Instant fame

Alright. Here's the deal: I'm sick of being broke. While I'm extremely thankful for my position at the University and for having a steady income, this whole 8-5 thing is for the birds. So after doing some brainstorming with my friends Greg and Joslyn, I've decided to write my own play.

Before you ask, no I don't have any experience in the theatre. I didn't study fine arts in college and I've only been to handful of plays in my life. But as I've learned from examining Tyler Perry's ridiculously popular plays or the nonsense that B.E.T. airs everyday, I'm convinced that I don't need a shred of talent in order to appeal (and profit off of) a certain segment of consuming Black Americans. While Perry's work in the arts is pretty insipid, stereotypical, bland, and mind-numbing; let's face facts: one thing it is not is a bad business. His plays are cash cows that are able to generate mad loot in an undersaturated theatre market that is all but extinct. On one hand, many criticis are quick to indicate that Perry's plays have turned back the progress black folks have made during great artistic movements like the Harlem Renaissance; and I tend to agree. Tyler Perry is no James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, or August Wilson. But, damn it to hell if this dude isn't still making a fortune. I mean, you've got people dropping good money (sometimes as much as 40-50 bucks a pop) to see one of his plays. I won't even start with how much his play-converted movies make at the box office. Like him or not, the dude has tapped into a money-making market.

So in the interest of making a bunch of money without having to be too innovative, I've decided to write a Black Gospel play. Here are the roles I plan on casting for my first production of "Momma, Put That Cornbread Down and Sing!":

1. The Momma: What would a black Gospel play be without your hymn-singing, soul food cookin' momma? She has to be the matriach of the family; since these plays will have you thinking that the father is never around. A devout church-goer with a heart as large as her girth, the Momma can always be relied on to impart knowledge, sing the right Gospel song at any moment, and throw down in the kitchen.
2. The Daughter/wife: The daughter has to be a dedicated and faithful wife who somehow lands with the wrong man. Though she's beautiful and loving, she must be a doormat who is frequently and gutlessly subjected to the antics of her successful, yet abusive and cheating husband. She finds comfort and strength in the closeness of family and the blue-collar brotha with whom she will eventually fall in love.
3. The trifflin' husband: No Black Gospel play would be complete without the antagonist husband. The husband must be insanely successful (i.e. the number one trial lawyer in a major city or a hotshot Wall Street banker). His success has blinded him to the true richness that he has in the shape of his wife's love. He has to be evil, callous, and controlling. To make his character even less appealing (if that's even possible) he has to be involved in an affair with a money-grubbing white woman (GASP!)
4. The blue-collared love: This brotha is usually about defying the odds of lower-class black men finding true love. Though he isn't rich, powerful, or affluent like the daughter/wife's husband, he has the passion and love that seems to be missing from the wife's marriage. People will question the financially unreasonable decisions the wife makes to be with him. But at the end, true love prevails.
5. The gay hairdresser: Since the daughter/wife has to be 'beautiful', we should expect to see her in the beauty salon pretty often. So cue the gay hairdresser. His homosexuality is as blatant as George Bush's stupidity. Donning a pink scarf, hazel brown contact lenses, and lip gloss; the gay hairdresser is quick to offer his two cents into the discussion. While his gay antics and mannerisms usually provide comic relief, they may also set the stage for some of the actions the daughter/wife will take.
6. The church congregation: With this being a black gospel play, you have to include a segment at church. After all, the church is the center of any spiritual development that takes place in the play/movie. This is where the daughter/wife makes the ultimate decision to leave her marriage. This is where the daughter/wife and the husband reconcile their differences. This is where the estranged and rebellious teen opens up to his/her concerned and praying grandmother. Among the cast of characters at the church are the deacons, the elders (often wearing dresses with flower print and ridiculously large hats), the 10 member choir whose "A and B selections" stirs up the emotions in the scene, and -- of course -- the pimped-out preacher.
7. The sage grandmother: If the mother is not strong enough to be the stand-alone beacon of hope, you can expect a cameo appearance from the ever-so-wise grandmother. This role will have to played by someone who has a long and storied legacy in black history; someone who will validate the play by being involved -- if only for a few scenes. People like Maya Angelou, Della Reese, Cicely Tyson, and Ruby Dee all come to mind.

Man, I tell you! Once I get to work on this, I'm gonna blow up (see definition #2). I can hardly wait. Yeaaah buddy!
- ACL

To kill a child

For one, thanks to you all for the birthday wishes. But now that all the birthday jazz is over and done with, back to the matters at hand.

This will be one of the more difficult questions I've ever asked. Look at the child in the center of this photo. Take a close look at him. If you had the opportunity, would you kill him? Better yet, imagine the following scenario:

You're a time traveler. You travel back to 1910 Austria. As you enter a local bar, you find yourself seated directly across from a young man who we'll call Adolf. This Adolf character is a relatively quiet young man, but at the time he seems friendly enough. Raised as a Catholic alter boy, he is now an aspiring artist. This guy has never even picked a fight with anybody before; much less started a world war that killed millions of people. He buys you a drink but then excuses himself to go the restroom. While he's away, you pull out the vile of poison you intended on using. The question is: do you? Do you kill a man for something he hasn't even done yet if it means saving the lives of millions of innocent people?

What do you do?

- ACL

My take on the Vick case

Michael Vick is in for a dog fight.

Literally.

I'm sure by now you've all heard about the legal problems of the Atlanta Falcons star quarterback stemming from his involvement in illegal dog fighting. So I won't go into the details. I also won't provide any commentary on the fair/unfair treatment Vick is getting when compared to other animal/human killings in the world. Joslyn already did.

The point of this post is to see what good -- if any -- can come out of this case.

I hate to think that we can find good out of somebody else's misery, but we can. Really, we can. This story is loaded with important lessons that we can extract about how to conduct ourselves. This case may very well be the impetus that we -- especially black folks -- need in order to open our eyes to the consequences of our decisions. Yes, racism exists. Yes, judicial inequality occurs far more than it should. But somewhere down the road, personal responsibility must play a significant role in what we should and shouldn't be doing. This is especially true for people who are in the spotlight anyway. When you're making as much dough as some of these athletes and entertainers, you have to know that the public's eye will always be on you. As unfair as it might be, even your private life is fair game. There are no two ways about it: public images are moving targets. On top of that, being rich and famous doesn't somehow magically absolve race. Black people in America, no matter how prominent will always be at a disadvantage. If you think that another black athlete will be able to pull off an OJ Simpson or a Ray Lewis in court any time soon, think again.

Regardless of this case's outcome, this is a perfect opportunity to teach young people a few important lessons. As I said before, I don't like using bad things as a motivation piece. But you have to admit, bad circumstances often convey some of the best messages.

In this case, the moral of this story is simple: people need to be mindful about the consequences of their actions. We can use the snitches co-defendants who spilled the beans on Vick as an example of carefully choosing your friends (Although I have to admit that since I don't believe in merits of the Stop Snitchin' campaign, it was probably best that they came clean). I mean, even Vick's old man aired some of his dirty laundry. This story can also teach us that a person's fame and fortune does not make them above the law. That only happens when you become President. Further, this story shows us that we should reexamine how we assign role model status to people. Just because someone has talent and they're extremely well paid doesn't mean they have an image that should be followed. At the end of the day, these are just people who are good at what they do; and we get to see it everyday. But a person being good at something doesn't necessarily make them good. Case in point: Charles "I'm not a role model" Barkley. Maybe we should listen to him a little more and stop putting these folks on platforms.

