Posts tagged ‘Black History ‘
EMMETT TILL’S ACCUSER COMES CLEAN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS…
Well, it is Black History Month. And I really can’t remember when this actually took place… the year when a young 15 year old youth went south to Mississippi from Chicago, to 
spend the summer with relatives in the south.
http://nypost.com/2017/01/27/emmett-tills-accuser-admits-it-was-all-a-lie/
In looking back at a newspaper article on the story, I see where it took place in 1955. The summer 
Emmett Till went to spend what was to be his last
summer visiting those cousins, and an aunt and uncle down south. Because somewhere during that visit in August 1955 it was said
that Emmett took certainly liberties with some white woman. He got out of place… he crossed that divide that colored and white were not to cross… because he was just being a young innocent kid… unaware of the do’s and the don’t of the then… and maybe still in some parts of the south.
Supposedly young Emmett while in this woman’s family store had told the white woman how he had dated a woman just like her up in Chicago. And upon leaving the store it was said that young Emmett Till gave that woman 1 of those big long whistles, that men did back in that time when they thought a woman was beautiful… somewhat of a wolf call or something.
It was that story of Emmett Till which always colored me and my thoughts about how 
when you leave home… if you lived north of the Mason/Dixon Line… how you should behave very differently if you were to go down south.
Something like how you had to remember when you crossed that line …that Mason/Dixon Line going into the south, that you were 
no longer in the north… or in your little Northern town or big city, like Chicago or Detroit. And how remembering this… that this ‘black and white thang’ could possibly save your life.
I recall once just we had crossed that line 1 summer on 1 our many drives south to visit my grand mother in the south, that once we pulled up to a motel where my mother sent me out to go inside and ask 
how much it would cost to get a room?
An occasional stop at a motel to freshen up used to be a habit of my family sometimes 
while we were making the more that 20 hour trip down south to Florida. But this particular day as I almost was about to reach for 
the door leading into the motel office, out came running two black boys… or teens… something I couldn’t really tell how old they were as they came running through that door shouting back to me, ‘Get of of here! Go! Go!’
I immediately ran back to our car and reported to my mother and father what those 2 boys 
had told me as they had whizzed pass me and shouted for me to get out of there.
Suddenly, my mother started screaming at me to get in the car… and she started hollering they ain’t gonna take my sons. ‘They ain’t gonna take my 
sons.’
Boy, I had never seen anything like it or ever heard my mother react in such a way. But years later I understood.
At that time my brothers were young kids… maybe 10 or 11 or something like that. But my mother having grown up in the south… my being a Jamaican had grew up in Jamaica so 
he had not really experienced any that Jim Crow stuff of the deep south. But my mother knew it well. And she knew that it 
would not matter to white folks that my brothers had not robbed or done whatever those 2 boys had done… but that they were black and that in of itself would have been enough for my young brothers to have been taken …in place of the real crooks or 
whatever they were who had come running out of that motel office.
I do not think we ever again stopped at another motel in all the years we continued to travel back and forth to Florida after that.
For years, I think that up until this very point I had always felt that Emmett Till should 
have been told how to behave, and carry himself while down there in the south. I always 
thought it was his mother’s fault for not sitting him down, and telling him how to behave down there when it came to being around white folks. It was the typical blaming that many people do when they blame the dead for being dead. Like some people blame Trayvon Martin for being out late… or out in the rain in that white neighborhood when he got shot and killed.
I thought that way because I 
was stupid. I was blind. Ignorant of the fact that many times it just didn’t matter what we did do or not, irregardless there was a very likely could still 
come up dead
He was a kid. And you could have told him something a thousand times, and would you believe you wouldn’t have to tell him it again… as we all do when it comes to talking to our children?
Emmett Till did not live in the south. Nor was there any reason for me to 
believe that what had been said regarding that story had been true. For you see, evidently I had believed something inappropriate must have been done for those white men to go in the middle of the night seeking this young boy, regarding something something he had said and/or done.
That is the irony of it. How readily we eat up the things we see or hear.
It had been a lie. It had all been a lie. And because some white 
woman had lied on her son, Mrs. Till was forced to go down to Mississippi and collect the bloated remains of her young teen age son, her only child… I think… and bring him back to Chicago in order to bury him.
Years later after Emmett Till had been viciously murder by a group of white men in the 
middle of the night, after going to his relative’s house and demanding that they send him out to them or they would burn them out and all up in their home.
How could that woman possibly live with herself after that?
Years later, I moved to Chicago and while working as a church secretary for a pastor by the name of Dr. A. L. Reynolds, Jr., I was told something by Dr. Reynolds, who pastored Sixth 
Grace United Presbyterian Church, at Cottage Grove and 35th Street, on the South Side.
Dr. Reynolds 1 day came into the office and for some reason began telling a story, of how he had had to run away from his home, which had been 
back in Arkansas. The reason he had to pick up and get out of there he told me, was because some white woman wanted him and he didn’t want her. That is exactly how he put it. He said, ‘she wanted me. But I didn’t want her. So, I had to leave.’ Because I did not want her to lie on me. Because in those days a white woman could say a black man raped her and they (meaning the other white people… mostly men) would kill him.
So, Dr. Reynolds said he got of Arkansas as quickly as he could.
And he said he left Arkansas running because he didn’t want her to tell a lie on him.
Through the our history in this country many black people have found it necessary to get up and get out of town in the middle of night, headed north or to other points unknown. Because they were afraid of some type of bad consequence which might take hold upon them… or befall them due to a lie… or some white person wanting something that belonged to them.
It comes to mind that even in Biblical text Abram lied. He was forced to lie when he and Sarah went to enter Egypt. And he became afraid that the king… otherwise known as Pharaoh… would want his wife, Sarai…as she was then before being renamed by God Sarah. Because the Bible says she was fair and goodly to look upon.
So, Abram felt that he would be killed by Pharaoh. So, therefore, told Sarai that they should say that he was her brother rather than her husband.
The end of this story is that Pharaoh and the people of his kingdom are overtaken by what the Bible calls a ‘great plague.’ Pharaoh questions Abram and asked him why he had not told him that the woman, Sarai… was his wife?
We come into the 21st Century now, some more than 60 years later and now we hear that 
the white woman who had told her husband and his white buddies, that Emmett Till had whistled and spoken to her… a white woman inappropriately… that she had lied.
All that pain and heartbreak … tears shed had been over a lie.
A young boy was pulled and dragged out into the dark of night… tortured 
and beaten …then partially burned and thrown into the river… to be found days later a bloated beyond recognition dead decomposing body. Because that woman lied. And now …I guess on her death bed… or on her near death bed she tells the truth… that she lied about the whole thing.
How did that woman do that… when she knew what 
the consequences for any black man would be?
She knew what times she lived in. But just did not care. She told that lie knowing that 
some out of control white drunken men were going to go and find them a white boy, and have what they called ‘have 
some fun.’ While they enjoyed torturing him and beating him…and eventually killing him.
How did this young boy respond?
Can you imagine what was going through his mind and heart… scared beyond his wits…
kicked…slapped…punched… stomped… cut… lit on fire…
And all because some white woman thought it nothing to lie on him. And 
me thinking 
years later that it had been his fault… because nobody every trained him properly how to behave around white folks.
This reminds me of how I hear black commentators on television now 
when they are talking about black men being shot and killed by white police officers. Everybody saying they should have kept their hands on the dashboard… or where they could be seen… or not moved too quickly… 
etc… etc… etc….
Blaming the victim because racist people still 
abound….
Well, God bless… It was sleeting a little bit this morning. But I hope it is nice and warm
where you are. Have a good day all… and remember it’s BLACK HISTORY MONTH. “pass it on…” http://www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2017
Add a comment February 8, 2017
BERNICE KING I STAND WITH YOU… SHIRLEY TEMPLE and more…
I have been trying to find the time to get around to writing this blog ever since I heard the latest on the 
dispute between the King siblings.
What bothered me the most was that everyone seemingly is coming down on Bernice King, the youngest of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.’s children, over this latest controversy in her family amongst her and her brothers.
Looking at the pictures it appears that Martin L. King, III has jumped ship. At one point it had been him and Bernice against Dexter King, their baby brother. Dexter and Martin 3 want to take out of the hands of Bernice their father’s traveling Bible, and what has to be any families most valued treasure if we could all get 1… Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize medal.
Who in their right mind would dare part with these 2 things?
There are just some things you simply cannot put a price tag on.
Perhaps, some down and out someone or other might think differently. Or just some plain greedy kids… out to liquidate everything they can get their grubby little hands on of their mother’s and father’s estate.
Is it not enough that the court ordered Bernice to surrender to Dexter personal cards and letters written 
to their mother by their father… items that Mrs. King had personal given to her youngest daughter?
Now, here comes Dexter again… and this time Martin 3 is with him. They are in the boat together to snatch out of their sister’s hands their father’s Bible (the Bible that President Barack Obama placed his hand upon when he took his oath for his 2nd term in the White House) and Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize.
How low can you go, Dexter and Martin 3?
Unless you have been there you will never understand how hard it is to stand when everyone around is 
grabbing for what they can get… and all you can think of ‘my parent’s are gone.’ Dealing with loss can be very difficult. And especially when the responsibility somehow falls upon you… be it a sense of duty or whatever… but you are the one who ends up trying to maintain what you see as what your parent’s desire would be.
I clearly understand Bernice King and her decision to try to keep her 
brothers from selling off every piece of their family legacy to the highest bidder.
And why should she?
We have all heard of down and out athletes and actors selling off their championship rings or Academy awards… when left with no other options. But this is something else. It is just pure and simple greed driving Dexter boy and his older and brother, Martin #3.
It is always very unfortunate when the value of your things winds up meaning more to your children than you… or what your desires would be… or the remembrance of you… or in this case have a higher cost than the King legacy and remembrance of their mother and father to some of them.
Bernice King has every right to try to hold onto the precious memories and legacy of 
both her mother and father, without having gifts which her mother gave to her… entrusted her with …being lost to a couple of greedy brothers who care nothing about the King legacy, or even how bad they are making their family and themselves looked by forcing the hand of their baby sister in this matter.
I heard an interview where Andrew Young, a man who I thought used to be a King family friend, commented on this matter by merely snickering at it and saying, “They sue too much.”
You know what Mr. Young?
When you have to take somebody to court ….or they want to take you to court. Baby, you better learn how to fight. Cause if you don’t learn how to swing back… then just crawl into a hole and pull some grass over you and die.
Thank goodness Bernice has not decided to die. When you honor your mother and father, and their memory… you don’t try to sell off precious things that belonged to them, because you cherish them. Those things were a part of them… and they should remain in the King family to get pass down. Many people today can’t even put their hands on old family pictures or 8mm films that may have been taken of them as children. Because somebody in their family grabbed them all up and years later discarded them… or they somehow got lost.
I long for a picture my mother had taken of me and my sister many years ago. We were just young children then. My sister took my parent’s picture and cut it up throwing away my half of that picture while keeping herself. Today not even that part exist. There had been other copies of that picture which my mother had sent to various relatives, but I have never been able to track not 1 down….or put my hands on them some 50 or more years later because they too were probably destroyed.
