QUESTIONING THE FEMINIST SABOTAGE OF BIRTH OF A NATION

 THE FEMINIST SABOTAGE OF BIRTH OF A NATION by Lisa Davis

FIRST OF ALL, NATE PARKER DID NOT RAPE THAT WOMAN!  It was acknowledged in court documents by both sides, that she had consensual sex with Nate AFTER she claimed the assault happened! Although I am always apprehensive about accepting the mainstream media's definitions about what is considered a flop at the box office, I completely agree with the author about the role that those who called themselves "feminists," especially Black feminists, played in completely trying to destroy Nate Parker and his chances of having any success with this film. 

They immediately began to perpetuate some of the worsts stereotypes about Black men, such as "A BLACK MAN CAN'T EVER BE NOT GUILTY!" And the first mistake that was made was that they didn't even attempt to get all the facts of the case before speaking out against it! How the hell do you write about a case that has already happened? There is something called Transcripts and before recklessly writing about a court case they should of gotten off gotten off their asses and dug through those transcripts! And the first place they should have started with is the summations of the prosecutor and the defense! That will usually lay out much of the arguments and evidence that came out in court. In the prosecutor's closing arguments he acknowledged that the woman had consensual sex with Nate hours after she claimed the rape happened. So this girl claimed to have some memory of being "raped" by two Black men, but yet the first thing that she does after that is wakes up in the morning and decides to have consensual sex with Nate! 

Black feminists simply immediately allowed their politics to be defined by what happens when white women accuse white men of rape. But the complete reverse is true when white women accuse Black men of rape! A Black man doesn't even ever have to have seen her in order to be convicted of raping her! That happened all the time! How the hell is that not part of the rape culture narrative? How does anyone calling themselves themselves a Black feminist ignore that? You don't need any kind of evidence to convict a Black person of anything -- least of all a Black man. Now I'm not saying that a Black man can't be guilty of raping a white woman, but what one should always do before accusing anyone of anything, is to try to get the facts of the case, and that means gathering information from both sides. And when you are judging the merits of any court cases, get the effing court transcripts and comb through them! If you call yourselves a journalist, you have an effing responsibility to do that! 

And another conversation about rape culture that needs to be talked about is what happens when a Black woman accuses a white man of raping her? Hundreds of years of repeatedly raping Black women with absolute legal impunity throughout enslavement and Jim Crow. And I don’t think much has changed. Just study Tawana Brawley!

She couldn’t even get an indictment against the white men she accused of raping her. And you know what she’s called in the media? A LIAR, a FRAUD! And now they are docking her check to make her pay those white men back that she accused. But one of the biggest ironies of this is that while Black feminists (and this included some Black men) were going after Nate Parker who was found not guilty by an all white jury, except for one Black person (woman) on it, Donald Trump, who is running for president has a current court case in he is being accused of raping a white woman when she was an underage teenager! And this came out long before the video was strategically released of him saying those disgusting things about women! Outside of a few journalists writing about this, you heard hardly anything at all! And Black female feminists bloggers didn’t say shyt about it!

RWANDAN TEARS

In a sea of faces
the untrained eye would blur
but in war torn Rwanda it’s a fight of the races.
Staring at thousands of pictures like a voyeur
it’s all that life has to offer
when looking through the unknowns in a parental posture.

Babies, just babies they are
ripped away and separated by bloodshed and fire.
From hills and arid lands near and far
Some held behind camp fences made from barbed wire
and still others
recruited by force to become mercenaries for heir.

Mothers plead and cry
in African chants and maternal care
praying to the Creator for theirs not to die
or not to be one of the many in the cold lonely air
where the wild had feast
and their small remains baking in a violent sun's glare.

Aunts and uncles share in the pursuit
as well as in the lost.
Generations corrupted by the future commute
across a nation at both spiritual and personal cost.
A task that will be done
in order to find their loved ones before a Death's chilling frost.

"No war in Africa was started by an African".


