Shirley Sherrod and the "scary" topic of race...

Okay, I kept seeing Shirley Sherrod's name in my time line on Twitter and I was curious about who she was and why her resignation was so important.



Now, as I was watching Nightly News this evening, they showed the clip that apparently started all the talk and my first thought was "Oh damn, lady! Why would you say that?!" Her losing her job, in that moment, after seeing that snippet, made sense. If I had seen a clip of a white woman making that same comment regarding a black farmer, especially with all the hell they've been going through, I would say "Heck yeah, she should resign!" The way this clip was shown makes one question her [Sherrod] ability to perform her job without prejudice. Now we all see that the comment was apart of something benevolent, not malicious. I've been busy today so I only just now found out what the ruckus was. My opinion on this? Give Sherrod her job back.




Fact is, she was explaining how working with this white farmer caused her to overcome her initial prejudice. She says in the video that she realized she "couldn't live with hate..." and that "we have to work together...it's sad that we don't have a room full of whites and blacks here tonight be[cause] we have to overcome the divisions that we have..." Sounds like someone reformed, to me. So why is the Department of Agriculture's Secretary, Tom Vilsack, sticking with this whole resignation? Why would the White House continue to back the decision, but say that they had nothing to do with the decision? The entire situation that Sherrod was discussing is something that happened long before she began working for the Department of Agriculture. So it's not like she carried her prejudice into the new job, right? Why stick to this decision when it has turned out to be a bad one, born of a sliver of an entire speech?

And the farmer, whom Sherrod helped, the one who was the topic of her story, supports her? He and his wife are appreciative of the work Sherrod did to keep them out of bankruptcy? Vilsack, White House, it is okay to admit a mistake and rectify it. Give Sherrod her job back.

Let me also say that the whole issue of race in the age of Obama is pretty crappy. Why? Because every time a case of race or racial discrimination pops up, folks want to say that the President has to be sensitive about the way it is handled. Now, in theory, this may be fine, maybe even accurate. But my problem is this: why the hell is it suddenly so important for our President to be sensitive to such issues? Shouldn't this have been required, expected, long before now? Every president should be required to handle race in a sensitive manner. You mean to tell me that the first bi-racial (or self-identified Black) President is incapable of handling race? So every white president prior to administration was automatically deemed capable? Were former presidents reminded almost daily of race and held to the fire when dealing with such a sensitive issue? I don't think so...to be fair, I cannot recall ever seeing this much coverage on the way The White House handled race. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Oh! And to the NAACP? You stay losing! How can she be giving this speech, in its entirety, at an NAACP function, but the NAACP jumps on the bandwagon against Sherrod? The organization just can't seem to get right...

Methodical Rant: Local NAACP...is there nothing else for which you can fight?

I came into the office today and my supervisor asked me if I had heard anything about the noise ordinance proposal for our city. I had heard some snippets on the news and it hadn't held my attention. Why? One, I am not one who needs to have my music blasting so loud that it will not only make the windows of my car shake, but the windows of your car, as well as your home, shake too. Two, while it is an annoying and frustrating occurrence, there are other things on my mind that I find more important. According to this SJR article, the new ordinance will tow your car on the FIRST offense. I'm silly so my first thought was that the tow truck would have to chase me down because you're definitely not towing my car with me in it and the key in the ignition. I agree with Ryne Goodrich, the current law should be better enforced and the fines imposed on the offenders should be collected more efficiently. Towing a person's vehicle the first time out is completely unfair.

Anyway, my supe goes on to say that our local NAACP is fighting against the proposal, claiming that racial profiling will be used to stop "certain" people (i.e. African Americans). She said that she doesn't think it's a white or black issue because in her neighborhood, there are plenty of "punk white boys" blasting their music and rattling windows in the neighborhood at all hours of the night. I couldn't disagree with her on that point; truth is, African Americans are not the only ones blasting music. So in theory, the ordinance would affect everyone guilty of this irritating habit. That said, after reading this another SJR article, I understand where the NAACP is coming from with the objection to the new ordinance. If the police target a particular area, it is way more likely that African Americans will be affected more than any other group. However, my question for the local NAACP is this: "Is there nothing else for which you can fight?"

