Obvious facts in teen health study

Do you ever read an article, about some scientific study about this or that, and you just say to yourself – “Scientists are just so stupid. I knew that.”

Of course scientists aren’t stupid. But some of the studies they do have to make you wonder. Like a recent study on 20,000 young kids. The study sought to see how kids feel about surviving. Were they optimistic or not about living to 35, and what choices did they make based on that outlook.

Scientists are shocked that some 15% of those interviewed over 7 years believed they’d never live to 35. I’m shocked they didn’t realize how common a thought that was. I mean I was very sure that I probably wouldn’t make it past 25. And that’s considering I was a far better than average student, not into drugs, ghettofabulous did not exist, I never joined a gang, plus I was working since I was a young teen.

Today I can see even more reasons that a person of color in their late teens might think they won’t make it to 35. Gangs are worse, drugs are rampant across the nation, music videos and rap music directly state they should be violent, addicted, criminals. Fewer kids are getting the educations they deserve, and more sources in society are telling them to give up on higher learning. I mean there is a huge societal influence that says a person of color should only hope to be ghettofabulous. All of that is separate of the fact that if you are a criminal, or just a person of color, there are seriously great odds [comparatively] that a police officer will abuse and/or kill you.

"Nearly 25 percent of youth living in households that receive public assistance and more than 29 percent of American-Indian, 26 percent of African-American, 21 percent of Hispanic, and 15 percent of Asian youth reported believing they would die young—compared to just 10 percent of their Caucasian peers."

Is there any surprise then that this study came out and “revealed” the obvious thought among people of color that they won’t make it to 35. Personally I think the shock is that White kids are also feeling these same thoughts of impending death, most from the same sources as those for the kids of color.

Back when crack hit the streets in the 80’s, I recall the lack of concern by police and elected officials. No one was bothering to do anything about that drug or the addicts initially. Not until White kids started to get addicted and drop dead. A couple of elected officials kids got hooked, and overnight there was news of the epidemic of crack. Just about 5 years after the fact.

In a similar manner this report is the same thing to me. 20+ years ago I understood that the chances of me dying before 25 was 1 in 4. In fact about 25% of my friends from elementary school didn’t make it to 25. At that time 2 decades ago I understood that the chances of me going to jail were also about 1 in 4. Again, at least that many of the kids I grew up with were in or had been in jail. That was the reality in the Bronx, and a decent neighborhood of the Bronx.

Given the failures of elected officials and the campaigns to keep kids off of drugs – Nancy Regan saying no and a guy making breakfast vs. a criminal rapper on MTV surrounded by women, drugs, and money, guess which makes more of an impact to a teen – the growth of negative influences, and the promotion by the major media and entertainment industry of the “Ghettofabulous” and “Thug life”, I’m surprised the numbers are not worse.

If the scientists doing this study want to move things along, for a mere contribution to my site, I will give them my insight.

Change the music videos – no more mostly naked women jiggling, no more drug paraphinallia, no more violence. At least not until say 1 am.

Provide real funding to schools – no more books older than the students and teachers burnt out or incapable of teaching.

Ensure that when entertainers break the law they get convicted – No more multi-year delays, like R Kelly, or slaps on the wrist, like DMX and Snoop Dogg and so forth.

Convict corrupt police officers – Officers that kill innocent citizens need to get big press coverage and massive jailtime. Like ex-officer Johannes Merhserle who killed Oscar Grant – which the media has avoided like the plague.

Allow rap and hip hop to be more than the minstrel show – the genres were more diversified and positive when they started, but now are just cash cows of negative reinforcement

Actually spend money fighting drugs – it took 4 years for a crack house near my family members in the Bronx to be closed. Police rarely sweep known drug hangouts and locations (in my knowledge) daily. Major media rarely focuses on the death and destruction drug dealers are responsible for, instead highlighting the lifestyle and money. IE They talk about how much money and drugs were found, or the superficial material things a drug dealer may own, not that dealer X may have caused XXX people to die from drug overdoses and to live on the streets as prostitutes.

These are just a few ideas. But each is effective in its own way. Far more so than a study of the obvious or elected officials polispeak.