The problem
in this story is one of greed. Dexter boy has been selling off everything… every piece of the King family estate he can since the passing of their mother… down to making the Federal government pay him for the use of his father’s image and likeness in the creation of his 
monument in Washington, D.C.. One would have thought that the honor and recognition given to his father in the creation of the Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. monument in D.C. would have filled him with joy. That he would have been eager for the King family to assist anyway it could. But no… 
not Dexter. He saw it as a money-making opportunity and milked the creation and erection of a monument to his father for every dime he could get out of it… including forcing them to pay for the use of any of Dr. King’s quotes.
http://theatlantavoice.com/news/2013/jul/16/mlks-youngest-son-weds-longtime-girlfriend/
[LISTEN] Bernice King Sets Record Straight on the King Family Feud
Why anyone would want to throw stones at Bernice King for standing up to her brothers in their pursuit to sell off what has to be two of the most valued possessions of both their mother and father, Dr. King’s Bible and Nobel Peace Prize… is crazy. Clearly, those people do not know the whole story. 
But it has always been my experience to know that it is usually the good person… the person who is trying to do the right thing… the one who is innocent of trying to do wrong that gets blamed for starting the whole thing and is singled out as the culprit in the eyes of almost everyone looking in on matters like this. I have been there… and in many ways I still am. Trust me me I know.
So, yes… I side with Bernice King. I cheer you on Bernice King. Do not give up the fight. Fight the 
fight… it is well worth fighting. And I pray you God speed and victory in this matter. As there are some things you just do not sell off… like your birth right. And the right of any 3rd or 4th generation King’s etc. to not have to go to a library or museum to see an award presented to their grand-father or great great grand-father, because his kids sold off everything. Some things really are too sacred.
And I also pray for a changed mind and heart of both Dexter King and Martin #3.
In regards to Martin #3… I have no respect for him.
I recall going into court trying to fight for my father. I went in thinking that 2 of my other siblings were on my side. That is what they pretended… that is until we got before the Judge. When we got before the Judge they said nothing. They offered nothing not 1 agreement to anything to what I was saying. I was left out there all alone trying to fight for our father to be returned home, and they said nothing. I later came to realized 
that they never wanted daddy back home in the first place. The house was divided and everybody had grabbed what they wanted. My father’s house had been invaded and taken over… and daddy was forced out of his own property. A fact I never knew until some time after that court hearing.
It is amazing how quickly we can forget all the sacrifices and all the good times… and how much our parents poured into us. If Dr. King had not struggled… if he had not 
marched… if he not sacrificed his life… what would they have to fight over?
What would we all have to celebrate?
The car… the family house… everything that every family at the end is forced to fight over… I suspect they might have fought over that. Because there will always be at least 1 who sees a bigger picture than just self and… and thank God for that. They see more than what they can get out of the passing of supposed love ones. Always 1… and it appears that Bernice King is the 1. And yes… I stand with her.
http://blackamericaweb.com/tag/bernice-king/
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/10/rev_bernice_king_elected_presi.html
On another note on the King family. Dexter has gotten married. This is really not new news. But I 
know it is not mentioned or talked about but if the truth be told… Dexter is really not the marrying kind. Everything for him is show. His wife is a supposed ex-lesbian. 
But I have known people who were gay who married with each 1 doing their own thing.
When I first encountered this it was a couple of the weirdest 2 people I had ever met. The guy was flamingly gay… and between them they did have a child. I really don’t know how she managed it?
But I figured out that they had been great friends and this is what laid the foundation for them agreeing to get together as husband and wife.
I also remember when once a lover of mine had been offered quite a considerable about of money from a man, who at the time was a boss of mine (he owned the radio station). His son was very very gay and t
he father wanted a grand child… an heir or something I guess. So, he proposed an offer to my girlfriend of this substantial amount of money to marry his 1 and only child
, this gay son. And no she did not do it… as it was totally out of the question. But the point here is… is that there are some people who will do anything in order to have their gay children reform… get married… have children… even if it means they will not give them or leave them a dime unless they do. Then there are some people who get married for various other reasons… other than love. It’s called a ‘marriage or convenience.’
Well, God bless… it has been snowing… snowing… And I have been out shoveling… shoveling… I 
hope you have been keeping warm and dry.
I must say though… that all this snow is beautiful.
If you are out there in the snow please remember safety rules. Drive with care and caution in the snow and ice. Apply brakes when riding on icy roadways lightly… come to a nice and easy stop by slowing up. Do not slam on your brakes… it will send your car sliding out of control.
I like this little cartoon thing that one of my friends made. I makes me laugh every time I look at it.
Guess I’m moving a little bit too fast. I had all but forgotten about it being BLACK HISTORY MONTH. So, in celebration of Black History Month let me just quick tell you about a young lady in England. The youngest person to ever become a barrister (that is practicing lawyer in their terms). Her name is Gabrielle Turnquest. She is from the States, Florida to be exact… and she is just 18 years old. Amazing. To be young gifted and black… is definitely where it is at.
Happy BLACK HISTORY MONTH….
And let me not forget that this week Shirley Temple passed (Shirley Temple Black) at age 85. I cannot begin to tell you the countless Saturdays I spent watching Shirley Temple dance and sing her way down long stair steps… or try to cheer up a friend. She was more than just a favorite… Shirley was my friend.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20787230,00.html
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2014
Add a comment February 15, 2014
COLLECTING THE MEMORIES of INAUGURATION 2013 President Barack Obama…
It may have been cold… but we showed up again to celebrate not 1 but 2 moments in our great history… both the 2nd inauguration of President Barack Obama… 
and of course, the birthday of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.
They say about a million people showed up this year to President Obama’s inaugural… but we all know that it was probably far more than that. They said only a few thousand for the Million Woman March in Philly… but nobody could tell me that. There had to have been a least a million plus women there… because when you looked out over that massive crowd of Black Women… all you could see were the top of heads for as far as you could any which way you looked.
They had 2,200 people marching in the parade… which included over 150 horses and about 50 dogs, trained to 
assist those disabled or otherwise encumbered yet living independent.
The Hawaiians showed up… our native American Indians showed up… Mexican dancers … drilled teams from high schools, Jr. Colleges and various college campuses including 
those Grambling University high-steppers… a 
gay band… military of all types… forest ranges… mounted patrols… Tuskegee Airmen…
50 floats… and I can’t remember it all. And President Obama waved and smiled all 
through it. It was wonderful… and full of all kinds of people… young and old… including 6 
buses of folks from New Hampshire with their band… who all came out to celebrate the commencement of
our President’s second term in the Oval Office.
God bless… hope you enjoy the rest of the week. It has gotten cold again… with a little more snow. But then… it is winter. 
And yes, we did it… And no devil from hell or all the money from hell could not stop us.
What a great day in American History… Monday, January 21, 2013.
Truly history to be savored forever…
And what makes it doubly so Obama made sure to include a lot of our history in it… including a traveling Bible that Dr. King used to carry with him during his travels from town to town during our Civil Rights struggle here in America.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/inauguration-day-2013-president-obamas-inaugural/story?id=18267094
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and 
all your friends… “pass it
on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2013
Add a comment January 22, 2013
THE VERIZON ATTITUDE… changes in the workplace…
I can’t imagine working for anyone who threatened me.
In reading a posting on my facebook page, I read where the daughter of 1 of my facebook friends was told by her employer during Hurrican Irene-
“If any of you leaves, you’re fired.”
Meaning that if any of the employees left the job they would be terminated.
I can’t imagine me wanting to work for anyone who would even consider trying to strong-arm me like that… and particularly in a state of emergency. But it made me think of 9/ll.
On September 11th …on the day that the airplanes flew into the World Trade Center, after the first plane hit the first tower …many of the workers in the second tower were told to remain seated, to continue working.
But friends of mine who were inside the 2nd tower of the World Trade Center that day… told me that when they saw that first plane hit… they didn’t care what their supervisors said… they were getting out of there. And because many people 
had already began evacuating that second tower, as soon as they saw what had happened to the first tower… it for many meant the difference between life and death.
A few days ago while driving down to Atlanta, I happened to catch a news story on 1010 WINS …an all news radio network in New York City. I had seen the picketers standing before various Verizon locations. But I did not know what was going on.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/9/verizon-workers-hit-picket-lines-mass-va/
It seems that the contract for 45,000 Verizon workers had expired… meaning the Verzion worker’s contract is 
now up for renegotiation. Playing hardball, Verizon withdrew their worker’s health plan when the workers went out on strike. Verzion claim that they could no longer afford to pay for the worker’s health coverage because they were losing so much money with them being out on strike.
BALONEY.
Everybody who is doing any business with Verizon should cancel every service …or whatever have you with them.
What money is Verizon losing?
None. In fact, with the workers out… they are saving money. Because Verizon doesn’t have to pay them while they are out on strike.
But the problem we face today is this… IT IS AN EMPLOYER’S MARKET.
Do you hear me?
Can you understand that?
It is like how they say it is a buyer’s market in terms of real estate sales. Because not many people are buying homes …and banks are not lending as much as they used to. So, if you got money …and it doesn’t matter about what the seller is asking 
for …make them an offer. They may just take it… you never know. Because they are not getting many other offers these days. And who knows… your’s might be their only offer.
And you see this clear across the board. Car sales and other large ticket items… because there is less cash flow these days with so many people out of work.
And therein lays the Verizon workers dilemma.Verizon is having its way with the Verizon worker’s union 
because so many people are out of work… and Verizon knows that it has the power to wheel and deal as it pleases because of the way the job market is today.
These companies have no employee loyalty. In fact, most companies today could care less about their employees. This is why most companies today do not even offer full-time employment anymore. Who needs full-time employees when there are millions of people willing… able …and ready to acce
pt part-time employment with no benefits, and wages that amount to little… but beats nothing.
There had been a time when America was sending top executives to China to learn techniques of how to create a happy and more productive working enviroment. It would seem that those executives learned something much more valuable to them. How to take an iron fist and hold it over the heads of your employees… and keep it there. Forcing them to produce more for less… while compensating them little… and forcing them to smile while the company break their backs.
I dislike companies with the Verzion attitude. My cell phone is a Sprint account… but my broadband was with Verizon. I can’t tell you how happy I am that it is off … and has been so for some time now. But I can’t see 
myself giving money to a company that will not do its employees right.
Though these companies may feel that they have the power… the truth of the matter is… no they don’t. We do. 
And our power can bring any company to its knees just as the Montgomery bus boycotts brought that city of Montgomery to its knees in the mid 1960’s, and gave way to the opening of the doors that gave us all the right to vote, sleep and eat … etc… etc… where we wanted to. Today we get on the highway and travel anywhere we want… as African American people in America… eat where we want to eat… and book a hotel and sleep where we want to sleep. But for years this was not the case at all.
I remember listening to Shirley Caesar talking about that very subject on a television show that she was being interviewed on. She said that back then when they travelled… talking about her days as a young singer travelling with Albertina Walker and the Caravan… back in latter 50’s through the 60’s. She said-
“We had to sleep in our car. Because back then they did not allow us (black folks) to stay in the hotels or the motels like they do today. And we just couldn’t pull up anywhere and eat either. Because it wasn’t allowed. If we 
wanted food. 
