Well, At Least We're Reading....

A couple of days ago, my wife, a friend, and I wandered into a Borders Books, looking for some literary entertainment. My wife and her friend wandered into the Japanese Manga section, while I browsed the SF/Fantasy shelves. My wife picked up a title and let me know that she was sitting in a corner to read what she grabbed.

After a bit, I went to where she was just to see how she was doing and lavish a random ODA (Open Display of Affection) upon her person. BTW, guys you should try that sometime with the woman you are with...it does make a difference in your relationship.

To continue, I sat down and after talking a bit, I looked around at the shelves in the area where we sat. It was labeled "African American Literature."
While I saw the occasional "Toni Morrison," "Maya Angelou," or "Eric Michael Dyson" title on the shelves, and sprinklings of what I call "Oprah titles," the vast majority of them were examples of the category that I am going to label "female-oriented urban erotica."

There are many authors that typically publish in this genre including Zane (she's the leading author in this particular genre), and even rapper 50 Cent. I mentioned this to my wife and she commented that she saw a lot of her girls (she's a teacher) reading those books.

I decided to do a bit of research on this to see what was happening. I checked The African American Literature Book Club's website (http://books.aalbc.com) and checked their lists for the best sellers. Zane had eight out of twenty of the top twenty African American fiction titles sold in 2007. Nearly all the other remaining novels on the "top twenty" fiction of last year were "female-oriented urban erotica" novels that mirrored her work (other authors included Nikki Turner, Tanika Lynch, and the number ten slot was held by Maya Angelou).

Now with that being said, while some of Zane's heroines are either African American women with healthy, if somewhat outgoing sexual appetites, or women overcoming tragic dramatic situations, the other women portrayed in a lot of the books I have seen from other authors have these women in some very questionable situations. The titles out there say it all; "A Hustler's Wife," "Sheisty (and Sheisty II)," "Bitch" and "Whore," just to name a few. Furthermore, all of these books are pretty steamy fare and the women who write these books always have their women involved with thugs, hustlers, and gangsters.

I am genuinely concerned about the state of African American fiction because of these trends demonstrated by these titles. According to the AALBC's website, the only African American literature that African Americans are reading are non-fiction, or "urban erotica."

Strangely enough, I personally have no qualms with erotica in of itself. If I ever had the chance to meet Zane, I would congratulate and encourage her for working to teach African American women not to be afraid of their sexuality and to acknowledge their desires and feelings in that light.

My concern for the vast popularity of the "female-oriented urban erotica" genre can be summed up in this simple question:

Is this all that we as African Americans can write or read?

The women are eating these books up like candy and "thug fantasies" aside, while I am pleased to see our people reading as a pastime, and in of itself, I am doubly pleased to see them reading erotica in vast amounts, I have to ask myself where this is going to lead our collective literary identity?
I'm not saying that "female-oriented urban erotica" should not be published; nor am I saying that we should not read it. All that I am saying is that we should not limit ourselves to it as nearly the sole fictional genre consumed by our demographic. The book associations that cater to African Americans should do something to encourage the publication and promotion other forms of literature in conjunction with "urban erotica." Let this genre be a gateway to allow other forms of African American fiction to gain the popularity that this genre has enjoyed in the last few years.

No witty remarks to open today.

Just plain and simple; we need to wake the hell up. Our country is slowly becoming a fascist state and our rights are being slowly eroded. Everyday, there are more and more cases where our children (and adults) are being harassed, tortured, and killed by the people who are supposed to protect them; the police.

- Why is Mychal Bell still in jail in Jena, LA?

- Why was a MIT student arrested in Boston for wearing a circuit-board shirt?

- Why was Michael Righi exonerated after being falsely arrested by the Brooklyn, OH, only after being "advised" to sign an agreement not to pursue a suit against the city for the false arrest?

- A University of Florida student was wrestled and tasered by police after asking John Kerry why he conceded the 2004 Presidential Election to (not my) President Bush, when according to records and documents, he won the election.

-Why did it take six squad cars worth of police to subdue Roger Holyfield in Jerseyville, MO; only to have tasered him to death?

_ Why is it that Rockford, IL police have passed a law allowing them to seize a person's automobile for noise pollution, based upon hearsay evidence?

This is just a sampling from things that I picked up randomly off of the net.

Things have gotten out of control and we have to do something about it. We have to stand up and act against these criminal abuses of authority.