In an unrelated note, Happy Birthday Sylvia!

- ACL

An inaudible voice

One of my favorite songs; "God is speaking" from Mandisa's debut album "True Beauty". You best believe I will be coppin’ this album pretty soon.

Have you ever heard a love song that set your spirit free?
Have you ever watched a sunrise and felt you could not breathe?
What if it's Him? What if it's God speaking?

Have you ever cried a tear that you could not explain?
Have you ever met a stranger who already knew your name?
What if it's Him? What if it's God speaking?

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us?
Get our attention to prove He is enough.
He'll do and He'll use whatever He wants to.
To tell us “I love you.”

Have you ever lost a loved one who you thought should still be here?
Do you know what it feels like to be tangled up in fear?
What if He's somehow involved?
What if He's speaking through it all?

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us?
Get our attention to prove He is enough.
He'll do and He'll use whatever He wants to.
To tell us “I love you.”

His ways are higher, His ways are better.
Though sometimes strange;
What could be stranger than God in a manger?

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us?
Get our attention to prove He is enough.
He'll do and He'll use whatever He wants to.
To tell us “I love you.”

God is speaking “I love you.”

Clearly, she's also able to find God in unusual places.

- ACL

Wearing masks

I was just over at the Hippie Conservative's site; where he wrote an interesting post about -- what he calls -- the "philosophy of hypocrisy". In this post, he basically calls into question exactly what hypocrisy is. As I read his post and my subsequent response, it got me to thinking about how the extent to which hypocrisy resonates in the church.

As I mentioned on HC's site, the term hypocrite is taken from Greek word hypokrites, which means a person who plays a part. Essentially, a hypocrite is an actor. Though that particular definition sounds innocent enough, I can't think of too many words in the English language that so negatively describe a Christian. It makes perfect sense. If you look beneath the surface, being accused of playing the role of a Christian can be pretty insulting. As insulting, perhaps, as laying down a series of relentless "Yo Momma" jokes.

Invariably, whenever I hear the words "hypocrite" and church used together in the same sentence my mind immediately shifts to people whom I consider hypocritical. Whether it's Henry Lyons and his scandals with the NBC, Jesse Jackson and his girlfriend, or even some of the actions at Mt Calvary MBC, I'm often quick to pull out all the punches to go after them. I think we all do at one point or another. But what I -- and most people who judge harshly -- fail to do is to ask God to scan our own hearts to find the things that make us vile. It becomes too easy and too convenient to be critical of others without first looking at ourselves. Not good for followers of Christ. Not good at all.

If you think about it, it was when Jesus was attacking the hypocrisy of the Pharisees that He was usually the most aggressive. He rebuked hypocrites even more than prostitutes, tax collectors and thieves. I suspect that it has to do with the fact that at least the "sinful" folks could admit it. Oppositely, Pharisees enjoyed basking in their self-professed virtue, being the center of attention and being widely recognized for their intelligence, their giving and their good works. They were the oily-haired 'ministers' on the TBN who make it a point to show how well off they were. In today's circles, the church has followed many of the same practices for which the Pharisees were rebuked. You have 'pious', self-righteous folks in church who are quick to call out somebody else's shortcomings and their 'immoral' lifestyles, while they actively engage in gossip, backbiting, selfishness and bigotry. All the while, the unchurched among us sit back and look at our hypocrisy in amazement and cynicism; asking themselves why in the world they would want to join that. Our message gets lost in the role we play.

As I've mentioned before, I believe that we are, in fact, entitled to be critical of other people's actions. But too often, there's a gross misinterpretation of Matthew 7:1; which states "Judge not, lest ye be judged." People read that verse and run a marathon with it; neglecting to read all of the subsequent passages. Many folks are quick to point out other people's shortcomings while; by pretense; put themselves above sin. That's where our acts of judgment become problematic. What people always seem to miss is that before we can judge other people we must first judge ourselves by acknowledging our sins and God's ability to expose us to His Truth. When we fail to do that, Jesus is quick to call us out on our hypocrisy (Matt 7:5).

I can imagine how cool it would be to win an Academy Award. I just wouldn't want to win one for playing the role of a loving Christian.

- ACL

How not to creep around

Every now and then, I'll read an article or hear about a story so funny that I can't come up with anything critical to say about it. I think this is one of those times:

A married man is suing 1-800-Flowers for $1 million for revealing that he was cheating on his wife. Leroy Greer, a married man going through a divorce, claims in a federal lawsuit filed in Texas that he bought flowers through 1-800-Flowers for his girlfriend and asked the company to keep his purchase private. Leroy Greer said in a lawsuit filed this week in a federal court in Texas that he bought flowers for his girlfriend through 1-800-Flowers. He asked to keep his purchase private. Greer said he was referred to the company's privacy policy, which states that customers can ask 1-800-Flowers not to share personal information with "third parties." But, the lawsuit says, 1-800-Flowers sent a thank-you note to his house and his wife saw it. When she called the company, 1-800-Flowers faxed her a copy of the receipt from Greer's secret purchase. The receipt revealed that Greer had sent another woman a dozen long-stemmed red roses, along with a note that read, "Just wanted to say that I love you and you mean the world to me!" according to court documents. Source

Perhaps this dude has a legitimate case. Maybe he doesn't. That's for the court to decide. All I know is that with the charge of lacking common sense, this brotha is guilty on all counts.

People, look. If you've never listened to any advice I've had to offer, please at least listen to this: If you're gonna mess around and cheat on your mate -- and I'm certainly not advocating that you do -- USE CASH! The last thing you need to worry about is leaving a paper trail.

I'm starting to see why many women think that we're idiots. Maybe there's a hint of truth to it.

- ACL

Misc. news

Here's a roundup of some of the events making the news. Pull up a chair:

Scientists: The new magicians

According to this article, British scientists have figured out how to leviate small objects. I wish the article did a better job of explaining the process to those of us who suck at science and physics. But all the same, this is pretty amazing to me.

More over David Blaine. Get outta the way Criss Angel. It seems that science has got your number.

Intel, racism inside?
After heated opposition from protesters, Intel has removed what has been considered a racially offensive ad. Many folks in the media, the blogosphere, and the general public have been in an uproar over the now infamous Intel ad which features a white man in the center of multiple black track athletes. The caption in the ad states that Intel can “Multiply computing performance and maximize the power of your employees”.

I guess on the one hand, I can clearly see the racist undertone. Picturing black men as some sort of symbol of labor (it didn’t help that these men, though clearly track runners in their starting position, appear to be bowing). And, yes, Intel should’ve put a little more thought into the ad. But is this really cause for uprising? You be the judge.

Guilty until proven innocent

As it turns out, our trusty government also needs a little oversight themselves every now and then. Not only have they been known to botch many cases that destroy the lives of innocent people, they even occasionally set them up outright.

According to sources four men were exonerated after secret F.B.I. memos were uncovered proving that the Feds deliberately withheld critical information during a trial in 1968. The memos indicated that mob hitmen Joseph “The Animal” Barboza; also the government’s key witness, had lied when he said the four men had killed another, low-level mobster. $100 million is reportedly being used as compensation for the men's false imprisonments.

Cases like this remind me that not only is our form of “justice” not blind, but it can be downright evil.

A break from the action. Well, sort of...

While American soldiers and Iraqi civilians continue to lose their lives the Iraqi Parliament is on a month-long vacation. This coming right before Congress also took their leave. In a somewhat related story, a significant Sunni bloc has withdrawn itself from the Iraqi Parliament. All of this provides further evidence that any so-called political reconciliation will not be accomplished any time soon. Indeed, this is the “stable” government for whom over 3500 soldiers and tens of thousands civilians have died.

