Tonights' rant is brought to you courtesy of the wonderful folks at AOL who found it necessary to educate me about Black History (all month long.) I thought today's lesson sounded interesting enough to read. It's about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Actually, it's about the book, the real Uncle Tom and what today's definition of an 'Uncle Tom' is. For those not in the know, or like me haven't read the book in a long, long.....long time, here's a quick refresher. Uncle Tom was a long suffering slave who was sold to one bad owner after another. In the end, he helped other slaves to ecape and was beat to death for not telling where they went. In his dying breaths he forgave the man who beat him. Now...in the eyes of many blacks, he was a traitor for always giving in and doing what 'massa' wanted. (Except, of course, for the final thing.) In the mean time, many historians credit this book with firing up the nice folk of the North enough to cause them to invade the south. It also is thought to have sickened the British enough to convince them not to fight with the Confederacy. So while the book did a great job educating white folk with the reality of the world of slavery, it also created a character which modern blacks hold against one of their own who they feel has 'gone to the other side.' Sssoooooo...let me get this straight.
In today's world, the stated reasons for quotas and anti-discrimination laws is that a black man just cant get ahead with out help. However, if a black man DOES manage (as thousands upon thousands have) to get ahead, he must be a "tom." It's as if it is inconceivable for the black man to get ahead on his own. (According to other blacks, anyways.) So while every proud black parent sends their children off to school with the hopes that he or she will study hard and become someone substantial, their peers and indeed many pop cultural icons are telling them that if they should happen to suceed above the level of their peers, they will be disowned by THEIR OWN PEOPLE. So basically, we're talking about a society that punishes you if you try hard and get ahead, and will reward you and admire you for staying poor, living off the state, (thus making all those dumb white folk and toms pay for their lifestyle) and spending your life bitching that the man is holding you back. Does this make any any sense whatsoever??? It's a self defeating cycle that's just getting worse. One man actually stood before his fellow blacks and tried valiantly to put a stop to it. None other than Bill Cosby himself did a multi-city tour last year and went to inner city lecture halls and implored his fellow people to rise up, get themselves off of the welfare train and be a functioning part of society. In most places, they booed him, called him Uncle Tom and generally threatened to 'do him in' for speaking his mind. Not overly surprising a response from a people who will kill each other over the kind of rap music they might make. (East coast VS west coast.) Trust me, 2Pac and Biggie Smalls were killed by fellow musicians, not 'the man.' Anyways, I think that it is simply amazing that as hard as we might try and indeed even pass laws to help the minorities, they neither want nor need our help. The only help they seem to want comes in the form of our tax dollars being wasted!!
So now I have to wonder...are the CEOs and President of FUBU inc. a bunch of toms? FUBU is an allegedly black owned clothier who's 'trendy fashions' seemed to hit the streets around the same time that rumors were flying that Tommy Pull-my-finger was a racist who couldnt stand the thought of minorities wearing his clothes. (Wonder who started those rumors?) Anywho, I look at the owners of this company as hugely successful. 'Course, that's all subjective. You see, FUBU stands for For Us By Us. In other words, it's like the "N" word. Only they can use it. 'Cept that I have never heard or read about ANY FUBU profits going back to any black organization. No donations to the UNCF...no gifts to the Rainbow Coalition and not one dime to Hurricane Katrina relief. I think when they came up with the For Us part, they meant themselves, not black folk as a whole. So after I laugh at every black person I see wearing a FUBU product, I laugh even harder at all the white folk I see wearing them. Be they unknowing, upity or just a wannabe, I have to give the folks at the company credit for a brilliant campaign. By saying the clothes were for blacks only, it became like forbidden fruit to white folk who either wished to show their 'support' for the black man or who believed that no one could tell them what they could or could not wear. In either case, the money continues to roll in...I wouldnt mind holding some of that stock.
Meanwhile, down in New Orleans, we spent 2.5 million dollars holding Mardi Gras, in case some folk might forget where it's held if we skipped it for a year, being as most of the city was destroyed by the worst natural disaster in the US...ever! I wonder how many homes that money could have built. Speaking of building homes, I cant help but keep hearing how Oprah donated a boatload of money to help build a bunch of them. Nice of her to part with some of her 41 BILLION dollar empire. Same with Bill Gates. I wonder how much he actually put in of his enormous fortune? I think it's worth noting, however, that at least they did something. Loud mouths like Sean Combs and Kanye West seem unable to put their money where their mouth is and continue to be much more part of the problem, than the solution. No surprises there either.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Current Events - 2/24/06
Tonight, an interesting article...
