaction (especially after Spitzer apologized) should have been a little more harsh than it was. Obama's link the the Chicago slum lord is often brought up, he's just a corrupt business man. What president hasn't been linked to at least one (cough, cough Clinton's massive pardons at the end of his term, everyone who's ever been in the same room as Dick Cheaney)? To be connected to an elected official engaged in illegal activity is much worse.

When looking at a disgraced public official the first question should be, have they broken the law? If not let them go about their merry way. Who dictates what is sexually moral anyway? Some celibate latin speaking man that lives in Europe, the well dressed preacher having affairs with half the congregation, some loud mouth red-raced person yelling on Fox News, the US government? It should be none of the above. Instead of constantly passing judgement on how other people live their lives to feel superior, why can't we just focus on our own morality, if it really exists.

How can a 2nd Grader have too much homework?

Every time I go to a parent teacher conference I hear things that are great for my child but troubling for the remainder of her peers. After hearing about her progress I ask her teachers for the book report format that they use in class and the next level of math she needs to begin working on. I want to remain consistent with what she's doing in class and provide extra help. I explain to them that she reads a chapter and does 2 pages out of the math book every evening after she finishes her homework. One teacher asks "You don't think we give too much homework?" Not at all, it's friggin 2nd grade. The other teacher responds, in shock no less, "So many parents complain that we give too much homework".

Ok, she gets home at 3:15 I get home from work at 4:30, homework is always complete and ready for me to check it. Even if it's not all correct that's about 45 minutes a day. How is that too much homework? Not even counting the days when they don't have homework. This is 2nd grade, they aren't doing quadratic equations, they aren't asked to analyze the supporting characters in a Dickens novel. They don't have 6 different subjects to work on. It's pretty much math and reading. Regrouping and newberry novels.

Let's be real. They don't have 5 hours of activities planned after school. It's go home and watch TV, play video games or run the streets. How can any parent complain about teachers attempting to give their children something productive and helpful to do? It's not an age thing, I know plenty of young moms and dads who are at every parent teacher conference, asking questions, making sure their kids do the best they can.

This bothers me because if you start off thinking that education is anything more than the wonderful blessing that it is, what is your child to think? Currently DC is attempting to revamp the "troubled" school system. Closing schools, begging for more funds to help students who are falling behind. This is all pointless with a capital P. Don't know if its because I'm a young, urban, single mom who's child by default would be considered "at risk" or if I have a flair for pointing out the obvious. Does no one in the Fenty administration realize that its the parents!! Rich or poor, black, white or latino, doesn't matter, a school is a success or failure due to the parents.

It's my job as a parent to go ask questions, make sure the education my child receives is the best. It's not the governments job to teach me to be a parent. I chose to have a child so it's my responsibility. If my kid isn't performing well that's on me to follow up and provide extra help where needed. Everything is not society's fault. All little black boys are not stygmatized as unteachable. If by school age you can't control your child why would you expect the teacher to do so? It's not the school system you just have a bad kid because you're probably a lazy parent. I know plenty of well behaved young black males, they are that way because their parent's foot has been in their behind from day one. That's how it needs to be.

I don't claim to have all the answers, well actually I do. Any child at risk of failing anything in elementary school or constantly being sent to the office should be faced with expulsion if the parent refuses to meet with the teachers regularly. Doesn't have to take time off from work but they should have to call and commit to working with the child and teachers to help. The kid could have a learning disability, could be having an upheaval at home, might need a different classroom environment. The parents of a lot of these kids who need help must to be forced to do something. To any liberals who feel that some parents especially single ones may not have enough time in their day to attend to this, I'm calling you an idiot. There are options in this nation, if you don't want to have a kid you don't have to. You can't change your mind after it gets here and then decide you want the schools to do your job because you don't feel like it. From my experience most teachers really do care and they want their students to do well. They are also frustrated by lack of interest.

I for one am tired of uneducated hoodlums. Because there is no need for them. I think if I say it enough they will begin believe it, young black kids are just as capable of learning and civilized behavior as anyone else. We are NOT ignorant, lazy or violent. It starts at home with wanting your child to succeed. It doesn't matter if you have a PhD or a 9th grade education. Everyone is capable of being a good parent. It starts with embracing education and ends with instilling the value of hard work. Can you imagine young people of all backgrounds with a desire to learn and a rebuke of laziness? I can.

Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, Bill Duke taking on the DL

I rarely write about movies or entertainment, because they just don't mean that much to me. This morning driving into work I listened to Tom Joyner as usual. Jackie Reed spoke with Bill Duke about his new movie Cover: http://coverthemovie.com/. This is the first I'd heard of the movie probably because as Mr. Duke stated this was his only national promo for the movie. Anyone already familiar with Duke's films may already have an idea about the subject (I was unfamiliar). Black men on the DL. The movie opens tomorrow in 65 theaters across the country. It will be playing in DC, Atlanta, Philly, New York, LA, Detroit, and other large metro areas.

