The History you weren't taught

In light of the unyeilding fervor over the various comments and meanings of soundbites and statements made by Rev. Wright, the less covered anger and bile by men like Rev. Manning, the repetition of legal imbalances in the Wesley Snipes, Sean Bell, and Megan Williams cases, and other items I wanted to ask a few questions.

This is not a test. This is simply questions to see what you know. It doesn’t matter what race you are, what country you come from, or what religion you believe.

Some questions I will answer, some I will leave for you to find out for sure. But I guarantee that one item on this post will be a blatant lie, though it is a lie that my readers have read in my posts before. That I will leave for the end to tell you.

Africans have been in America since at least 1619. In the 389 years since then can you name a war that Blacks have not fought in?

Today virtually all people of color with brown to black skin are called African Americans. 10 years ago we were known simply as Black. What were we called going all the way back in time to 1619?

How many songs made famous by Elvis Presly were not originally songs created and performed by Black singers/entertainers?

What group of people were the ones to find the means to cure the Bubonic Plague and to realize its source?

Where is the cradle of civilization found?

Who was Thurgood Marshall, and what did he do?

What year did the military stop segregation?

Who has done more for African Americans, Republicans or Democrats?

Have Blacks always voted Democrat?

Name 2 groups of Americans that the Constitution did not cover initially?

What is the original meaning of Cowboy?

What does Jim Crow represent?

How many Black colleges exist today? How many were started? When was the first?

Did Africans ever control Europe?

How many communicable diseases did the original American Indian tribes have?

How many treaties did the American Government break with the American Indians?

How many nuclear bombs have ever been used against people?

Name 3 Empires of the world that did not involve Europe?

Who created the 0 and thus all modern math?

Who are the Tuskegee Airmen?

What is my name?

Who founded Chicago?

Where was the city of Rosewood and how many were in it?

How many years was the South Carolina House run by a Black majority?

How much was the largest donation ever made by a Black American?


Now the point of all these questions is not to embarrass anyone. Nor is it to condemn any nation or people.

The purpose is to highlight the lack of knowledge that exists in America. I have no doubt that while most of these items are known historical facts, most are not taught in American classrooms, and I would bet not in European ones either. So how can so many believe they can have a realistic conversation about race in America when I doubt most can answer half these questions without going to Google?

In case you were wondering, here are some answers you may or may not have known (and I don’t profess that these are the only facts available or worthy of knowing – in fact they are the tip of an iceberg of information). Not every question is answered though. Some things need to be sought out to be learned best.


There has never been a war in America (even when it was a colony) that Blacks did not participate in. While history classes, movies, and popular books may overlook the fact African Americans have always fought for America, even when we were not recognized by the nation as people.

Prior names for African Americans go back to Black, Colored, and Negro (beyond the repulsive and ignorant N-word). That covers just the last 50 years. Only 339 more to go.

Elvis stole all his early songs (to my knowledge), and his manager advertised in newspapers to only buy the Elvis version. Or did you really think he wore blue suede shoes and knew about hound dogs back in the 1950’s?

The Moors, an African Empire, were the first to discover that cutting the blisters helped to increase the survival rate of plague victims, and that the cause was infected rats living in the squalid conditions of European cities.

The Euphrates River is known as the cradle of civilization.

Thurgood Marshall was a lawyer and Supreme Court Justice from 1963 to 1991. He was the first Black Supreme Court Justice (there has only ever been 2).

1948. That’s after WWII where African Americans did serve with honor.

For about 100 year Blacks voted with the party of Lincoln, Republican.

The Constitution did not cover women, Native American Indians, or anyone with more than 3/5ths African blood. Proving 3/5ths was harder to prove than you might imagine.

A cowboy was originally meant as a derogatory term to describe African Americans that worked with cattle in the field. As the number of Americans moving west increased and the need for cowhands rose the term grew to encompass Whites, and was later romanticized to exclude the Black it originally meant to describe.

After 1861, 20 Black colleges and equivalent institutions were created.

The Moors conquered and controlled Spain, Italy, Sicily and several other parts of Southern Europe and Northern Africa. This says nothing of the control and influence of Ancient Egypt over the Mediterranian countries.