Personally I think we should leave it up to the members of the Executive and Legislative Branches to go to each family who has lost a solider and personally tell them that while their sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers are getting killed, they’re going on vacation.

Iraq's gone Gonzo

I couldn't make this one up if I tried. Apparently, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has visited Iraq to offer his assessment on the state of the nation's justice system. Um. Let me repeat that, just in case you didn't hear me correctly the first time. Alberto "I don't recall" Gonzales is offering his assessment on Iraq's justice system. Seriously folks; using Gonzales as a spokesperson for a good justice system is like using Michael Vick as a spokesperson for PETA. It's like using B.ET. as an outlet to combat negative images about black people (Never mind. They already tried. And failed).

Then again, perhaps this move is being done to reinforce the ever-so incredible contributions we've made to Iraq thus far. Yeah. I'm glad you got the joke too.

House passes wiretapping bill

Despite being controlled by Democrats, the House of Representatives recently passed a bill allowing the government to eavesdrop on foreign suspects whose communications pass through the United States. This bill, an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows the government to warrantlessly intercept and listen in on any conversations transmitted to the U.S.; even if the suspect is not directly tied to any terrorist organizations.

To the House Democrats: thank you for allowing this bill to pass. For a minute there, I almost forget why I don't respect you.

The Romney sacrifice

I've always tried to give Mitt Romney a chance. Though I tend not to like the filthy-rich CEO, GOP types, I was willing to overlook that for him. But after an off-the-wall statement he recently made, I'm done with him for good. When asked why none of his age-appropriate sons were serving in Iraq, good ole Mitt said:

"It's remarkable how we can show our support for our nation, and one of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping to get me elected, because they think I'd be a great president. My son, Josh, bought the family Winnebago and has visited 99 counties, most of them with his three kids and his wife. And I respect that and respect all of those in the way they serve this great country"

Yep. That's what he said. Helping their wealthy dad get elected and traveling around in a Winnebago does just as much service to this country as dying, losing a limb, or watching a similar fate befall one of your friends. OK.

He later tried to cover his tracks by saying:

"I didn't mean in any way to compare service in the country with my boys in any way. Service in this country is an extraordinary sacrifice being made by individuals and their families."

I guess his lame apology was enough to at least secure Iowa's Republican Straw Vote. Congrats for dodging a bullet Mitt. Or was it the money that saved you?

More Congressional corruption

Though rumors and accusations of corruption have been building up against Republican Senator Ted Stevens and his son for years, there has finally been some action taken against them. According to reports:

FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents searched the Alaska home of veteran Sen. Ted Stevens Monday amid a corruption probe that has already snared two oil-company executives and a state lobbyist. Source

Frankly, nothing about this party surprises me any more. For that matter, nothing about this entire Congressional body surprises me any more. I’ve given up on them a long time ago. I’d like to see them all go; not least of all Sen. Stevens. I’ve all but given up believing that politicians are honest and that they don’t – nor have they ever – worked in the interest of the people who elected them.

The end of an error

Deputy Chief of Staff and sinister mastermind Karl Rove has submitted his resignation. Rove, chief political strategist and the proclaimed "architect" for President Bush is giving it all up as of August 31st.

More than likely, with Rove distancing himself from Washington, any attempts to bring him or the White House down will be moot at this point. I highly doubt that most people will look past their own jubiliation over his leaving to remember that this is the infamous Karl Rove; the very guy who put this moron of a president in office. I'll continue to be amazed at how people can come in; lie, cheat, and steal their way into office, then make a clean getaway without so much as a peep of opposition. Stupid Democrats...

Our government makes people sick. Literally.

This story is a little old, but still worth mentioning. According to reports, many Hurricane Katrina evacuees have testified to getting sick because of levels of formaldeyhyde toxins found in their government sponsored trailers. This looks like a job for...FEMA!

Oh, never mind.

Murderous pastor's wife may go goes free
According to CNN, Mary Winkler the 33-year-old who admittedly killed her minister husband will likely has walked. According to lawyers Winkler will be has been released after she served five months in jail before her trial and another two months in a mental institute.

This story proves two contentions that I have: (1) Murder is apparently OK if your husband is abusive. Simply leaving him is overrated, (2) White, middle-aged women who claim insanity have a much better chance of beating the system than anyone else.

The Jena Six

As far as I can tell, there haven't been any new developments on the story of the Jena six. For those of you who haven't been following the story, six black youth in Jena, Louisiana face the possibility of 100 years in prison for assaulting a white youth in a school fight. They're being charged with attempted murder and conspiracy of all things.

The city of Jena has been in the spotlight lately because of all the racial tension that has emerged. Including in this racial tension are the two recent incidents: (1) where three nooses were found under a "whites only" shadetree after a black student sat under it and (2): When black students at a convenience store were threatened by a young white man with a shotgun. They wrestled the gun from him and ran away. While no charges were filed against the white man, the black students were arrested for the theft of the gun.

All I know is that I'm ashamed to live in a country where this type of racial conflict can so easily go against one group, while many of the real culprits are walking free. Remember what I just said about being a middle-aged white woman?

Bad parenting of the tragic type

File this one under "Things we can't blame on racism". Semetta Heyward, a 27 year old single mother in South Carolina is being charged with homocide after she left her two children (1 and 4 years old) in a sweltering vehicle while she was at work. Her babysitter flaked on her and her employer wouldn't give her the day off. Since the children's father wasn't around to take care of them (I'm not sure where he was), Heyward took them with her to work; leaving them in the car. After she found them dead, she took them home, bathed and clothed them, and stuff their bodies in garbage bags hidden under her kitchen sink. WTF?!

Even more bad parenting

Here's another installment of "Things we can't blame on racism." Ramona Coleman has been charged with child endangerment after giving her 3-year-old son cocaine and marijuana, thinking that it was "funny". Though Child Protection Services have been attempted to reunite Coleman with her son (why, I don't know...), it's not likely it will happen. According to reports, when she arrived in court for her hearing, she did so while she was high. Again, WTF?!

Newark kids executed

I was sick to my stomach when I heard this story. Three students in Newark were murdered execution style, and another was critically wounded in an apparent robbery attempt. The three students were forced to kneel against the wall of a local high school and were all shot in the head from point blank range. The surviving victim was found close the scene with a gunshot wound to the head. Two of the students were currently enrolled at Delaware State University, and the other two were scheduled to attend in the fall. Interestingly, one of the suspects is an illegal immigrant. Also, in a related story, another murder took place in Newark last week.

I was able to locate the Myspace page of one of the victims, Dashon Harvey. But CNN provided more information about each of the victims.

A brutal attack in Florida

In another sickening story, a Haitian immigrant and her son were brutalized, tortured, robbed, and raped by 10 men in a run-down housing project in Florida. The suspects (two of whom were as young as 14 and 16) raped the woman, beat her 12 year old, and forced to mother to have oral sex with her own son. After the assault, they attempted to cleanse away any evidence using an assortment of cleaners. One solution they used burned the boy's eyes. This story has brought to light (1) the horrific things black folks don't mind doing to one another and (2) what types of things happen in housing projects.

After hearing about most of these stories, I think I'm gonna hold off following the news for a while. I'm not sure if my heart can take much more of this right now. Please continue to pray for this world. God knows we need it.

