Since this is a mass media and politics class, I decided to cover the ceremony yesterday that was the Martin Luther Beck ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial. Let me just say this,....
WOW!!!
I mean what in the hell was that all about? Really? What did it accomplish. Nothing, accept for the fact that some people now love the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I mean, how can you deny these gentleman have learned the true message of Dr. King, huh?
And this guy, a person who works for government, how Dr. King's message helped him rise up from the brutality of not getting ahead at his job.
He and his South American wife have been persecuted FAR TOO LONG!!!!!!!!
There were rousing, patriotic speeches from the greatest Governor on earth who didn't finish her term, because she wanted to save America, Sarah Palin.
To Alveda King, niece of Dr. King who never lets us forget with her endless refrains to her "Uncle Martin".
To Pastor C.L. Jackson of the Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church of Houston, Texas, who calls Glenn Beck the Son of God who was sent by God to be here on this Earth (Breaking snark, "YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIT UP!!!!")
After all, his views have always been something that a son of God would practice.
Then,the pièce de résistance.
If you want a longer version, look at this link here.
I admit, I watched it. I tuned in to see what it was about. And after all of that,.......
I still don't know what the hell it was about. Really, the whole ceremony was less about Dr. King's dream and more about comparing Glenn Beck to Dr. King. Scratch that, it was ALL about Beck. The self aggrandizement of Glenn Beck. It was like everything he said at that rally was everything he said on his show, except the politics. This speech was pretty friggin apolitical, which is out of character for Glenn Beck. Everything, the tears, the soft toned speaking voice, to the loud barking howling voice was there, but that was it.
I bet some in the crowd were also wondering what the hell that was on the stage. Many there probably won't speak ill of Glenn Beck, but some elements were missing, like the reason that many were there in the first place. Most of it having to do with....
THIS MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After all, who do you think they are talking about with these proclamations about Socialism and Marxism and Racism and Sexism and absurdism and irreligionism and any other damn ism you can think of.
I mean, these people weren't there for "reconciliation and bringing the nation together." They were for watering the tree of liberty and ousting tyrants (duly elected tyrants by the way) from our government.
They believe the duly elected President of the United States is this
and this
These people don't want to engage. I have to honestly say, after all of that, I'm disappointed for the audience.
f Beck was even thinking that this event would come close to overshadowing August 28, 1963, he's fooling himself. No matter what he does or what he tries, there was a defining reason why Dr. King was there. Not to restore that illusion of "honor" that they haven't even defined, but to make America better for everyone.
Those are the principles that Dr. King believed in. The ones that Glenn Beck disagrees with
Mr. Beck, Dr. King is not some emblem which you can use to justify your backward beliefs. In that regard, he is something you never could be.
Islamic radicals are seizing on protests against a planned Islamic community center near Manhattan's Ground Zero and anti-Muslim rhetoric elsewhere as a propaganda opportunity and are stepping up anti-U.S. chatter and threats on their websites.
One jihadist site vowed to conduct suicide bombings in Florida to avenge a threatened Koran burning, while others predicted an increase in terrorist recruits as a result of such actions.
"By Allah, the wars are heated and you Americans are the ones who…enflamed it," says one such posting. "By Allah you will be the first to taste its flames."
Don't say anybody didn't warn them this would inflame intentions on the wrong side.
Wow, really? A black man in a Kangol cap walking around New York City is a "Muslim coward". And the tall guy was probably doing hardhat man a favor trying to calm him down, seemingly wanting to pick a fight with the man. Many wonder why people call the Tea Party filled with bigots.
I know, I know. Not ALL of the Tea Party members are bigots. However, it seems that the poster children of the movement always seems to be the most loudest, bigoted person you could find that day. I find the statement, "There trying to make it look like were a bunch of racists." hilariously sad. The solution to that dilemma, DON'T VERBALLY ATTACK A BLACK GUY IN A KANGOL AND LOOK LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO WHIP HIS ASS!!
The backstory on this youtube video consists of the protest in front of the designated building that is to be deemed Park 51, a community center in the vicinity of the area where the World Trade Center towers stood nearly 10 years ago.
On its website here, it has its vision in plain view, stating that the community center is there for pluralism, service, arts and culture, education and empowerment, appreciation for our city and a deep respect for our planet. How this has been turned into a terrorist powerstation and a trophy for Al Qaida and Osama Bin Laden is a whirlwind of disbelief to me.
Reading this New York Times article, it drips with the extreme disdain at the counterprotestors from the protestors there.
Michael Rose, 27, a bespectacled medical student from Brooklyn, approached the opponents of the mosque around noontime with a handwritten sign, reading “religious tolerance is what makes America great.” He was immediately surrounded by protestors, some of whom angrily pointed a finger in his face. One man, his face red, leaned in to Mr. Rose and hissed, “If the cops weren’t here, you’d be bleeding right now.”
