Keeping It Right

Keeping It Right is for thought provoking conversationist. It's for those who love to talk about today's issues, yesterday's history and tomorrow's future.

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Location: Texas, United States

Thursday, July 26, 2007

I Need To Express Myself!

I NEED TO EXPRESS MYSELF

You know lately, I've been holding out on my observations in regard to the world of sports, social issues involving blacks and hidden racism, prejudices or what have you. I'm tired. Lately I've been shutting out one of my favorite sports talk shows for a different perspective. A different shade of takes that in my opinion...doesn't suck. It's been hard and damn upsetting reading and seeing the faces of America's most hated. A few years ago, it was OJ and while I truly do understand the disdain and outright disqust for the man. It was him that started America's hatred and ventriole against athletes. It seems like if an athlete does something unpopular, it's open season for white America to expose their own prejudices or perfect their hidden ones. And that's why I have shut out The Jim Rome Show. Oh, I have no problem with the host and his takes on sports. I like his opinion and I respect his point of view. But that's it. I take Rome and other sports talk host with a grain of salt. Unfortunately, it seems like his listeners can't. Rome receives thousands upon thousands of e-mails, calls that leave the lucky clone on the phone for sometimes the duration of the show. And most of them are filled with disdain and hatred for someone like Barry Bonds for instance. Every since Bonds, broke the single season home run record and got close to Babe Ruth's all time record. He has been the face of "steroids" based off pure allegation that he's done more than the cream. Bonds is black. Jason Giambi on the other hand, has admitted to doing steroids, and he's just a mention. Giambi is white. Everyday Rome and his callers remark on the size of Barry's head, suggest that Bonds has done more than Giambi and other players. And it's with an excuse that Bonds is an ass hole because he doesn't "fetch and step" in front of the cameras and microphones. Barry doesn't give interviews, at least good ones, and he's not going to be smiling from ear to ear giving cotton candy interviews or he's not breaking down crying cause he just realized that he grew up in a middle class family, God son of one of baseballs favorites and greatest, Willie Mays and oh yeah! He's a rich mutha with game! No Barry is what he is. And he's penalized for keeping it real.....to himself. You can't fault him for that and you can't fault him for being a helluva of baseball player. But White America can't accept that, they're like women yearning to be one with the person they love. They need to feel Barry. They need to be in Barry's soul and when they don't get it...You get what you hear or see on all sports talk venues. Scorned and resentful people.

Now with the sports world on it's heels coming off a month of tragedies and blockbuster stories. The sports world is going to witness they're favorite villain break the record of Hank Aaron. And now newly ranked at the top, Michael Vick plea guilty or not guilty for allegedly holding illegal dog fights and cruelty to animals. When that story hit early this year, Vick had received the world's benefit of the doubt up until the feds sacked Vick with an indictment. An indictment saying that we the federal government of the United States believe that you, Michael Vick knowingly held illegal dog fights and cruelty to animals in your Virginia home. Without a piece of evidence to show the public, let alone a jury of Vick's peers. The public broke out the lamps and someone yelled, "Get a rope!"

All on Rome's show, caller after caller expressed their hatred for the alleged crime and proclaimed Michael Vick guilty. No trial, No hearing and damn sure no evidence. But they're not alone, cause just like you have hidden racists..you have race card players. They're the ones, that despite what the evidence showed after it's been presented or shown all over the world on "you - tube," still believe that the accused, who is black, is innocent and it's the white man trying to bring the black-man down. The white man trying to put the black man in his place, by telling him, I got you all this money, I can take it away. And we can still use and start with OJ Simpson. The nation was split between black and white with racial overtones coming from Black America. Need more? How about R-Kelly? The man is on tape with a underage girl! and despite seeing the video, some folks in Black America are in deep denial! "that wasn't him," some say...Hell Kelly hasn't said it wasn't him!!! Michael Jackson? the country torn apart in thirds, black/white fans, blacks and whites this time. What does Jackson and his family do? play the race card. The white man is trying to bring this rich ass white - black man down. When in fact, this wasn't the first allegation of Jackson's behavior with little boys. All of that was dismissed. Tookie Williams, one of the founders of the Crips Gang, on death row for killing four people. He writes a couple of books, gets nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, claims he's been redeemed for all his wrongs and yet when it's time to finally answer to his crime or fulfil his redemption. He wants the world to overlook the fact that he killed four people. What did some of black america do? they played the race card and said that the white man is killing yet again, an innocent man. No, wait an "innocent black man" who is a role model for all kids. It's been over two years since Tookie's death and today we can still see the fruits of his illegal labor. Black on black murders, drugs and all now wrongfully tied to "hip hop."