- ACL

Standing through the storm

I was just over to Joslyn's site (there's my cheap pop for the day). She's dealing with some pretty difficult things in her life; as I'm sure we all are. I don't think that any one of us can say that we haven't experienced our own storms; whether as small as a drizzle or as destructive as Katrina. We've all gone through something in our lives at one point of another. Lost loves. Sickness. Broken hearts. Lonliness. The list goes on forever. The storms are about as unique as the people who go through them. But perhaps one thing; one thought is prevalent as we all go through: Is there any good that can come out of our struggles?

When I looked in my concordance for the word "struggle", several passages were found. But one passage that particularly stuck out was Paul's letter to the church at Philipi. In the first chapter of that book (you should read the whole chapter, though my concordance only cited a few verses), Paul writes about dealing with his struggles. More notably, he emphasized how we should not always try to find our own personal benefit from being in a storm, but rather to look at how our experience can benefit others.

In the verse 12 of his letter Paul writes:

"Now I would have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel."

Here, I think Paul is pointing out that even in the midst of some of our most difficult times, there is always an opportunity for ministry. I think that how we hold up in a storm can be the very catalyst that other people might need to come closer to Christ. Simply stated, other people can benefit from our hardships.

I went to see Kem in concert last night. This dude is absolutely amazing! If you haven't had a chance to see him perform or listen to his sounds, you're missing out. Anyway, during his performance, he made a break from the music to offer his thanks and praise to God. Apparently, this is something that he does during every one of his performances. He indicated that his life was marked by a long period of drug addiction, alcoholism, and homelessness. But as he gleefully stated, it was by God's grace that he was able to overcome his difficulties. Though he's been clean and sober from 17 years, he shares this story with people even to this day. That to me is a perfect example of using your shame, your hurt, and your trials to market the goodness of God. Though he overcame those problems (even when many of us don't always overcome ours), he was still able to bless others through his struggle; almost two decades removed.

When the world sees us being strong and resolute during our storms, we are able to speak volumes to our character and to God. That will then allow us the opportunity to use our testimony to further the Gospel. We've been given a charge to be living witnesses. But the Bible doesn't factor in whether or not we're "doin' good" as we do so. This leads me to believe that we are live for God whether things are going great in our lives or if they suck.

In verse 13, Paul states:

"As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ."

I think in this verse, Paul is stating that the visible stuff we're going through becomes the impetus for other people to rely on God for their own problems. Watching people emerge from their own storms empowers others to rely on God and His promises as they go through theirs. When you align yourself with God and allow Him to work through your life; people will see it and take notice. Even when people can't visible see God, they'll be able to see him through us.

In verse 14, Paul states:

"Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly."

This verse speaks tons to the importance of empowering others. Interestingly, it's not just the unbelievers who stand to benefit from our hardships. Instead, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ can also be encouraged by what we go through. For example: though I'm not a huge fan of stories of heroism in sports, some important lessons can be drawn from those types of circumstances. When you have a person who overcomes obstacles and defies odds, they become a true source of contagious inspiration for others. They take a beating and come back for more. Like a good Rolex, they take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. Through all of that, they empower those around them to stand strong themselves and to depend on God as their source for strength.

So I guess my advice to you is simple: when faced with hard times, we should do our very best to keep a smile on our face and to keep ourselves encouraged. People's eyes are always on us (for both good and bad reasons); and they always look to see how we respond to various situations. You never know: how you respond to these trials may very well be the thing that encourages somebody else as they face their problems. Their delieverance may be come after seeing how we stand through the storm.

- ACL

The Newest Arrival

My work here is soooo done.

My homegirl Joslyn just started her own blog.

Visit soon. Visit often.


- ACL

A perfect "10" or a really good "8"?

Hey all,

For starters, thanks to you all for your comments in the last post. It left me with tons of thoughts and expressions to consider. I'm working on some more serious topics to discuss, and I'll post them pretty soon. But for now, I've got a quick question. This one is especially for the ladies, but fellas feel free to join in if you wanna get down. Here goes:

I've got a female friend (in fact, a few of my lady friends fall in this category) who is about as close to being complete as anybody. She's beautiful, brilliant, successful, nice, talented...the whole nine. She's good at virtually everything she does and the character flaws she has (limited as they are with her) are pretty minor. For lack of a better word, the girl is about as perfect as they come. On top of it all, she's incredible humble and grounded in the Word. I mean, if I even think about complimenting this girl, she will most assuredly (1) blush profusely and/or (2) give credit to God. She's amazing.

Her great qualities comes at a price however. During our conversation, she mentioned that men are frequently intimidated by her. Truthfully, when I first met her, I was intimidated by her my damn self. But once you get to know her, you get to experience the less intimidating side of her. That is, of course, if you're not scared off before then.

So my question to you is the same one she posed to me: How do you tone down your positive qualities so you don't come across as intimidating to others? Perhaps the better question would be: Should you even bother doing so? Initially, I thought the answer was obvious: that she should never compromise herself and who she is for others. But that leaves too much faith in the idea that intimidated people can and will get over themselves and their own insecurities. But we all know that's hardly the case. I'm curious to know what you think.

Go.

- ACL

The Church Club

As a child turned young man, I grew up in a pretty strict church environment; as I'm sure most of you have. Interestingly, the very idea of God's saving grace was often overpowered by the magnitude of the rules that folks of the church practiced over time; and which will likely be followed through perpetruity.

You know the rules: No female ministers, no earrings for men, no pants for women, no dancing, no playing cards, no walking during service, no chewing gum, etc. The list goes on and on. Oddly enough, it wasn't nearly as bad at my church as it was for many of my friends at theirs. I mean, their churches banned simple things like long hair for men (though I also remember getting attacked for growing my hair out into an afro when I was getting my hair twisted), short hair for women, perfume/cologne, tattoes, and makeup. The rules were often defended by history and tradition so I typically went along with them; though having my occasional moments of anti-tradition defiance.

I guess my ultimate hang up was not necessarily with how ridiculous most of our rules were. I was most concerned by the fact that many practices that we should have rules against somehow made it through the cracks. Never mind that: those practices didn't just slip by, they were widely and popularly accepted. Practices like racial disharmony, bigotry, intolerance, rudeness, gossip, and backbiting were all allowed to become standard practices without so much as a peep of resistence from church folks. As a black church, we only fellowshipped with other black churches. As a heterosexual members, we only fellowshipped with other heterosexuals (comfortably, at least). As a socially dignified church, we only fellowshipped with other socially dignified people (though Black folks have an uncanny ability to sell how well off they are when -- in reality -- most of us are broke as hell).

Anybody outside of our church could join if they would have the decency and the willingness to become like us. If not, well...sorry. No club membership for you. This is not to say that the "doors of the church" weren't open, you just weren't allowed to join the cliques and clubs that lied within. In the off chance that you were able to successfully infilitrate the various fraternities within the church, you were more of a statistic to be counted in the Pastor's annual report than you were a person.

When faced with these realities, it's no wonder to me so many folks have given up on the church. Exclusivity has never been an effective tool for ministering to those outside of the fold. Hell, even I often felt excluded from the club; and I was apart of it! I can only imagine how difficult it must be for 'outsiders'.

One of the important things that has somehow gotten lost over the years is that the Church that Jesus came to establish (you know; the one that was built on Peter?) was not designed to be an exclusive club. There are no VIP lounges; no need for RSVPs. Though some discomfort is to be expected of 'outsiders' (because their self-reflection has revealed how dirty and shameful they may be. In fact, we should all feel discomfort like this), such discomfort should never come because of how we respond to them. Yet, that's often the case. The end result is that outsiders are afraid to come to the church if they live a life they consider wrong. For that matter, they are afraid to come to church if they...well, just live.