But there are a lot of people who are willing to stand idly by and let these these things go unpunished. Those people deserve whatever they get...but why should I suffer for their masochist tendencies?

Write your congressman and nip this nonsense in the bud.

I'm done. If I have to write more than this, then this is all wasted.

G'dnight, all!

So, what is the true face of terror in the African-American community?

I find myself asking this question after reading an article on the Boston Globe website. You can find the article here.

We as African Americans have struggled for many years to try and improve our situation within the structure of America. I, myself have worked to try and uplift many young people and I suppose that I'll spend the rest of my life in that endeavor.
However, in my many years of life, I have found that our own ignorance has done more to tear ourselves down and to help those who wish to bring us low, than anything or anyone has ever done. Between the emotional degradation of our women, the social emasculation of our intelligent men, and the terrorism of our elderly, it is a miracle and a testament to our durability that we have lasted this long. To quote Marvin Gaye from "Inner City Blues," "Oh, make me wanna holler and throw up both my hands...."
I'm sure that I am not the first to have spoken on this subject, but the way I figure, if enough voices cry out about a problem, eventually it will be dealt with. At least, that is what I hope.

But to move on with this essay, Jeff Jacoby's article basically discusses the statistical truth that African Americans do more harm to ourselves than any other ethnic group. More African Americans are killed by other African Americans, than by any other ethnic group. That is an inarguable fact; put me on blast if you want to, but the numbers cannot lie.
What Jacoby does not discuss are the myriad reasons for this ugly truth. Forgive the comparison, but if you put a bunch of rats in a pen and expose them to socially harmful stimuli in an unforgiving environment, there will be "rat on rat violence" and statistically, more rats will be killed by other rats, than by rat poison or cats.
African Americans have been placed in an unforgiving environment and are constantly exposed to harmful stimuli. I could carry on about the inequity of the situation, but I do not have to. Just travel in any major city and look for yourself. However, the facts of this situation speak for themselves.

However, the solution to this problem is very simple in concept, but difficult to implement. We have to step forward and take back our community. We have to be willing to do what it takes in order to bring ourselves back from ruin.
We have to be brave enough to stand up to the thugs and pushers who sell poison and enlist our children as their foot soldiers in their useless turf wars. Gang violence and drug culture are not the iconic pastimes we want for our kids. Did any of you want your children to grow up to become hustlers and players?
We have to be tough enough to take responsibility for the actions of our family members and be willing to hold our children responsible for their actions; especially their wrongdoing. When the teacher calls you about your child acting up at school, you have to be willing to hear what he or she has to say and not be so quick to dismiss it. We have to be willing to participate in our children's education and lives.
We have to be concerned enough to take back control of our media and media focused upon us. African American music is more than hip hop and our performers are more than rappers. The images that our children see in the media are what mold and shape them in their daily lives. If all they see are gangstas on TV, then what will they emulate in order to find success in living in real life?

We have to be willing to stand up and fight for our future and how we wish to be seen by the world. In fact, I am driven to remember a quote from cartoon artist, Walt Kelly, the creator of "Pogo the Possum." Kelly's strip often imparted gems of wisdom and wit, masked by the seemingly innocent guise of a comic strip. To continue, a particular quote from that famous comic comes to mind when I think of what is happening with the national African American community. In fact, those of us who are willing to stand up and fight for our way of life should take this as our motto:

"Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blasts on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Why American Retailers Believe You All Are Thieves

Before I get on with posting, let me ask a simple question; when you leave a store after shopping, and the security guard at the door asks to see your receipt and check your bag, do you comply with his or her request?

Well, the answer to that question leads up to today's subject. Two cases have made the net about this very thing. The two retailers in question regarding this issue are Tiger Direct and Circuit City. In each case, the situation arose when store security performed what is known as an "exit bag check." This retail theft (or shoplifting) control procedure is becoming more and more common in stores across the country. The idea is that a guard is placed at the physical exit of the store and he or she asks (or in some cases, demands) the exiting customer to present their receipt of purchase and their shopping bag to be examined by the guard.

