POLITICS
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Obama dismisses Muslim rumours & reflects on Katrina
In an exclusive interview with President Obama, Brian Williams tackles the big question, “Is Obama a Muslim?” Obama responded that ” I can’t spend all my time with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead.” What would Obama being a Muslim mean for America? What would it mean for you? Watch the interview below.
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Then, Obama went on to talk about Katrina which he called, “a stead progress.”
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Wyclef Answers Questions on his desire to be president
Wyclef answers the questions behind his run for President. It’s a great interview as Wolf Blitzer grills him on the unpaid IRS taxes and the 9 million he raised in the aftermath. Blitzer also asks the questions about the language barrier. Wyclef avoids the question a little but ends up speaking in Creole.
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Race Disparity in America cannot be ignored: The Chronicles of Beat “Whitey Night” at Iowa State Fair
Des Moines police are trying to determine what led to a series of attacks outside the Iowa State Fairgrounds over the weekend that included the assault of two police officers.
At least three people were arrested Friday through early Monday morning. Other arrests may occur as officers investigate the incidents, officials said.There are indications that some of the fights – which appear to involve mostly teenagers and young adults – were racially motivated, police said.
“We don’t know if this was juveniles fighting or a group of kids singling out white citizens leaving the fairgrounds,” Sgt. Lori Lavorato said. “It’s all under investigation, but it’s very possible it has racial overtones.”
Officials announced last week that they were stepping up security outside the fairgrounds after a series of attacks Aug. 14 that included a pair of stabbings. Investigators are still investigating those assaults and victims intend to pursue charges.
Sgt. David Murillo stated in a report on Friday night, “On-duty officers at the fairgrounds advise there was a group of 30 to 40 individuals roaming the fairgrounds openly calling it ‘beat whitey night.’ “
There is something brewing in Iowa and the question is what is that a larger reflection of? Has there been a feeling of dissent brewing among black people in the recent months?
What sparked the “beat whitey night”? Is this a mirror of the larger issue of what Bob Herbert calls, “A tragic crisis of enormous magnitude is facing black boys and men in America.”
Is this another moment where we really need to reflect and look at the realities of our nation? Herbert writes about what he terms is a “cancer” his recent article, “Too Long Ignored”,This is a cancer that has been allowed to metastasize for decades. Not only is it not being treated, most people don’t even want to talk about it. In virtually every facet of life in the United States, black people — and especially black boys and men — are coming up short. White families are typically five times as wealthy as black families. More than a third of all black children are growing up in poverty. In Ohio, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty, the percentage is more than half.
There are myriad reasons for this awful state of affairs. As with so many other problems in American society, a lack of gainful employment has been a huge contributor to the problems faced by blacks. Chronic unemployment is hardly a plus-factor for marriage and family stability. And the absence of strong family units with mature parental guidance is at the very root of the chaotic environment that so many black youngsters grow up in.
The abominable incarceration rates among blacks are the result of two overwhelming factors: the persistence of criminal behavior by a significant percentage of the black population, and a criminal justice system that in many respects is racially discriminatory and out of control. Both of these factors need to be engaged head-on, and both will require a staggeringly heavy lift.
Are we ready to do the heavy lifting and finally heal from what is a painful past and a scary future? Race cannot be ignored.
Education in the broadest sense is the key to stopping this socioeconomic slide that is taking such a horrific toll in the black community. People have to understand what is happening to them before they can really do much about it. Young blacks who have taken a wrong road, or are at risk of taking a wrong road, have to be shown a feasible legitimate alternative.
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Wyclef is Ready to be the Next Obama but is Haiti Ready
It was insightful to say the least reading Wyclef’s proclamation for his run for president of Haiti in the Huffington Post. From the reading, you can see that Wyclef is a man that appreciates legacy, grassroots work and those who have fought for the Democratic progress. Wyclef says, ”
The way President Obama used the Internet and social media was so smart, so revolutionary, really, in all the best senses of the word. In the same way, I hope that my candidacy will inspire more Haitians to be active participants in the political process of our country. I hope that young voters will become activists because I’ve helped them see how important everyone’s contributions are to the future of Haiti.
And, of course, the Kennedys, one of the greatest political families in U.S. history, are an inspiration. President Kennedy for his policies (his creation of the Peace Corps is a fitting legacy to the man) and the dreams of what more he could have accomplished; Mrs. Kennedy for the dignified and beautiful way she raised her children under the constant scrutiny of the public and the press. (Claudinette and I both aspire to do as good a job with our daughter.)