I hope I'm expressing myself...It's tiresome and confusing. I don't know where to lean. I have my political beliefs, I have my morale beliefs and I have my social takes on today's world. But even I have my own limitations. If I'm near a computer, instead of listening to Rome for a full 3 hours, I listen to Stephen A. Smith and after that the 2 Live Stews. I got to have balance, this I know, but right now I'm tired of hearing scorned white folk media lynch black athletes without some much of a fair trial. And at the same time, I'm tired of race card playin', always blaming the white man for their ills black folk.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Yosemite Firefall

One of my best educational documentaries is from Huell Howser. Hower on one of his many trips to Yosemite did a story about the Yosemite Firefall.

http://firefall.info/

Monday, July 23, 2007

Thomas Was Standing Up to Blacks

Gregory Kane Commentary: In School Diversity Rulings, Clarence Thomas Was Standing Up for Blacks, Not Turning on Them..

Source: Black America Web

Thomas Turncoats in School Desegregation Decision" read the headline in a recent edition of The Baltimore Afro-American.

The article that accompanied the headline, perhaps not surprisingly, criticized Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for voting with the majority in the 5-4 decision that struck down "diversity" plans in Seattle and Louisville. But as I read the body of the article, I wondered about the headline. It seemed to me that Thomas was standing up for black folks, not turning on them.

That assessment won’t sit well with Thomas’ legion of critics in black America, who just plain old don’t like him when he’s wrong. But when he’s right, well, then they really can’t stand him.


To Read More: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/sayitloud/kane719

Friday, July 20, 2007

Jason Whitlock: Vick Can Evolve...

Jason Whitlock: Vick Can Evolve From Hip Hop Culture - Prison Culture

Honestly, I don’t wish jail on the people who despise me the most. Incarceration is that dehumanizing.

So forgive me for lacking passion about the guilt, innocence and/or punishment of one-time franchise quarterback Michael Vick for his alleged involvement in a dogfighting ring. Hell - given that the state, if inclined, can make a blind witness’ vision 20/20 - I’m even willing to give Vick his presumption of innocence.

Why not? He is an American citizen, last I checked, and we don’t need to look any further than Duke lacrosse to see what can happen to a prosecutor when the media spotlight descends on a criminal case.

To Read More: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/195760.html

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Those Were The Days

Theme Song to All in the Family:
Long Version

"Boy, the way Glen Miller played. Songs that made the Hit Parade. Guys like us, we had it made. Those were the days! Didn't need no welfare state. Everybody pulled his weight Gee, our old LaSalle (a car) ran great. Those were the days! And you knew where you were then! Girls were girls and men were men. Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again. People seemed to be content. Fifty dollars paid the rent. Freaks were in a circus tent. Those were the days! Take a little Sunday spin, go to watch the Dodgers win. Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin (five dollar bill). Hair was short and skirts were long. Kate Smith really sold a song. I don't know just what went wrong! Those Were the Days!"

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

RF23 Comment: Time For Rangel's Draft

RF23 Commentary: Time For Rangel's Draft...

In light of all the bickering, between Republican and Democrat representatives over Iraq and whether or not the surge is working after one month of additional troops hitting the sand. I think it's necessary to put Rep. Charles Rangel on full alert to have his bill ready to be voted on. What's his bill? you ask, Rangel has proposed reinstituting the draft. Now for some of us youngsters, who wasn't old enough to remember what a draft card looks like or witness someone getting notice that he is to report to the nearest recruiting depot to get a physical, mental evaluation and additional paperwork filled out. Cause his backside and thousands of others is needed to take one for his country. It's called a draft and unlike the lottery, the number the government calls ain't for millions, well if it's for protecting and preserving Iraq's new and young democracy, I guess you can call it millions. Of people.