WorldNetDaily: 'Hate crime' victims: Young, poor, white
What it says is, essentially, that the tide has started to turn. It is more likely that black people will commit hate crimes against whites than vice versa. Does this surprise or shock me? No. What also doesn't surprise or shock me is that this was not and will not be widely reported. Why?
Anyone who pays reasonably close attention to the press today knows that black on white crime and (to an even larger extent) black on black crime goes largely unreported. Why is this not newsworthy? Do we believe that white people getting beat by black people deserved it or were owed it? Do we really think that just because they were white they had it coming to them? As for B on B violence, I feel the idea is to report the black community in general as a well adjusted cohesive unit when it reality it is in complete turmoil. B on B violence proves this and is thusly not widely reported. What is reported, often on a national scale, is the slightest thought of impropriety between a black citizen and a white police officer. Example...I've seen tons of videos on TV shows that show a white guy leading police on a 3 county high speed chase, endangering innocent lives, taking lots of risks as he refuses to pull over and taunts the police. When they finally blow out his tires and get him to stop, they yank him out of the car and proceed to beat the hell out of him. I don't have a problem with this. He might have killed me in his recklessness and I think he deserves every lick he gets. All he had to do was pull over. But let it be a black man being chased and beat by white cops and the whole nation is in an uproar over civil rights abuses. Many times we read about how a white or black cop was attacked by a white person and had to resort to deadly force to save their own life. Generally we pat them on the back, call them brave and thank God that they are here to protect us. But let the attacker be any minority and the cop white and immediately the attacker becomes the 'victim' and the cop is on admin leave and under investigation. Time and time again this double standard rears its head. If a white person died, it might make local news. If a black person dies, it's national headlines. The more the press continues this trend, the deeper the rift between the races will become. I would like to think that most rational people, given the straight facts, would agree that we go way overboard way too often. The press, however, has a gift for manipulating the facts and telling only what they want you to know. As stated in previous entries, stories about racial harmony and community togetherness DON'T SELL PAPERS!
WorldNetDaily: 'Hate crime' victims: Young, poor, white
What it says is, essentially, that the tide has started to turn. It is more likely that black people will commit hate crimes against whites than vice versa. Does this surprise or shock me? No. What also doesn't surprise or shock me is that this was not and will not be widely reported. Why?
Anyone who pays reasonably close attention to the press today knows that black on white crime and (to an even larger extent) black on black crime goes largely unreported. Why is this not newsworthy? Do we believe that white people getting beat by black people deserved it or were owed it? Do we really think that just because they were white they had it coming to them? As for B on B violence, I feel the idea is to report the black community in general as a well adjusted cohesive unit when it reality it is in complete turmoil. B on B violence proves this and is thusly not widely reported. What is reported, often on a national scale, is the slightest thought of impropriety between a black citizen and a white police officer. Example...I've seen tons of videos on TV shows that show a white guy leading police on a 3 county high speed chase, endangering innocent lives, taking lots of risks as he refuses to pull over and taunts the police. When they finally blow out his tires and get him to stop, they yank him out of the car and proceed to beat the hell out of him. I don't have a problem with this. He might have killed me in his recklessness and I think he deserves every lick he gets. All he had to do was pull over. But let it be a black man being chased and beat by white cops and the whole nation is in an uproar over civil rights abuses. Many times we read about how a white or black cop was attacked by a white person and had to resort to deadly force to save their own life. Generally we pat them on the back, call them brave and thank God that they are here to protect us. But let the attacker be any minority and the cop white and immediately the attacker becomes the 'victim' and the cop is on admin leave and under investigation. Time and time again this double standard rears its head. If a white person died, it might make local news. If a black person dies, it's national headlines. The more the press continues this trend, the deeper the rift between the races will become. I would like to think that most rational people, given the straight facts, would agree that we go way overboard way too often. The press, however, has a gift for manipulating the facts and telling only what they want you to know. As stated in previous entries, stories about racial harmony and community togetherness DON'T SELL PAPERS!
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Current Events - 2/22/06
Tonight, let's talk about the Supreme Court for a minute. They are actually spending time (and your tax dollars) debating whether or not a manager at Tyson Foods is racist and can be sued for calling black employees 'boys.' Now, I'm not going to even venture a guess as to the merits of this case because I know none of the pertinent details. I will, however, discuss two huge problems near and dear to these proceedings.