Rwandan Tears by Shazza Nakim
Copyright © by Peace of Mind Publishings and with permission by Shazza Nakim

THE POLITICALLY CORRECT NIGGA

Don't say African, say Slave.
Don't say Slave, say Nigger.
Don't say Nigger, say Negro.
Don't say Negro, say Colored.
Don't say Colored, say Black.
Don't say Black, say Pan-American.
Don't say Pan-American, say Afro-American.
Don't say Afro-American, say African-American.
Don't say African-American, say Nigga.
Don’t say Nigga, call me the Jigga
Jigga this my Nigga that, say it Politically Correct.

Correct me if you may.
Is there something wrong with what I have to say.
To think my essence is still the same,
Yet my true being existing in a hollow frame.
Not knowing what to be called
When I enter a room filled with gasping breaths of people awed.
Whistled and jeered,
Shunned and revered.
And all in all I still do not know my name,
Oh mother and father, what a crying shame.
Who is to blame? Me. Myself. I
Really do not know if my existence is but a lie
When my pictures and books do not open up to tell me.
Not showing me what my skin is suppose to be.
So says philosophy, psychology, history, sociology
All of which painting my world in shades of mythology.

I may never know why I am king no more.

The Politically Correct Nigga by Shazza Nakim
Copyright © by Peace of Mind Publishings and with permission by Shazza Nakim

THE FATE OF BLACK LOYALTY

This election has created a major rift within the Black Community. The affects aren’t quite evident as of yet but it is there. Look at it as the BIG PULL BACK of a tsunami wave. That one wave that rolls back about one or two miles then rises up fifty feet to then crash and destroy everything in its way. I wrote an observation of a Harlem altercation over one BLACK man’s support of Hillary Clinton over Barak Obama (I'm Gonna Kick Your Hillary Lovin Ass). The scene was centered upon members of the community physically beating up a man who worked for the Hillary Clinton campaign based in Harlem. I will admit, based upon the tensions in the air, the history of the community, the legacy of activism plus the fact that many people felt betrayed by Bill Clinton’s presence in the community and the economic incentive he brought in relation to the continued political and financial down turn of Black and Brown people in Harlem, any reminder of the OLD GUARD would be seen as being a JUDAS to one’s race. It did not matter if the man was exercising his right to choose or even work for a candidate of his choice; he was in enemy territory and as a result, paid the price.

It’s been a few weeks since then and I really didn’t concentrate on that event until now. Since we are entering into the last round of Preliminary votes to determine who the Democratic Presidential candidate will be, words and actions for or against one candidate over the other is quickly becoming more than just a debate of words but THREATS to more than just the livelihood of people, particularly Black People and Black Community Supporters.

I have stated on many occasions, not only is the United States venturing into new territory of Political participation, so are Black people in America. The ability to effect this type of Political change has not been seen since the days of American Reconstruction, an era no one Black person alive has experienced but was the foundation for Black Intellectualism which sprung wells of purpose and direction for generations. Black people did not just talk about politics; they SPOKE to it in ways that was NEW and exciting, the inaugural seeds for inclusion in modern America growing into Black communities or at least the potential of it.

