VAN JONES ON MY MIND, DAMMIT

I triple dog dare 45 to attend a funeral for nine (yes nine) victims of a race-driven mass murder inside a Charleston, South Carolina church. I want him to stand at the pulpit of Mother Emmanuel and speak from his heart to a child or wife or sister wrapped in misery. I dare 45 to speak from his heart about a Mosque being fire-bombed or two innocent Indian people being terrorized for being from another country or a Jewish cemetery being vandalized .... 

Then, after speaking from his heart, I wanna feel 45 so moved to solo on an acapella opening of Amazing Grace. I want a deacon, also moved by the spirit, to get his back and exhort, "take yo' time" ... as the entire congregation stands and sings in unison. Then, and ONLY then, can we can talk about the first two vocabulary letters in the word, "Presidential."

Rather than analyze the content of 45's TelePrompTer lip sync, Van Jones got caught up in theatrics and (of) low expectations. Wrong on so many levels. Reading is NOT an accomplishment and every line is not an applause line. How could one person not shout, "YOU LIE!"? - Mark Lassiter

WHEN THE BOOGIEMAN COMES IN THE DARK

Here is the issue with people complaining, advertising negative comments and memes on the Internet or just airing their frustrations about Trumps' Cabinet appointments ..... if you ask people the questions, WHAT IS A PRESIDENTIAL CABINET ... they can't tell you. If you ask, WHAT ARE THE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR EACH CABINET POSITION .... that they don't know. And if you ask, WHO ARE THE CURRENT CABINET MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES .... again you will get a blank stare. You can't call yourself a "concerned American citizen" if your existence is founded in ignorance. If anything, you are more dangerous to Progress if you are. This and many other examples is evidence of a National HANDS OFF approach to Politics in the United States practiced for decades. How this past campaign and election season did more in exposing a Nation's collective ignorance than any other time in history. The true winner of this past Presidential election wasn't Donald Trump, it was The Boogieman. We might think everything that Donald Trump represents is the end of life as we know it but the truth is, we are at the midnight hour and hearing every noise and seeing every shadow as the THING COMING TO GET US; scared to look in the closet, under the bed or look out of the window. A Nation is still covering its head and cowering in its complacency. 

Fear was what was rammed into the American consciousness on a Global Level regarding Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and even in the side sequel of Bernie Sanders for his misrepresentation of being a Communist. And in place of confidence and the courage to face our manufactured "Fear", collectively we are screaming for someone to come turn on the lights to chase away a darkness that has always existed (in America) and will always be that other half that is in our closet that will never go away" In a good Horror Show, only the smart one's survive. Everyone else is ripe for slaughter and consumption. Stop being sheep and become the wolf in your Political and Civil Awareness. Just as your parent told you as a child, "There is no such thing as The Boogieman.

This is Truth. 

THE BALLOT AND THE BULLET

 So ... here I am standing in front of my ballot and thinking ... I never heard any Plans or details throughout the whole campaign. I still don't know what Hillary's plans are for our involvement in the Middle East, economic and fiscal issues with China, Great Britain, Israel, Cuba, the Congo and other military spots involved within Africa, the re-structuring of education, tax cuts and or increases, she stated she wasn't for ObamaCare, then she was for it and then she is all about re-structuring it ... still don't know the details. I haven't heard anything about Wall Street's role in giving back the rest of the funds (all the ill gained interest) from the bailout, I haven't heard anything about the continued investigations and lawsuits from the people/banks that orchestrated the crash, we already know how she feels about Land Rights and Treaties broken and thus dishonored the Native Peoples but what about Puerto Rico? What about Haiti? " I heard the "apology" for her role in Mass Incarceration but what about her plan to undo the damage? I already know that reparations will never be on the table for discussion.

What about those Drones where over 80% of the people killed are innocent civilians; men, women, children and the sick and elderly that couldn't and can't move? What is her jobs plan besides piggybacking on Obama's plan (obstructed for years) which is to create MORE Government Jobs? Didn't we see how disastrous that was during the 1990's. What was her Private Sector Plan? I am not even going to ask about Trump because he has no Plan just that it will be a "Great Plan" and Publicly

stated he is going to "wing the Presidency" with statements like "What do you have to loose?". Now that we have seen all the hate seeded and nurtured during this campaign, I heard no statement on how to deal with it outside platitudes. Is there even Plan?

Throughout this whole campaign, the only two people whom addressed NATIONAL PLANS and DOCTRINES where Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein. Not one candidate GOP or DEM even made a statement or a plan on what they want to accomplish in detail for the United States. Not one New Deal or an Old Deal. Even Trump has fallen flat and he is suppose to be the "DEAL MAKER". They all spoke in generalities and cliche but none had PLANS. Am I to assume that we are to do "more of the same", because the same is what and how we got here. I am not feeling it. I am not comfortable. Maybe, as Malcolm X stated, "We are chumps". And while I am on the subject ..... WHO THE F@&#$ ARE THESE OTHER MOFO's ON THE BALLOT !!! I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THIS BEGGIN' CONGRESSMAN, SENATOR, JUDGE, LOCAL BOARD, NONE OF THESE @#%$-ASS MOFO'S ARE. THEY DIDN'T CAMPAIGN, WALK MY STREET, NO FLYERS, MAIL BOX STUFFING, NO SNAGGLE-TOOTH T-SHIRT WEARING POLLSTER TRYING TO GET ME TO LOOK AT THEM SERIOUSLY OR A CHEAP ASS POLITICAL AD ..... AND YOU ALL PROPPED YOUR POLITICALLY RATCHET ASS RIGHT UNDER HILLARY CLINTON .... ??? WHERE IS MY #@&%'n WRITE-IN BALLOT ?!?!?!?! "

WHAT THE REPARATIONS ... WTR !!!

It doesn't matter if Obama believes in reparations or not, no President of the United States has and this includes the current candidates running for POTUS; Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. What matters is do Black folk believe in it and the collective actions and work to make it a reality. Jews have done this and are continuing to build their collective wealth with reparations. Those whom have acquired it in the past are working towards expanding access to all avenue of restitution and appeasement for past wrongs. Blacks have yet to build an effective coalition to address reparations within the United States and globally, each Black community is working independently to build its own and unique base of operation on the issues centering on reparations for past wrongs. As for a myopic approach to the subject within the United States,  nothing has effectively been done in a collective to make the demand to make CONGRESS address this. Ultimately it is Congress that approves Reparations and into Law, not the President. Also, we have to be honest with ourselves as a Nation, Black folk NEVER officially asked President Obama to push for reparations. He was personally asked IF he believed in it. In all the 8 years of his term in office, no organization challenged Obama, in debate, in Congress, the Supreme Court, Wall Street or even Church and Religious institutions during the past 8 years and the only candidate that had addressed the question politically of reparations was Bernie Sanders whom Black folk raked across hot coals for his answer and yet gave Hillary a pass.