So why am I writing about it? It really meant a lot to me that there is someone out there discussing blacks and homosexuality. Anyone who's read any of my previous blogs knows that I don't agree with nor really understand the hatred and condemnation that gays suffer especially in the black community. So to any gay readers or people who just want to open their minds I'm giving another promo for the movie. First and foremost because he's a filmmaker who's delving into a controversial subject, second he's black (and it is still black history month y'all, help a brotha out, lol), third it's important.

Bush is currently in Africa discussing what can be done about their HIV/AIDS problem. It's still a problem here! You cannot address HIV/AIDS without discussing sexuality, it's impossible. Not that I believe that the government is the cure to our problems but aiding and supporting unfounded and foolish predjudice against homosexuals doesn't help bring people together for a common solution.

Whether you are gay or straight, black or not, it seems like its going to be a pretty good murder mystery. There are so few movies on this subject matter, without support they may cease to exist all together. Not that I believe this movie or any other will change the minds of the ignorant but seeing a story or humanizing the phenomena may give some people pause before they cast judgement on homosexuals as wicked, sinful or immoral.

In muted celebration of Castro relinquishing power

As a person that is extremely anti-communism I must say I am happy that Fidel is out of power. But as we all know one tyrant out of power doesn't really mean change is going to sweep the country. Hopefully the Cuban people will be one step closer to a beautiful vibrant country that it seems only my grandparents remember.

On that note I'd like to call bull poo on all of the political pundits, media outlets and random racists claiming that latinos will not support Obama because he's black. I've discussed this briefly in passed blogs but a conversation yesterday sealed it for me that the media is trying to instigate fights. I took my grandma to get her hair cut at a salon where her stylist is a very nice mid 50s maybe early 60s woman from Guatemala. She came to the US in the 1960s and has lived here legally ever since. She asked my grandma if she voted on 2/12. The stylist voted for Obama. Ok so if you look at her in demographics according to the media she should be a Hillary supporter. She said she was on the fence until she talked to her granddaughter who is a teenager but not yet old enough to vote. A young female 3rd generation Latina should also be very Hillary. The granddaughter convinced her grandmother to read about Obama and Hillary and to listen two both make speeches. The stylist is very much a democrat and said that she did like them both and would support whoever got the nomination but in her words "Mr Obama made me believe that he could help the country". The stylist even commented that in Virginia where she lived a lot of the Latinos that she knew were in favor of Obama. For those who don't know Northern VA is extremely diverse and the home to may new Americans (legal and illegal). The majority of Latinos is the DC area hail from either El Salvador or Guatemala.

As I was sitting listening to the conversation I thought back to all the polls and news reports seeking to divide people. It made me realize that the media is doing it's usual one size fits all with minority groups. The one generalization that to me is the most inaccurate is that latinos don't live near blacks in large numbers and don't generally interact with them. What??? Next all latinos are not Mexican. Different groups of people want different things for their communities. There are quite a few anti-illegal immigration latinos out there. The power of the latino voting block is grossly exaggerated. If latinos make up 13% of the total population and 78% of all illegal immigrants (that cannot vote!) are from Mexico/Latin America, latinos have many more children than other groups (kids can't vote either), deduct the legal residents (can't vote), people not registered, convicted felons, you don't have as many voters as you may think. By comparison (yes I did the math) if you do not count illegal latino immigrants in the population count there are 13-plus million more black citizens in this country than latinos. So yes Hillary should be more concerned about losing black votes.

It is not a black or latino thing. If anything blacks have been historically a hell of a lot more accepting to latinos than whites. Even in the democratic debate sponsored by HBCU Howard University there were latino panelists to ask questions relevant to latinos. Eventhough I didn't watch the spanish only debate I checked and there was not even a "token" black person. I'm not buying that argument that a black leader isn't going to represent the interest of Latinos. Plus Obama is so liberal he makes my head hurt. For latinos to think for a second that Obama won't pander to them like every other left-wing illegal lover is laughable. Don't believe the hype.

We don’t want black people killing other black people - Malcolm X

What in the world happened between 1965 and today? I watched Malcolm X yesterday and the older I get the more and more confused I am about the state of black people. My introduction to Malcolm X was when my dad gave me the Autobiography of Malcolm X when I was 11. During this time (the early 90s) there was massive excitement about the upcoming Spike Lee Malcom X movie. I was determined to read the entire book before the movie came out just to be able to compare it. As an 11 year old little girl I could only comprehend and appreciate so much of the real struggle and the massive influence of the Nation of Islam. I had a few Nation members in my family but the vast majority are protestant Christian which I was raised to believe was right (but never believed it, sorry grandparents). I can honestly say that the autobiography opened my eyes to other religions and the idea of spirituality. Watching the movie again through adult eyes I both wonder and know why Malcolm X is not regarded in the same circles as Martin Luther King.

