I'm no genius...

Ideas are needed to solve issues. Issues are definitely what plagues the young black men and women in our community. So I have a few ideas to help the situation or at least start to create some change.

This assumes that those folks will have internet access and happen across this fine blog (give me that one) or that someone in a mentorship role will start giving some great advice based on what was written herein.

Step one? Stop having so many kids. This may seem like some tough advice, but stop having babies you can't support. Bring children into a loving home. This means teaching our kids about birth control (and allowing the access to them), getting them to understand the weight of their decisions, and helping them remove some of the stigma and mystery from sex.

Less kids in unfit homes (judge for yourself what is unfit) will help reduce crime and lead to more productive members of society. Now you may say, "THEO, kids from good homes can become criminals and kids from bad homes can be great!" Fantastic for those kids. But the issue is with the majority of the children in those situations. And because we need to fix the entire community, why not start with the kids in less than ideal situations and that mentality which invades such situations.

Fixing the kids issue helps the gang issue, the drug issue, and almost every other issue. It is a win-win proposition. I'm not foolish enough to believe that this will work in every case, but it will help in the long run (at least it will statistically speaking).

Emphasize education and/or business ownership. Everyone can't be everything. Some people don't want to do certain jobs even if they can. Not everyone was meant to be a lawyer or dentist or whatever. Some people were built to run their own business or become a politician or whatever. We need to support young people in their goals and help them create new visions for their lives by exposing them to the options that surround them. This is where you can make a difference. Even if it is just once a year, volunteer some time with some young folks and show them what you do! Maybe some will like it and some will hate it, but the exposure helps.

Build a sense of community. We can't keep being upset, treating each other like shit, and not supporting businesses within the community. This doesn't mean give some fool thousands to start a valet parking service for Taco Bell, but it can mean lending a helping hand to businesses in need or even spending on goods at that establishment. Be happy for those that are doing well. Treat each other better than you'd like to be treated.

And turn off the TV. Better yet, read a book. Better yet, turn the TV back on, get into the producing game and make something great for BET that doesn't shit on everything I listed above.

I realize that most of these are pie in the sky dreams, but we have to start somewhere. Why not my blog or the thousands of other blogs out there that make attempts at uniting our community and doing some good.

Excited to help? Visit your local volunteer group in the urban part of town and DO SOME GOOD. Donate time, money, or other resources that they may need. Speaking of that, I need to register myself as a volunteer in this new city.

Get it done and help someone be greater than you have become...

Responsible Journalism - WAFF 48 Huntsville or Antoine Dodson. Titles are overrated anyway.

Many of you may have watched a hilarious video over the weekend.



And maybe you were even lucky enough to see a good parody of the now historic youtube clip of Antoine Dodson and his sister, Kelly Dodson. If you haven't, enjoy the clips embedded in this blog.



However, I would like to use this space to discuss some very important topics that relate directly to this video. First, did WAFF 48 have to show the ignorance in this video? In my opinion, they HAD to show the story. It is not their job to censor the ignorance of any victim or person involved in a news story. If they had not shown this video it would have been far worse. In this country we need to be honest and stop trying to hide things that are completely fucked up in our nation. Plus, can we really fault Antoine? He was angry, his sister was assaulted, what would you have done?

I understand this is a story that seems to place black Americans or blacks that live in HSV projects in a poor light. But aren't they already in a poor light? If someone sheds light on your life and it looks shitty, wasn't it shitty beforehand? I'd argue yes. Shedding light may even help someone by allowing others to see their struggle. Kelly was a victim and so was Antoine. Yet we see that our community (black, white, whoever) needs to do better. First, work together to stop criminals of this type. Then, education needs to become a larger part of our community. Opportunities for educational growth need to be more readily available to people like Antoine. I feel like I'm getting a little preachy, but if these videos made you feel uncomfortable then GOOD. GREAT even. Maybe you should feel uncomfortable all the time, so you can get off your ass and help someone else that is less fortunate than yourself.

And I must say this before the NAACP or Al Sharpton begins to cry racism and such on WAFF. Our community needs a WAKE UP call. WAFF48 did its job and reported the news. Is it their fault that the victim was so ridiculous and hilarious? NO. The issue that our 'black leaders' should evaluate is how to stop blacks from being ignorant and poor (EDUCATION). Not all black people fit into any mold. But crying racism every five seconds never addresses the basic issue: how do we move our community FORWARD. Don Imus is not a person that matters. We focus on issues that are not an issue. Can we (black leaders) begin to see the forest for the trees?