Before I state my thoughts on this item, allow me to post the text of Illinois state law in regards to the "presumption of retail theft." According to the Illinois Criminal Code of 1961, this is stated as follows:

720 ILCS 5/16A 4) (from Ch. 38, par. 16A 4)

Sec. 16A 4. Presumptions.
If any person:

(a) conceals upon his or her person or among his or her belongings, unpurchased merchandise displayed, held, stored or offered for sale in a retail mercantile establishment; and

(b) removes that merchandise beyond the last known station for receiving payments for that merchandise in that retail mercantile establishment such person shall be presumed to have possessed, carried away or transferred such merchandise with the intention of retaining it or with the intention of depriving the merchant permanently of the possession, use or benefit of such merchandise without paying the full retail value of such merchandise. (Source: P.A. 80 352.)

Now, with that being said and according to the above text, the management, the store security guard, or any other duly appointed employee of the store, are required to have a more than reasonable suspicion of the first part and according to the second part, they have to witness you having walked past the cash register and toward the exit of the store to be able to act upon that suspicion.

So, if we assume the above is true and at this point, our assumption is based upon a logical interpretation of the above legal text, then by asking you to inspect your bags and check your receipt, any store in the state of Illinois that institutes such a policy is by definition of state law, convinced that you, the customer are potentially guilty of retail theft and only by your presenting your receipt and bag, you are therefore proving yourself innocent of said crime.

Welcome to Police State USA.

One of the individuals in the above mentioned cases, Michael Righi has posted his encounter in his blog.

(http://newsite.michaelrighi.com/2007/09/01/arrested-at-circuit-city/#comments)

Now, the link that I just posted will lead you to his article, but also will contain the comments that were posted by his readers. Furthermore, you can find links to the article on reddit.com and other sites.

Righi declined compliance with a Brooklyn, OH Circuit City's request to perform an exit bag check, while he was out with his family. The altercation eventually resulted in his being arrested for failure to comply with a police officer's (which by the way, Righi called, not the store) request to present his identification at the scene of the incident. Righi was booked, released on bond and is being charged with "obstruction of justice" by refusing to provide his identification, even though he openly gave the officer his name and identified himself as the person who called the officer to the scene. Righi is fighting the charge and plans on bringing unlawful arrest charges against the Brooklyn, OH PD and civil charges against the Circuit City store for his ordeal.

What I find amazing and disturbing about the commentary to Mr. Righi's case is the number of posters who castigate and condemn him for his stance. In both cases, Righi refused by right to be labeled as a potential criminal and was punished for it. While a majority of people applauded Righi for his dedication to his rights and principles, many people made comments like:

"Quite simply, if you don’t like the idea of having your purchases checked before you leave a store, don’t shop there. For a store such as Circuit City, they face a high level of shoplifting as hi-tch items are in demand and carry high prices. If you would prefer to shop at an alternative establishment that does not have any sort of shoplifting prevention thus leading to higher rates of theft, then by all means do so. The loss of the store will be passed on to you the consumer in the form of higher prices."

or:

"He’s going to waste a lot of time and money on a something stupid. As a tax payer I hope they throw his ass in jail for a week or two."

As for the first comment, I am glad to see that the person who made that comment is willing to sell his civil rights for lower retail prices, and as for the person who posted the second comment, well...I hope that he remembers that when he's stuck with a "quota" parking or traffic ticket that he did not deserve. I mean really, he'll be wasting a lot of time and money trying to clear his driving record on "something stupid."

Most likely, I'll be rescuing the first guy from the internment camps when they go up, and I'll be saying the last rites for the second guy after he has been shot as a collaborator when the revolution comes.

The other case came from my own backyard, in Naperville, IL.

(http://consumerist.com/consumer/civil-rights/tigerdirect-unlawfully-restrains-and-verbally-abuses-customer-for-not-submitting-to-receipt+showing-demands-292688.php)

Shaneal Manek went to the local Tiger Direct outlet and upon refusing an exit bag check, was harassed and detained by Tiger Direct employees and a contracted security guard. Like Righi, Manek called the police, and informed them that he was being unlawfully detained. Upon hearing the situation, the officer informed the Tiger Direct manager that they could not detain Manek. However, when Manek demanded redress for the illegal detention, the attending officer refused and stated that he should seek redress via the State's Attorney office. Furthermore, Manek attempted to contact Securitas, the contract firm that employed the security guard involved in the incident, with no results.

Since then, according to The Consumerist, Tiger Direct has offered Manek an apology, though it was a "tongue-in-cheek" one, at best. When questions regarding the situation were put to the Tiger Direct executive speaking for the company, he subsequently accused Manek of "...trying to bait the store after being detained a week prior for also refusing to show a receipt." They also claim that Manek was told not to return to the store, if he did not want to adhere to store policy by a Naperville, IL police officer.