I'm not going to go through the legacy of X vs. MLK because we should all know a great deal about both, if we don't we need to read!! Not taking anything away from MLK and what he did for blacks but I now understand why he's held in such high esteem as opposd to Malcolm. Martin supported assimilation in other words forced integration. Through all of his preaching on morality and ethics Martin still embodied one of the worst black male stereotypes, sexually promiscuous. Martin wanted blacks to be accepted by the white establishment whereas Malcolm wanted the white establishment to accept blacks.

Martin was also Christian which still today is the embodiment of a white lord and saviour. Christianity was and is used to enslave black people. At the end of the movie when Malcolmn is about to be murdered a black woman tells him that she knows who he is and he shouldn't pay those people "no nevermind" because Jesus will protect him, is classic. It really shows how black people as a whole still to this day believe and worship a religion that has for centuries oppressed them. Not pooing on Christians just stating a fact. To this day I have a great deal of respect for black people who think outside of what they are supposed to be. Black (american) muslims, jews, buddhists, scientologists even Mormons impress me. Because believe me being a black non-Christian opens you up to a lot of negativity. And it takes strength to follow what your spiritual mind tells you is rights even if it's adverse to what society and your family teaches. My mom recently asked me when i was going to officially get married to the fiance. I told her eventually, because according to DC we're common law. She said, I know but you have to have a ceremony so we'll be married in the eyes of the lord. After I busted out laughing in her face, I was like come on now, neither me nor Demetrius believe in "the lord", second when has she known me to ever do anything simply to appease other people, third there are plenty of people married in the eyes of "The Lord" that cheat, disrespect and abuse each other. But our relationship filled with love, admiration, fidelity and respect is lacking, riiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Society tells you that you're supposed to be a lot of things, regardless of your race. As a black person who was never completely brainwashed I've never automatically believed what I was told. Malcolm believed that black people needed to help ourselves before we could ever hope to be helped by others. Which I agree with. Hence my complete and utter disdain for the demorcratic party and their social welfare programs, that further enslave us to the government. Black people now have higher rates of unemployment today than they did during the 50s, 60s and 70s. It sure as hell has nothing to do with racism and it isn't solely due to illegal immigrants stealing our jobs. We're economically worse off and our communities are the most violent in the nation. It is not the fault of the white man!

Yes the "establishment" still makes us believe that we are hoodlums, promiscuous, violent heathens. But we are the ones who prove them correct. They call us ugly, ignorant coons. We have BET, flava flav, new york, supahead, lil' kim, souljah boi. We dress up like the worst stereotypes imaginable, get long blond weaves, nose jobs, colored contacts but hate on the beauty that is being black. Whether you are light or dark like Q-tip said "black is black". We don't all need to go natural and wear dashikis because we are also very much American. But there is a difference. Where did the beauty go? Beauty isn't having your double D's and ghetto booty on full display to make men desire you. Beauty is skinny or plus sized. Beauty is strength, class, passion, intelligence, respect.

What happened to being black and proud? What happened to the youth groups that marched for real change? What happened to real leadership? They got bought. Neither Malcolm nor Martin lived the life of luxury. How can the current crop of religious based leadership preach lifting oneself up when they drive bentleys and wear thousand dollar suits? With everything going on in poor communities across this country wouldn't the $45,000 for an outfit be put to better use for payin the outrageous heating bills for the seniors in the congregation? Helping getting the AIDS medications for the sick? Who isn't judged by their clothes their hair their car? So where are we now, in debt, dumb as bricks and totally lost.

The only way to "fix" the problem is to fix the source. It's an unending cycle. The pictures of Malcolm and Martin with their wives and children have been replaced by Diddy and his tribe. The honest hard work of painters, carpenters, maids, laborers has been supplanted by the easy money of the drug dealer and "rapper". The protecting your family and community has turned into DC and PG county. Instead of listening with open ears to Malcolm wish peace unto you we have every hip-hop performer (except Talib, Common and a few others) shouting fuck them niggas, kill them niggas, rob them niggas. Don't tell me we aren't brainwashed.

The hate speech to us, by us, for us, and about us is front and center. We all want a better life. We want peace, we want love, we want equality. There are many ways for us to throw off the shackles and attain it. It has to start with the individual. We can't get there with the current state of affairs. We can start by learning, listening and opening our minds to REAL ideas. We can't be close minded. Having a mind of your own and believing in something contrary to what you are taught is difficult but I believe that as black people we can do it, we have no choice.

