Ward "Coon" Connerly

 

"Voters in five U.S. states where illegal immigration is a hot-button issue may see affirmative-action bans on their November 2008 ballots.

American Civil Rights Institute founder Ward Connerly, who successfully pushed similar votes in Michigan, Washington and California , has begun campaigning for November ballots to ban affirmative action in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma, USA Today said.

Connerly, a California management consultant, said the campaigns are part of efforts to end race- and gender-based policies nationwide and his organization would stay away from immigration issues, the newspaper said.

Critics, however, said that may be impossible.

"Affirmative action, by its nature, is associated with minorities," Michael Kanner, a political science professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, told USA Today. "In Colorado, for example, the dominant minorities are Hispanic, so it is inevitable that the two will be tied together."

My respoonse:

Ward Connerly makes me sick.  Idiot. 

No Charges filed against Brandy

The Los Angeles city attorney's office said they will not charge Brandy in the crash that killed 38 year old Awatef Aboudihaj.

According to a spokes man, there is "insufficient evidence" for a jury to find the 28-year-old actress-singer guilty of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter beyond a reasonable doubt.

Brandy's legal battle is not over, though. She still has to defend against a civil suit filed by the victim's parents, children, and husband for more than $50 million.

This is still a sad, unfortunate accident. I pray that everyone comes out of this trial all right.

Movie Review: The Great Debaters

Me and the fam went to see The Great Debaters last night. I was expecting to be let down because so many times when people go on and on about a movie it turns out to be just okay for me.

But I cried three times in this movie and on several occasions the sold out crowd applauded. One person even did the church thing and stood up and clapped. It was sooooo good.

Inspirational, educational, and entertaining. Denzel, you did good.

Go see the movie. Excellent!

More protestors in Jena

But this time, there's a twist...

A white separatist group planning a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Jena is suing the town, claiming officials are violating the Constitution by asking participants not to bring firearms, changing the parade route by one block and requiring the posting of a bond.

The Nationalist Movement filed the federal lawsuit Dec. 14 and is seeking a temporary restraining order to keep the town from interfering with the Learned, Miss.-based group's "Jena Justice Day" rally. Group officials claim the town's rules violate their 14th Amendment rights to due process.

The planned Jan. 21 march is in response to the thousands who rallied on Sept. 20 in Jena in support of six black teens who have become known as the "Jena Six," and against what they claimed was disproportionately harsh treatment of blacks by prosecutors.

The Jena High students were initially charged with attempted murder in connection with a Dec. 4, 2006, attack on a white student. All charges were later reduced to aggravated second-degree battery or second-degree battery.

"When a group of, say, minorities or homosexuals want to have a parade, they aren't usually required to put up a bond or pay for police or pay for cleanup," said Barry Hackney, a spokesman for the organization.

The ordinance, Mayor Murphy McMillin said, has been in place for "many, many years." All seven of the organizations that participated in the September rally complied with all the guidelines, town officials said.

There were no reports of arrests or vandalism after more than 20,000 rallied in support of the Jena Six.

Hackney said the Nationalist Movement will not come to Jena if their concerns are not resolved by Jan. 21.

Walter Dorroh, attorney for Jena, said the community would follow the laws and let due process work.

The Nationalist Movement has among its missions revoking integration at the University of Mississippi, and has called on its football coach to de-integrate the team.

In an Oct. 15 letter to McMillin, Richard Barrett, an attorney for the Nationalists, asks the town for electricity for loudspeakers and electronic equipment, "adequate security," restroom facilities, access to drinking water, "adequate and secure parking" and no noise from hecklers.

In McMillin's Nov. 27 response to Barrett's requests, he asked Barrett to fill out the permit application and provide proof, as is required in the ordinance, of a $10,000 bond. He also pointed out that the town doesn't have responsibility for and wouldn't be providing restrooms, water, food, on-site emergency medical care or electricity.

McMillin said these services were provided by the parish for the September rally, and he encouraged Barrett to contact the LaSalle Parish Police Jury about those needs.

The Nationalists say Jena's rules governing public demonstrations are invalid and unconstitutionally over-broad.

The Nationalist Movement successfully sued York, Pa., over fees the city tried to charge it for a rally the group held in 2003. That rally drew five members of the movement.

FSU suspends 23 players for bowl game

Twenty-three players are expected to miss the game as a result of an academic misconduct case involving student-athletes and a former tutor who provided improper help with an online test, according to sources close to the process. The defense is expected to be the hardest hit.

FSU will not identify who the 23 players are, but,uh...when we don't see them at the bowl game, we'll know who they are.  I'm just shaking my head.  I'm not mad at them for cheating. I'm mad at 'em for getting caught. Tee hee. 

Naw...I'm just joki-- serious. LOL!!!

Awe, learn how to laugh.

Say That!

It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others. . . . One ever feels his twoness,—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warrings ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.


W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963)
The Souls of Black Folk (1903)"

Ex-Black Panther sues Emory professor over calling her a snitch

Welcome to AJC! ajc.com: "A woman who once chaired the Black Panther Party says in a lawsuit that one of the now-defunct party's most prominent figures has spread false rumors that the chairwoman was an FBI snitch.

Elaine Brown, who led the organization from 1974 to 1977, has filed a lawsuit against Kathleen Cleaver, ex-wife of the late Panthers spokesman Eldridge Cleaver."

Brown, who is currently seeking the Green Party nomination for president, accuses Kathleen Cleaver and her son-in-law, Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, of defamation and other offenses for spreading allegations that Brown was an informant for the FBI.

The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court on Dec. 3, says Cleaver told another former Panther last June that "she would never support Ms. Brown because she was an FBI informant."
Kathleen Cleaver, who was a prominent Panther Party member herself, is now a senior lecturer at the Emory University School of Law. Brown, an author and activist, lives in Brunswick on the Georgia coast.
The lawsuit includes a copy of an e-mail allegedly from Cleaver's son-in-law accusing Brown of instigating the shooting deaths of two Black Panther members, then falsifying her testimony at the resulting murder trial.

Brown's lawsuit says the defendants have damaged and continue to harm her reputation, her ability to earn a livelihood and her chances for political success.

The Fulton County Daily Report, which published an article on the lawsuit Thursday, said efforts to reach Brown via her campaign Web site's e-mail and a request for comment relayed through her attorneys were unsuccessful. The newspaper's telephone and e-mail messages for Cleaver were also not returned. Cleaver and Brown did not immediately return messages Thursday from the AP.

The Black Panther Party, founded in 1966 in Oakland, Calif., played a highly publicized role in social unrest in the U.S. the 1960s and 70s.

Former NFL QB , wife fined $5,000 for allowing underage drinking | ajc.com

Former NFL QB , wife fined $5,000 for allowing underage drinking ajc.com: "Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jack Trudeau and wife Lisa agreed to pay a $5,000 fine Friday for allowing underage drinking at their home during a high school graduation party for daughter Danielle.
The Boone County prosecutor dropped all other charges against Jack Trudeau, including a felony count of obstruction of justice and misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor."

Where's the outrage!