First, is the use of the term 'boys' by various ethnic groups. Amongst rappers, boys is a term used to describe the closest of associates. 'Me and my boys, etc., etc.' Between the average black male and his friends, I have often heard them refer to each other as 'my boy.' Latinos seem to enjoy the company of their 'boys and homeys'. Females of every race are often heard praising their boyfriend or husband by saying 'that's my boy!' Sometimes the term of endearment is 'my man,' but just as often, it's 'my boy.' But if a white man says this word to anyone other than his son, it's a racial epithet. Speaking of hugely offensive words, every black man I've ever met condemns the use of the "N" word found in 60% of all rap songs. If black people hate this word so much, why are they perpetuating it? It's already getting to the point where anything I say can spark off a potentially serious situation. I often work in the computer field where we have primary and secondary drive systems. If I slip up and refer to them as master and slave, I'm instantly branded as a grand dragon. Give me a break! I don't think anybody ever thought of those designations as racially descriptive of a black/white relationship. In case you didn't know it, there were slaves of all colors in this world long before Africans were brought to America. Here's a thought....If one tries hard enough to find something, he will, whether or not it actually exists.
My second problem is with the press and what I call ambush reporting. Stories about racial harmony and diversity working in a community do not sell papers. What does sell is inflammatory stories about people, generally minorities, being wronged. This particular article I referred to tonight presents the following facts; 1. A white supervisor referred to some black employees as boys. 2. These same employees were passed over for a management position for which they had applied at a plant where they worked in Alabama in favor of a white man with decades less experience. 3. One judge had already awarded the men 1.75 million each in damages for this case, but it was overturned on appeal. If this represented the bulk of the facts in the case, I would handily agree that there was some kind of evil at work and that those men were wronged! However....if I were a member of the jury or a judge in this case, I would have to know what the newspaper isn't telling us; 1. Is it indeed racism, or perhaps nepotism? 2. Did the white man with less experience at that plant come from somewhere else where he had gained the skills needed for the position? 3. Was there a missing educational requirement? 4. Would the black men have made good managers? (Now before you get in a twist, let me be perfectly clear. Some people, and by that I refer to no-one of a particular background, color, religion, etc., are just not management material. I have had several supervisors of various ethnic backgrounds over the years....some I would follow into battle, others had no business telling their own children what to do. The color of their skin had nothing to do with their ability to lead and manage people.) 5. Finally, did that manager refer to all males in the plant as boys, or just the black ones? Anyways, this is but one example. To give you another, I refer to an article that seems to make the rounds about once a year in the national press concerning credit denial amongst minority groups. A screaming headline usually tells us that skin color has everything to do with loan approvals for houses, cars, etc. Indeed, if you read the first couple of paragraphs you find that a tiny number of minorities are approved for loans against the vast number of anglos that get approved. Sounds bad, right? But it's only half of the story. If you read through to the end you'll find that once you factor in the numbers for population, loans actually applied for, etc., the percentages of approval amongst the different races is the same. This is just the type of crap reporting that sells papers but doesn't get us anywhere. Let's face it, the majority of loan applications done these days are submitted over the internet. Your computer has no idea what your ethnic background is! Neither does theirs. Maybe someone will report that black folks aren't getting approved because the bank knew they were black because they typed it like a black person. Farfetched? I don't think so! Not too long ago, a consumer advocacy group reported about widespread racial discrimination in people seeking housing after being displaced by hurricanes Katrina/Rita. Their criteria? They called various landlords on the phone and inquired about available housing while first using "language mannerisms favored by African-Americans" followed by "language mannerisms favored by caucasians." All right....enough already!! In today's society I would hesitate to guess a persons ethnic background by looking at them, much less conversing with them over the phone. The stupidity has got to end! P.S. Hey Oprah! French people don't hate black Americans...they hate ALL Americans. Trust me, I've been there enough times to know. Get over it.