The fault isn't Obama's on the subject of Reparations, it is the lack of effort or seriousness of the Black Collective. If you are going to complain about it, fine. If you don't follow up with actions (and I have been hearing this complain for years) one would assume you don't really want it that bad. AGAIN ... President Obama isn't the first nor is he or ever will be responsible for making it a reality, especially since he is well out of Office. Reparations is the Peoples' responsibility. This idea that Obama was to sit in office and do all the things that Black peoples wanted and or expected is the

problem with Politics; the Brand Recognition of Politics, Name Support and Group Think Politics. If you go back and examine past complaints and arguments on reparation ineptitude in Congress, Black folk forget that the Congressional Black Caucus should be that one significant group whose sole purpose it to get this issue done. No other purpose should matter until this is resolved in Congress. I made it clear that CONGRESS is responsible for Reparations; The Legislative Branch. Congress is the purse holder and gatekeeper of funds regulated for reparations. Congress controls the Presidents budget. So to ask and or demand that President Obama makes Congress release whatever backing for reparations not only is misdirected but it falters within reality that we have in this country Three Branches of Government meant solely as a Checks and Balance of Powers. Even if Obama agreed with Reparations (and to this day Blacks have collectively not defined what that would be) he couldn't even begin to make Congress address it when he couldn't even pass an effective JOBS BILL for nearly 6 years of his 8 years in the White House.

It doesn't matter WHO is in our corner as President, its the reality that only CONGRESS has to be. If Congress isn't on-aboard on all levels, then we are just talking to air. Also, the Jewish people have systematically infused their Reparations Agenda Internationally. In the US, we don't even have a local branch. So again .... misdirected anger when the problem is ourselves for not creating a Collective to address this towards the right people and placing direct pressure on president Obama to make it so.

Understand too, you need to get all 50 States (or at least 2/3 of them) to agree on reparations (in whatever form agreed upon) before it even gets to a President. And even if 2/3 agree, you still will have a strong contingency of lobbies and organizations, social groups, politicians and activist that will block and fights to prevent it. You will even have a team of "Coon and Cosigning" Black folk that will publicly advocate against it, many being wealthy and converted Black folk to the causes of the Anti-Reperationist. Eventually the decision will end up before the Supreme Court before any President can sign it into law. The best Obama can do it create a dialogue which he pretty much did briefly with his answer of non-support. It was "our" responsibility as Black folk to take him to task ... PUBLICLY for that answer and make him change his mind. Which we didn't.

THE STOP WATCH IS AT 15 SECONDS

"15 Seconds Before The Wake-up Call" This is when (some) Black folk are just waking up to learn that they've missed the opportunities presented to them because they were sleeping for 7yrs. Others are going to sleep until the last second and then the few left over will wake-up 15 seconds after that and will be LATE altogether.

At this point, any criticism of the President and First Lady is moot. Their job is done. The two have done everything that they can and were allowed to do, with and without the support of the (Black) people. The psychological reality is that America will soon go back to its traditional Social, Economic, Racial, Spiritual and Judicial business of the Pre-Obama era and Post-Black influence within the White House, the result will shock the National senses. A near decade of Hope to soon become a new decade of crust in waking eyes asking the question, "What did I miss?" The last time this type of national cultural/psychological energy occurred was in the 10 year transition from the Civil Rights era of the late 60's early 70's to 1982 (the post-Carter to Regan years). Alfonzo Rachel is only capitalizing on the building fear/disconnect of an Obama-less World and like others, the social commentary rants will become the new trend as we count down the last seconds of President Obama's term. Picking and collecting gripes for these people has more to do with self-criticism and a lack of accomplishment of not doing during the Obama's Presidency than Barak Obama himself. Life and History coming full circle, these type of videos/criticisms are exactly like the videos/criticisms that were thrown at both the President and First Lady when Obama first announced he was going to run for POTUS. Taking a page from a previous article published (DON'T PUT WORDS IN MICHELLE'S MOUTH - Feb. 20, 2008) this is just more of the same posturing for relevance as we move into a Post-Obama World where careers were made and broken because of it.

Alfonzo Rachel, like many others have made a living, or an Internet liking, for condemning Black folk on their lack of action within the politics of America, lack of influence, progress, the limited fundamental shifts needed to bring the "Hope" and "Change" proposed by President Obama. The easy and more sensational aspect of his and many others (i.e Byron Allen) career is based upon "pointing fingers", inflated theories of the extreme attitudes of the Boule and Niggaism. Using common script

and language of modern media to expound on the insignificant, Alfonzo Rachel doesn't touch on the very basics of why Black folk have and will miss the mark come the "zero count". At no real point did African-Americans collectively move beyond the pulling of the "voting lever" and moved beyond the first lesson of Voting 101, which was to hold those voted for ACCOUNTABLE after the vote. Nowhere and no one among the many Pundits, Social and Civil leadership or even the handful of Black Super Rich made the charge simple and clear that voting was the easy part, what was needed next was in chapter two of the book of VOTING 101. Those that did the homework had and are passing (i.e. Womens Rights, Gay Rights, Immigrant Rights, Tea Party Rights, Senior Citizen Rights, Gun Rights, Animal Rights). Those that thought they were moving beyond this point, were just researching on why they weren't and thus avoided the true test altogether; being Active.

Michelle Obama and her Commencement Address was very insignificant to the overall Big Picture. This is the real truth Alfonzo was using in distracting his many YouTube followers from. It is not about Michelle Obama. It never was. Its about Alfonzo Rachel's lack of real and authentic contributions to Black America since 2008 and his report card results come 2016. Funny. He actually quoted an African-American Elder scholar about this very same thing. The only problem was, instead of using it against Michelle Obama, the words were actually meant for him.

I HAVE A NEW HERO

Every now-and-then I get excited when I see, hear or read about someone, just anyone that stands up and say, "I'm not taking your &$#@ anymore!" A person that gives it back righteously and no matter how big, how powerful or entitled their aggressor is, that one person casts a shadow over them and puts fear and shame to them. Do that, just once, and you are my HERO OF THE DAY.

Well today, Dylan Ratigan, you got your official hero gear, cape and all. You did what I want all other News casters to do on the hair. You weren't commercially interrupted, no one dared to challenge you, you got your point across and you didn't care. Even with the Peanut Gallery you sat across from. You even gave it to the watching audience and every political pundit and pseudo-analyst out there collecting a BS paycheck for pushing the same weak agenda day-after-day, week-after-week, year-after-year, decade for decade.  Dylan didn't give the choice of a "blue pill or red pill", he straight up just said, "Open up and take it!" He didn't want to hear a comment back once he said what he did. He didn't want applauds or adulation and you didn't dare. It was the tongue thrashing one would get for braking the lamp in the living room after being told "no ball playing in the house". To even try to defend yourself would have been suicide. Even more so, you'd come off the idiot because you wouldn't know where to start with justifying MADNESS. Simply said, you had no choice but to say, "You are right Dylan." The facts were on the table, in your face, names were named and dates drawn on calendars. Clearly Dylan said, "You are busted and it's broadcasted live, now come for me."

