THE DOOR OF NO RETURN

House Formally issues Slavery Apology!

You kidnapped, raped, purchased, tricked, and murdered people. You committed Genocide and created an institution called Chattel Slavery that had never even existed in the history of the planet. You tortured, brainwashed and mutilated! You sold children of your own race into slavery simply because they were orphans and lied to them saying they were mulattoes! You sold and ignored your very own seed!

You and your ancestors pillaged an entire continent, looting it for its mineral wealth, you built up equity by insuring humans as you would a farm or a chicken. You erased any family history, religious tradition and ancestral names! You taught a perverted, corrupted version of religion to an already damaged, abused people.

But you're sorry!

Your ancestors created a system of racial apartheid that lasted two hundred years more than the four hundred years of bondage! Again, you falsely imprisoned, murdered, raped, cheated, denied education, the right to worship freely, the freedom to assemble, taxation without representation and the denied the right to vote. You even denied an entire people the right to have a birth certificate! Or to be buried in dignity!

But hey you're sorry!

It's a start but it's not enough! It will never be enough! That's what you are truly afraid of isn't it! European Jews suffered long before Adolf Hitler came on the scene but when that Demon and his followers did come, they attempted to slaughter an entire people. They committed Genocide culminating in the murder of six million European Jews! That slaughter was so terrible that the death camps stand today as monuments. You can't even plant or build on that land! The energy there will last forever!

So how much more for the African? 100 million estimated to be lost in the Atlantic Slave Trade. 100 Million human souls lost! Ships sank with human cargo. Africans tossed overboard callously to avoid the law!

But you said you're sorry!

Hey Congress, Get a photograph of The Door of No Return and try to stare at it! Go on!

You won't be able to stand it! What you're ancestors have done is so evil that even a photograph taken in the 20th century is too much!

Only God can forgive you and your people! But as we enter into a new epoch of oppression and disenfranchisement. As we still bear the weight of history and the burden of the present can we forgive you?

As you give welfare instead of job training! Can we forgive you? As you smear and murder our leaders and Icons can we forgive you? As you make it harder for any of the 36 million descendants of the enslaved to move up through legistration, lack of education, lack of health care and meaningful economic empowerment. Can we forgive you?

I wonder too!

BE Mindful! BE Prayerful! BE Careful!

Jaycee

EAAAAARTHQUAKE!

I was born and raised here in Los Angeles most of my life but I have never been in a major earthquake. I have always been either too young to remember or out of town. Here's hoping the streak don't end!

Yesterday, I was having a good nap! My building is on rockers and the as the building swayed and people in the neighborhood screamed, I thought the heaters at the next door laundrymat, a local nuisance had finally exploded and I jumped out of bed expecting a large fireball to be coming in my direction! Nope! Earthquake! Thankfully we are alright! My family is safe and are place is undamaged!

BE Careful! BE Mindful! BE Prayerful!

Jaycee

Soul Food For Thought!

Hey! Put that down! Stop it! Just stop it! Got one of my buds still ate up with it!

The first of the four noble truths that comprise Buddhist thought is that

All Life is Suffering!

Basic Christian Theology is confirms this by stating because of man's sin and the resulting sinful world we are separated from God and therefore suffer. But again, as in previous posts, how you handle it is up to you. Here's my suggestion. Talk with Jesus and think about Attachment! Some Buddhists believe we suffer because of Attachment, Attachment to things or ideas of what we think we should have or should be. Life is what it is! You get what you get!

The Book of Job outlines Job's suffering, Job's complaining to God about his innocence and the injustice of his plight, it lays out God (Elohim) checking Job for getting out of pocket, reminding him, hey you didn't teach the birds to fly or hang the sky, and then Job repeatedly re-affirming his love for God and his intention to worship him no matter what! Job was eventually restored! Life is cyclical and Job had his season. We also have ours!

You having yours!

So when you feel at your worst, count your blessings! No, really, count them individually!

1. I woke up this morning in my right mind!

2. I got some gas in the car!

3. I serve a Mighty God!

4. My family is healthy and safe!

5. I may have barely paid my bills but I paid them!

Count those blessings! I guarantee that the blessings will far outnumber your complaints!

Hallelujah! Allah U Akbar! Praise Jesus! Metta! Ashe! And So it is!

So pour out it, put it down and walk into your true destiny!

BE Mindful! BE Prayerful! BE Careful!

Jaycee

Before You See the New Batman Movie!

Joker: Hey Bats! Did you hear the joke about the two lunatics that escaped from the asylum?

Batman: No, never heard it!

Joker: Well, there are these two loons who escape at night and once they get to the roof they realize that it's too high and too far to the next building to jump across then one of them comes up with an amazing idea. He has a flashlight and he says to his loon in arms, I'll flash the beam to the roof of the other building and you just slide down on the beam of light!

The other lunatic replies " Hey! what da ya think I'm Crazy! You'd shut the light off when I was halfway down!

Bats: Ha ha ha ha aha ha ha!

The Killing Joke!

Years ago and I mean years.....! I read this graphic novel called Batman the Killing Joke! I was in my early twenties at the time and I had read some great horror, seen some pretty scary movies, been an avid heavy metal fan and grew up in the bloody eighties in Compton Ca. This book left me disturbed. The great writer and artist Frank Miller may have redefined Batman as the dark brooding vigilante Detective we all know and love but this book effectively redefined the Joker! Not as a crazy, giggling miscreant! But as a complex, multifaceted, tortured Homicidal Maniac! A Manic!

The Dark Detective realizes that the Joker is his deadliest enemy and of all the villains he has faced, some super powered, he knows the least about the Joker! The Clown Prince escapes the Arkham Asylum for the criminally insane. This must be the easiest joint to escape from in the history of prisons! Ever!

The Jokers on a mission to explain to the Batman and the world that it's easy to go LOOOOONY! If you just have a bad enough day. He kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and proceeds to prove his theory by subjecting him to a series of horrors. Sorta of like this is your life! In Hell!

Now I ain't gonna tell you the details but this has to be some of the source material for the Dark Detective and the Joker movie!

It's graphic! It's not restricted or banned but there are some disturbing scenes in The Killing Joke! Be Warned!

Be Mindful! Be Prayerful! Be Careful!

Jaycee

Soul Food For Thought!

I was talking with a friend today and they were having a rough go of it. It got me to thinking about just some simple rules to help us through our days here and I decided to share. As my late Brother Will used to to say to me. Don't get ate up wit it!