First, is the use of the term 'boys' by various ethnic groups. Amongst rappers, boys is a term used to describe the closest of associates. 'Me and my boys, etc., etc.' Between the average black male and his friends, I have often heard them refer to each other as 'my boy.' Latinos seem to enjoy the company of their 'boys and homeys'. Females of every race are often heard praising their boyfriend or husband by saying 'that's my boy!' Sometimes the term of endearment is 'my man,' but just as often, it's 'my boy.' But if a white man says this word to anyone other than his son, it's a racial epithet. Speaking of hugely offensive words, every black man I've ever met condemns the use of the "N" word found in 60% of all rap songs. If black people hate this word so much, why are they perpetuating it? It's already getting to the point where anything I say can spark off a potentially serious situation. I often work in the computer field where we have primary and secondary drive systems. If I slip up and refer to them as master and slave, I'm instantly branded as a grand dragon. Give me a break! I don't think anybody ever thought of those designations as racially descriptive of a black/white relationship. In case you didn't know it, there were slaves of all colors in this world long before Africans were brought to America. Here's a thought....If one tries hard enough to find something, he will, whether or not it actually exists.
My second problem is with the press and what I call ambush reporting. Stories about racial harmony and diversity working in a community do not sell papers. What does sell is inflammatory stories about people, generally minorities, being wronged. This particular article I referred to tonight presents the following facts; 1. A white supervisor referred to some black employees as boys. 2. These same employees were passed over for a management position for which they had applied at a plant where they worked in Alabama in favor of a white man with decades less experience. 3. One judge had already awarded the men 1.75 million each in damages for this case, but it was overturned on appeal. If this represented the bulk of the facts in the case, I would handily agree that there was some kind of evil at work and that those men were wronged! However....if I were a member of the jury or a judge in this case, I would have to know what the newspaper isn't telling us; 1. Is it indeed racism, or perhaps nepotism? 2. Did the white man with less experience at that plant come from somewhere else where he had gained the skills needed for the position? 3. Was there a missing educational requirement? 4. Would the black men have made good managers? (Now before you get in a twist, let me be perfectly clear. Some people, and by that I refer to no-one of a particular background, color, religion, etc., are just not management material. I have had several supervisors of various ethnic backgrounds over the years....some I would follow into battle, others had no business telling their own children what to do. The color of their skin had nothing to do with their ability to lead and manage people.) 5. Finally, did that manager refer to all males in the plant as boys, or just the black ones? Anyways, this is but one example. To give you another, I refer to an article that seems to make the rounds about once a year in the national press concerning credit denial amongst minority groups. A screaming headline usually tells us that skin color has everything to do with loan approvals for houses, cars, etc. Indeed, if you read the first couple of paragraphs you find that a tiny number of minorities are approved for loans against the vast number of anglos that get approved. Sounds bad, right? But it's only half of the story. If you read through to the end you'll find that once you factor in the numbers for population, loans actually applied for, etc., the percentages of approval amongst the different races is the same. This is just the type of crap reporting that sells papers but doesn't get us anywhere. Let's face it, the majority of loan applications done these days are submitted over the internet. Your computer has no idea what your ethnic background is! Neither does theirs. Maybe someone will report that black folks aren't getting approved because the bank knew they were black because they typed it like a black person. Farfetched? I don't think so! Not too long ago, a consumer advocacy group reported about widespread racial discrimination in people seeking housing after being displaced by hurricanes Katrina/Rita. Their criteria? They called various landlords on the phone and inquired about available housing while first using "language mannerisms favored by African-Americans" followed by "language mannerisms favored by caucasians." All right....enough already!! In today's society I would hesitate to guess a persons ethnic background by looking at them, much less conversing with them over the phone. The stupidity has got to end! P.S. Hey Oprah! French people don't hate black Americans...they hate ALL Americans. Trust me, I've been there enough times to know. Get over it.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Current Events - 2/21/06
Ok....so there's not much new in the world tonight so I present you with a round-up of what I call "Color me surprised!" stories. For those of you out there who don't understand sarcasm, this means that nothing in any of these stories should be news to anyone with a brain and some free memory. I'll start with the somewhat mundane and progress to the ridiculous.
Out in California, it seems they have a problem carrying out an execution. Apparently, they are a lot more concerned with the 'cruel and unusual' pain that the man being executed will feel than they are with all the pain and suffering that his 17 year old rape/murder victim felt. Excuse me?? He had a right to a trial by his peers, legal counsel, three squares a day and a comfortable bed throughout his rightful appeal process. Do we really need to ensure a painless death? Mind you, we're not talking about a claim that he might be innocent. We just don't want him to feel the alleged 'excruciating' pain that might occur as the injected chemicals are putting him to death. Sorry, but I am of the opinion that he doesn't get that right. To (mis)quote Robin Harris, "I ain't afraid to pull the switch! Hell, you ain't even got to pay me. I'll do it for free. Just line 'em up and strap 'em down. BZZZT...Next!"