The drawback of this inclusion of political vigor was that many were not necessarily searching for all the required information and or only accepting information from bias sources. Taking this part of past history and applying it today. the price for accepting bad political advice diminishes any person voting and the process limits where one can find the complete information needed for future consideration. Granted, Black people are still behind the starting line and slowly inching toward the “Merge Here” lanes of the Information Highway, they are, however, are quickly moving to get into the flow with the help of Black youth and those few that have taken advantage of technology and willing to get the information out to an information starved community. As a whole, like all things involving Class and Black America; those opportunities are slightly below the National average. Just the nature of knowing HOW the political machine works is below average enough, almost POOR. So while this campaign continues to CHANGE and TRANSFORM a Nation, America is on the other side of the ethnic line while others are looking to Black People to catch up with their numbers at the same time they are looking for their active VOICES. Not saying that WHITE America and other ethnic groups are better as a whole, but it is statistically true that other groups, by their numbers, positioned themselves in AMERICA as practicing their political participation more efficient and more effective for their community needs with better results. This meaning, ethnic groups POLITICALLY know when to be heterogeneous in living the American Dream and homogeneous then voting as a BLOCK for a desired goal for Self and Community. The closest Black Folk have come to this phenomenon was the 1960’s and even then, Blacks were not monolithic enough to move forward as a block to effect complete CHANGE. So when Michelle Obama says that, "for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is making a comeback", her words reflect not only her political history but her social reality in relation to her History as a Black person living in America. The Civil Rights Movement transformed an OLD America but it did not evolve enough to move with a continuing advancing America. To question this as a non-White experience and you know that the naiveté of it is rooted in one’s lack of knowledge of Black struggles. To question it as a White American, you sense that the question comes from a rejecting and or resisting the importance of Black "struggle". So that there is no mistake or clarity issue for those reading this with a Conservative or Republican slant, I define “struggle” as, a means by which Black people pushed for equality and fairness Politically, Economically, Legally, Socially and Ancestrally to be on par with those Groups that have benefited from constraining Blacks as a whole from evolving in America as human beings with full citizenship. This would include individuals, groups, businesses, religions and countries.

I define “struggle” this way because too often I have been asked by WHITES and challenged by Conservative BLACKS that Black people in America should be Proud to be in America. If not for the “sins” of America, Black people as a whole would still be in Africa and not part of the Greatest Country in the World. To which I quickly remind them BOTH, “So who holds PRIDE for all those hundreds of thousands of Africans thrown overboard during the Trans-Atlantic Middle Passage? What you seem to be arguing is much like kidnapping 300 people in America and sending them all by plane to Europe and half way over the Atlantic Ocean the plane explodes or crashes. When asked my reaction, I respond that they all should be happy they had “experienced” what it was to fly on an air plane.”

This type of response would be in total IGNORANCE, total ARROGANCE and ultimately a total DISCONNECT with people’s lives and history, their family and their potential. Especially since the practice of African slavery extends beyond 500 years with America constituting the worst of its practice. The nature and existence of America is in the writing off people's existence as insignificant no matter who they are. This is why I use the word, ”struggle” because it takes work to CHANGE the perception of people who do not SEE, even when the limitation of vision comes from within one’s Race.

So as Black folk continue to “struggle” through this election, we are finding not all are familiar with the terms and terminology that comes with a complete understanding of elections and government. Blacks that are new to the process (be it a young generation with a lack of history to base sound judgment upon or an older generation plagued with apathy and betrayal) all are not astute in the thought process just to prepare, judge, question and finally decide on issues and or candidates. I basically refer to this as missing the prerequisite VOTING 101’s course. Distressingly so, this is also an American phenomenon (excluding the foreign born and naturalized citizens for most often they come from countries where voting is not a Right and once in America their responsibility to voting is exercised as strongly as their Faith).


As an educator, the lack of the basic understandings of the American political structure is not due to any malignant force or hidden agenda group (or maybe so); it has more to do with the direction the American educational system had evolved into. The moment ETHICS, GEOGRAPHY, PHONICS and CIVICS were removed from the core curriculum of schools, the need to know “the what and the who” of the REPUBLIC became moot. Couple this with age and complacency and you have several generations of Government Illiterates pulling leavers for unfamiliar names with unfamiliar agendas come election time. With Black folk leaving the line, thus leaving all other Americans behind a BIG 8Ball to move from behind. Although History is fundamental for understanding American’s past, it is Civics and Ethics, which makes clear it’s present.

There are many reasons why it is important to question everything about voting and our candidates. Politicians have for years come to Black communities with promises of contributions and economic incentives only to fall short of many. Elections have placed political pawns that depend upon the PORK from Top Government to skim while giving the gristle to the reserved few. Black communities have seen career Politicians live out several generations of stagnation only to leave in shame and scandal. Many of these Politicians enter with a genuine interest in Civic Duty and grow into self-satisfied Political Royalty throwing crumbs to a hungry community. Wrap it all in the traditional clothe of Spirituality and you have bonifided stereotypical Leader of Blacks as oppose to the Self-Proclaimed Black Leaders for an extended lease on a community. And yet, this can only happen when a community has a HANDS OFF approach to their voting and voting knowledge.