My Flow So Tight - a request that should be fulfilled

Speaking of music videos, have you seen the song by Jump Smokers? You may have some trouble with the name as the song (My Flow So Tight) was originally done with a group by the name of Smoke Jumpers. It's the same group, just that another group had the original name first.

Actually there is a big hubub about the name. The group in Texas with the original name finds the song - that is gaining attention internationally - and/or the mixup in names has caused

"their name has been hurt "in the minds of music listeners everywhere."

Right. Because absolutely everyone has heard of the Texas band. They need to get off the high horse and appreciate the fact that now someone knows who the hell they are.

But beyond all the minor squabbles of names is the song itself. I find it to be a perfect prose on the emotions that acts of brutality against women, and specifically this act against Rihanna, conjure. In fact I would enjoy someone acting on this songs request.



For those wondering about the wording, here are the lyrics:

My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
Chris Brown should get his ass kicked,
Chris Brown should get his ass kicked,
(kicked) x6
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
Chris Brown should get his ass kicked,

Ass kicked 5x

My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
Chris Brown should get his ass kicked,

Boy hits girl,
Boy should be taken down,
No matter whos around,
The more I searched yo the more I found,
That there's a curse to this last name brown,
Dude can dance and yo dude gets loose,
Dude should come clean and tell the truth,
All the money in the world but there's no excuse,
Career suicide yo heres the noose,

Boy hits girl,
Boy should be taken down,
No matter whos around,
The more I searched yo the more I found,
That there's a curse to this last name brown,
Dude can dance and yo dude gets loose,
Dude should come clean and tell the truth,
All the money in the world but there's no excuse,
Career suicide yo heres the noose,

(muffled)My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,(muffled)
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
Chris Brown should get his ass kicked,

Ass kicked x5

Boy hits girl,
Boy should be taken down,
No matter whos around,
The more I searched yo the more I found,
That there's a curse to this last name brown,
Dude can dance and yo dude gets loose,
Dude should come clean and tell the truth,
All the money in the world but there's no excuse,
Career suicide yo heres the noose,

Boy hits girl,
Boy should be taken down,
No matter whos around,
The more I searched yo the more I found,
That there's a curse to this last name brown,
Dude can dance and yo dude gets loose,
Dude should come clean and tell the truth,
All the money in the world but there's no excuse,
Career suicide yo heres the noose,

(muffled)My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,(muffled)
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
My flow so tight and the beats so sick,
Chris Brown should get his ass kicked.

This may not be the best song in the world, but the lyrics and mentality behind it deserves to get airplay. Unless we want to promote domestic violence as much as R Kelly has done for pedophiles with the fiasco that was his trial.

Michael Jackson is coming to Bel-Air - hide the children

There seems to be no end to the concerns for those in California. First there is the Oscar Grant shooting (murder). Now there is something perhaps equally as disturbing, Michael Jackson.

Jackson has returned to California, moving into Bel-Air. I'd advise any parents out there with young boys to be very afraid. Not that anything has been proven against Jackson. It's just that he is creepy as hell and there is a mountain of questions about him and what he does behind closed doors.

Still you have to wonder how he can afford this new home. Considering he lost Neverland Ranch - much to the dismay of R Kelly I would imagine - got sued by is Arabic friends, had to leave the Middle East rather suddenly, and will be auctioning off many of his possessions in the spring I am bewildered at where his money comes from.

The even greater question at hand though is where are his kids? Has anyone seen them, or even heard about them in years now? Given that Jako is super famous even among celebrities (or is it infamous now) and the fact that he is a bit of a wacko when it comes to his privacy, I am concerned. And if any aspect of the thought of Michael Jackson being a pedophile is correct, people really need to ask this.

Even is his new record album he is planning is better than every song ever made, that does not mean the public should not be concerned about his kids. And why has no one in the media asked how they are doing? Or the paparazzi not taken a picture of them? Come on, the paparazzi invade every celebrities privacy, snapping shot in the most inappropriate place without concern for family, children or occasion.

Yet they are showing civility to Jackson's rarely mentioned children?