Of course MSNBC will have some kind of follow up for stepping "OUT OF LINE". From the top brass, there will be some lecture or proposal for a time-out session and the executive corner. Maybe a warning for his OVERTLY PASSIONATE or ALMOST OVERTLY AGGRESSIVE manner. Maybe make note how the people working in the background couldn't do their work (a matter which is somewhat dumb because the idea of doing a live show in an open office setting is bizarre and trifle) or even better, "Dylan, you intimated the two female pundits and that constituted sexual harassment."  You know something is going to jump off. You just can't expose the under belly of the dragon showing its weak spot; that missing scale which exposes its heart. But regardless of the end results, Dylan put it out there and it was GOOD!!

You are my hero and I don't have a problem with how much damage you needed to do to get the job done because damage is what this system needs. Its not functional and you told us the who, whats, when, where and hows about the villains and masterminds behind the plan to take over the World. Now all we need is a Justice League or at least The Avengers once its all said to be done.

MENTAL VACATIONS - GOOD FOR ME

I have been off my personal GAME for a minute and I needed to get back to my online friends and start blogging. I know you have missed me but to be honest, I had lost my focus a bit and it was beginning to scare me. The past year was a bit stressfull with issues of sex, money and time; the CURSE of any relationship “personal” or “committal”. You know how that can be when you concentrate on one, at the expense of the other two. And the feedback you suffer when you try to balance out the other, that chain reaction of combustible energy build, overflow and eventually explode takes so much out of you. In my case, my creative energy was pretty much F*%#'ed.

I exploded and spent the last few months in deep recovery.

So what happened?

Well I did what a wise woman told me one day. “When you find yourself lost or off your Path, go back to the point where you got distracted and start over again.”

And that is what I did; I reconnected with some friends I haven’t spoken to in YEARS. I literally did a hardcore search for some. I Google, MapQuest, Reunion.com and broke out all address books to see if numbers and addresses were still the same. It was amazing how a voice from 10, 15 and 20 years ago can fill you will an energy you through lost by time.

That time of reflection, nostalgia and melancholy may sound like crap but to someone who felt that he lost his Mojo, it was the medicine of LIFE. The relationship that I had ended took more out of me than I wanted to admit. The drain from that not only affected my views about relationships (mine personally since I will always be an advocate of good and strong monogamous relationships) but on a serious subconscious level, it played havoc on my health. My spiritual was broken and I needed healing. Once I decided that I didn’t need a bunch of Hymns and Handclaps, Off-key Divas and reminders of Fire and Brimstone wasn’t going to be key, no lectures or Self Help manual, no Ancestor from the Past or Dime Store Saint selling Lucky Charms couldn’t help, I decided to put on the Nikes and did some serious ME TIME with a walk. I walked a lot. I MEAN A LOT. I got rid of the camera and the music, the backpack and all other distractions and walked the boroughs of New York City, its parks, special events and watched the People. I watched it all in its pure Beauty and deep down Dirt. And then I did the most astounding thing …. I didn’t try to make sense out of any of it. I watched it all like a Non-caring Man stepping on a colony of ants in the middle of a road. In essence I just shut down the WHY side of my brain and let it just Be. My eyes became a camera for the World, my mental and spiritual Black and White Documentary on “What is.” I even turned off the television. No CNN, CSPAN, FOX or MSNBC. It was a total blackout of Jerry-cultured information. I planned quite in my head and allowed that emptiness to set and prepare for the flood of information that was coming like a weak damn before the storm when I turned my mind back on.

Ladies and Gentlemen, that was my summer. My mind was on vacation and my body was on auto-pilot. I became that American in this New America, the other America that had replaced what once made sense.

Now don’t get me wrong, I was still active in my daily life, I still participated in my community events and seminars but I took a more passive backseat stance. No speaking or galvanizing of the troops. I just sat back in my Mrs. Daisy ride and talked to the driver who took me where I wanted to go which was often called a place call "Anywhere".

With all the energy invested in the election, the Clintons vs. the Obamas vs. the McCains, it didn’t matter because in the end, we all know how it is going to end. So like in arguing …. I mean debating, with a fool, sometimes it’s best to just LET IT GO.

Now I wait. Wait until the truth comes to the surface and allow for that little bit of feeling to flow into the void I created in my mind to plant its seed that I need to get back my focus; my Mojo. And I am OK with that.

THERE GOES THAT CHURCH AGAIN

You know, I am hard on comedians that cross the line. Since the question is always, “Who determines the line and where is it placed for crossing?” is as much a matter of personal opinion as beauty is for a Mother pretending her ugly baby is cute. Now that was supposed to be funny but for those Mothers out there with ugly babies, its personal and I am sorry.


You see, for saying something like that, and “Me” not being a comedian, I’d have to apologize for offending people with slighted feelings. As much as some people would think that was funny (and some of you are still laughing) it isn’t right to place judgment on people. Call it Karma, call it respect, call it the uniqueness and variety that make up Humanity, you often get back whatever energy that you put out in the Universe although I have yet to see many comedians get back in “spades” what they put out there for laughter – unless you are Flava Flav. Again, that was a joke.

So what’s the big deal about what is funny? Some would say to do that you need to have a license to be funny, a track record for knowing when and what to say or "timing", a PhD in the area of the Punch line, a working knowledge in being quick on your feet. Like the thousands of people who audition for American Idol each year, we get to look at them all and shake our heads and say, “Oh no she didn’t just sing that? Why?”

We get hit hard with the “Slippage of the Lippage” (I just made that up so you all better pay me if you try to use is as a new catch phrase like Billery or Bradjolina) and when Non-Comedians try to be funny (i.e. politicians or your drunk Uncle Tommy) the results can be often damaging. We all remember the "Macaca" scandal by ex-Senator George Allen of Virginia and his bid to be “funny”. His attempt cost him his seat in Washington DC and opened the door for a relatively unknown competitor to waltz into a relatively easy win.

Even comedians can “cross the line” of Political Correctness. Cross it so far that even fellow comedians can distance himself or herself in a “HOT OBAMA REV. WRIGHT MINUTE” (again another joke). Last I heard, Michael Richard, the fallen from grace comedian famous for his role as “Cosmo Kramer” on Seinfeld, is now sitting on top of mountains calling on his Higher Power to get his “chi” back because somewhere between being funny and calling a room full of Black folk the “N-word”, he lost his MIND. And let us not forget the “Nappy-Headed Hos" and "Jiggaboo” comments from Don Imus. Although this was washed over the media as the sensation for the moment, the hurt still lingers in the halls of funny enough to see that the numbers of those that aren’t laughing are more than those laughing. In a Blog posting entitled “Punk Ass Damon Wayans”, I talked about how in his bid to be funny on the couch of The View, Damon Wayans evoked the Nappy Headed Hos comment and tried to justify its validity as a piece of Creative Comedy on a Daytime Talk Show created by a Woman, for Women and hosted by Women. With the couch shared by three other Comedians, his ability to escape intact was a miracle at best, BUT what was most important was that in his comments, there was no TRUTH to his justification. His time spent on the couch only came off as a desperate need to make a few dozen people begin a chain of uncomfortable giggles thus giving room and validation for others to follow in concert.