My mom has been dealing with a lot of discrimination while working for the county and her phone calls have gone unanswered. She has left message after message after message, asking for help regarding the racial discrimination running rampant in the county. No response from our local branch. According to a family friend who works for an answering service in town, they get tons, TONS, of calls for our local NAACP branch. But all they can do it relay the messages, it is up to the local NAACP to acknowledge the phone calls. So while they are worried about a noise ordinance, folks are working in hostile environments that cause some to simply quit, retire from, or even lose their positions! I'm biased, I know this, it is affecting my mom and it has me pissed off, but even in my bias I know I'm not overreacting. Archie Lawrence, the president of our local NAACP chapter, needs to get the organization's priorities lined up. Some things are worth fighting for, and this noise ordinance isn't one of them.

Fools...what would the world be without 'em

I've had this nagging feeling in my head, as if someone or something was lightly brushing against my brain. It started up once I started reading and listening to the comments of others regarding Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe and her weight. I hadn't planned on blogging about this until something finally clicked and the nagging feeling went away once I realized what was bothering me. Yes, I was tired of hearing "She's obese!" and "She has to lose the weight; it just isn't healthy!" whenever someone brought up the topic of Gabby. Is it true that much of her weight is unhealthy? Yes, I wouldn't argue otherwise; she should lose some weight. So, you may be asking, what's my issue since I don't think people are mistaken? Well, I have an issue with stupidity. Where is the daily fuss and rude jokes regarding the incredibly thin and anorexic? You know what people? Hollywood has an issue with health in general! As if seeing woman's shoulder blades through her chest is the ideal?! Until overall health is promoted, people should really shut their mouths.

Know your role! The 'Ho' never gets an apology!

I never gave the Tiger Woods debacle much, if any, attention. It was simple to me; he cheated on his wife with a harem of women and he was about to cost him a whole lot. However, after reading this article, I cannot hold my tongue regarding the foolishness that is now occurring. After last week's public apology, someone else wants an apology. One of the mistresses, Veronica Siwik-Daniels, feels that she is deserving of a personal apology. WTH?! Has she forgotten that she, like several others, played a part in this adulterous mess? She has an attorney and everything! For what reason, I have no idea. She and her attorney responded to Tiger's public apology; Siwik-Daniels' attorney, Gloria Allred, said "He [Tiger] led her to believe she was the only woman in his life other than his wife..." Say what?!Are you serious Ms. Allred?! Your client, Veronica Siwik-Daniles, was A MISTRESS! She is in no position to demand any kind of an apology! Are times rough for Allred? So rough she has to take on every frivolous case she can in order to make ends meet? I seriously doubt it; she looks like a media hog, right along with her client.

Siwik-Daniels says she "had to deal with a lot and too much from him and because of him...It never had to come to this. He knows that I was very straight and honest with him, but for a long time he lied to me." Um...no little mistress, you dealt with a lot because you chose to do so. And you were dealing with a man who was lying to his wife, so you were dealing with a liar. And you what? Expected him to be honest with you? Someone smack her forehead and tell her she should have drank a V8 because she is a idiot.

The fact that this is being fed into speaks volumes regarding the moral issues this country has! The only, and I repeat ONLY, person who deserve an apology are Tiger's family. This means that each and every woman who played a part in the adultery should apologize to his wife and his children! They deserve none of the media attention they are getting and they definitely do not deserve an apology from Tiger! I could be wrong, but I really do not believe I am.



Image via (CNN/KTLA)

It's dangerous out there...ABW's are on the rise...

ABW's? Your question may be "What is an ABW?" ABW = Angry Black Women. Recently, there have been debates on the temperament of black women. To let the media tell it, we are some of the angriest women on the plant. And fools believe the lie! People are walking around thinking that all black women are loud and angry and extremely sensitive about everything. Tiger Woods cheats on his wife. Well, black women are in a tizzy because none of the women in his stable were black. What?! Get out of here with that! Ninety-percent of black women could not care less about Tiger or his hussies. Reggie Bush is on the cover of Essence's "Black Love" issue. And what? The man is fine (to me, at least). Yeah, it sucks that he enjoys the company of a Kardashian, but heck, I'm not in the running for his affections, so do I care? Nope. I can look at the cover, enjoy the eye candy, and keep it moving.

That said, let me take a moment to bring up a thought that came to mind a little while ago (what prompted me to post anything about this topic). Let's say I was angry about any of this. Why would that be so wrong? Why is my anger such a bad thing? Many women voice their anger about everything from A to Z, but if a black woman does it then it's some kind of strike against her. You know, three white women got angry and glued a man's penis to his stomach, Tiger's wife came at him with a golf club and there are countless other stories of non-black women snapping in anger, but I've heard no media coverage or real discussion of the rise of angry white women. So why is anger in a black woman demonized as if it's a sin? Every being on earth has this emotion, so what's the big deal about it?

