Prayers to Trayvon Martin Family
Edwin Hawkins (born 18 August 1943, Oakland, California) is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel and R&B musician, pianist, choir master, composer and arranger. He is one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He (and the Edwin Hawkins Singers) are best known for his arrangement of “Oh Happy Day” (1968–69), which was included on the Songs of the Century list. The Edwin Hawkins Singers made a second foray into the charts a year later, backing folk singer Melanie on “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)“.
At the age of seven Hawkins was already the keyboardist to accompany the family’s gospel choir. Together with Betty Watson, he was the co-founder of the Northern California State Youth Choir of the Church of God in Christ, which included almost fifty members.[1] This ensemble recorded its first album Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord at the Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, California, hoping to sell 500 copies. “Oh Happy Day” was just one of the eight songs on the album.
Josh is gonna have to deal with the haters on his job tonight b/c the Spurs take the series 3-2.
Haters kick rocks! Go Spurs!
Diahann Carroll on Oprah’s Master Class. THROWING.IT.DOWN. ON RACISM.
I have never seen this pic before…guess I just missed it. The President with his extended family at the Second Oath of Office in the White House.
Truly an ALL AMERICAN FAMILY here. Lovely
Edward Snowden’s a Hero, All Right – to China and Russia
Sympathy meter now at absolute zero
Charles Johnson
Well now. I’m at a loss to understand how Edward Snowden’s latest disclosures could possibly have been inspired by his much-vaunted concerns about civil liberties, since he’s now revealing details about US espionage against Russia.
American spies based in the UK intercepted the top-secret communications of the then Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, during his visit to Britain for the G20 summit in London, leaked documents reveal.
The details of the intercept were set out in a briefing prepared by the National Security Agency (NSA), America’s biggest surveillance and eavesdropping organisation, and shared with high-ranking officials from Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The document, leaked by the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and seen by the Guardian, shows the agency believed it might have discovered “a change in the way Russian leadership signals have been normally transmitted”.
The most salient point: this is not news in any sense. You would have to be one of the most naïve people on Earth to not realize that the US spies on Russia, Russia spies on the US, and in general, heads of state from any freaking country spy on each other, friendly or not, all the time, forever and ever, amen.
But that doesn’t mean it’s insignificant when a US citizen reveals this kind of information to Russia, either. I had already lost any shred of sympathy for Mr. Snowden when he dumped secret documents to a pro-Beijing newspaper, but this demonstrates beyond a doubt that his sole purpose in leaking these secrets is to embarrass the US government.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/42144_Edward_Snowdens_a_Hero_All_Right_-_to_China_and_Russia
Comedians W. Kamau Bell, Chris Rock go in on George Zimmerman
by theGrio | June 16, 2013 at 11:50 AM
WARNING: NSFW video content: Things may be quiet in Sanford, Florida after a week of jury selection in the trial of George Zimmerman, but a pair of black comedians are giving their uncensored take on the case.
W. Kamau Bell, host of the late night comedy show “Totally Biased” on F/X, weighed in on the case Thursday night, and pulled no punches about his feelings about the George Zimmerman. Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder, saying he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defense after Martin attacked him on February 26, 2012. Martin was unarmed.
“Now of course I’m a believer in fair trials,” said Bell during a monologue. “But if there’s any god in heaven, and I’m pretty sure there isn’t, here’s who would be deciding Zimmerman’s fate: Chuck D, Angela Davis, the ghost of Malcolm X, fat Al Sharpton, angry Bill Cosby, Ice Cube … no no no, before, “Are we there yet?” Ice Cube … Samuel L. Jackson from “Pulp Fiction,” Samuel L. Jackson from “Snakes on a Plane,” Samuel L. Jackson from “Jackie Brown,” and foreman of the jury, regular old Samuel L. Jackson. …” As he spoke, pictures of his would-be “jurors” appeared onscreen.
http://thegrio.com/2013/06/16/chris-rock-w-kamau-bell-go-in-on-george-zimmerman/
another twitter hilarious discussion. the slides of tweets are funny
An Honest Dialogue On Race.
G.D. on November 26th, 2012
proposed: White people don’t use washcloths.
http://www.postbourgie.com/2012/11/26/an-honest-dialogue-on-race/
Father’s Day: A Good Man, A Bad Husband
blackink12 on June 14th, 2013
It took me a long time to realize that my father wasn’t a bad man, just a bad husband for my mother. That’s what happens when you’re a mama’s boy and your mother not-so-subtly drills that into your impressionable mind.
Yes, he was deceitful. Yes, he was hyper-critical. Yes, he was extremely moody. Yes, he could be distant. Not often to me but to my mother.
I internalized her pain and grief over their troubled marriage and made them my own.
As a result, my father and I spent a good many years alternating between uneasy peace and power struggle. I would begrudgingly obey his orders. I was openly contemptuous when he tried to impart lessons about morality or righteousness. I rarely, if ever, confided in him or trusted his judgment.