Williams Floyd and Terrell Buckley get their degrees tomorrow

William Floyd promised his mother and coach Bobby Bowden upon leaving Florida State a year early for the 1994 NFL Draft that he would complete his college education.

Two years earlier, Terrell Buckley made the same vow to his mother and FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.

Floyd's oldest son, Andrew, was just 3 years old. Buckley's three daughters weren't even born when he left FSU with unfinished business

But it is for their children, as much as anyone, that the former teammates will walk in Saturday's FSU graduation ceremony.

Congrats Floyd and Buck.

Talking smack about Xavier Lee

I hopped on nolesports.com to read about bowl preparation. Instead, the first thing that got my attention were comments about Xavier Lee. Pretty much the same ol' comments but it still made me want to do a post about it.

Some of the comments said that Xavier is inconsistent and that's why he isn't starting. That's true. He is inconsistent. So is Drew.

Some say he can't read the play book. Don't know about that one.

But you know the conversation quickly turned to race. He isn't playing because he's black.

Before you go talking about Charlie Ward, let me fill you in on that. Charlie was only given the starting job because the QB in front of him got hurt. There was no one else to play. Charlie just did what Xavier didn't. He played so well that Bowden would have been crazy to yank him.

Something stinks at FSU and I won't say what it is but I'll tell you this...if my son were ready to go to college right now it wouldn't be FSU. Not under this administration.

And that's all I've got to say about it...for now.

Say That!

"Ultimately, it is about respecting people of faith, including those whose faith is so important to them that it influences their vote. America was, and remains, a religious nation where voters take their values, derived from their religious beliefs, to the voting booths. But, that is truly America’s established tradition of religious liberty. " -- Ken Blackwell, conservative Republicasn commentator and former Ohio Secretary of State.

Casey to FSU!!!

I say we start a petition and demand that Casey be placed on the FSU coaching staff. Don't we need a quarterback coach?

Casey makes a statement

The following is a statement Casey Weldon made on Thursday to the North Florida Christian football team, students, fans, parents, faculty and staff:

“I want to give so many thanks for the support before this, during this and after this. There are so many people to thank. I just really appreciate the support me and my family have gotten … I’m not perfect, I haven’t been perfect. And when I wasn’t I owned up to it. To the entire school, I just love it. I love it. I loved the opportunity to coach these kids. I felt like I was getting better.

“And I learned so much. I got so much from these last two years. It was the best two years of football that I’ve ever had. And that’s saying an awful lot. It was just so, so rewarding. I hope that these boys will be better men, better husbands, better fathers having been underneath the coaches. Not me, not just me, but all of the staff that we’ve had the last two years.
“I love NFC. And I always will.”

Classy, classy guy. Too classy for NFC.

Read this column about Casey's firing. I couldn't say it better myself.

Low down and dirty

Just when I thought the Weeks/Bynum controversy would fall off into oblivion...

Bishop Thomas Weeks was on the Tom Joyner morning show on Monday talking smack about Juanita Bynum.

He appeared to announce the debut of his book, which was selling for $13.95. It included pages detailing what Weeks said were the couple's "weaknesses" in chapters with titles like "Opposites Attract, But Do They Last," and "She Wanted To Be the Next Oprah at Any Cost."

About 48 hours later, "What Love Taught Me" was yanked from distribution with this message on his website to his wife and his Global Destiny church family: "I want to speak to my wife," Weeks pleads. "I haven't been able to talk to her since Aug. 21, but I want to share something very personal and heartfelt. ... I have wounded her emotionally in the last 48 hours. I want to say publicly, globally and privately from my heart, I'm sorry. I am pulling every book that would have been shipped."

Weeks, an author and leader of a global ministry, promises a "full refund" to those who have ordered the book and says he will rerelease it at another date under a new title, "What Love Taught Me — Only."

I'm just shakin' my head. Scandalous. And we act like we don't know why attendance is down at church. Help us, Jesus.

Vick asked for mercy

Michael Vick wrote a five-page letter to Judge Henry E. Hudson prior to Monday's sentencing hearing in Richmond, Va.

In it, Vick declared "I am not the bad person or beast I've been made out to be" and asked for leniency in a letter to the federal judge who sentenced him to 23 months in prison for a dogfighting conspiracy.

Vick's handwritten letter was one of several submitted on behalf of the suspended Falcons quarterback. The documents were unsealed by the court on Thursday.

Other supporters who wrote letters on Vick's behalf included Hank Aaron, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and former boxing champion George Foreman.

Read the letters here.

Black Like Me

So, remember my "Race Row' post? Well, apparently, he opened a can of worms he should have left closed.

James D. Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and winner of the Nobel prize, raised a storm recently when a British newspaper quoted him saying that black Africans are not as intelligent as whites. But his own brilliant DNA seems to blur the lines.

A new analysis of Dr. Watson’s genome shows that he has 16 times the number of genes considered to be of African origin than the average white European does — about the same amount of African DNA that would show up if one great-grandparent were African, said Kari Stefansson, the chief executive of deCODE Genetics of Iceland, which did the analysis.

And you know if you have one drop of black blood then you are all the way black. How you like them apples? LOL. I love when ignorance is exposed.

Read it here.

Ike Turner is dead

Ike Turner, whose role as one of rock's critical architects was overshadowed by his ogrelike image as the man who brutally abused former wife and icon Tina Turner, died Wednesday at his home in suburban San Diego. He was 76.

"He did pass away this morning" at his home in San Marcos, in northern San Diego County, said Scott M. Hanover of Thrill Entertainment Group, which managed Turner's musical career.

There was no immediate word on the cause of death, which was first reported by celebrity Web site TMZ.com.

Turner managed to rehabilitate his image somewhat in his later years, touring around the globe with his band the Kings of Rhythm and drawing critical acclaim for his work. He won a Grammy in 2007 in the traditional blues album category for "Risin' With the Blues."

But his image is forever identified as the drug-addicted, wife-abusing husband of Tina Turner. He was hauntingly portrayed by Laurence Fishburne in the movie "What's Love Got To Do With It," based on Tina Turner's autobiography.

In a 2001 interview with The Associated Press, Turner denied his ex-wife's claims of abuse and expressed frustration that he had been demonized in the media, adding that his historic role in rock's beginnings had been ignored.

"You can go ask Snoop Dogg or Eminem, you can ask the Rolling Stones or (Eric) Clapton, or you can ask anybody - anybody, they all know my contribution to music, but it hasn't been in print about what I've done or what I've contributed until now," he said.

Turner, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is credited by many rock historians with making the first rock 'n' roll record, "Rocket 88," in 1951. Produced by the legendary Sam Phillips, it was groundbreaking for its use of distorted electric guitar.

But as would be the case for most of his career, Turner, a prolific session guitarist and piano player, was not the star on the record - it was recorded with Turner's band but credited to singer Jackie Brenston.

And it would be another singer - a young woman named Anna Mae Bullock - who would bring Turner his greatest fame, and infamy.

Turner met the 18-year-old Bullock, whom he would later marry, in 1959 and quickly made the husky-voiced singer the lead singer of his group, refashioning her into the sexy Tina Turner. Her stage persona was highlighted by short skirts and stiletto heels that made her legs her most visible asset. But despite the glamorous image, she still sang with the grit and fervor of a rock singer with a twist of soul.