“It has been historically noted that the Fool, the Trickster, the Jester and other similar characters were always walking the line of social and political correctness. Even today we honor the kid that can make us laugh as the Class Clown. And that’s who comedians are, Clowns; people who wear masks to hide the truthfulness of both their humanity and ours. And in our laughter he subconsciously laughs at our strengths and weakness, the beauty and our ugliness. BUT you have to be funny with an underlying message to elevate society because that is ‘ART’.” – The Poet: Shazza Blog (November 23, 2007)

We now go back to the “Whats” of funny/satire vs. offensive/politically incorrect in society. It is safe to say that America, as a culture, allows comedy to dance on the line of acceptability and once you begin peeling back a few layers, deep within the cultures, funny is considered a “Blank Thang” with each ethnic group filling in the “blank”.

The cable channel Comedy Central has an array of ethnically diverse comedians that universally are accepted by everyone. You rarely, if ever, hear people say they do not like a comedian because they are a particular "Race" but more so because they are either Funny or Not. I would almost place bets that Comedy Central is the MOST ETHNICALLY DIVERSE NETWORK CHANNEL in existence for its purpose. You have Black, White, Asian, Latino, Native American, Old, Young, Men, Women, Blind, Handicap, Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Overweight, Overly Thin, The Beautiful, The Visually Challenged, Arab, German, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, The Political, The Anarchist, Red Necks, Rated G to Rated PG R and all making fun of you and all the socio-political groups that exist. Actually it is prerequisite to make fun of yourself before others. It’s in the "Official Rule Book of Comedians"; “Thou Shall Make Fun of No Man or Woman Before Not Making Fun of Thine Self.” So when you have a comedian come on stage ranting about others without first talking about themselves, we get a since of uneasiness and eventually reserve our laughter for someone a little more talented since this BUSTER is a HATER. And even with bad comics, there is always that “Shield of Anonymity” that protects the comedian from being called a Terrorist, Anarchist, Ex-Patriot, Racist, Sexist or any host of Anti-American sentiments.

“You see when you consider yourself an “Artist” you create for yourself a ‘Shield of Anonymity’. You pull this infamous philosophy provided by the Constitution and its FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Sadly to say, the Racist of our nation do it equivalently and or in worst degrees practicing the same rhetoric.” – The Poet: Shazza Blog (November 23, 2007)

So here we are again with Rev. Jeremiah Wright back in the spotlightt although not as front and center as we’d like. This time, the Man with the satire in question is another GUEST speaker of Trinity United Church of Christ, Father Michael Pfleger. Now I will be honest, I don’t know a thing about the man so I can’t promote myself to a place high enough to throw stones BUT I will say this much, from what I know and saw (in the sound bytes flooding the media like a monsoon in the Pacific Ocean) HE IS FUNNY. He’s funny because it’s a BLACK THANG and I wouldn’t expect Non-Black Folks (maybe some Brown Folk) to get it.

“I won't lie, I watched the Father Pfleger and found it funny, almost MAD TV/In Livin' Color funny but I will also be honest and say what Rev. Michael Pfleger preached (is) what and how BLACK FOLK think and talk behind closed doors everyday about this election so for Black people to be up in arms and pointing fingers at the MEDIA, we all need to OWN UP and Keep It Real. The way Black folk talked, voted, turned on Black politicians, Super Delegates, Tavis Smiley, Julian Bond and many others we need to watch out for all those stones we are dropping in the Glass House.” – The Poet: Shazza on Jack and Jill Politics (The Obamas Leave Trinity)

The reality of those not culturally connected to the stage in which Father Michael Pfleger spoke on would easily sit “stone faced” and “pruned” over the comments while Black folk laughed, bounce and cried tears of uncontrolled laughter on par with a SANDMAN SHUFFLE off the stages of the Apollo Theater. Most of America isn’t remotely knowledgeable of the going ons of what takes place within a Black Church and will not get the Theatric component. "Fair or Fierce", Black Churches sway, swoon, dance, cry, become inspired, laugh and yes, have opinions about Politics and Politicians. STRONG opinions. Black Churches can be ruthless in its HONESTY because it is the only place where Truth (regardless of one’s spiritual perspective) can be spoken without condemnation. The Church can allow for personal emotions as well as opinions to wear on one's sleeve for an entire community to share. Or so we (Obama) thought. Knowing all of this, we still have to ask the question, why was Father Pfleger funny?

If all the World’s a stage, then for Black folk that stage represents the Church; which for its people is the center of the Universe. What happens in the World and beyond is explained clearly and colorfully every Sunday on this stage. So why was Father Pfleger funny? Because on the Black Church stage, he had a license to BE funny. It is part of the formula which Black folk have embraced. For Black folk, it is human to laugh just as much as it is to sing and dance and cry and love and the whole range of human experiences held together with prayer. Some may find it difficult and even a bit alien to be part of a church that does not sit quietly and reflect but Black folk are active participants during Sunday services. Outsiders may think that Father Pfleger was pandering to the members of Trinity BUT he actually part of the norm of its expectations. As this Nation changes (really as it begins to open a book and or get over its “fear” of avoiding dialogue with people different from his or herself) you will find that the Black Church is traditionally NOT A QUIET PLACE or a place to wear masks.

I have watched as Jay Leno, David Letterman, The Daily Show, Dennis Miller, The Colbert Show, Jimmy Kimmel and others have begun their shows, dedicated whole monologues to ridicule Politicians more so Bill and Hillary Clinton for more than 20 years. Some have “crossed the line” of good taste and other jokes that are timelessly hilarious. The difference is that as a Religious figure, you are not suppose to be licensed to be funny, at NO ONE TIME EVER. Even if within the comedy, there is truth, it is taboo to place it, state it, do it from the pulpit. Not for the Black Church. Here, you use whatever tools needed to get the message of Truth out. If laughter bring you close to your truth, than so be it, you use it like a tool for building the gateway to the Lord. To ignore a sense of humor is a bold example for ignoring the grand design of human expression because even GOD has a sense of humor.

Am I saying what Father Michael Pfleger said was right? Well being me, and my political and social views on People of Color in America, I plead the FIFTH, but for being funny I would have been in the mix of laughing patrons. NOW if he was in any other church, speaking before a college graduation or at a Political rally my option would change but in the Black Church … I’m not so offended. I actually would like to have had an encore performance though, possibly with John McCain, George Bush, Condoleezza Rice or anyone with embedded rhetoric needing to get “Churched” on Sunday.

THE WILLIAMS EFFECTS

Over the past few days I watched the longest playing political sitcom nearing the end of its second season. Why do I say this? Well May and June is when all the other Television Shows end their seasons and the way the Democrats are playing out their scripts, the Season Finale should end pretty much around the same time LOST leaves the American people in the same state. Some time around September or October when the NEW SEASON re-airs, the Cliffhanger that is “WHO WILL BE THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE will be the new storyline that the American people will follow, with new characters (since Romney, Guliani, Bill Clinton, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Anne Colter and if we are lucky Rush Limbaugh will be written out like poorly written Soap Opera sub-plots) and NEW players will surface to bring about new Dramas and Laughs to boost the ratings. So until then we will watch a Summer of Sports and that sport of choice for me will be TENNIS.