I was an ungrateful asshole.
In my rush to defend my mother, I never considered his sacrifices or grief or even his insufficiency for the nuclear family lifestyle. As he often told me, “he grew up without a father” as one of eight children in Hot Springs, Ark. His mother (my grandmother) died of a stroke when he was 17, he got married to a girl – not my mother – that he’d gotten pregnant the next year and then he was soon off to Vietnam.
He grew up fast and missed out on a lot. I had all of the security and luxuries that he never had, in part because of his promise to be the father that my grandfather never was. But I didn’t realize this until much later.
And once he was made to leave our family home, I decided that I had to show him I was ready to assume the role of man of the house.
Problem was I was ill-equipped to be any sort of a man let alone a man of the house. I didn’t even know how to remove the lint filter from the dryer.
By the time I had moved on to college, I fooled myself into believing I didn’t really need a father figure anymore. I was tired of hearing his incessant reminders to check the car’s tire pressure, schedule dentist appointments, and try whatever vitamins that he was taking himself. I thought I needed him to transition into more of a friend than a father.
This all flipped for me when I lost my first job. I had never worked for another company. So much of my identity was wrapped up in my profession, and it was all I had ever wanted to do. I contemplated life without meaning. I even contemplated not having a life.
What I remember most about walking out of that office in northwest Houston for the last time in July 2005 was seeing my father waiting on me at the foot of the steps. I had tried to hold it together, to be a stoic, to not let people see the pain that was welling inside of me. Then my father opened his arms, I fell into them and basically lost my shit in front of dozens of people.
It was around then that I realized this had been the tenor of our relationship for so long. He had always been there for me, even as he wasn’t there very much at all for my mother. That’s a hard thing to sort out as a kid – their relationship was theirs, and our relationship was ours.
This was the same man who taught me how to properly tie a tie. How to shave. To carry the football in the arm closest to the sideline. To let a police officer know where your hands are at all times. To properly make up a bed – hospital corners and all.
He suffered my childish resistance and never wavered, which couldn’t have been easy.
Today, it’s my turn to humble myself. I’m still learning from him.
He might not have been the best husband. But he was the best father.
http://www.postbourgie.com/2013/06/14/fathers-day-a-good-man-a-bad-husband/
The Strange Face of Jim Crow
From Sambo ads to Mammy jars to lynching postcards, the propaganda that reinforced segregation.
Captions by: Henry Louis Gates Jr.
http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/strange-face-jim-crow
White students at black colleges: What does it mean for HBCUs
By Stephen A. Crockett Jr, Published: June 14 E-mail the writer
White people attend historically black universities all across the country and have been for a minute. Nothing new there. But every time I hear that a white person has attended an HBCU, it makes me wonder about their motives and what it means for the state of these iconic institutions.
In the last few weeks, two white women have come out about their experiences as Howard University students; the first, Alyssa Paddock. in an essay published in The Washington Post; the second, Jillian Parker, in a music video about her love for a black football player called “Mr. Football.”
Both the essay and video brought the public to their virtual soapboxes, a.k.a. Facebook and Twitter, to voice either their support or displeasure. Some commenters argued that Howard is hollowed ground, and that the presence of white students feels like an infringement on cultural space. Others shrugged it all off as a natural next step to a completely desegregated America.
Which brings me to a set of questions: is the white student presence on these campuses a racial move forward, or is it all a joke or a conversational topic to be raised over brunch years from now? Will the stories of being a white student at a majority-Black college be sandwiched between summers in the Hamptons and post-grad backpacking through Europe? Is attending an HBCU for white students the equivalent of spending a summer in Ghana? Is a white person who sets out, decides, applies and then attends an all-black-university the equivalent of a Darwinesque social experiment? And, does practicing a minority get anyone closer to understanding the daily struggle of being a minority? Let’s face it; the white student who would even consider attending an HBCU is not the student who is need of a strong dose of black cultural awareness because they already have it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/therootdc/white-students-at-black-colleges-what-does-it-mean-for-hbcus/2013/06/14/a60e1afa-d4f5-11e2-b05f-3ea3f0e7bb5a_story.html
Race vs. Class: The False Dichotomy
By SHERRILYN A. IFILL
Published: June 13, 2013
THE decision is in. All consideration of race in college admissions is over.
No, the Supreme Court has not yet announced its decision in the landmark case of Fisher v. University of Texas; that ruling is expected any day now. But an alarming number of scholars, pundits and columnists — many of them liberal — have declared that economic class, not race, should be the appropriate focus of university affirmative-action efforts.
How can we explain this decision to throw in the towel on race-based affirmative action? Are we witnessing a surrender in advance of sure defeat? Or just an early weariness with a debate that, a decade ago, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor predicted would last another 25 years?
Perhaps it is the presence of a black president that has encouraged so many to believe that race is simply no longer a significant factor in American life. It is true that we have come a long way since the days of Jim Crow segregation. But the plain fact is that race still matters.