Un-friggin believable, There’s a real judge problem in this area

One jacked up thing after another. First off, I found super Tuesday anti-climactic. In my opinion it proved that obama can actually win, unlike Hillary. Obama won the majority of states but not the big ones. The large states that he didn't win CA, NY and MA are so overwhelmingly democratic that if he does win the nomination he's going to win them in the general election by default. His wins in the south and other rural states also make a huge difference because most evangelicals and hardcore conservatives live there and they hate McCain. They aren't going to come out in droves to support him at all. But the race keeps getting better and better so I shall stay tuned.

On to local news. Three young black men were killed at an Uno's pizzareia in PG county, MD on sunday watching the super bowl. Because another black man was too much of a bitch to simply enjoy the frigging game and the taunts that go with it. They finally caught the shooter yesterday. Just a few months ago he was arrested and convicted on a gun and drug charge. Sentenced to five years however the judge suspended all but 2 days. Why is a person prone to violence with priors given the option of a suspended sentence? I'm so damn tired of liberal judges not wanting to put more black men in prison. You know what black men are criminals just like men of other races. I couldn't give two shits about if they're poor, if they didn't have a daddy if they couldn't get a job. I don't give a damn if women want thugs, I dont' care that their music and entertainment tells them to do it. All I care about is personal responsibility. When you take it upon yourself to procure a firearm and use it to terrorize civilized society you should pay for your actions. People claim racism. You know where I live there are a hell of a lot of black people and a whole hell of a lot of black male criminals because they choose to be criminals. Not because the white man is running around setting them up, not because whitey is keeping them down. They are criminals because of pure ignorance and laziness, nothing more nothing less. They deserve to be locked in prison for the rest of their lives. They deserve to be shipped away to some far off prison in Wyoming so their family members can't visit. They deserve to be treated shabbily. Because there are millions of other options facing black men other than crime. I think they deserve longer sentences than their white counterparts because they make it a point to terrorize their own kind. I'm NOT going all sista souljah and advocating the attack of people of other races obviously. But black people need to wise up and leave the ones who don't want to succeed behind to rot in jail where they belong.

On another note that pissed me the hell off. An Eritrean medical doctor is facing deportation because he is currently here illegally. I'm not going where you think I am with this. Dr. Ghebrai came to the US LEGALLY with his wife from Eritrea due to threats to their lives during the upheaval in the 1990s. Eritrea is still massively dangerous, disjointed, racked by extreme poverty and has a weak government in place. Dr. Ghebrai currently works at Greater Southeast hospital. The only hospital in the poorest and blackest area of DC. It's understaffed, underfunded, and caters almost exclusively to the extreme poor, homeless, uninsured. Dr. Ghebrai applied for assylum in the US to maintain his right to live and work here. A judge said no and has started deportation proceedings. This doctor who came here legally, speaks english, does not use any government programs meant for the poor, dedicates his life to providing medical healthcare to the forgotten poor of the capital of the United states is now considered an illegal immigrants and labeled for deportation. Go back, read it again. Please correct me if I'm wrong. The millions of immigrants intentionally scurrying across the border illegally from Mexico and points south who speak no english, have no job skills, use government resources meant for poor americans, form gangs, drive drunk, loiter, murder, steal, have the top three presidential contenders fighting for their right to stay here and be given citizenship. Illegal is illegal however lets at least give other people in the same boat as the doctor an A for effort.

Will Super Tuesday be better than Super Sunday???

I'm done with Billary. After this morning ( I listened to her on the TJMS) I'm very worried with her answers to some key questions. Some reasons why I now favor Obama over Hillary. He's willing to change. You can't be all about your ideas without willing to compromise on something. Her ideas are very socialist/communist on healthcare. I understand the ideas of free health care for all but at what cost? It might sound good in a sound bite but all providers don't take government subsidized insurance as it stands now. Regardless of what people may think it costs money to be a good doctor. They can't survive on a few low balled government payments. Besides medicaid recipients and US military already receive government paid health care. Go talk to one of them about how wonderful their medical care is. Even suggesting that your check be garnished for your own health care. This I don't agree with. You should not force anyone to have health care. People who want it fine, they can enter the program. People living on every penny possible can't afford any percentage out of their check. I realize this is a wrong thought process but it is reality. I believe that people should have options. Making everyone live by the whim of the government is communism. No healthcare system will be perfect but what she's touting is wrong. Plus if I'm not mistaken it crashed and burned in the 90s. When you really look at what is behind these ideas it gets kinda scary.

Hilary is a throw back to the tax and spend democrat. That doesn't automatically get work done. She claims that the black and low income communities need more jobs especially in the construction arena. She wants to create more government programs for training and trades. That's what sealed my disdain for her. What the eff Hillary?? She openly acknowledged that the unskilled and skilled labor exodus of the construction industry has put black americans at a severe disadvantage and grossly raised our unemployment. If you don't see where I'm going with this you, need to go back and read a few more of my blogs. Who has the majority of construction jobs? Who has come here in droves over the past 20 years to replace blacks for lower wages in the service industry????? ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS from south of the border.