As a youth, my parents encouraged me to participate in sports. I played some of every MASCULINE DRIVEN sports; Football, Basketball, Baseball, Wrestling, Volleyball, Swimming, Track and Field and for a short time Tennis. Tennis didn’t stick but for that short period of time, I learned one thing, I didn’t like playing the sport but loved watching it. Years later I chose the sport I liked most and excelled at it well into and after my college years. As the years continued, I learned by working in youth sports, to enjoy watching kids try and find themselves through their experiences in sports. In the 1990’s I had a few youth players enter into an Annual Summer Youth competition where our elite Tennis players were up against a group of players from California. I was to soon learn that our BEST PLAYERS got WALKED ALL UP THEIR BACKS AND NECKS WITH COMPTON HEELS by two little girls with the last name’s of WILLIAMS. That was the first time I witnessed the talents of Serena and Venus Williams.

The best part about my time working with youth and sports is that many on the Premium Players then that survived their Inner City circumstances, are now some of the most visible leaders in their field and seeing the Williams Sisters grow into World Recognizable Status makes a person proud.

So when Venus came of age, the Tennis World couldn’t wait. Being unorthodox in her training and experience she started out shaky and so did her Critics. There wasn’t a kind word at all about her abilities. The comments that came with Venus Williams’ arrival to the Sport of tennis were Racist (especially since the Tennis Association WAS and elitist Sport to begin with). I followed the media; I collected and taped everything Venus Williams. I even had a storage boxes and file cabinets of articles, newspapers and magazines of everything written which in the late 90’s was pretty much all anti-WILLIAMS which detailed her inability to WIN the big ones. Then Serena came along and that only heightened the negative press. For a time I followed USA Today’s forum on Women’s Tennis and in my experience, the International Community had nothing but NEGATIVE comments as well. I mean they were NASTY. For every one posting, there were 25 NASTY comments with only HIGH PRAISE for people like Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati and Anna Kournikova. To the World and America, those Women were the darlings and future of TENNIS. To their surprise and America’s, THE WILLIAMS in a short period of time crushed and forced that same NEGATIVE World to Recognize that they were in Tennis to win it, and Venus and Serena Williams WON IT ALL for several years straight.

So once the two sisters got into their stride, there was A CHANGE in the whole game of tennis. People began to notice the SPORT. Sponsors wanted to be apart of the game, fashion, soft drink companies, cosmetics, McDonalds and Hollywood. Then there were the MILLIONS of dollars that came rushing in like the rains of NOAH. The Tennis Association embraced these "two little ashy kneed, Ghetto playing, Compton plastic bead wearing, Amazon darlings of the TENNIS WORLD". The Naysayers had to eat crow and apologized or grudgingly learned to accept the fact that DIFFERENT wasn’t DEFICIENT and these girls were SERIOUS and could PLAY. There style of play so GREAT that it lifted the level of PLAY across the board on both the Women’s and the Men’s side of the game. This all may be HISTORY to some but it isn’t where I want to go with this story, what I want to do is concentrate on the RELATIONSHIP of the Sisters themselves.

By 1999 America now had two viable Champions that they could stand behind to represent the very best that a country had to offer, “even if they were BLACK”. Their consistency took the country into a ZONE that it could not wake up from. No matter what you though about the Sisters, the FATHER or the family background, Tennis, America, Whites and Blacks knew they had champions, even when they HAD to play each other. And there developed a slight problem. The Sisters were so GOOD that the only people capable of beating them were themselves. As such, AMERICA and the TENNIS WORLD had to decide whom they liked BEST.

SOUNDS FAMILIAR??

Last Tuesday I wanted to make this my Blog topic of the day but my act of Civil Disobedience delayed it. The Political Battles of Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama continued with a 1 to 1 win, Hillary winning Indiana and Obama taking North Carolina. Surprise or no surprise, each won the states they were suppose to win. As they say, a win is a win. Much like tennis, if you take the way the Williams Sisters play, you know from the beginning, they were going to MOP the floor with the chicks on the field and then up the playing once they got to the higher tier players. We knew that once the higher tier players were put away, in the finals you had Venus on one side and Serena on the other. Once that happened AMERICA HAD TO DECIDE. It wasn’t as simple as, “Oh I am just happy that they both made it to the finals because they will both be winners.” NO DAMN IT! Someone has to win and someone had to loose.

The Williams came from the same PARTY, my bad, the same FAMILY. Both are strong players, same talents, same background, the same opportunities but once one looks deeper, there is that one thing that makes a person PULL for one sister over the other. For me, Venus is my choice. She was the first to emerge, the oldest, the more controlled, her goals were loftier, her talents mostly from hard work and dedication and not natural ability unlike Serena, who is a NATURAL TENNIS PLAYER and even by her family’s acknowledgement, is the BETTER PLAYER. You see, I am an Underdog lover and Venus Williams is the Underdog when comparing the two.

Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama, right now are a product of THE WILLIAMS EFFECT. The two are so evenly matched and loved that now the two are meeting at Center Court for the Finals of the GRAND SLAM and America is forced to take a side. Even though in the end, the PEOPLE will be satisfied with the Winner, both will benefit in the end. You might ask how? Lets take a look at political benefits of these two if either accepts the Second Place trophy.

Hillary Clinton is the consummate politician. There is no one on the Political landscape, media, or grassroots can say that Hillary Clinton don't know Politics and the tools to become a good one. You don’t become a leading Presidential candidate on a whim nor do you become a person that is a catalyst in a Political movement that can and has ignited a Nation and a World to pay attention to every word and step you take unless you have the ability to command that attention and or respect. In a short time being active in politics and the history being politically behind and in the forefront as an established influence, as Senator of the United States she stands at the front of the Class as the WOMAN that holds more that 46% of the Democratic Party behind her as most favorite Politician. A Democratic Politician that has left a footprint in all 50 States; good or bad. A Democratic Politician that has played torchbearer in every other Senator’s and House Representative’s backyard. She has carved out a successful Physical presence as well as Political influence that can carry for several years and across several generations. So what if Senator Hillary Clinton looses the nomination for President, She goes back to Congress as the MOST INFLUENTIAL POLITICIAN on the Hill because she has done something that Ted Kennedy, John McCain, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and a minor few has not been able to do, and that is to ignite the interest of Millions to Vote. Millions more than her counterparts were unable to do. Regardless of her “married name”, Hillary Clinton still had to do the work, and WORK she is and had done. Like a Williams Sister, they earned every POINT and not one was given freely.

In playing on the courts (still using the tennis references), Hillary Clinton knows the angles to play. She sees the lines, the weakness, the good calls and the potential bad calls, but like the WILLIAMS SISTERS, when in the beginning of their playing careers, the crowds were against them. Hillary’s level of Political play to NOT give in or give up, to come back from behind and to TALK THE TALK of the Working Poor and Blue Collar and the Small Towns will and have given her the Aces to play when reaching across the aisles and proposing Bills that benefit those 46% that backed her during her run for President. For some, that might sound like a REACHING PROBABILITY but it isn’t a stretch, especially since the new politics of today has re-written the book on what is Normal Politics.