And if I were a parent in Bel Air, and Jackson brought his kids over to play with my own kids, I'd have video cameras rolling every second that he was there. Just to be safe I wouldn't leave any of the kids alone. Because by now, Jackson's kids are at least as socially messed up as he is. And that's imagining the best scenario.

It makes me shake my head.

Michael Jackson sells, will R Kelly buy?

The party is over, and nothing says that more than the gates at Neverland Ranch being put up for auction. At least parents will not have to worry about their kids, or at least just a smidge less than before.

Auction you might ask? Yes, the former King of Pop, Michael Jackson has announced that he is having the yardsale of the year (perhaps decade). Over 2000 items will be up for grabs in 2009, including the gloved one's Billie Jean sparkling glove. And the whole thing will be shown on television, with bids accepted both in person and via phone. And to help with the garage sale, some unstated portion of the proceeds will go to MusiCares, a charitable organization that helps musicians in need. [And if I were a musician in need I still would not accept money from Jackson.] The real question though is if anyone will buy.

Besides the fact that 2009 will be a horrible year considering the reported plans of Democrats and President Obama for the economy, there is the fact that Michael Jackson is creepy. He may not be the most famous pedophile in the world, but he does a damn good job of looking like it. And that has hit his pocket.

At 50 years of age the crooner with a voice only eunuchs might emulate might be expected to continue enjoying his past fame and wealth. But it seems that he spent like a king and not an entertainer with bad publicity problems. Thus he has lost his ranch, had to settle a lawsuit, paid unknown amounts to parents of children that visited his private rooms, and who knows what lifestyle the kids he has live under.

Am I a fan of Jackson? Not really since the mid-80's. The absurdity that was his life, and then his maturation to pedophilia (allegedly) just ended it for me. And besides, why be a fan of his when his sister, Janet, is hot, talented, and far less damaged.

So I am not sad to see his possessions sold off to the highest bidder. Nor am I thrilled to learn that he plans to get back into the studio at some point and create another album. I think he will learn that times have changed. The public may accept a lot of things from entertainers - drug use, multiple jail sentences, divorces almost before the wedding, even a degree of bad parenting - but pedophilia is a line in every nation.

Still there is a silver lining in the cards for him. R Kelly hasn't had any records in some time, and he relatively recently beat a pedophilia charge (delayed some 5 years through lawyers). They could do a duet album, dedicated to all the children of the world. That line just creeped me out.

Neverland will never be again. R Kelly though should be up front and center at the auction, supporting his own. And that might just give the fans that don't care about what these apparently lecherous and vile men do to children something to smile about.

R Kelly - next stop Neverland Ranch

I have been following the news of the sudden death of Tim Russert when I was sent a message from a friend. R Kelly has skipped justice.

As many who have read my many political thoughts know, I am a political junkie. Tim Russert was a large figure in accurately reporting the political news. He was fair and grounded, and well researched. His loss makes a large difference in politics. My condolences to his family and friends.

As for the travesty of justice, R Kelly. I can’t say I’m amazed that the jury came out with their answer on a Friday and late in the day. Even if the news currently wasn’t filled with the shocking news of Mr. Russert, I think the R Kelly news would have still been buried.

The media knew this would be the outcome. The courts knew this was a set-up.

After delays for 6 years the defense finally allowed this case to come to court when they knew that the celebrity star power of this alleged pedophile would outshine the crime he was accused of. Obviously I feel this was a failure to punish someone that needed to be punished.

How do I know this was expected? How do I know that celebrity skewed justice? Well look at how Yahoo News reported this in their first sentence

“R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges Friday after less than a day of deliberations in his child pornography trial, ending a six-year ordeal for the R&B superstar.” [emphasis added by me]

His ordeal. Not the victim. He was attacked and don’t forget he is a superstar entertainer.

Pitiful.

Does the Black community know if R Kelly was guilty? Well here is one source that proclaimed what many, including myself, believed.



I again will say that I hope he loses all his money and never has another successful album or tour. It is only my opinion, but I feel R Kelly is a pedophile. I believe he is a troubled and sick individual. And I am bewildered that anyone continues to buy his music.