Now there are some things, well most of the things Rangel proposed or spews out of his mouth, I don't agree with, but for this one, I agree...I agree! and lets get it started. And my reasons for it, is the same as Rangels. Rangels is of the opinion that rich politicians won't be so quick to start wars, if they know their childs number can come up. Meaning that Rangel believes only the poor and dumb kids fight wars for their country. And he's not by himself, Kerry and most recently Presidential Candidate Barack Obama is on record for their opinions of americans who serve in the military. But my reasons are similiar to Rangel, you see, folks who exercise their right to bitch, moan and whine about the war, should have to dibby up. I mean, if you're not able to pick up a ruck sack and M16 and fight for your beliefs. Then you should send someone in your family that could. The one thing that sets Sheehan and some mothers who voice their opinion about the war is that they lost sons or daughters, who volunteered to serve their country. But Rangel's bill will be the end all, tell all of some of us who talk smack over our keyboards. I liken it to voting, you have folks who stand in lines to vote and you have folks who don't vote, but yet voice their opinion over a certain representative they don't like. I think the saying is, if you don't vote, then you have no right to complain. Well, if you can't stomache the thought of your young able bodied male answering the call of his and your country, then what right do you have to complain about it. I think it high time that Rangel pull the bill out of files and present it, so we can see how many folks who complain that we need more troops in a certain region to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.

Cmon! Rangel and congress reinstate the draft for Uncle Sam....

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Opinion: Earl Ofari Hutchinson

I found an interesting opinion piece from Earl Ofari Hutchinson, a local Los Angeles activist and radio show host in regard to the dying NAACP. This is not the first time, Hutchinson has criticized or gone against the grain from popular opinion. As a matter of fact, he'll write something like this and be found supporting something like King Medical Center, demanding that it remain open, despite it's latest tragedies and continual mismanagement.


Opinion: Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Bush Is Not The NAACP's Problem

One thing is certain President Bush won't be back at the NAACP convention this year. NAACP chairman Julian Bond made sure of that when he dumped every ill from the Iraq war to the Katrina aid flop on Bush's head in his opening speech to the NAACP's 98th convention in Detroit this week. This was the sort of kick Bush in the teeth slam that Bond has virtually held a patent on since Bush took office. In fact, before Bush graced the organization's dais last year, the NAACP had made Bush's snub of the group a ritual. The NAACP would formally invite Bush to speak. And Bush would quickly beg off with either the politicians' standard excuse of a scheduling conflict, or simply ignore the invite. Bond would then brand Bush as insensitive, uncaring, and an enemy of civil rights and blacks.

[to read more, please paste or click on link]
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20070709/cm_huffpost/055424

Interesting Quotes: "NAACP officials have talked incessantly about attracting young, fresh faces and talent to the organization. There's good reason. The rap against the organization is that time has passed it's aging, staid, old guard leadership by, and that it needs a youth shot in the arm. There's a problem with that too. The majority of young blacks were born after the titanic battles of the 1960s against legal Jim Crow segregation. They weren't forced to drink from colored only water fountains, attacked by snarling police dogs, and cattle prod welding sheriff's deputies, kicked and spat on at lunch counters, and had doors slammed in their face when they tried to get a room at a hotel. That experience and the civil rights activism that swept away those barriers is a foreign concept to them. But that activism is precisely what made the NAACP the nation's best-known and respected champion of civil rights for nearly a century. The clash between the organization's past and where young people are at today is probably too great to overcome."

Hutchinson further states: "The NAACP is at yet another crossroads. It is ridiculed by young blacks as irrelevant, criticized by activist blacks as too conservative, and ignored by the White House. Yet, despite its flaws it's still the only true national civil rights organization going. It can reclaim its cutting edge leadership and activism by mounting a no-holds barred assault on the towering social ills that still torment poor blacks.
While Bond's opening speech Bush bash was a good stem-winder, it won't do much to bridge the gulf between the two black Americas, one poor, frustrated, and alienated and the other prosperous, and upwardly achieving. That's what has to happen if the NAACP doesn't want to become what many already say it is, namely obsolete. "

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

That Nigga is Dead!! Funeral

This is Revrend Roscoe Rufus Robinson from Mountain Glory, Shephard Baptist, today we celebrate the homegoin' for our dearly departed brother, Nigger. Yeah, Nigger got hit with the sick bug 'bout the same time Don Imus and his producer decided to do their rendition of "School Daze" with Ice Cube narrawaitin'. Yeah, the nigger got a good send off. Mayne, do ya know dat the nigger survived slaveree, da civil war, fightin' tho ingians, fightin' tho' messy-cans, fightin' in dubya dubya one, dubya dubya two, co-rea, vit-nam and lets not forget that nigger had to put up wit' white folk lynchin, shootin' at and dog suck on 'em. Yeah, dat nigger was around when...well when.

Nigger has seen some good times and some not some good times, but that nigger was strong and he kept his head up when nigger was down. Mayne, we can't find a better nigger than nigger. white folk said, when he was in bondage, that he was good nigger and how we know, cause nigger told us, he was a good nigger. Now in those days, Nigger had two names, one of course was nigger, next one wuz boy. So if you ask nigger what his full name wuz, he'd say Nigger Boy, my name is Nigger Boy.