Absent of God's unconditional/underseved grace and the ability to see people as just people, I fully understand our propensity to reject and/or exclude people different from ourselves. I can especially understand it if those 'different' people were somehow 'not as good' as we are (Sad that our pride makes us see things this way). But somewhere down the road, that habit needs to be broken; that unspoken rule overturned. But with many of the current faces in our midst, I'm not holding my breath.

I remember not too long ago before I left my old church, there were a couple of really attractive young ladies who had recently joined. A few of us guys at the church affectionately nicknamed one of them "Beyonce", though she bore no real resemblence to the famous pop singer. On the surface, she seemed pretty cool, nice, and genuinely interested in being a part of our church family. At the end of the day, that's all that counts, right? One Sunday, Beyonce arrived at church wearing a sort of mink boa thingy (that's my technical term), a miniskirt (which wasn't that revealing, by the way), and some knee high boots. All hell broke loose. After being rudely and inappropriately tag-teamed by a few of the older ladies at the church (one of whom was the Pastor's wife), Beyonce left and -- as far as I can tell -- never came back. I predict the other young lady will be next. Sucks for us guys (*joke*)

I suppose that on the one hand, I saw this coming. Since the day they joined, both of these young ladies had eyes of reproach burning directly into them from the members of the church; especially other women (HATERS!). So the lack of sensitivity that comes with checking people on what's "appropriate" for church (as if God ever made such distinctions) was to be expected. Sadly, I wasn't disappointed. This story (and many others like it) remind me that the church is all but sensitive to those outside of the circle.

It always amazes me to think that the Christ for whom our lives are to be patterned opened Himself to the most vile people of His day. Hookers, sick folks, criminals, and tax collectors (synonymous, perhaps?) were all drawn to Jesus; and He to them. They were dirty as they approached them, and He got dirty to reach for them. True, once they experienced Him its likely that most of them did not revert back to their former selves (though I'm not so sure about that. If people were sinless after they came to Jesus, what's the point of endless grace?). But ultimately, people didn't have to refine their resumes, throw on pinstripe suits, and file down their heels in order to gain access to Jesus and to be a part of His club.

Why, then, do we expect to them to do those things to satisfy us?

- ACL

You know you blog too much when...

...you're so deep in thought over a good topic to write about, you forget all about the cutting knife you have in your hand.



- ACL

My new love

Sorry, Corinne. You've been replaced. The new official love of my life hands down is Joann Rosario. Here's a clip of her layin' it down with Donnie McClurkin.

She's such a talented and annointed singer. Her voice is is AMAZING; and her spirit is a spot on match. Her "Now more than ever...Worship" album has blessed me time and time again. I tell you, when God finished making her, He had to take the rest of the week off.

Now, if I can only lure her my way...

- ACL

A hot ghetto mess, indeed

Sigh. Forty-seven minutes of my life wasted away watching two of BET's newest television shows "Socially Offensive Behavior" and "We Got To Do Better." Forty-seven minutes that could've been spent sleeping, vacuuming, working on my thesis, finding a cure for cancer, counting the pennies in my jar, or whatever...completely gone. And I can't get them back.

BET has hit a new low. These programs were not only completely unfunny, but they did exactly what I thought they would. I suppose however, that one of the redeeming qualities of wasting my time watching this junk was that I got to witness BET put on a pretty bad show for millions of people to see. But the problem is: BET put on a pretty bad show for millions of people to see. I'll get into that in a second.

First, there's "S.O.B. : Socially Offensive Behavior." S.O.B. is a candid camera type of reality show where people are put in racially charged situations. I guess the show's producers are somehow trying to analyze racism, classism, sexism, community, etc. by "leaving the political correctness" at the door. Whatever.

Truthfully, I don't have much to say about it. All I can say is that I didn't find one shred of social commentary implanted in this show. What I did find were a series a cheesy, fake, and unfunny segments.

Next, we turn our attention to the real hot button: "Hot Ghetto Mess"; or, as it's been renamed "We Got To Do Better". Despite a pretty successful assault by What About Our Daughters, (you should check out their blog. It's hot.), BET still managed to air the controversial program and, to some extent, even feed off the controversy.

Watching the show for myself basically confirmed everything I thought about it at the outset. It was a half hour's worth of black people doing stupid sh*t. Most of the show featured videos from people doing ridiculous things; while some segments of the show included "Street Walking" where people were approached and asked a series of "black" questions (how a person's general knowledge of people, places, and dates is equated to being "ghetto" remains a mystery to me).

Some would argue that one of the show's saving graces was that it also aired ridiculous antics from white people; namely stereotypical "rednecks" and "wiggers". But what BET hasn't figured out yet (and I doubt they will any time soon) is that White America has never been dictated to by the stereotypical caricatures that make up their subculture. Shows like Jerry Springer, Howard Stern that showcase "white trash" will NEVER be labeled as the "face" of White America. Yet, the crapola that makes it on Black Entertainment Television has and will continue to dictate Black America. Worse yet, this coon nonsense is being heralded and defended as a socially relvant outlet by BET executives. Said Bob Johnson, BET founder:

"As far as the 'Hot Ghetto Mess' issue, [BET President/CEO Debra Lee] has got the same problem that I had in that BET, for all practical purposes, is the only preeminent voice for African Americans in media and because of that it is given a greater responsibility and obligation by certain people that BET has to be a little bit 'holier than thou,'" Johnson said. "We'll let Jerry Springer get away with that or we'll let Morton Downey get away with that or we'll let the people at VH1's 'Flavor of Love' get away with that. But when it's black folks making the decision to do that, all of a sudden people start saying you can't do that because you have a greater obligation...."

"All of a sudden, creative people who want to tell stories or produce shows like 'Hot Ghetto Mess' are saying, 'I don't want to work on BET because they can't doing anything that's innovative or pushes the envelope," he said. "I think that would be detrimental to creativity. I think it would be detrimental to the black community in allowing us to mature and let a lot of voices be heard."

(Source)

Yep, that's what he said. That's what the guy who brought us BET Uncut said.

I suppose that more than anything, three major problems have surfaced from this show and shows like it:

(1) The idea that airing out our dirty laundry for the purpose of raising awareness and self-improvement is, and will continue to be a joke. If anything, all it actually does is further propogate long-standing stereotypes by putting a human face to them.

(2) The fact that over the close to thirty years BET has been around, they've always rested on their laurels and lacked any real creativity. When provided the opportunity to do something groundbreaking and for the whole world to see, they produced...well...this nonsense.

(3) The idea that one of the best ways to address social concerns, self-assessment, and community improvement has to reach us through comedy and entertainment. I mean, damn. Everything in this world is not supposed to be funny. Just because Dave Chappelle's show (minus Chappelle's frequent reference to the dehumanizing 'n-word') was able to accomplish the feat using comedy doesn't mean everybody can. Least of all with Charlie Murphy at the helm.

I just don't know what to do with BET any more. Maybe it's time to do what the activists at What About Our Daughters did. Leave BET alone and go after the sponsors.

Your thoughts?

- ACL

Third time's (not) the charm

First, it was labeling Mark Foley; the now infamous gay pedophile; a Democrat. Then it was flashing an image of Senior House Representative John Conyers during an investigative story about the sleazy antics of William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson. Now, your boys over at Faux News are at it again. This time, they "mistakenly" labeled Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter as a Democrat; all while he was grilling Attorney General Alberto Gonzales during yesterday's Senate Judiciary Committee meeting.