It matters with frightening frequency in the encounters of young black men with the police. It matters in our ability to get access to affordable housing, and in the wealth accumulated (or not) by our families. Whether the name on our résumé is Lakeisha or Leslie matters when we try to get a job interview. And it matters often, though not always, in our views about the continuing significance of race in American life.
Race isn’t the only factor that matters, of course, and universities should take seriously their obligation to educate poor students of all races. But nor should class be the only factor: after all, it was also true in the early 1960s that ignoring race and merely providing more resources to segregated schools would have benefited some poor black students — but that certainly didn’t mean that separate was equal, or that segregation was constitutional, or that pushing for desegregation was a waste of time.
What we might learn from the decades-long (and painfully incomplete) experience of desegregation is the need to deploy multiple efforts to address a chronic problem. In the context of higher education, that menu of efforts should include considering income (if not wealth), as well as an aggressive campaign to raise the quality of K-12 public education.
But that menu must also include race, for a variety of reasons. For one, in places like Texas and Alabama and Maryland, public universities train the vast majority of the state’s leaders. Greater classroom diversity helps ensure that minority and white students alike are prepared for leadership at a time of rapid demographic change.
That diversity includes class. To serve as their state’s leaders one day, students at the University of Texas and the University of Maryland will need to understand that not all blacks are poor, not all whites are rich, and not all Latino students speak Spanish.
In fact, by pushing universities to substitute class for race, we may simply reinforce stereotypes within the student body that will equate minority students with poverty, masking both the economic (and ideological) diversity within minority communities but also the challenges that confront white working-class students. At any rate, the true benefits of diversity cannot be achieved when, as the University of Texas discovered in 2003, nearly 80 percent of its classes contained only one black student, or none at all.
What about the stinging charge that race-based affirmative action benefits only middle-class and well-to-do children of professionals, because selective colleges prefer those students over the poor? This is simply untrue as a blanket statement, and it obscures a more troubling and complex reality.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/14/opinion/race-vs-class-the-false-dichotomy.html?_r=4&
An Alpha Man Asks “Why Can’t Society See the Fathers I See?”
by Michael McCoy
Why doesn’t society at large see the Black fathers I see? Is it because society at large considers Black fathers absent and invisible? Why doesn’t society at large see the Black fathers I see nurturing and raising their children? Is it because that same society believes the hype about Black fathers being nothing more than sperm donors? Why doesn’t society at large see the Black fathers I see being engaged in all aspects of childrearing whether or not they are married to that child’s mother? Is it because society at large has bought into the “baby daddy” syndrome?
These are the questions I often ask myself 364 days throughout the year. The only time I don’t ask these and other questions is during that one day that has been designated “Father’s Day.” Why does this appear to be a sticking point with me? Because, I believe in the relevancy of Black fatherhood. Contrary to Popular media reports, scholarly research studies containing their empirical and anecdotal evidence, and public policy positions from public figures suggesting the majority of Black fathers are interested in donating sperm, expanding the gene pool, and creating state dependent children, I believe in Black fatherhood. The Black fathers I see are fully engaged and vested in contributing richly to lives of their children individually as well as to their larger communities.
In addition to be a fully engaged father of two sons, I am a member of the oldest continuous collegiate fraternity founded by men of African descent – Alpha Phi Alpha. For over 100 years, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated’s mission develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence while providing service and advocacy for our communities. As an advocate for not only the community where I reside but the overall African-American male community, I not only want to advocate for successful Black fathers, but I want to highlight our seldom-told positive stories.
My local fraternal chapter – Pi Upsilon Lambda (PUL) – located in Prince George’s County, Maryland, serves as a microcosm of successful Black fathers and men serving their community. On any given day, you’ll see a young man balancing his responsibilities as a father of two toddlers, his place of employment, and his service contributions to his church and the community through his fraternal involvement. On any given day, you’ll see the father, who works for a government agency overseeing the distribution of millions of dollars financing the higher education dreams of students throughout the country, serve as the example to his son, a graduating high school senior. On any given day, you’ll see the father, who protects and serves his community as a law enforcement officer, being a role model to his young daughters.
These examples serve as illustrations that we Black fathers are more than just caricatures serving as comedic fodder or punching bags for the moralizers and public policy promoters. While it’s commendable President Barack Obama publicly encourages Black men to make meaningful contributions to the lives of their children and community at large, many Black men have been doing that long before the president made this a visible issue. Society, at large, whether it’s the media, scholarly studies, and talking heads seem content with displaying all the stereotypes associated with Black fatherhood while seldom showing us embracing, wiping away the tears, disciplining, encouraging, and celebrating our children like fathers of other backgrounds.
http://www.blackbluedog.com/2013/06/news/an-alpha-man-asks-why-cant-society-see-the-fathers-i-see/
Two Muslim Brothers Skip NFL Season to Take a Pilgrimage to Mecca
Two brothers in the NFL are gaining international attention for their commitment to their faith. Hamza and Husain Abdullah, two amazing athletes, shocked their friends and fans by leaving the money and fame of the NFL for a year to pursue the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. They also spent the year traveling the country to speak at various mosques.