In Ohio, we're catching terrorists! Forget all the expense of finding them overseas. Now we're housing them right here! Plotting to kill U.S. citizens and soldiers in Iraq, no less. I just have to wonder, though....did we catch them by listening in to what they were saying over the phone to known Taliban operatives? That's all I'm going to say about that.
Bryant Gumbel. I almost don't want to talk about him because it gives him the attention he so desperately seeks. Anyways, he found it necessary to tell us there is a 'paucity of blacks at the winter games.' After taking my non-college educated hiney to the nearest dictionary, I find he's letting us know that there is a "smallness of number or quantity." Surely this can't be news to anyone, so I'm supposing he's saying it to let us know that it is our (white folks) fault that there aren't more blacks at the winter Olympics. Can't be....can't be. As stated in previous columns, nobody is stopping them and those who want to, will. Don't want to hear it from me? Fine...go talk to USA's gold medal winning speed skater who counts Bonnie Blair as an influence. Or perhaps our women's bobsled team. Better yet, go interview Phillip Kimely Boit. (For those who don't know, he is Kenya's one man winter Olympic team who competed in cross country skiing.) Now there's a man who overcame obstacles to live out his dream. And by the way, Gumbel, you were no Brokaw. So quit putting down other reporters for giving great broadcasts to dedicated fans. P.S. Gumbel says we need more 'diversity' at the winter games....athletes from 80 countries coming together, sharing, socializing and getting along? I think they set a fine example of what true diversity is!
Speaking of 'Real Sports,' another NFL player, another drug charge. Now there's an example for our children Bryant! Not to be outdone, the brilliant minds at NASCAR suspended Jimmy Johnson's crew chief for an additional three races for blatant cheating during Daytona 500 qualifying. (Insert loud sound of tires squealing on pavement as I apply the brakes heavily.) Wait a sec....NASCAR was built on beating the other guy by finding an edge...bending the rules...making a loophole. If we start booting people for getting back to the roots, it's gonna be a short season, folks.
Meanwhile, in the world of older rock and pop stars, Gary Glitter is molesting children while Madonna (amongst others) curses on the BBC during a charity concert. Maybe momma was right about rock and roll messing up your mind. And shame on the BBC for not inserting a 10-second delay anyways. Ya'll should know better.
Continuing into the Hollyweird scene, it seems that lots of big name stars have similar problems to regular rich folk. Their maid is an illegal immigrant and steals from them. Seems she only stole from those who treated her poorly....mebbe that makes it ok? Nah! Also, there are (shocking?) reports tonight that some of Hollywood's underaged elite stars are partying in nightclubs that they shouldn't have been allowed into in the first place. A) This is NOT news. B) It's been happening since the dawn of time. C) I would much rather spend time reading about how the club owners were fined and jailed for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. As for Nick and Jessica, if the roles were reversed, he'd be paying her out the patutie. Period. Women want equal treatment....give it to 'em!
Out in California, it seems they have a problem carrying out an execution. Apparently, they are a lot more concerned with the 'cruel and unusual' pain that the man being executed will feel than they are with all the pain and suffering that his 17 year old rape/murder victim felt. Excuse me?? He had a right to a trial by his peers, legal counsel, three squares a day and a comfortable bed throughout his rightful appeal process. Do we really need to ensure a painless death? Mind you, we're not talking about a claim that he might be innocent. We just don't want him to feel the alleged 'excruciating' pain that might occur as the injected chemicals are putting him to death. Sorry, but I am of the opinion that he doesn't get that right. To (mis)quote Robin Harris, "I ain't afraid to pull the switch! Hell, you ain't even got to pay me. I'll do it for free. Just line 'em up and strap 'em down. BZZZT...Next!"
In Ohio, we're catching terrorists! Forget all the expense of finding them overseas. Now we're housing them right here! Plotting to kill U.S. citizens and soldiers in Iraq, no less. I just have to wonder, though....did we catch them by listening in to what they were saying over the phone to known Taliban operatives? That's all I'm going to say about that.