Like THE WILLIAMS EFFECT, when each Sister Opens Up A Can of WHOMP-ASS on the field and end up playing each other in the finals of the Grand Slam, they sometimes clean-up playing in DOUBLES. When that happens, the Sisters take home the Jackpots of First and Second Prize and then the First Prize in the doubles. Separately the SISTERS improve their status and rankings as number 1 and number 2, their money and influence also rises, and depending on when they peak, the two can and DID capture GOLD METALS during Olympic Years. If Hillary is Venus Williams than Barak Obama is Serena with a No Holds Barred attitude and soon he will garner a SERENA SLAM and capture the love of those on the other side of the Sister Love. Do they collect the Singles or do they consider the Doubles as well? Either way, it is a WIN WIN situation because it’s THE WILLIAMS EFFECT.

Together the Sisters are in love with each other. Of course they have their moments (as all sisters do, and I know because I have four of them) but when it come down to WORK, they snap to it really quick. Hillary Clinton is playing her game until she looses and right now, she has not loss. Calling it, she is in the Third set, and in tiebreakers where SHE and Obama are going back and forth, point for point. Someone has to loose and someone has to win, and in the end, one of the Sisters will reach across the net, shake hands, hug, laugh and giggle and then divide the spoils between the two because in the end, the Prize stays within the family. What happens after the GRAND SLAM depends on the Sisters and there are more Slams, more Players to PUT IN THEIR PLACE, more Games and more challengers to watch out for. You see, sometimes going for the BIG PRIZE, you become limited in what you can really do unless you have backing. Considering the Second Prize can be either going back to the Senate with PREZ CRED or Vice President with Back Up Cred. And this is why I look at Obama because how he WINS will determine how he might loose.

In the Past, the media has always looked for a way to get in between the Williams Sister’s relationship. Even at their dominance in the sport, the players, the Tennis Association, the media has tried to create drama, animosity and psychological difference between the two but that BLOOD mixed with their SPIRIT was the shield that rejected all attempts. If anything, it brought them closer. Not a word or a motion, a gesture or a look gave any evidence that their LOVE for family was in doubt. THE WILLIAMS EFFECT not only demonstrate the proper way to handle the stress of being a leader, but it taught lesson of Grace and Dignity. Obama and Hillary in the end has shown this contrary to the MEDIA’S reporting otherwise.

For Obama loosing the nomination (which at this writing doesn’t seem to be the case), he sits upon the same perch that Hillary would sits upon if roles were reversed. His popularity far outweighs any of the most Senior of Statesmen on Capitol Hill. He also has a fair number of Delegates and Super Delegate behind him with over 53% of American Democrats tugging on his sweaty towel. That type of influence can garner a lot of favors and support. Think about this for a minute, Obama has an open invitation into a Youth Momovement that can guarantee a political base for the next 15 to 20 years. Like the Bill Clinton Generation of the early 1990’s, you can ride this wave just like that crowds at the US Open and Wimbledon throughout the stadium. All it takes is one person to move the crowd and everyone else follows smiling and laughing because they too were in the mix, moving the energy in the direction of the masses.

So, as a Senator, whenever Obama goes before the Congress, no matter what side of the aisle you are on, you have to acknowledge that he has the ability to swing supporters from any and all 50 States because like Hillary Clinton, he has played in all courts and surfaces as well due to his success. Both have changed the nature of the Game; the Political Game. Like THE WILLIAMS EFFECT, all the other players are either breaking or broke down due to the stress of playing a Williams Style Game (Jennifer Capriati, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Mary Pierce) or they had to step up their Game (Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters, Amelie Mauresmo, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Maria Sharapova). To relate it to the Political field just substitute any of the prior names with people like Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Joseph Biden, Chris Dodd, or a John Edwards. Not one of them could, did or will command the type of popularity that a Hillary Clinton or Barak Obama currently command or ever will. Much like THE WILLIAMS EFFECT, Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama have changed the toporgraphy of American Politics; the old tricks and assumptions no longer work. The CHANGE is so evident that even the REPUBLICANS has been effected in its methodology, message, and appeal within its own Party. The Clinton Campaign's initial messages and images that normally worked during National Elections had to be revisited and re-tooled for a newer strategies which had to appeal to "real people". It was because of this quick-to-change that Hillary Clinton was able to achieve a "stay in it to win it" posture. No different than the sport of tennis when a Champion starts out down to then battle back for the win (typical of a Williams sister). It was in her (Clinton) ability to do it quickly and decisively that separated from the rest of the field.

So here we are, at the Finals and the Serena vs. Venus/Hillary vs. Obama Grand Slam which is set for Prime Time, the first time ever. There are millions of viewers watching just to see what the excitement is all about. These two TITANS will be grunting and serving at speeds and power that will defy any one familiar or unfamiliar with the SPORT. If I recall correctly, the first time was a bit ANTI-CLIMATIC. Serena Won In Two Sets and for the Venus fans, we were disappointed. We wanted more and got less but even though she didn’t win over her Kid Sister something happened, WE GOT OVER IT because they were still CHAMPIONS and no one was even close to their CLASS OF SPORTSMANSHIP. America or at least the National Tennis Associations has to or had acknowledge that the Williams Sisters has changed the nature of the sport for a New Generation. Their presence had excited tennis and non-tennis players alike, more tennis clinics and instructors are finding work and purpose, tennis attendance has increased exponentially (US Open tickets jumped from an average of $30 to over $150 in a single year with the SISTERS in play, more Black and Brown folk took to the sport and over all the HATERS (John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert; the Tennis Pundits of the Sport) have all fallen in-line to go with the momentum of the PEOPLE and watch some good A$$ TENNIS .Same here. We are living in a world where we are experiencing some GOOD ASS POLITICS.

OBAMA'S BLACK FACE MOMENT

I am going to keep this entry short, and you all know I am not short for words about serious ISSUE to concern ME but this one I had just put out there for Blogger Opinion.

I was mid-way with a New Blog posting with my take on Rev. Jeremiah Wrights speech during the past weekend's NAACP affair and his Press Questioning and Answer Session when I saw on television the HOT OFF THE PRESS AND BREAKING NEWS that Barak Obama condemns his Pastor. He is quoted as suggesting that Rev. Wright’s “performance” was an OUTRAGE and his "comments were not only divisive and destructive”.

Was he talking about Rev. Jeremiah Wright or Flava Flav?

"I’m outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday." I find these comments appalling. It contradicts everything that I’m about and who I am. They offend me, they rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced. That’s what I am doing very clearly and unequivocally here today." – Barak Obama

I know we are talking about Obama's denouncing of his pastor as all Politics but in rejecting Rev. Wright, not only does he reject his own Spiritual Compass, but the Black Church, Black History and a larger body of Black folk and their connection to America through the Church and him.

“In the past, we were taught to see others who are different as somehow being deficient. Christians saw Jews as being deficient. Catholics saw Protestants as being deficient. Presbyterians saw Pentecostals as being deficient.