To my knowledge there were no communicable diseases in the Americas until after European explorers arrived. Once they were here these diseases spread like wildfire.

The American Government broke every treaty ever made with a Tribe during the Wild West expansion and well after.

Only 2 nuclear bombs have ever been used against people. Both were in Japan. Hiroshima is the most famous, but Nagasaki was also bombed. At the time it was believed that use of nuclear bombs would be the only alternative to fighting WWII right up to the steps of Japan’s Emperor. 2 bombs were used to prove that the first was not just a luck invention and that we could reproduce the results at will.

While not the only Empires, better know ones are the Ottoman, the Mongol (of either Khan), and the aforementioned Moors.

The number zero can be traced to the Babylonians. But use in mathematics in Europe is traced from the Middle East and the Islamic religion.

As stated often in various posts, Vass is not my birthname. This is the one outright lie on this page or any post I have ever made. Vass is my legal alias though. Did you catch this?

Chicago was founded by Jean Baptiste Point DuSable.

6 years.

$20,000,000 by Bill Cosby to Spellman College.

Fox News lied about Tuskegee Experiment

Considering the massive attention being given to Rev. Wright today after his comments to the National Press Club, I wanted to make a comment. But before I could get to that I saw on Fox News at 6:02pm a report where Rev. Wright’s response about the American government creating AIDS and inflicting it on the Black community was addressed. Rev. Wright mentioned

“As I said to my members, if you haven’t read things, then you can’t — based on this Tuskegee experiment and based on what has happened to Africans in this country, I believe our government is capable of doing anything.”

The Fox news reporter then goes on to mention that the Tuskegee Experiment was where “syphilis infected Black men were observed for years.”

LIE!

The Tuskegee Experiment was when the United States Government watched (purposefully?? It’s not clear) 400 infected African American men with syphilis, without their knowledge, and then watched what happened over the next 40 years without ever providing a bit of treatment to them. The Tuskegee Experiment ended in 1972, just long ago enough to have affected some of my readers fathers, uncles, brothers, and grand-fathers. That is what our Government did, and when you consider they were willing to do this you can understand why some would think they could create AIDS and infect the Black population again.

Fox News in wording the actions of the government in a softer, and less viscious manner than actually occurred not only lied to the American public, they have attempted to change history and influence the public perception of current events.

Look up the Tuskegee Experiment. Learn the facts. Understand why some have the views they have. Learn what our Government has done and is capable of doing.

It’s moments like this that I get inflamed and angered. The news media has an obligation to report the truth, and when that vow is broken, we must respond quickly and directly.

As for Rev. Wright, you can view VASS and see the full transcript of what he said, word for word. Then you can make up your own mind, just as you should with his full sermons and video.

After the Sean Bell trial - now what?

So now that so many have heard about the verdict of the NY police officers involved in the Sean Bell killing (or shooting as some would prefer) the question that comes up next is what shall we do.

What did we do after the Rodney King trial and riots? What did we do after Amidou Diallo was murdered. What have we done after the media circus that was the coverage of Wesley Snipes vs the IRS (which he basically won – though you probably never heard the major news media mention that part)? What has happened after the rape torture and kidnapping of Megan Williams? What have we done about Congress (Democrat and Republican led) and the Presidency’s inaction in Darfur?

I have tried to promote information for you my readers to make comment on all these issues. I have hoped to spark intelligent debate. I ultimately hope to inspire those with more resources, time, and ability to do something. And I have donated and acted as well.

But perhaps I am too small a voice, or to little known for some people – no matter that I am read in over 100 countries every month with visitors that number better than many newspapers across the nation. So I offer the thoughts and comments of Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Marq Claxton.

Sean Bell murder - Police absolved of guilt, African Americans endangered

Rodney King, Amidou Diallo, Sean Bell. What do these events all have in common. Black men assaulted by the police, with extreme and unjustifiable force, with officers that walked away from the incidents (crimes) without penalty. Nothing like the even hand of justice in America.