For years you had Politicians in New Jersey’s largest city of Newark plunder and deprive the citizens of improvements and social gains. In a period of over four decades, the city had two mayors, Kenneth Gibson and Sharp James, each holding on to that title without CHANGE or challenge. The mantra for each was that of Change and Hope and Renaissance but it was all code for VOTE FOR ME BECAUSE I LOOK LIKE YOU. And Black folk did. This, for years, was the standard TOP DOWN way of doing Politics and a sure way to guarantee the success of the DREAM KILLING MACHINE and deter any “Excitement of the New”. No one could challenge the establishment because no one KNEW how or even if they could. No one knew the rules. No one knew what the mayoral title and responsibilities entailed. In not knowing, no one questioned how a Mayor of the largest city of the State can simultaneously hold a seat on the NJ State Legislature or questioned if it was a conflict of interest for the City of Newark. So when a community doesn’t know the basics, the VOTING 101’s, voting and politics, government becomes a perpetual machine that is self sustaining and hostile to its citizens. Long story short, a gentleman OUTSIDER, by the name of Cory Booker who no one knew, arrived with EXCITEMENT AND A MESSAGES OF HOPE AND CHANGE. No one initially trusted or wanted to take a chance on the unknown, untested Politician. Who was this Man who wasn’t even a Newark native? Words where exchanged and the politics got ugly but after his second attempt, Booker eventually replaced Sharpe James as the Mayor of Newark (who is at the time of this posting is under indictment for several charges of impropriety).

Booker, a schooled Politician with a DOWN TOP style of governing, is now working to undo almost 40 years of political abuse. Part of that undoing is bringing People to the table and making sure they understand the inner workings of the Government, the very basics of how a City works. The task is great and the issues deeply rooted as well as his criticisms on the time and speed of his results but it had to be done and can only be done with the help of the people.

The moral of the story; knowledge of the political system, no matter how basic, is a community’s saving grace. Unfettered “passion” can do more harm than logic because even in the absence of logic, COMMON SENSE should kick in and rule. But in the rare cases of the absence of logic and common sense, PASSION can be a "wicked bed fellah" if the people serving up the EMOTION, also controls the OCEAN. It was passion that kept the previous mayors in office, it was trust, which grew into Hope, and then CHANGE to move the city forward; SLOWLY, to get this one in the driver's seat.

What Black folk currently lack with this new found Political energy is "Sophistication". I say this meaning that when you compare the Latino vote (which is near 15% of the Nation’s population, surpassing the 13% that make up Black Americans), there are inherent differences, which should be acknowledged, but the major social and economic concerns are shared with Black Americans. The diversity within the Latin communities speaks volumes and yet when it comes down to voting, as a collective, their vote always comes with DEMANDS, even from their own Latin Officials. Demands that regardless of the region of the Americans they come from; the Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America, South America, the boughs of New York, the barrios of LA, the end result is “all Latinos” move that much closer in closing the Brown “struggle”. How does this affect Black folk? Well, it depends.

There is no doubt many of the social achievements of Blacks have benefited many other People of Color. Many of those benefits have opened the door for whole groups to move quickly to the front for social and economic gains. The only difference when it comes to voting is that Black folk traditionally VOTE for the Rights for “ALL” and other groups vote for benefits of the “Group”. While Black folks are politicking for fair and affordable housing, education, equal opportunity in employment, other group’s vote for the zoning for specific businesses within their ethnic communities, language inclusion, Green Card and VISA extensions, Grants dedicated for specific cultural reparations that will collectively aid in the growth of their community. It doesn’t matter that Blacks win fair housing because the result will benefit all communities (Asian, Black, Latin, White) but those groups politicking for economic gains win for their communities WITH the additional benefits of fair housing. Blacks fall short with their GAINS and often see the small gains of other ethnic communities as SELECTIVE TREATMENT and not their POLITICAL SAVVY. Again, like the Latin vote, no politician will get it without a solid DEMAND by them. To Black folk, this may appear unfair and showing favor, especially when all groups benefit with their demands and in the end, it shows how much Black folk are slow at catching up in their Voting 101’s.