The two did what they called a “30 for 30 tour,” where they visited 30 different mosques during the 30 days of Ramadan to talk about their faith with those who would listen. They also stopped at food kitchens, community centers and other organizations set up to help the community.
The Hajj is a holy pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims must pursue at least one time in their lives. The players have already faced controversy by fasting during Ramadan, which is right during NFL training camp. Despite the challenges and pressures, they have succeeded.
The two young men grew up in a strong Muslim household. They became involved in sports at an early age and were both good at football. In 2000 Hamza began playing free safety at Washington State University. His brother Husain followed him on campus in 2003.
Hamza was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004 in the seventh round. Husain was signed by the Minnesota Vikings in 2008. He is currently with the Kansas City Chiefs and Hamza is an unsigned free agent.
In 2011 the two men hosted the “Hamza and Husain Abdullah Rising Stars Youth Football Camp” for over 200 kids who are interested in football in their home city of Pomona, California. They continue their work, and will keep merging faith and family into their athletic careers in order to have a true and meaningful impact. Great work guys.
http://www.yourblackworld.net/2013/06/black-news/two-muslim-brothers-skip-nfl-season-to-take-a-pilgrimage-to-mecca/
Schieffer Destroys Snowden: ‘I Don’t Remember Martin Luther King Jr. Or Rosa Parks Hiding In China’
by Evan McMurry | 11:17 am, June 16th, 2013
Bob Schieffer excoriated NSA-leaker Edward Snowden on Face the Nation this morning, not as a traitor but as a coward who fled the country rather than accept responsibility for his actions.
“I like people who are willing to stand up to the government,” Schieffer began. “As a reporter, it’s my job to do that from time to time. Some of the people I admire most are in the government. Men and women who led the civil rights movement— Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr.—they are true heroes. I’m not ready to put Edward Snowden in that category. For one thing, I don’t remember Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks running off and hiding in China. The people who led the civil rights movement were willing to break the law and suffer the consequences. That’s a little different than putting the nation’s security at risk and running away.”
Schieffer was careful not to let his disapproval of Snowden be misconstrued as complete acceptance of the surveillance Snowden revealed, but was also careful to criticize a program about which he knew little.
“I know eleven people who died or lost a member of their family on 9/11,” Schieffer said. “My younger daughter lived in Manhattan then. It was six hours before we knew she was safe. I’m not interested in going through that again. I don’t know yet if the government has over-reached since 9/11 to reinforce our defenses, and we need to find out. What I do know, though, is that these procedures were put in place and are being overseen by officials we elected and we should hold them accountable.”
“I think what we have in Edward Snowden is just a narcissistic young man who has decided he is smarter than the rest of us. I don’t know what he is beyond that, but he is no hero. If he has a valid point—and I’m not even sure he does—he would greatly help his cause by voluntarily coming home to face the consequences.”
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/schieffer-destroys-edward-snowden-i-dont-remember-martin-luther-king-jr-or-rosa-parks-hiding-in-china/
@Kahsai
Thank U Mr.Schieffer! “I don’t remember Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks running off and hiding in China.
Snowden and Greenwald Beginning to Self-Destruct; ‘The Nation’ and ‘Mother Jones’ Raise Questions
By Bob Cesca · June 14,2013
It’s now been more than a week since Glenn Greenwald reported that the National Security Agency attained “direct access” to servers owned by the various tech giants, Google, Facebook, Apple and so forth. And it’s been almost a week since other sites, now including Mother Jones, The Nation and Andrew Sullivan’s The Dish, began to notice significant issues with his reporting about PRISM.
I should underscore once again how consequential the “direct access” line happens to be. The implication of “direct access” is clearly that, unbeknownst to the public, the NSA and, apparently, low level IT subcontractors, enjoyed back door access to proprietary server data, horked it at will and, according to Greenwald, did so potentially without a warrant. Rick Perlstein, in a post for The Nation, quoted Mark Jaquith of WordPress who observed that the “direct access” line is “the difference between a bombshell and a yawn of a story.” (I’m sure Perlstein and Jaquith have been inundated with “Obamabot apologist!” accusations for daring to aim an incredulous post in Greenwald’s direction.)