The pair would have two sons. They also produced a string of hits. The first, "A Fool In Love," was a top R&B song in 1959, and others followed, including "I Idolize You" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine."

But over the years they're genre-defying sound would make them favorites on the rock 'n' roll scene, as they opened for acts like the Rolling Stones.

The densely layered hit "River Deep, Mountain High" was one of producer Phil Spector's proudest creations. A rousing version of "Proud Mary," a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit, became their signature song and won them a Grammy for best R&B vocal performance by a group.

Billy Joe is going to Alabama

Billy Joe is returning to the sidelines.

But not for FAMU as some would like.

The former Florida A&M coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee has accepted the head football job at Miles College, a NCAA Division II school in Birmingham, Ala.

Good for you, Coach! Blessings to you!

Click here to read the rest.

North Florida Christian Fires Casey Weldon

After two years and two appearances in the Class 1A state championship game, Casey Weldon is no longer the head coach at North Florida Christian.

Casey was notified today that he will not be back in 2008.

How in the world does a coach with a 23-5 record, lead a football team to the State Championship for two years in a row and get fired? I'll tell you how, read this former post. Apparently, Casey refused to kiss the pastor's behind so he had to go. I told you some of these pastors think they are God Himself. It makes me sick.

Casey is a Seminole and when you mess with him you mess with Seminole Nation. I was contemplating sending my son to NFC. No way in the world would I send him now...unless they hired Shaun King as a head coach...NOT

The leadership at NFC is a bunch of jerks. I hope they lose every game they play next year...talkin' about it was God's will. Some of these folks are gonna bust hell wide open lying on God.

Casey, God bless you, baby. Everything happens for a reason and what was meant for your evil will turn for your great good. Watch.

PetriNO is gone -- Good Riddance

I have never heard Warrick Dunn say a negative word about anybody. But Petrino brings out the worse in one of the nicest players in the NFL.

"We play on Monday night and he's not at the meetings," tailback Warrick Dunn said. "Guys noticed that. We talked about it before the game. Then word gets out this guy might be going to Arkansas. I heard this before the game. To be able to look at him face to face and for him to try and lead you and motivate you is tough.

"He sold us a dream. He put this organization last in his life. He's selfish. He's definitely a liar. One of the things we have hanging in our meeting room is [a sign] 'Finish.' If he wanted to leave, you can at least finish three more games. It's 18 days. You can finish it and say, 'You know what, this wasn't for me.' You can respect that. But to let it go yesterday the way that he did and the disrespectful way that he did it, to me he has no heart."

My response:

I don't know why everybody is acting all hurt because Petrino is gone. I say "Good riddance." He was a horrible coach. One thing that I noticed was that he hardly ever gave Ovie the ball and he made Dunn look like he was done. Now that he's gone, maybe the Falcons can have a winning season next year.

Sherraye Speaks -- Authority isn't always right

I hate authority. I have no respect for authority. I don't like anybody telling me what to do and I definitely don't tolerate being talked to any kind of way. For that, I do not apologize.

A few weeks ago, my daughter was accosted by a teacher. The teacher told my daughter that she couldn't go in the gym but my daughter explained to her that she had to get her books. When she went in the gym she noticed that other students were in the gym playing basketball. Apparently, the teacher felt it was okay for them to be in there. My daughter looked around, made an observation, and said under her breath but loud enough for the teacher to hear it, "Oh, I can't come in the gym but these white kids can, huh?" She was actin' like her mama. The teacher put her hands in my child's face and was bumping her with her chest. You know I hit the roof don't you?

Then some of the school officials tried to lie. Um huh. After I got through pulling a Johnnie Cochran on 'em they acted like they had some sense.

I don't like authority. Things like that happened to me all the time when I was a child. Grown folks act like they can say anything they want to you just because they are grown. Police officers act like it's okay to beat the crap out of suspects just because they are police officers. Pastors act like anyone who doesn't bow down and worship them will be struck down by God Himself. Please

I can't stand authority. People in authority kill innocent people, frame innocent people, enslave people, and imprison innocent people. I fight against it, I speak against it, I rebel against it.

Really, it's not that I don't like authority. I just hate when it is abused.

Just a rant for the evening. Clearly I'm ticked off about something.

23 Months for Vick

Hey everybody. I took my last final today and true to my word, I'm back. You know I got to talk about my boy Vick. By now I know you know that he got 23 months. Yep. He got 23 months for dog fighting. Meanwhile, the murderers of Martin Lee Anderson are at the house chillin'. This is why some people don't respect the legal system. Justice is not blind. It has a seeing eye dog.

Not Blogging Until After Exams

here

World AIDS Day

Today folks around the world are celebrating World AIDS Day 2007 the theme of World AIDS Day 2007 (December 1st) is “Leadership”. There is no better time than now for all leaders at all levels to recommit themselves to Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise! People have been participating in their own way all week and today is the culmination of those events.The stats are wild to say the least. As the latest report indicates, over 5700 people died each day from AIDS-related illnesses in 2007. Over 6800 people are still being infected with HIV daily, about 1200 of whom are children under 15 and about 2900 are women 15 years and older. The infection rates in young people ages 15-24 remain frighteningly high. We know these infections and these deaths are preventable and avoidable if promises by countries to scale up access to prevention, treatment, care and support for all are to be fulfilled by 2010. The reduced figures for the HIV epidemic and stabilization in some areas of rates of infection in fact make such universal access by 2010 more achievable. Be sure to visit The World AIDS Campaign official website to find out how to donate to the cause, support the cause in our area, and/or just to educate yourself on the AIDS epidemic in general. It’s not a game out here peoples. Being fabulous is being aware. And to stay the fabulous person you already are…it’s time to take action.

The Black KKK...well

FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - Taylor's death a grim reminder for us all: "The Black KKK claimed another victim, a high-profile professional football player with a checkered past this time. No, we don't know for certain the circumstances surrounding Taylor's death. I could very well be proven wrong for engaging in this sort of aggressive speculation. But it's no different than if you saw a fat man fall to the ground clutching his chest. You'd assume a heart attack, and you'd know, no matter the cause, the man needed to lose weight."

My response:

I can't do this article justice. You've got to read it for yourself. All I have to say about it is, I concur.

Hulk's Wife Wants Property, Alimony

Hulk's Wife Wants Property, Alimony AccessAtlanta: "Linda Bollea filed for divorce from Hogan — whose real name is Terry Bollea — last week after 24 years of marriage. The petition says the marriage is 'irretrievably broken.'"

Hmmmm.

Redskins' Taylor Dies Day After Shooting | ajc.com

Redskins' Taylor Dies Day After Shooting ajc.com: "Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died early Tuesday, a day after the Pro Bowl player was shot at home by what police say was an intruder. He was 24."

Apparently, his home had been previously burglarized by an unknown intruder. Something about this certainly doesn't make sense. I think it was someone he knew who had issues with him. This is so sad. My prayers are with his family.