This political practice from other ethnic groups (LATINS, ASIANS, EASTERN EUROPEANS) has clearly defined their “Sophistication” to the politician and Political Party Groups. Politicians know going in that they are not loyal to any one Party. Bi-partisan is a fantasy for what is real to non-Black folk is WHO IS IN THE MAJORITY. It is in their lack of LOYALTY which lies their political POWER. Black Americans aren’t there yet. In the 1960, Malcolm X prior to his assassination preached to Black people in Harlem that as a collective, the Negro should change his political affiliation to Independent. This would allow the Negro to be courted by both Republican and Democrat. This would also place the Negro in a position of bargaining and thus economic positioning within his own community to own property, expand business and self-determination from under White domination. Almost 50 years later, the idea maybe slightly different, but Black people are on the precipice of getting it.


Continue to THE FATE OF BLACK LOYALTY pt.2

DON'T PUT WORDS IN MICHELLE'S MOUTH

OK, I just posted something not long ago about how intelligent (BLACK) people today can not open their mouth without someone trying to "break down" what they REALLY MEAN. Then there are the people who try and READ in-between lines where none exist. Sometimes a sentence is just what it is, a simple and direct statement of a PERSON, PLACE, THING or EVENT. Lets just look at a SIMPLE STATEMENT that Michelle Obama said recently:
"For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country," she told a Milwaukee crowd today, "because it feels like hope is making a comeback."

Now this is the SPIN the "ANALYST" got from the statement:
A lot of Republicans, and Democrats, and Independents will be surprised to learn that pre-Obama, there was no reason to be proud of America. Probably she didn't mean that. But what did she mean?

HEAR ME WHEN I SAY THIS PEOPLE

There was no distortion in Michelle Obama's words, she said what was EXACTLY on her mind. She stated that, "For the first time" she was PROUD of her country. And you know what ... MAYBE SHE WAS. No one can dictate how and when or even HOW MUCH pride a person can have living in the United States. She is a Black woman with a history that might be tragic or unforgiving, or fill with individual happy moments with no NATIONAL PRIDE? It can happen and for many People of Color and the poor, it is a reality. That was and is her experience to decide but like all things Media and Pundit, it has to be analyzed.
On the other hand John McCain's wife (in her SHADY BEHIND THE SCENES WAY) tried to make light of Michelle Obama's statement by saying, "I don't know about you, BUT I have always been PROUD to be an American".

Well Mrs. Cindy Hensley McCain, you may come from a place of Privilege. If you line up your family tree, I am quite sure the roots you lived sucked deep from the BLOOD of the Poor and even deeper from the practices of capitalism, segregation, discrimination and slavery. I guess you do have PRIDEFUL MOMENTS.

I respect what Stanley Crouch, a Moderate-Conservative Columnist of the Daily News said about the whole Michelle Obama issue. He stated, "Strong contenders too often bring out all of the worst qualities in their weaker opponents. One of the very worst qualities is hysteria and the desperation that will seek out a bucket of mud when confronted with a desert of sand. That is what we see happening with Barack Obama right now because he is drawing the kinds of criticisms that should not even be part of our politics. We must speak of him and his wife as a team since the opposition is so spooked that it will attack any target, which is why a tempest in a rusty teapot was brewed about Michelle Obama's supposed lack of patriotism." I couldn't agree more.

MICHELLE OBAMA said what was on her mind the way she wanted to say it and how she wanted to say it. Last I checked, this award winning and honored and respected certified lawyer, lecturer and spokesperson knows how to speak ENGLISH. THERE NEEDS TO BE NO BREAKING DOWN OF THE WORDS. SHE IS PROUD FOR THE FIRST TIME DAMN IT !!! Now move on and drop the NON-ISSUE.