Again, in the comments section of the page, for every couple of posters who decry what Manek went through, there one who felt that he should have just complied and "saved himself the trouble."

AMERICA, WAKE UP AND SEE WHAT IS BEING DONE TO YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RIGHTS AS CITIZENS!

As a child, I stole a $0.03 "Jolly Rancher" candy from a corner store. My mother found out about it and beat my behind until it was blacker than I was. I never stole again and I still remember that whipping as a 43-year old. Most of you probably had similar experiences, so as such, guess what; you did not grow up to become a thief. Most Americans are "law-abiding" citizens. There are nothing wrong with laws in a well-informed society. When applied properly, they act as guidelines to prevent other people from violating your rights; the right to own property, the right to collect legally-earned wealth, the right to spend said wealth on legal pursuits, and others.

What most Americans forget is that those rights were earned by those before them who had the responsibility to be willing to fight for them. Most people, like those people who posted negatively against Mr. Righi's situation, at best, only see "RIGHTS" not "rights." I have news for those people; there cannot be "RIGHTS" without "rights." If they take away the little rights, they in turn erode the foundations that the big rights rest upon.

What these stores are doing is wrong. They are ignoring your rights to make their job easier. I read a reason (spelled e.x.c.u.s.e.) that this technique is meant to help catch cashiers who aid in theft by allowing their friends to take extra items out of the store past their register inside of a shopping bag. Fine- NOT! That is not my problem, nor should it be yours as an honest American consumer.

"You have to stand for something, or else you'll fall for anything."

This next part is specifically for any retail store managers or chain executives who happen to see this blog.

There is a very popular and very true adage in business; "to make money, you have to be willing to spend money." Stores that practice exit bag checks need to remember that fact. Instead of insulting and harassing your customers as they leave the store with this high-handed, low-brow policy, spend a little more to hire more security guards, put in a few more cameras, train all of your employees in loss prevention observation techniques. Using these draconian methods for loss prevention are only giving informed consumers that you do not want their business.

As a retailer you need to check yourself and realize the following things:

It is not my fault as an American customer that you are afraid that you may have hired a thief. If you are that worried then perhaps you should use more stringent procedures to screen your potential cashiers.

It is not my fault as an American customer that your store has been robbed before. By following this policy, you are telling me that you feel that the average American consumer is a criminal and they are only waiting for the opportunity to steal from you. If you do not trust your consumers, then why should we trust you, the retailer. How do we know that you are not out to cheat us? Think about the message you are putting out to your customers.

It is not my fault as an American customer that your management does not engender honesty and loyalty from your employees. While a higher paycheck is a sure way to inform an employee that they are valued, there are other ways and means to make your staff feel appreciated and worthwhile as a member of your business. You should work to discover them. If an employee feels that they are valued and trusted, then they often will work hard to help you guard what is yours, because they will also feel some ownership and responsibility for your business/team.

To quote the late President Richard M. Nixon; "I am not a crook." You have no right to treat I or any American consumer as such. Does the phrase "innocent until proven guilty" mean anything to you? Just asking....

And just in case you were wondering, I do not even have to ask the question. This is most certainly a case of dementia...we as a country are suffering from many of the symptoms:

• Failure to carry out ADLs (everyday tasks) without (government) assistance like, driving, raising our kids, choosing which books and movies we want to see, and more. According to many people, we need more and more help (from the government) to just make it through the day.
• An inability to stand up (for ourselves) without help.
• Experiencing delusions and seeing things and a general failure of awareness of what is going on around us.

Whatever are we going to do?

In the words of Charlie Murphy; "We've got to do better...."

And to answer the first question I started this post with; I'm going to do some serious thinking as to whether I will comply from here on out or not. Before hearing about those cases, I did, simply because as an African American male, I am already considered 90% criminal by American standards.

At my local theater, I always comply with the security there when they ask to check my bag (I normally carry my diabetes supplies with me wherever I go), as I have nothing to hide and less law-abiding patrons have carried handguns (which are illegal to possess according to Chicago law) into the theater in the past. The security there are also off-duty Chicago police, so it pays not to give them a hard time.

Here's another question; under the above standards in my post, is it unethical for the theater management to ask their patrons to submit to a bag search before entering their establishment?