The jury felt I was wrong. After 6 years of delays, and practice to get their case figured out I’m not surprised. Give anyone 4 high-end lawyers and 6 years and you can get off of anything, even being videotaped violating the law and a child.

I’m not upset with the lawyers; they did their job and were paid well for it. How they sleep at night is their own issue. But I feel that the jury failed justice. And I have nothing else to say about it.

R Kelly waits for jury verdict

So what is going on in the R Kelly trial? If you were following the general media I’m sure you have no idea. I didn’t until I searched for the news.

For close to a decade nothing has been said so far. An initial blast of news, and then quiet. The quiet of lawyers shuffling papers and keeping R Kelly out of the courtroom or headlines. The strategy of the defense has been consistent and logical. Say nothing, do nothing, Delay to make sure the girl in question grows up enough to absolutely look nothing like the child in the video. Delay to allow the jurors and public to forget. Delay to give every excuse of doubt possible. Then show up in court and keep quiet.

R Kelly said nothing. He refused to speak in this trail. Yet 14 others spoke instead. They identified him as being in the video, 12 recognized the girl. And only Kelly’s lawyer had anything to say about it.

The prosecution connected the infamous video to the residence of Kelly. They provided a woman that testified under oath to have performed sex with R Kelly and the underage girl. 2 video experts testified that fabricating the tape was unlikely – without a decade of time – and how the male in question had the same mole on his body as R Kelly.

The defense has denied the mole connection with a video “expert” – a self-taught expert with about 1/10 the experience of the prosecution experts. They denied the videos look like, let alone finger, either the victim or Kelly. And the defense has proclaimed that everyone involved is in a conspiracy against R Kelly for his money and to damage his fame.

I left out one important thing. The girl who was the victim, allegedly, did not testify. She has denied being in the video. The defense says it’s because she wasn’t there and this wasn’t R Kelly. The prosecution says they don’t want to drag her thru more hardship. And I would say that the fact that R Kelly has employed her father for years since the event, the embarrassment, and the social stigma of being eternally remembered as the young “whore” (as described by the defense) in the video are all plenty of reasons not to show up in front of jurors and the paparazzi waiting on the court steps.

That is the nutshell summary of a case that has taken 6 years to get in front of jurors. Those are the positions of both sides. Some will decry the innocence of R Kelly. I am not one of them.

From his well documented social life and actions, his manipulation of the courtroom, and his employment of the alleged victim’s family I have an opinion. The jury is debating their answer now. Mine would be guilty.

Not only do I think that R Kelly is a repulsive child molester who needs to be jailed, I believe that every dollar he has earned since he committed this crime should be taken and used to help the public against pedophiles. Were it up to me, I would cut off every pedophiles balls and lock them up in a very small isolated room. Fame and entertainment ability is not an excuse or cover for their actions in my mind.
Some don’t care and support R Kelly because he is famous, or Black, or an entertainer of some skill. Others think he is innocent. Be that as it may, I am not swayed. But I am not on the jury.

It will be very interesting to see how the major media will react to the jury’s’ verdict, especially since they have avoided saying anything for 6 years. We will see.

R Kelly trial to start, or will it?

“5 years and counting. What might that refer to? Could it be the Iraq war? It could also be the amount of time since R Kelly was supposed to go to trial for the alleged rape of a minor…”

“Will R Kelly finally go to court and stand trial for his actions – and will the family of the girl that was raped still be working for him?”

I made those comments back in September 2007. Now in May 2008 with 2 days to go before the start of the trial, another delay looms, and the media still isn’t paying attention. I cannot describe how angy this makes me. A rumored and widely acknowledged pedophile is running around free and evading the law and the news media can’t be bothered.

The media makes me sick in cases like this. Wesley Snipes is an entertainer, and Black, so no time was wasted in painting him as a felony criminal – even after he was found innocent of all but the least significant charges. OJ Simpson can’t walk across the street without a news crew documenting it (as they virtually have for over a decade) – and he was found innocent. Rev. Wright had 35 years of religious service and work for the equality and imporvement of quality of life wiped out by five 10 second polispeak soundbites – and he wasn’t running for an elected position.