Protesters march against negative TV stereotypes

Protesters march against negative TV stereotypes -- chicagotribune.com: "Wearing white T-shirts with red stop signs and chanting, 'BET does not reflect me, MTV does not reflect me,' protesters have been gathering every Saturday outside the homes of Viacom executives in Washington and New York. The orderly, mostly black crowds are protesting music videos they say degrade women and black and Latino men."

Among other things, the protesters want media companies such as Viacom to develop "universal creative standards" for video and music, including prohibitions on some language and images. Video vixens and foul-mouthed pimps and thugs are now so widespread, the protesters maintain, that they infect perceptions of ordinary nonwhite people.

"A lot of rap isn't rap anymore; it's just people selling their souls," Marc Newman, a 28-year-old car salesman from New Rochelle, N.Y., said. He was among about 20 men, women and children from area Baptist churches marching outside the Upper East Side residence of Philippe Dauman, the president and chief executive of Viacom Inc.

Tebow too much for FSU

Nolesports.com: "Florida State senior defensive tackle Andre Fluellen doesn't get a vote for the Heisman Trophy. If he did, he wouldn't be able to admit who would have his vote. Florida sophomore Tim Tebow earned FSU's respect and probably clinched college football's most prestigious award in a 45-12 beatdown in The Swamp on Saturday."

After all that talk...

Anyway, I'm not real upset about this loss. We deserved it. Whatever.

Black College Student Missing for a Week

Black College Student Missing for a Week: "A college student has been missing for a week, and this city's police chief says her race is the reason her disappearance hasn't gotten more attention. Latasha Norman, who is black, was last seen Nov. 13 in one of her classes at Jackson State University. Her car was left on the campus, and the 20-year-old never returned to her dormitory room. Luther Samuel, a detective with the campus police, said investigators have combed the campus and have been searching all over the state, but no sightings of Norman have been reported. Police say they have no suspects. Among the people they have questioned are her current boyfriend and an ex-boyfriend who was charged Thursday with hitting Norman last month."

Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin said Norman's disappearance should get "the same kind of concern" as that of Stacy Peterson, 23, a white woman from suburban Chicago who has been missing for three weeks.

"As far as the interest by the national media in the story, I think race probably had an impact," said McMillin, who is white. "It's a small college in the South. It's the daughter of simple people who maybe are not important outside of their circle, and maybe we don't attach the same importance to them that we do for other people."

Police have named Peterson's 53-year-old husband, a former police officer, as a suspect in her disappearance. Drew Peterson denies any wrongdoing, but prosecutors also are investigating the 2004 death of his third wife, which they now believe was a homicide staged to look like an accident.
Norman is a junior accounting major from the Mississippi Delta city of Greenville.

"We're not going to stop until we know something. We're going to be relentless," said her father, Danny Bolden. "I'll ask that God may touch whoever ... may have done this, that they may come forward and bring Tasha back to us because we love her very much."

I really hope they find her...alive. Sending my prayers up for the family.

FSU retaining and graduating black students

Tallahassee, FL.: "Florida State and the University of Florida have long run neck and neck in the race to see who could graduate a higher percentage of black students within four to six years. This year, for the first time in nearly 10 years, FSU has come out ahead. FSU has retained and graduated 70.9 percent of the black students who came in as freshmen in 2000, according to the Florida Board of Governors."

My response:

Well, that's good. Personally, I don't understand why anybody black would send their children to the University of Rosewood...I mean, the University of Florida. But, hey, that's just me.

Go Noles!

Tebow is going down?

Nolesports.com: Courtesy of Florida State linebacker Geno Hayes, Florida's bulletin board will surely have new press clippings tacked up today.

“We're going to have the attitude that Tim Tebow is going to go down this week,” Hayes said. “That's what we're going to say; Tim Tebow is going down this week. Ya'll put that down.” So noted."

Lawd, Geno. I just hope that comment doesn't come back to bite us. That being said, take Tebow out. Don't hurt him, but hurt him. He makes me sick with his little arrogant self.

I knew this was comin'

Tallahassee, FL.: "Florida A&M President James Ammons said Tuesday afternoon that he wanted to move the university’s athletic program in a new direction. Ammons officially began that move by accepting the resignation of athletic director Nelson Townsend and by firing head football coach Rubin Carter. Each of Carter’s assistant coaches were notified by letter that they were being fired as well."

My response:
I mean really. Is anyone surprised? I knew that after that spanking FAMU took at the hands of BCC, Rubin Carter was gone.

Shaking my head. Dang.

Vick is off to jail

Vick heads to prison early ajc.com: "Hoping to convince a federal judge that his contrition is real, Michael Vick checked himself in Monday to jail —- three weeks before sentencing for his infamous dogfighting operation. The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback surrendered to the U.S. Marshals Service in Richmond, even though his sentencing in federal court is not scheduled until Dec. 10."

My response:

He is also being sued by everybody and they grandmama. On the list is the Feds who want One Million dollars to take care of the dogs they took from him. Yeah. That's only right. The rest of the folks can kick rocks. Vick ain't got no money. Well, at least not for them.

I say that on December 10th, the judge needs to say to Vick "Time Served."

Mike, you know I love you. Seriously. I pray that you come back bigger and better. This is not going to be your end.

Mughelli named Falcons 2007 Man of the Year

Mughelli named Falcons 2007 Man of the Year: "The Atlanta Falcons announced Wednesday that fullback Ovie Mughelli has been named the 2007 Atlanta Falcons Man of the Year for his outstanding performance on the field and commitment to community service. Mughelli joins a list of 31 other finalists from each NFL team, all of whom will be considered for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award to be announced during Super Bowl XLII."

He could just spend his millions and give on occasion. But he gives more than money. He gives of himself. Through the Ovie Mughelli Project and his work with Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, he has allowed God to work through Him and bless many lives.

On another note, he is very underutilized in the Falcons offense. I'm looking to see much more of him in the future.


Congrats, O! You are one of my favorite Falcons because you are a truly special person. Muah!

BlackNews.com - Allen Watty's New Song "Sometimes I Wish I Was White" Stimulates Discussion

BlackNews.com - Allen Watty's New Song "Sometimes I Wish I Was White" Stimulates Discussion: " Independent singer Allen Watty has just taken controversy to another level. Watty is best known as the singer of the 'Hurricane Song', which won rave national reviews from ABC News, MSNBC.com, and CNN. Now, he's back with another tune called 'Sometimes I Wish I Was White'. In the song, Watty reveals that he's not at all ashamed of being Black - but that he has learned that you have to be white to be treated 100% equally. Producer and songwriter Irvin Lee, comments, 'First off, we have no self-hatred issues. The purpose of this song is not to say that Blacks should want to be white. Rather, the intent is to make people think and converse about the continuous mistreatment of Blacks in this country.' "

Altered grades at FAMU

Tallahassee, FL.: "Florida A&M University administrators have confirmed that an investigation is underway regarding unauthorized grade changes. FAMU spokeswoman Sharon Saunders said Thursday that several grade changes were made to student records. A campus police investigation is underway, and it could lead to criminal prosecutions."