Now you may have caught some of the relatively brief news that came out today on the Sean Bell case. I have been following it since the murder was committed. The news today may well have been obscured by the shark attack or other vital news. What has happened is that the trial (which you may not have heard was underway since early this year) concluded with no charges against the police officers guilty of firing 51 shots into a car holding 3 Black men that were all unarmed.

If you never heard about this case (which you might have missed considering the short shrift the major news media gave it) it goes like this. 3 African American men are in a strip club celebrating a bachelor party for one of them, Sean Bell. They leave the club and go to their car. They are followed by a police officer. At this points all the facts end and conjecture begins.

According to the officer, who was in the club for surveillance in a matter unrelated to these men, he believed them to be acting suspiciously. He followed them to the car where he thought they were going to get at least one gun. He approached the car, identified himself, and as the men started the car feared for his life. He then fired into the car, as did several other officers involved in the original surveillance. During the shooting of the surrounded car it was believed that a 4th man exited the car – while under fire - with a gun. In total 51 shots were fired, killing Sean Bell, and severely wounding both of the surviving men in the car. No gun was found, no drugs. No witness identified or corroborated a 4th man, nor anyone exiting the car with or without a gun.

According to the men in the car, the officer has words with their group while in the club. They left and entered their car, at which point they became aware that they were being followed. The man from the club pulled out a gun, and they – in fear of their lives from this unknown assailant – tried to drive away. The man proceeded to fire into their car, followed by several others as they surrounded the car on all sides. There was no 4th person in their group, no gun, no drugs. The man with a gun, and his companions, never identified themselves as police officers.

That is the reports of both sides from the initial day of the incident. And that begins my problems. As I stated before:

“Mr. Sean Bell and his friends were fired at 51 times. One officer fired 31 times another 11 times. The tires of the car were not shot out. Deadly force was used, though it was against official policy…As Mr. Bell continued to attempt to get away the officer seems to have become fearful for his life and the results were one dead another shot 23 times and the third shot 16 times.

Imagine that this was a car full of white males. If that would be excessive then this must be. The bigger question I have always had is why such force needs to be used solely against African American men. Mr. Rodney King had 5 or 6 officers beating him; Mr. Diallo had 41 shots from 4 officers [at least one shot was through his foot after he was laying on the ground dead]. In each case the officers walked away without a single charge. Mr. Louima was violated in a police station with a plunger. Given these facts, my own experiences and those of friends, if I had a chance to get away from a police officer in a touchy situation I’d try to run as well. It’s not about guilt, it’s about survival.”

Now what does the media say? Well Yahoo titles this : 3 NYPD detectives acquitted in 50-shot killing. They go on to mention that the murder occurred in a “seedy strip club in Queens” – inferring that this was a bad place and that bad people go there. The tone is meant to imply that the officers were in the right and the men wrong, justifying the trial outcome.

But what about the case that few ever heard about? There was no jury, only Justice Arthur Cooperman.

“Cooperman indicated that the police officers' version of events was more credible than the victims' version. "The people have not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that each defendant was not justified" in firing, he said.”

He said this without 1 officer taking the stand. He said this with both survivors taking the stand. He said this even though initial reports had a mysterious 4th person running from the car, without pursuit and allegedly armed, as per the police report and news media coverage that has since been dropped as if it were haze in the sunlight.

So I ask again

“But what is it that makes it alright to go to such extremes. And it must be alright on some level because across the nation Black American men are assaulted like this often. I don’t recall a single white male that was attacked in a similar manner once in my entire life. I’m not talking about a shootout with officers, or hostage taking. I mean beatings by half a dozen officers, being fired at enough times to necessitate reloading firearms, and abuses that even the prisoners at Abu Ghraib have not received.”

And what about the news media? Well I just wrote about Wesley Snipes and the media dealing with him. And this case?

“Black American men shot to death, in a style of overkill usually only found in action movies, minor news. Black man with contribution to the arts for decades, unburied for 2+ months, not important. African American wins a trial by using high priced lawyers and reasonable doubt, bad charges, and evidence planted by the police is unforgettable. Cute (dead) blonde gets daily coverage. An argument between celebrities, daily coverage. Offensive, demeaning comments by a celebrity against a religious or ethnic group, minor coverage. Defensive coverage of accused rapists, prior to a trial or Grand Jury, prior to any actual facts being found – daily coverage. As facts are found, huge recaps of the case, furthering the defense especially if anything leads to defending the accused. Coverage of a bank robbery by ‘cute teens’ huge coverage, the fact that the charges were lessened from federal offenses? 2 minutes.” [In fact there was a follow-up on the blonde bank robbers – they got probation and 1 year, the men of color involved in this non-violent crime got 10 years each. Coverage? About double the 2 minutes mentioned above.]