Folks who like to holler in worship saw folk who like to be quiet as deficient. And vice versa. Whites saw black as being deficient. It was none other than Rudyard Kipling who saw the "White Man's Burden" as a mandate to lift brown, black, yellow people up to the level of white people as if whites were the norm and black, brown and yellow people were abnormal subspecies on a lower level or deficient.” - Rev Jeremiah Wright

Barak Obama is an American so it's hard for me to accept and or see why he has to continue to prove to be American to everyone else when he only has to just BE. The one issue I have always had with those following Obama and love him as their candidate is that the see him as ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE. The one thing about those that are ALL THINGS is that they often fail ALL THE TIME TO ALL PEOPLE. Obama is a MAN and like Men he is flawed which is why he has FAITH and in his FAITH, he worships DIFFERENTLY. And in the words of Rev. Wright, Different isn't Deficient.

I don't feel sorry for Barak Obama in regards to his rejection to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, I feel "sadden" for for HIM.

When you are diminished by YOUR Nation, pressured, manipulated away from your Spiritual Compass, that one person also being your "father figure", a Nation that has you denounce your Spiritual Leader, a leader that has connected you to your CHURCH and your Spiritual FAMILY and have you reject this before the WORLD, if you are willingly or even reluctantly, IN MY OPINION it shows a weakness in Character for one's FAITH. One should not have sympathy from AMERICA (the very Nation whom invented the concept of Freedom of Speech, Expression, and Religion) or Black Christians on this subject because both did not bother to question and allowed this treatment to fall upon a citizen, let alone Barak Obama. And to chock this up to those that are Christians and proudly speak within their “Faith” say, "He had to say this for "Political Reasons", speaks volumes to their hypocrisy comparing them to those who do not like the Clinton's and express that they "will do anything to win". This Black Face Moment now becomes Obama's “Anything To Win" moment”.

I can't see how a MAN, guided by his Faith can dismiss his beliefs for MAN'S LAW unless his Faith was a means to an Opportunity. For those that do not know, Trinity is a VERY powerful and influential CHURCH in Chicago and in the Midwest just as Ebenezer is in the South and Abyssinian is in the North. When you become a member of these Churches you are a standing member in a LONG STANDING HISTORY of Social, Political and Economic Change in America. To reject that, you do more than distancing, you begin to open eyes, ears and hearts to a HUGE SUPPORT NETWORK.

Rev. Wright stated that he is a Man of Faith and that his service is to that of GOD where as Obama is a Politician who must speak to the people and has to say whatever it takes to be a Politician.

I agree with Rev. Wright on this point, and thus Obama's dilemma for Being All Things To All People is careening into a Brick Wall. The thing about Being All Things to All People is that you eventual FAIL ALL PEOPLE IN ALL THINGS.

Obama should have stayed on message. HE HAD ADDRESS TO AMERICA HIS VIEWS AND HIS PURPOSE. He has published Books, did Interviews, made Speeches, has had 21 Debates, presented his Tax Records, presented his DNA and Family Tree so now he has to GET RID OF HIS MORAL COMPASS in order to walk straight? BULLSHYT!!!

"He continues his commentary about Rev. Jeremiah Wright: "As I see it, if a strong, controversial black man in America is not kissing the asses of cynics and aggressively-patriotic white America or submissively acquiescing himself as 'Toby' like Kunta Kinte in Roots, he is ostracized and electronically lynched. It is unfortunate that when sad truths are revealed about America - despite all of the good she has done in the world – people cannot see the truth because they are ridiculously and blindly patriotic. They are in deep denial. In my opinion, Reverend Wright has been vilified and 'caricatured' because he has spoken the truth about America not being utopia. It’s time for Americans to take the blinders off." -- Shay Posted on Booker Raising 4/30/2008

AN ABORTION OF JUSTICE

So I wake up in anticipation to the Sean Ball case. I pretty much stayed quiet on my opinion and public statements because many of the Community Groups decided to pull back and allow the justice system to work it's magic. In the past, the New York Justice System always used and accused community groups, especially Black and Latino Activist Groups for inciting Racism, manipulating the and or interfering with the structure of the courts, misleading evidence and pressuring litigators for political reasons by threatening the potential for Riots in decisions involving Police brutality and obsessive force. So this now was a test. A test to see that if a community were to NOT be involved, would the system own up to its word of carrying out JUSTICE without excuses and blame. So much was the non-involvement that the local media was asking, “Where is Al Sharpton?” as well as other locally known activist such as Councilman Charles Barron. The Black Church made mention of the events and the activities leading up to the decision. There was a conscious practice of non-involvement until the final days.

The media played the day-to-day strategies of the court, its inconsistencies, the play on words, legal analysts read their tea leaves trying to predict what was going to happen but BLACK folk knew what the endgame was going to be, and YET they still Hoped that the Legal System would do the right thing. Black folk knew what the final decision was going to end up being the moment the courts ruled to forgo a jury and have a SINGLE JUDGE make the decision. Common Sense would say that anyone, unarmed and in a closed environment (a car) being shot with 50 bullets, some of which fired haphazardly at innocent bystanders, and others still having bullets lodged in their bodies of the defendants, it would stand to reason that someone would be found guilty of at least the minimum charges. So as a statement of calm, we all sat, and waited and PLANNED until the final conclusion was made.

The Sean Bell case is a clear example of Police Brutality 101 by the NYPD. You could not write a better “script” than this. Without building a coalition, the story itself took on a life and lived in the hearts and minds of all New Yorkers because no one in their right mind could comprehend how 50 bullets were needed to stop three men in a car when all three were innocent. In events past when there were questions about OVER POLICING by the NYPD, sides were drawn, but in the Sean Bell case, people know what sided to be on and the NYPD had very little support. There was no need for massive protests in the streets because the American justice system would rule correctly on this one. The possible reason for lack of overt activism in the beginning may have been the lack of media enticement or lack thereof without Black Community Leaders as a catalyst for fanning the flames and decent as material to work with. Then again, it could have been due to the event’s simplicity. This was an Open and Shit Case. It took very little to keep the importance of Sean Bell’s life out of the media everyday. Sean Bell was what you would call a "Clean Cut Kid" with no record, no violent background, no drug usage, well educated, and a hard working family man. Even with the conscious strategy of having Black Lawyers representing the police officers and their use of the term, "GOOD BLACKS vs. BAD BLACKS" used against Sean Bell and his associates throughout the case, there was a public acknowledgement that the courts were really stretching to find something to justify his murder. Here you had an American, attending a Bachelor Party the day before he was to get married to his wife and begin his family with a child, not having a criminal background and you end up being shot by several police officers because they “thought” they heard he was going to "get a gun". As the lawyers continued to dig deep into the officer’s story, the initial causes for shooting went from "fear of being shot" to "fear of being run over with a car" to the people who were all shot had "criminal affiliations" (Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman) to their stories changed and consistent because they wanted to sue the Police Department and make money from Civil Case. Open and shut case right? Wrong. Somewhere along the line, Sean Bell's Human and and Civil Rights were left at the door and walked over.