"We have a zero tolerance for this kind of behavior," FAMU President James Ammons said in a written release. "We must find those responsible and make sure that they are prosecuted."
Saunders said the investigation has been going on since Sept. 18.
"We don't know what course of action is going to be taken or if any course of action is going to be taken," Saunders said.
Phil Kiracofe, spokesman for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said the agency is assisting FAMU Police Department in the investigation. However, Kiracofe declined to elaborate on the investigation and referred all questions to FAMU police.
Kiracofe said FAMU police are the lead investigators. FAMU police Chief Calvin Ross, who is out of the office, couldn't be reached for comment. Deputy Police Chief James Lockley also declined to comment, saying he would prefer that information come from the FAMU public-affairs office.

My response:

Well, you know some FAMU students are real upset about this story being reported. Apparently, no bad press is ever released on FSU. The white man only reports negative news on FAMU.

I'm rolling my eyes as I type.

Racism exists. It does. But everything is not racism. Some stuff is just...well...true. So what we have to do is just accept responsibility for our actions and strive to do better and be better because we know better.

That being said...um, I changed grades when I was in junior high school. Cheated on some tests too. Tee hee.

Say That!

"Remember what the Bible says...'He that lives by the sword get stucketh' ' -- Fred Sanford"

Say That!

"There is a peace only to be found on the other side of war." -- Some character from The Patriot

No state charges in Anderson case

Tallahassee, FL.: "Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today said his office will take no further civil or criminal action in the death of Martin Lee Anderson, but will help Anderson's family seek 'the justice they deserve.' In a statement, issued jointly with an attorney for Anderson's parents, McCollum did say there is more to do in the death of the Panama City teen. Anderson, 14, died Jan. 6, 2006, a day after he was struck, kneed, restrained and forced to breathe ammonia tablets at a Bay County juvenile boot camp."

My response:
I'm not looking for state charges. I'm looking for federal charges. This absolutely can not go unpunished. Not in 2007. Those who have the influence to do so must keep the pressure on.

Say That!

"Wise people study history because it is cyclical in nature. So if you don't know what was then you can't understand what is and you are ill prepared for what is yet to come."

T.I. Issues a statement

So, Clifford has made a statement to his fans. If you'd rather read it the transcript is below:

"I know alot of people are concerned given the current situation. And I want to say thank you, you know, for all the prayers and support coming from my fans and my supporters. You know, its a very trying time right now, but I want to let everybody know that I pled not guilty and I gotta stress my innocence, you know, to everyone out there whos listening! And I look forward to being exonerated on all charges. And I say that with the utmost sincerity. I cant stress that enough to ya, ya dig.

I'd really like to say thank you to my lawyers, Dwight Thomas, Steve Sadow, Ed Garland, and Don Samuels. And thank you to the judge for even allowing me the privilege of being on house arrest and being here instead of, you know, the clear alternative. I just wanna tell everybody man, dont even believe every thang you see on the news, dont believe every thang you read in the papers, ya dig that.

I just wanted to to give you a brief message, you know, telling you how much I love you, how much I cant wait to get back out there. The good thang is man, you know, I got a lot time on my hands; doing a lot of reading, doing a lot of writing, working on my next album, its called Paper Trail. Oh and speaking of Paper Trail, extra special thank youto the Grand Hustle family and the Atlantic Records family. Man we gonna get thru this, you know what Im saying...to whom much is given, even more is required. You know what Im saying. God will never take you to...what he cant take you through.

So, Im just listening to what God got to say right now. And that's what Im doing, Im being still...I'm being quiet and I'm being still. Im abiding by all the stipulations, all of the criteria of my bond and of my release and I got faith in God and I got faith in the system. You know, America is a wonderful country.

Im gettin a lot of work done man, a lot of music man being recorded. But, my main message is its not over (pause) and the King aint dead."

My response:

Cliff, I really hope you are listening to God. I really hope you are being still and quiet and seeking Him for direction. I also hope you are really innocent because it makes no sense for you to be in this position with all you are blessed with. But you know I love you and I'm in your corner. You are so intelligent and so talented. You have a gift. Now use it for His glory.

P.S. And tell your friends to stop referring to black women as bitches and hoes. There are some intelligent sistas like myself who like your music but honestly, I can't get with you when you disrespect the progenitor of the earth. Love you!

Rapper Kanye West's Mother Dies

Atlanta: "Donda West, mother of Kanye West and former chairwoman of Chicago State University's English department, has died, a spokesman for the rapper said. She was 58. Donda West died Saturday night in Los Angeles, said the spokesman, who asked for anonymity because not all family members had been notified."

The cause of death has not been released.

Kanye, be strong and you are in my prayers.

Sherraye Speaks!

I welcome all comments even if you disagree with what I post. However, I will not be disrespected nor will I allow you to disrespect ANY race of people, my people included. I have gotten a number of rude commenters who are too cowardice to post with a name. Please know that your comments will be deleted. We don't have to agree, but you will not be disagreeable. Not on my blog and not on my watch. Sherraye don't play that.

Say That!

“If violence is wrong in America, violence is wrong abroad. If it is wrong to be violent defending black women and black children and black babies and black men, then it is wrong for America to draft us, and make us violent abroad in defense of her. And if it is right for America to draft us, and teach us how to be violent in defense of her, then it is right for you and me to do whatever is necessary to defend our own people right here in this country.” -- Malcolm X

Seminole Spotlight: Ponder This

Tallahassee, FL.: "Christian Ponder, a redshirt freshman playing only because Drew Weatherford was a recipient of an extremely hard hit, rallied FSU from a 20-6 halftime deficit. Showing poise, speed and toughness, Ponder led FSU to a go-ahead score with 3:41 to play in the third quarter. He capped it off with an 8-yard TD pass to De'Cody Fagg. On 3rd and 15 from the 25 Ponder ran out of the pocket and outraced linebacker Brett Warren before going out of bounds at the 3.

Those of us who thought the game was over when Weatherford went out had to reconsider.

Ponder became an important story of the game.

Not the most important story, unfortunately. Tyrod Taylor was impressive to say the least.
But Tyrod isn't a Seminole and this is Seminole Spotlight so I'll talk about him in another post.

I was all ready to throw a temper tantrum when this Ponder kid came in the game. I wanted Xavier but he was in Tallahassee watching the game like me. Then I wanted to know where Richardson was. "Who the hell is he?" I was yelling at my TV. He answered. This kid reminds me of Rooster. I was pleasantly surprised by this young man's performance. I am excited to see him again.

Say That!

“If you will protest courageously, and yet with dignity and Christian love, when the history books are written in future generations, the historians will have to pause and say, There lived a great people-a black people-who injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization.” -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Are You Serious?

The Vikings have let Troy Williamson know they clearly were not on board with his decision to return home last week to tend to family issues. The wide receiver, who missed three practices as well as Sunday's game against San Diego, has been informed he will not be paid for the week.
Williamson returned to the team Wednesday, but it's unclear if he will play Sunday at Green Bay.

Players are paid on a 17-week basis, 16 games plus the bye, meaning that Williamson stands to lose $25,588.24 of his $435,000 base salary. He can file a grievance through the NFL Players Association, but that won't be a quick process.