What about the legal system?

“There is no question that African Americans have long felt that the legal system in America is a failure when it comes to any person of color. We have long complained of higher conviction rates, less access to bails, and harsher penalties once convicted. That says nothing of the stigma attached to those paroled, falsely accused, or who win the judicial action.

There is the examples from the past of numerous lynchings, the eradication of Rosewood, and Jim Crow laws including segregation as recent as the mid- to late-70’s. But on more recent notes there are the examples of Rodney King, Sean Bell, OJ Simpson, Genarlow Wilson, and the Jena 6." [Add to that Wesley Snipes and his unfair and uncommon sentencing for misdemeanors.]

And yet when the facts are observed we find that

“So we get this realization, Whites committed 4,297,146 acts of violent crime against a single person, and 759,079 acts against multiple victims that were White. Including the 40,249 multiple Black victims we get a total of 5,096,474. Thus once we move away from percentages and look at real numbers we learn that Whites are far more likely to commit a crime of violence against anyone, especially other Whites.”

Yet given the preponderance of facts that Whites commit more violent crimes, against everyone, there has never been a White that has been murdered in a manner and/or without punisment as African American men face on a regular basis.

The media is negaitve, the legal system unbalanced, and the facts ignored. Is anyone surprised that the officers got off without a charge? Or that the judge in this case wouldn’t believe them? Or that, looking more broadly, a couple of 10 second clips of video is being accepted as Bible truth in an attempt to assault Senator Obama’s Presidential aspirations?

When you look at the larger picture the painting isn’t very good. If you’ve read this far I have to believe you can see the point and share my anger. You can see why African Americans laugh coldly when the concept of “fair and equal under the law” is brought up.

40+ years after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and so many others fighting for Civil Rights there is still the absensce of equality in the law and law enforcement. And some want to tell me ‘It’s in your head’ or that I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Looking at all this I think we can all understand when an American military veteran religious leader says “Godd**** America” or wonders if AIDS was another version of the Tuskegee Experiments.

There are a lot of problems in America, and many can be seen in how the media reports or fails to report (like the Megan Williamns case) the facts.

But now that you see what I have seen and followed what will you do? For those White Americans that read my posts I ask you, now that another layer of the wool that covered your eyes has been removed, how do you feel? What is your response? How will you help get things to change, even if this reality makes you uncomfortable?

Wesley Snipes unfairly sentanced to 3 years, Willie Nelson free

So I was wrong. Not by a lot, but wrong all the same. Wesley Snipes was sentenced today to 3 years of prison by a judge in Florida today. I had expected him to receive no jail time and probation.

“Mr. Snipes was found guilty of 3 counts of not filing a tax return. Those were misdemeanor counts. He was up for 16 years in prison, that pundits were sure he would be convicted for, and based on the misdemeanors he will almost assuredly spend no time in prison.”

Given that the various pundits were nearly demanding his incarceration I found it interesting that he was found innocent by a jury, and that it was not publicized. There was massive media in convicting Snipes before the trial ever started as I have written. Now that he has been unfairly penalized, the media is all over this in a manner they have avoided on the positive news of this case.

Mind you that before the sentancing many entertainers offered letters defending his character. Some of those included Denzel Washington, Woody Harrelson, and Judge Greg Mathis. At least in the case of Judge Mathis, the hope was not in obtaining leniency but in ensuring a fair sentancing. That obviously did not happen.

Unlike Willie Nelson who lost a case with the IRS, owing $32 million, and received no jail time or probation Snipes was placed in jail. This reminds me of the various cases where crack dealers receive severely harsher penalties while those convicted for cocaine receive lesser punishment. In these examples of what is known to occur commonly, we see that being Black virtually ensures the longest jail sentances.