We had to go back around to the back the door and see if they would give us some food.”
Thank God for powerful people… who knew that they possessed power. Or we would still be sitting on the back of the bus today.
Union busting is not anything new. One of the greatest examples of it is when Ronald Reagon decided to interfere in the air traffic controller strike, PATCO …in August 1981. Reagon 
froze the air traffic controller’s $3.5 million strike fund in order to force the striking workers back to work… saying that they were in violation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifKX9EXSvrQ&feature=related
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/reagan.years/whitehouse/airtraffic.html
And if you remember any facts to this story… you will remember how quickly many of the striking air traffic 
controllers were replaced. While a the powers to be… then trained a bunch of unprofessionals to replace to them.
And our air ways have never been the same. They have found people sleeping and all kinds of crazy things. And we will not discuss what took place on 9/11.
Because if the truth be told… that is still a mystery to me?
How is it that at least 3 airplanes took off from Logan Airport in Boston… and got so far off of their courses. And nobody …not 1 person knew about it until very important buildings began to be flown into?
Something is wrong with that picture. And for the life of me… how was it that the 2nd airplane was allowed to hit the 2nd tower of the World Trade Center? This is even a bigger mystery to me?
Because before it did… every airplane and helicopter in New York City was up in the air that day soon after 
the 1st airplane had flown in the World Trade Center. So then, how is it that nobody saw the 2nd airplane until after it hit the 2nd tower of the World Trade Center?
My niece woke me that morning with a phone call saying that an airplane had just flown into 1 of the towers of the World Trade Center. And as she was still talking to me… some 20 minutes later the 2nd airplane flew into 
the 2nd tower of the World Trade Center.
How could that have happened?
After the 1st airplane into that air space… clearly, a 2nd air craft entering into that same air space should never have happened.
First of all, the air space around the whole area of the World Trade Center and Statue of Liberty was and is…a protected air space. Which means it was supposed to be under the protection of fighter jets anyhow. But notwithstanding the admission of the 1st air craft into that air space… clearly, a 2nd air craft entering into that same air space should have most definitely been shot down…and shot down 
long before coming in contact with the 2nd tower of the World Trade Center.
But going back to the then President Reagon who decided that he needed to step in on the striking air traffic controllers… and teach them a lesson. Reagon, of course, being the idol of ever Republican… the 1 that they most try to exemplify, and proclaim themselves to be the most like. And I wonder if that was before or after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s?
But then of course… nobody knows exactly how long Reagon had actually been losing it. Though I must say that most of the Republican Party seems to be fit candidates for an Alzheimer’s examination. Because truly most of them seem to be suffering from some sort of mental deficiency… starting with but not limited to Palin.
Something has to be wrong …mentally with a bunch of people who claim that they love something and seek so vigilantly to destroy it. And I am talking about America.
They claim that they love America. Yet everything they have been doing lately… and I am talking … for years now… has been done to undermine America… if not to utterly destroy it.
One of the most disastrous things to happen to the United States of America was something called George W. Bush. I understand how wars were used in past American History to re-jump start the economy. But George who was 
supposedly an economy major from that great learning institution known as Yale University, in New Haven, CT. George having gotten into hot water somehow either on his own… or via the un-wise thinking of some of his flunkies…they came up with a plan. The plan was to go to war. Start some wars and the economy will take off again… the money you spent will be forgotten… and forgiven… and all will be well.
But there was a problem with the plan. The work place had changed.
In years past America had plenty of factories and factory workers. But by the time George stole his way into the White House all those jobs were gone. Those factories had been closed… and years later turned into lovely condominiums. And if the companies still exists those jobs didn’t… robots had moved in and replaced the workers.
Do you remember when you used to read the Help Wanted Ads and saw a train of Bank Teller jobs being offered?
Look for that now. You won’t find it. Because many of those jobs no longer exist. Bank tellers have been replaced by atm machines.
The same has happened to a position called ‘receptionist.’ When was the last time you heard that word?
It is voice mail… and automated voice activated systems now. No more receptionist jobs almost anywhere today.
Most utility companies have closed down their offices which used to handle bill paying services. They don’t do that any more. Oh, no… If you can’t send it in by mail… or go to a local payment center at your check cashing center …or corner store… then for a charge call them and they will take your payment over the phone.
In 2008 Americans voted for a change. While Republicans are 
quick to say that Obama did not… or has not delivered.
Yet on the other hand Republicans will never say-
“And we have done everything within our power to ensure it.”
On every issue… and non-issue Republicans have done their best to block Obama from even trying to do anything to fix the mess. A massive and highly expensive and burdensome mess… that George W. Bush… a Republican …whom I believe will never ever be forgotten… for the mess that he left us all in. And when President Obama has managed to get something pass them… they … the Republicans attack it like a bunch o
f mad dogs.
Whoever said that Barack Obama was a magician?
Whoever said Obama was Merlin?
Or even had some kind of ‘black magic?’
In case you did think that let me be the first to just say-
“Are you for real?”
Magic is an illusion. It is based upon trickery… cunning and deceit. Thank goodness these are not traits that are found within our President Barack Obama.
President Barack Obama has never lied to us about ‘weapons of mass destruction.’
He has never tried to pull the wool over our eyes… by blinding us with a bunch of codes that meant absolutely nothing… code RED… code YELLOW… (if you have no understanding of this then you would have had to have lived in New York City following 9/11).
Obama has never tried to used 1 fear tactic to keep us up under our beds… or hid in our closets.
President Barack Obama is not the cause for why America is where America is today. He had nothing at all do do with it. He did not bring us here. In fact, as quiet as it is kept… he is trying to fix this mess. It is more than possible that he might aid in bringing us a long ways out of this runt… if we all stop listening to lies. Stop being deceived… and turning every which way the winds blows.
It is Republican deceit and lies that have turned this country upside down… and not Barack Obama.
- Corporate greed and mis-handling of business was here long before Barack Obama walked into the White House
- Job losses many years before Obama
- National Debt was already there… but really began running away after George W. Bush stepped into the Presidential picture
- Problems on Wall Street with the stock market are not new… trace them back into the 1930’s
Several States now have had to fight against Republican Governors who lead people into believing that they were either the man or woman for the job… and would wholly work for them… the voters. Telling them that they were a person with their interests in their mind and in heart… only for those voters to lament a vote that they ever casted in that person’s favor. It ended up costing voters benefits… or their job… or a less powerful union etc. Because that Republican political had an agenda. And that agenda had nothing to do with the people’s minds… or hearts that they con into believing in them with their claims of ‘I want to serve you.’
The Republicans are so slimy they have created a 2nd Republican Party… the co-called Tea Party a group of real lunatics… formed by that lunatic queen Palin and few other crazies. All of whom who have fallen out with one another… that is how firmly rooted they were. Like a bunch of crabs in a barrel… all clamouring to be the top dog… and if they can’t then they pick up their marbles and go home.
They have all… whether they call themselves ‘Tea Party’ or not… they …the Republicans have all developed a seek and destroy attitude. And that attitude did not just get started when President Barack Obama stepped into the White House… it is an attitude that they have long adapted to.
You need only to look at the 2000 Presidential Election between George W. Bush and John Kerry to see how demented the Republicans are. They saw nothing 
wrong …NOTHING…in undermining the entire American practice of our right to vote… and to have ALL our votes counted. And it was not something that they were not bold enough to do so all could see… and dared any of us to do anything about it.
So, don’t blame Obama. This mess is not his. But he decide to champion the cause… to try to set America back on the right course. To raise Her from low depths She sank to under what no one can call ‘leadership’… but just say… George Bush brought Her to.
Don’t look for magic. Look at it as it really is. The world has changed. And the work place and work force has changed with it.
Many jobs that people used to do… no longer exist.
Re-training people has it place… I guess. But when they are re-trained where will they go?
Everyone is learning computers… but there are only but so many computer jobs.
The medical field is good. In a field that had nothing but female mostly… had seen a great emergence of male. Use to be you never saw a male nurse… but today hospitals are loaded with them. Men are entering the nursing field in very large numbers. And to think there was a time that such a thing… would have been seen as being sissy.
One thing is for sure… no matter what happens in this world… we all at some 
point or other need something medical. As long as we are in these bodies the need for the medical profession cannot …or will ever be replaced. But that is not to say that it too… will not evolve. It has.
However, technology is forever changing things. But even so there will still only be a need for but so many people to work in the medical field too… at any given time.
Radio stations have changed… television stations have changed. Most newspaper companies have gone out of 
business… because few people read newspapers any more. They get their news now over the internet… on their ipads… and cells. And if you haven’t noticed… most news companies have cut back drastically on their staff.
For 1 of my journalism classes, my professor… a great woman… had been booted out of her position as a staff writer for a local newspaper… a job she had had for many years. That company’s lost was of course … my great gain. Because she came with a wealth of knowledge, and understanding about the history and future of journalism… and media at large.
But if you have noticed over the internet all the news sources seem to buy their stories from 1 source. You can read the exact same story… word for word from 1 internet source to another. And if you are like me… you always have a need to want to know more… but they don’t have it to give.
And somewhere along the way… they grab ahold of this attitude: THAT LESS IS MORE.
Yeah, right… When I want to know less…or read less… I will just stop. I don’t need anyone deciding for me… when I have had enough.
Which I guess is the main reason why so many people like my blog… www.bsmith101.wordpress.com. For as you can tell… I do not believe in the ‘less is more’ concept. Nor do I just regenerate news items. What a waste that is. If I follow a story… I want to read something I haven’t already read… or at the very least …give me 
some more details …or info on whatever it is I’ve come to your website searching for.
But going back to my thought… the workplace has changed. It is not what it was 20 years ago… or even 10 years ago.
Remember all those customer service jobs that used to be in the newspapers?
Roughly about 20 years ago customer service became such a big thing. There were tons of ad campaigns about the type of service you could expect if you did business with such and such. Companies trained their employees to greet you in a special way, and to service you as quickly and efficiently as they could.
Today all of that is gone to the wind. You can stand in a line for up to 10 or 20 minutes listening 
to someone… who is working the only open window… or check-out line… carry on a conversation with another employee or either with the person who had been right ahead of before they got to the cashier.
Have you experienced that?
You are at the top of the line… but suddenly the ‘ONLY’ open window has a highly talkative employee… or someone looking around as though they are trying to wonder why ‘their’ window or ‘their’ counter is the only 1 open?
So, what do they do?
They slow down… as if mentally they have taken a mental stand in their mind… to not kill themselves trying to serve all the people who waiting in line.
No body cares about customer service any more. And so… gone are these jobs.
Switchboard operators are a thing of the past too. A little company in your area that hired local people… mostly women to man the phone lines. But then it was for mostly doctor’s offices. Today those people can be 
anywhere in the world taking tons of calls for everything from subscriptions to publications, orders for books or other products, complaints, messages, prayer requests …you name it. But small companies in your town probably do not offer this service any more because it has been farmed out around the world.
Most of the manufacturing companies long departed …going into Mexico and other countries where the labor was cheaper.