My response:
This is a bad move on the Vikings part. What in the world are they thinking?

Mike, can I represent you?

Daniel R. Meachum, an attorney from Atlanta, will no longer represent Vick.

Vick, who pleaded guilty Aug. 27 to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge, sent a letter Oct. 26 cutting ties with Meachum. Meachum was among a team of high-profile attorneys Vick hired when he and three others were charged for their involvement in the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting ring based in Surry County.

Read the rest: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/11/09/vick_1110.html

BAW: Commentary: If You Want To Highlight Problems in the Criminal Justice System, There Are Plenty of Valid Examples

BAW: Commentary: If You Want To Highlight Problems in the Criminal Justice System, There Are Plenty of Valid Examples: "I admit that when Black Entertainment Television recently elevated two of the Jena 6 defendants from being lucky to becoming luminaries, I was a bit conflicted. Not that I didn’t agree that Carwin Jones and Bryant Purvis – who escaped facing several years in prison on an attempted murder charge over a schoolyard beatdown – didn’t deserve some attention. They are, after all, symbols of the systematic racism that has far too many black men doing time for punishments that don’t fit the crime. "

What worried me, though, is whether their being hailed as celebrities when they are accused of beating a kid unconscious could send the wrong message to other impressionable black youths. I worried whether Jones and Purvis’ turn in the BET spotlight would obscure what the real message should be; that it is far smarter to avoid getting entangled in the criminal justice system in the first place if it means you have to count on national outrage to free you.

Yet if BET wants to use its award shows to trot out black people who have been wronged by the criminal justice system, I’m all right with that. I’m all right with that because there are lots of those people to go around – and many with cases more compelling than that of the Jena 6.
One of those people is Michael Anthony Williams.

Williams is 43 now. Like the Jena 6 he lives in Louisiana. Like the Jena 6 he was a teenager when he was accused of a crime; he was accused of raping and beating his high school tutor.
Unlike the Jena 6, though, he did wind up in prison - Did 24 years hard time in the notorious Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, in fact.

But unlike the Jena 6, Williams didn’t do the crime.

After spending several years trying to clear his name, he was exonerated two years ago by DNA testing. As it turned out, Williams had spent half his life in prison based largely on the testimony of a woman who didn’t even see her attacker. His tutor’s head was covered during the attack, but she told prosecutors that she recognized Williams’ voice.

That was enough to persuade a jury to lock him away for life without parole. At age 16.
But now, according to The Wall Street Journal, Williams is struggling to adjust to life on the outside. He had to fight to get a state representative to write a bill to compensate him for $150,000 – or around $6,300 a year for each year he spent in prison.

That’s a pittance. A pittance that has done little to help Williams get back a life that he never had a chance to develop. He has virtually no job skills. He was imprisoned before he learned to drive – a time-honored teenage rite of passage. He had never seen a cell phone, or used a computer.

He has to sleep with the lights on because he can’t get used to sleeping in the dark.

To ease his readjustment Williams said he hopes to join a community of exonerees who, like him, were freed through the efforts of the Innocence Project – an organization whose efforts have led to the release of more than 200 prisoners who have been proven innocent by DNA testing. But the project needs more money to help the former inmates – many of whom are black – who are struggling with depression and other psychological trauma after years of being locked up and then spat out into a world that, to them, might as well be Mars.

BET should champion that cause – and highlight someone like Williams on one of its award shows.

Sure exonerees like him may not be young anymore. They may not project the hip-hop generation aura that I’m sure Jones and Purvis projected – and that BET audiences eat up with a spoon.

But when it comes to the criminal injustice system, people like Williams illustrate something that transcends hairsplitting about whether black miscreants will receive equal justice compared to white miscreants. People like him illustrate the fact that in many cases, innocent black people don’t get any justice at all.

They show us that as we fume over black people who caught the short end of the stick after they got caught up in the system, there still are scores of black people who weren’t involved in the system at all, yet it managed to suck them in and beat them down.
Such people ought to be worthy of a BET moment too. Especially since what happened to Williams could happen to any of us.

Without us doing anything wrong."

Rapper T.I. wants judge to allow Thanksgiving gathering |

ajc.com: "Atlanta rapper T.I., who's under house arrest awaiting trial on federal weapons charges, is asking a judge to let him host a Thanksgiving Day dinner at his Jonesboro home. In a motion filed in federal court Tuesday, T.I — who was born Clifford Harris Jr. — requested that the judge waive the no-more-than-three visitors-at-a-time provision of his $3 million bond. Harris, 27, wants the exception only for Turkey Day, only between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and only for a group of visitors whose names he submitted for approval. In another motion Tuesday, Harris also asked the judge to allow access for workers who can come clean his yard, pool and home. Harris was arrested Oct. 13 in a Midtown parking lot as he allegedly tried to illegally buy three machine guns and two silencers."

ATL preacher: Is request for financial info legal? | ajc.com

ATL preacher: Is request for financial info legal? ajc.com: " prominent Atlanta preacher is challenging requests from a powerful senator for detailed financial information on his ministry. The Rev. Creflo Dollar of World Changers Church International in College Park said his team of legal experts is reviewing a request for financial records from Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), head of the Senate Finance Committee."

Seminole Spotlight -- Geno Hayes

Eugene Hayes is his government name. I fell in love with him on Saturday night. As far as I'm concerned, he single handledly guaranteed a 'Nole victory when he returned Matt Ryan's third interception of the game for a 38-yard touchdown with 1:10 left in the game. Florida State beat No. 2 Boston College 27-17. For that, and so many other things, Geno Hayes is the man.

My counsel to him is this:

Geno, you are a talented young man and your are on the path to greatness. Stay humble, remain prayerful and always keep God first. Blessings to you, my brother.

Are You Serious?

A man was arrested for drug possession after telling authorities that two masked gunmen had stolen 150 pounds of marijuana from his home.
Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies arrived at the home near Penitas in South Texas to find the door kicked in and nearly 15 pounds of pot lying on the floor, Sheriff Lupe Trevino said.
Jose Guadalupe Flores, 35, escaped while the men ransacked the house but returned later and told the deputies he had been wrapping the drugs for shipment when the intruders arrived.

Read the rest...
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ODD_MARIJUANA_ARREST?SITE=FLTAL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Can't stay mad...dang

I'm watching the FSU v. Boston College game right now. I told myself that I was going to boycott FSU for the rest of the season because of how they have treated Xavier Lee. I still think it's real shady how they have treated him but I can't stop pulling for FSU.

As I said before, I'm not a fan. I'm alumni. I bleed garnet and gold.

They still make me sick though. And X, I still say you should transfer.

Let's see if we can pull this one out.

Blacks dominate subprime loans

Blacks dominate subprime loans ajc.com: "mortgages when buying a home, making them more vulnerable in the ongoing mortgage meltdown. Nearly half of blacks who bought a house in 2005 or 2006 ended up with a high-interest mortgage, compared with 13 percent of white home buyers, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis of federal mortgage data. The disparity was striking, even in a comparison of home buyers with similar incomes. Among black home buyers making more than $100,000 a year, 41 percent got a subprime mortgage, compared with 7 percent of whites in the same income category. Experts on mortgage lending offer a variety of explanations. Some say differences in credit history cause the variation. Others argue that subprime mortgage lenders aggressively targeted minority communities that have historically been underserved by mainstream lenders."