This goes to show that Fox will stoop to any level to protect their own and to discredit Democrats. Even though Democrats are usually their own worst enemy, they've been getting a lot of help defaming their character from Ruppert Murdoch's "fair and balanced" news station.

Hippie, does this answer your question about why the Dems should stay away from Fox News?

-ACL

A possible preview of Election '08

(Click the image to enlarge)

Is America ready?

- ACL

Good friend, bad friend

OK. I've got a little problem and I'm curious on your take.

First, let me introduce the cast of characters. Of course, you've got me; the young, dashing, handsome and intrepid hero. Next, there's a friend of mine. Let's call her...uh...Leia. Leia and I have had our ups and downs over the years. We've been pretty close throughout; but recent differences in ideology have caused us to go our separate ways. Though we're not by any means enemies, I've concluded that the best way to handle our relationship is by distance and disassociation on just about every level.

Now, there's one final player in this story. We'll call her...uh...Skeeter. I know Skeeter through Leia. In fact, it's only because of Leia that I have any relationship with Skeeter. Though Skeeter and I aren't really that close, she's been coming to me lately; seeking my help on a few things. Now, it's never been in my nature to just turn people down outright. And it's been no exception with her. Even though I've been pretty busy lately, I wouldn't hesitate to stop and provide her with my assistance and expertise as needed. After all, I've always believed that one of the best ways to show thanks to God for His blessings is to bless someone else.

Now that the players have been introduced, let me get to the root of the problem: Skeeter and Leia are very close. And any association I have with Skeeter (in this case, providing her assistance and support) opens doors of association (albeit indirectly) with Leia that I'd rather keep closed.

Don't get me wrong: dealing with Skeeter doesn't place me in ackward spots where I have to be around Leia. But the reality is: my relationship with Skeeter was first formed through Leia. Now that my relationship with Leia is all but over, I want to employ disassociation with all things Leia; including Skeeter. How do I do so without hurting Skeeter's feelings or -- more importantly -- without suggesting that I'm trying to punish her for a riff between Leia and me; over which she had no control?

In a perfect world scenario, Skeeter would realize that her association with me sets the stage for a major conflict. But in her innocence (and perhaps, her being a little credulous) won't allow her to see that. I'm all for being direct to get rid of someone you consider incessant. But at the same time, I've got a little conscience growing in a jar somewhere too. What's a brotha to do?

-ACL

Old McDonald; the baby remix

My crazy nephew Landon showing us what true singing talent is. Look out American Idol!

- ACL

Hollywood Meme

I don't do meme posts that often. But every now and then I'll do one just for the fun of it. Here's a funny and light-hearted meme for all you movie buffs out there.

The rules are simple: Just pick ten of your favorite movies and look them up on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). In the overview section on each movie's page, there is a section for Plot Keywords from that movie. Usually there will be five listed (or more if you click on the "more" link). I've selected five of those keywords and posted them. Your job is to figure out what movies I'm describing. Here's my list. Enjoy!

1. Medical Lab / Race Relations / Racist Comment / Heart / Vanderbilt University

2. Crow / Maine / Falsely Accused / Police / Escape

3. Female athlete / Assisted suicide / Amputation / Janitor / Robe

4. Arranged marriage / Barbershop / Assumed identity / Manhattan / Royalty

5. Police Corruption / Prejudice / Car Jacking / Saint Christopher / Blank bullets

6. Hypnosis / Kung Fu / TPS / Consultants / Arson

7. Llama / Idaho / Chicken Farm / Election / Dance

8. Forced Prostitution / Rivalry / Secret Love / Japanese Culture / Literature (Greeny, if you don't get this one, I'm disowning you as a friend.)

9. Car Accident / Violence / Novel / Female Psychopath / Old Dark House

10. Spoof / Makeover / Stereotypes / School / Bet

If nobody can figure these out, I'll post the answers within a week.

-ACL

Hating the church

“And you shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake…”

- Matthew 10:22

After reading this verse, one would be inclined to think that people respond negatively to (or hate altogether) Christians because of Jesus. If you look at it in a certain light, it sounds like we can some form of assurance knowing that we’re doing things in accordance to God’s will if so many people hate us and what we’re about, right? Well, I’m not so sure.

One of the problems that I have with this idea is that many Christians use this verse as a license to approach the unsaved any kind of way and without an ounce of consideration or humanity. It’s somehow considered well within reason to just beat “sinners” over the head with “What saith the Lord”, condemn them, and walk away. Little, if any attention is often given to the idea of listening to those to whom we’re ministering, discuss their beliefs, befriending them, building relationships, etc. "Believe what I believe or you’re going to Hell. End of story," is often the message we share. From there, when people reject us we go back to our friendly Christian groups feeling a little better about ourselves for taking one for Jesus. Who cares if we don't have “people skills”? Who cares if our approach could irreparably offend someone? All we need to do is lay down the Gospel and be done with it.

But is that all to it?

So using Jesus’ declaration in Matthew as context, I have to ask a simple question: When people "hate us", are they hating our message of the Good News or are they hating our delivery?

For the record, I have no doubt that the Gospel has been; and will continue to be rejected by many. In fact, some of my closest friends criticize just about every aspect of my beliefs. That’s to be expected. But I often ask myself if the hatred and rejection we face is as much a product of how we treat those to whom we’re ministering as the message itself. After all, wouldn’t you want to develop a relationship with a person before you compel them to make a life decision about believing in God?

I remember once a few of us were in a meeting at church. It was after hours so the Pastor and the church staff were gone for the evening. During our meeting, a woman called; frantic about something (if memory serves me correctly, she was about to have her electricity cut off and was calling the church for support). The lady who took the call callously and rudely told the woman that the Pastor wasn’t available and no one was there who could help her. She then hung up on the caller ended the call and continued with the meeting. I was amazed.

Now, I suppose you could make a defense for this woman; and I wouldn’t challenge it. Perhaps this particular lady doesn’t perform well off the cuff. But all the same, she left a negative imprint on this woman’s life that may never be erased. Using that phone conversation as a context, do you think this woman or any other Christian would be able to successfully share the plan of salvation with this caller now? Would the caller reject what we had to say? Would it be because she hated the Gospel or because she hated Christians like this lady who hung up on her while she was getting her electricity turned off?

True, I’ve never believed that successful evangelism should be about what gimmicks we use to lure people (one of the reasons why selling the Gospel using “prosperity” has always bothered me). I believe that it’s by the Spirit that people are drawn to Jesus. Yet, even when I don’t think we play a role in captivating people to Christ, I do believe that we can – and often do -- get in the way of captivating them.

To steal a quote I once heard: “The world doesn’t reject Jesus. They hate the package in which we deliever Him.” I couldn't agree more.

-ACL

Team Obama

I guess it's official. As of today, I'm a volunteer to work on Senator Barack Obama's campaign for Presidency.

On the one hand, I can't believe that I decided to volunteer for a Democrat; especially how much they've disappointed me lately. But on the other hand, at least he's not a Republican.

-ACL

The modern-day minstrel show

I’m sure by now you’ve heard about the upcoming release of BET’s latest insult to black culture; the show Hot Ghetto Mess hosted by Charlie Murphy. The show is apparently inspired by a widely-viewed webpage bearing the same title. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, the show is made up of a series of images and videos submitted by home audiences that showcase the unsophisticated, buffoonish and – quite frankly – “ghetto” antics of Black people (as if the rest of BET’s programming doesn’t already accomplish that feat. But I digress…).