This country really does not have a great number of blue collar workers any more. Most of the automobile
workers were replaced by robots… or companies that sent large divisions of their manufacturing into other countries as well.
So where are the jobs?
Where are the openings that are available …or will become available for all the displaced workers who are currently out of work… and have been so now for years?
There are none. And nobody can do anything to change that… because of computers coming into the marketplace. They… computers brought about an unpresidented change to what was our workplace.
The only thing you can do is look for the next big wave in the future. That will
More and more colleges are offering on-line courses. Have you noticed that?
Some schools are over the internet only.
I am dropping hints here. Personally, I hate on-line courses… and feel that they are a huge waste of time. 
If you are going to sit in isolation… with no classroom interaction… then you might as well just read the book and be done with it.
But if you were considering a teaching career. Great… but you should also consider this fact. That soon many of those teaching jobs too will soon be gone. Due to on-line classes and on-line classrooms… and schools… cities… colleges and universities looking to cut their budgets. It is coming… and soon the classroom as we know it today will be gone forever too… just like yesterdays work force.
And with it will be gone… tenure. Tenures will bite the dust just like pension plans… and all other full-time employment; and whatever else they can do away with for the sank of the bottom line.
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Soon even common currency as we know it will be gone too. They are already talking about stop minting the $1 bill. Soon it will just be all plastic… be it a debit card …or credit card…. or something else. But the coins will be gone …and the paper bills.
Bet all those folks working at the Mints all felt that their jobs were well secured. 
We have all better start to think again.
Who ever thought there would be no more pension plans?
Or health care benefits on your job?
I didn’t.
You really have to be a visionary. You have to look deep into the future. You must go beyond your nose… if you truly want to have a chance in the future. You have to look deep beyond what you
see. The future is what you cannot visually see… but something coming.
Many people now do not even go into the office any more. They can do all their work from home. They write their news articles at home… edit news copy at home… edit books at home… and mother-frames and inter-locking networks are big things in corporations now.
I do see computers… and our dependence upon them growing.
In New York City they have all most totally done away with ticket booth operators down in the subway system. They too have been 
replaced by machines… which can dispense to you fare tickets. And while in Boston not so long ago… I noticed that they were doing the same in their subway system.
The world is becoming a place of less working people… and more automated machines. And unless you are 
prepared to service these machines… or program these machines… your work history will too soon come to an abrupt end. And you will find yourself with a need to be re-trained… to nothing.
So, when George W. Bush thought that he could jump start the economy by creating a war… with the hope that the war would create jobs. He and his people forgot something. All those factories were gone… and so weren’t those jobs. And even if the jobs could be revived… robotics still had replaced the manpower that used to produce the goods.
So, the wars didn’t work. But only sunk us deeper and deeper into debt as the years have dragged on. But of course …the Republicans will never tell you any of this. Any more than Verizon will tell you that they were 
happy for any old excuse to rid themselves of paying their employee’s health benefits.
Irene hit the East Coast hard… and it seems that my cousin who informed me of the storm was right. Sadly there were a few deaths. But thank God He saw most of us through it safely.
My cousins and friends in various places… including my brother had to deal of electrical outages. But that is 
the least. Many suffered damages due to flooding and/or falling trees.
The good news is Irene wasn’t as bad as what had been expected. To God be the glory.
The New York subway is up and running once again. Though on our way back from Atlanta… I did notice where many of the over-passes in the New York area were being worked on. And that was following the earthquake that hit us… before Irene came bouncing and blowing in.
Well, God bless…and enjoy the rest of your week. Amazingly we are at the end of August already. Schools and colleges are already in. I pray that all are safe and do well.
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2011
Add a comment August 28, 2011
In Celebration of Black History Month… Martin, Abraham, John and Mubarak… and Barack…
There is something about freedom that when you don’t have it…it is only but so long you are willing to go without it. Or otherwise stated.. tolerate being in a state of non-freedom.
I am sure that for the past 20 years many in Egypt felt that they were doomed to being under submission to a 
tyrant, Hosni Mubarak, forever. And Mubarak under intense protest thought that he could wait it out… their riots in the streets and massive protests.
And then he thought to do it under his own terms… but they finally forced him out.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12303564
But once people start to see the light of day…and start to act out regarding their 
frustration of being under suppression there is no force which can turn that tide back around.
So, when the army came out in Mubarak’s defense…even the military could stop the desire of the people to be free.
In fact, this being Black History Month in America… one can easily equate the Civil Rights Movement to that of the move of the people in Egypt… except for this 1 fact. 
He had a man named Martin.
And the special thing about Martin was that he was a man of God.
The other thing about Martin was this… he understood 
the power of love. Or, you could call it this… non-violence.
It is hard really to really really understand this word ‘love’ in all of its great infinity.
It is deeper than we think.
But to Martin it was not.
In order to really understand the power of this word…truly… you have to experience it fully in its highest capacity.
Once while down at the registry…having to go in to renew my driver’s class. And 
what I really should say is this-
While being at the registry attempting to renew my driver’s license. It went like this…
I was given a number…and took a seat to wait on the calling of my number. But as I sat there they called every number but the letter beginning with the number sequence that the group of people waiting on that same sequence had like me. 
So, I waited…and waited. And waited… and waited.
Finally, I stood up and had a fit in that place.
And I started shouting about where was ‘our’ numbers…and why wasn’t ‘our’ letter being called? And I was not joking.
I was fit to turn that place out. And evidently the supervisor on duty did not appreciate my outraged outburst.
This, however, I did not know. Not at that time…and not until a few days later.
But back to my story…finally our letter and numbers began to be call, and I finally got up to the window.
But there was a problem. They sent me from 1 window to another window…then to another window. Needless to say I was mad again …and ready to really tear up the place now.
By the time I got to the 4th window in this scenario I was boiling over. I mean I was
mad. But the clerk was such a nice young girl I found it hard to be angry at her… though I wanted to take out my frustration on her. Everytime I tried I just couldn’t.
She was just too nice.
Finally, I broke down and said to her-
“Can’t you be mean or nasty. I just can’t be mad at you. Can you just not be so nice.”
She just smiled and kept right on apologizing about my bad experience that I was having that day at the registry.
Finally, I was sent away with no license. And I left out the DMV after having been there for nearly 4 hours…though a lot q
uieter but still mad. And I had gotten nothing done for my time spent.
A few days later I got a letter in the mail telling me it was okay to come back into the registry to get my license. That is when God shined a light into my life regarding that experience…and what ended up being my unexpected end.
Because my outburst had embarassed the person who supervising the clerks working the counter…she decided (supervisor) that I was not going to leave out of there with whatever I had come in there to do. And boy did they do it.
They had me walk from 1 window to another… sending me on a series of wild 
goose chases before turning me loose to go home… and without my license. And while making $100 poorer.
I now understood every smirk…and look that I had picked up on… but at the time they had not meant anything to me… because I was too mad to pay any attention to anything but to what I wanted to accomplish when I went into that office. It was all clear to me now… even down to the young clerk who had been so kind to me… and why she could have been so nice to a very nasty little me.
She had been made aware to the inside joke. I now remembered a woman calling the girl back to her and whispering something to her. So, no wonder the young girl could smile through my attempts to antagonize her in the heat of my anger. She had been told to plaquette me. And it had all been a joke… my going from 1 window to another… and sent here there and everywhere.
Martin did not attempt to plaguette anyone… but he clearly understood that 
through acts of non-voilence in the face of violent acts can be a more powerful weapon than kicking, spitting and hitting back. When you have the capability of restraining yourself from responding in an equal or like-matter to that of a prepetrator or an enemy.
.. then you will have power over them. Because the act of violence or hate…or malice directed towards you is devised to get a negative response from you. And this Martin clearly understood… and also the power of showing a reverse response to that which is expected.
Martin didn’t just believe in the ideology of non-violence alone. He understood that love was a retractor that forced even your worst enemy to have to step back and reconsider his acts or actions towards you. It confuses them. They have to step back… scratch their heads… and wonder what’s wrong with you?
The first thing that start to consider is ‘maybe I didn’t beat him hard enough.’ Or ‘maybe I 
didn’t insult him enough.’ Maybe…maybe I need to threaten his family. Or tell him that I’m going to kill his 
wife…or maybe I need to call and whisper into his telephone and tell him-
“You better keep your eyes on your children.”
There is something about love… that deminishes fear…and rage. It can force change to come about. And so we celebrate Black History Month because 
of those people who got tired… and started walking and marching rather than continuing to accept mistreatment… insult… and dehumanization.
People who took the hits… the punches… and the spit in the face that I …my son… my nieces and nephews might walk
in this country with the right to be as other people who come here… though not in chains and they never had to live as 2nd class citizens in this country… nor contributed half as much… as we to be recognized as bonifided citizens.
It is amazing that throughout all these years in this country all these great inventions and discoveries by black folks in American are still not regularly spoken of outside of our own 
circles. To think that somebody…and African American… ex-slave 
invented the railroad track switcher, the traffic 
lights, the steamship, the air conditioner, the yard rake, 
the water sprinkler, the cotton gin, blood plasma, potato chips, peanut butter and oh…….so so so so much much…much more.
It is not that we do not have great minds in our group…but minds that have never 
and multi-millionairs…billionaires there 
would be within our community today. Oprah would not be 
out there all on her own. She might be in 3rd or 4th place behind some of these people… these great minds in Black History. And there would be plenty of money…and lots of ‘old’ money within the ranks of our own communites too. Legally obtained by both those highly educated…and those who worked in fields as well… creating items which made their labors a bit easier on them. Inventions of thing which today are highly commonplace items in all our homes… or in all of the world’s everday life.
Also, nobody can tell me that whatever that man’s name is… James Naismith 
really was the ‘real’ originator of basketball. A man from Massachusetts? Who started playing a game of ball that included peach baskets?
I think not.
It sounds more like that on a visit down South… he saw some black boys 
down in Georgia…the home of peaches… with an old ball and tossing it into a peach basket after getting in from a long day of working out in those Georgia peach fields. 
He saw them …and then Naismith went back home and began to teach it to some young college students, calling himself the creator of it. I think not.
Well, happy Black History Month.
Oh, yes…before I end.
I think that it is interesting that 
during this season of much international unrest… I think that it is interesting that many who questioned President Barack Obama’s community oragnizing credentials… evidently never sat in on any community 
meetings.
They don’t know anything about the fights or the outburst of angry and outrage that can erupt during community meetings. If they had had any understanding… they would have realized that a man… or any woman with Obama’s community organizing credentials would be just the right thing for this season in terms of international turmoil. You need somebody who can get in trenches and knows how to hold his own…to deal with these kind of elements of emotional revolts and religious extremism.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110127/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_protest
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/02/02/middle-east-protests-syria-egypt/
Since the Egyptians have finally over a series of a few days managed to chase out their oppressor from office over them…it has given strenght now to other 3rd World Countries looking at that picture to believe that they also have the strenght to seize their freedom too.
It is kind of like the elephant… who as a little baby elephant is tied into place with a little stick. But being that elephants have long memories… the baby elephant when it grows up does not know it now has the strenght to break free from anything that might try to hold it or contain it. But if that elephant were ever to see another elephant break free… it might also come to realize that strenght that is in his hands as well.