Rule 1. You can't take the world on your shoulders. This is why you were given a whole life to live. You are supposed to make mistakes! You ain't supposed to know everything! Jesus said he would help us! Didn't he promise he wouldn't give you more than you could bear? Well? And even then he promised to help you. Come unto me all y'all struggling and I will give you rest take my load upon you and learn of me My burden is light! Paraphrased

Rule 2. Old loves, good and bad memories, like good whiskey are to be sipped. That's why they are in the past and they are there to teach us, caution us and guide us back to God not for us to get lost in or to live in. That's what the here and now is for! Live in the now! I read that The Buddha figured that one out on his journey. If you gulp it all down then well, you know it's gonna jack you up!

Rule 3. If there is anymore confusion see Rule 1 in entirety.

Rule 4. If you can't relate to sipping cognac or whiskey this is cool too substitute whiskey and cognac for Boston cream pie, hot peach cobbler with a great flaky crust or a graham cracker crusted cheese cake. Either way it ain't to be eaten in one sitting. See rule 1 and 2 Dig?

Rule 5. Allah makes Muslims! But..But! Mista Jaycee, I'm not a Muslim! Well we all are for this rule. Here's the point, You can't make someone do anything! If there is a changing to be done then let God do it! The God of Abraham, I AM that I AM, has created you as you are. Since, it is God that made you it is God that will change you providing you allow him to. God made everyone else as well so the same rule applies. You didn't make you or anyone else and you can't change anyone else. That ain't your job!

Rule 6. Failure to adhere to these rules will cause unnecessary suffering and lead to even more until you get the message or....well y'all smart you will get the message!

This post brought to you by the Universal Defenders of International Goodwill!

U-DIG!

(smile)

Be Mindful! Be Prayerful! Be Careful!

Jaycee

Soul Food For Thought!

Not judgment and condemnation of others, but humility and distrust of self, is the teaching of Christ's parable. Not all that is sown in the field is good grain. The fact that men are in the church does not prove them Christians. Ellen G. White

Gotta Go up against the Best to be the Best!

Back in the 1940's before Charlie Parker played the harmonic equivalent of Einsteins Theory of Relativity E=MC square and blew every ones mind for the next two centuries he played local New York nightspots and after hours clubs like Milton's and Smalls Paradise and those in the know would go around telling everyone about this player from Kansas City that sounded like tenor master Lester Young on alto. At Minton's Monday nights was jam session night where the best players and the up and coming participated in cutting sessions. Serious competition to determine who was the big boy on the block. The audience listened and judged, the musicians for thier trouble recieved a good free meal, bragging rights or a whuppin, and innovation and creativity was always inspired. There was a lineage of jazz music and musicians that survives to this day. There was a tradition predicated on competition that also survives!

I was reading XXL or the Source or some kinda rap magazine and watching videos on You tube of rap music and I kept reading the comments sections, Jay-Z is the greatest rapper alive! No, Nas is the greatest! Nooooooo Lil Wayne is the greatest! And before that it was PAC or Biggie and I'm like ????@*###@

Biggie! Pac! What???

No offense to Tupac or Biggie Smalls, both great talents lost too soon but neither one of them was the greatest when they were alive!

Pac was talented and absolutely prolific but for every jewel he dropped he dropped about ten turds!

Heresy! You say.....

Pac wrote California Love, To live and Die in LA, Dear Mama and Keep your head up but recorded enough albums of filler like U can't c me and hit em up to fill up dodger stadium!

Now Biggie, that dude had a beautiful flow! Great improviser sure, but he didn't write anything that would change the world. He didn't! Ready to Die gave us Juicy, The 10 crack commandments and Warning, great songs but not timeless, life changing material just like Nirvana's Never mind it will stand testament as a document of that generations angst not a battle cry or call to arms!

Oh, what a wail it was though.

Now back to my point so I hear Biggie, Pac, Jay or Nas and I thought wait....KRS One aint dead! How is Jay the greatest? Rakim Allah ain't Dead! How are we speaking on Nas when that is reality?

Lil Wayne versus Jay? For The Greatest! How?

Now here's a real good spoiler for ya....LL COOL J

Never been bested in battle! The only one who ever hurt LL is LL?

Sorry L but trying to be a pop star and maintain lyrical supremacy and failing to roast the young upstarts has hurt ya bro. Roasting Canibus was funnie but too easy.

Tradition dictates that the up and coming players go up against the best in battle! Jay-Z has not battled KRS, NAS has not battled Rakim Allah!

Heck, Jay didn't even battle Big and Big didn't battle KRS or Rakim!

Jay and Nas battled each other. Nas winning the battle of Lyrical supremecy with the blistering "Ether" and Jay winning the war by sure attrition. Jay sold more good records alot more than Nas sold with his great ones.

So now we have another new generation of listeners debating the artists their listening too without any knowledge of who came before them. Lil Wayne has to go through Jay and then KRS to be King!

Well, Jaycee that's just opinion, your opinion, right?

Dig, if we do not continue to honor the tradition of our artists then the art just falls into whatever is current and commercial. The artist ceases to be an artist and becomes just another product a commericial enitity. We have to stop that before it happens!....Oh!...

KRS is over 30, putting his records out independently with no current hit record on the radio so he's passed over but KRS still rocks it in concert, still takes on all comers and no one has taken the crown yet! No, the top contenders are hiding behind their current record deals, putting out video after video claiming to be the king and avoiding battle with the real kings at all costs!

Why does it matter? Look at the state of heavyweight boxing right now. Who's the heavyweight champ right now?

How many conferences award belts?

The WBA, WBC, The IBF, The WBO and they all got heavyweight champions!

Ali was the undisputed champ! Tyson was the undisputed champ! and the contenders Norton, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, Spinx, Quarry were all top notch and ended up champions in their own right. That level of competition made Ali just as much as his stand against Vietnam!

Now, because they allowed it to be diluted and didn't allow real competition to weed out the suckas boxing has no real draw anymore. And it's in danger of being overrun by Mixed Martial Arts! Kimbo Slice anyone?

Jazz musicians had jam sessions and cut each other in battles because they were literally playing to eat. Their next gig depended on how they played against another player. Playing great may decide if a player got to record a single at all. It's the same with rap music. Where are those hungry artists, who literally are playing for they next gig, literally gigging to sell they records to eat and well make another record?

Naw, if you gonna be the best you have to go up against the best. That's the rule! Competition gives birth to excellence!

Don't agree, tough, I'm waitin to hear from ya!

Be Careful! Be Mindful! Be Prayerful!

Jaycee

The Dark Knight Returns!

Alburn University alum, retired NBA perennial all star power forward, social Critic and NBA commentator Sir Charles The Round Mound of Rebound Barkley just gave us another reason why we Luuuuuuuve him!