This blog is about to get very preachy. ATTENTION BLACK AMERICA (also, listen up WORLD): everything is not RACISM. If I point out that the majority of black men are in prison on a radio program, don't get mad at ME. Get mad at the black men in prison or the system that put them there! You can only solve a problem if you address the source. And the source isn't people screaming "nigger" or whatever. Sometimes it is deeper than that. While racism is a problem, the BIGGER issue is our community. You want to change the perception of the racists? Stop shooting each other, go to school, get a job, get off the government, stop abusing welfare, the kids, and your girlfriends/wives, and live a cleaner lifestyle. Guess what will happen? Soon the majority of black folks will be wealthy, healthy, and wise. So when the racists make comments, you can BRUSH THEM OFF! Why? Because you will know the truth. Let people say whatever the FUCK they want (that could be constitutional...). Stop wasting time on that shit. Waste time fixing our society (black, white, hispanic, who the fuck ever) from the inside out! These issues are systemic and firing Don Imus or getting mad at Michael Richards is NOT gonna do shit to solve the issues.

And while I am here...DO SOME GOOD. This is for Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the NAACP. Stop being media puppets. Stop commenting on every fucking side issue. HELP THE COMMUNITY. I know you do some great things, but stop worrying about little things and wasting everyone's fucking time. Worry about the actual community, not the perception of the community.

In my ranting and raving, I have neglected the origin of this post. WAFF48, please keep doing what you are doing. REPORT THE NEWS. I have zero issue with YOU. Antoine and Kelly, you do you as well. That is who you are. Try to rise above your current state, other than that, keep pushing forward. Folks laughing at the videos, KEEP LAUGHING. The shit is hilarious. News media, pundits, bloggers (me included), and anyone else to which this applies, GO FUCK YOURSELF. Unless you are gonna address the actual issues here (class separation, lack of education, financial burdens, project living environment), then save your commentary.

Really small Florida town?

I know that its been some time since the last post here, but school has been a beast and I have been quite busy. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, please read the following story from Fox News (click here).

I can't believe this story. To recap, a Fort Meyers Beach, FL town council voted 5-0 to FIRE (yes, FIRE) town manager Scott Janke "without cause". The Mayor (Larry Kiker) said that he found out Janke's wife was a porn star and took action a few hours later by calling the meeting. Really? You fired a man because his wife was/is (I think was only) a porn star? Would you fire someone for having sex in a position other than missionary as well? Or do you think your town would look bad because a porn star is the wife of an elected official? Guess what?!?! Now you look bad and you look stupid/prudish and backward. Congrats. Was his wife selling DVDs in town hall? No...ok...did she hit on different members of the town council and offer sexual favors (which they would have taken...probably)? Nope. Guess what else? Your Mayor then made this statement: "We did everything we could not to judge," Kiker told the paper. "It's not about him and her. It's about the town." You did everything you could? No, you didn't. If you did you wouldn't have fired him for marrying someone who did porn.

Why do I care about this? Because it means you can get fired for things you can't control. Imagine you marry someone who had a job that was less than reputable (but everyone loves/uses regularly) and has since moved on, but you get FIRED for their past job. Unless they were a criminal you should file a lawsuit and collect your check. America, what are we coming to? Seriously. One day we will have freedom in this nation. One day all this equality bullshit will mean something...one day. But since we have town's firing men with porn star wives and neighbors calling the cops on black neighbors who happen to live in nice neighborhoods and come home late only to find that the door is stuck...I can't even speak on THAT dumb situation. Should we even say racism anymore or should we just say FEAR (same thing usually). Educate yourselves, ignorant masses, don't be afraid of your neighbors (black or white), go meet them and maybe they'll look out for you (or you won't call the cops on them for dumb shit). I realize I'm rambling on about several issues, but the crux of the matter is this: until we realize that being truly equal and truly accepting of our differences means NOT judging each other then we are doomed to have a nation that is afraid to 'do the right thing' or stand up for those that can't stand for themselves.