The officers; Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper were all the central players in this Legal Drama. Marc Cooper, 40, was noted for firing so wildly, that his bullets sprayed into a near by train station, almost hitting an idle standing bystander. Cooper faced charges of reckless endangerment. Officers Michael Oliver, 36, and Isnora, 29, faced Manslaughter charges and Assault and Reckless Endangerment with their uncontrolled weapons. In the end, it was Justice Arthur Cooperman delivered the verdict, Not Guilty.

When those Words were uttered, the Bell family broke down but they remained strong. Deep down, behind the Hope, they KNEW. They knew that the Police would not get what normal people who murder indiscriminately would get. As things would go, the Bell family would have HOPED to get an apology from the System for their loss and as of the decision, had not. As Black folk, the understanding of bias, double standards, two legal systems, police brutality, over sentencing, under reporting, over policing, militia style policing, creating name and affiliation data bases and profiling is power for the course when living in Inner City New York so HOPE is the ideal word for what Black folk prophetical live by. When Community Leaders put out the message to stand down and allow the System to function without intervention, the tensions had never subsided. Knowing that “if” and “when” THAT decision is made, that ENERGY will be directed not into Destruction BUT into a wave that will flow ALL OVER THE CITY.

"This verdict is one round down, but the fight is far from over. What we saw in court today was not a miscarriage of justice. Justice didn't miscarry. This was an abortion of justice." --http://video.wnbc.com/player/?id=244770 Rev. Al Sharpton

I sat in the audience, as did the community when Sharpton explained that when a Woman miscarries, medically this means that the body was unable to handle the life that is was given. It means that due to no fault of the Woman or accident, life CANNOT be carried and it fails. When a life is “aborted”, it is a conscious decision, a planned killing, and a methodical step-by-step murder of life. In the case of Sean Bell, from the shooting to the systematic structure of the court to bring about a decision of Not Guilty, their was a premeditated plan for an ABORTION of justice and it should be seen, understood and explained as such.

"Obviously, there are some people who are disappointed with the verdict. ... We don't anticipate violence, but we are prepared for any contingency." http://video.wnbc.com/player/?id=244683-- Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

The lack of “expected” criminal and destructive actions has stunned the NYPD and its Legal Community. There were no riots, no fighting in the street, no rocks thrown, cars being turned over, gun shoots in the distance or threats and cursing after the decision. Black folk gathered their anger and their fears tied together by their HOPE and made way to their Churches, Community Groups, Local Organizations, Homes and Schools and coming out with all the RESERVED ENERGY needed to CLEAN HOUSE. This was easy to do because prior to the decision, Black folk in New York prepared and had a "CONTINGENCY" as well. In the past 10 years in New York when citizens thought that the worst the NYPD can do is murder Amadou Diallo, it had gone complacent and bored and decided that 21 shots needed to grow to 36 to 41 to 50 shots. Now New Yorkers know that 50 shots will grow to 60 and into 70 and ultimately into an arsenal of body holes and it needs to stop. But how will Black folk do that? They aren’t telling nor advertising their strategy this time. This lack of knowledge has begun to increase the NYPD and New York City “fear”. This much they all know, Uptown WILL be coming Downtown.

Walking the streets of Harlem and I saw no Beat Walkers. All of the Officers are in Patrol Cars. Driving. Searching. Wondering if and when the time will come and the "explosion" begins. With the weather getting warmer, the children on their Spring Break, what now? No longer comfortable to walk the streets, the command offices now feel that Black folk will became dangerous, uncontrollable and detrimental to their livelihood. Not true, Black folk have decided to change the script.

"Today we're grateful that this court ruled on the evidence presented in this case. But with this case, there's no winners, there's no losers. We still have a death that occurred. We still have police officers that have to live with the fact that there was a death involved in their case. ... It's a tragedy for all police officers who have to live with the difficult job we do but nevertheless we're grateful for this outcome." http://video.wnbc.com/player/?id=244688 --Patrolmen's Benevolent Association president Patrick J. Lynch.

The comments of Patrick J. Lynch read from the typical and old NYPD script. Translation: “Yeah people got shot, and some N____ got shot too but Shyt happens. You’ll get some money from this but HEY, as Police, we are under a lot of pressure so get off our backs aiight.”

"There are no winners in a trial like this. An innocent man lost his life, a bride lost her groom, two daughters lost their father, and a mother and a father lost their son. No verdict could ever end the grief that those who knew and loved Sean Bell suffer. Judge Cooperman's responsibility, however, was to decide the case based on the evidence presented in the courtroom. America is a nation of laws, and though not everyone will agree with the verdicts and opinions issued by the courts, we accept their authority. Today's decision is no different. There will be opportunities for peaceful dissent and potentially for further legal recourse -- those are the rights we enjoy in a democratic nation. We don't expect violence or law-breaking, nor is there any place for it. We have come too far as society -- and as a City -- to be dragged back to those days. http://video.wnbc.com/player/?id=244865 -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Politically and Publicly speaking, the Mayor of New York cannot tarnish the NYPD and yet when this whole incident occurred he did say that the shooting was, “obsessive”. Not the NYPD and it is because of this attitude towards Black life, the people are DONE, no more passes.

"We ask people to be calm as they protest, if that's what they choose to do. ... On the same token, though, we ask police to be calm as people protest. ... We have not heard what these men did that caused police to act as though they were America's most wanted, yet still we hear a verdict of not guilty. We will go to the next level, whatever that might be, to seek justice." -- Leroy Gadsden, president of the Jamaica, Queens, branch of the NAACP.

The role of Youth is heavily highlighted in the movement. The numbers on the streets swelled to a major capacity. This is good for several reasons. Through the marches, the interviews and rallies, the main theme spoken was, "This could be you. This could be Me. This could be your child? Sean Bill is me." for what is it worth, the Mothers and Fathers that broke down in tears and stood tall and shouted know that this is a TRUTH that cannot be ignored. When asked, during Al Sharpton's National Radio Show, how do you think the current political figures running for president should react? It was noted that it was not anyone's place to predict but Black folk will put Hillary Clinton and Governor David Peterson on NOTICE and an active commitment to making this RIGHT will be DEMANDED.

Later, as the groups retired to meet the next day, some of the protesters heard Barak Obama's reaction to the decision, the skepticism and wariness rose to the top with some when Obama said:

After watching Obama's comment, many of the people who left the rally gave pause to the response. After a few minute of dialogue one man's thoughts were this:

"It's in moments like this is why I feel Obama will fall short of addressing Black issues. Sure he may be able to fix the economy, bring back the troops, possibly bring about a solid foundation for jobs in America but for the individual Black person, what do he bring to the table in situations like this besides Hope. I don't want any more Hope, I want justice."

I would have to agree. The response was a bit disconnected, generic and dismissive to the Pain and Hurt that Black and Brown people feel and have felt for years in relation to Police brutality by the NYPD. Like the "bitter" comment that offended the people of Centeral Pennsylvania and Small Town America, the Obama Multiculturalist Philosophy of "let's come together" aren't the words for calm that Black folk want to hear just about now. I mean, how do you tell a HURT PEOPLE to accept a people that greets them with open arms; flowers in one hand and guns and bullets in another?