Day: February 5, 2011

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Martin Luther King Tid Bits United States

Do Away With Black History Month? – Part 1

This post is in reference to this===>, “Black History Month, it is time to get rid of this celebration,” 

Ah, the famous debate continues. Should we or should we not celebrate Black History Month?

I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to this question, but there are a few things I would like to dwell upon. I oftentimes  see the argument that it is time to do away with Black History Month because we should ignore someone’s race or color of their skin. Hmmm, but I wonder why? Why should we ignore this? Do you ignore the fact that someone is male or female, that they’re standing 4’9″ or 6’5″ tall, or maybe this person is limited to wheelchair usage? Why should anyone ignore any part of what makes a person who they are?

It’s not about ignoring or pretending their race or culture doesn’t exist. Real unity comes with embracing one’s differences and seeing that individual as an equal. To be able to look at someone of a different race, creed, or religion and acknowledging with acceptance of those differences is the equality Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned. My race, cultural background, gender, religion, etc all shapes me into my unique being and I would never deny or pretend those qualities didn’t exist within me. So, I don’t feel that’s the right reason for getting rid of this celebrated time.

It is also interesting that there is always a debate around Black History Month. Many other cultures are recognized each month: Jewish, Asian, Hispanic, Irish, Italian, etc. Yet, there is a continued and feverish debate around Black History Month and not so much with the many other celebrated cultures. The sole purpose of these designated months is for celebration, awareness, recognition for accomplishments, and remembrance of trials and tribulations towards progressive freedom in a world where freedom has been hard to obtain for many. I don’t see the need to get rid of that celebration and recognition for any culture. I think many are also forgetting that the reason Black History Month was established is because many educational textbooks would leave out the global impact and ramifications of Black history (not just Black American history).

Now, should culture appreciation start and begin with a selected month? Of course not. However, I don’t see the harm in using that time to focus on a selected cultural background. One thing I do know, if you take away one’s cultural month, then you take away the others. They either all stay or they all go. There was a time not so long ago, when having the freedom to outwardly celebrate differing cultures in a national sense would have been deemed impossible. And even though we are still on that long road to cultural unity, the steps forward have been many.

And to be honest here, the debate whether Black History Month should or should not be celebrated is not what concerns me really. What I find more disconcerting is why anything to do with Black/African American culture is constantly surrounded by aggressive arguments, debates, and/or conspiracies? It should make us all wonder…

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Politics

For Security Concerns, Bush Can’t Go To Switzerland

Former President George Bush has a love affair with conservative Republicans and the Teaparty here in America. As far as they are concerned, the 43rd president could not do no wrong and was the best thing that ever happened to America, next to their supreme idol, Ronald Reagan that is. But in Switzerland, it’s quite a different story, as they took the initiative to cancel a scheduled fund raiser by the former president, because of “security concerns.”

The organizer of the event in Geneva, the United Israel Appeal, informed Bush of the cancellation on Friday. The Associated Press reports the following;

The Swiss daily newspaper Tribune de Genève reported Saturday that the charity feared that protests against Mr. Bush planned by left-wing groups could result in violence.

“The calls to demonstrate were sliding into dangerous terrain,” the charity’s lawyer, Robert Equey, told the newspaper. “The organizers claimed to be able to maintain order, but warned they could not be held responsible for any outbursts.”

Other possible reasons for the cancellation? The report continues;

Several human rights groups including Amnesty International and the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights had planned to ask Swiss prosecutors to open a criminal investigation against Mr. Bush over the admission in his recent memoirs that he personally authorized the waterboarding of terrorism suspects.

“Whatever Bush or his hosts say, we have no doubt he canceled his trip to avoid our case,” the Center for Constitutional Rights and others said in a statement.

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Russia

S.T.A.R.T Treaty Goes Into Effect Today

Finally! After the all unnecessary political fighting by Republicans to stop a treaty that even their ‘God-send-measuring stick’ President Reagan supported, America and Russia today put into effect the START treaty.

Below is a report from The New York Times:

MUNICH — The United States and Russia on Saturday formally put into force New Start, a strategic arms control treaty passed by the Senate in December after a long political battle by President Obama.