So, to Mayor Larry Kiker I want to extend the following message (usually I would extend a big "FUCK YOU and the TOWN COUNCIL", but I think that is against my own message): I hope that you realize (and I assume your Christian with views like those) that Christ hung out with thieves and harlots (a little worse than porn stars...or much worse) and only condemned those who judged others. Open your eyes and stop the madness. Why can't we do these little things? Who cares if your town has a lesbian mayor? Does she do a good job? Yes? Then shut the fuck up. If you can't accept those that are different, then you can't be mad when others don't accept you...think about it.

P.S. I would have probably visited your town a lot sooner with a porn star as the wife of a prominent official...*shakes head*

NO FUTURE FOR YOU!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/08/teens.life.sentence/index.html

So I read this article and was amazed at humanity. The article is about a 14-year-old kid, Quantel Lotts, who killed his 17-year-old brother, Michael Barton, with a knife. They had been playing with blowguns and at some point it got serious and he went for a knife.  He was sentenced to life in prison with no parole. I’ll let that settle a bit. A 14-year-old kid was sentenced to life in prison WITH NO PAROLE. He’s now 23 years old.

The thing that surprises me is the two extremes of the advocates for and against this guy and inmates like him who have committed ugly crimes.

His stepmother, the mother of Michael, the older kid, has forgiven Quantel for killing her son and is working with lawyers to get him released.

There are some who are working in different places to try to eliminate federally the ability to give such severe punishment to minors, namely the National Center for Juvenile Justice. Their reasoning is that these kids have usually undergone quite a bit of trauma and that system doesn’t care what happens to them. These kids have been through a lot of hell. Some have been raped, some have been dealing with a loved one and authority in their lives molesting or neglecting them and/or abusing drugs.

But of course, there’s another set that think that’s the reason they should never see daylight again. They believe that their crimes were so bad that they should stay locked up forever. And in actuality they feel the severity of their crimes makes them unworthy of the resources that would help them and get them back on the streets.

They feel like the victims shouldn’t have to feel victimized again and that these people will be in our communities repeating their crimes.

It turns out that there are over 2000 inmates with more or less the same stories. 73 of them were 13 or 14 when they did it. The thing that trips me out is that Son of Sam and Charles Manson have been up for parole multiple times. These guys have killed at ages wherein they are set in their ways or at least when they had a complex understanding of consequences of their actions. Manson has been up for parole about 11 times! David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam” killer has been up for parole 4 times.

Ok, My views:

The mother is no joke! I don’t know how long this could have taken her but she has seen past the fact that her son is dead and recognizes that this was a little kid. She also recognizes that this kid has been through a lot and needs help and not prison. The idea that she could get past the fact that this kid killed her son is amazing.

I give much props to the NCJJ for their efforts in trying to assist sentenced juveniles. The punishment does exceed the crime just a little. It’s not that I’m taking the sting out of murdering someone, but I am taking the stance that the goal of our system should be rehabilitation.

I know it hurts to lose someone you love. I’m sure it is even more infuriating and painful when that person is lost to someone who had no right and especially no real reason to take their lives. But should that mean that we lose all appreciation for human life? Should we want people to live enslaved to the system? That can be considered torture. It’s justifiable but should we desire that for people. These are people who, with rehabilitation, may make great and productive additions to society. If we allow our hate or vengeance allows us to get to the point where we can’t see or allow that, then we have become less human.

But this is the argument of National Organization for Victims of Juvenile Lifers. It was co-founded by woman whose sister’s family was killed by a teenager. The fact that these killers usually had a pretty complicated and painful life up to that point is more reason for them to lock these kids up and throw away the key. That’s pretty grimey to me. This group along with Crime Victims United of California believes that they could come out and repeat this stuff in our communities. Typical. Fear tactics. Isn’t that what always happens? A kid who kills someone in their teenage years, no matter what the reason, apparently can’t change and be remorseful and do something more for society in his 20’s or 30’s. Doesn’t make any sense.

I’m not saying don’t give them life. I’m just saying throwing away the key won’t bring your family or friends back. Everyone should get a second chance to make something better of themselves. Everyone should be allowed parole hearings. I think they should come with much more rigorous psychological evaluations and behavioral evaluation and testimonies by guards and even the well-known and trusted inmates (those do exist). And even after being granted parole, they can undergo periodic evaluations at institutions funded by the government with psychologists in a debt forgiveness program. I don’t have all the kinks worked out obviously but it’s a start.