So, we see the children who have grown up…and now determine for themselves not live as their parents had… passively. From the Middle East to North Africa their is unrest… Libya, Tunisia, Bahrain and, Yemen. And make no mistake…at ever turn America’s interest is vastly at 
stake. And I have no doubt that Obama has his eyes keenly on these places, the voices of the people…and those that are soon to pop up on the scene too… 
hot spots… all over.
I for 1 am happy that we now have somebody in the White House who is not operating with split interests. But someone who cares about us… the American people… and not future riches for him and his clonies…like the George W. Bush clan.
Well, God bless…hope you enjoy the rest of your evening and this Black History Month.
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family to em 
, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2010
Add a comment February 21, 2011
Celebrating women… Mrs. Dorothy Height’s passing… and women we cannot applaud …what some women won’t do…
I don’t know where you live…but here where I live it’s cold. And I do mean cold.
This morning before leaving out I made me a bowl of Cream of Wheat. Then I made sure I put on a coat.
Yes, a coat. Because… Well, because it is cold.
Though in speaking with one of my mother’s cousin’s I found out that they are having 90 degree weather in Florida. Wow…90 degree weather already. It is going to be smoldering there in Florida this coming summer if those kind of temperatures hold up.
But here it has been cold. And though I had been denying it.
I am now ready to face the hard and very cold facts…it’s cold. And I am not imagining it.
So, getting off the bus with my mind set on getting in the house an
d having myself a big hot bowl of steaming soup, but I decided to head in the opposite direction upon stepping off the bus instead.
Yes, my conscience was bothering me… because I haven’t blogged in a short while. So, I decided that even if I just started it tonight then I could finish it tomorrow. And that would be so much better than not getting started with this at all.
So, that is just what I am doing. Because I have so much I want to talk about… I just know that there is no way that I am going to be through before this lab closes 
at 11 PM tonight…and it is just about 7:30 PM now.
First, let me start by mentioning the passing of Mrs. Dorothy Height. Though I had never met her, I certainly did know of her.
Mrs. Height along with her many years of 
work as a Civil Rights activist, and as head of the National Council of Negro Women… she was also known for her signature hats which she always sport without fail through the years.
She passed on Tuesday, April 20th in Washington, DC after several weeks of illness. It is sad to hear that she suffered. But truly she exemplified all the
strengths and character of the women with whom she had the great fortune and I am sure pleasure to walk 
among… such as Mary McLeon Bethune, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz, Coretta 
Scott King, Myrlie Evers, Ida B. Wells, Shirley Chisholm, Fannie Lou Hamer, Barbara Jordan, Bernice Reagon, Bessie Coleman and so many others.
daughters now stand. And what I see in these women is a vast amount of humility and a humbleness you do not see in the spirit of people of today. When you view the video clips BELOW of Mrs. Height you will exactly what I mean.http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/beth-mar.htm
http://hubpages.com/hub/Freedoms-Sisters–Twenty-Great-Arfrican-American-Women
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-201_162-10003285-4.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/04/20/GA2010042001303.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g1wclP0PXt3NaBWLcwbFUjRs9bawD9F73F081
It is odd that I am writing this blogg on this topic today. I never plan these things 
and never have any idea where I am going when I first start. And believe me that some people have written me pointing that out to me. But I welcome your comments…good or bad…or indifferent feel free to comment or drop me a note or 2.
Since this past Sunday was Mother’s Day…you really would have thought I had planned this. But I did not.
I love celebrating women…and it has nothing to do with me being a past lesbian.
Maybe it is that my mother was a woman…my grand-mother was one…my great grand-mother 
was one… and all my aunts and nieces and most of my friends are one. And I think of them as being 
phenomenal people…and women. Clearly, Mrs. Height and all the women that I mentioned above were phenomenal women…but the women I am going to mention now are not. Some how they both fell well below the mark.
Many times while surfing over the internet looking for things…mostly to buy…I sometimes come across things or an article that sparks my saying something. And these 2 stories did just that…though one of them I saw on the Oprah Show.
But this story I came across over the internet. In reading it …it made me wonder-
“What women won’t do for a man.”
What this women did was insane…and she is not the first. Though if I were a Judge…she would have never been able to walk into my court with such an excuse…though I do not know exactly what her lawyer or lawyers plead for during her court trial. But if I had been the Judge it would not have been that…because what this woman did and the reason behind it was so sorted and sick …and just plain selfishness.
This woman was a grandmother…and had been a school teacher…who at the time
she committed this heinous crime against a young mother…she was 42 years old.
She was not some uneducated woman out in the streets. But I guess we may all very well agree that her mind wasn’t half as good or as decent as many of those women who we so often look down upon, when we come across them.
I will not call this woman’s name…not because I fear being sued or anything. But I do not want to add to her ever becoming famous or known. I feel she should go down into the depths without fanfare or pity. She was indeed evil. Her mind was without a doubt twisted…and she did it for a man.
This is what she did…she sought out some woman who was pregnant along with a group of thugs…beat and killed…and tortured. Then she stole the woman’s infant child to pretend that the child was her’s in an attempt to fool some man…with the hopes of being able to keep him.
You can read the story if you like…the LINKS are BELOW. But what kind of woman would have done such a thing?
And I think what bothered me more about this story is that there are those rallying to keep her from being executed for the insane criminal act which she committed.
I am sorry…and yes I am very much a Christian. But I have no tolerance for people who allow the devil to use them in such a vile and evil way. And by judging my her most recent picture she seems to be highly content.
We have all…I imagine…been the recipient of some vile and most evil thoughts. The kind of thoughts that came to us that were so foreign to us. It was some insane maybe even immoral act…or something that we would never imagine doing. Something that we totally rejected even the thought of it…or thoughts of it.&usg=__jCyJ3XcOIc5WYiC0WMPbzTWOrMc=&h=350&w=350&sz=42&hl=en&start=78&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=2HeceDh_4i2fXM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpicture%2Bof%2Blittle%2Bafrican%2Bamerican%2Binfant%26start%3D60%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1R2HPND_enUS361%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1)
And yes…I too have experienced it.
I have a cousin who told me of such an incident which occurred with her. She told me that she used to be an alcoholic, and once while sitting at a table the thought came to her to get up from the table where she was sitting. She said she was told to take up a fork and begin stabbing a baby…a little infant that was nearby…and to stab it to death.
My cousin told me that at that moment is when she realized she had to 
stop drinking. She recognized the thought at being crazy and that it had frightened her…because the impulse to do it was so strong. And she said that she never drink again since that night.
In looking up info for this blog I came across information on Malcolm X’s 
grandson. The grandson who set his grand-mother on fire while she laid sleeping. Betty Shabazz suffered for nearly 2 months or more before finally succumbing to those injuries.
I have often 
wondered about her grandson whom she loved so much…a problem child…and perhaps is still troubled today. A child that she loved so much that she rather to have him come live with her than to see him placed some place and locked away, because no one could control him. And at the age of 12 he killed his own grand-mother.
What I have thought about on the times I have since reflected on him…was what went through his head that he would have done such a thing to someone who loved him so dearly?
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/26/nyregion/malcolm-shabazz-moved-to-center-to-serve-term.html
It cannot be argued that some of toughest demons to resist are those which live inside of us. It is sad. But when crazy thoughts come into our minds we must with all our might resist them. A very large part of it is learning how to pray…and how to call upon the name of the Lord. It is what my cousin did. And it works…I know it for myself.
Now, on to the story I watched on Oprah last Thursday or Friday.
I had been in New York when the story broke…but like most people over time I had
forgotten it. But if I thought the woman I wrote about above was evil that goes doubly for Vanessa Jackson…whom one of my brothers informed me was a member of the Church of God in Christ.
Note in the picture above…you will notice that 4 of the children look like something is wrong with them. They are different from the other children…not quite as well dressed…and if you look real closely you see that they were not as well…
Well, healthy looking…meaning not well nourished. Because they were not. That woman and her husband straved those little boys…while she, her husband and their biological children all eat well and seemed to be quite happy.
I do remember this story when it first broke…
Some neighbors called 911 because late one night they heard a noise outside their window. And when they looked out they thought they saw what looked to them like a very young child rampaging through their garbage looking for food.
That young child was the boy in the picture to the right of the woman. The little tiny boy who looks so light and fragile. He was actually 19 years old and weighed under 60 pounds. And look at her own children…some of them quite plumb… as well as, she and her husband.
I was dumbfounded when I listened to Oprah interview the brothers of that boy.
How could anyone be so heartless and so cruel?
These people called themselves ‘saved.’ They took those boys to church with them and their other children every Sunday. These people adopted those boys.
On the show the boys told how the woman would dress them in 3 or 4 sweaters under their clothes to make them appear fatter. How we gave them pancake mix to eat…and would tell them that they only had ‘x’ amount of time to eat it.
What kind of depraved people exist in this world?
Is money that important?
Vanessa Jackson and her husband, who has since died while in prison, went to church where they…I hope…were taught ‘love’…and that it is better to give than to receive. But somehow they felt that taking and cheating…and being evil and cruel was a better way.
They straved those little boys…and aided in seriously debilitating their growth, physically and mentally.
I could never love money that much. The world is filled with sick and degenerate people. I am so thankful to God that He gave me a mind to not to be 1 of them. And I hope that you aren’t either.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/11/nyregion/11starve.html
My Mother’s Day started with my cousin Jean…who loves reading 
her name in my blogs…waking me up early. It was then followed by my son telling me to get up and get dress because he was taking me to breakfast.
He greeted with a large bouquet of flowers in a tea cup. They are so beautiful…and I love my tea 
cup.
I hope your Mother’s Day was great too…or that you did something especially special for your mom or wife.
And what do you know it is not 11 o’clock yet. I must be getting better at this…because I am just about finish with this blog.
Well, God bless…and hope that 
you have a beautiful day tomorrow.
And if it is cold where you are… Don’t forget about a bowl of Cream of Wheat before going out…or a nice hot bowl of 
oat meal.
And don’t you dare leave out without your coat.
And God bless….
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2010
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Add a comment May 12, 2010
Honor student killed…Derrion Albert …Chicago murder
I have long held Chicago as being one of the most dangerous places I have ever lived in. The level and the types of crimes I found there far exceeded and surpassed any I had ever encountered anywhere else…including New York.
While following this story as best as I could…being that I no longer watch TV or ever take out the time to read any newspapers. I was stunned while standing in the laundromat doing my laundry this week. When the story 
came up as an indepth report. But that is not what stunned me…but hearing that there had been 40 murders of young people in Chicago this year alone. That was not only stunning but shocking to me.
How could a problem such as gang or teen violence be so far out of controll?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/27/beating-death-of-derrien_n_301319.html
Though in Chicago…gang activity involves more than just teens…as 30 and 40 year old men…and I guess maybe women (and young girls)…are involved in gangs. They actively recurit seeking out new members wherever they want to.
http://news.aol.com/article/derrion-alberts-beating-death-captured/690024
When I lived in Chicago, Dr. Reynolds (Dr. A. L. Reynolds of 6th Grace United Presbyterian Church) told me how they…some gang members had threaten to take his life. And had annouced to him that they were going to come into his church to take who they wanted. That is the kind of pressure that many face in Chicago. They are under the constant threat of malicious malice by gangs…daily facing violence and all kinds of gang related activity. With the gangs believing that they control everything… and everyone.