But when it comes to real crimes the major news media has it’s head stuck up it’s collective a**. The Jena 6 case was ignored for months. The Megan Williams case was granted all of 30 seconds and will never be uttered again. Sean Bell was discussed form the cops perspective, without ever mentioning the conflicts in their stories, and pushed to a corner as quickly as possible. Now the actions of 15 cops in Philadelphia is set to be accepted as merely a slight over reaction among a small group of officers – completely obfuscating the connection to and growing trend of excessive police brutality to people of color nearly exclusively.

And we can add R Kelly, a pedophile whos targets are near-pubescent girls. The daughters, neices, and sisters in the Black community that are supposed to be protected by the law and the community. Yet the news media can’t be bothered to know anything about this case, because Britney Spears cut her hair, Amy Winehouse is a crackhead that got arrested again, and Paris Hilton is a spoiled rich brat who was arrested for violating the law and is placed into entertainment events because she has too much money to offend.

Of course how can we blame the major news media. African Americans regularly support this vile and disgusting man every time he has a concert or makes a record. Grown women still swoon to his words and gyrations on music videos, actively ignoring the fact that were they standing in front of him naked he would prefer a clothed 13 year old next to them. What makes him any less dispicable than the Mormons in Texas?

And not a single complaint has come from the major news media about the judge’s running of the case.

“Vincent M. Gaughan, a Cook County circuit court judge… essential goal, according to one of his orders: "To preserve the dignity of the court and the integrity of the proceedings." That's an especially powerful, ironic argument, given widespread concern that Kelly is receiving preferential treatment because of his celebrity status.”

The media has been consistent in complaining that Black entertainers get treated preferentially by the legal system. They point to OJ, Wesley Snipes (who was sentanced beyond any parity according to all experts in such matters), and numerous rappers like Snoop Dogg. Yet they can’t seem to be able to see R Kelly or the fact they are giving him a pass that is underserved or justified. And many African Americans laud this as a positive.

Of course R Kelly hasn’t been taking this vacation from the law lightly. He’s used the time to lay low, keeping out of the direct spotlight – letting potential jurors only know about his records and not his deeds. He’s employed the father of his victim, paying cash to keep his a** out of jail and possibly buying testimonies in the process (isn’t that called inciting perjury – and a crime in itself?).

I once quoted

“As Huey states in one episode, [I paraphrase]
“America has done a multitude of injustice to Blacks, but that does not mean everything is an injustice, or that this makes every African American a hero.”

The fact that R Kelly can sing a song, is Black, and entertainer and has some money does not make him a hero. The fact that video tape proves he is a pedophile does make him a criminal and in need of imprisonment in my view. And the news media ignoring this case makes the injustice to African Americans no less palpable than when the media ignored Jena, Megan Williams, Sean Bell, or ignored the innocence of Wesley Snipes.

The major news media has a position and it seems to be clear. It could be said as:

• If a Black is popular and well off – find something to take them down. Crush their lives if possible. (Stories on Michael Jordan gambling on golf games, stories claiming Tiger Woods' wife was in a porno, searching for infidelities in Bill Cosby’s life or others, and so on).
  
  
• If they are guilty, or even suspected of a crime against a White, convict them at every turn (Wesley Snipes, OJ Simpson, and on).
  
  
• If they are committing, or suspected of, a crime against themselves or African Americans. Spin it as positive as possible. Publicize it as often as possible. And if it has no positive edge, ignore it. (R Kelly, Snoop Dogg and more)
  
  
• If they are the victim of a crime – only if commited by a White – ignore it. If it can’t be ignored then blame the African American and support the White (Duke rape case, Megan Williams) but never allow guilt to be a fact.
  
  
• And for any other case not covered, just look for the most negative portrayal of any person of color as possible, or avoid the issue. (How many Amber Alerts have you seen on the news for Black children? How about in the past year?)
  

So I have to wonder if R Kelly will ever get into a courtroom. Or if the media will cover it if he does. Or is the victim in the case (who is now 23 and thus won’t look as obviously a victim as she would have 5+ years ago) going to have her short past used as a weapon against her.

