Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Obama! Obama! Obama!

Many of my conservative friends are surprised to find out that I am supporting Obama! I do like and admire Alan Keyes. In my opinion the race is one of two men that I greatly admire.

However, Obama is the candidate I am supporting. Here is a snippet of an article from Africana.com



OBAMA'S POST-BLACK POLITICS: The Republican Party's selection of Maryland-native Alan Keyes to run for Illinois' open U.S. Senate seat is historic news, writes Africana.com's Siddhartha Mitter, but no media outlet has picked up on the real meat of the story: the generational change. If Illinois voters elect state Sen. Barack Obama, who enjoys an overwhelming lead in the polls, he will be the youngest U.S. Senator and one of the first from outside the Baby Boom. Keyes, 54, is of the old school. Growing up during the civil-rights movement, the conservative Republican's ideology -- "the bootstrappism that opposes affirmative action, the explicit religiosity that denies the separation of church and state" -- harks back to Booker T. Washington, Mitter argues. At 43, Obama came of age during the Reagan administration, developing his political beliefs during a time of deep economic inequalities and the abandonment of inner cities, Mitter says. The son of a black African father and a white Kansan mother, Obama represents "a new generation ascending to power, among whom racial mixing (black, white, other) is increasingly common; a generation of shades of brown." It's a sort of post-identity politics that takes more than race in consideration. The concept is a work in progress, but as Mitter writes, "Its emergence on the national scene is long overdue."

Friday, August 20, 2004

New York Sun
August 17, 2003
A Look Inside CORE
ALICIA COLON acolon@nysun.com The headquarters of the Congress of Racial Equality, located on 12th Street and Broadway, looks like a typical nonprofit organization, or at least what one should look like. There is no fancy furniture in the waiting area or expensive artwork on the wall. Instead, simple bulletin boards list upcoming events and the office is a beehive of activity with workers walking in and out of the multiple offices, carrying faxes and other paperwork.The sound of phones ringing is muted but constant. Friday was a hot and humid day and I was caught in a rain shower before my scheduled meeting with the Roy Innis, the chairman of CORE, and Niger Innis, his son and CORE’s national spokesman. The low-rent, casual environment was a blessing for this bedraggled writer waiting to meet two of New York City’s most respected members of the black community. Last month the headlines in most of the mainstream press declared, “Bush snubs the NAACP convention.” The resultant ballyhoo was a delight to Senator Kerry’s campaign.Mr.Kerry admonished President Bush for his snub, saying,“When you are president, you need to talk to all the people.” One would almost think the NAACP was the only conduit to the black community. CORE has always had easy access to Mr. Bush, but its notable achievements do not get the recognition it deserves. CORE has a network of local affiliates and chapters across America,parts of Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean. Roy Innis has led delegations to monitor elections in Nigeria and was very involved in the 2000 peace talks between the Arab government leaders and the African rebels in the Sudan. Roy Innis, who recently met with Mr.Bush in Washington,said,“The president is very much engaged in what is happening in the Sudan.” CORE is essentially a nonpartisan organization. Roy Innis is a registered Democrat who ran against David Dinkins in the 1993 primary. Many of CORE’s programs center on assisting the neediest in communities regardless of race. Project Independence is a unique “welfare to work” job-training program. Its “Fear to Freedom “program offers an immigration crisis and counseling center. CORE also assists the victims and witnesses of violent crime and helps ex-offenders become productive citizens. Niger Innis said, “The majority of the black community supports school vouchers, opposes gay marriage, and has strong religious and family values. Those concerns are best being addressed at this moment by the Republicans.” In an essay for Afrocentric News, Earl Ofari Hutchinson, author of “ Crisis in Black and Black,” wrote: “The sad truth is that blacks have narrowed their political options down to essentially one: the Democratic Party.The result: many black leaders have cradled even more cozily into the Democratic Party and pared their demands down to more party appointments and political offices. Some black leaders have become even more mainstream and less responsive to the neediest, and most dispossessed in black communities.” I asked Niger Innis to explain the main difference between the NAACP and CORE. He answered, “Sadly, the NAACP leadership is serving the interests of its sponsors rather than the interests of black people, and that is a disservice to the country. I happen to be a registered Republican, but I would never let my partisan interests come before the interests of the black community.” Niger Innis also noted that many NAACP chapters he visits throughout the country surprisingly do not share the same views of the national organization. With the GOP convention coming to New York, CORE is making sure the black community has the eye and ear of the Republicans. It has invited the Republican convention delegates to a gala reception August 29 remembering historic Civil Rights milestones — the 1964 assassination of civil rights workers Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner; the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education. It will be held at the Museum of the City Of New York. Two days later, CORE will co-sponsor a special function for Republican dignitaries at Gotham Hall, where Ronald Reagan’s son, Michael Reagan, will be the host. As the national spokesman for CORE, Niger Innis is a familiar face on the TV screen and is frequently asked to comment on current issues. He blames the hip-hop culture for promoting the worst manifestations of the black community as acceptable behavior. While debating rap mogul Russell Simmons on the “American Black Forum” program, he issued him a challenge to argue the merits, if any, of hiphop while also promoting a voter registration drive for youth. Mr. Simmons has declined the offer. Frequently, Hispanics and blacks who espouse conservative values are denigrated as puppets of the white man. We are called “oreos” or “coconuts” by those who believe those values are the exclusive property of whites. Niger Innis has had that insult hurled at him, but it’s the least of his worries. “What I fear…the trepidation I feel, is that we are returning to the segregated society of the ’40s. We are voluntarily separating ourselves into isolated little groups of race, religion and gender. ”