Could someone please shine some light on this for me? Am I missing something?

Violence against women: A spectator event...

I don't understand this teenagers today. So angry, so violent, so desensitized to anger and violence. I'm going to write this and I ask that you bear with me because I might babble...so many thoughts are running through my head. A few hours ago, I read an article on CNN.com about a young girl, possibly 15 years old, being gang-raped and beaten by four males (can't call them men because true men do not do such things and can't call them boys because they were old enough to know the difference between right and wrong). This disgusting and violent crime happened right outside of her high school's homecoming dance. This alone makes me want to react violently, but add the fact that approximately 15 people, perhaps students, stood around and watched this girl's brutal violation and DID NOTHING TO STOP IT...NOTHING! When you add that to this story, it makes it that much more sickening! This girl was going through the ugliest, scariest, most traumatic and humiliating moments of her life and there were people standing there watching! I can only imagine that she would have been thinking "Someone please help me! Please! Someone stop this!" But no one had it within them to push these guys off of her? I mean dang, even if you want to use that weak excuse of "being afraid for one's personal safety", someone could have ran inside the school and told a teacher what was happening outside of the school! But nope, each person chose to be a spectator to the abuse of this girl. They probably have no idea that they were bearing witness to her mental breakdown, or maybe they did and they did not care at all.

I do not understand where we are as a society where violence against women is just something to watch, something to accept and not something to stop.  Women face so much hatred (direct and indirect) and abuse (physical, emotional, and mental). And we often become just as desensitized as men to the violence commited against us. Rumor is that that some girls went to a party after the crime was committed and they were overheard joking about it...joking about the fact that a girl was beaten and raped. As I said, this is a rumor, but would this surprise me if it were found to be true? Not at all. There is no solidarity among us women. We fall into the catty, back bitting foolishness and in extreme cases we defend the abuser! What in the world?!?! Maybe some of us feel that if we defend the woman, we are bashing the man? I don't believe that it has to be an either-or situation. But if it comes down to a choice between the two, I'm choosing my sisters...those deserving, of course. I say "deserving" because I know that there are women out there who lie about being abused, whether it is to save themselves from some consequence (see Hofstra rape) or to get revenge (see Megan Williams). In situations like the Hofstra story and Megan Williams, when found guilty of falsely accusing someone of rape, there should be legal consequences. But that is another story...

My main point is that we have to stop standing by, letting women be abused, and doing nothing to stop it. It's one thing to walk around wearing ribbons for Domestic Abuse Awareness, but it's a whole other thing to actually have the courage to be proactive about stopping the abuse. We have to teach our daughters, sisters, and other female relatives that violence, any violence, against women is WRONG! We have to teach our sons, brothers, and male relatives the same thing. And we have to get rid of the "stop snitching" mentality! This is probably the reason that no one went inside the school and told someone that the young girl was outside being brutalized! If you see wrong happening, SPEAK UP! If just one person had done so, maybe the what happened outside of that high school would have went differently.

*****UPDATE******
According to the Los Angeles Times, a girl, who heard some people talking about the rape, called the police. Thank goodness there was at least one person with the decency to call 911. So far, several guys have been arrested. I wish those who stood back and watched could be charged with something! I've been on simmer since last night, but now getting fired up all over again...

DON'T SIT BACK AND LET THIS SHYT HAPPEN!!!

WATCH THIS VIDEO...



After clicking on a link via Twitter, I saw this video and felt angry, sick, tired, and outdone all at once. What in the world is wrong with our youth? Why the hell are they so angry? Yes, I know life is difficult and sometimes it is hard to simply get up out of bed because the obstacles seem too high to get over. But a difficult life is no excuse for MURDER! You know what, and I don't care who I offend when I say this...I don't give a motherf@#k about how hard your life is...excuse after excuse...there is no excuse for what was done to Derrion Albert. THOSE SOB'S KILLED THAT CHILD!!! AND AS MUCH AS THAT ANGERS ME, WHAT ANGERS ME MORE IS THE FACT THAT ADULTS WERE THERE!!! WHY STAND BACK AND WATCH THIS UNFOLD!!!! WHAT? JUST SO YOU COULD RECORD IT? GROWN FOLKS, WHEN WE SEE THIS STUFF HAPPEN, WE HAVE TO STOP IT! DON'T SIT BACK AND SCREAM AND WATCH...DON'T BE PASSIVE! THEN WANNA SCREAM "WE WANT JUSTICE!" WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?!?! WE CAN'T LOOK FOR OTHER FOLKS TO GET OUR KIDS UNDER CONTROL!!! IT PISSES ME OFF THAT THOSE KIDS KILLED THAT CHILD BUT IT PISSES ME OFF EVEN MORE THAT ADULTS, GROWN FOLKS, DID NOTHING BUT SCREAM! CHARGE EACH ONE OF THOSE UNREASONABLY ANGRY SOB'S WITH MURDER! THROW THE EFF'N BOOK AT THEM AND BUST THEM UPSIDE THEIR HEADS WITH BOARDS! NO SYMPATHY! NO EXCUSES! I'M TIRED OF IT...SO EFF'N TIRED...