John F. Kennedy Jr. was truly my friend. I still miss him, especially today. He had a way of touching people and was such a smart man, and he didn’t get a chance to really make his mark in the world. It’s one of the reasons I’ve decided to make my run for president now; who knows what the future holds? There’s no time to waste, for any of us.
One of the members of the younger generation of Kennedys who has been making her mark is Kerry Kennedy. She established the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights and is the chair of the Amnesty International Leadership Council, among other good works. Her ability to raise a family while doing so much to give voice to those whose voices are not often heard is impressive, to say the least.
While mentioning his Western influences, he doesn’t forget to mention his Haitian hero,
“Every year on the day of my birth, Oct. 17, Haiti commemorates our freedom fighter Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who was assassinated on that day in 1806. He was one of Haiti’s founding fathers, and his story is an inspiration to all Haitians: He rose from being enslaved to becoming a soldier and leader of our country. He ultimately led the battle against the French that resulted in our nation’s independence.”While this appeal shows that he has an idea of history and of course the present and the future but he is looking to be a figure. He wants to be remembered and make a profound difference but can he overcome the way his name has been tainted with his organization Yele Haiti. A few months ago, Wyclef was involved in a battle as Yele’s accounting came under scrutiny. According to reports, Wyclef was paying himself from donations and owed the IRS. Reports say,
“The Smoking Gun first reported that the Internal Revenue Service records show the group has a lackluster history of accounting, and that the organization has paid the performer and his business partner at least $410,000 for rent, production services, and Jean’s appearance at a benefit concert.”However, Wyclef fought back with a youtube statement below stating that accusations were false.
Now, Wyclef is about to face the largest run of his life and he should be prepared not only to answer to previous accusations but be prepared for the dirt to fly from under the carpet. The GRIO reports that there is trouble brewing as Wyclef may be rebuked. What will occur if that happens,
“If he is rebuked, his supporters are expected to take to the streets and demand that he is reinstated. Failure to do so may result in political gridlock and paralyzed the capital city of Port-au-Prince, which is already crippled with more than 1.6 million people living under tents after the devastation of the January earthquake.
But Wyclef is not stopping, his slogan, “FasAfas” or face to face, is taking over the minds of the youth and the streets are proclaiming him president. What will happen? To read more about the platform visit WyclefJean2010.com. Watch below.
Source: AP, Huffington Post
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Bishop says Gay Rights not a Civil Right: Grio asks, “Is Gay the New Black?”
With the PROP 8 victories, the debate for marriage is back on the table and The GRIO, NBC’s premiere site for black content posted an interesting article, “Is Gay the New Black?”. Edward Wyckoff Williams says,
There are a number of reasons why opinions among African-Americans on the issue of gays rights is so varied. The most important is religion. Understandably, the African-American community is often very liberal politically but traditionally, socially conservative especially on matters of faith. For obvious reasons, sexuality has always been viewed through the lens, however dubious or misguided, of morality. There is hardly a Sunday morning in black churches across the country during which the sermon does not, at least briefly, visit the subject of sexual immorality – outlining the do’s and don’ts in the eyes of God and man.
The black church has remained, for four centuries, the central most important and influential institution in the African-American community. Even during slavery when it was illegal for blacks to read and congregate, they found refuge in the exception of the Sunday morning service. It soon became the center of all political and social engagement. This explains why many African-American leaders and political activists of the past century have been religious leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Baptist minister; Malcolm X of the Nation of Islam; and Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. The nucleus of the community has centered around faith in God. This makes sense especially when you consider the unbelievable challenges which the struggles of slavery, discrimination and poverty have wrought in our myriad history. If not for faith and hope, what other reasons would our ancestors have found to endure such tragedy and moments of doubt?
READ MORE BELOW and listen to BISHOP Jackson’s debate on the BLACK CHURCH and GAY MARRIAGE below.
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Elena Kagan confirmed as New Supreme Court Judge. Congratulations Kagan!
After answering 540 questions in a 17-hour testimony, Elena Kagan has been confirmed by the Senate as the 100th Supreme Court Justice on Thursday.
Kagin will take her constitutional oath in a private ceremony administered by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. in the Justices’ Conference Room on Saturday at 2 p.m. with family members present. Afterward, she will take her judicial oath in the West Conference Room in front of her family and friends.