Monday, August 16, 2004

Blogger Be Ware! Not too long ago, in the early spring I remember getting an email from a good friend who worked for an elected official. The email read:
Be careful what you blog on the net. People do read. Poor Sen Dewine. Some girl has been blogging all day at the office, talking about sex with men. It is going to be a long day at Sen. Dewine's office.
Now I do assume that people whom aren't friends or internet acquaintances read my blog? Of course not. Much like young unsuspecting Jessica Cutler. I blog for myself and a few friends. I don't suspect that everyone is reading my blog. Of course, I don't blog about my sex life. I most certainly would not be reporting on my exploits. I relate to Jessica. I can remember the college years, when discussing size, stamina, and other intimate details of your sex life with your girlfriends was cool. My girlfriends and I grew out of that quickly around senior year. As a woman I do feel for young Jessica. She was bragging to her friends. Receiving $400 per tryst from a wealthy Georgetown lawyer. She was young, sexy, hip and cool. What an exciting life she was living!!!! (I hope she has taken an AIDS test.) Of course she only made $20,000 per year. Who could live on so little money??? Well the #1 article on the Washington Post's most read articles is none other than little Jessica Cutler's article about her experiences. She has signed a six figure book deal and posed for Playboy. Not bad for a 20 something that was bored and blogged about her life to her friends. Since it was easier to tell all of them at the same time, as opposed to tellinhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54736-2004Aug10.html?nav=most_emailedg the same story over and over. I wonder if Jessica has heard about email, there is a great tool on email known simple as cc:?????? Enough fun for one day! Here is the link:

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Alan Keyes? Carpetbagger or Saviour of the IL Republican Party?

Alan, Alan, Alan, Alan.

Let me state for the record, that I am a supporter of Alan Keyes. That I approve of the many good things he has done in the name of African Americans.

Many of us listened to Alan when he accused Hillary Clinton of being a "carpet bagger". The democratic party is going to run sound bites of his bashing of Hillary on commercials.

Many African Americans around the country are supporting Obama and his run for the White House. Democrat, Independent and Republican. Obama represents many facets of the African American experience in the United States.

He has been embraced by the people as a hero to challenge the negative perceptions and myths that surround African American in the United States.

Now...I understand and empathize with Alan for what he is trying to do. However, I must voice my criticsm for decision to run in Senate race. However, I am proud to see two African American males running for US Senate. The symbolism of this historic race is to vast to measure.