Now nowhere in the history of mayne-kind, would you find a more popular person than Nigger, that nigger's name was mentioned with the best of all mayne!...for instance 'member that boxer Mike Tyson, Now that boy had skillz but somehow he couldn't touch nigger, cause ev'ry time you said Tyson, you heard someone say, yeah that nigger was a bad boy!! See!! and everyone thought that Tyson was the mayne, mayne! But naw, Nigger had him beat...yeah....yeah....'ol nigger, boy he was truly something else....And he had all around talent, did you know that nigger went down to Germany in '36 and ran in the 'lympics...I swear to god!! He went down with this boy named Jesse Owens to run in front of that crazy man, Hit'er. Cause that crazy man said that hiz country got the massa race and that his country was purer than the driven sno'. Well our country didn't think so and sent Jesse down to prove them wrong. We didn't know that the USofA sent Nigger too, Nigger was low profile like that, back then he didn't want to make a scene, like he did in the sunset of his life. Well anyway, the race got started, that Owens fella blew out the rest of the fellas in the race..well all accept nigger, cause after the race, that Hit'er fella was heard saying we got beat by a nigger. So know we knowz that nigger can run....yeah..yeah...'ol nigger

Over the years, nigger started to change, I guess he was trying to keep up with times, he owed people money, Bernie Mac is still lookin' for his azz and Johnny!...As a matter of fact, that nigger owes five got damned dollars. And nigger is making it hard for single fellas to get with the ladies, cause all we hear is that nigger can do this or that nigger made her do that and how she needs a good nigger.....Hell the only one single fellas seem to get lucky with is nigger's old girlfriend, Ho Bitch.

Yeah, that nigger was something else and now he's gon' ya'll...Even tho' we thought for sure nigger and his family was done didda in that Katrina. That's all ya heard was, look at those poor niggers. Which we knew couldn't be right, cause nigger wasn't poor, yeah, he owed people money and he never paid his bills, but over-all like we said..Nigger was a good boy. We're goin't to miss 'Ol Nigger and like his massa said when some stranger was goin' to take him...

He saysa, dat my nigger!!! I'll 'preciate if you take your hands off my nigger. Even his massa 'pected him...'Ol nigger. But just because we saying bye to Nigger don't mean that his spirit gone, ya'll. He's with us everywhere black folk get together, he's in our children, he's being praised in our music and even some christian folk are yelling nigger's name...just the other day, I heard this woman yell at her mayne, "Gawd!! Nigger you gettin' on my nerves!!" So nigger ain't dead, he's in us everytime we cut up in a movie theatre, on public transportation or anywhere that interest us....

I jus' wanna say, It's been good....and we'll seez ya later...

Monday, July 09, 2007

ESPN (Page 2) A Forgotten Pioneer
Jamele Hill

There's been a tribute missing at this year's Wimbledon.
We know all about these sports pioneers and barrier breakers: Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe, Tiger Woods.
But one name doesn't come up nearly enough. And if there ever was a year for us to remember her, it's this year. So remember her along with me …
Althea Gibson.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Gibson's historic singles win at the All-England Club, when she became the first black to bring home tennis' most prestigious title.

But this week, of all weeks, and today of all days, why is the Wimbledon brass not honoring Gibson? A perfect storm appears to be gathering. Venus Williams remains strongly in the mix to win her fourth Wimbledon. This is the first year the men's and women's champions will earn equal prize money.

Know how much money Gibson earned for winning Wimbledon in 1957? Zilch. Know what Venus will bank if she wins win? $1.4 million. Now that's progress.

Read More by clicking or pasting on link -

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/070706

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Ten Commandments for My Daughter's Potential Boyfriends..

Doug Giles: Ten Commandments for My Daughter's Potential Boyfriends..

God, in His providence, has seen fit to bestow upon my wife and me two beautiful girls that we must steward into greatness. It has been a blast watching my daughters develop into righteous and rowdy, gorgeous girls. The thing that sucks with their metamorphosis into womanhood is the guys who’ve begun to buzz around our happy nest interested in my ladies.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/column.aspx?UrlTitle=the_ten_commandments_for_my_daughter%e2%80%99s_potential_boyfriends&ns=DougGiles&dt=07/01/2007&page=full&comments=true

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Jason Whitlock Hosting Jim Rome Show

Finally I got to hear what Kansas City had for a few years on the radio. J-Whit took over the vines of the Jungle and hosted for a vacationing Jim Rome. Whitlock from the beginning expressed that he was going to be the Paul Revere of radio. He had issues on his mind and wanted to address some items that occurred to him while he was defending his position in regard to the Don Imus fiasco and his criticism of self elected to the poor only and misinformed, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Whitlock also addressed the gangsta mentality and acceptance of today's athletes. Whitlock has been critical of today black athletes adopting the hip hip culture and not recognizing that what they do in regard to representing a team, a certain league and in all cases a city. Whereas the gangsta rapper is representing himself and giving love to the game in which he got lucky and wasn't counted out in a grave yard.