A group of police officers quickly moved in, pushing Mr. Rose away from the crowd and angrily insisting he return to the designated area for supporters of the mosque. Later, Mr. Rose said he had wanted to “get a better sense of what the protesters were saying, or thinking.”
Was he surprised by their message? Mr. Rose shook his head. “There was nothing that Newt Gingrich isn’t saying,” he said.
Just then, the red-faced man who had threatened Mr. Rose reappeared. He had followed the medical student a block from the protest. He stuck out a hand and, in a terse voice, said: “I’m sorry.”
“You have a right,” the man continued. (He would not give his name.) “I am sorry for what I said to you. I disagree with you completely, but you have a right.”
Now, I am happy that the man apologized to him for his behavior, but he should have had his behavior in check at the protest. You don't threaten a mans life when you disagree with their views. Its just isn't rational. It exposed his mission that this protest was to constrain a certain people from their rights instead of allowing their freedom to do what they want to do.
This didn't seem like a protest just against the community center either. You had President Obama and the Democrats mentioned more times than Montana Fishburne's tape at Vivid Entertainment. This was your run of the mill tea party protest. This protest from the pictures and youtube video went from the community center being built to how the disagreed with President Obama and attacked anyone who they believed voted for him. Not just his stance on the center, but him in general. His policies, his election, his birth (AGAIN! Won't let that go.) was all debated. Chants of "Obama must go!" ran through the crowd. Basically, I believe this whole thing was drummed up to highlight the same thing they tried in 2008. Keep President Obama foreign. After all, his name is Hussain (Hussein for people who can spell)
And what American has a name like that? Certainly not the President of the United States.
Even conservative talk show host, Tammy Bruce, believes this community center being built was hatched by the President.
I’m convinced this mosque was Obama’s idea. The notion of it and its location. I think he knows he’ll be a one-term president and wants as much destruction to the American psyche as possible. The legacy this man is now establishing is a continuation of the terrorism unleashed in the 90s and defined by 9/11.
Yes, because every Muslim, including American ones want the terrorism unleashed in the 90's and 9/11, right? Isn't that like me saying that a evangelical Christian church being built in an area where there were lynchings in the 1930's-50's means that all Christians want that same terrorism unleashed now? Again, President Obama. Anything like this is laid at his doorstep. I swear, if their daughters had gotten pregnant out of wedlock, I believe that there would be a 75% chance that these people would bring President Obama to fault for having a guy play the game Pop goes the Weasel with their daughter.
I may have some people disagree with me on this, but this is ignorance and fear, pure and simple. It is a sign that one election or one man cannot cure the tempestuous beliefs of a sullen group of the American populace that believes that their rights have been taken away from them. Muslim, is just another hot button word meant to signify, "The Other" in the debate. It has been used by many conservative minded peoples to imply that, "The Other" is a threat to "real Americans."
Lets cut to the chase here. One, its their right to build a community center there. Whether or not you like it. Thats the consequence of being an American. Things happen here that you may not like or agree with. President Obama's election. President Bush's elections. President Clinton's, President H.W. Bush's, President Reagan's. Each of those people voted in office were not wanted by many to be there. However, they were there. The Giants winning Superbowl 42 (I still don't know how the hell that happened.) It happens every day that something goes on that you don't like. However, all of the above was within the rights of the U.S. Constitution. We could have said, "yeah, but.." and we would still be just as wrong as Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich are right now. There is no, "yeah, but.." when it comes to the Constitution in its present form. The only way to put a "yeah, but" in that document is to either get Congress to amend it to the Constitution or get the Supreme Court to strike down the provision. Until then, "yeah, but...." is about as useless as a thong in Siberia.
Then, there are calls that, yes it should be built, but just not that close. Its "hallowed ground." Well, take a look at this blog and tell me if all of that should be on "hallowed ground" and like this guy, I agree wholeheartedly with this statement.
Either, they forgot about the last President, (or just don't want to remember.) or they forgot his message about the difference between Muslims and radical extremists.
That message no longer applies now. Now, the people who were not on those planes, but died in those towers are to shoulder the blame of the transgressions of those radicals. They don't blame just them, but my own Aunt and cousins. Someone who used to work in the Atlanta police department, helping to make our streets safe, has been blamed. My elder cousins, who have both studied hard in college, one has a Juris Doctorate and works in D.C., another a schoolteacher here in Georgia, they are to blame now for radical Islam's sins. Instead of actually taking the community center as a peaceful conciliation towards unity and fellowship, it is derided as something that would fan the flames of radical extremist beliefs.
I close this with a statement that rings true today and can bust through all of this bigoted bull. Something that should be on the minds of every American who believes this way about all Muslims.
He may not be classified as "real American", but he was indeed a great American.