Only a completely ignorant individual does not see the relation here. Show me an unemployed black man that doesn't want a construction job. Hillary pretty much said out of her own mouth that blacks want these jobs. Don't come at me with they just take the jobs americans don't want. Are we not American? Or are poor black americans so low on the totem pole that we just don't count anymore? You cannot support open or illegal immigration and be the champion for poor americans (regardless of skin color) it's frigging impossible. The Bush Administration is not solely to blame for the current state of the economy. Whoever wants to be president needs to acknowledge this. I'm so offended by the affluent always claiming that illegals fill a need when you see huge swaths of unemployment among the poor. It's not all laziness. When there is 0% unemployment across the board and millions of jobs left unfilled then I'll believe that.

Another thing Tom Joyner brought up was the price of gas. Hillary claimed she would cut incentived to oil companies. Ummmm, so what. They still charge whatever they want to. The price of oil being $100+ a gallon has little to nothing to do with our rising gas prices. Exxon and their $40+ billion profits have everything to do with it. Price gouging is illegal, enforce the laws.

Have you ever realized that you were being brainwashed? Hello black and non-affluent people. This is NOT a ringing endorsement for Obama. As I sit here today he's the lesser of 4 evils. Now I realize why so many people have such a problem with Mrs. Clinton. Plus she cried, AGAIN!!!! Right after Obama started inching closer in the polls. I'm disappointed in her and her whole campaign. I don't think she's more qualified than anyone running, I don't think she's an agent of change, I don't think she's a uniter. Like I said before ever since Iowa she's just been going down hill in my eyes. I was once a believer that Obama and Clinton were close in ideologies but they do have some distinct differences. Although a lot of people will be voting today on Super Tuesday but my primary (the beltway primary, DC, MD, VA) will be next Tuesday. Since I registered to vote when I was 17 still young, liberal, and brainwashed I'm a registered

It took the Clintons to make Obama black

This presidential election is friggin awesome. If there wasn't so much at stake it would be hilarious. No more than 3 months ago the media claimed that Obama wasn't black enough. Now after he's won South Carolina he may be too black. Are we serious? Did his DNA change?

Maybe it was just me but after Iowa the Clintons (because it is both of their candidacies) just lost it. They got scared and resorted to underhanded tactics that were and are unnecessary. Hillary crying to get the females to vote for her. Bill blatantly attacking Obama and even distorting quotes. Wrong, wrong, wrong! What sent my support from Hillary was the fairytale speech. Not because of the fairytale part because listening to it he really played on racial predjudice. It came off as are you going to let this black guy beat up on my white wife. As one who doesn't create racism haphazardly it came as a shock to me. From then on Obama was the black candidate.

After Hillary won New Hampshire I started to hear from a lot of white women that they didn't want to miss the opportunity to elect the first woman president so they voted for Hillary. This kinda bothers me because it's developing as a would you rather have a white woman president or a black man president? Which is wrong, it should be who is best equipped to lead the nation.

Yes I know women have been discriminated against in this country but they don't even remotely come close to what black people had going against them and still do. How many negative images of white women do we see on television everyday? How many of black men? Yes we believe we are intelligent and liberal enough to separate Barack from the hoodlums that did the drive by but racial predjudice exists. The image of the black man in this country isn't the best one (partially due to unfair stereotypes, partially due to niggas).

Since the ideas of Hillary and Barack are very similar other issues are at the forefront. Who would make the better leader? In my opinion Barack would be better at working with congress and foreign leaders to get things done, however I believe that the final compromises wouldn't sufficiently satisfy any involved. Hillary on the other hand would demand what she wants causing deadlock and massive hostillity resulting in far fewer things getting done but those that do manage to get done will be to her satisfaction. Just have to decide which road you would like for the country to go down.

Now the messages of change and reconciliation are being dismissed because now Obama is the black candidate. If you let the media tell it, he's of, for and about black people. Never mind that he was raised by his white momma. Never mind that his dad is an immigrant who just so happens to be from Africa. Never mind that he grew up in Hawaii, far from any real urban area. Obama isn't as "black" as Tiger Woods.

There's no surprise that all of a sudden black people are rallying behind Obama, even black republicans. Not because they now think that white people will vote for him. Because he's getting attacked. Of all the faults of black people I am happy that we are rallying behind Obama because we all know its wrong to try to keep a good black man down.