“Over the past two months, the committee has scrutinized Elena’s record as a scholar, as a law school dean, as a presidential adviser, and as solicitor general,” President Barack Obama said in a statement at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel in Chicago on Thursday.
The committee has also come to understand Kagan’s character, Obama said.
“They’ve gotten a good sense of her formidable intelligence, her rich understanding of our Constitution, her commitment to the rule of law, and her excellent—and occasionally irreverent—sense of humor,” Obama said.
Obama said he is “confident” that Kagan will be an “outstanding” Supreme Court justice.
Obama noted that for almost two centuries, not a single woman was on the highest court. As Kagan takes her seat on that bench, the nation will—for the first time in history—have three women in the court: Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sonia Sotomayor.
Kagan, 50, was born and raised in New York City and attended Princeton University, Worcester College, Oxford University, and Harvard Law School.
She served as the 11th dean of Harvard Law School from July 2003 to March 2009 and was the 45th U.S. solicitor general from March 2009 to May 2010.
A formal investiture ceremony will take place on Oct. 1.
Source: Epoch Times
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Prop 8 ruled unconstitutional, Cyndi Lauper’s statement
San Francisco- Nearly one year ago, the debate over same sex marriage went to the voting polls in the state of California. Being that California is traditionally one of the more progressive and liberal states in the United States of America, most assumed that same sex marriage would pass easily and become legal in the West Coast state.
However, in a shocking turn of events, same sex marriage lost out in the polls and was banned in California. After an uproar filled with numerous protests and appeals, the debate went to the federal courts to go under review. The question at hand was whether or not banning same sex marriage is constitutional or not.
Being that there is no legislation on the matter, partly due to no President ever making a motion to either legalize same sex marriage or ban it, it was up to the judicial branch to determine the legality. Even President Barack Obama did not make a choice on same sex marriage at the beginning of his term and made it clear that he would allow each state to decide on their own and he would support each individual states’ choice.
Wednesday, in a California federal court, a judge ruled against the ban against same sex marriage, making the controversial passing of Prop 8 unconstitutional.
Chief United States District Judge Vaughn Walker said that “the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite sex couples are superior to same sex couples.”
Walker also concluded that “gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals.”
Same sex marriage is already legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Iowa, as well as the District of Columbia.
The decision made in San Francisco, California on Wednesday is more than likely going to be appealed and will eventually end up going before the United States Supreme Court for a final verdict.
While President Obama made it clear that he will not pick a side on the issue, he is sure to support whichever side wins the case when it finally does reach the Supreme Court and a decision is made.
Source: Obama.net
STATEMENT BY CYNDI LAUPER ON PROPOSITION 8 BEING RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL:
Gay and lesbian couples have long struggled for acceptance and the ability to marry the person they love and want to build a family with. Today’s landmark ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional is a testament to the fundamentals on which this great country was built and validates that the discrimination gay couples face must come to an end. We as a society should be embracing these couples and helping them make the lifelong commitment to each other that many of us straight people take for granted each and every day. This decision is a major step in the right direction towards equality.
On behalf of the True Colors Fund and the Give a Damn Campaign, I want to commend and thank Chad Griffin and the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the legal team headed by Ted Olson and David Boies, and the plaintiffs in the case, Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo, for their leadership and courage in standing up for equality and fairnessABOUT THE TRUE COLORS FUND
The True Colors Fund, co-founded by music icon and longtime activist Cyndi Lauper, seeks to inspire and engage everyone, particularly the straight community, to become active participants in the advancement of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality primarily through the Give a Damn Campaign. For more information please visit www.truecolorsfund.org and www.wegiveadamn.org.
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Is Race the new political weapon of choice?
Americans are engaged in a war over a word: racism.Mature commentary on the subject has descended into tribal tirades, hypersensitive defenses and rapid-fire finger-pointing. The very definition of the word seems under assault, being bent and twisted back on itself and stretched and pulled beyond recognition.
Many on the left have taken an absolutist stance, that the anti-Obama sentiment reeks of racism and denial only served to confirm guilt. Many on the right feel as though they have been convicted without proof — that tossing “racism” their way is itself racist.
The “racists crying racism” meme is being pushed hard, on multiple fronts, all centered around the president.
After the N.A.A.C.P. asked the Tea Party “to condemn extremist elements” within its ranks, the right went on a witch hunt for black racists in the N.A.A.C.P. Not finding any, it created one. Andrew Breitbart presents: “The Sherrod Charade.”