I’m just sayin, if Charles Manson can come up for parol, why should we say some kid who wasn’t smart enough to control himself before he did something seriously stupid should never have that chance? 

The Gays Have It

Not really sure what the title means, but I thought it would get some attention. Surprise, surprise America, we have the Midwest doing things that California could not. We even addressed the Prop 8 debate on this very blog (thanks Tali). I'm somewhat excited. Not because I am gay or anything, but because this means that Americans are not just red and blue, or liberal and conservative, we are a thinking nation. We do have gut reactions, but we also think things through. I have religious beliefs that are against homosexuality (male to male, haven't found anything against lesbians in the Bible...weird...thanks God...I guess, but I digress), but I am not going to let MY beliefs control those around me. My beliefs have not one fucking thing to do with your beliefs. We are talking about laws that reflect direct religious principles; laws that have no place in a 'secular' society (I mean, if we want to observe religious laws we are WAAAAY off right now).

Here is the thing, why are people so against gay marriage? Religion. Yet we have a separation of church and state that is not being upheld. Maybe 'gay' isn't even in line with evolutionary, 'survival of the fittest' (no reproductive abilities on their own...just sayin') principles, but that doesn't mean someone can't marry the person they love. Who am I to stop them? In my opinion that is not where the law belongs. Keep the law out of my sexual affairs (gay or straight). I mean, in some religions, oral sex is frowned upon (or non-missionary sex or sex for pleasure), do I want the government telling me what positions I'm allowed to perform? NOPE! So, based on those items, my personal feelings on gay marriage DON'T FUCKING MATTER! And neither do yours. Gay marriage doesn't even bother heterosexual couples! I mean, if your dude already wanted to marry dudes, but didn't cause it was illegal, then you had a problem in the beginning. Over at the Huffington Post (damn liberals...lol) they discuss how allowing gay marriages can support heterosexual marriages (WHAT?!?!).

Now, for you homophobes (I include myself), calm down. This isn't the end of the world for you. Relax. Take a deep breath. And remember, I don't care what your religion says, I am solely speaking to the fact that the government should not be involved in those matters. And if I wanna marry a fucking rock...so be it (extreme, but seriously...who cares?). I would not label myself as conservative or liberal, but I would say that I seek that which is real. I try to understand those who are different and we shouldn't prevent those that aren't "normal" from doing the whole gay marriage thing. Congrats Iowa and Vermont...you realized the stupidity in the laws and fixed it.

Oh yeah, if you would like to continue to discuss this issue, post a comment!

Common Sense

Some have said that common sense is not common at all. To this point I must agree. I'm not an officer of the law, but I believe that I would have better judgment in the situation that occurred in Plano, Texas. Below is a video of ESPN's report on the incident. And here is a link for their write up. I'm not going to give the details of the story here, but I think the officer is clearly an idiot (whether or not his stupidity was racially motivated is not my place to judge). Watch the video and read my thoughts below...



When will people use common sense? First, I will address what Ryan Moats should have done in this situation (though his course of action was not incorrect). After the cop pulled me over in the hospital parking lot, I would have gotten out of my car (or even waited for the officer to approach the window) and explained that my mother-in-law was dying. If the officer said that he could not let me leave without towing my car, I would tell him that he can do whatever he wants, but he will not prevent me from seeing her. I would calmly walk into the hospital with my hands completely visible. However, I would know that this course of action could cause me harm (Moats' wife used this course of action...kudos to her and to Ryan for remaining composed).

Now, to Officer Powell. This cop is an idiot. After the hospital sent out several nurses (on separate occasions) to explain the situation and explain that the patient had already coded several times, the officer still would not allow Ryan Moats to see his dying mother-in-law. Is this for real? The reason Moats was pulled over is due to 'rolling through' a red light (turning right on red without stopping, I assume). Is this reason enough to detain him in the parking lot of the hospital? The officer could have allowed him to see his mother-in-law and then written a ticket or whatever. Why not? Because the officer is an imbecile. He could have even walked into the hospital and waited for them with the ticket in his hand. This is insane. I'm not calling for his job, but he needs some more training. Police Officers have discretion (meaning they DO NOT have to arrest or ticket everyone who has committed a crime) to use at their WILL. Meaning they can give warnings in certain cases. Would rushing to the hospital be one of those cases? Would nurses telling you that the person your 'suspect' (really, traffic violation?) is trying to visit is dying be reason enough?