Bryant Gumbel. I almost don't want to talk about him because it gives him the attention he so desperately seeks. Anyways, he found it necessary to tell us there is a 'paucity of blacks at the winter games.' After taking my non-college educated hiney to the nearest dictionary, I find he's letting us know that there is a "smallness of number or quantity." Surely this can't be news to anyone, so I'm supposing he's saying it to let us know that it is our (white folks) fault that there aren't more blacks at the winter Olympics. Can't be....can't be. As stated in previous columns, nobody is stopping them and those who want to, will. Don't want to hear it from me? Fine...go talk to USA's gold medal winning speed skater who counts Bonnie Blair as an influence. Or perhaps our women's bobsled team. Better yet, go interview Phillip Kimely Boit. (For those who don't know, he is Kenya's one man winter Olympic team who competed in cross country skiing.) Now there's a man who overcame obstacles to live out his dream. And by the way, Gumbel, you were no Brokaw. So quit putting down other reporters for giving great broadcasts to dedicated fans. P.S. Gumbel says we need more 'diversity' at the winter games....athletes from 80 countries coming together, sharing, socializing and getting along? I think they set a fine example of what true diversity is!
Speaking of 'Real Sports,' another NFL player, another drug charge. Now there's an example for our children Bryant! Not to be outdone, the brilliant minds at NASCAR suspended Jimmy Johnson's crew chief for an additional three races for blatant cheating during Daytona 500 qualifying. (Insert loud sound of tires squealing on pavement as I apply the brakes heavily.) Wait a sec....NASCAR was built on beating the other guy by finding an edge...bending the rules...making a loophole. If we start booting people for getting back to the roots, it's gonna be a short season, folks.
Meanwhile, in the world of older rock and pop stars, Gary Glitter is molesting children while Madonna (amongst others) curses on the BBC during a charity concert. Maybe momma was right about rock and roll messing up your mind. And shame on the BBC for not inserting a 10-second delay anyways. Ya'll should know better.
Continuing into the Hollyweird scene, it seems that lots of big name stars have similar problems to regular rich folk. Their maid is an illegal immigrant and steals from them. Seems she only stole from those who treated her poorly....mebbe that makes it ok? Nah! Also, there are (shocking?) reports tonight that some of Hollywood's underaged elite stars are partying in nightclubs that they shouldn't have been allowed into in the first place. A) This is NOT news. B) It's been happening since the dawn of time. C) I would much rather spend time reading about how the club owners were fined and jailed for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. As for Nick and Jessica, if the roles were reversed, he'd be paying her out the patutie. Period. Women want equal treatment....give it to 'em!
Monday, February 20, 2006
Current Events - 2/20/06
Well there's a surprise! After years of fighting and (mostly) untold sacrifices in the war on terrorism we have decided to invite the terrorists to dinner. Better yet, we have decided to pay them to safeguard our ports. Does anyone besides those who will profit from this believe it to be a really bad idea? I know, I know, I know!!! Anybody can infiltrate any company at any time. HOWEVER, it's a heck of a lot easier to do it on your own turf than in a strange land. Those who believe the world is a better place without democracy will find it easy to join this company overseas and then infiltrate it from within. Let's face reality. One price of our freedom is wide open borders. One huge hole that has been shrunk considerably since 9/11 is our ports. We've almost gotten to the point that European ports have been at for years. You must have and maintain positive control over everything that crosses your borders, be it by land or sea. Now before you point at me and call me anything, I get it. I don't hate anyone because of their ethnic background or choice of religion. What I do know is that these people don't just learn the hate from their parents. It's not simply passed on by elders or expected to be picked up at the young folks' pleasure. It is taught to them in school! While American high schools teach tolerance and diversity, Arabic schools teach intolerance and hatred for all persons not Muslim or Arabic.
Mark my words, they will attack us again. Whether we go after them or not. Whether we attempt to pacify them or not. Like the terminator, they'll just keep coming. Handing them our ports on a silver platter is just a bad idea. The DOD will placate us by saying 'measures are in place' to ensure our safety. The terrorists don't care about rules...laws...measures. I'm just thankful that my local large port isn't one of the six being turned over.
Mark my words, they will attack us again. Whether we go after them or not. Whether we attempt to pacify them or not. Like the terminator, they'll just keep coming. Handing them our ports on a silver platter is just a bad idea. The DOD will placate us by saying 'measures are in place' to ensure our safety. The terrorists don't care about rules...laws...measures. I'm just thankful that my local large port isn't one of the six being turned over.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Current Events - 2/19/06
Today was a terrific day for sports all around. We not only enjoyed many hours of great Olympic competition but also the running of the "Great American Race." (The Daytona 500, for you non-rednecks.) So what's there to rant about?