DUALITY OF CHOICE

“I only know Evil after the fact.”


These words, a powerful statement from any one person who speaks it freely and without restrain. Depending on the situation or circumstances, this statement can fall from the lips of you or I. Many civilizations from ancient to modern have varying beliefs for the concept of Evil, the importance of knowing and understanding it, knowing and understanding it as equal to the belief of God and the meaning of life. We know that all the perceptions of Man have meaning and or purpose but Evil is at the core of mankind’s existence, the left side of the human base and with Good hosting the right side keeping balance. We may call it the duality of the human spirit, the concept of choice, the conscious mind, the Ying and Yang, regardless of the noting, every human being on the planet knows Evil but not its purpose. At what point do we know when people are pursuing Evil, what are the beginning steps towards Evil? Is Evil a state of mind or a state of being? Is Evil genetic, a concept of a primal, splinted spirit of Man before words could describe emotions and desire? Evil as generic as detonating a cheaper and less potent manifestation of something more powerful than a heavenly Being, the falling not only from grace but away from the unknown to the known or vice versa? These questions all have perplexed Man from devout to methodical since the concept of intellectual thought was practiced. One thing is for sure, Evil does exist and as such, Man is responsible and compelled to understanding this specific part of his nature.

So why is it that Man only knows Evil after the fact?
 

The answer is simple. Evil is an extension of who he or/she is; Evil is a fraction of the being that which created it. For the religious, this could mean a holy deity and for the non-religious it is a product of man’s influence on the World from the inner-self upon the external World. Regardless, Evil is an extension of Man and places it as an action tied to emotions and or reactions from external circumstances outside his control. Some would even argue that Evil stems form Man’s lack of control of his external environment.

For the religious, Evil is an old fashion concept based upon what is known (i.e. The Devil). In the traditional or modern World, Evil is what one accepts, those influences that are both direct and indirect in degrees such as Man’s practice of slavery, politics or capitalism. Then there is evil (small “e”) that is created by Man and often is besieged in bias such as cults, prostitution and pornography, commercial rap to heavy metal music, television and film.

Regardless of how one defines Evil, like all things, you have to understand its origins, the point of its source which leads back to the day Man was created either by a convergence of random celestial events or by GOD. The moment Man was given the gift of choice and or evolved out of his DNA and began to practice it for survival. The how’s and why’s are as diverse as Man’s rebellion to his creator, an ancient virus or infection, the curse or act of selfishness or Man’s curiosity for wanting to know more than he should know. In the end, the concept of Evil, as perplexed as human nature, is his desire to get answers on a “need to know” bases and that in itself seemed to be Man’s first sin; his pursuit of “knowledge”.

Does man really want to know what Evil is?

This is the 1 trillion dollar question to which there is no straight answer. Man is afraid of knowing what Evil is yet it’s a mystery that compels him to know. Again, this is the duality of Man’s nature. It’s the mystery that gives Mankind its purpose for deep down, Man recognizes that to know Evil is the one final answer removed from knowing what GOD is. And this is the base premise of most religions; especially for Christians, Hebrews and Muslims, “Evil” the first real sin of Man. There are variation to the statement which can be found in Hebrew and Islamic text that, "Those whom study Evil are studied by Evil” rings deep as a path of personal destruction. Broadening the argument, if one pursues the path of understanding Evil, one eventually become Evil is a warning that grips Man in fear and yet he still wants to know. Again, this is the far extreme of knowing the rapture of his existence, the duality of his nature.

I choose to be Good or Evil on purpose?