What would you bet?

The honesty only the Boondocks provides - 10.16.2007.1

I just love the Boondocks cartoon on Adult Swim. The honesty that is contained in that is more than what is seen in a dozen programs throughout all television right now. Live action could never get away with the obvious facts one half hour of this program provides.

From the R. Kelly trial (which in real life has waited 5 years and still has yet to occur), to pimps, Oprah and Dr. Martin Luther King there is a direct honesty that would cause an uproar in another format. In the caricatures of the lead and recurring characters we get to see multiple aspects of Black Americans. That’s a diversity that is only approached by combining characters from the Shield, CSI, Eureka, Blade: the series and Mind of Mencia all into one program. It’s also interesting to note that that’s almost all the leading and major supporting African American characters on television (combining cable and broadcast) at this time.

I don’t know what is more alarming. That the Boondocks is not the most watched program by African Americans, that BET (Black Entertainment Television) was incapable of securing this program themselves, or that my allusion that the diversity in this program exceeds virtually all other programs with African Americans combined is almost accurate. And yet so few see the program while that most don’t get it.

Often social commentary is best stated in formats that are seen as the least confrontational. That’s why, when done by the best performers like Mr. Richard Pryor or Mr. Lenny Bruce, the greatest impact occurs without the direct confrontation a discussion often brings.

As Huey states in one episode, [I paraphrase]

“America has done a multitude of injustice to Blacks, but that does not mean everything is an injustice, or that this makes every African American a hero.”

R Kelly is not a hero, OJ is culpable, and Dr. Martin Luther King would be appalled with the state of the Black community today. It may seem funny when a cartoon character says it, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s the truth. And it’s a shame the greatest honesty and diversity can only occur in an animated program in the year 2007.

Counting 5 years plus Part 2 - 9.10.2007.2

Continued from Counting 5 years plus Part 1 ...

But as for African Americans and Iraq. I have heard many say, this is not our war. That this is merely a war over oil, and something only the rich are concerned about. Some have said it’s a battle against other Black people and they will not support it. Yet I have never heard the media discuss this.

If this is a sentiment held by many African Americans then it needs to be addressed. Issues that separate America do not go away without being brought to the light and dealt with. The fact that only Dennis Kucinich is willing to support, and even speak about, reparations and or a national apology for Slavery should be example enough.

I will take a stab at this though. Iraq is not Bush’s war, its America’s. Al Queada attacked America. While some (Rosie O’Donnell) may not believe fire can melt steel, I and steel workers understand that it can thus when the Twin Towers were attacked it was an attack against me and you. Perhaps if more of the people questioning this fact were in NYC and had friends that were there they might realize this. Being Americans that are Black, which means they were attacking us too.

Across the world, African Americans are seen as Americans first, color second. That’s not a guess, it’s what I have lived. So when Al Quida says they want to destroy us, they mean everyone that does not believe their fanatical brand of Islam. So we are as involved in this war as anyone. Another thought to keep in mind. Many Africans do not see Black Americans as being the same as them. We are Americans, not Africans. Some may feel Al Quida is Black, but this is not a reciprocal thought. Moreso, they wish us dead not because of race, but because of religion. Even if they might agree on color (which the German men - arrested prior to attacking Americans in Germany – were white to my knowledge but were of the same fanatical faith) faith trumps all. So for those it applies to, don’t fool yourself that an agent of Al Queada would spare Harlem any more than Wall Street.

As for oil, I’ll grant it was probably one reason among many. Just as freeing slaves was one cause of the Civil War – though probably 5th on the list no matter how time has romanticized the facts and improved its importance. Is that a bad thing? No. America uses a lot of oil. There is no difference in race when it comes to electricity to run the lights, computers or gas for the cars. All Americans use oil, and more of it available is good for America, until we find a separate energy source. To claim that oil is of no benefit to any group in the nation is a lie. It may not be the best reason, but the reality is that it is a reason all the same.