Remember that in this case we have Snipes with no prior criminal record, this is a non-violent crime, it’s a misdemeanor, and he’s a celebrity (which usually helps). Add to that that the IRS paid Wesleyt Snipes a full $7 million dollar refund, and waited 5 years for the red flags to go up.

At what point is this not the Government picking on a Black man? They used tax loss even for years in which Snipes was acquitted of failing to file a return. And the fact is criminal tax prosecutions are relatively rare. The judge in this case wanted to make a point and hurt Mr. Snipes, not unlike the courts and juries that went after OJ Simpson after he too was found innocent. They just couldn’t let the African American man walk away when they knew (in their minds), and wanted him to be found guilty and suffer in jail. Again, if you think I am wrong just refer to Willie Nelson and his freedom though he was found guilty for $32 million.

And I have to ask, why must the media play up the negatives of this case. From day one they framed this, in 30 second soundbites, to enhance the presumed and pre-convicted guilt of Mr. Snipes. Similar in the way that 35 years of sermons of Rev. Wright were summarized into five 10 second polispeak soundbites to be used against him and Senator Obama.

The media seems to take great joy in promoting any image or story that presumes guilt of African Americans. Yet they are remiss in dealing with obvious events of Whites commiting atrocities and repugnant racial attacks. Just look at all the news coverage given to Megan Williams as compared to Bobbie Cutts or the manner in which the death of Sean Taylor was covered, or the brief coverage of Michael Richards, or the unabashed and unrelenting proclamation of innocence of the Duke Lacrosse team, or the 3 month long coverage of Anna Nicole Smith as opposed to the virtual fleeting coverage of James Brown’s death. And I can go on.

With this kind of media coverage, is there any question why Senator Obama gets such strong polling, and yet reflectively few White votes? Or that Wesley Snipes is now going to serve 3 years in jail for something a comparable White entertainer didn’t spend 5 minutes in jail for?

Hell, Paris Hilton had petitions and multiple pundits proclaiming she was unfairly sentenced – though she flaunted the law and was a menance to the lives of the public on roads. Yet I’ve heard only Judge Mathis on the news media saying the same thing (the sentancing) for Wesley Snipes.

What a world we live in. And what major media we have telling us about it. Keep your eyes open because the America they are selling us isn’t the Friends they want us to believe in, but a more colorful and diverse reality. Until they get a chance to spin the polispeak against us.

the approaching Sumer films of 2008

Ok, I need a break from the 100+ blogs I’ve set up for a client, and the house negotiations. So what am I going to do? Write more, on politics and of course entertainment.

Well one of the bigger things to focus on is the upcoming summer movie season. So far the movies of the year have been major letdowns. I mean there really has been nothing that stands out or was worthwhile. Superhero movie was a superflop. I’ve already forgotten Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Street Kings seems to not be silver screen kings or even a joker. Smart People equals a dumb movie, The Ruins was ruinous, 10,000 BC was before common sense, Never Back Down never stepped up, Jumper (as I had suspected) needed to go over a cliff, Semi-Pro was only semi-good, and Drillbit Taylor doesn’t deserve to be mentioned.

And that was most of the better films of the year to date.

Hollywood is really out of their minds. Obviously the only thing that can save this year has got to be hero movies; specifically comic book heroes or perhaps a few Kung Fu masters. So far one of the best movies of the year is the combination of Jet Li and Jackie Chan. I have yet to see this, but I will, so I will reserve my thoughts to this. No matter how good or bad the movie masses will see this film because of just those 2 international entertainment stars.

So what hope do we have left?

Iron Man. I’ve been hyping this a bit but I have no doubt it will live up to my expectations. The previews look great; the storyline is filled with drama and adventure (if they follow most of the Stane/Stark storyline). Robert Downey Jr. is a renowned actor as is Terrance Howard. It looks like there would need to be a lot of effort made to screw up the film.

The Incredible Hulk. Thank goodness they are redoing the story. Ang Lee really destroyed the story, and we can only hope this one is better. The Abomination is the central figure so lots of big destructive fights can be expected. Ed Norton is an extremely better actor. And the graphics of the CGI look superior as well. Even if it’s not a great film it should stand galaxies above the Ang Lee film.