BET producers defend the show by indicating that the ultimate purpose of the show (as supported by the title’s tagline “We Got To Do Better”) is to expose the ridiculousness of being “ghetto” and to challenge black folks to improve their communities. So, I guess that the best way to raise awareness about our need to improve and uplift our communities is to “expose” sh*t that perpetuates the negative perceptions about black folks in this country; which just so happens to be the same nonsense that BET airs on a daily basis?

Oh. OK. That’s the first thing I would’ve thought. Note the sarcasm.

-ACL

The obvious choice (at least for me)

Random thought for the day: If you think that love is better than money, trying using love to get the creditors to stop calling.

**Update**

To avoid misinterpretation (*ahem* Joslyn. I'm just sayin...): If you think that being in love is better than money, trying using love to get the creditors to stop calling.

- ACL

Baby Got Book?

An effective tool for ministry or another ridiculous example of bad church practice?

You be the judge.

- ACL

Agent of change

Important words to keep in mind:

"Is there something in your life that you want changed;

Because that something in your life is causing you so much pain?

Is there something in your life that’s a constant strain,

And you want relief today, you will take it in any way?"

"Have you prayed about it? Have you really prayed?

Have you groaned in your spirit? Have you earnestly prayed?"

"Then get up off your knees; go out on your way.

If you prayed, if you earnestly prayed.

And watch the Lord take your ‘something’;

and by His power change it."

"But the change may not come today.

No, the change may not be in your way.

But the change will come someday…

…even if the change is in you."

"The Change Will Come"; performed by the Wilmington Chester Mass Choir

These words have blessed and empowered me time and time again. I hope they bless you as much.

- ACL

My worthlessness

I was in Detroit yesterday for a concert at Chene Park. It would've been a great night, had it not been for something that happened (I'll get into that in a moment). The location by the Detroit River provided an incredible ambiance. The weather was just right. It was the perfect formula for a great event.

As I waited in line for the ticket collector, I took a look around at all the faces that had gathered. Though I admit that some of the ladies were bangin' that night, there wasn't really anybody in attendance who captured my attention.

Except for one person.

No more than twenty yards from me was an old man in a wheelchair. This man was obviously homeless; evidenced by his dirty and tattered appearance. Clearly, he hadn't showered or had a change of clean clothes in a while. I noticed that the man was unusually dirty; almost as if he had a mud bath just that morning. He was about as dirty as anybody I'd ever seen. But oddly, even that wasn't the real attention-getter. Above all else, what jumped out at me were his eyes. They were a deep hazel green; very similar to mine. It's not very often that I see blacks with hazel eyes that aren't store-bought. So when I do, it jumps out at me. Most of the other people around me oppositely were completely oblivious to this man; most likely ignoring him on purpose. But while he passed through, I could not take my eyes off him. Though I've been taught that it's impolite to stare, I stared. I stared hard. I watched him closely as he made his way through the traffic. He didn't stop to beg for anything. He didn't talk to anyone. He was just as oblivious to the crowd as they were to him. But I noticed him.

For the moment, I was frozen dead in my tracks. Interestingly, I didn't feel sorrow for the man. I wasn't bitter at the system that allowed for this man to wheel himself through poverty. Nor was I particularly filled with the Spirit at this point. Truthfully, I didn't feel anything at that particular moment. I just stood there watching this man motionlessly. I can't exactly explain it.


Well, that's it. That's all that happened. I guess this whole thing would've been far more profound if I did something noteworthy for him; offered him assistance, had a great conversation with him, etc. But I didn't. I just stood there watching him -- while people in line behind me were motioning for me to keep moving.

Once I snapped out of my trance, all that was left from the experience was an old man who left me feeling miserable and worthless. Usually it takes an exceptional person or thing to humble me to the point of absolute meekness, humility and reticence; like when Malik is off somewhere being righteous or when my big sister is doing something amazing. But on this occassion, it wasn't a person's high distinction that humbled me. It was a person who was drudging deep in bowel recesses of poverty, dispair, and social worthlessness that caused me to feel pathetically self-consious. Suddenly, the Kenneth Cole jacket I was rockin' wasn't as fashionable as I once thought. The floor-level seats we had didn't seem as valuable. Any success I've obtained over the years didn't seem important.

Just to clear up any confusion: I am by no means implying that being successful and enjoying the good things in life is wrong. It's just that I was amazed at how much my outlook can be affected in different situations; particularly in this case, when I'm confronted by man with no social value whatsoever. In essence, this impoverished man made me feel...well...worthless.

- ACL

A sordid relationship

I don’t know if you’ve been following the story of Bobby Cutts Jr., but this thing is starting to get ugly. I tell you: it's stories like this make me happy to be single and childless.

Anyway, Cutts; an Ohio police officer, has been charged with the killing his girlfriend and the couple’s second baby which was due to be born next week. The story was first aired during a statewide search of the pregnant woman, Jessie Marie Davis of Ohio. What started out as being another example of America’s missing white women syndrome; turned into something much more nefarious.

I’m confident that this story will stay in the news for a long, long time. I mean, the key elements in this case are (1) an violent black police officer, (2) a white girlfriend with children (3) an interracial relationship, (4) attempted cover up and (5) domestic abuse and -- ultimately -- murder. I can just see Nancy Grace drooling over this story as we speak.

I remember when men who didn’t want to assume parental roles just left and accepted their label as a deadbeat dad. Now they just plain deadly dads. What in the heck is going on in this world?!

-ACL

In the news

I've been so busy lately ranting about...well...everything, that I haven't taken time out to go over some of what's been in the news. Well, here's a recap of some interesting stories:

GOP = Gettin' Outta the Party
The 2008 race for President just got a little more interesting. Long time Republican and billionaire New York mayor Michael Bloomberg announced this week that he's ditching the Republican party and going Independent. Though he claims he's not seeking the Presidency, I'm still left to wonder if he can become a legitimate New York candidate in '08, especially considering that Gulliani can't even seem to beat out Fred Thompson. If he does decide to run, how will thisl impact the elections? Specifically, from which party will the most votes be taken?

Perhaps the biggest question is: Since he's not married, will he get a call from Obamagirl?

Email-gate?
The scandal involving the missing emails is starting to get pretty ugly for the White House. According to this report from the House Oversight Committee, electronic messages from 51 of the 88 accounts used by a Republican mailing system are missing. Among those missing emails are those from White House Political Director Ken Mehlman. Of the accounts that are still intact, emails from those accounts are nevertheless still missing; especially from key players like Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales. Though the Bush Administration contends that neither the Presidential Records Act or the Hatch Act have been violated, this scandal can't bode well with them.

The Cold War, part II
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has indicated that our missile defense efforts are still in effect; even after several European nations have expressed their opposition to the plans. NATO (who I've always viewed as being toadies for the U.S.) have actually co-signed on these plans, which doesn't surprise me one bit.

This story is a clear demonstration of the hypocrisy of America and the European Union. All this jazz about spreading democracy around the world; yet the citizens of these countries are not allowed to have any say on what's being done on their own soil. But the Russians have drawn their line in the sand. The question is: will the U.S. heed their warning?

"Illegal" casualities of war
I'm not at all fan of the immigtration plans currently laid out by the Democrats. But something has to be done to address the following:

The wife of a missing American solider is facing the possibility of being deported because of her illegal alien status. So essentially, a man's family will get kicked out of the very country for which he is fighting and will likely die. Amazing.