Oh really?!

I was listening to the Michael Baisden radio show this afternoon (very thankful that I can get this online, because my sucky town doesn't carry the show). Anyway, one part of the show was dedicated to the discussion of teens and sexuality. Baisden started off by talking to a pastor about a comment made by the current Pope, who says that condoms promote HIV/AIDS and promiscuity. Huh? Yeah, I know...WTF, right? Well, Michael totally disagrees with that statement, as most should, because condoms AND sex education are so important to stopping the spread of disease.

Well, as the show continued, Baisden asked that parents call in and talk about their hot-in-the-pants kids, lol; he specifically wanted to know whether or not any parents have walked into their homes and caught their child in the "act". One caller in particular caught my attention because of his feelings about finding his son with a young girl in his room getting it in. According to him, the girl was a skank because she didn't have enough respect for herself OR his home OR the fact that he and his wife were asleep in their room at the time. Okay, so he may have a point; I mean, it is pretty trashy on the girl's part to be in doing the do with her boyfriend with his parents down the hall. However, the father placed all the blame and shame on the girl. Baisden asked the father what he said to his son and George Wilborn asked him if he thought his son was skanky or a ho. The father said that his son is definietly a ho, but here's the thing...he said it with a sense of pride in the fact that his son has really "done some thangs"!

Anyone thinking what I'm thinking? Can we say "DOUBLE STANDARD"? That girl didn't break into the house and throw his son down and just take the d*#@.... she had to have been invited into the home, into the bedroom. Therefore the boy deserves just as much of the blame and shame as the girl. Both of them should have had respect for themselves, the parents, and the home. Respect for self being the biggest part of the equation. They were saying that kids, who haven't even graduate from high school yet, are having as many as 20+ sex partners! How insane is that! Looking for love and affection, trying to find comfort in all the wrong places. We have to educate the children because the reality is that sex is a natural act and it happens. So why not give them the information they need to make informed choices?

Just food for thought....

A short rant....

People, in case you don't know...walking up to people and touching their hair is rude. I'm at work, sitting at my desk, laughing at something and one of the managers comes into the office to give something to her assistant. Before exiting the office, she walks over, starts touching my hair and says "I just have to touch your hair! It looks so soft!" I laughed and asked "Do ya?" I'm like, do you really HAVE to touch my hair? "Can I touch your hair?" would have been the better way to approach me...I just don't understand it! Unless you are my man, you need to ask me permission before playing around in my hair. What is this impulse some people have to just go up to people and lay hands on their hair! This must stop...it's rude and if you have that habit, then out of simple respect for another person's personal space, just ask first.

*Sighing*

Rant over...leave a comment or continue with your day : )

Why does anyone care about...Nadya Suleman

Okay, maybe it's because I'm not feeling too good today...think I've caught a cold...but anyway, why does anyone care about Nadya Suleman? Why give her any airtime to talk about her insane decision to have all those kids? I just don't understand this....what I do know is that I will not give this story anymore of my time and, this may sound callous but I don't care, I hope she is ineligible for assistance, because I can't stand the idea of taxpayer money going to this obviously crazy woman.

Newsworthy....by association?

Okay, apparently the mother of Bristol Palin's boyfriend was arrested due to drug charges...six counts, mind you. Here's my issue with this, and I'm sure I'm not alone, why is this newsworthy? If Palin had become VP (thank God she didn't) perhaps this would be worth something, but she lost! Anyway, for those who are just now coming from out isolation, Bristol Palin is Sarah Palin's daughter, but does that mean that anyone who gets into trouble and is associated with that family (no matter how far removed) has to be concerned with being in the news? I mean, if Willow Palin's classmate's mother's cousin get into some kind of trouble with the law, does that mean it will be news? I'm just a little curious...