Speed Racer. Likely a huge letdown. This is not really the film that fans of the original cartoon are looking for. Far too stylized and tripped out, it may make the post MTV generation feel warm and fuzzy, but the rest of us will just be ill. The actors don’t seem to be impressive, even though John Goodman and Susan Sarandon are huge names in the cast. Christina Ricci may get some teen boys going but that’s about it. I think the Wachowski brothers missed the mark this time.

Indiana Jones. He may be old but expect this to pack the crowds in. Harrison Ford is an entertainer that commands the big bucks, and has no need of money or more fame. Thus his presence lends credibility to the thought that this is not just another Hollywood sequel seeking quick cheap cash based on the series name. It won’t win Oscars, but it should fulfill its purpose of making you forget the travails of daily life for a couple of hours.

Hellboy 2. I want this to be a good film. Or at least as good as the first. But the odds are 50/50. Fans will find lots to dislike, and newcomers will enjoy the action. I need to see more to be sure.

Stepbrothers. Another Will Ferrell miss. But everything he does can’t be as good as Elf. Thus we had Ricky Bobby and now this film. But this time all the NASCAR fans will be at Speed Racer so I doubt the success.

Sex and the City. Or more aptly named sluts without lives. Sure to bring in women patrons in droves, it’s still a failure as a film. Just like the television show. I’d advise guys to just give their dates/wives the cash to see it and go play their Xbox in the meantime.

Get Smart. Another remake of a classic and funny television show from the past. Hopefully this will not be the atrocity that the Honeymooners remake was. But Hollywood execs are rife with greenlighting a film without ever paying attention to what made a show classic. Expect this to either be the equivalent of remakes like Charlie’s Angels (either film) and Dukes of Hazzard, or Star Trek (the better films). Remakes of television shows only go those 2 ways.

Batman the Dark Knight. I don't like Heath Ledger as the Joker. I think he misses the mark from what I have seen. Without doubt there will be a huge sympathy rush towards this film. That does not affect my thoughts on the previews I've seen. Every film series has its failure, and this will rank among the Batman's lesser appearances, no fault of Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Christian Bale.

Any film with Aston Kushner. Complete waste of time. He has no talent, and his films to date reflect this. Even his only successful role, on the 70’s Show, highlighted his inability to have any depth.

Such is the upcoming summer fare. A dearth of entertainment value. Most will fail miserably as they should. Several will test the concept that if you give people enough sand will they drink it like water. Perhaps one of these days we will have some Hollywood execs that actually believe in entertainment quality over the absolute bottom barrel cheapness of American Idol on film. But this is not that day or year.

The real effect of the mortgage crisis on a real person - Excerpt

This is an excerpt from a post of the same name found at VASS

Looking over the housing markets, and considering the negative sentiment out, I decided that this was a good time to purchase a new home. Rates are 5.875% fixed and many home prices are depressed currently. And I’m not alone in my decision to pick up some property. So I wanted to share my experience so far, and at the end of this post I have 2 questions for you my reader.

Many who have good to excellent credit ratings, and available cash are out looking for a new home or a first time buy. But don’t believe this is exactly a buyers market. Even in a dying economy that is the Binghamton New York experience, home prices have held firm if not risen up. In fact I would say that prices over the last 6 months have risen about $3,000 on median. Because many like myself are entering this troubled market. ...

Full post found at The real effect of the mortgage crisis on a real person

Radio & Television Correspondents' Association dinner w/ Dick Cheney serving jokes

Some people think that politicians and pundits that follow their actions have no sense of humor. At least no on purpose anyway. But that is far from true. And the proof was found at the Radio & Television Correspondents' Association dinner tonight.

There were several normally stolid speakers at the dinner, an event that occurs annually and gives the speakers a chance to pick back at the news media with humor and the occasional bite. Notable were the Vice President Dick Cheney and former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney was especially funny, poking most of his humor at his failed bid for the Republican nomination. Of course a certain Democratic Presidential hopeful didn’t escape comment either. You have to enjoy the self-deprecating humor.



