tagged w/ READ THESE ISSUES
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Excerpt:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a blunt assessment of race relations in the United States, Attorney General Eric Holder Wednesday called the American people "essentially a nation of cowards" in failing to openly discuss the issue of race.
In his first major speech since being confirmed, the nation's first black attorney general told an overflow crowd celebrating Black History Month at the Justice Department the nation remains "voluntarily socially segregated."...Holder urged Americans of all races to use Black History Month as a time to have a forthright national conversation between blacks and whites to discuss aspects of race which are ignored because they are uncomfortable.
Link to rest of story: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/18/holder.race.relations/
Okay, this is not your opportunity to bash Eric Holder. If you feel so moved to, write the guy a letter.
So what do you think? Is America, with a Black President, ready to talk openly and unabashed about race? Okay, everyone make room on the dance floor for the Black/White race dialog battle...and I am sure, we can get some Latino and Asian spice in the mix, since their plight and message seems so overlooked. And then, just for kicks, some racially ambiguous and biracial people can stand on the fence and look at the whole clash. I will be on the turntables scratching an urban rendition of "Koombyah". Let's keep it civil. I think it's important to question people's assumptions, perceptions, beliefs, and feelings about a particular race, their racial understanding and the picture of culture in American life and society. We NEED to talk about this stuff instead of walking on eggshells or calling anyone ballsy enough to bring it up as racist.
I went to YouTube and of course, the n-word was unleashed like a Wimbledon match, people calling Holder a "trader" (their spelling, not mine) and the worst Attorney General ever (after less than 1 month?). I couldn't help but sigh and think if we don't converse about these issues, people are going to slip culturally even further behind in cultural response in the US, and we will sweep these issues further under the rug for the next generation to deal with. Dialog is important...it requires an open mind, the acceptance that sometimes you are ignorant to facts, the capacity to learn, but also to be informed and teach that information to others. Okay, now to the impending chaos...
...are you a coward when it comes to talking about race? If not...prove it. I am curious to know, what has shaped your racial IQ? Family? Friends? School? Experiences (good and bad)? Music? TV? How have you learned what you have learned about other races besides your own? Do you talk to people about these understandings? If so, is it serious? Is it a joke? Is it received well? Let us here on Current be some of the first to partake in the "Courageous Race Discussion"!Excerpt:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a blunt assessment of race relations in the United... more
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Spurred by a dismal unemployment report for January and prodded by President Obama, senators reached an accord on Friday evening on an economic stimulus program of some $780 billion...President Obama has said he hopes all that can be accomplished in time for him to sign the measure within 10 days.
Rest of the article at this link...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/us/politics/07stimulus.html?hp=&pagewanted=all
Now that Obama has made these strides, what can he do differently than what Bush did. He says it will go to the infrastructure of the country and help those public citizens and not the private sector of big banks and corporations trying to stay afloat. There is some detail to what made the cut and what didn't, since the amount is less than the initial $900 billion. The big argument in the package seemed to be the Republican demand for tax cuts. This article seemed to indicate some middle ground, while still looking out for the working and middle classes and federal programs. What do you expect to come of this in the next year. I hope that Obama posts the use of the funds VERY soon, with his promises of transparency made during his campaign. I do commend him on his actions to roll up his sleeves and use coarse, abrasive language to get his point across and solve the problem instead of leaving it to the status quo of Washington in their business as usual tactics of the Bush era. It is key to mention that the Democrats hold 58 seats, but with Kennedy out due to illness, need at least 3 Republican votes to seal the deal...though it is reported Kennedy will return in time to vote the package in.
Feedback?Spurred by a dismal unemployment report for January and prodded by President Obama,... more
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I don't know if the news cycle is still touching it, but I know people are still tripping on YouTube about Rev. Lowry's benediction speech. I wanted to let people know the song from which Rev. Lowry pulled his poetic turn on the new look at racial politics in the United States. I come from Oakland, CA where I have learned that the Black Panthers (the old ones, not the new ones) used the similar reference in their sayings. The Last Poets (if you don't know, you better ask somebody) also spun poetic themes about the situation, adding the Yellow and Red man into the mix as America became more politically and racially diverse.
Anyhow, listen to the song and tell me what you think...
Here's the lyrics...sing along! (if you want)
This little song that I'm singin' about,
People, you all know that it's true,
If you're black and gotta work for livin',
Now, this is what they will say to you,
They says: "If you was white,
You's alright,
If you was brown,
Stick around,
But if you's black, oh, brother,
Get back, get back, get back."