Like choice, we argue that within our duality, Man can choose his Evil. His moral and physical evils we see and experience daily in varying degrees. Be it stealing, the actions of one’s sexual practices, the taking of life for self-defense or pleasure, the choice to live without spiritual guidance, running for political office or the actions of greed, it's within Man’s ability to choose that defines how he dances with the Devil or about the role that Evil may play in his life. The same can be said about his Goodness. This is why benign intentions are often the greatest of Evils or when Man’s “good intentions” cause Evil actions. We know throughout history Man’s good intentions have condemned many to servitude, slavery, disease, genocide and it has often pushed the very good into living in perpetual poverty and modern concentration camps. These are the “good intentions” of the healthy, limiting the rights of people whom suffer with disease and illness or just being from another tribe. The choice to support the capitalizing of basic needs and the support of those things deemed dangerous to one’s well being (weapons of mass and limited destruction, drugs and alcohol, prioritizing educational standards, racial arrogance, dictating family structures or expanding choice without moral and ethical attachments). Some would argue that the cousin of Evil is “The Good Intention”.

No longer is the face of Evil painted in a traditional portrait of Hiroshima, Hitler, Weapons of Mass Destruction, American Slavery, White Supremacy, Apartheid, Somalia, Katrina, or a tiny town in Louisiana named Jena, but in the subtle preaching of segregated religion, a smile at the next door neighbor, the needing to know what happens behind closed doors of the person across town, the silence one has during a crime, the lack of ambition to search for the truth or even in questioning authority are the small evils that play vastly among a society.

The roll of Evil is a character in Man's personal play in life.

In the contemporary, Evil is Man made. This is only confined by his individual actions of “good intentions” and unconscious acts of Group-think. Like sheep, Man follows the leader no matter his/her credentials, as long as the leader has Good Intentions and takes steps in a direction to be followed. Evil (Big E) has stopped becoming a theory of religious significance and became more of a seed of doubt in the human condition, often cultivated by those whom "Shepard" it in the form of fear.

Gay Rights, Affirmative Action, Race and Cultural Bias, Crime and the Prison System, Gun Control, Universal Health Care, Islam and Terrorism are now the roots of Evil that has besieged the Western World and America, and to be honest, I can only recall these terrors becoming apparent in the past few years. How did this evil replace the Devil of say, the Exorcists or Damien; the child Anti-Christ; that evil Omen kid? I think as we became more sophisticated in our understanding of the modern world we have accepted collectively that a “Devil” would have far less appeal in destroying our sense of Self but to imagine the loss of an American way of life would be a far greater Evil; God fearing at best. The very thought of having to live like the people we have exploited for an American way of life would require an Exorcists of great repute to get rid of.

I recently heard this statement and gave pause to it, “Freedom Requires Religion and Religion Requires Freedom”. A very influential Religious leader recently spoke it as it related to America’s role in the Middle East and how our political candidate’s religious positions mattered. I’ll have to say that I am still contemplating this quote deeply but for right now I can say that on the surface, as it relates to the notion of Evil, if “freedom” is anything like choice, and “religion” is that which can save Man from Evil, then how we choose our freedom will very much determine our Goodness since we are currently determining which religion can foster and grow that in our nation. Be it the varied Christian faiths, the Judean and Islamic faiths or the Agnostics, they all make bids to exists in a free society to ultimately influence that freedom in order to exist. And within the “good (God) intentions” of all of the above, what direction will they take Mankind.

As I stated earlier, Evil is an extension of who he/she is; evil is a fraction of the being that which created it, and as one with “good intentions” why can’t Man make a conscious choice to ask the real questions, "What is it that I want, and is it wrong to want it?” This is the true nature of Evil, The Need To HAVE. When you can get to the core truth from that and those that worship "Evil"; the genuine “choice” of Man, we can get to the “needs to have God intentions" and become that much closer to the final answer removed from knowing what GOD is thus the statement, "The Road to Hell is often paved by GOOD intentions".

Election Day

She was pushed and punched before getting to her destination.
Tripped up,
she fell to the ground
forced to kiss Mother Earth.
She bled from her nose and full lips
raining her life force onto blades of grass and daffodils.
Old and walked over,
kicked in the back
and spat upon,
taunted,
she was laughed at and became sport for alley cats and stray dogs.
As time passed she tried to stand
to take another step
only to loose her footing
when the ground was removed.
But, as the day moved along,
with the sun rising and setting along the horizon,
she, in the shadow of a day soon to end,
casted her ballot for the candidate she only knew
as faith.
Then she turned for home.
Beaten back and bruised,
the only one victimized by her dreams for freedom.