Not to be outdone, though less funny was the Vice President. I especially like the quip his wife makes in reference to his being Darth Vader.



As for Mo Racca, he needs to stick with his day job. He is horrible as a comedian – at the least he was falling flat tonight.

So there you go. Our politicians and the pundits that follow them trying their best at stand-up for a night. Saturday Night Live has nothing to fear, and thankfully this occurs only once a year. If only the Democratic Presidential candidates’ proposals, and the Government’s Darfur stance, weren’t jokes as well. The very unfunny kind.

Reflecting on V for Vendetta and American politics

So I was sitting home responding to comments on the VASS blog site, when I ran into a comment to my post thanking the Marines, the Armed Forces, and veterans for all they have done for this nation. The comment was an attempt to mock my heartfelt thanks. My reply was direct and obviously in direct opposition. Then I watched V for Vendetta.

It seems a bit ironic that I would watch a movie about how wrong a Government can go immediately after defending a Government that some feel has gone wrong. But there is the issue. Of late there have been a horde of movies demanding that America realize that utter chaos is ruling the nation. According to some there are no freedoms left. Such was the comment made at the abovementioned post. Such is the fare of movies.

Yet the reality is far from this. In V for Vendetta we see a government that has used its own people for biological experimentation. A scary thought for a movie. Except when you consider that America has already done this. They were called the Tuskegee Experiments. And America did not fall.

In the movie similarities are drawn to the Nazi’s, and fanatical Islamist governments that persecute the unwanted parts of their societies. Not unlike the way America had legal lynchings until 1922 (after 7 years of trying to pass the law) and Jim Crow to replace slavery. And America has not fallen.

In the movie the media is used to manipulate how people think. Unlike the direct commentary in the silver screen; reality only has pictures in newspapers (like the photo in post-Katrina New Orleans showing a Black man with a bag in flood waters called a looter, but a White man with a similar bag in waters equally as high is called a survivor looking for food), or news programs that attack the death of an athlete (Sean Taylor – his murder was a discussion of his actions as a teen) versus the months-long sorrow for drug addicts (Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, Britney Spears – oops she’s still alive right? Well you get the point). And yet America lives on.

For all the fears and horrors that movies imply, state, or hint at America remains the greatest nation in the world. Year after year, for centuries we have seen people across the globe come to this nation by any means they can. The fact America has issues with people of color is not only known, it’s advertised in every medium we have – and still they come. And all the detractors stay.

Why?

Because we aren’t losing all our freedoms. That even if we had half the freedoms that exist now we still would be the freest nation in the world. That we have the greatest ability to allow virtually anyone, or their kids, to have a better life. Because we are more than rich in wealth, we are rich in freedom which has no price tag.

Now this is not to say there aren’t problems in bundles. I do not hide from the issues that need to be dealt with, nor do I accept the word of the Government as Gospel. There are reasons why some think that the Government killed its own people on 9/11 (and this is not about V for Vendetta), or that drugs and AIDS were shoved into the poorer, more racially diverse parts of cities across the country. But at the same time, the people still have power to change how the Government acts.

Fear, some say, it the motivation of the day. But I also see the other side. The fear being feed like a crack dealer via the major media stating not that a terrorist is under your bed, but that the Government is out of control.

We cannot allow ourselves to be blinded by fear – of fanatical religious groups that believe sex with children is ok (Texas), that killing abortionist is ok (Christian), that women have no rights or that suicide bombs make sense (Islam). All those fears are real, existing in this country and outside of it, but they cannot destroy us unless we allow them. In the same manner we cannot be drugged with the opiate of the masses (television, movies, the internet) when some choose to use it to tell us to fear the very thing we control.

If a movie like V for Vendetta tells us anything it is not that we have lost everything. We haven’t even though we have done everything that they fear we might. But if we get lulled by this fear we will be no better off, in fact worse off, than the reality that surrounds us.

I love my country. That why I vote, and promote others to do so. It’s why I cover the Presidential race. It’s why I point out the schism in the media. It’s why I defend what I think is right, and address what is wrong. And it’s why we cannot blindly fight against one fear to just accept another.