On his Wednesday podcast, Sam Seder said in support of Greenwald and Snowden, “That guy [Snowden] revealed all of this to us.” But in terms of new news, the “direct access” description is arguably the only aspect of the PRISM item, other than the PRISM PowerPoint and the story of a guy named Edward Snowden who leaked it, that was unknown prior to last week’s reporting. And it’s not holding water under scrutiny. Furthermore, we’ve been aware of the NSA’s eavesdropping efforts, including email, for many years now. In fact, the Obama administration, only three months into its first term weeded out several instances of unwarranted NSA eavesdropping. Kurt Eichenwald covered the NSA’s counter-terrorism efforts in his bestselling book, 500 Days. But this was somehow flushed down the memory hole in lieu of hyperbole and kneejerk mass hysteria over Greenwald and others shouting “fire!” (or “Worse than Bush!”) in a virtual crowded theater.
Indeed, Greenwald continues to shout “fire!” in the face of mounting concern (see my previous posts) over the veracity of his central scoop. Perlstein also quoted open-source expert Ken Fogel who referred to the use of “direct access” as an “epic botch.” Mother Jones‘ Kevin Drum wrote yesterday, “…the ‘direct access’ claim puzzled me from the start. Even with my modest technical background, I understood immediately that it didn’t make sense.” Wednesday night on Chris Hayes’ MSNBC show, Greenwald weaseled around the questions, saying essentially the same thing he’s said all week: that he summarized the line from the PRISM PowerPoint slide and therefore he’s didn’t botch the story.
http://thedailybanter.com/2013/06/snowden-and-greenwald-beginning-to-self-destruct-the-nation-and-mother-jones-raise-questions/
The Top 5 Exaggerations By Glenn Greenwald On NSA!
I have analyzed Glenn Greenwald’s writing many times over the years. His slick use of rhetorical devices, and his propensity to exaggerate, jump out at me and smack me upside the head when I read his writings. I’ve compiled what I think are the top 5 exaggerations by Glenn Greenwald since the NSA story broke. These are mostly from his appearances, where he apparently feels more free to exaggerate than when he commits something to paper.
Before I get to the list, I feel it is my duty to point out Glenn’s incredible hypocrisy about the right of privacy.
In his one big case as a lawyer, defending the white supremacist Matt Hale, Glenn Greenwald was smacked down by the judge for unethically recording witnesses without their knowledge. Mr. Privacy, Glenn Greenwald, invaded the privacy of witnesses in order to defend that vile creature.
Seizing the opportunity, Defendants’ counsel (Glenn Greenwald) hit the record button and commenced surreptitiously taping the conversation with Dippold. The conversation lasted for some time, covering in detail Dippold’s contacts with Hale, the WCOTC, and various other parties having an interest in the underlying litigation. Dippold never asked if Defendants’ counsel was taping the conversation. Nor did Defendants’ counsel make any representations to Dippold suggesting that the conversation was or [**4] was not being taped. […]
Approximately one month later, Plaintiff discovered the existence of another tape. This tape pertained to a conversation between Defendants’ counsel and Ian Sigel, another witness in the case. […]
Plaintiff moved to compel disclosure of these tapes, arguing that this conduct was unethical and therefore vitiated any attorney work-product privilege that may have attached to these recordings, and sought a protective order prohibiting any further recordings. The magistrate judge granted both motions, finding defense counsel’s conduct unethical under two separate rules: Local Rule 83.58.4(a)(4), prohibiting “dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation;” and Local Rule 83.54.4, stating “a lawyer shall not … use methods of obtaining evidence that violate the legal rights of [another] person.”
Now to the top 5 exaggerations by Glenn Greenwald on the NSA story.
Number 5
http://extremeliberal.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/the-top-5-exaggerations-by-glenn-greenwald-on-nsa/
this is a good post about GG from smartypants:
……………..
Is it possible to talk about the inequities in our justice system without mentioning race?
I guess it is if you’re two white guys.
http://youtu.be/lBmLwPhqYzU
I post this for two reasons. The first is that it is one of the most blatant examples of white privilege I’ve ever seen. Even a blue dog like former Senator Jim Webb made the racial inequities of our current criminal justice system the center piece of his attempts at reform. And if you’re going to talk about our history, how about discussing the decades when – for all practical purposes – there actually was no justice system for African American…lynching via mob violence was adequate.
My second reason is that this is the backdrop from which many of us are viewing Glenn Greenwald’s reporting these days. Its not just that he’s blind to his own white privilege, he regularly ignores whole parts of a story in order to bend it to the agenda he wants to promote. Some of us have been watching him do that for years now. Little by little others are beginning to catch on.
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-it-possible-to-talk-about-inequities.html
The character called Barack Obama”
There are a lot of people who are trying to get in President Obama’s head these days to interpret his motivation for deciding to supply the Syrian rebels with small arms and ammunitions. As is most often the case Maureen Dowd demonstrates the most noxious element of that genre. Of course she, like some others, thinks the “boy” Barry needed to be “schooled” by the man Clinton (yes, its just that obnoxious).
Folks who aren’t into assuming these kinds of decisions resemble a sixth grade playground altercation know that when it comes to Syria – there are no good options. And so I began to think about what I knew about how the President tends to handle those kinds of decisions.