Even the media is joining the foray stating that Latinos probably won't vote for Obama because they know more about Clinton and they don't relate to a black candidate. To the Latino readers, yes the media thinks you all are that stupid. If anything Obama has more in common with latinos than blacks because his father is an immigrant who came to the US (from a poor country) for a better life. How most latino voters have more in common with an elite white woman than the son of an immigrant is beyond me. I'm not saying they need to automatically vote for him any more than black people do, but don't assume just because the last name is Clinton that they have your best interest in order. If anything Barack is more lenient on illegal immigrant (grinding my teeth) than Hillary. Don't be bamboozled.

When party heads and congressmen are coming out against the negativity that the Clintons are spewing, it's serious because they are the annointed ones in the party. It's not like Obama is Romney, McCain or Huckabee, then you go for the jugular. He's a comrade. I'm also a bit tired of the media saying that Obama isn't supposed to fight back. You can only be poked so many times before you turn around and smack the snot out of someone. And it is unfair, regardless of what his campaign has released or whether the media is casting Hillary in a negative light. Before the Clinton onslaught I never heard of Obama blatantly and with great hostility attack Hillary, unlike Bill's rants.

I don't want to see Hillary win the nomination like this. They need to get it together quickly. First and foremost the negativity isn't needed and it feeds into what Barack has been saying from the begining, that we need a break from attacking each other and work towards the betterment of the country. There are a lot of people out there who hate Hillary already, the Clintons don't need to make enemies of their largest minority voting block when they don't have to.

After Iowa Hillary could have easily won the same states without all the attacks. People want to see her elected because she does inspire hope and determination. People like me, who live in DC are sick (and tired) of Dems Vs. GOP all day every day. We're tired of nothing getting done and blatant attacks on everybody and everything. The country has gone to complete hell and Bill is ranting against Obama, lets get some priorities straight.

I’m going to get some money from the Government, here’s 5 other things they could do with it

Ok so apparently I'm can expect at the very least $600 from Uncle Sam because of my income and my child. This will supposedly help the economy by encouraging us to spend. While the rebate is only a part of the stimulus package it is a lot of money spent eventhough everyone receiving the rebate doesn't pay income tax. Since I'm way too confrontational and honest I'll never find my way to elected office so I'll take this forum to list other ideas that make more sense to me in helping the current state of the country.

1 - Cut the current price of gas, oil, natural gas 50% by having the government subsidize it. By doing this people will have more money to spend on other things. I have a mid size sedan it cost $40 to fill my tank, 5 years ago it barely costs $20. People are struggling to pay utility bills. If you have to choose between lights and shoes you'll probably do lights. More money in one's pockets yields more consumers.

2 - Zero tolerance for employers who hire illegal immigrants. Hello, the Americans who are unemployed aren't the affluent. They are the ones who are getting priced out of being laborers, carpenters, etc. We don't need more jobs we have enough jobs, we need less people. 12 million new jobs will be a heck of an increase in production. I say 12 million because that's the go to number for illegal immigrants and if you hear the liberal sympathizers tell it all 12 million are hard working individuals who just want a better life. Ship them back from where they came with pamphlets on the labor and civil rights movement so that they can improve their OWN countries.

3 - Bring production back home. I realize that it's cheaper for us to import things from China but at what cost? Give large companies incentives to keep their production in the USA indefinitely.

4 - End the war in Iraq and bring the troops home. This ridiculous war has cost trillions of dollars. Whether we're there or not some radical totalitarian leader is going to come to power and wish death on America. There are more important things our troops could be doing, like being alive.

5 - Stop rewarding laziness. There are people in this country who are in need and only need one small incentive to help them become productive. Only give government assistance to those who truly need it (not wanting to work is not a need). Most seniors need help, the working poor need help. Professional baby mammas don't, illegal immigrants really don't. If you support programs that improve education or relieve necessary debt (utilities, rent, prescription drugs) and teach people to budget wisely you breed better consumers.

Those are my five suggestions. None of which have a snowballs chance in hell of happening. I can dream.

The Promised Land is Here, why can’t we find it?

On my way into work today (kinda annoyed behind that) I was able to hear the "Mountain Top" speech that Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the day before he was murdered. This like many things lately it made me think. The dream of Dr. King is here. At least in my life it is. My skin color has never been an impediment to anything I've ever tried to do. The most racism I've ever encountered was being followed around in a store in Boston (eff the Pats, Go Giants!) which I still haven't forgotten. No beatings, no lynchings, not even being called a nigger. I have to attribute my life now and all the opportunities I've been given to everyone who fought for equality in the Civil Rights movement, the Christians, the Muslims, the Jews, the whites, native americans, latinos, everyone and I for one greatly appreciate it because if we as a people had to fight now, good lord, I don't even want to think about it.