Now some defenders of the hip hop culture are saying criticism of their genre is unwarranted and that dissenters are either "toms" or "ignorant" of their lifestyle. They refuse to see that a rapper rapping about cars, money and women (only that he doesn't say women) are eye candy to a young man. Rapper rapping about the gangsta life is eye candy for a young man and if, there are no men in the home, no discipline of any kind the rapper has become the role model and the kid is goint to want to emulate that lifestyle. Now, I'm not going to go on some tangent about Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, about not doing enough or nothing at all, because it wouldn't be true and besides, it ain't up to these two clowns to eradicate a certain genre. Does anyone remember a certain African saying, "It takes a village.." It takes monitoring and a little reality check for these kids.. We got to break down the real life story of a certain acceptable life-style. Meaning, we as a community, need to get a rein on our youths. And if athletes want to participate, and if rappers want to participate then with open arms and dialogue they should be welcomed too....because they know the truth, they know the lifestyle and they know or knew what it took to get where they were or are at. And let me tell you, hard work is going to come out their mouth.

If you would have asked me about rap, I probably would have told you I miss the good 'ol days of rap, cause it ain't the same, but I'm just as guilty as today's kids who listen to and enjoy today. Cause as a listener, I bumped to "F the police" by NWA, I bumped "Too Short" and still today Ice Cube is one of my favorite rappers and the bad thing is I criticized Hammer for commercializing to the white man with his taco bell and pepsi commercials....I'm just as responsible cause we should have rejected gangsta rap, we should have rejected rap lyrics with bitches and ho's in it, but no we got blinded by the Rumpshaker video....So we let it slide.

But we can't anymore, after hundreds and probably thousands of young men dying in the street for a blue or red rag or for a crack cocaine corner. You would think that folk would know right for wrong, but apparently not.....

Monday, July 02, 2007

Barber: Black Pride, White Paternalism

Black Pride, White Paternalism
LaShawn Barber

Article: Last week the U.S. Supreme Court held that schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky, and Seattle, Washington, could not use race as a tiebreaker when assigning students.

(I live-blogged the Democratic presidential debate from Howard University last Thursday. When Hillary Clinton mentioned the decision, I applauded without hesitation or embarrassment, even while sitting in a large room of liberals.)

Unfortunately, the court didn’t outlaw the use of race altogether. Racial classifications are permissible in narrow circumstances to remedy "the effects of past intentional discrimination," which is a "compelling interest under the strict scrutiny test."

(To Read More Click or Paste Link)

Article Quote: "those who cite Brown v. Board of Education to support race preferences for the sake of diversity have got it dead wrong. That case ended government-mandated racial discrimination in schools; it had nothing to do with so-called diversity."

http://townhall.com/columnists/column.aspx?UrlTitle=black_pride,_white_paternalism&ns=LaShawnBarber&dt=07/02/2007&page=full&comments=true

Welcome Prime Minister....

Al Qaeda Welcome British Prime Minister To Front Line of War on Terror:

Over the weekend England was once again threatened with at least three terror attacks that but for the grace of God, was foiled by the ineptness of the alleged terrorist, forget that, It ain't alleged! these middle eastern terrorist! linked to Al Qaeda. Two of the terrorists, were doctors and one of them was neurosurgeon practicing in England and yet he obviously took sides with a type of ideology that will deny him the lifestyle he was living in England.

Meanwhile, how would you like to be the newly seated Prime Minister looking to probably withdraw all of your troops out of Iraq and probably Afghanistan and BOOM!!! not so fast. Al Qaeda is still wanting your presence and you know have to be Tony Blair and stand by your reasons for still being in a region, a few of your left wing party is against. Interesting and good timing...I only hope that Al Qaeda shows the United States the same pagentry when we have a change in Commander in Chief.

So know England, the ball is in your court...you either respond or turn the other cheek...the ass cheeks that is....


Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465481&in_page_id=1770&ct=5