I want to leave you with a quote from that movie, apply it as you will

“What we need right now is a clear message to the people of this country. This message must be read in every newspaper, heard on every radio, seen on every television. This message must resound throughout the entire Interlink! I want this country to realize we stand on the edge of oblivion. I want every man woman and child to understand how close we are to chaos. I WANT EVERYONE, TO REMEMBER WHY THEY NEED US!”

2008 Olympic Games: What I hope to see

The 2008 Olympics. The once every 4 year event that circles the globe and features the greatest athletes in the world. The pinnacle of healthy fit human bodies. Supposedly representing the best of every nation, and with little polispeak of those nations.

But that’s not exactly true.

China is a prime example of that, and needs to be addressed before, and during this years games. China is a key supporter of the Sudan, and in this manner supporting the genocide of Darfur. China is the Sword of Damocles over Taiwan. China is the iron fist against Tibet. And while it’s not as commonly discussed as it has been in the past, for all the economic innovations made in the past decade, they are very communist.

On Wednesday many Americans got their first glimpse of the problems that China promotes. The students that crossed the Atlantic Ocean and our country to scale that bridge, at serious risk to themselves, made a statement. The protests, which were far more peaceful than similar events in England and France, got significant attention. But the major news media missed the big boat.

Well let me rephrase that, they missed the big boat of issues that I care about. While much was said of the protesters supporting Tibet, little was said about the other problems of China that have been ongoing for decades. Not to belittle the desire of the Tibetan people to be free. But I have yet to hear more than a polispeak soundbite discussing the continued efforts of China to encourage the Darfur genocide.

But it’s not because some with the major medias eye have not made statements. Stephen Spielberg quit as artistic advisor to the Olympics because of all the issues. French President Nicolas Sarkozy seems ready to boycott the Games. Last night Dennis Miller made perhaps the best statement and idea I have heard on the matter during his time on the Bill O’Reilly show – that every athlete, of every nation, appear at the opening ceremonies dressed like this



Some might say that a bit of clothing is just not enough. That this is not a strong enough statement. That more is required. I agree that more needs to be done. That Darfur needs to be ended, and those supporting the genocide punished in some manner.

“The Chinese have had their way over Tibet. They have openly intimidated those countries who want to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. And from their point of view, the Tibetans are an ungrateful bunch of peasants who have been dragged from the Dark Age of a Buddhist theocracy to the modern era of paved roads, city plumbing and light bulbs.”

Does that sound familiar? Does it remind you of the European desire to help the African people find civilization? Or the comments of some recently trying to justify the slavery of Africans in America and the current condition of Black Americans. Those kinds of thoughts and comments were not always unaccepted or considered the utterances of minds filled with compost. And even recent Olympics have been the stage for criticisms of American acceptance of those similar thoughts. Many of my readers may be too young to recall the international attention that this one scene created, deservedly so.



The Olympic Games are about the nations that host, as much as they are about the athletes that are competing. Nations are connected to the Games and each other. To accept the Olympic Games without calling attention to the murder of children and the subjugation of countries is an insult to what is on-going.

Thus I agree with Dennis Miller’s thought. I support his idea and add one minor point – every visitor to the Olympic Games’ opening ceremonies, including the political representatives of all the nations, should join the athletes in wearing the robes of the Tibetan monks. Such a display, viewed around the world, would shame China and hopefully be the cause of starting to address these horrible actions in a peaceful non-paranoid realistic manner.

Do you agree?

The most dangerous people in America Part 2 - 4.9.2008.1

This is a reply to a specific and series of comments found at Black & White Blog and The most dangerous people in America - 11.4.2007.1


Soldie,

First, my name is Michael Vass not dude. Please use that as after 40 years of life I think I am at least deserving of that if not the more polite and respectful Mr. Vass.

But to answer your comment, I did not isolate my initial post or comment above to only Columbine. As I stated and is a clear fact virtually every mass murder occurring in a school or college to date has been committed by a White young male. None have ever happened, or even been planned as is known, by African Americans or Hispanic/Latino Americans. And that is throughout the decade of time you wish to isolate my comments to, which I do not.

Thus while same race crimes may be more likely to cause harm or death to a Black male, which