Sir Charles paid waiter Christian Abate's college tuition at Temple University! When he asked the unsuspecting waiter if he wanted him to do that, the waiter speechless was told he had the length of Barkley's meal to decide. It didn't take long! Smart kid, way to go Temple! Smart Kid!

Chuck, today dude, here's to you and thank God that he blessed you to be able to do it! For that you get an atta boy and you can play two rounds of golf. Oh, by the way Chuck, we need a sequel to Godzilla versus Barkley!

Work on that huh!

Be Careful! Be Mindful! Be Prayerful!

Jaycee

You'll Pry my pastrami from my cold dead hands!

The Plan is simple, feed them, fatten them up and then eat them!- Jaycee

To Serve Man! It's A Cookbook! -Twilight Zone

Soylent Green! It's People!- Soylent Green!

The Los Angeles City Council ever forward thinking discussed a proposal to enact a ban not on the proliferation of military style hand weapons and assault rifles or the effort to replace much needed bus routes and buses affecting the cities working class and poor populace or fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, lack of jobs or youth programs and gangs but of the number of fast food joints in South Los Angeles. That used to be South Central and for you really hip folks Watts!

The proposal actually seeks to limit any new fast food type restaurants from opening in a specific geographic area in and around south central citing health concerns for the citizens. There are simply too many restaurants of the same type saturating this area. And they say were too fat! Of course everyone seems to agree that we city folks are fat, obese in fact! So it appears that the city council is proposing the ban in order to prevent an under served community from being abused further. So it appears.

There have been similar bans and proposals in other cities banning and limiting Liquor stores and Billboards that market smoking ads. So the proposals are not far fetched! But I wonder if these is just the precursor to a much different, much more sinister agenda for South Los Angeles. This proposal, on its face is presented like its for the protection of the community. The South Los Angeles community has a disproportionate amount of Liquor stores, Gun stores and advertising of Liquor and Cigarettes.

But the council has not wholeheartedly jumped into the fray over the fate of MLK Hospital. It has not sought funding to my knowledge to reopen the 96 preventive care clinics that served South Los Angeles and Los Angeles county. I have yet to see a gym or fitness center in South Los Angeles. So what gives? Could this be the opening volley to Gentrify South central?

The city council appears to battle not against gridlock or smog but against Clowns! Clowns hawking 2000 calorie, cheesy, pickled, mayo splashed, mustard soaked, catsup drenched grease fried pockets of death!

Ok, real talk! It was amazing to watch people on the news when asked about the proposed ban talk about how it's people's own choice to do what they want. No one should restrict them although yes, it would be nice to have better restaurants!

Now for a sensible blogger such as myself, I have self control! I can walk pass a burger stand, taco stand, chicken joint, donut shop and liquor store on every block within a four block radius and resist.....the urge to go in all of them at once. The fact that I have no cash and there's no bank or ATM nearby is not the reason I don't!

I have self control!

I do darn it!

I can quit eating fresh hot donuts anytime I want!

I just don't want to.

The amazing thing about it is that when someone wants to take away or do away with something for people's own good people freak out!

It's about Choice man!

Really? Was it your choice to have a ton of fast food joints in a whole section of town instead of quality grocery stores, banks and shopping centers? Was it your choice not to have any sit down quality restaurants where you could take a family or a date out for a night on the town?
Was it your choice to not have a movie theatre/cineplex, arcade, bowling alley or any good night club establishments?

So you chose to design your area with no farmer's market, no floral shop, no bank, no medical clinic, no gyms just a taco shop, next to a burger stand, across from a rib joint next to a discount smoke shop catercorner to a liquor store! You chose that? That was your design, huh?

No, you didn't design that! Previous city councils, searching for tax revenue allowed restaurants like all these fast food joints to build in one swatch of town even though it was overcrowded, discouraging to other types of businesses and an eyesore on the community. You telling me you chose to have an economic stink bomb that lowered your property values? You saying that you zoned a million small stone front churches alongside all these fast food joints? You chose to zone 3 payday loan, check cashing stores every two blocks next to the burger joints and storefront churches? You mean you chose a liquor store or two on every block in South Los Angeles, a gun shop, thrift shop, auto wrecking yard?

No, that wasn't your choice and it actually isn't your choice now either. The city council is still only concerned about tax revenues. They want the sales tax that they know they will be able to generate from rezoning the area and removing the clusters of low quality restaurants, which are mostly Mom and Pop and replacing them with more desirable edifices.

Question, what about a Mom and Pop restaurant perhaps a generational owned Rib shack that wants to become a sit down restaurant. Will they be afforded the same tax incentives and breaks as say a major chain? Or will they be put out of business?

Eventually the city will desire to add artist lofts, Condos, Houses, Theatres, retail shops and real restaurants and night clubs. Then the next phase will be moving the poor out!

They won't just leave premium real estate in the hands of the working class! No, Gentrification is the order on the menu! That is ultimately what they are talking about! They are gonna clean up the area that for 45 years they have let you rot in and collect top dollar for it.

If you really want to keep that from happening though, it is possible.

Here's how, first we start an email, snail mail letter writing campaign to Bernie Parks, Mark Ridley Thomas, Earvin Magic Johnson, Dennis Zine, Antonio Villarigoza, The Hahns since it is affectionately their father's and grandfather's district, Yvonne Braite Burke and some of the other council folks and politicos stating that hey we want a quality grocery store like a whole foods or trader joes or a 32nd street market. Then we write the farmers market association to get a farmers market(s) in specific areas of town.

We must get the media involved in our efforts. First we will must control the message. We will not be gentrified! If anyone is going to reap the benefits of urban renewal it will be those who are truly urban! Dig!

The council has the right idea giving tax incentives to sit down restaurants to attract interests but again, they got another thing coming if they think they will be allowed in without hiring folks that live in the neighborhood already.

Hey! I like good food and art and a safe viable business friendly neighborhood! I'm working towards that now but not for someone else to enjoy.

Noooooo! You wouldn't choose that! But hey! weren't we just talking about my double pastrami on rye right?

Yeah, we are and you can keep right on eating it too. They'll have to pry mine from my cold dead hands, oops hand, as I clutch my chest with the other one, but if we play our cards right instead of being a bunch of brain dead reactionaries then they can transport us in an ambulance to a quality medical facility nearby. Then, we can walk a decent urban neighborhood with a farmers market, a good grocery store, good shops, a theatre and the stuff a real neighborhood is made of. Then go and have half of a pastrami and a orange bang!

Be Mindful! Be Prayerful! Be Careful!
Jaycee

Opps! I Did It Again!