I immediately thought of the article by Michael Lewis published in Vanity Fair back in October 2012 titled Obama’s Way. At one point in the article, President Obama comments on the kind of analysis people like Dowd are engaged in.
One of the things you realize fairly quickly in this job is that there is a character people see out there called Barack Obama. That’s not you. Whether it is good or bad, it is not you.
Lewis’ article is also helpful in describing the President’s decision-making process in a similar situation – whether or not to intervene in Libya. If you’re interested in that, I’d suggest you go read page 6 of this rather lengthy article. To summarize, President Obama had a meeting with all “the principals” on his national security team. They presented him with a binary option of either a no-fly zone (which obviously wouldn’t work) or doing nothing.
The idea was that the people in the meeting would debate the merits of each, but Obama surprised the room by rejecting the premise of the meeting. “He instantly went off the road map,” recalls one eyewitness. “He asked, ‘Would a no-fly zone do anything to stop the scenario we just heard?’” After it became clear that it would not, Obama said, “I want to hear from some of the other folks in the room.”
Obama then proceeded to call on every single person for his views, including the most junior people.
And then Lewis makes this fascinating observation:
His desire to hear out junior people is a warm personality trait as much as a cool tactic, of a piece with his desire to play golf with White House cooks rather than with C.E.O.’s and basketball with people who treat him as just another player on the court; to stay home and read a book rather than go to a Washington cocktail party; and to seek out, in any crowd, not the beautiful people but the old people. The man has his status needs, but they are unusual. And he has a tendency, an unthinking first step, to subvert established status structures. After all, he became president.
So if Dowd and others think that President Obama bent to the desires of his “daddy” Clinton on the issue of Syria, I’d suggest they’re reacting out of their own projection onto a “character called Barack Obama.” Reading Lewis will give you a small window into how the man actually operates.
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-character-called-barack-obama.html
https://twitter.com/NoShock/status/346311070866100226/photo/1
https://twitter.com/arapaho415/status/346309823463292929/photo/1
http://youtu.be/_WamkRSDeD8
I had a talk with my apolitical Sistafriend this morning.
Of course, the discussion turned to Snowden.
Her comments:
Since when did giving up US Government secrets to a foreign country mean anything other than TREASON?
Did we change the definition of TREASON?
Just what did these folks think the NSA and CIA do all day long?
The NSA isn’t interested in our conversation….but, the moment you receive a call from overseas from a suspected terrorist…then hell …yeah, they’re gonna be all up in your business…
You know, I joke about Obama, but if there’s one thing that he takes seriously, it’s national security. And any muthafucka who thinks they’re gonna make Obama look bad in terms of national security….well, you betta ask somebody.
For all those who call this traitor a ‘ hero’…here’s the picture of your hero WHEN, not if, Obama gets his ass..
He’s gonna be coming off an airplane in D.C., in shackles and a Hannibal Lecter mask.
………………………
Of course, we got around to a WHITE high-school dropout getting:
a six figure job
in Hawaii
with a security clearance.
Her comments?
When they gonna start profiling these White boys?
You know, if you gave a Black high–school dropout a six figure salary,
not only would you not have to EVER worry about him opening his mouth to any reporter, let alone betraying this country….
He’d be wearing a little flag pin, not only on the suit he wore to work..
but on his workout clothes…yeah, on that basketball court, zoom in on his t-shirt..there’s the flag pin…
it’d even be on his pajamas at night.
BWA HA HA AH AHA HA HA
Just HEART-RENDING
heartbreaking
Sweet Jesus. Breaks my heart into pieces.
the entire post is very informative
………………………….
Rise and Shine….Happy Father’s Day!
By utaustinliberal 92 Comments
A president is often referred to as the father of the country. He nurtures it, guides it in the right direction, lays down policies that will not only help the country in the interim, but also ten, twenty, thirty years down the line. When his term is done, (the formative years of a child’s life) the country has either regressed or grown in leaps and bounds. In that vein, let’s take a look at how far America has progressed under Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States.
*******
Economy
Passed the Stimulus: The Bush-led Great Recession was costing the economy nearly 800,000 jobs per month by the time President Obama took office. Signed $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 to spur economic growth amid greatest recession since the Great Depression. Weeks after stimulus went into effect, unemployment claims began to subside. Twelve months later, the private sector began producing more jobs than it was losing. The economy has now created over 6 million jobs.
He oversaw the completion of the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan and also leaned on the banks and others, and recovered virtually all of the bail-out money.
Oversaw the creation of more jobs in 2010 alone than Bush did in eight years.
Signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010) to re-regulate the financial sector after its practices caused the Great Recession. The new law tightens capital requirements on large banks and other financial institutions, requires derivatives to be sold on clearinghouses and exchanges, mandates that large banks provide “living wills” to avoid chaotic bankruptcies, limits their ability to trade with customers’ money for their own profit, and creates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (now headed by Richard Cordray) to crack down on abusive lending products and companies.