I already have an answer to that one, but I would like to see what you think.

Take care and be aware, America!

It's been awhile since I've posted here. A lot has changed in my life, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. It's not that I expected the world to change in the time since I lasted posted in this blog, but one can hope....

Something that I am finding rather disturbing is the fact that the concept of "pride in one's heritage" is often intermingled with the tenets of racism. There is no crime in being proud of your ancestry. I am very proud of my African American heritage and those people in my family who came before me. I have a friend who is an Irish-American male. He is fiercely proud of his Irish heritage. I have another friend who is of Mexican descent. He too, is proud of his people. No African-American (or anyone else) that I know of has ever had a problem with a "white man" being proud of being "white."

But before I go any further, allow me to elaborate on a point of social anthropology; there are no "white" Americans. Almost every"so-called" white American can trace their ancestry back to the European country that their ancestors emigrated from in the past. So, every "white American" in the country is a Swiss American, British American, Irish American, Spanish American, Italian American, French American, German American, Dutch American, Polish American, etc.... To the members of any European-American variant that I may have missed in this, I ask your forgiveness in advance.

Let's remember something; America as a country is just over 230 years old. The Mayflower expedition is nearly 400 years old. Before that, we had Columbus, Vespucci, and Erickson who came over here to explore. The only true Americans were the migratory peoples who made it over here first from Asia/Africa via the Bering Strait; and their descendants, of course. The rest of us are just chumped-up squatters with delusions of manifest destiny...except for the African Americans, because most of our ancestors didn't have a choice in the matter.

As a matter of fact, African Americans are the only people in this country who might have more than a little trouble tracing their heritage. Between the information lost on the crossing and further info lost from slavery records, solid facts about a given person's African descent can be sketchy at times. The most accurate sources are historical insurance records, bills of lading from import/export companies, written historical accounts, and the more traditional methods of family record keeping (family bibles, stories passed from one generation to the next). However, most of that info only takes us so far; to the last slave owner before emancipation.

In fact based upon the above points, technically there are no "African Americans" either. Colloquial knowledge never looks at Africa in the same way that people look at Europe. People often forget that Africa is a collection of independent countries. With that in mind, there are Nigerian American, Zaire-Americans, Kenyan-Americans, and so forth. However, because of the loss of the records as to the location of the various villages and cities where the slaves were taken from, we use "African American" as a "catch-all" term for our people.

Now going back to our original topic; nobody is trying to disenfranchise "white America," despite what these "white supremacist" groups are saying. However, when African Americans or other American citizens of color try to speak up and stand up for what should be their birthright by being born here or granted full citizenship, we are trying to "further the Black agenda" or denying the birthright of "white children."

By the way, and one might think that I'm betraying a trust, I am going to reveal the "Black agenda." Do you know what African Americans want? Do you want to know the goal of the "Black agenda?"All that African Americans want in the USA are freedoms granted to every other American. We want wealth, land, and a prosperous future for our children. Nowhere in that is a desire to "screw over white America."

I repeat; nobody wants to deny "White America" their right to be proud of their heritage. What these "so-called defenders of the 'white' way of life" fail to understand is that most of the "logic" behind their thinking would insure their "pride" only at the expense of every other non-white group's pride in their people.

They usually try to justify their hate by claiming that they are hated in turn. It is a very vicious circle of flawed logic. I'm not claiming that there are not any racist African American people. There are some of us who are just as sick as their white counterparts.

Yeah, I said sick. Racism is a sickness and should be labeled in the same category as other mental illnesses. This is an illness using fears of cultural diversification and miscegenation as a tool to keep us from understanding that we all share this world and we need to learn to get along with each other. The worse part of this is that this sickness is contagious. Older victims often infect their young with this malady; often at an early age.

Now, look at this short film on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo1LPf9mnyU

If you listen to the insults being thrown at the workers, you will find that the vast majority of them are racially focused. Just for the record, this is in my hometown, Chicago. And do you want to know the funniest thing? If you asked any of them if they were racist, they would vehemently deny it to the end.

Go figure.

American Banality pt. 2: More Grist For The Mill....