So what will happen in the next 5 years? Will we still be fighting the Iraq War? Will Michael Vick be just getting out of jail, or returning to the NFL? Will R Kelly finally go to court and stand trial for his actions – and will the family of the girl that was raped still be working for him? Will Wesley Snipes have cleared his name and proven the government’s claims false? Will there finally be coverage of issues and events that African Americans find important, or just the spotty headline grabbing tidbits that fall far short of real journalism? Or will the major news media still be chasing and incised by OJ Simpson.

Counting 5 years plus - 9.10.2007.1

5 years and counting. What might that refer to? Could it be the Iraq war? It could also be the amount of time since R Kelly was supposed to go to trial for the alleged rape of a minor. It might be the amount of time that Michael Vick will be facing for his crimes.

Now hear is the tough question. Of those 3, which is the most prevalent in the media when discussing African Americans? The correct answer is OJ Simpson of course. But the second answer would be Michael Vick.

Whether it’s about how much time he will serve or if he will be allowed to re-enter football, it’s the main topic of discussion. I can’t imagine what might be worse.

Well that’s not true. The major news media could be focusing even more on the every move and comment made by OJ Simpson. Given that he has consistently given the major news media, actually tabloid fodder by definition yet covered as if it were major news, more than enough to discuss over the years. Still it’s a waste of time and space.

But where is the news on R Kelly? Why is there no seeming concern about his actions? There is a self-proclaimed pedophile being kicked out of Seattle and California (now living in Oregon at last report) yet an accused pedophile continues to go through his daily routine without a whisper of news on his case. Something is very wrong with that.

It’s similar to the news on Mr. Wesley Snipes. Huge announcements by the government on his indictment, while he is in a foreign country and cannot respond. Big media coverage, framed to look like a spontaneous move by law enforcement though it was an agreed upon surrender to law agents, and multiple legally neutral but implicitly accusatory statements were made then nothing. No word on his claims the charges are false. No word on his fight against, what I see as, trumped up charges. Nothing on the nature of the charges that sound as incredulous as the manner in which they were applied.

But when it comes to the war, the only commentary is what Senator Obama feels about how quickly we should end the war, and that we shouldn’t be there in the first place. Let me note something.

We shouldn’t have been in Iraq for the reasons we went there for. I was not convinced by the claims of WMD’s. There was no question that Saddam was a bad man, doing horrendous things to his people. There is no question that as far back as during the Presidency of Clinton, America was actively taking military action against that nation. Given that, it doesn’t matter.

Anger over why we started the war will not end it. Displeasure with President Bush will not alleviate the repercussions of the war. Pointing the finger of blame may make some feel better at night, but it does not factually improve anything and creates a means for some to gain political clout on the cheap by pandering to this emotional response. Why the war started has less to do with anything besides a stumping point for politicians.

Continued in part 2...

Isaiah Washington makes me think Part 2 - 6.29.2007.2

Continued from Isaiah Washington makes me think Part 1...

As for Mr. Richards,
he and Mr. Seinfeld tried to explain how this was meant to be humor. It was just ‘a response to being heckled.’ The news media, which only picked up the story due to the proliferation of a YouTube video of the event, 3 days after the fact, dropped the story in a couple of days. No mention on this has happened since about a week after the event. Mr. Richards also went for counseling, and apologized to several of the patrons at the Laugh Factory that night. There may have also been a cash settlement, but that was never confirmed or followed by the media to my knowledge. [If you know tell me]

In both these cases we see that the media made a big deal and then quickly dropped the story. Both men had huge entertainers stand up for them when the news broke. Neither man had ties to a television or movie studio at the time [Mr. Gibson’s movie was independent and self-owned]. Mr. Gibson seems to have fully recovered. Mr. Richards abilities are unknown.

So is Mr. Washington correct? Well I do have to mention that Mr. Michael Jackson has continued his career since allegations of child molestation. Then again, that is quite different in nature of what happened, and some claim Mr. Jackson may be near bankruptcy. Still there is no question that he has mostly survived the negative media attention. Not that his career is not filled with negative media.