Ryan Moats' mother-in-law died before he reached her. How can that be repaid? The officer was directly responsible for the delay that caused him to miss those last moments with her. Can any apology cover that? I appreciate what the Police Chief said in his press conference. I'm glad that this doesn't fall on blind eyes, but we need to hire officers with some sense. What is the excuse here?

The reason that this is most disturbing is that Officer Powell overreacted. How many other times has he made poor decisions based on an exaggerated view of events? Has he arrested someone (black or white) that did nothing to deserve it? Is he running around making ignorant and stupid decisions throughout Plano? This is the travesty of a lack of common sense. Making intelligent decisions and knowing the right reaction for the right situation is KEY to being an officer of the law. You may view this as a small misstep in judgment, but I see it as a systemic problem in our nation. We have lost common sense.

I watched South Park recently and the common theme of many episodes is the lack of common sense. The town folk react to common problems with extreme solutions. They lack the necessary common sense to prevent mass hysteria over little issues (and comedy results). This is an illustration of the greater problem: fear. Common sense challenges fear and ignorance. However, without common sense it is easy to fear things that one should not. Whether it be racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, gender discrimination, or religious discrimination the common thread is unfounded fear. It creates the need to oppress, to kill, to make war, and to segregate. Why are we afraid? Because we lack common sense and the information that will ablate our fears. We are ALL guilty.

I challenge my readers to move past their fears. Choose something you are afraid of and conquer it. Talk to someone that you think won't understand you, walk where you want, look people in the eye (OSU students), say hello, and do the little things. Soon you will be able to conquer the big fears. I'll work on this and I hope that you will as well...we don't want to end up with a lapse in common sense like Officer Powell.

Gattaca???

We are entering a new age in our society. Genetic engineering is reaching new heights. Take this story for instance. A doctor has recently claimed to be able to 'design' babies with specific hair and eye color! Now, where do we go from here? When does the ethical question come up regarding the 'selection' of 'great' babies over 'good' babies? Should we be able to pick and choose the best from our shared gene pools (male and female)? Wouldn't we all love to be different in some way (not I, said the mouse)?

Well, we have already seen how this scenario may play out in a great film called Gattaca. Gattaca explores highly selective genetic engineering of embryos in order to form 'optimal' children. In the film, two brothers (one engineered and one not) lead different and unique lives based on the difference in their genetic makeup. The themes that are explored (without giving away too much more of the plot) include genetic segregation and ethical questions regarding that segregation. It is an important film if we are moving closer and closer to 'super babies'.

Here's what I would like to know. Can we as a society deal with this technology when it arrives? Are we ready to select 'better' babies based only on genetic information? Its a tough question for which I have no answer. We think that we would want things to take place naturally, but that may not be the best. What if I could guarantee that you would live to be 95+ years old and not have any diseases? Would you take that guarantee? Would you want your child to have that life? I say yes...but I also say no. And thus we have come to an almost impossible problem. Yes the genetic benefits are great, but we can overcome so many things as human beings (proven in the film Gattaca). Isn't this reason to NOT allow your child to be genetically engineered?

Locked Cell Phones!

Several of you may know that I have an iPhone that I enjoy! However, I am still partial to fairness in business and the iPhone (as well as the Blackberry Storm) is the antithesis of fair.

Opposition has been growing against several of the major cell phone service providers. The opposition aruges against the fact that most cell phones are sold locked and can only be used with the larger phone companies (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile). The argument is that this prevents competition from smaller companies because it is harder for them to sell attractive headsets. But if cell phones were sold like TVs, then the consumer could choose how they want their service (or programming in this analogy). Meaning that small time service providers could provide cheaper service (providers like MetroPCS, etc.) and compete with the large companies (due to unlocked phones).