Last night, in the City of Champions, Inglewood, CA, former home to the Los Angeles Lakers, current home to The Great Western Forum and Faithful Central Bible Church at the Forum. There was an officer involved shooting resulting in the killing of 19 year veteran United States Postal mail carrier, Kevin Wicks. According to various news agencies Inglewood Police officers answer a domestic disturbance call sometime after midnight. They knocked on Mr. Wicks door and he answered, the officers allegedly stated "show us your hands" at which time Brian Wicks raised his hands, one in which he was hold a handgun. Officers fired striking Mr. Wicks, he was transported to a local hospital where he died.

Mr. Wicks was alone in his apartment and according to neighbors had just arrived after working his normal shift. Neighbors and family members believe officers responded to the wrong address and go onto explain that in the neighborhood where Mr. Wicks resided you don't answer your door after midnight without something in your hand.

One of the officers, Brian Ragan, a five year veteran of the force, was involved in a controversial shooting this past May 13, 2008 and was until recently placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation. According to various news agencies and the Inglewood Police Department that investigation is still ongoing.

Why was Officer Ragan allowed back out on patrol if he had not been cleared of any wrongdoing in the previous shooting?

Officer Ragan, was previously involved in a shooting in the early morning of May 13, 2008. Officers advised that they were responding to a call, exited their vehicles, saw a Black Male running across a parking lot and then heard multiple shots. They opened fire on the nearby car killing Michael Byoune, 19 and wounding another and a third passenger was unhurt. Upon investigation, there were no weapons or shell casings found and the victims accounts and witnesses advised that the young men had just purchased food from a Rally's Hamburger shop. According to the night manager Vidal Garcia, there had been shots fired in the area all evening.

On the May 13 shooting: Officers heard shots fired. Officers returned fire. No problem.

Officers had not confirmed that it was they who were being fired upon. They had not ascertained a direction the fire was coming from. Problem!

There were no holes in the vehicle or shell casings found near the officers. Problem!

Officers saw a Black Male running across a parking lot of a Rally's.

They fired without knowing if the young man was just getting in the car from getting a hamburger. Problem!

All of these questions should have been answered definitively before Officer Ragan was allowed back onto active patrol duty. Now, Officer Ragan is involved in another controversial shooting.

Could it be just a tragic mistake in both cases? Sure, it is tragic but more tragic than that is allowing Officer Regan to go back out on the street.

One opinion, not confirmed advised that the city police department is shorthanded and so Officer Regan was allowed back on duty. If that's true then Problem! Officer Ragan has not been cleared of wrongdoing in the other shooting! And let's face it for all we know Officer Ragan is as jumpy and unstable as Barney Fife!

So, you are shorthanded, I understand but you go shorthanded when you have an officer or officers involved in an ongoing controversial incident! That's justified that you would be shorthanded! That overtime may occur!

Officers have a dangerous job but they also receive intensive training. If an officer is trigger happy or skittish both which may be the case, then the department needs to know and handle it accordingly. If the officer holds any bias towards the community then the department needs to know that too.

Now for y'all unfamiliar with the City of Champions, Inglewood is located in LA county, ten minutes from Los Angeles International Airport. It has a large Black population, a Black mayor, Roosevelt Dorn, and a Black Woman police cheif, Jacqueline Seabrooks. In spite of that Inglewood Police department have had a number of problems involving arrests in recent years before Chief Seabrooks and currently under Chief Seabrooks.

One of the most famous or infamous is the arrest of then 16 year Donavon Jackson, a slightly retarded Black kid, (His retardation has been disputed) who was filmed being choked out on the trunk of a police cruiser then the officer was filmed using his fist to punch an already handcuffed Jackson. That officer was relieved of duty and to my knowledge no longer with the department. The officer testified that Donovan Jackson had grabbed and yanked his testicles and that is why he punched him however the film did not show any such occurrence. It showed that Donovan could not have since he was already handcuffed.

I would hope that Officer Ragan would be relieved off all duty and placed on administrative leave until the department and hopefully other outside agencies have thoroughly investigated both shootings. Furthermore, I would hope that if the shooting are declared to be unjustified that he, officer Ragan would be brought up on criminal charges and the city gets its act together. But I would say it would be safe to say Officer Ragan should not be out on patrol again and maybe just maybe should not be a police officer.

Be Mindful! Be Prayerful! Be Careful!

Jaycee

Hancock! Did they just use the Orisha?

I went to see Will Smith last weekend in his latest flick Hancock. It was cool but nothing special as far as Will's movies go. It was funnie and it had some great special effects but it just didn't live up to some of the other films that Will's done.

Hancock is about a dude with superpowers who is a colossal screw up because well...he drinks! The scene with him rescuing Walter the grey whale was hilarious. But on with the plot!

He saves a PR man from being crushed by a train and is invited home to eat with the PR mans family. Now, instantly Jason Bate man's wife doesn't like Hancock! In fact she wants him to get as far away from her family as possible. Hancock explains that he doesn't remember much about himself. He lost his memory but he's from Miami. He doesn't age. He just wanders along because in all that time no one has come to claim him. He's unloved and alone. That was 80 years ago when he left the hospital after being beaten with his new powers.

Now, later Cherize Theron who plays Bate mans wife, almost kisses Will, after Will puts a drunk Batemen to bed and then shows that she too has superpowers. She throws him through her kitchen wall. Later in a showdown, she explains to Will, yeah, I'm immortal, we know each other and by the way, I'm stronger and have more powers than you. We were created in pairs! To prove it she creates tornadoes and lightning and flies around beating the happy happy joy joy out of Will.

This reminded me then of Oya, the Orisha over change who incidentally has power of Tornadoes and thunder and lightning. Oya, was also one of Shango's wives. Oshun, Orisha over rivers and streams, good fortune and sensuality being the other.

Of course in keeping with Hollywood tradition while stealing ours. Cherize, (Oya) almost kisses Will, (Shango) states hey I'm your wife and to her current husband Bateman, Hey! Actually he's my Husband. So we don't have a real romance, it's never consomated on the screen because of Hollywood's oldest rule. It's just implied!

The Black dude will never romance or actually have the White woman, They might have sex, raw sexual power accepted but never an actual relationship. A relationship of equals. Sure, I believe that some in Hollywood do want to have a colorblind love affair of equals but it just has not happened. Something New is not a love of equals! Sorry, nice try. And it's a lame movie. Sorry, Saana! Luv you!

Don't agree?? I present to you the Bone collecter with Denzel and Angelina Jolie, where Denzel is paralyzed from the neck down. He can't make love to her and to make sure he's casted as half a man so it's implied that yes, I would have a relationship with you, it would be sexy if not for, well...you know.