There is also R. Kelly.
5 years after being accused of raping a minor on video tape, his case has yet to see the light of a courtroom. The widely distributed tape is barely ever mentioned anymore, and the father of the victim reportedly now works for R Kelly. He has made record albums and comparatively toned down music videos since, and the media today barely whispers about the case.

Yet I have never heard of the kind of forgiveness that Mr. Gibson or others have received. When comparing apples to apples, as best as can be done, the similarities end. The volume of acts committed by the entertainers and celebrities that the media takes a soft hand to is numerous. The number that this treatment reaches, that are minorities of any type are few.

Mr. Washington seems to not have gotten a fair shake, compared to other entertainers of similar stature and nature. I mean there was a lot said about Ms. Angelina Jolie, before she started traveling and working to improve the lives of children. But even Newsweek had to mention that Mr. Washington is building a school in Sierra Leone. Mr. Washington claims to have been donating to homeless shelters, and working to improve the lives of the downtrodden for many years. Like many African American, and Hispanic/Latino American entertainers and celebrities, like Mr. Chris Gardner of whom the movie Pursuit of Happyness is based, little of these actions has ever been mentioned.

Forgiving Mr. Isaiah Washington for his comments is a personal decision. Whether anyone thinks his comments were vile, crude or ignorant is not my point. But I do wonder why it seems quite apparent that the media seems ready to crucify entertainers and celebrities of color when something that is questionable is done, yet when blatant criminal acts are done by other entertainers [like taking drugs, driving without a liscence, drunk driving, ect] they turn the other cheek repeatedly.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Paris Hilton home free - 6.7.2007.1

I cannot believe the penal system in California. I know that the legal system is flawed, at the least. It’s no question that the poor, African Americans, Latinos and Hispanics, and celebrities or entertainers all receive treatment that is completely different from each other. This has never been more apparent, and insulting, than in the treatment of Ms. Paris Hilton.

African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos are very familiar with the skewed judicial system in America. It starts from interactions with police officers [not all officers but more than a handful are more than willing to use excessive force and assume guilt without provocation] and it just gets worse from there. The Rodney King beating, the Sean Bell murder, the Amidu Diallo incident are all just a few examples of what happens far too frequently on a daily basis throughout the nation.

Then the court system takes its turn. Routinely Black Americans, and many other minorities and the poor to a somewhat similar degree, receive guilty verdicts far in excess of the average for any other group. The comparison of similar charges have shown for decades in multiple studies that Black Americans are convicted far more readily than other racial groups. Statistically this is beyond just chance, the bias is acknowledged on a governmental level. The sentencing of African Americans exceeds those convicted of similar crimes by a decade on average, to my knowledge. [If there is a lawyer or researcher that can provide a more definitive answer, please contact me with that information.]


This is bad enough, but then we often see celebrities and entertainers that get to have the same charges as the average American, but they receive a slap on the wrist. R. Kelly has delayed his trial for sex with a minor for 5 years, Snoop Dogg was not allowed to travel to England because of the fight he had in an airport, multiple rappers, musicians, and actors get to avoid jail, repeatedly, for drug convictions by going to rehab facilities. Various celebrities and entertainers of all types in the entertainment industry have been given the least harsh treatment by the law that we could not. Just think of what happened to R. Kelly, Mr. Sean Penn, Mr. Christian Slater, Mr. Tom Sizemore, Snoop Dogg, DMX, Mr. Bobby Brown and his estranged wife Whitney Houston, Mr. Mel Gibson, Mr. Charlie Sheen, Sir Paul McCartney, Ms. Michelle Rodriguez, and so many others it would be a post of its own.

But then there is Paris Hilton. Given that this silver-spoon trust-fund inept woman only qualifies for this list as she is famous for being clueless and exceedingly rich. Even so, she was convicted and sentenced to 45 days in jail. Maybe the jail sentence wasn’t fair, but I know if I were sentenced to go to jail for 45 days, my family couldn’t get an opportunity to meet the governor to get me pardoned. Political pressure could not be applied in my benefit. Hell would sooner freeze over than I would be released to home confinement. Especially if I only served roughly 3 days of the full sentence.

Continued in part 2 ...