The problem is greater than the issue of ‘black-on-black crime.’ By far greater. It 
is one of hate… and hating in particular of seeing someone… anyone raise above the preceived notions or standards of degradation… which many wallow in urban ghettos.
There has always been this problem of black folks hating to see other black folks moving ahead…or getting further in life than themselves. But I guess this trait is something which is in many…meaning that it is human in nature.
When you consider history where several pockets of successful black folk, business owners, who were killed and burnt out of their homes and business prior to the 1960’s. One such group was in Tulsa, Oakahoma, in 1921…and another in 1923 in Rosewood, Florida…as well as, other places. But what happened to them happened because they were black…successful…and the communities in which they lived (their black communities) were flouishing… growing. They became booming and profitable…too booming and too profitable.
These 2 massacres, one 
known as the Rosewood Massacres and the other as the Tulsa Riots…were the burning out of and hanging of black folks. They were not the acts of black- against-blacks. But they were the product of white people against black people. And these acts were very violent…and came about as a means of terrorizing the black people in their areas…as well as, a means to destroy everything that they had…and to keep those ‘Negros’ in their place. Meaning…not thinking they were like white people…or equal to white people.
I guess you could sort say that those boys that attacked Derrion Albert…beating him across the head with railroad irons, kicking and stomping at him…appeared to have had simular sentiments. They wanted to keep him down. Wanted to make an example of him…to others who might think like him…or desire to be like him. Others who got ideas about learning…and achieving…and leaving the ghetto behind them.
http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/rosewood-massacre-1923
http://rwor.org/a/v21/1040-049/1043/tulsa.htm
http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/massacre/
Considering the nature of man…that we would all be salvage beast except for the grace of God. When you think of the type of violence that the kids regularly watch and have become desentized to via movies, television, videos and video games…there is little
wonder that we are seeing all of what we are seeing today. Kids out on the streets banding together to attack one another…whether it is East Coast or West Coast…or Central America…their is a big problem with it. Kids taking pleasure is beating down somebody…and everybody running to watch. Or walking into schools or in college classrooms and shooting down everybody. It is all very much the same whether it be in Columbine, Colorado or South Side Chicago.
Yes, there is a problem. And it is neither black or white. It is a human problem.
Out of all those people…who ran to help Derrion?
Out of all of those people standing around. Who tried to help him?
No one.
In fact, it is said that Derrion…himself became an innocent victim…because he went to help someone else.
Let’s look at this….
Who did they kill?
Someone who they realized had a future.
Someone whom they recognized was going someplace.
Somebody who’s ambitions were greater than hanging out on the streets.
Somebody who wanted to learn something… achieve something… do something with his life… more than what they were doing.
While they had made bad choices…lots of them concerning their own lives…and the direction that they were headed in. Now with some on them on their way to prison behind their very senseless murder Derrion…a very innocent person.
But was it necessary for them to steal somebody else’s dreams…or to want to?
To take away Derrion’s life…and try to defeat him by killing him…because he refused to submit to them…and the streets?
Because Derrion wanted more out of life?
Becuse he saw where he did have a future…and could make something out his life?
Because he chose to learn something…and then to do something with what he was learning?
It is kind of like those massacres which took place in Tulsa and Rosewood…and other placess…when you really look back on it. They were about people who hated others because they became successfull…were progressing. And that is why Darrion got attack too…and was eventually murdered.
He was progressing.
Progressive…not stuck in a box.
Aspiring to be something.
He knew that there was more to life… lots more that it had to offer him… than gang life…and gang activities.
Derrion was a 16 year old honor student on his way to college. He had visions of making something out of his life. He was on the path to going to college. And gang life…and hanging out in 
the streets of Chicago just did not fit into his plans.
So, therefore, Derrion was a danger to them. Because Derrion’s mind wasn’t warped by the reality of what was around him…into believing that there was nothing else…or something better. That living as many lived around him…was all that there was.
And…so, they saw that Derrion was different and they killed him for it. Like those progressive black communities of Tulsa and Rosewood…were burnt down and destroyed until there was no hope of them ever coming back.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/28/chicago.teen.beating/index.html
The problem with Chicago…is that their gang problem should have been dealt with long ago. In 1981 when Mayor Jane Byrne moved into Cabrini Green, a housing project on Chicago’s West Side…it was because people couldn’t even step outside of their apartments without becoming moving targets for target practice by the gangs which controlled their project.
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/photos/2009/10/mayor-byrne-moves-into-cabrini-green—1981.html
When gangs take over projects…hotels and are allowed to run wild and rule as they have in Chicago things can only get worst…and worst. And they have…the levels of criminal activity in Chicago escalates from year to year.
There is little wonder why it was not chosen for the site of the 2016 Olympic Games.
I was living in Chicago when the World Soccer Games was held there. It was beautiful and festive. Though Chicago is always beautiful. But until the issue of gangs and crime is seriously addressed in Chicago…the lives of those living there will continued to be threaten by senseless acts of criminal activity.
And as long as the gang issue is considered a ‘black issue’ or a ‘minority thing’ nothing will ever be seriously done about it.
And that goes for gang criminal acts everywhere.
Today started off dark and rainy. Thought that it was going to rain all day…but the sun is out now. But there are still a few dark clouds in the sky. So, I guess it might start raining again later. But I hope that you are enjoying your day no matter what the weather is. And always keep in mind sunny or dark…that God loves you.
I am not going to get rid of this picture. And no, I will not get tired of looking at it.
It really does make me think of the weather that will soon be on its way.
Well, God bless…
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Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2009
Add a comment October 13, 2009
Roy Blunt and his monkey comments…racism… and the 21st America…
This morning while listening to a morning local talk show the topic centered around Senator Roy 
Blunt calling Obama an monkey.
Roy Blunt, in an address before a group called…Valued Voter’s Summit, began his address by saying-
“…that clearly this is a time when our values are being challenged.”
Just what did he mean by that…I wonder?
That America is no longer an oasis of white supremacy any more… or something…any more since voting a black President?
Was that what he was eluding to?
I thought one used to say that about Europe. Or so many thought…I suppose.
Blunt then went on to talk about a golf course that had been built within the jungle of India. Saying that something happened that they did not anticipate after their golf course was built. 
And that is that when golf balls were hit the monkeys would come running out of the jungle onto the golf course and grab up the balls.
At the end of Blunt’s message he stated that the officials of the golf course put forth a ruling saying-
“You have to play the ball wherever the monkey throws it.”
Where he then stated-
“And that is pretty much what we have to do in Washington.”
Blunt then went on to say that-
“You know the world is turned up-side down when Al Franken and Tom Delay is on dancing with the stars. That’s how you know that the world has changed in ways that you would have never have anticipated.”
Blunt fell just short of saying-
“And a black man is in the White House as President.”
Then…
“That’s how you know that the world has changed in ways that you would have never have anticipated.”
In listening to the talk show, which I of course had to call in to…to offer my own opionion on the subject as the issue centered around whether or not Blunt’s comments had been racist?
Any thinking person would have to say, “Yes.”
But the problem as I pointed out to the host of the program was this…
Many white people say and do things which they simply do not consider to be racist, but they are. Or least ways…they ‘claim’ that they do not take what they said was racist. Though secretly they knew that it was…but they state otherwise.
Then the other side of the coin is this…
When you as a black person…or non-whitle points that whatever was said or done was racist… then the whole thing gets turned around. And you become the racist for having said that they were being racist.
But even if a person said something offensive to another…does not mean that it was any less offensive simply because someone says-
“Oh, I didn’t know.”
Which is really not the case…many of the times. Most people know exactly what they are saying. And say it for the purpose of twisting a knief in you…if their words are cutting or hurtful in nature.
It is kind like playing that ‘liberal card,’ which the Republicans have become not only famous for doing so, but quite well versed at doing also. Whenever someone who the Republicans do not like says or does something positive for the p0or or under-served people of this country…the 
Republicans quickly flash the ‘liberal card’ upon them.
They were quite effective at doing it during the Bush/Kerry run to the White House. Every time Kerry opened his mouth to say something, the Republicans rebuked him by calling him ‘liberal’…which became a dreaded word…and particiularly it seemed for John Kerry. He would start stuttering and get lost…loosing himself in what to say next. Which is why it worked so very well against him. He always backed up from it.
![obama-chimp-cartoon-1[1]](https://bsmith101.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/obama-chimp-cartoon-11.jpg?w=305&h=207 "obama-chimp-cartoon-1[1]")
That was the one thing about Ted Kennedy, being called a ‘liberal’ was something which did not bother him…nor did he let it stop him from speaking up. Because in the end…that is all it came down to. The Republicans using the word ‘liberal’ to scare off Democratic too weak to stand up.
And that is the good thing about Barack Obama too. He is not afraid to be called ‘liberal.’ Which is the tag that Republicans give to anyone who tries to do anything to aid, help or otherwise assist what the Republicans deem as the ‘under class.’
The problem that I see coming for the 21st Century America will not be one of class but one of race. The issue of race has always been and continues to be an issue which most Americans do 
not seriously want to address. But it is an issue which has fluctuated through the years in terms of its intensity…overtly and conversely.
It is an issue which has longed been put on the back burner as America has always tried to hide the fact that she has such a problem…as a race problem. But it got its start drenched in the blood and heartache of slavery, from the point when the first Dutch slave ships hit this country in 1619…then peaked during the 1960’s during the Civil Rights 
movement after years of being surpressed. And now againt it is rearing its ugly head…ever since the day that America elected her first non-white male to 
sit in the Oval Office on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., as President of the United States.
The issue of black vs white in this has had it lows and highs in this country. For periods this issue has seem dormant. But not so at all…not in reality. It is just that during those times there were rushes to calm things down, cover them up, keep them out the eye of the public, or quietly try to erase the events as being racially motivated at all. But they were.
Case in point…it took place in an area of Texas…in Jasper, TX, 1998: 2 white young males took a black man, James Byrd III, who was walking a country road 
on his way back home from wedding, they beat him then chained to the back of their pick-up truck and dragged him to his death tearing apart his body…and this was just a few years ago.
It would have been something you might have expected to hear about happening in some other country but never in America. But no…
It happened here… in America.
And we all sat beside the television trying to get every bit of information on the story…while 
trying to figure out-
“What could have caused or motivated such a thing to happen?”
Racism did.
Hatred did.
And though that small Texas town that had a history of racial incidents…many sited as ‘isolated incidents’…something that had never happened before. But the truth of the matter is…is that America these ‘isolated little incidents’ for years…and not only the south.
These so-called ‘isolated incidents’ have continued 
throughout the history of America, such evil that many of them are hard to imagine. Events whose roots got started back during the slavery of black folks in this country…or perhaps even as early as the early settlers and Native Indian relationships. But slavery was a time when black people in this country were considered to be cattle…when white slave owners routinely killed and made examples of them…by chopping off a hand or foot…or beating slavagely for the benefit of the other slaves who might try to run away or whateverl else have you.
http://www.texasnaacp.org/archive/jasper.htm
Not to mention that following slavery in this country, black men and a few women were often found hanging from trees in the south after having first been beaten by mobs of white men, who then tarred and feathered black folks, and then set them on fire and hung them. Whom they left hanging…also as examples to other blacks that lived in their communities as to what they could do to them also. And this they did at will…and without fear of retribution.