He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan.
Along with Democrats, and almost no Republicans, implemented an auto industry rescue plan that immediately saved as many as 1 million jobs. This resulted in GM returning to its place as the top car company in the world.
Signed the Democratic-sponsored Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system, and create a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown.
Signed the Democratic-sponsored Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which was designed to to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices.
Through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery.
Initiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses.
Played a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis.
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost.
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/06/16/rise-and-shine-happy-fathers-day/#comment-751901
Oprah Winfrey Network tonight
Berry Gordy, 9 pm EST : Master Class
Diahann Carroll, 10 pm EST: Master Class
I’ll be watching.
Rikyrah & SG2, please check your emails!
What are ‘Liberals,’ What are ‘Progressives,’ and Why the Difference Matters
By: Crissie Brown
Jun. 15th, 2013
Not all liberals are progressive, and not all progressives are liberal. And when we discuss politics, we must recognize and respect our differences.
Contested Concepts
Although I’ll cite sources in these essays, I do not presume to declare The One True Definition for either “liberal” or “progressive.” No such definitions exist, as both “liberal” and “progressive” are what philosopher and political scientist W.B. Gallie called contested concepts:
… concepts the proper use of which inevitably involves endless disputes about their proper uses on the part of their users [that] cannot be settled by appeal to empirical evidence, linguistic usage, or the canons of logic alone.
Simply, people disagree about what “liberal” and “progressive” mean, and none of us can prove that his or hers is The One True Definition. As a result, we often avoid the discussion entirely, assuming others understand a contested concept to mean what we intend, while they assume we understand those words to mean what they intend. More recently, cognitive linguists have explored contested concepts in the context of frame semantics:
The crucial intuition of frame semantics is that words are defined relative to a frame, and highlight certain other concepts and structures of the frame. The word “cost”, for example, is defined relative to the COMMERCIAL TRANSACTION frame, and highlights the PRICE paid by the BUYER for the GOODS. [Original emphasis.]
That is, we define words relative to other ideas that come to mind when we hear, read, or think about them. Those other ideas form the “frame” within which we find meaning for a word. Both “liberal” and “progressive” exist in the POLITICS frame and – in the U.S. – both imply opposition to “conservative.” Add to that the fact that conservatives have for decades used “liberal” as an epithet, and many people have come to believe that “progressive” is simply a euphemism for “liberal.” But those two terms have different histories and hallmarks.
Not all liberals are progressive
Liberalism is a set of ideals grounded in the social contract (rule by consent of the governed for mutual benefit), both negative liberty (freedom from unreasonable interference) and positive liberty (access to basic resources to pursue one’s goals), and both equality in law (legal rights and privileges), and equality of opportunity (social mobility). Liberalism is an ideology, and over three hundred years of history have shown that it can be robust and successful. Indeed the past three centuries can reasonably be summarized as the rise and spread of liberal ideals.
Yet liberal governments have at times stumbled. Sometimes they stumbled because they did not live up to their ideals, as seen in America’s struggle with slavery and then Jim Crow, and European efforts to reconcile liberalism with colonialism. And sometimes liberal governments stumbled because idealism led to excesses, such as the French Revolution and more recent attempts to “spread democracy.”
In short, it’s not enough to hold and celebrate liberal ideals. We must also put them into action, and recognize that implementing an ideal requires weighing the difficulties of specific challenges and searching for solutions that work.
Not all progressives are liberal
Progressivism is a problem-solving method. Historians generally date Progressive Era as 1890-1920, but the progressive method did not end with that date. The progressive method is not an ideology but a pragmatic search for solutions that work, grounded in a healthy skepticism. Thus, for example, Prohibition was a progressive project and was based on the social science of that era, but “The Great Experiment” of Prohibition failed in practice and progressives also worked for its repeal. The 20th century can reasonably be summarized as the rise and spread of the progressive method.
Yet, again, progressive governments have at times stumbled. Some have applied the progressive method toward horrific, illiberal ends, such as the Tuskegee Experiment, the Holocaust, and Project MK-ULTRA. And the progressive method is susceptible to the paralysis of analysis, to public demands for boldness and confidence, and to being out-spun by voices who don’t need data to justify criticism.
In short, it’s not enough to practice the progressive method. That method must be applied toward goals grounded in liberal ideals, and it we must recognize when it’s time to “fish or cut bait” and be willing to advocate the best solutions we can find with confidence, even as we recognize that we will need to adapt to new information and changing conditions.
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/06/15/liberals-progressives-difference-matters.html
IN SHORT; PRAGMATISM. I’m an OBAMACRAT. The END.
The VRA is up for SCOTUS decision next week.
Affirmative Action and CA Prop 8 up for decision also.
Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!
My heart aches today. I miss your love and your hugs. But I keep your words, teachings and wonderful memories close to my heart.