Denzel again with Julia Roberts in the Pelican Brief. Denzel as Gray never touches Julia even though the book had them become a couple. A sexualized couple. No, in the movie they were just good friends.

Angela Bassett in 7 days. She doesn't get with the White dude she loves either, they just imply that they luvvvv each other. Halle and Billy Bob didn't even have love, they just had one of the nastiest, most brutally disgusting sex scenes ever to win an oscar committed to film in Monster's Ball! But I digress....

Shango, (Will) is a warrior, but all that aside. Did they just take a major Afrikan religion and use it in a movie? Did they just cast a beautiful but obviously European American woman as Oya? Did Chereze say that they were set down by the God(s) as a safety net just in case. Immortals to protect the earth but they are the last ones! Yeah, she did! Sounds like Odumare (God) and the Orishas, Mankind's celestrial helpers, Oshun, Shango, Yemoja, Eshu, Legba and the rest.

So once again an African icon has been stolen and re branded as white!

Cleopatra/Elizabeth Taylor, Isis/Venus has been casted as everybody from Vanna White and so on.

Why does it matter? Because we are allowing ourselves to be written out of history by allowing it to be stolen. You don't need to believe in Orisha to accept that it is part of your heritage. How many people believe today that Egypt is not in Afrika? Quite a few actually think that Kemet (Egypt) is in the middle east. How many people believe there is a middle east? Quite a few including the news media and most geography teachers. Not according to the map, Not according to history? Not even according to the Bible so it matters if we don't call folks on it! No, Egypt is in Afrika and it always has been so is Libya. Syria and Palenstine are right there from North Afrika. Look at the map!

Just something to think about!

Be Careful! Be Mindful! Be Prayerful!

Jaycee

We Won! Loyalty Oaths! Are you Kidding Part 2

This just in!

For those of y'all who read my May 13, 2008 post, Loyalty Oaths! Are you Kidding?

Well, just got word through email that Wendy Govanor has won thanks to 14,000 petitioners.

Here is a copy of her email. We all have more choice now and our freedom and patriotism can be defined by us! Mista Jaycee

We won! And I can't thank you enough!
You and 14,000 other people signed People For the American Way Foundation's petition to California State University after they fired me because I wouldn't sign a state-mandated "loyalty oath" without being able to attach an explanatory statement -- a statement I felt was necessary to protect my beliefs as a Quaker and a pacifist.

But with your help -- and People For Foundation's lawyers behind me -- we won!
I've got my job back, and Cal State has agreed to let me attach a statement to the oath explaining my religious and free speech concerns, enabling me to sign the oath in good conscience. And I'm confident, and most proud, that others in the future will be able to do the same.

So thank you again for exercising your first amendment right to free speech and religious liberty in support of mine.

With deepest graditude

Wendy Govenor

The Call for Change! Or Time For Jesse J to sit down?? Maybe!

Minister Jesse Jackson has had a tough week to say the least. Whew, Jesse!

Let's just get this out the way now! No, Black dude should ever even in jest say they are gonna cut someones ---! off! Given our history in this country and abroad. Shame on you Jesse!

But now let's have some real talk. Jesse is/was upset by Barack's seeming condensing tone in his recent speeches on personal responsibility to Black folks. This ain't something that hasn't been said before in Bam-Bam's historic campaign. Bam-Bam is righteously open for criticism.

Bam-Bam's completely spineless vote for the FISA bill is one such instance. And his recent pandering to right wing prone GOP leaning voters is another.

But the other thing is our collective frustration with our traditional leadership and icons. Jesse Jackson has done great things and his legacy is secure in our history. I feel this way with most of our leadership.

It would be a mistake for us to ignore Jesse's past and current contributions. He has knowledge and wisdom that we need and it should be taken advantage of. Now, I know that some people would like Jesse to go somewhere and sit down. I feel that way too sometimes but I am a realist and I think we all need to be realists as well. Minister Jesse and his colleagues are from a 60's era civil rights struggle. He has seen the non violent action and resistance movement and the Black Power and Black Liberation movements that came from that as well. He's more than earned his right to speak and be taken seriously.

One of the problems facing us today that is hindering progress is that there is no direct lineage in mentor ship. Jesse and Andrew Young came out from under Dr. King and Dr. Ralph Abernathy. Dr. King from Bayard Rustin and Dr. Vernon Johns. Even though each man took the movement or his ministry perhaps in another direction than their mentors they were connected and we could verify them.

Barack Obama and Harold Ford Jr and some of the young lions are not from that school of training and in fact there is no verifiable school that we can look to in order to see their lineage. They didn't come out of the traditional Black civil rights movement. They've shown contempt in some cases towards that leadership. But even more than that none of the young lions have any real political stripes and clout in the Black community. Barack's strategy has been to distance himself from any traditional Black leadership including his pastor.

Now, on the other hand I've been waiting for Jesse, Al Sharpton, Minister Louis, Andrew Young, Julian Bond, Bobby Seale and the bunch... I've been ready for y'all to pass the torch! But who would they pass it to? The days of handpicked successors are gone. Good riddance! Nepotism certainly has not been a benefit for anyone except those already in power. I cite the Bushes, The Castro's, The Duvalier's and so many others. If I were Jesse I wouldn't just step aside just cause folks have found someone new and pretty

So we are not looking for someone with necessarily with the endorsement of the establishment but we do need young, new leaders that engage us.

Remember US?

The people???

Dr. Huey Newton, Bobby Seale and David Hillard didn't come out of the traditional civil rights movement. But Huey came out of Phi Beta Sigma and was connected in that regard. He espoused the views of Malcolm X without Malcolm's religious ideology. Stokley Carmicheal was a King Kid from SNCC then he became a Panther but he maintained dialogue with his mentor. Where is that connection with the new Black leadership? So I understand why Jesse and some others may be mad.

Now, on the other hand it seems to me that the youth have not been groomed to take over and lead with confidence instead our present elders have tried not to groom but clone themselves in younger versions. This is the problem. Some of your views, the world that you knew is outmoded, outdated and stale and it only serves to keep the status quo. To keep you in power!

Bruce Gordon, recently past president, of the NAACP, left after squabbles with the board of directors of the NAACP. It's been said that the board didn't like the changes he was trying to implement. Quote... we hired you to maintain the organization not to remake it. Again, the status quo. How many new members does the NAACP recruit, where are they battling now? The NAACP needs to be made over. It's been that way a long time. This is not the organization of Robert F. Williams, Dr WEB Dubois or Langston Hughes anymore. It's the organization of Walter White and his merry bunch and it's time for a change. That's goes for several other organizations too.