My response:

You know, I'm just going to talk about me. Nobody else. Me. I know I don't handle my business the way I should. I take responsibility for that. As a people, we just got to take the time to learn how to take care of our finances. Knowledge is power but only if it is applied. When we educate ourselves then mortgage companies, finance companies, banks, and loan sharks can not take advantage of our ignorance. Shame on them for being evil. Shame on us for being ignorant.

Police say man raped boys as video camera rolled

Police say man raped boys as video camera rolled ajc.com: "Authorities believe a Washington state pilot sexually assaulted at least 20 boys in his home over a six-year period and videotaped much of the alleged abuse. On Thursday, police and FBI agents in Atlanta arrested Weldon Marc Gilbert of Lake Tapps, Wash., on a warrant charging him with nine sex crimes."

My response:

Under the jail. That's where he needs to be for the rest of his life.

BAW: New Crack Cocaine Sentencing Goes into Effect

New federal sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine offenders went into effect Thursday, lowering the recommended sentencing range for people caught with the drug.

The new U.S. Sentencing Commission guidelines for those possessing 5 grams or more of crack cocaine are prison terms of 51 months to 63 months, down from the old range of 63 months to 78 months. The new range for offenders possessing at least 50 grams is 97 months to 121 months in prison, down from 121 months to 151 months. Those ranges apply for first-time crack-cocaine convictions.

In April, the commission voted for the lower recommended sentencing ranges for those caught with crack cocaine. The recommendation sent to Capitol Hill on May 1 became effective Thursday after 180 days of congressional review.

The reduction will be the focus of a Nov. 13 commission hearing to consider whether to make the lower guideline penalty retroactively available to 19,500 crack cocaine offenders who were sentenced previously.

Federal law sets a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence for trafficking in 5 grams of crack cocaine. It takes 500 grams of cocaine powder to warrant the same sentence. The crack-powder disparity has a strong racial dimension because more than four-fifths of crack cocaine offenders in federal courts last year were black.

A commission analysis estimated the change would reduce the size of the federal prison population by 3,800 in 15 years. Such a reduction would result in savings of over $87 million, according to The Sentencing Project, a private organization tracking the issue.

The sentencing commission is urging Congress to repeal the mandatory prison term for simple possession and increase the amount of crack cocaine required to trigger five-year and 10-year mandatory minimum prison terms as a way to focus on major drug traffickers.

The mandatory five-year minimum trumps the lower end of the new guideline range that went into effect Thursday, meaning that the newly available range is 60 to 63 months. The same principle applies to the 10-year mandatory minimum, making the newly available range 120 to 121 months.

My response:
While there are certainly racial implications in the sentencing of crack cocaine dealers and powder cocaine dealers, the harsher sentences were suggested by Black congressional leaders. I don't believe it was there intention to discriminate against Black people, but their actions were in response to the devastating effect crack cocaine was having on Black communities. I don't know how I feel about these new sentencing guidelines, but I do think people are trying to be fair.

Update: Former Winfrey school employee arrested

Update:

Former Winfrey school employee arrested - CNN.com: "A former employee at Oprah Winfrey's school for girls in South Africa has been arrested as part of an abuse probe, police said Friday."

I support you too, Oprah

Despite allegations, Oprah's school supported - CNN.com: "A mother whose daughter and granddaughter attend Oprah Winfrey's school in South Africa considers the talk-show host heaven-sent, despite allegations of abuse being investigated there."

"Oprah is an angel, she is God-sent," Masechaba Hine said Wednesday from her small home in gritty Soweto township. "She came to my rescue when my husband was not working."

Hine's daughter Palesa and her granddaughter Alebohang, both 14, were among the 152 students chosen to be the first class to attend the high-tech, high-profile Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls when it opened in January. Her faith remains unshaken by the news that South African police have opened a criminal investigation into allegations that a dorm parent mistreated students at the school.

Hine said her children "have no problems about the school, they are happy about everything."
Investigators declined to provide details of the alleged abuse, but the academy's CEO, John Samuel, said in a statement issued earlier this month that an internal inquiry was launched based on a claim of misconduct involving a dormitory parent.

My response:

It is unfortunate that this is happening at the Academy, but I certainly do not believe it is Oprah's fault and I definitely don't believe she condones it. I've read other blogs on this issue and some people are so quick to judge. Whatever. Do what you do, Oprah. I am still sending my financial contributions because I believe in what you are doing. That's real.

Lawyer: Son of TV bounty hunter sold 'N-word' tape - CNN.com

Lawyer: Son of TV bounty hunter sold 'N-word' tape - CNN.com: "Television bounty hunter Duane 'Dog' Chapman's son taped a private phone conversation in which the reality star used a racial slur repeatedly, then sold it to a tabloid for 'a lot of money,' Chapman's lawyer said Thursday."

The Honolulu-based bounty hunter first grabbed headlines for apprehending serial rapist and Max Factor heir Andrew Luster in Mexico in 2003.
In his statement, the 54-year-old Chapman said he has "utmost respect and aloha for black people who have suffered so much due to racial discrimination and acts of hatred.
"I did not mean to add yet another slap in the face to an entire race of people who have brought so many gifts to this world," he said. "I am ashamed of myself and I pledge to do whatever I can to repair this damage I have caused."
Chapman said, "My sincerest, heartfelt apologies go out to every person I have offended for my regrettable use of very inappropriate language. I am deeply disappointed in myself for speaking out of anger to my son and using such a hateful term in a private phone conversation."
Chapman said the clip was completely taken out of context.
"I was disappointed in his choice of a friend, not due to her race, but her character," he said. "However, I should have never used that term."

Chapman said he is meeting with his spiritual adviser, Rev. Tim Storey, who is black, and hopes to meet with other black leaders, "so they can see who I really am and teach me the right thing to do to make things right, again."

My response:

I didn't care about him before this incident and I don't care about him now. In fact, I didn't even know who he was. Honestly, I think I've become immune to ignorant racists. He isn't creative at all.

Say That!

"Leonard Little killed a woman drunk driving. He served three months in jail, and he's back playing for the Rams. Michael Vick killed a dog, and he's going to do a lot longer than three months. He's been suspended indefinitely, maybe permanently. O.J.'s at home right now saying 'Glad I didn't kill a dog.' " -- D. L. Hughley, comedian.

Say That!

“I have the height of a model, the breasts that people pay for and the lips that everybody wants, so why should I change?" --Jennifer Hudson on why she doesn't envy skinny heffas.