I say the promised land is here because life will never be perfect for anyone. There will always be a few ignorant folks that will try to stop you from living your life because they are miserable human beings. They come in all races. I can honestly say that as much as I acknowledge race it doesn't affect my daily life. For a long time I was the only black person at my job and I wasn't once treated like "the black girl" I was always treated like Sharise, the Admissions Coordinator. Even my daughter who is totally color blind gets treated like the best friend not the black friend. I think it's wonderful.

Life for black people now is the greatest it's been since before the first wave of colonialism that started the race based slave trade. I feel that the government has given us all it needs to, equality. When black people are treated like full and equal citizens what more do we need? Because lets face it, even white men get wrongly convicted and attacked in this country. The fight isn't over because we have to make sure we're always treated equally and any attempts at injustice should be swiftly addressed and punished.

Thinking about the message of Dr. King it bothers me that it's been distorted by the black leaders and "liberal" politicians that followed him. Bare bones the message was that we need to lift ourselves up and demand equal treatment, because as Americans we deserve the same opportunities as every other citizen regardless of skin color. Who doesn't agree with that? This is why he was a Republican, before the parties got all convoluted and mucked up. No special treatment, just give us the opportunity and it's up to us to take advantage of it. Looking at the blacks of this country a great many of us have taken the opportunities and ran with them. It takes work to do well, there is no such thing as a lazy success.

Dr. King also preached tirelessly on the the need to get education wherever it may be. He preached that we as black people should love one another and help each other. What happened? Bob Johnson, that's who. I'm not going to blame the current state of black america on one man. I'm going to blame us. I'm blaming myself, my friends, my family, my people.

As Dr. King said, you have to stand up straight to get ahead, a man can only ride you if you're bent over. Right now we're on our knees. The few of us that are living the dream are so far removed from the "others" that we don't even look like the same race of people. When I say removed I mean idealogically. You can be siblings, cousins, best friends with an ignorant, lazy, brainwashed negro. Those of us who want change, face the daunting task of reversing the mentality of many of our people. How to compete against what the country tells you, you're supposed to be? It was easy to rail against the sambo, large featured watermelon eating pickaninny. We knew for the most part that wasn't us. We often shunned those who made it worse for the rest of us. You know the ones who act like natural koons at a job, so everyone thinks we're really like that, so why hire them? That thought process is wrong, but at the same time don't support the stereotype.

Every black person is a representative of their race because we're a minority. During or before the Civil Rights movement black people from the affluent to the very poor carried themselves with pride. Because we are a proud people, and rightly so. We may have random issues with complexion, materialism and "selling out" but as a whole there is much to love.

This brings me to the real sell outs of our race. They are often seen as blacks in corporate america, black republicans, blacks who marry outside of their race, intellectual blacks. But these are the ones who refuse to have backward societal rules brainwash them. Black people who often "act white" are chastised relentlessly by their own people. Black people who defy convention are seen as anti-black. Even now the loudest voices proclaiming Obama can't win are coming from people that look like him. If it wasn't for Martin Luther King and others in the movement refusing to just sit back and be what society told them to be, where would all of us really be? I'm sorry Mrs. Clinton but if we waited for the government to enact civil rights legislation without severe pressure from society my grandchildren would still be awaiting the promised land. It took a war to stop slavery, not the 13th Amendment. Slavery could have been abolished easily in 1860 or before but it took a complete upheaval in society to bring about drastic change.

People have to want change. Change doesn't come easily or swiftly. Change is thrown around so haphazardly in this current election. What does it really mean? If a woman or a black man is elected president what will they really change other than a footnote in the history books? I want change in the black community, desperately. Change in my community will drastically improve the rest of the country. No one other than the unabashedly bigoted want to see black people murder each other. This, like all other drastic changes in society has to start with the people it effects directly. As Dr. King knew, you can't wait for someone to help you, you have to start in your own community. You have to fight and be willing to give your life for the future.

The message has been pushed so far to the back of peoples minds it's almost forgotten. We learn about the Civil Rights movement and Dr. King in school, but the one's who it needs to touch have been so brainwashed that the message means nothing. Peace in our communities, love for oneself, equality for all Americans. It's so simple a child could understand it. Thinking beyond yourself, your life, what you are "supposed" to be, opening your mind has nothing to do with the quality of our schools. The strength is gone. Weakness and laziness has replaced the determined, hardworking soul of the black person. We're in a daze right now. When we finally wake up, all of us will be able to see the promised land. But will we put in the hardwork to reach it?

Bob Johnson, the man who brought us BET, is offended by Obama, is this nigga serious?

Yes, I used the N-word on purpose. Because that's what Bob Johnson is. I don't care if he's a billionaire. The man responsible for BET will always be an N-word in my book. BET didn't just become what it is today when Viacom bought it. Do you not remember Cita's world? Uncut?