Where is Jesse and the traditional leadership on the lack of home ownership, high school dropout rates, increasing prison population representation, lack of banks, supermarkets and medical care in the Black Community? And for you so called conservatives Black or White, The General Motors rule is in effect. So goes the Black community so goes the country!

Where are our leaders? Republican or Democrat when a corporation lays off twenty thousand people or more and then gives its top exec's large bonuses? When they loot the companies and institutions that you de-regulated and left people penniless? Again, leadership means you look at what's good and what's bad and didn't work and you fix it. I got a stronger door, better locks and changed my routine when I got robbed. What have y'all done? So far just left the door open.

Change is what we need! The GOP needs to change too. They have become outmoded. The cold war is over gentlemen. And guess what??? The New Deal worked! It did! Social Security worked, Medicare worked! The FDA worked! The clean air and water initiatives have the last 50 years have worked! Separation of Church and State is a good thing! It's kept us from killing each other. Sure each one of these programs could use some tweaking but not elimination.

Hey guess what? Diplomacy works too. Old Cain thinks that talking with the folks who hate us is a bad thing. Stupid out moded thinking! If I have a blood feud with someone I'm going to send my best negotiators to the table with me and we all gonna put our guns on that table and talk some real talk. But we will be at the table talking.

Iran, has some legitimate grievances with the west! We backed a series of puppets, that gave away their resources and oppressed them. Remember the Shah?

Iraq, again, series of puppet brutal strongmen who gave away the resources and oppressed the people. Remember Saddam Hussein?

Chile, we took out their democratically elected leader and backed a coup that put a maniacal puppet in power who oppressed the people. Remember Pinochet?

Cuba, since the start of that nation we've had our hands in it! We took the sugar, cigars and the people. We had a huge slave population there, we made it a casino and a whorehouse backed by a series of puppets who oppressed the people and gave away the peoples resources. Castro..Still there!

Venezuela, Chavez is in power and hostile to us cause we helped ferment a coup that disposed him for six days again, puppets in place. Haiti and Mexico we've had our hands in their pot too long. It's time for a change.

Perhaps we could create some real change in those countries by making sure that their resources actually get to their people. I'm sure clean water, good roads and electricity could change alot of minds about America. Perhaps in Sudan. There is only one airstrip in that entire country.

No, Barack Obama may be the change we need but even more so we need change. Anyone talking about the status quo and wants to maintain it we need to sit them down.

Change or it will be to our detriment!

Be Mindful! Be Careful! Be Prayerful

Jaycee

The TARDIS has Landed!

Calling all Dr. Who fans!

Years ago one of my buds called me and invited me to a Dr. Who party. It wasn't going to be anything special just a bunch of people chilling out watching the complete Dr. Who set on VHS. Now, I'm a Brotha from Compton, CA and the only thing I knew about Dr. Who was that I didn't get it! It was from England and it was well...weird!

It seemed to me the only one's I saw who even watched Dr. Who were these geeky, white, nerd boys and of course I was a cool black dude who read spider man, had no car or girlfriend and listened to Jazz even though the really hot women listened to Al B Sure and Tony, Tone, Toni.

Years later I finally did watch Dr. Who and then I got it!

I got why this show was great! Why it's lasted since 1963!

But of course two people got me to try Dr. Who! The Cyberwoman episode on the Dr. Who spin off Torchwood and Freema Agreman as Dr. Martha Jones with the 10th incarnation of Dr. Who. Fine sistahs!

Oh yeah! But the show was great and it made me go back and watch the previous seasons. I'm still trying to catch up but yeah!

The Doctor is a time lord from Planet Gallifrey travelling the multiverses across time in his ship the TARDIS; Which due to a glitch is permanently frozen in the shape of a British police call box. He chooses various companions who travel with him. I came in on Dr. Martha Jones and Rose Tyler both smart, brave, beautiful and hopelessly hoping to win the Doctor's two hearts!

The stories are interesting. Imagine landing in Pompeii on Volcano day!

Hilarious! But the enemies list is great too. The Cybermen who for you trekkies is like the Borg!

The Daleks, cylinder shaped group of beings, who are beyond conceited. They cry exterminate! To just about anyone who doesn't reach their standards! Wussies!

The Doctor regenerates so there are 10 doctors, each different in looks, voices, age and style but retaining the knowledge of each of the previous doctors. I like David Tennent in the role of the 10th doctor. I especially enjoy seeing the Caribbean and Black British folks that have been on. this makes for interesting TV. The monsters, the villains and Martha Jones.

Give it a try, You tube has all the episodes uploaded. Start with Smith and Jones and go from there!

So, to my man Joel, thanks for inviting me and I'm sorry I didn't attend.

I was wrong and I've grown up so I don't mind being a geeky sci fi nerd so there!

Be Careful! Be Mindful! Be Prayerful!

Jaycee

Dr. Anderson and Senator Goldwater on So Called Conservatives

When someone says they are a con-serve-a-tive you must immediately ask them what are they conserving- Dr. Claud Anderson

Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed. Their mistaken course stems from false notions of equality, ladies and gentlemen. Equality, rightly understood, as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences. Wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads first to conformity and then to despotism. - Senator Barry Goldwater 1964

Celebrating John William Coltrane

I cued up Pharaoh Sanders and Kenny Garrett's duet and listening to Pharaoh I could hear John Coltrane's influence all through it. In fact when I listen to Kenny Garrett he is just like a mini trane on alto and that's just beautiful.

John Coltrane was always practicing, pushing the boundaries and searching. Listen to Alabama and instantly you are teleported there. Oak, Walnut and Magnolia trees, locusts buzzing in the summer heat, long walks on red clay roads. At night I can only imagine what it must have been like to deal with some small minded, small town sheriff, a white citizen council and an active Klan.

Then, you listen to A Love Supreme and it proves that music is spiritual! It enables transcendence! It takes you to that special place that only music can take you.

But, unless you listened to After the Rain at night while it's raining and hold a beautiful woman or be held by a strong, loving dude for you ladies, then you just don't know love songs! Ya just don't!

Happy Birthday John! Om Pad me Om! John! Praise the Lord, Hallelujah John! Thank you for blessing us with your talent!

A Love Supreme!

Mista Jaycee

Dollarhide Passes! First Black Mayor of Compton, CA

Story reprinted courtesy of the Los Angeles Sentinel

Douglas Dollarhide Dies
Written by Yussuf Simmonds, (Asst. Managing Editor), on 07-10-2008

First Black mayor of Compton brought many changes to city
The city of Compton is continuing to pay tribute to Douglas Dollarhide, the first Black mayor and city councilman of Compton who died on June 28 at the age of 85.