Akindele Unleashed: Urban Conservatives On A Mission by Akindele Akinyemi

Akindele Unleashed: Urban Conservatives On A Mission by Akindele Akinyemi

Older black leaders in Detroit are likely to identify racism as our city's most important problem. On the other hand, younger urban conservatives consider education and economics the most pressing issue. While racism still exists, younger urbanites aren't as pessimistic as older ones.The question becomes this...are there generational differences among urban leadership? If so,the change must be a good thing. I mean, don't you feel that it's finally time for the younger generation of blacks - with their conservative ideals and energy - to step up and lead. Urban communities in places like Detroit and Indianapolis desperately needs the contributions and perspectives of a new generation of black politicos.
We, as younger blacks aren't as willing to seek dependence on big government and DHS. We do not see Social Security as the Jesus Christ of our retirements. Younger urban conservatives like me also acknowledge the pitiful state of education in our neighborhoods and are more willing to see more educational options as a viable alternative.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and El Hajj Malik Shabazz took the baton from W.E.B Dubois, Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey. They made great strides. It is now mandatory for younger urban conservatives to be given the baton of leadership and to work with equal vigor and dedication to advance our race for the welfare of our entire nation.
Older black politicians participated in the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement, but they seem resistant to the attitudes of the new generation that resulted from their good work. Younger blacks attended desegregated schools. We are more likely to have advanced degrees and identify themselves as political independents. We have more confidence in our country's institutions like banks and big business. We also believe we are headed in the right direction overall in this country.
Young, politically active blacks conservatives like me grew up at the end of the civil rights movement. We watched and heard about the struggles of our parents and grandparents. We've experienced racism, but we realize we aren't living in 1959. Things are different in 2007. We face different struggles and opportunities. Because of these differences, we cannot afford to pretend we live in past. We must use the issues, tools and resources unique to our current situation.
We are now experiencing the silver rights movement. According to John Hope Bryant, the Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, the silver rights movement is
a concept that documents and validates the next phase of civil rights: the empowerment movement not only of American minorities, but of majorities as well. That is, we transition beyond giving a fish, beyond teaching to fish, to owning the pond itself.
Across the country, younger and more conservative blacks are challenging - and sometimes winning - elections against older incumbents. Although challengers primarily come from the Democratic Party, black Republican candidates are also surfacing in record numbers. Revolutions, however, almost never occur without a counterattack from the ruling establishment. Liberal leaders like the ones here in Michigan are pumping money into the campaigns of challenged incumbents who toe the party line. And incumbents are waging smear campaigns against young challengers.
At their recent convention back in July, the NAACP exhibited old guard's mentality. With tired boycott threats, name-calling and scare tactics, it's obvious they feel their power deteriorating. New membership drives are a priority, and they are willing to do anything necessary to stop their membership from going downhill. They are now trying to recruit members in prisons. But their failure to acknowledge current trends will ultimately prove futile with younger voters.Young urban conservatives are beginning to make their presence known. In 2008 our numbers will continue to grow. Older black politicians are still selling pessimism, but they will soon find that my generation is unwilling to purchase those old, worn-out goods.Sounds like we are on a mission. A mission for transformation.

My response:

This is some good stuff. I don't agree with everything he writes, but this is on the money. I copied the entire post but I gave you a link to his blog. I'm warning you, though. He's a mess. Read at your own risk! :-) You know I love you, A.

I got a trick for your treat

Fewer minorities trick-or-treat, poll finds - State & National: "An Associated Press and Ipsos News Center poll found that white parents are more likely to send their children out on Halloween than minorities. Seventy-three percent of white parents and 56 percent of minorities said their children will trick-or-treat this year. Michael Gross, associate vice president of Ipsos and director of the study, said the results indicate that minorities and lower-income families are more likely to be concerned about the safety of their neighborhoods. He said 91 percent of whites versus 75 percent of minorities polled were confident in their area's safety. The study identified minorities as anyone who is nonwhite. 'It certainly may be a cultural issue or it may be a socioeconomic issue,' he said. 'It's troubling that minorities have this perception that it's not safe for children to go door-to-door in their neighborhoods.'"

My response:
I didn't go trick or treating when I was a child and my children have never gone trick or treating and it has nothing to do with the safety of our neighborhood. We live in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Tallahassee. I was not allowed to go trick or treating and I don't allow my children to trick or treat because of the religious implications behind the so called holiday. I'm not going to get into a debate about it but we don't do halloween in this house. As for me and my house, we serve the Lord. Halloween is out. That goes for me too. I have been invited to Hallooween parties for years that I refuse to attend. And that's all I have to say about it.

Do it and die

Tallahassee, FL.: "The Florida Supreme Court today unanimously ruled that the state's new lethal-injection methods, revised after a botched execution in December, are constitutional."

My response:

When I first started this blog I called it "Young, Black, and Conservative?" I put the question mark in the title because many find it impossible for one to be both Black and conserative. Those Blacks that are considered conservative are accused of being "sell-outs." I have been accused of this nonsense myself.

However, I changed the name of the blog after I went back and read my posts. I didn't sound like a conservative at all and I realized that I am what everybody needs to be. I'm a moderate. Chris Rock said it best, "Liberals are idiots, conservatives are idiots...anybody who makes up their mind about something before hearing all the facts is a f------ fool." I agree.

So on issues like equal justice, civil rights, and compassion for the poor, I stand with the liberals. I stand with the conservatives on education reform, vouchers, pro-life issues, and crime.

One thing that ticks me off with liberals is that they have no problem with innocent babies being killed but will fight tooth and nail to keep murderers alive. That's just stupid.

The above article is about a man who kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered an 11 year old boy. The bastard deserves to die. In fact, he deserves something worse than death because his death will be far less painful than the death of his victim. I wish they could kill him, resurrect him, and kill him again.

I used to want to be a public defender but I changed my mind after working on some pro bono cases. In my opinion, almost all of my clients deserved to go to jail. I believe that innocent people should be defended, but I also believe that guilty people should be prosecuted. I believe in justice and sometimes justice demands death.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, and life for a life. That's right.

I Just thought this was funny

Losing three rhymes with...

(click the pic)

Say That!

"Hey gay-tors! Having fun trying to argue over the interent? Its like florida sports and the special olympics... evens if you win you are still retarded...." -- Some poster on ESPN.com

Hilarious! LOLLLLL!

BAW: Commentary: With All The Reasons Teens Have for Abstaining from Sex, Possible Prison Shouldn’t Be Among Them

BAW: Commentary: With All The Reasons Teens Have for Abstaining from Sex, Possible Prison Shouldn’t Be Among Them: "There are plenty of reasons to discourage teenagers from sexual activity – STDs, unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, the risk to emotional health. The possibility of spending 10 years in prison should not be one of them. Georgia has finally gotten that but only after one young man had paid an exceptionally heavy price for the lesson. No one can argue that Genarlow Wilson did a stupid and low-down thing when he was 17 and had sex with a couple of girls who joined him and his buddies at a local motel for a New Year’s Eve party. A girl his age had intercourse with him on the bathroom floor. Then a 15-year-old offered oral sex. It does not strain reason to imagine that a 17-year-old boy, flush with testosterone, would accept. When the adults have done their job best, our manchild has the presence of mind, the judgment and the morals to say “no” when approached so casually with such a consequential proposition. If we’ve done it good enough, they at least feel bad about what they’ve done and bad that they took advantage of a young girl who, for perhaps many reasons, was too pitiful to stop herself. "