I was in a place one night,
They was all havin' fun,
They was all buyin' beer and wine,
But they would not sell me none.
They said: "If you was white,
You's alright,
If you was brown,
You could stick around,
But as you's black, hmm, hmm, brother,
Get back, get back, get back."
I went to an employment office,
I got a number and I got in line,
They called everybody's number,
But they never did call mine.
They said: "If you was white,
You's alright,
If you was brown,
You could stick around,
But as you's black, hmm, hmm, brother,
Get back, get back, get back."
Me and a man was workin' side by side,
Now, this is what it meant:
They was payin' him a dollar an hour,
And they was payin' me fifty cent.
They said: "If you was white,
You'd be alright,
If you was brown,
You could stick around,
But as you's black, oh, brother,
Get back, get back, get back."
I helped win sweet victories,
With my plow and hoe,
Now, I want you to tell me, brother,
What you gonna do 'bout the old Jim Crow?
Now, if you is white,
You's alright,
If you's brown,
Stick around,
But if you's black, oh, brother,
Get back, get back, get back.
Category: News & PoliticsI don't know if the news cycle is still touching it, but I know people are still... more
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities on Friday arrested a U.S. man on suspicion of threatening to kill President-elect Barack Obama based on statements he posted on a website about UFOs and aliens, the Justice Department said.
Steven Joseph Christopher, in three postings to www.alien-earth.org, said he planned to assassinate Obama in Washington "as a sacrificial lamb," the department said in a statement.
"It's really nothing personal about the man. He speaks well ... . But I know it's for the country's own good that I do this," Christopher reportedly wrote.
"It's not because I'm racist that I will kill Barack, it's because I can no longer allow the Jewish parasites to bully their way into making the American people submit to their evil ways."
Christopher added that he needed money to get to Washington and that he did not own a gun, the department said.
Unprecedented security surrounds Obama, who will be sworn into office on Tuesday and become the nation's first black president.
Christopher, who is from Wisconsin but was arrested in Brookhaven, Mississippi, could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if found guilty.
So here we are with less than three days before the inauguration and the crazies are starting to really make themselves known. I really can understand some people still being bitter, because really sometimes you can't change people's minds. Yet, how much of an idiot do you have to be to say you need a ride to Washington and don't have the money or a gun? I know plenty of people who made ill willed comments about Bush and weren't arrested. What I really want to know is who in the Secret Service is visiting www.alien-earth.org and using postings there as credible threats? Convicting the guy would be interesting. I think there is such thing as free speech, but you can't be that careless...you never know who's watching. What do you guys think? Is five years and the quarter million fine too harsh? Will we see Tuesday come and go without incident?WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities on Friday arrested a U.S. man on suspicion of... more
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7799437.stm
The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the British public on Xmas Day in what has angered many British. The UK's Channel 4 has already received condemnation by the UK government for its choice of airing the Irani leader as alternative to the traditional address by the Queen of England.
"The crises in society, the family, morality, politics, security and the economy...
has come about because the prophets have been forgotten, the Almighty has been
forgotten and some leaders are estranged from God," Ahmadinejad says, according to a pre-released translation of his message.
Of course, the backlash will probably fill the news cycles between now and the New Year of 2009, but Channel 4's heads stated they believed the choice was significant since the relations between the West and the Middle East will remain an issue in 2009. It is also important to note that the speech from the Queen was not excluded entirely on Xmas day. Here's a link to all the pomp and pageantry here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7799730.stm
"Christmas is a time for celebration, but this year it is a more sombre occasion for many...Some of those things which could once have been taken for granted suddenly seem less certain and naturally give rise to feelings of insecurity." she was quoted with saying, possibly innuendoing the attacks in Mumbai last month in India.
What do you think about this? Are your panties/knickers in a bunch? Ironic that a nation that forced Xmas down the throat of colonies for century is now peeved about a speech given by someone telling what their perspective of Xmas is.
The link above is to Al Jazeera English. Here's the link to BBC reaction in UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7799652.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7799437.stm
The President of Iran,... more
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Wow, I wanna do this! I would love for something like this to exist in my basement! If more people jumped on board with Aquaculture in the US, we could really benefit in ways that aren't harnessed. Have a look!
Shoutouts to GOOD Magazine!Wow, I wanna do this! I would love for something like this to exist in my basement!... more
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Obama, a few weeks ago, and McCain, as of yesterday, have responded to a questionnaire from the Scientists and Engineers for America (SEA). You can compare their answers here.
Fascinating and frightening....Obama, a few weeks ago, and McCain, as of yesterday, have responded to a questionnaire... more
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