• A 61 year-old gynecologist was arrested for molesting a female minor. I guess that some people don't get sick of seeing it day after day....
• Records have shown that 911 operators in Chatanooga TN, have been neglecting thousands of calls while on break. People should have known better than to have an emergency during coffee break...they could have waited 15 more minutes.
• Hydie Sumner, financial consultant for Merrill-Lynch was just awarded $2.2M from a gender discrimination suit against the firm, because she was not invited to go on business outings to a strip club. The words that should have come to mind are "equal representation." If they had invited her to go to the strip joint and dropped her off at the "Sugar Shack" if she declined, this case probably would not have ever gone to court....
• According to an intercepted "bluetooth email," John Green, executive producer of ABC's Good Morning America Weekend, was recorded as saying that President Bush "makes (me) sick." This was in reference to Bush's repeated usage of the phrase "mixed messages." Mr. Green...President Bush makes nearly everybody sick about something that he has done during his administration. You are lucky to have lasted this long...shame that you probably won't last much longer. Ask Dave Lenihan, formerly with KTRS St. Louis about that one....
• Los Angeles' Bellflower Hospital is cited for dumping a 63 year-old patient off on Skid Row wearing only a hospital gown and slippers. Kaiser Permanente management has "apologized" for the incident. American healthcare at its finest, eh?
• Actor Randy Quaid is suing the producers of "Brokeback Mountain" for fraud and misrepresentation. When Quaid was brough on the project, it was sold to him as "an art-house film with little chance of making any money." "Brokeback Mountain," besides being nominated for an Academy Award, has so far, grossed more than $160M in box office receipts. Randy...who's the fool here? Director Ang Lee+controversial story+gay issues+(prettyboy actors x 2 [Gyllenhaal & Ledger])=BIG-FCUKIN-BUCKS!!! You've been in the business way too long not to have seen this one coming...around the "mountain."
• In the UK, ex prostitute Tatiana Edwards née Plotnikova has been convicted of murdering her husband, Gwyn Edwards upon discovering that he wasn't a millionaire. DUH! A hooker is accustomed to a certain amount of upkeep. Did you miss "The Boondocks" episode "Guess Hoe's Coming To Dinner?" She didn't kill the poor man...it was "A Pimp Named Slickback!"
• NASA scientist says that Bush administrators are censoring or blocking any attempts by NASA scientists to convey any warnings about global warming...what? Did you expect me to say something after that one?
• Bush announces that he has no intention of pulling out of Iraq during his term. I know a certain President whose father should have "pulled out." If he had, we wouldn't be in this mess....
• Alabama lawmakers debate on bill that would pardon Rosa Parks and all other civil rights activists who were arrested and prosecuted during the movement...activists who were protesting against a violation of federal law. Yeah. Thanks. Really. Nearly 50 years after the fact. Better late than never, I guess. Bitches.
• And last, but not least...last Friday (03/17) actress Jessica Simpson declines an offer to meet President Bush at a fund-raiser. I was not happy with her being cast in the role of Daisy Duke in "the Dukes of Hazzard" remake, but after reading this, I'm ready to forgive and forget. Jessica can dance for me in skimpy shorts anytime she wants now, after dissing Dubya!

That's enough media nonsense for this time. The above is all true, but you can accept how I reported it as Dementia or Dynamism. Of course, the choice is yours....

American Banality on Tap!

Let's see...what's been on the menu lately:

• Immigrants are about to be criminalized and kicked out the USA and all everybody can talk about is who got kicked off of American Idol.
• Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" but our President's lips lie all the time.
• Issac Hayes quits South Park citing "religious intolerance" from a show that introduced itself to the world by staging a "Street Fighter 2" style fight between Santa Claus and Jesus Christ.
• The author of "Brokeback Mountain" blasts the Motion Picture Academy, citing bigotry, "homophobia," and "intolerance" as the reason that "Crash" won best motion picture.
• Civil rights activist and former mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young in bed, doing the jiga-boo with WalMart.
• The company that scores the SATs are having trouble with their "math."
• Carey Kelly claims that his brother Robert "R." Kelly has more than a few skeletons "Trapped in the Closet."
• St. Louis radio DJ Dave Lenihan was fired on the spot for an "accidental racial slur" using the word "coon" in reference to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. She's no coon...an "aunt Tomisina" perhaps but not a coon.
• Not content to already maintain a stranglehold on pharmaceutical developments, American drug companies attempt to gain patent control over the principles of naturally-occuring chemical processes. Soon, your kid won't be able to grow that culture in science class without paying somebody royalties....
• Debra LaFave and another male student, 14 years old; both got off again...just goes to prove that attractive crazy women can and will have sex with anyone they want and the judicial system will let them. Don't believe me? Ask Toni Woods about that. Woods was convicted after admitting to having had sexual relations with four boys, all under the age of 16. She also cited clinical depression, and testified that she was having trouble with her medication. The judge sentenced her to 20 years.

