A Victim Treats His Mugger Right : NPR
Kinda like when I got “jumped” by a bunch of kids at 169th and 3rd, and one of them ended up being in my roommate’s class.
From $70K to food bank, one family’s struggle – CNN.com
// March 28th, 2008Thanks Joe Darby
// March 27th, 2008The guy who went public with the ABu Ghraib story. Joe Darby is a true American hero, and not in the Budweiser sense.
Power (n.):
// March 21st, 2008having access to major institutions, such as schools, military systems, policing agencies, courtrooms, political systems, food production systems, resource development, detention facilities, etc. being able to affect, or better yet control, something others need (not just want), increases ones influence upon the freedom of others exponentially; this is power.
Easter warning: crucifixion is bad for you – Telegraph
// March 21st, 2008My feelings on the Obama-Wright non-issue
// March 21st, 2008I am not concerned about Obama’s relationship with Pastor Wright. I don’t think that Pastor Wright spoke only and opportunistically of his hate for white people. It has been my experience that the students at my school hate white people, but love me. I think part of our racial experience as the privileged class makes this harder for us to see at times. While I can’t begin to say with certainty why my students or Pastor Wright can hold such sentiments and still befriend white people, I’m sure that their willingness to do the latter is meaningful.
As Obama pointed out in his speech, which I think will someday be in history books, was that reverend wright said, on occasion, things he held different opinions about. My experience at the methodist church made me acutely aware of what it feels like to belong to a community based upon its members, and yet still have many disagreements with things said by the preacher. I didn’t leave the church for over a year, and to be honest, that had more to do with the fact that I’d moved into a different friend circle than by some moral obligation to avoid entirely all radical viewpoints.
In fact, the basis of this issue is questionable to me. Pastor Wright held rules that we would certainly deem radical, but I’m sure as a former marine and theologian, I think he’s entitled to speak his mind. Columbia University let Mahmud Ahmadinejad speak, and his radical outlook on the holocaust and world politics is as fringe as I can imagine. We let him speak; the event was well-attended. Pastor Wright is nowhere near as radical as Ahmadinejad. Moreover, his “radical views” aren’t so radical to some folks. They just seem to be radical to people that are higher up in the social pyramid.
I am not a Wright apologist. But to be honest, when I watch the videos, I hear viewpoints that I honestly see truth in. But much more apparent to me is that congregation is standing up, hands in the air. They are coming up to the pulpit to pat him on the back. He is making references to parts of the bible that aren’t mentioned as often in other churches. He’s saying something I’m not used to hearing on television.
But that doesn’t mean I think Barack Obama is going to make decisions that abrogate my freedoms or adversely affect me.
I’m closing with some lyrics from a song by Immortal Technique which roughly reflect my view of race, class and culture nowadays – one that I think partly explains why my kids, and Pastor Wright, can hold such seemingly obtuse positions with regard to members of the white race:
“I want a better life for my family and for my children, but it doesn’t have to be at the expense of millions of lives in my homeland. We’re given the idea that if we didn’t have these people to exploit then America wouldn’t be rich enough to let us have these little petty material things in our lives and basic standards of living. No, that’s wrong. It’s the business giants and the government officials who make all the real money. We have whatever they kick down to us. My enemy is not the average white man, it’s not the kid down the block or the kids I see on the street; my enemy is the white man I don’t see: the people in the white house, the corporate monopoly owners, fake liberal politicians those are my enemies. The generals of the armies that are mostly conservatives those are the real Mother-Fuckers that I need to bring it to, not the poor, broke country-ass soldier that’s too stupid to know shit about the way things are set up.
In fact, I have more in common with most working and middle-class white people than I do with most rich black and Latino people. As much as racism bleeds America, we need to understand that classism is the real issue. Many of us are in the same boat and it’s sinking, while these bougie Mother-Fuckers ride on a luxury liner, and as long as we keep fighting over kicking people out of the little boat we’re all in, we’re gonna miss an opportunity to gain a better standard of living as a whole.”
Obama ’08,
Jonthon
Montana Governor on ‘Real ID’ Act : NPR
// March 20th, 2008Montana Governor on ‘Real ID’ Act : NPR
Schweitzer has huge nuts, and his open contempt for federalism is exciting and hilarious. Plus, he’s absolutely right on the real ID issue.
Montana governor says state’s noncompliance on Real ID will not affect residents
// March 20th, 2008Montana governor says state’s noncompliance on Real ID will not affect residents
The Department of Homeland Security has told states they have until March 31 to ask for an extension in complying with the federal Real ID law passed following the 2001 terror attacks. The agency has said residents in states that are not in compliance could face extra screenings at airports or be required to carry alternate identification, such as passports, after May.
I’m glad someone had the hutzpah to call bullshit on that
South Carolina, Maine and New Hampshire also have yet to seek an extension.
…
The American Civil Liberties Union has said that Homeland Security will not adopt travel restrictions if states force the issue.
A supreme court case on this would be hard to decide politically, like they’ve done for every case on the docket since Roberts’ appointment.
Iraq war shows limits of US power
// March 20th, 2008What? We’re not capable of vanquishing all of our foes simultaneously?
Maybe we better come up with a new game plan…
…or stop having foes.