So, yes the treatment of President Obama, the first black man, out 43 white men prior to him…and never having suffer the blatent and tireless attacks and disrespect shown to the first African American President of this country. Yes, treatment of him is a concern to most black folks. And yes…it certainly brings back a lot of old past memories of the ill and segregrated…Jim Crow treatment that black people lived under…and the lack of full acceptance or respect of Black people throughout the history of America.
Just the other day, I happened to called a older senior woman who I occasional call once in a 
while just to see how she is doing. Before our conversation even got going the woman said to me-
“And you see how they are treating Obama?”
I never even knew the woman payed attention to politics. 
But I could hear the rage in her voice as she asked me question.
I knew quite well what she was talking about. She was highly enraged over it…and insulted that anyone had dared to call him a liar…being the President of the United States. And she clearly understand…90 something woman that she was in age…that the only reason that anyone had dared to do that was because he was a black man…as she well pointed that out me in her anger. And she didn’t like it…and I have to say neither did I…nor any of the other black folk that know either.
We don’t like it.
If you have lived through certain things…you never forget them. Just as the Holocust victims will never ever forget the Holocaust. Because they survived it…but that time…what they saw…felt…and the loses that they incurred left indeliable images and memories in their minds and hearts. So, too…our history in this country….which is as much ours as anyone else’s. Particularly since we played a major role in building this country…and most of the inventions that have come out of it.
An attack on Obama is an attack against us. And that is how we view it.
It is like how we viewed what the officials of the Miss America contest did some years ago to 
Vannessa Williams, in 1984. When she became the first black woman ever be chosen in the history of Miss American to become Miss America. Then some days later…maybe 2…there was a big scadal in which the Miss America people took the crown from Vanessa. And black folks just were not having that. There was outrage all across the black communities everywhere in America. I personally have never ever really watched that show since. It climaxed and ended for me with Vanessa Williams.
The scadal came about over some pictures, and black people decared that the Miss America had 
taken Vanessa’s crown based solely upon racism, as they had never at that point taken a crown from any other woman whom they had crown. Not only did black folk get enraged over the matter…they also went out and bought up every magazine that had those crazy pictures in them off every bookstore shelf. Because that is what black people do. Whenever someone gives us reason to be proud…and others try to destroy that pride…we back our people.
It is not something that we do often…but when we do…we do. And we all felt about Vanessa as well feel about Barack Obama and his family.
Today, Vanessa Williams has gone on to become the most famous and most beautiful…as well as,
most recognized winner that the Miss America contest ever had…for which they can take no credit unfortunately for them. Vanessa managed to raise above that event…like Obama, I have no doubt, will continue to raise against the name-calling, veiled threats and statements, ladent bigotry and racist jokes etc… of all those who seek to characterize him as a monkey, critize his judgement, education and birth-right to be President of this country.
Love the show Vanessa. You have got that diva stuff down pact. You can catch her on “Ugly Betty” weeknights…if you don’t know. And my…can she work a red carpet.
Going back to that radio talk show and Blunt’s remarks…the issue is…is that everything someone 
white begins to talk about monkeys…fried chicken…or watermelon…they are usually referring to African Americans. And whenever they begin to talk about black people tossing in something about monkeys…or fried chicken…or watermelons…it is their intent to insult black folks. Though most of the time they will deny it. But the use of referring to black people as monkeys…or as chicken eating…or watermelon eating whatevers comes through history as things white people have used…besides…the “N” word…to degrade and demean them.
So, yes…Blunt’s remarks about monkeys then referring back to Washington clearly was an intent on his part to directly call Barack Obama a monkey. Therefore, yes…his remarks were quite 
racist. And judging by the amount of applause and laughter in the room they all got the joke and were in agreement with him. Which clearly shows that racism is very much alive and well in America…and that it is okay to continue to insult and defame black folks no matter who they are or whatever their accomplishments.
So, America is very much in trouble. And folks like the ex-President Jimmy Carter clearly see this.
As Carter points out above, the attacks upon President Obama are rooted in racism. It is a clear 
signals that this country is in deep trouble. And this thing can become exceedingly dangerous. A time boom…in fact.
Therein lays the problem. They can’t see it. Though they continue in their racist ways…acting out at will…and refuse to call their actions what they truly are. But are quick to call you racist for pointing it out to them. Then go into the back rooms slapping each other on the back and laughing over it. It is what racist do.
It is kind of a game to them. The kind of game that they play in law…since most politicans were lawyers before entering into politics. And that game goes like this…you make the guilty party seem like the injured party.
Thus, you flip the script. And that is what the racists politicans in this country are doing…they flip the script on whoever turns around to call their statements or remarks racist. Saying that “they”…the people…or whoever… calling them out for their remarks… that “they” are the racist ones.
Or they say it was a ‘miss statement’…not intended the way it sounded.
It is all a game. But a highly dangerous game.
This country is just a stone’s throw from another outbreak of race riots. There have been many events that have already started to ignite the same kind of fire that took place in the 1960’s which brought about several riots and burnings of many large cities around America.
One major event has taken place was Katrina, and the way the government under Bush and Fema failed to act in any way for several days to save the lives and property of the people of New Orleans. Then the treated of the mostly black victims of Hurricane Katrin has left a bad taste in many black people mouths. Where many people died un-necessarily. And those who managed to survive the hurrican lost their homes and everything that they owned otherwise…many children torn from their parents…and so many people were displaced and still are today.
Another major event in this country to have taken place which has also impacted a lot of black people and other group of poor people in this country, as well…and this is the economy, foreclosures…and a sense of helplessness and for many hopelessness they are feeling. Upon which…when Obama was voted in as President of this country…presented a ray of hope for them all that they all were in dire need of…both black and white over their current set circumstances which had been brought the Republicans under the poor economics of George Bush. And compounded by the Iraqi War.
But the continued belittling and underminding of President Obama may very well give license to 
someone to attempt to take Obama’s life…and there have been calls for it.
But if that were to happen…those politicians laughing and joking now…slapping each other on the back now and thinking that they are 
smart…would soon find themselves in something that they had not considered. And it would and will be bigger than anything that happened when Martin L. King, Jr. was killed.
The times have changed drastically. And they are far more deadly.
Fire hose and police dogs won’t be able to contain what will be unleased if race war were to start in this country. And clearly these ignorant Republican politicians have no idea the type of fir
e that they are playing with.
It is definitely not a joke. And those stupid politicians who think this thing is a joke really shouldconsider their actions…because this country has years of pent up hatred just waiting to spill over.
And they are pushing the envelop…and messing with flood gates.
Oh…and by the way before it gets mis-understood I do not think the above video is funny. But it goes to prove that the people in this country do not respect our President the rest of the world won’t either. Which would really be rather hard to do…since Obama is controll of what other countries want. But many want other countries to not respect Obama…it all part of their game of trying to under-mind him.
http://www.manolith.com/2009/02/20/ny-post-apologizes-for-monkey-obama-cartoon/
Well, hope that you had a beautiful day. Finally, got some rain last night…and they said maybe some more tonight. But today was pretty mild…and fall is definitely in the air.
Well, God bless…
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2009
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2 comments September 28, 2009
Chyrsler bankruptcy… cause and effect…Ancient African History…
I really do not like people who like to laugh and kajol themselves on the back of other people’s suffering. As if Chrysler’s going into bankruptcy only impacted the top dogs at Chrysler. If that was so…then maybe my attitude might be somewhat different too. But it does not…the top dogs rarely feel much of the ping…when the zing falls hardest upon those at the bottom. The top dogs get paid out…retire…and go on vacation for the rest of their lives while the poor factory workers get squeezed out of jobs. And are left suffering…wondering about tomorrow.
So, I really hate when I hear people laughing and joking about situations which impact poor innocent people…thousands upon thousands of them…just trying to make it…as black folks say…from day to day.
What could possibly be funny about another large American corporation having to 
declare bankruptcy?
It merely means more re-organizing…further cut backs and down-sizing…and the shuffling of more folks off into the unemployment lines.
It also means more mortgages can’t and won’t be met…due to people loosing their jobs. Credit card bills that won’t get paid…because… Well, people have lost their jobs. Less consumer wares and other items being purchased…because…well… Yes, people have lost their jobs. More people waiting to collect unemployment…more food stamps that will have to be given out…more medical problems for Medicare to add to their rows etc… More…more…more people who will need to be re-trained…for jobs which do not exist etc…etc…etc..
So, what is there to cheer about…concerning Chrysler filing bankruptcy?
And yes…President Obama should do everything he can to help constrain and assist Chrysler from totally going under.
Had I not gone to visit in Detroit last August such things would have never crossed my mind…but I cannot forget all those houses and all those buildings which I saw…street after street in Detroit all boarded up. There is something about having seen that…that has compelled me to never forget the plight of others.
Sometimes we get caught up in how big we are and how well we ourselves are d
oing… and what our family has…what we have…etc…etc… That we forget all about others…and about what is going on with them. But this is wrong. Other people lives do impact our lives…whether we care to believe it or not.
Recently, we have seen a series of shootings…where people just walked into some crowded place…office…church…mall…store…house…neighborhood…and just started shooting. And as you listened to the story unfold…you heard or read that the person who had done the shooting had just lost their job…been laid off…went seeking help and met up with nothing but frustration.
When your world comes tumbling down around you…and your family needs to be fed…the rent is due…the utilities are beginning to be cut off…and you are facing eviction…I wonder if you would be laughing because you worked for Chrysler…and your livelihood company just filed bankruptcy…and that meant it was going to cost you your job…your only means of a livelihood…for yourself and your family?
I doubt it.
The lost of jobs…corporate bankruptcies effect us all. And though you may view it as a government bailout because Uncle Sam is trying to help these companies out…the situations are bigger than their CEO’s. That money that Obama is taking to aid these companies is far less than what it would cost taxpayers to sustain those people…massive numbers of people who stand to loose their jobs. And I really hate to hear people who have limited vision…short sightedness…and who can’t see beyond their own nose…so much so…that they fail to see the bigger…and much broader picture concerning this issue.
Trying to re-train people for new jobs…many of whom have no computer skills 
and only know how to work in a factory…who many may be well up in age…meaning old…too old in fact to actively and with any real hope of ever being hired for a decent job outside of becoming some store associate, perhaps… far from receiving the pay they earned while doing piece work while on their 
factory job. Yet, they will be sent to school…enter junior colleges and things…on taxpayer dollars…and into various training programs…still on taxpayers dollars…they will receive unemployment…food stamps…Medicare etc…all of which will add up to far more than the cost of trying to keep Chrysler or any other large company on the verge of sinking from going totally under.
So, what is there to laugh about…and to say-
“There goes more taxpayers money.”
It is pay now…or pay far more later.