Journalism is being tarred with the sins of some on JournoList, a now defunct listserv through which a handful of people wrote heretical things like the possibility of calling conservatives racist to divert attention from Obama’s connection to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.
This was hardly a vast left-wing conspiracy, but it fed the right’s defensive narrative that the word “racism” has become a weapon — not the shot of a rifle carefully aimed at a clear target, but a shotgun blast sprayed wide and loose at all things anti-Obama.
There’s also the charge that the president is protecting the New Black Panthers from voter intimidation charges. This nonstory has been knocked down more times than a blind boxer, but the right keeps pushing it.
And then there’s Glenn Beck. He’s on a crusade to convince the lemmings of Foxland that President Obama is governing under the principles of Black Liberation Theology, a “grave perversion” of Christianity in which “minorities are saved in the sense that white people constantly confess and repent of being racist and meet the economic demands of minorities via the redistribution of wealth as a consequence of, in some form or another, reparations.” What? Oh, Glenn.
Source: New York Times, Charles M Blow
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Judge softens Controversial Arizona Immigration Law
PHOENIX — A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the most controversial parts of Arizona’s immigration law from taking effect, delivering a last-minute victory to opponents of the crackdown.
The overall law will still take effect Thursday, but without the provisions that angered opponents — including sections that required officers to check a person’s immigration status while enforcing other laws.
The judge also put on hold parts of the law that required immigrants to carry their papers at all times, and made it illegal for undocumented workers to solicit employment in public places. In addition, the judge blocked officers from making warrantless arrests of suspected illegal immigrants.
“Requiring Arizona law enforcement officials and agencies to determine the immigration status of every person who is arrested burdens lawfully-present aliens because their liberty will be restricted while their status is checked,” U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled.
She ruled that the controversial sections should be put on hold until the courts resolve the issues. Other provisions of the law, many of them procedural and slight revisions to existing Arizona immigration statute, will go into effect at 12:01 a.m.
The ruling came just as police were making last-minute preparations to begin enforcement of the law and protesters were planning large demonstrations to speak out against the measure. At least one group planned to block access to federal offices, daring officers to ask them about their immigration status.
The volume of the protests will likely be turned down a few notches because of the ruling by Bolton, a Clinton appointee who suddenly became a crucial figure in the immigration debate when she was assigned the seven lawsuits filed against the Arizona law.
Source: AP, MSN READ MORE
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Who needs enemies, when you have a bitter daughter?
‘Do not vote for my dad!’: Daughter of Okla. judicial candidate launches last-minute attack ad
By SEAN MURPHY , Associated PressLast update: July 27, 2010 – 12:29 PM
This image provided by Andrew and Jan Schill is of a political advertisement attacking Jan Schill’s father, McClain County, Okla. judicial hopeful John Mantooth. The ad, which reads “Do not vote for my dad!” and features a picture of the daughter’s family, also highlights cases in which Mantooth has been sued and a website the couple started.(AP Photo/Andrew and Jan Schill) NO SALES
Associated Press – Ap
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OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma judicial candidate is fending off a political attack from his daughter, who has taken out a local newspaper ad urging voters: “Do not vote for my dad!”McClain County judicial hopeful John Mantooth’s daughter and son-in-law paid for the quarter-page advertisement, which features a picture of the daughter’s family, highlights cases in which Mantooth has been sued and lists a website the couple started, http://www.donotvoteformydad.com.
Mantooth said the bad blood stems from his 1981 divorce from his daughter’s mother.
“This is a family issue which should have been kept private,” he said Monday. “I’m very sad about this. I’m very disappointed. I’m hurt, but I love my daughter, and I want things to get better, and I hope they will.”
Jan Schill, 31, said she never has had a good relationship with her father and doesn’t think he’d make a good judge.
“We just felt like it would be bad if he were to become a judge,” Schill said in a telephone interview from her home in Durango, Colo. “I assumed that he would not appreciate it, but he’s made so many people mad, I’m just another mark on his board of people’s he’s had a beef with.”
Keith Gaddie, a professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, said such campaigning illustrates that “none of us wants our lives too closely examined.”
“It’s reality show politics,” Gaddie said. “It’s unsavory. It’s undignified, and it’s real.”
But Mantooth also suspects political maneuvering. He said his son-in-law, Andrew Schill, was once law partners with one of his opponents in Tuesday’s primary, Greg Dixon.
“That’s a very strange set of circumstances,” Mantooth said. “For a person to believe that Greg Dixon had nothing to do with this is like trying to believe that cows give chocolate milk.”
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