Now, I kind of enjoy the fact that certain phones are with certain companies, but it is time for a change. Most other countries (and most have better phones) have unlocked phones...it just makes sense. I have long believed that the whole system is garbage because you never really own your cellphone if it is locked. You are bound to that provider. You can't switch providers based on service. You have to switch based on phones and service (bogus). I have friends who unlock phones or buy unlocked phones, but it shouldn't have to be outside the mainstream. I should be able to walk inside Best Buy and purchase any cellular device and then walk into any cell phone provider and have that device work with their services. That is all I would like...please can we get this done?

President Obama: Address to Congress

WOW. This was an amazing speech. President Obama touched on several issues including energy independence, tax cuts, the economy, the national debt, our armed forces, the Iraq war, terrorism/extremism, torture, education reform, healthcare reform, parental responsibility, stories of great American spirit, international cooperation, the bailout, and research funding.

This speech (if Obama does well in these times) will go down in history as one of the greatest by a President (yes, I said it). Let no one deny that Obama is a charismatic speaker. Let us hope that he will 'bring it' and keep the momentum going in order to help this nation. Ok, let's get to the speech.

I am going to hit on some points that I enjoyed during the speech, feel free to comment and add your thoughts because I will leave some stuff out.

Let's take a look at research funding first. I think that this issue will lead our nation into very important innovations that will keep us at the cutting edge. Our last leader CUT funding by over 35% and it showed in the research community. It made it much more difficult for researchers to keep very important research moving forward (specifically one of my projects and ACER at Oakwood College). If we commit to research funding we can cure diseases; and President Obama hopes to cure cancer in our lifetime. This leads to another very interesting topic.

Healthcare reform is LONG overdue in our nation. Some may disagree, but I think it is a crime to not allow children access to FREE healthcare. He pointed to several issues that we should tackle (affordability, a new plan/system, bipartisan ideas) and goals we could accomplish. I think the most telling statement was the idea to encourage preventative medicine. This type of medicine will reduce the overall cost of healthcare and should be the focus of this plan.

Another interesting statement was the tax plan that President Obama clarified. Finally (at least to Republicans). He said that only the top 2% of all Americans would experience a tax increase. However, if your family makes less than $250,000 per year, then you will not see a tax increase. AND if you are like the other 95% of working families, then you will receive a tax cut. So, basically this is a great plan...at least, we all hope so.

There were some really touching stories (a bank CEO giving his $60 million to employees and former employees) that reiterated the point that ordinary Americans are far from ordinary. A little girl (last name Bethea) was at her terrible school in South Carolina and wrote a letter to Congress pleading for a new school so that she and her classmates could grow up to be doctors, lawyers, and even President. And the one thing that little girl said that touched me (and Obama) is that they were not quitters! How great is that?

President Obama really brought it home in this speech. We thought that this nation was going down the tubes (and it may be), but Obama is issuing challenges to all Americans. Better yourselves. Turn off the TV. Be with your kids, teach them. Go further in the realm of education. Do these things and our nation will be back on top in all categories. Because, let's be honest, we are behind in education, which leads to being behind everywhere else.

President Obama, I salute you for putting it out there. Saluting our troops and preaching Iraq war responsibility. Getting Americans to commit to volunteer work. This is what we need in a President. CANDOR. HONESTY. MOTIVATION. AND REALISM.

NY Post Cartoon: My Thoughts

Image from NY Post

Ok. I get how everyone wants to react to this as a racist cartoon. I fully understand that sentiment. However, I feel that that is an overreaction. Why you ask? Because of this chimp actually being shot (in the news yesterday), my first reason. But the deeper issue is that the cop is referring to those that wrote and passed the stimulus bill, not President Obama. In my mind, they are saying Congress is a bunch of monkeys (or at least those that wrote the bill).

Having said that, I fully understand that historically (and currently) blacks are referred to as monkeys in hate speech. I get that. But I don't think the cartoon is using the chimp to equal President Obama. This means that no one is saying "kill our monkey president". Thus, we should be outraged by this. What should piss us off are the actual racist policies that continue to bring down this nation. We keep getting angry over what others put in cartoons or say on the radio instead of addressing the fact that the black family's decay is responsible (to a great degree at least) for the large number of blacks in prison or the poor house. Now, I agree that the criminal justice system holds a great responsibility in this as well, but let's stop getting in an uproar of these little things and really address the big problems. Please.