Election Day by Shazza Nakim
Copyright © by Peace of Mind Publishings and with permission by Shazza Nakim

Racisim and Ignorance in the Media

You know, people always look to the people at the top of the pyramid whenever you find fault or praise. Not long ago, we had a very public example for “Foot In The Mouth” disease and right there at the top was Don Imus.

Don Imus in his famous, "Nappy Headed Ho’s” comment directed towards the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team became a National mess. We argued over what was obvious and to American’s surprise, there was a need to debate if what he said was a slip of the lip or Don Imus' true opinions. What was said on public radio and cable was wrong without a doubt. It was disrespectful and prejudiced, the statement sat high on the wall of racial bigotry. And although the media tried to scapegoat the issue on Rap and Hip-Hop music, it did not negate the point that a professional and assumed intelligent man like a Don Imus knew the lines drawn in the sand on this topic and for the respect of his audience. A line even the worst of comedians know not to cross when doing stand-up. Yet Don Imus wasn’t the only one at the time using such language and intentions, he just so happened to be at the top. There are other is so-called “Shock Jocks” deeming themselves successors. John Depetro, National Syndicated Radio Shock Jock has now stepped up his fowl opinions on the American airwaves and most recently (again) towards Blacks.

Recently John Depetro made comment on the Bill O’Riley issue (and he is also a piece of work as well) were O’Riley stated the following. “I couldn‘t get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia‘s restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean it was exactly the same even though it‘s run blacks, primarily black patronship.” Now Sylvia's Restaurant is a World Famous eatery in Harlem New York and one on Manhattan's jewels to visit for great Soul Food. He then goes on to say, “There wan‘t one person in Sylvia‘s who was screaming, “M-Fer, I want more iced tea.” You know, I mean everybody was - it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn‘t any kind of craziness at all” .

To O’Riley surprised, he did not see how those comments would offend the very Black people he was referring to. Since he (O’Riley) still has not gotten it, and I really don’t think he will, there is no regard for him even trying to understand.

Now with John Depetro, who by his reputation alone. has been suspended and fired from radio stations across the country, has recently chimed in on the O’Riley Factor in a radio interview by saying, “… it goes beyond that. It was a discussion on race and we‘re talking about Harlem. And by and large I lived in New York for years. White people don‘t go to Harlem. If Dan Abrams and John DePetro and Bill O‘Reilly, some white guys sitting around a table, and Dan Abrams said, “Yes, I was up in Harlem last night.” We would think you were, “A,” looking for drugs or “B” a prostitute. It was a discussion on race.”

Just as that statement floats upon the airwaves, Michael Medved, a syndicated Movie Critic and sometimes columnist published an article entitled, “Six inconvenient truths about the U.S. and Slavery”. In his article he suggests that African-Americans are better off being brought over to the Americas bonded as slaves. Michael Medved writes too that slavery in American only existed for a short period of time and only in certain regions. He also suggests that slavery wasn’t a new and unique institution and because of that, the slave trade and slavery in America isn’t as much as an issue as it should be. As hard as it was, I read the entire article with high restraint. Then I remembered, this is my America and why I keep my mind right. Why I need to keep the African in the American of my identity. It also defines how little White America knows about Blacks and the damage of Michael Medved’s words as "his" truth transferred to those ignorant of my existence.

The problem with Michael Medved’s article is that he uses the same tired arguments and hollow facts that pseudo-White Intellectuals have used to dismiss or even validate the continued oppression of disadvantaged People of Color in the Americas. Interesting enough, Michael Medved is all for the continued tradition of recognizing the Jewish Holocaust to be ever present on the conscious mind of America and downplay the tragedy of over 400 years of Black Slavery in the Americas. Even more so, no other media outlet has made his comment an issue of debate or discussion including Black Media. What Next? Do Black People allow this to sit and fester and sore our legacy or do we wallow in the background shadows while another institution regulates us into insignificance?