The city has ordered that his body lie in state in the Council Chambers at City Hall to allow the citizens to pay final respects to their fallen hero, a man who brought great change during his time as mayor.

In June 1969, Dollarhide was elected mayor after previously serving as the first Black city councilman in Compton for six years. At that time of his inauguration, the city had a population of approximately 65 percent African-American and was the largest city west of the Mississippi to have elected a Black mayor.

Dollarhide was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, in March 1923, the son of a former slave, Thomas V. Dollarhide and Daisy Williams Dollarhide. He joined the army after moving to San Jose, California, in 1940 and served in the “Red Ball Express” battalion in Europe during World War II until 1945. Along with his wife, Eliza, and daughter, Barbara, Dollarhide settled in Los Angeles after the war. He attended Metropolitan Business College, Long Beach City College and received his law degree from La Salle University Law School.

In 1963, he was elected to the Compton City Council serving as chairman of the finance committee and representing the city at the League of California Cities. Then he was elected mayor of the city making history not only as the first Black mayor, but also as the first Black mayor of a major city in California.

During his four years as mayor, there was an exodus of Whites to the suburbs transforming Compton into a predominantly African-American city. It was a bittersweet experience, which resulted in a decline in property. However, it set the tone for a string of Black mayors for the rest of the 20th century that has survived to the present.

Mayor Eric Perrodin, the current mayor of Compton, was lavish in his praise for the man who pioneered the way for him. He said, “All the people in the city of Compton will mourn the passing of Mayor Douglas Dollarhide; he was the first Black mayor of the city of Compton. If it weren’t for him many elected officials such as myself would not be sitting in the seats we are sitting in now.”

“He was a trailblazer for Black politicians and his passing is going to be felt by all—not just by Blacks, but by everyone. He was a good leader in the city of Compton and he inspired many politicians to do what’s right for the citizens,” Perrodin added.

Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, whose political career had just begun when Dollarhide became mayor remembered him this way, “Douglas Dollarhide represented a politics that was very conciliatory. He was very approachable and always willing to help. He was a cultured man and most effective as the mayor of Compton.”

Nathaniel “Nat” Trives, a trailblazer himself who became the first Black mayor of Santa Monica, recalled moments with Dollarhide and others when they shared experiences as “first mayors.”

“As members of NBLEO (National Black Local Elected Officials) organization, I had great respect for him. Back in the days with Tom (Bradley) and Lionel Wilson (first Black mayor of Oakland), we were all in the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Hearing about his death was a great shock and it’s a great loss of one of the pioneer African-American politicians in California,” Trives said.

Food for Thought!

Tonight I posted three videos from You tube, all contain something interesting and important to think about.
Rules to remember when watching.
Ideas are powerful! Be Careful!
Jaycee

I called the Bible, the Poison Book! You wonder why?
You see, poison in the hands of a doctor can cure you!
Poison in the hands of a fool will kill you!
Elijah Muhammed

THE DISENFRANCHISEMENT of AFRICAN AMERICANS

Dr. Claud Anderson. Powernomics
Jaycee

The True Islam #1

From the Showtime series Sleeper Cell. Awesome Series, Listen and learn
Jaycee

Pastor C. Wesley Knight--I Hope You Run Out

Book of John Chapter 4
Jaycee

Satire!....You say? I, say RACIST! Shame On Y'all!

Satire: Noun, A literary work that attacks humans vice or folly through irony, derision or wit. The branch of literature constituting such works. Irony, sarcasm or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly or vice.

Satirize: Verb, To Attack or Ridicule by means of Satire.

Courtesy of the American Heritage College Dictionary

I looked at the current issue of The New Yorker and I am shocked and appalled! A major magazine, respected worldwide puts out such an openly offensive, blatantly racist cover and then claims it was just Satire!

The Kevin and Bean radio show syndicated in Los Angeles pulled a promotional stunt a few years ago taking garden hoes, painting them Black and having people come and get their Black Hoes!

When Black folks called them on that crap, they said "Hey, it was just satire!"

No, Kevin and Bean, it was RACIST, Juvenile, insensitive, low classed , petty, bottom feeding and cruel and monumentally STUPID!

The New Yorker's current stunt is even worse! Kevin and Bean's audience is primarily young, white, college aged, beer drinking frat boys who I dare hope will one day mature and grow out of it! The New Yorker's cover demonstrates what occurs when they don't mature and grow out it!

Shame on The New Yorker! Shame on you for such low class, Racist crap! A Pox on your houses, gentlemen! Like all Judases, Biblical or otherwise, I'm sure you got paid for it!

You knew America is irrational about Obama's cultural and religious upbringing. You knew it and you know that this cover would just play into that fear. I guess you justified it that hey, we just pointed it out and that was the point! Screw that! Shame on You! Even though you've proven that you have none, shame on you!

Obama's a Muslim! No, he's not! He's a Christian, But so what! Praying to the God of Abraham five times a day, Making a pilgrimage to a Holy land at least once in the lifetime, giving alms, making a daily declaration of belief and fasting during a holy month are not bad things! Christians and Jews do it all the time!

Hey, Black folks have been oppressed in this country and are still being oppressed and treated unfairly. Black Anger is not to be taking lightly and disregarded. Black folks have always been loyal and patriotic to a fault even when we should not have been and to dress Michelle Obama as a militant with assault rifle is beyond tastelessness!

There was a big to do about Michelle Obama's comment, that she was proud of being an American for the first time! She, a Harvard educated lawyer, Black from a poor working class family. Worked hard and became the best. All the things that America says they respect! But, because she was honest about her people's history in this country for that moment she got slammed!

I wonder after this will she still be proud of America? I am not! To me, this kind of low class, Fox news, racial pandering is just more the same! It's as normal and natural and American Apple Pie! I'm still waiting for my overjoyed pride in American moment!

I listened to some folks who took a focus group for NPR about the candidates. One participant even though he believed Obama would probably be the better candidate, felt that if he voted for him he would be voting for a Black Agenda. At least he was honest! Most folks aren't but yes that may be there true feelings and you played right upon it! Shame on you!

You stooped to the lowest common denominator, well second lowest, there's FOX but still for you guys, Shame on YOU!

Be Careful! Be Mindful! Be Prayerful!

Jaycee

Judged By the Content of our Character! Another Crock!

I have a dream that one day our children will not be judged by the color or their skin but by the content of their character! Pastor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 1963

Dr. Charles Richard Drew found a way to preserve blood plasma that helped America and the world but he bled to death, a southern medical facilities refusing to treat his injuries from an auto wreak!

