Happy Veteran’s Day!

Today, there will be no ranting on this blog. No social criticism. No political analysis. Just a simple word of thanks. Thank you to all the men and women of the past and present who wear/have worn the uniform. From the troops planted in foxholes to the dude peeling potatoes on ship, thank you all for your service.

We tend to use the term “hero” so much that’s been watered down immensely. But if there ever was a such thing as a hero, you’re it.

- ACL

The War Rages On

The House of Representatives made a partial fool out of me when they were able to pass a health care reform bill this weekend. With a vote of 220 yea v. 215 nay, the bill passed by the narrowest of margins. But it’s on to the Senate, nonetheless. After watching health-care reform fall flat on its face during the first part of the Clinton era, seeing something like this represents history of a certain kind. I highly doubt this legislation is viable enough to get the 60 votes its needs in the Senate, but I think it still spells at least a modicum of success in a highly unpopular and ineffecient Congress.

I have to admit: Nancy Pelosi – though a failure by most standards - showed she can be a pretty smark cookie when it comes to getting things passed. Allowing the Stupak Ammendment to weave its way into the bill, Speaker Pelosi gave pro-lifers the ultimate in a quip pro quo; enough, at least, to satisfy the moderate Democrats in the House. But evidenced by the single yea vote coming from the Republican side, it’s going to take a lot more to appease the Senate. 

For this reason, I’m not particularly excited right now. Harry Reid is not as popular as Nancy Pelosi (which isn’t saying much for Pelosi, who as Speaker is about as unpopular as any of her predecessors), and he isn’t nearly as crafty when it comes to appealing to his opposition. So getting a two-thirds majority when Pelosi was only able to get a smidge over half of her folks is a stretch.

Winning a battle is one thing. Winning the war is another story altogether.

- ACL

The Price of Homophobia

So I was watching football on campus the other day (I still don’t have cable, so I get my TV entertainment on a college campus of all places. Pray for me, y’all), when I heard about Kansas City Chief running back Larry Johnson hurling gay slurs about his coach, and then posting them on his Twitter. Things got worse for Johnson when he – while engaging in a verbal spat with a fan - retorted “think bout a clever diss then that wit ur fag pic. Christopher street boy. Is what us east coast cats call u.” [My translation: Think about a (more) clever diss than that (whatever "that" is), with that fag picture of yours. Folks like us on the East Coast call people like you "Christopher Street boys."]. I later learned that the Christopher Street boy line is slur to homosexual men who frequent bars and clubs on the famous Christopher Street in Manhattan.

The league subsequently fined Johnson $213 g’s for his comment.  Regardless to how you feel about the gay agenda in this country, I think this was a little excessive; especially considering all the other mess which happens in the world in and out of the sports. But one thing is certain: I’m not shedding any tears for Larry Johnson. Maybe this will be a learning experience for him.

Lesson one: Contray to beliefs, cheap shots at socially marginalized groups are not so cheap after all. Lesson learned, dawg.

Lesson Two: Users of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, blogs, and the hoards of other social networking out there, get it through your heads that what you post can (and, in many circumstances, will) come back to bite you. Even if you have profiles set for privacy, people who subscribe to your site(s) can still disseminate your stuff and carry your message with or without your knowledge. To this day, I still can’t understand how so many people – celebs or regular joes alike - are unable to come to terms with that. Ben Franklin once said the only way for three people to keep a secret is if two of them are dead. Same rule applies to social networking. If a person can see your stuff on their screen, you’re setting yourself up for disaster. Is it REALLY so hard to understand?!

Lesson Three:  Interestingly, the Stonewall Inn riot on Christopher Street was one of the pivitol moments propeling the gay rights movement. It was only when a bunch of gay people sick of being harassed made a conscious decision to stand up for themselves and fight an oppressive system. Meanwhile, the only time you see most athletes and entertainers collectively standing up for anything is when it involves their already inflated salaries or when it comes to rallying behind known rapists. I admit I’m not completely down the homosexual agenda (with gay marriage in particular. But then again, I’m generally anti-relationship all across the board, so consider the source), but it takes far more courage and nobility to be an anti-oppression activist on Christopher Street than it does to organize a strike because the NFL is only paying you a $5 million salary when you think you deserve $5.5 million. Simply put, being gay and being a weak punk are not interchangable. So, sorry Larry: that was a bad analogy dude.

J Smooth, as always,  puts it best:

- ACL

Give Us This Day

- ACL

A White Smokescreen

People, look. If we want to use President Obama’s election as a measurement of racial progress in this country (which I admit is pretty laughable at this point of the game. Birther movement, anybody?), this has to cut both ways.

Simply put, if a white student wins a Homecoming crown at an HBCU, so be it:

Cultural history will be made tonight in a college town in southern Virginia when a lissome 22-year-old student in a tiara hosts a car show and singing contest modelled on American Idol. Nikole Churchill will look good, and on the evidence of the past few days will handle the microphone with aplomb.

However, she will have to be ready for hecklers. She is the first non-black Homecoming Queen in her university’s history and not everyone is happy that she won the title. Her victory this month triggered a beauty pageant walkout and veiled accusations of black racism from the aggrieved new Miss Hampton University. She also wrote a long public letter to President Obama, saying: “I feel as though you could relate to my situation.”

And some people are NOT happy.

From what I’ve read, much of the criticism stems from the fact that Ms. Churchill is a student at a satellite campus of Hampton U. That would certainly provide just cause in opposing Ms. Churchill’s win. Personally, I have never fully subscribed to the belief that students at satellite campuses should be affored equal opportunities in certain areas as those on a main campus. Students on satellite campuses are often the beneficiaries of lower tuition, more financial support, and lower admissions standards. So any expectation for a student at a satellite campus to be on par with the student on that institution’s main school (whether it’s for student football tickets, diplomas, or – yes – homecoming crowns) is farcical on its face. Eligibility for said opportunities from a college need to start and end with the student’s enrollment status at that college. On that, I would agree with the anybody not supportive of Churchill’s victory.

But to address the people who are making this about race – and I KNOW there are some out there – get over it. In a climate where we consistently witness attempts to de-legitimize our current President based on racist ideology (what’s up, Orly?!), how bad would it look it we did the same thing in this situation? Before I get people aroused unnecessarily, I certainly don’t think that most criticism of Obama – or, in this smaller case, Churchill – is primarily motivated by racism. But to dismiss the role of any racism is to display delusion of the worse kind. This notion applies to anybody; whether it’s a black man leading the free world or if it’s a white student winning an award at a predominately black college.

I suppose I should give Hampton University some credit. While I generally think pageants like this aren’t worth the cheap plastic tiara the queen gets to wear, I do think sending a message of diversity and multi-racial inclusion is always a good look; especially for HBCU’s. It’s just unfortunate the judges decided on a person who makes a suitable target for opposition; if for no other reason but because of where she is actually taking classes. Sadly, that justification – much like questions about a certain President’s citizenship status – allows opponents to conceal the real source of their antagonism. That’s where the real problem lies.

What say you?

- ACL

Paranormal Politics

Halloween will never be the same without George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. When they were in office, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Number One Observatory Circle were the scariest haunted houses in the world.

- ACL

South Caro-lie-na

Random and pointless thought of the day: maybe Joe Wilson should change his famous line from “You lie!” to “You lie…down with strippers in cemetaries and mistresses in Argetina.” Inspired, no doubt, by his colleagues in South Carolina.

Just a thought.

- ACL