Debra Lafave



Toni Woods

So, there you have it. Am I crazy? You be the judge. This is either a case of Dementia or an example of Dynamism....

America; What Happened to Personal Responsibility?

In case you've been paying attention to other things, please let me inform you that your rights as a cable television customer, and more importantly, a free American, are about to be threatened. Once again, those self-righteous idiots who want to tell you what is good and proper for you, are on the warpath. Led by Dubya's torch and pitchfork carrying, broadcast nazi, Kevin J. Martin (current commissioner of the FCC), they are on a crusade to force cable televison stations to get the "filth" off of pay TV.

Uhh...what part of "pay TV" don't you morons get? What happened to the freedom to make your own choices? Doesn't anyone get that they are disgusing fascism as morality and censorship as conscience. Nobody begrudged the concept that there had to be more stringent standards for broadcast television. Thus the beauty of subscriber-based television came to light. It was up to you, the consumer, to decide what you wanted to watch.

Martin and his tele-nazis want to change that. They want to exercise their desire to limit, restrict, and censor anything that any American chooses to view. Whether you want to view it or not. Martin is rallying support among far-right christian activist groups and other censorship-supportive watchdog groups to force the subscriber-based media outlets to crack down on questionable (in their eyes) content.

Just for the record and to establish what kind of fascist we are dealing with here, when Martin spoke in front the senate committee on Commerce, Science and Transporation, last month on this subject, he was quoted as saying in response to a question about his statement:

"I think the industry needs to do more to address parents' concerns," Martin said. "You can always turn the television off and … block the channels you don't want. But why should you have to?"

He says that subscriber media outlets do not offer a more defined divsion in their packaging and they should break up the available packages to offer more "family friendly" grouping for concerned parents.

Okay, Commissioner Martin; why should they have to? Nearly all cable and satellite programming providers give the consumer access to block access any channels that they find offensive or not in their children's best interests. Furthermore, any individual can tailor their personal choices as to tune only the channels they wish to view. In addition, the "V-Chip" has been available in American TVs for years. However, all of these methods for regulating what appears on your TV have one thing in common; they all require an initiative by the consumer to get up off of their lazy asses and set up the system for themselves.

But again, Commissioner Martin asks, "But why should you have to?"

Thus the title of this particular post; Personal Responsibility.

Say it with me.

But then again, these are the same breed of mentally stunted and closed-minded people who would rather ban video games with violent content, rather than follow the ESRB's already established guidelines for content and just tell their overly-spoiled children, "No, you can't have that video game because you're too young to play it."

This reminds me of an incident some years ago. I was at my local video store, looking for something that my wife and I could watch for a long holiday weekend. While scanning the shelves, I saw a kid pick up a copy of "Cool World" and hand it to his mom, saying that he wanted to see that. The mother just casually added it to the pile of movies that she was picking up for her family, and moved on.

I walked up to the woman and said; "You don't want to let your son see that movie."
She looked at me as if I had three heads and asked me what I was talking about. I continued, "That movie is not for children. While there is animation in it, it is not a kids film. In fact, it is a rather adult movie."
She still gave me that "deer in the headlights" look.
"It's just a cartoon. He'll be fine."
Surburban ignorance knows no bounds. As she seemed at least a bit older than I was, I tried again.
Ma'am, do you remember "Fritz the Cat?"
"Oh. Ohhhh...Tommy, you can't watch this one. I'll get you another one."
Tommy began to throw the biggest temper tantrum in the world. She quickly went to the anime isle and picked up another choice film; "Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend."

It was a long day, but she finally got the picture.

American parents are slowly being weaned from the task of controlling their own reality. More and more people are becoming too willing to allow the government to dictate what they see, read, watch, eat, and more. We are becoming cattle...easily led, guided, fed, watered, and eventually, slaughtered.

Our personal freedoms are being eroded and the FCC's move to force their decency standards on cable and satellite televison is the first step.

But then again, I could be crazy. This could be a product of Dementia or Dynamism. Unlike the FCC, I am willing to let the choice be yours.