On the sidebar of a high-level security conference here, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, exchanged legal documents ratifying the treaty, which puts new limits on strategic nuclear warheads, heavy bombers and launching vehicles. The United States and Russia have 45 days to trade details on the number, location and technical specifications of their arsenals. Inspection can begin in 60 days.

The chilly relationship between the United States and Russia began to thaw a bit after a meeting in 2009 when Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. called for the countries to “reset” their relationship after the chilly Bush years.

In addition to the ratification of New Start on Saturday, the so-called quartet — a group that deals with the Middle East consisting of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations — convened. This meeting was intended to reaffirm support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, even amid the turmoil in Egypt and the Arab world.

Read the Times article here

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Barack Obama Republican Ronald Reagan Sarah Palin Sarah Palin United States

My Ignorance Detector Goes Off Everytime Palin Talks

One of the hardest things for me to do is ignore ignorance. And although some have pledge not to cover any news about Sarah Palin for the rest of this month, I’m not one of those dudes. So on Friday when Palin opened her mouth at a tribute to former President Ronald Reagan and said America is on “the road to ruin” because of President Obama and his policies- well- my ignorance detector went off full blast.

According to a report from Reuters;

Palin said Obama had revived the era of big government, and she ridiculed the infrastructure spending and investment he outlined in his recent State of the Union speech. “The only thing these investments will get us is a bullet train to bankruptcy,” the 2008 vice presidential candidate said in a speech at the Ronald Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California, part of two days of festivities marking the late president’s 100th birthday.

Palin, as usual is stuck in one mode: attack mode. Her bullet train to bankruptcy analogy was also heard after the President outlined his plans to invest in America’s future at the State Of The Union Address. But what Palin doesn’t seem to get is that this is exactly what other countries are already doing – investing in their futures. Countries like China and India have realized the need for this and have made large gains in the areas of transportation, education and technology over the years and are now reaping the benefits.

America, once the leader of the world, is now being overtaken by countries like China, and what do ignorance-producing talking heads like Sarah Palin have to say about it? These knuckle heads put it all under the heading of “big government spending”. They attack the very  policies  that will allow America to maintain and surpass it’s competitive edge over the rest of the world.

America cannot maintain 1980 policies in a 2011 global economy. We cannot be the leaders of the world when we can’t see past our own noses. The rest of the world is adapting to a changing world and it’s time America led in this effort. Investing in our future is investing in us.

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Featured Supreme Court of the United States

Wife of Supreme Court Justice Is A Teaparty Lobbyist

The controversies surrounding Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas just never seem to end. We witnessed this during his confirmation hearings and now, his wife seems to want a piece of the notoriety too.

The New York Times is reporting that Virginia Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is now a lobbyist and self-appointed “ambassador to the Tea Party movement.” The Times reports;

Virginia Thomas, the justice’s wife, said on libertyinc.co, a Web site for her new political consulting business, that she saw herself as an advocate for “liberty-loving citizens” who favored limited government, free enterprise and other core conservative issues. She promised to use her “experience and connections” to help clients raise money and increase their political impact.

Ms. Thomas’s effort to take a more operational role on conservative issues could intensify questions about her husband’s ability to remain independent on issues like campaign finance and health care, legal ethicists said.

Wait a minute! There’s  something wrong with this picture!

The Supreme Court, often called the court of last resort, is the final say on how laws are interpreted in this country. According to Article III, §1, of the Constitution, “the judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court.” The court has jurisdiction over all cases, including Laws and Equity, to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party; to Controversies between two or more States; between a State and Citizens of another State; between Citizens of different States.

Every judge takes a lifetime oath to uphold and form decisions on cases based on the law. How can any judge be objectionable when he/she comes home and is greeted by a lobbyist spouse?

The Teaparty is in a push to get the Supreme Court to declare President Obama’s Health Care Law as unconstitutional.

A Virginia Thomas is lobbying for the Teaparty.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is married to aforementioned Virginia Thomas…

Yeah!–something’s fishy up in here alright!

Read the rest of the article here.

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