This recession thing is real. I may not be feeling it personally…but there are thousands upon thousands upon thousands of Americans who are. And they are in dire need of this country’s help and support…without the criticism.
Most people in this country have had a desire for a piece of that American pie…and when circumstances change…they should not be held responsible because of the curved balls that have been thrown their way. They only work for these companies and they should not be made to suffer because of them…ridiculed…or made to feel to blame because of any changes in the global economic environment…or the one here in America.
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=13241226&ch=4226713&src=news
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090430/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_automakers
Well, it is not something that many black people had not known. That is the 
fact that Africa is the cradle of civilization…the place of the origins of all man.
The first shoes made were made in Africa. University…library…books…etc…first in Africa. It is a widely known fact that most of the great Greek philosophers all studied in Africa. Africa is also known to be the place where the Garden of Eden had been. And where it may still well be…as there are still parts of Africa not yet seen by modern man…as you probably remember that most recently in some South American country recently they had found some unknown tribe of people who had not seen the modern world. And that was in South America…a place which is not two-thirds the size of Africa.
But none of this should really be a secret or surprise…as much of the Bible takes place in what 
as then ancient Africa…as Africa in ancient times stretched all the way into Asia. Ethiopia and other current African countries are cited in the Bible. Haran, a village in Africa, was the original home of Abram whose name was later changed by God to Abraham. And mentioned a few times in the Bible is the Queen of Sheba…an great African queen, who upon one time where she is mentioned she paid a visit to young king by the name of Solomon where she questioned him concerning things of God…as she was a woman of God.
So, if you want to read more on this story just CLICK the LINK BELOW.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090430/ap_on_sc/us_sci_african_origins
If you want to get an understanding of early African History…CLICK and watch the video BELOW.
http://www.specialtyinterests.net/sheba.html
That being said…then China would really not be the oldest civilization known to man…as history is starting to show…but Africa…the oldest civilization of all mankind.
It is funny to me now…as I think back…but in one of my history classes about a year ago…I handed in a paper stating just that. Not about Africa…but about history…and how depending upon who is writing that history it may or may not bare the whole truth…or even be correct. I wrote t
hat no matter how much man may try to corrupt history by purposely negilecting to tell some things…or by accidently doing so…that in time all things…meaning the truth…is eventually revealed through time.
Here is the newest African Beauty to emerge upon the stage of the world…and she is a high school student living with her family in Germany…and she is Germany’s next Top Model, Sara Nuru…an Ethiopian.
You must remember that it was a young beautiful…and evidently a very knowledgeable Ethiopian Queen…Sheba, who paid a visit upon King Solomon who brought him gifts and quizzed him.
Now, I am still trying to catch up on my sleep. So, if you will have to forgive me. I got up and out early this morning. I had to do what I really do not like to do too often…and that is catch the bus. But I must say…as a writer…it really does give you a great source for acquiring interesting little stories.
Hope you had a beautiful day…and for some reason I am feeling much 
anticipation. I guess because my book, THE BISHOP’S WIFE…is due out soon…and then the work really begins. I will keep you abreast.
God bless…
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” http://www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2009
2 comments April 30, 2009
Condoleezza Rice’s knockout punch… John Hope Franklin… Ryan Moat incident…
See…I said it. And she hasn’t proved me wrong.
I love her.
I really hate people who don’t know how to go home and just be quiet.
It is not like Cheney and his friends did anything but put this country into a whirlwind spin downward. And we have yet to set the turbulent waters still.
Cloaked in secrecy since they went into the White House…it is hard to believe that they had not planned this whole mess from the very beginning. To get in steal what they could…and cause havoc just because they could.
Or maybe all the chaos was just a shield…to cover 
up the crime. You know how the criminals do…create a disturbance or some type of confusion somewhere else to divert the attention from what they are really doing.
Man…you know I never thought of that before.
But what if it was?
What if 9/11 had been cooked up by some of our own people…in high places?
It would certainly address the issue as to why they never really went after Bin Laden.
I hope with all my heart that would never be found to be true.
I personally believe that every covered record, tape and piece of video…recorded phone calls, messages, emails, faxes, text messages…and everything else used to imprint messages on…or 
engendered dialogue…including documents…should be thoroughly gone over by some high commission seeking illegal irregularities by the Bush Administration…pacifically the lying and untruthful behavior of now ex-Commander and Chief, George Bush, and his bully, Dick Cheney. And they should be dragged before some court or tribunal to face charges of some sort…if for nothing else but for all the lives which have been lost and the families destroyed by an illegal war that 
not only devastated a country but the world economy…as well as, our own.
What a herculean mess the previous administration has left behind.
From 4.2% under Bill Clinton…to 7.6% unemployment by the time George Bush left the White House.
The number of Americans living in poverty when Clinton left the White House under 33 million…by time Bush left White House 37.3 million.
When George Bush went into the White House…Clinton had left it the country with a $128 billion surplus…while George left us with a deficit…of $1.3 trillion.
So, how dare Dick Cheney sit around on the sidelines now…sipping his champagne and smoking his big Cuban cigars chirping like a canary over what the Obama Administration should be doing…and is now doing…calling it ‘a risk’…in trying to bring this country out of the Bush/Cheney mess…and to get this country back on track again.
Who put us here…where we are today?
Inflated gas prices…highest ever in the history of America. Unprecedented number of home foreclosures. Failed economy…massive job losses…daily bodies flying back from Iraq…corporate thief…Enron…Bear Sterns…Halliburton…war…inflated cost of living…etc…etc…etc…etc…etc…
If only Dick Cheney could have been but so wise in the advise he was shoving down his fellow Texan’s throat…while they both were sitting in the White House.
Who put us here?
And then want to question how Obama is running the country?
Are you kidding me?
I know exactly where Obama is trying to take this country. OUT OF THE MESS THAT YOU GUYS PUT US IN…that’s where.
Thank you, Condi Rice…tell Cheney to put a lid on it again…and again…
He seems to be the type who just can’t seem to stop talking.
I can’t stand big fat hypocrites. Particularly, when the hypocrites are the ones to blame.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/15/cheney.interview/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/15/cheney.interview/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
How could something like this happen?
On their way rushing to the hospital they get stopped by the police in the parking lot of the hospital while leaping from their vehicle trying to rush inside the hospital.
A cop tells them to stop prohibiting them from going inside. He tells them that they ran 
a red light…all this mind you while they had their red hazard lights flashing while rushing to the hospital.
The officer is told over and over and over…”my mother-in-law is dying.”
To which the officer acts as though he is making an ordinary…what they call a routine traffic stop. And he did so without any kind of concern or consideration regarding the situation of his captives. Well, that is what they were to him…because that is what he acted like with regard to them. He acted as though there was no type of any emergency…and that Ryan Moats was just out joy riding to the hospital.
All the pleading and trying to get the police officer to understand…it all fell upon death ears. He could have cared less…as you hear in the video because he turned a deaf hear to everything that Moats was saying to him.
The cop threatens to arrest him…tells him that he is going to tow his car…etc. But the cop does everything but attempt to even try to comprehend…or make any sense out of the situation…as to what is being told him. Nor did he offer any help or assistance to the family members of the vehicle of near death mother as they tried rushing to her bed side.
How had this scene might have played out differently…if…
If the occupants of vehicle had not been African Americans but some other race…namely white?
The officer might have ran into the hospital with them. Maybe…
He might have been a lot more understanding and helpful to them…probably.
But I doubt that the above scenarios…and the way that it actually happened did get played out as it did because of…who they were…or are. They were black…African Americans. This officer saw their color…and paid no attention to their situation…or anything else.
And the police chief’s apology wasn’t much better. Near the end of his apology…he states that to the credit of NFL player Ryan Moats–
“At no time did Mr. Moats state that he was a NFL football player. Or expect any special consideration.”
What kind of statement was that?
Was that meant to be a compliment?
It is all on tape.
Historian John Hope Franklin…didn’t know him and never heard of him before. But just read something about him…how he had a way of telling 
our history. It really made me feel like I would have liked to have known him. Would have loved to have heard his name before now…and certainly would have loved to have heard him lecture on our history. There had been a time when I couldn’t read enough on it.
http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/tribute/franklin/3050019
There is something about our history that amazes me. So, many many stories…as varied as the people. Stories of lives shattered… broken… and often torn…and yet many victorious. Stories of a peole who were really a mixture of various people…thrown into chains…transported on ships…carried across the Atlantic…to stand upon auction blocks…and herded like cattle.
Yet, they were able to turn scraps into meals…later called Soul Food. Messages into songs…that later transformed into gospel, blues and R&B. People who turned hardship into culture. People meant to have not to survived…but did. Kind of like the stories of the blankets infected with smallpox given to the American Indians. They weren’t suppose to survive either.
I guess that is kind of why I cried when I saw them riding…strong and tall upon their horses…all dressed up in their traditional headdresses and everything…in the parade for Barack Obama on Inaugural Day. That was special. What a sight they were…just like all of us who flocked to D.C. to see…to hear…to cheer…and to cry as we bared witnessed to the dawn of a new American era.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/03/26/pn.anchor.death.cnn?iref=mpvideosview
Wow…I wish I had heard him. Had known of a place where he had been lecturing…or had booked him myself.
Now, that I have had an opportunity to find more info on Dr. Franklin…I had heard and seen him once. He was on Charlie Rose…a show I used to love to watch…at a time when I used to watch television.
They said he had a gift…a gift for telling our history. Wow…I sho’ wish I could have heard that. Not much of it going around any more. Soon, I guess it will all be dead…all our real history…dead and gone…buried when all our elders have all gone to their graves. Because nobody will be left carrying it on. Nobody studying it…nobody who thinks that it is now still important…or relavent.
So, now…almost all of the African American Studies departments have been done away with…removed…squashed…vacated…because “ain’t nobody taking the classes no ways.” Yeah, because they need to make room for all of this new stuff…like the history of rapp. ..and hip-hop.
No one taking an interest…too busy thinking about rapp…hip-hop…and baby/mama drama. I hear those classes are jam packed.
Or maybe we should wait on others…others to come and pick it up for us…and start claiming it for their own. Like they came and picked up jazz. That was on its way out too. It was dying as the masters began to die. And would have been dead too…ifin’ they hadn’t.
Our history in this country sprang up out of the toil and sweat…and out of bearing chains in this 
country…and there is no reason why we should ever let the memory of those who walked before us…and broke those chains die. Nor our history prior to slavery ever be forgotten…which so few of us know little if anything about.
Teach it!
Preach it!
Recite it!
Pass it on to your children…because a tree without roots will fade away. Strengthen the roots.
Don’t let it die. It is far too important for our children…and the legacy we leave behind.
I had said to myself-
“You are going to go home and go to sleep early tonight.”
And I did get in early.
And I did shower and get ready for bed.
But then I started writing this blog…and here I am at almost ll:30 PM…and I got in before 5. And I am still not finish yet.
Eleven Native American tribes from all across the country participated in the ceremonies celebrating Obama’s Presidency by marching…or riding if you will…in the inaugural parade and various other events that day and week in Washington, DC.
God bless…
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on “
www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2009
http://www.aaanativearts.com/article1632.html
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Indians-on-the-Inaugural-March.html
3 comments March 27, 2009
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