But I digress he's offended that Obama's camp called out Billary on a few comments they made that some black leaders found offensive. For the record their comments were not in the least offensive. But they are being targetted on every little thing. Uncle Tom Johnson came rushing to defend the Clinton's who he's been a large supporter of, stating that while they were helping blacks in Arkansas Obama was in the hood doing what he talks about in his book. Johnson claims he wasn't talking about Obama's drug use. Whateva, n-word. Yes you were, just be a man and acknowledge it.

This is my issue with this jerk, how the hell are you going to state what the Clintons did for blacks and what Obama didn't do when you've made billions on negative black stereotypes that have aided in the destruction of our community? He might as well be the Grand Dragon. Who is he, that took what the civil rights movement gave all of us and made it a joke, to disparage another person, especially another black man on what he has or has not done for blacks? I'm a bit heated. Whatever Obama's faults may be at least he didn't aid in making Supahead a celebrity.

Whatever your race or gender you are entitled to support whomever. All blacks don't have to support Obama any more than all women need to support Hillary. But as black people we need not throw each other under the bus. Bill Clinton was on the TJMS this morning and homeboy was hot. He's getting a little tired of people harping on his wife over nonsense. I don't blame him any (real) man would defend their wife, especially given his past, he damn well better. He talked about his fairytale comment, which I heard and yes it was misconstrued. He talked about Bob Johnson and said that Johnson reponded to the media concerning his comments and Clinton didn't have anything to say about it because, (in my words not clintons) Bob is a grown man and our campaign cannot control what he says. What Clinton did do that I don't agree with was portray Obama's campaign as underhanded, sneaky and dishonest. Even if it is. Let's keep our eyes on the prize here, Democrat in the White House, the elephants don't need any extra ammo.

Maybe I'm in the minority here but I believe both Obama and Hillary have strong messages which are nearly identical. Both have enough strength and carisma to defend themselves against unwarranted attacks. They don't need their lackeys coming to help. Hillary, Bill and the rest of the Clinton campaign can fight the good fight without n-word Johnson. Obama can keep doing what's working for him without every black preacher, leader and blogger finding imaginary racism. This race just keeps getting better and better. Damn the writers strike, this is better than Heroes.

Primaries, Caucuses, Hillary Crying, oh my!

Why Hillary, why? Why did you cry? That's not the way for woman who wishes to be in power to go. It doesn't endear you to the public. It makes you look fake and weak. That is the worst stereotype against a woman being president. If you're stressed about not being able to pass your favored legislation are you going to go cry? The worst part is that it was staged. I don't care what anyone says Scorpio women are NOT cryers. When we do cry we're pissed off. So Hillary stop trying to appear kind, soft, and nuturning. Stop pandering to what you're not. Hillary is a hard-ass. She's highly motivated and is not above negative acts to get what she wants. We know this, she knows this. If you don't like it, don't vote for her.

As a person who disagrees more and more with Democrats on damn near everything I do think Hillary could make a good president, but compared to the current sociopath and his VP, Colbert looks good.

Now everyone is shocked about Obama. My question is, why? He's an accomplished, well-spoken politician that preaches change. He is trying to run on positivity and making the US a better place. Even if it's impossible at least he believes it. And I have to respect that. I'm tired of the media assuming white america is what it was in 1940. They are shocked that states full of rural white people could vote for a black man. Is the media serious? I believe that in this day, most of america knows that race doesn't matter. Plus how many of us never interact with someone of another race, especially black people? Douglas Wilder was elected govenor of Virginia in the 90s and come on now VA has a long history of not being too kind to us negroes.

This leads me to the black vote. Which is still the largest and most influential minority vote in america. There may be more latinos but 65% are illegal and can't vote anyway. Another reason I'm against amnesty. Back to the point. Can some black person preferably a leader tell me what the Clinton Administration did that was so gosh darned phenomenal for blacks? He came to black neighborhoods and shook hands. There was no special legislation that helped blacks. He didn't appoint a large number of blacks to his cabinet, Ron Brown, who else? Looking at it from a history perspective Bush I and II did more for blacks by appointing us to high ranking positions. So can we please get off of the myth of everything the Clintons did for us. I think Bill was a good president but that's for the whole country, not just my race. Let's vote with our brains and not let the media dictate what we think.

I'll continue to watch the debates and the news wire to get a better feel for the candidates. I can't in good conscience vote Republican just because of the religious aspect, bothers me so much. If I have to choose between being overrun by illegals from Mexico or loss of abortion rights, coporatocracy, further discrimination against gays, and unnecessary wars I guess I'll take the damn illegals (rolling eyes with my arms crossed). I'll vote for Hillary, Obama or Edwards, their stances are really similar they just have different styles. I just hold out hope that the country will rebuke 4 more years of fear-mongering, corporate pandering, hate-spewing leadership.