Bishop Henry McNeil Turner was elected to the Georgia Legislature during reconstruction only to be betrayed by his own party. The Republicans who in an effort with southern democrats stripped the African American elected officials of their authority and ousted them from congress.

There are hundreds of examples of injustice but none worse than the misuse of Dr. King's quote. It's amazing that we allow it to be so shamelessly abused. White and Black so called conservatives use it ignoring everything else he said in that speech and in his overall ministry.

Everybody didn't grieve when Dr. King was murdered! While he was alive, he was harassed and under FBI surveillance! He was criticized, his efforts on behalf of the poor of this nation were presented as communist!

No! Everyone didn't grieve! Everyone wasn't sorry he was dead! Where were their efforts on behalf of the poor, did they take up his cause even if they didn't agree with his methods! Did they change the FBI's policies towards dissidents in this country? Naw! Did they make a real effort to create jobs and industry in poor and rural areas or did they give welfare instead?

Dr. King was in Memphis working on behalf of striking garbage workers when he was shot! Did they take up the torch of service? Dr. King, was a pastor of a respected church, a degreed professional and could have just stayed in a comfortable life of ministry and academia but he was on the front lines! Content of Character, each of these people Dr. King, Bishop Turner and Dr. Drew proved the content of their character by sharing what was theirs with the world. It's time that America return the favor!

You can start with job training programs in new and up coming industries, drug treatment assistance and a decriminalization of drug abuse and addicts! You can encourage industries to train and hire in the inner cities. Create jobs via Federal programs that rebuild America's infrastructure. There are alot of out of work folks who can build a freeway, a new levee, clear forest bush and plant trees and American would be better for it!

America can forgive student loans completely of those who teach in the inner cities and pay off loans and debts of new doctors and lawyers who devote at least five years in the inner cities to clinics and hospital and pro-bono work!

America, can restore the citizenship of those who have lost it. Remember those folks on Parole, some who can not vote in elections that will decide their futures and their childrens. They should have a say or you doom them to permanent disenfrancisement. Make them someone who's got nothing to gain or lose!

We can do it! That would show the content of our character!

Be Mindful! Be Careful! Be Prayerful!

Jaycee

What about the Poor?

They gave the Wealthy two tax breaks! They gave the poor a tax increase!

Lower Representation and Increased Taxation!

Higher tuition fees, Higher gas and energy prices, high food prices! Higher rents and higher homeowners fees! Stagnant wages!

The Rich got Richer and the Poor got the shaft! - Jaycee

Sen. Jesse Helms died on the 4th and my spiritual upbringing and current spiritual practices and beliefs would not allow me to dance and sing songs and burn incenses and fireworks! Darn, spiritual upbringing! Jesse Helms passed on the 4th and let that be the only thing Jaycee Williams ever noted on that subject.

This week the FISA telecom immunity bill passed! As I stated in an earlier post, we are being conned! The Democrats did not resist this policy! Obama, stated in earlier speeches that he would filibuster any effort to give telecommunications companies retroactive immunity for helping the Bush goverment illegially spy on us. He led no such effort! In fact Bam-Bam, voted for it! So much, for the constitution and protection from unreasonable search and seizure! Fourth amendment!

Speaker Pelosi, when faced with Kucinich's second impeachment proposal stated that she would consider it. Wow! What's changed? Why now? Could it be that the voters are angry and disappointed in your leadership? The troops have not been brought home barring war injuries or death. There is no time table for withdrawal! What's changed Nancy? What's changed?

In my May 7th post, I stated that no one except Sen. John Edwards was speaking on behalf of the poor and the working poor. No other candidate was doing that then and no other candidate is doing that now. Obama and McCain are speaking only on the wealthy and the middle class. The middle class as I said then is a nebulous term because it does not actually define its meaning in a concrete form. Most people who claim to be middle class are in fact poor or working poor!

They are using this incorrect and nebulous catch all term and getting fooled! When politicians speak of the middle class, they are speaking of couples who make 200 k or more a year, are educated professionals, and are property owners and investors. If you are not making that then they are not talking about you! And don't fool yourself with terms like lower middle class, upper middle class, catch all, feel good, nebulous terms that can be applied to anyone willing to take the label. Social values and religious mores do not make you middle class! Well behaved and responsible citizens maybe but not middle class! Politicians are happy not to define the meaning of middle class. They fool the poor with this feel good term but their policies benefit everyone except the poor.

So who is speaking for the poor and working poor? The gap between the Wealthy, Rich, Poor and Working poor is widening further and further everyday. People are losing their homes, Jobs are going overseas, factories are closing and infrastructure is falling down. Home loans are being defaulted and the government is talking bailout that the tax payers will have to foot.

I'm sorry but I gotta talk real. A loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, a jar of peanut butter and a dozen eggs can not be purchased for twenty dollars at the local supermarket. Twenty dollars will not fill your gas tank. Electricity and Natural gas prices are up and why? Some say it's the oil speculators, some say it's because we are running out of oil. Could be but Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and BP Oil are hiring right now not downsizing or cutting back so if they are growing and expanding while state and local governments are slashing their staffs and budgets then something don't add up!

These same oil companies and the politicians that they pay to represent them all say we should drill in all these places that have been off limits for years but that they are always trying to gain access to in order to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Con! Ask any mining town that allowed big business to come in, set up shop, drill, mine, explode or whatever how their town or land and local economies look now? How much useless land was left, how many health problems are they still dealing with? How many folks can get jobs there now that the steel, coal, chromium, oil or uranium is gone?

The Energy industry is out for itself and itself alone. It's not about nationalism or patriotism at all! If it were then we would have very different language being used like real conservation, nationalized price controls, tax breaks for the working poor on energy and rebates, and tax breaks for auto manufacturers that buy back vehicles like the Expedition and the Hummer and recycle them into new smaller cars with great gas mileage. How about 45 MPG? How about bringing back those wonderful electric vehicles that were only lease able a few years ago?

How about enforcing federal mandates against large publicly traded companies like MTA who have judgements against them for reducing the number of bus routes and buses in large metropolitan areas that serve the working poor and the poor. Oh, there are other solutions! But of course we are not hearing them from the congress, the senate, Obama or Mccain! We are being conned!

I am so disappointed in Bam-Bam and Old-cain as well. Bam-Bam is moving towards the center which was already skewed too much too the right and Old-Mac has just sold out whatever principles he espoused for the past thirty some odd years. Who suffers for that?

Oooh Oooh! I know! We do!

Be Careful! Be Mindful! Be Prayerful!

Jaycee