With all my love,
SouthernGirl
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
**weeping**
Georgia Republican: ‘People of color are being paid by the government’
By David Ferguson
Saturday, June 15, 2013 13:44 EDT
A speaker at this week’s conservative Faith And Freedom Coalition Conference said on Friday that the Republican Party struggles to attract minority voters because they’re “being paid by the government” in benefits. According to Think Progress, Rich Thompson, founder of the “school choice” advocacy group “100 Dads” made the remarks during a panel about the Republican Party’s attempts to draw in new coalitions of nonwhite voters.
“Right now an extremely disproportionate number of people of color are being paid by the government. Therein lies a serious problem,” said Thompson at the conference’s panel entitled “The True Rainbow Coalition: Building an Organization in Minority Faith Communities.”
“We can’t just cut everybody off instantaneously,” he continued. “But we have to have a serious conversation about how we get people to being ‘producers’ and not ‘receivers.’ So I thank you for coming this evening to find out how we can better message to people of the black community, the Latino community, and the Asian community.”
In fact, the New York Times reported that of U.S. citizens on food stamps were three times more likely to be white than black in 2012. Of the 36 million people on food stamps, 24 million were white. 8 million were black and 6 million were hispanic or another race. Nevertheless, Republicans have long used the specter of black welfare cheats to frighten other whites into cutting social programs.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/15/georgia-republican-people-of-color-are-being-paid-by-the-government/
Rikyrah, please check your email.Thanks
Last time I checked; me, my family and I pay taxes to the GOVERNMENT, so we expect the government to do it’s job. The CaCs will never learn. They’ll go to their graves in ignorance.
now this is some bitchassness right here
………………….
GOP to constituents: Questions on ObamaCare? Call Obama
By Elise Viebeck – 06/15/13 12:00 PM ET
Republican lawmakers say they anticipate a flood of questions in the coming months from constituents on the implementation of ObamaCare, which will pose a dilemma for the GOP
People regularly call their representatives for help with Medicare, Social Security and other government programs. Yet, Republicans believe healthcare reform spells doom for the federal budget, private businesses and the U.S. healthcare system. They’re also enormously frustrated that the law has persevered through two elections and a Supreme Court challenge and believe a botched implementation could help build momentum for the repeal movement.
Some Republicans indicated to The Hill they will not assist constituents in navigating the law and obtaining benefits. Others said they would tell people to call the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Given that we come from Kansas, it’s much easier to say, ‘Call your former governor,'” said Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R), referring to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
“You say, ‘She’s the one. She’s responsible. She was your governor, elected twice, and now you reelected the president, but he picked her.'” Huelskamp said.
“We know how to forward a phone call,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah).
“I have two dedicated staff who deal with nothing, but ObamaCare and immigration problems,” he added. “I’m sure there will be an uptick in that, but all we can do is pass them back to the Obama administration. The ball’s in their court. They’re responsible for it.”
Government officials are bracing for upheaval as ObamaCare’s biggest provisions take effect in the next seven months.
The law will affect millions of people by offering them benefits through the insurance exchanges and the Medicaid expansion. It also has massive implications for businesses as they comply with a flurry of regulations related to employee health coverage.
Polls have shown that the public is largely ignorant about the law and how it operates. This dynamic adds to the task facing the Obama administration and its supporters before the fall, when enrollment is scheduled to begin.
It also means that congressional offices — Republican and Democratic— are likely to face a slew of calls from people learning about their benefits for the first time.
This influx of constituent questions could start as early as next week, as supporters of the law kick off their Get Covered America enrollment campaign.
But interest is likely to be most intense throughout the fall and spring, as the uninsured navigate their options and after coverage kicks in on Jan. 1, 2014.
A few GOP lawmakers said they are not preparing for a lot of calls, or haven’t thought about what to do.
GOP leaders have not issued detailed instructions to their members on how to handle ObamaCare inquiries.
“We encourage them to provide the best constituent services possible,” said a House leadership aide, who added that “members determine what is best for their districts.”
“They have their own methodologies, and we respect that,” the staffer said.
House leaders have organized a group known as HOAP — the House ObamaCare Accountability Project — to organize a messaging strategy against the law that will trickle down to constituents.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/305777-gop-to-constituents-questions-on-obamacare-call-obama#ixzz2WODj0AVR
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook
If/When the CaCs and haters get desperate, they’ll contact the WH and HHS or flounder in squalor or die form their ignorance. Perfect setup, because they’ll be ready for them. Now what you gonna do GOP?
Good Morning, Everyone. :-)
http://youtu.be/Dxsdp3r5Dek
http://youtu.be/dgLHVi40Gc8
Happy Father’s Day to all.
And I must reiterate with SG2 – please keep Trayvon’s family in your prayers.
Good morning, everyone!
Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads.
Lifting up Trayvon Martin’s family in prayer! Please remember the Martins in your prayers.
Happy Father’s Day!