First we have the Gold Medal performance of Shani Davis. This is the stuff that Olympic dreams are made of. A young athlete comes from relative national obscurity to realize his potential in front of an international audience and triumphs. Should it really be shoved down our throats that he is the first 'African-American' to individually medal in the winter games? Did we do this for the first Asian-American? Native-American? American of Latino decent? Can't we just celebrate that he is a gifted American athlete? Also, the press and other American skaters should just leave him alone about not skating in the men's pursuit event. You can't accuse a man of not being a team player if he was never on the team.
Secondly, we have NASCAR. (Not Actual Sport Centered Around Rednecks) I have enjoyed watching this form of entertainment for well over 15 years now and it's just as exciting today as it was then. Some people, however, take great exception to the sports' current demographic. Indeed, my local sports section today reported one man's opinion that NASCAR racing cannot be a 'truly national sport' without more diversity. Conversely, they charge NASCAR itself with making that happen by inventing and backing minority programs aimed at involving inner city youth and such with 'opportunities they wouldn't normally have.' Excuse me?? Last I checked they didn't have any programs aimed at white kids from the country. How is this unfair? If some rapper wants to start a soap box derby league for 'disadvantaged' youth, NASCAR is not stopping him. If Oprah wants to build a dirt track on the south side of Chicago she is free to do so. I am sure that the United Negro College Fund is used to obtain the necessary engineering degrees that the top teams in racing today have every day. Nobody has become a Nextel Cup star overnight because they are the 'right race.' Most of them suffered, sacrificed, starved and worked damn hard for many years to get where they are. Yet in the name of diversity, we are willing to pipeline kids through an accelerated program and pump them all up inside, only to then shove them into a world they are not prepared for and certainly don't have the experience to excel in. This isn't fair to the kids and even less fair to the people being pressured to make this happen, because they will shoulder the blame when the first thing goes wrong. It's completely unfair to those who are out there right now, sacrificing everything to try and live a dream with no corporate backing because they are not a 'minority.'
Diversity is what makes America great. Forcing diversity breeds resentment and backlash. Minorities who really wanted to be in motorsports have gotten there, without outside help, just the same as non-minorities. All it took was time and dedication. Just like all those who came before them. And they have been there for years.
First we have the Gold Medal performance of Shani Davis. This is the stuff that Olympic dreams are made of. A young athlete comes from relative national obscurity to realize his potential in front of an international audience and triumphs. Should it really be shoved down our throats that he is the first 'African-American' to individually medal in the winter games? Did we do this for the first Asian-American? Native-American? American of Latino decent? Can't we just celebrate that he is a gifted American athlete? Also, the press and other American skaters should just leave him alone about not skating in the men's pursuit event. You can't accuse a man of not being a team player if he was never on the team.
Secondly, we have NASCAR. (Not Actual Sport Centered Around Rednecks) I have enjoyed watching this form of entertainment for well over 15 years now and it's just as exciting today as it was then. Some people, however, take great exception to the sports' current demographic. Indeed, my local sports section today reported one man's opinion that NASCAR racing cannot be a 'truly national sport' without more diversity. Conversely, they charge NASCAR itself with making that happen by inventing and backing minority programs aimed at involving inner city youth and such with 'opportunities they wouldn't normally have.' Excuse me?? Last I checked they didn't have any programs aimed at white kids from the country. How is this unfair? If some rapper wants to start a soap box derby league for 'disadvantaged' youth, NASCAR is not stopping him. If Oprah wants to build a dirt track on the south side of Chicago she is free to do so. I am sure that the United Negro College Fund is used to obtain the necessary engineering degrees that the top teams in racing today have every day. Nobody has become a Nextel Cup star overnight because they are the 'right race.' Most of them suffered, sacrificed, starved and worked damn hard for many years to get where they are. Yet in the name of diversity, we are willing to pipeline kids through an accelerated program and pump them all up inside, only to then shove them into a world they are not prepared for and certainly don't have the experience to excel in. This isn't fair to the kids and even less fair to the people being pressured to make this happen, because they will shoulder the blame when the first thing goes wrong. It's completely unfair to those who are out there right now, sacrificing everything to try and live a dream with no corporate backing because they are not a 'minority.'
Diversity is what makes America great. Forcing diversity breeds resentment and backlash. Minorities who really wanted to be in motorsports have gotten there, without outside help, just the same as non-minorities. All it took was time and dedication. Just like all those who came before them. And they have been there for years.
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