This was when I heard of Dr. Laura as a child in the late 90s. It may seem strange that a black, southern fourth grader would be watching Frasier, but hey, its me. I come from a family where we listen to different viewpoints, or at least encouraged me too when they couldn't do it. My father, who has voted Democratic since 1988, though he voted Reagan in 1984 (A fact which my ardent Democratic mother wouldn't ever let him forget.) listens to A.M. talk radio which in Georgia, is very conservative. He does it because, as he told me one time, "Better to fight off my Republican coworkers if I already know what those jackasses say. Often, I have heard the voices of Rush Limbaugh and Mike Gallagher bellow out various screeds against Democratic and left leaning people, pummeling them with that self righteous dollop of good ole conservatism. It was the same all over, my father would listen while my mother fumed in the passenger seat, exacerbating her ire. I would just sit in the back laughing my ass off when a four letter curse word left her lips while she begged Pops to turn to something else. Dr. Laura would be on the dial, and she was one of the top women besides Martha Zoller that filled her with incredulity and anger.
So, I listened at times at Dr. Laura, when she would vastly and repeatedly insult and belittle her callers, because she seemed to believe that she always knew what was best for them. She has had various libel lawsuits and earned the absolute disdain from many left wing groups, including the Gay and Lesbian community for her stark conservative views. There have been questions about her being a psychologist to people with problems, since her doctorate is in physiology and her bachelors is in marriage counseling. However, she has thrived since then and has rivaled The Rush Limbaugh Show in radio ratings.
Flash forward to the date of Tuesday, August 10, 2010, where a troubled caller wanted advice for how to deal with a problem with her husband and her husband's friends. The caller was a black female who is in an interracial marriage with her husband, who is white.
Captivating, isn't it? Lets just say that using the N-word, unprompted, ELEVEN TIMES, is not a very good idea. Especially when you have sponsors, that are patrons of those sponsors. To tell you the truth , Dr. Laura using the N-word is the least of the problem here. She basically told the caller that if she didn't want these problems to arise between the friends and her, that she shouldn't have married outside of the race. Well, afterward, Dr. Laura knew she had done something to arise the proverbial avalanche of bile her way. So, the following day, she apologized.
After that, some people believed that this wasn't enough, and wanted her show to be canceled. Sponsors still were dropping like flies from her show. So she made an appearance on Larry King to defend what she did.
Well, her show is dead, but damn if she didn't go out screaming,right?
Ok, here it is. I am gonna make a statement, that will have many of you looking at me with the side eye. I will also in my article write the word out. White people, Asian people, Latino people, Martians, animals, anyone who isn't black, you can say (GET READY NOW!) nigger. You are right, as an American citizen, per the first Amendment to the United States Constitution, you have the right to say it. I don't want to stop you from having that right. You're good on that.
Are you still with me, because after that paragraph, a lot of people must be wanting to do this to me.
(If you can do that with a basketball to anyone, call the Guinness Book of Records.)
Now, having said that, you can say the word. Just remember, I am also American, and per the rights afforded to me first Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, I can send a wave of bile your way like you never imagined for using that word. I can essentially hate you, and get a chorus of people to hate you along with me. I can ruin your life that way. It has happened before in history. There is a reason why David Duke or Pat Buchanan isn't President of the United States today. There is a reason why Alabama Governor George Wallace's Inauguration speech is the most infamous in history. There is a reason that Nathan Bedford Forrest doesn't have a national holiday.
The N-word is a word used since 1619, when we were first brought on the shores on Jamestown. It was used by people who weren't black (Not just white people) to personify a black man as inferior. As lower than dirt. Not even human. That word being said by non-black people meant that they viewed the person as sub-human. Even after the Civil War, where many of these black people considered free, the word was still used by non-black people to quarter blacks as sub-human and not allowed to be afforded those rights in the constitution. It was used to go after black people for wanting to use the restroom anywhere, to go to school anywhere, to work anywhere, to live anywhere, to just be American. So, when you encounter black people who charge at non-black people for saying the N-word, remember that this may be the reason.
Now, as for black hip hop artists and comedians, yeah they use it. They use it as a term of endearment. Thats just the facts. I highly doubt a black hip hop artist or comedian would use it as a term of hate. Not to say that non-black use of it is always used as a term of hate, but its more likely with non-black usage than black usage. To some of you, it may not be right, but it is what it is.
We should also be aware that anyone can be offended by the N-word, not just black men and women. It even happens even when black people use it with other black people. I have encountered some of my Afro-American peoples grimace or tell me outright that I should not use the N-word in their presence. I meant it as a term of endearment, but some still don't want it used. I see that, and I respect that. Likewise, some black people will allow you to use it. It has happened, not with me personally, but with other friends and their non-white friends. As long as they use "nigga" and say it as a term of endearment, its ok with them. Some may disagree with that, but it is what it is.
The N-word will remain controversial for a long time. Dr. Laura will not be the last to use this word and be faced with the blowback, but Dr. Laura is wrong in her analysis that she can't say it. She exercised her first amendment right. She was well within her right to do so. But as history will show us, just because it is within your legal rights to do so, does not mean that you won't look like a jackass to some people when you say it.