More horrible news from Iraq
The military has reported that another 14 American soliders have been killed in isolated incidents in the past two days. These killings bring the death toll to 3,545. I'm reporting this now because -- chances are -- most people aren't paying attention anymore.

I'm left to wonder if that's the going rate these days for 'democray and stability'.

Bush vetoes stem-cell bill
It seems to me that Bush is more and more intent on leaving a legacy of stubborness and opposition to progress that could be good for the country after he recently vetoed another bill supporting stem-cell research. Though the president urged Congress to adopt policies that are "ethically responsible", he successfully thwarted a reasonable and scientific way of doing just that. Will this guy ever get it?

Satellites getting "too costly"
According to reports, the U.S. will be pulling back on aerospace funding used to measure global warming. Though the White House has been warned of the impacts of not being able to track global warming patterns from space, the Bush Administration is getting dangerously close to pulling some major plugs on the project. All of this while Bush claims to be committed to leading the world's efforts in addressing these concerns. What better way to silence the reports coming from global satellites than by cutting the funding?

Church sponsored racism
This story just made me sick. Apparently, a school in Riverdale, CA (about 20 miles from Fresno) sponsored a Civil War themed senior prom and graduation service; which included whites dressed as mammies, field workers, and runaway slaves. Worst yet, this event was sanctioned by a Christian school.

Remember all this when you hear someone say that racism is a thing of the past.

I guess that about does it for now. My thesis work is going OK, I'm just about finished with my grad program (three classes to go! Woo hoo!), and life is generally good. Please keep the victims of the Kansas storms, the Gulf Coast, and the all-around disenfranchised in your prayers. Peace!

- ACL

Double standards?

Joslyn and I just had a pretty interesting conversation about Jennifer Hudson and race relations in this country. Once I put some coherent thoughts together, I'll revisit this topic at a later time. I'm curious to know what y'all think. But in the meantime, get a taste of this:

A friend of mine just sent me this link with comedian D.L. Hughley during an interview on Jay Leno's late-night talk show.

In this clip, he's responding to the recent controversy involving what Don Imus said about the Rutgers women's basketball team. The comments Hughley made are nothing short of offensive and downright ignorant. What's worst is that there hasn't been ANY outcrying made by the Black community.

This is a prime example of the double standard practices that make it more and more difficult for black folks to socially legitimize themselves. When Imus made the "nappy-headed hoes" reference, people were out in droves to get his head on a silver platter. DL says it and it's comedy.

Where's the outrage? How long will we let this new-aged minstrel bull**** go on?

More political "WTFs"

As passionate as I am about understanding politics and as much as I love the ladies, I can't put into words just how @#$*ing weird this is. Maybe somebody can figure this out for me.

- ACL

Social malpractice

I hope that you don't think my using this image was done in bad taste or in disrespect to the Rodriguez family. It's just that I think it's perfectly symbolic of the effects of poor social reform.

It’s no secret that our health care system is one of the more inferior ones in the entire industrialized world. Presciption drug costs are off the charts (where else but in American can crack and weed be less expensive than heart medicine?). Pharmaceutical companies have hijacked the industry. Emergency rooms have hour long waiting lines. Poor communities are not being adequately served. Hospitals are overpopulated and understaffed. The list goes on and on. But the case of Edith Rodriguez (in the picture above) is - to me – is a comprehensive summary of all problematic issues that exist in the medical system. Here's how it all went down:

Last month, Mrs. Rodriguez was admitted into the Martin Luther King Hospital after complaining of serious stomach symptoms; which were later identified as a perforated bowel. Incidentally, she was released, readmitted for the same problems and re-released though there was no evidence that the problem was even identified; much less remedied. As her symptoms grew increasingly worse, she went to the emergency room yet again; this time being ignored by the hospital staff. Despite being in obvious and needing immediate attention after vomiting blood, she was left to collapse right in the middle of the floor (interestingly though, witnesses reported seeing janitors mopping the floor up around her. Yet no one came to her aid, even when medical analysts indicated that her alignment was treatable). Apparently, Mrs. Rodriguez's status as a drug addict impacted their decision to help.

The situation got so bad that one of her family members called a 911 dispatcher to request an ambulance to take her to another location. Tape recordings show that the dispatcher responded to the caller with rudeness and apathy. After that, another person called a 911 dispatcher and was treated to the same apathy. This time around, the dispatcher was frankly downright mean and condescending to the caller. So while Mrs. Rodriquez was lying on a hospital floor for almost an hour, bleeding from the mouth, and crying out in pain, the hospital staff on hand ignored her, people cleaned up around her, and 911 dispatchers rudely dismissed the calls they received to aid her. Oh, this gets better…

Seeing the complete ineptitude of the medical workers at the hospital, the family made a judgement call to involve the LAPD. Once the police arrived, instead of trying to resolve the situation and to get the medical workers to do their job, these ass-munches arrested the fatally-ill Rodriguez because of a warrant out on her. She died as they were carting her from the emergency room.

When it comes to gut-wrenching stories, I've heard just about everything. I’ve followed stories about rigged elections, police framings, corporate and/or political scandals, and racism so blatant you’d think we were still going through Jim Crowism. But I have never, ever heard a story like this.

This story brings to light the feastering and deep-seated problems in the underbelly of this country; things that seem to get lost when we try to claim “greatness”. There are some serious issues that need to be addressed. If this hospital was as horrible as its reputation suggested, why was it still operational? Was does this say about the service provided to poor people? Who (if anyone) will be held accountable for this death? The medical workers? The 911 staff? The police? What will stories like this do for an ever-declining health care system?

I’m interested to see if any of the Presidential candidates will address the Rodriguez stories or other countless tales of medical mishaps. Mrs. Rodriguez didn’t simply die. She was murdered. Murdered by a system of apathy, indifference, substandard emergency preparedness, and narrow-scoped conviction by the criminal justice apparatus. Perhaps she’s died for a cause that will open this country’s eyes and led to social change. But more than likely, this will get filed away just as the death of one less minority problem. That’s the most harrowing thing about this story.

-ACL

Lil Bush

I don't really watch TV that much any more, but I caught the season premier of Lil Bush last night on Comedy Central. This cartoon is frickin' hilarious. I haven't laughed this hard since Family Guy.

Of course -- as with anything that attacks the Bush Administration -- this cartoon is already drawing controversy. But this one's well worth it.

- ACL

Not enough " Sí " votes on immigration

Thankfully, any momentum gained for the Immigration Bill was brought to a halt this week when the Senate was unable to capture all the votes needed to break the filibuster presently before them. This ridiculous bill, if passed, would allow amnesty (let's keep it real: that's what it is) for over 12 million illegal immigrant workers without offering legimate plans for providing security along the border.

Don't get me wrong: I've got nothing against hard working immigrants who come to this country seeking opportunities not available to them elsewhere. But as I pointed out on the Hippie Conservative's compelling post about immigration's effect on Black Americans, this bill does nothing but make the piece of pie for margainalized groups (small as it already is) even smaller. This bill would've affected racial minorities, economically disadvataged people, and American workers. Frankly, I say good riddance to it. But I'm not holding my breath for this thing to die off completely considering that Congressional Democrats promise to continue the fight on. Why black folks continue to support Democrats is beyond me.

Once Congress finally gets their act together and looks into how legalized immigration will impact America, its social structure, its economy, its borders, and its people; maybe -- just maybe -- I'll start trusting them to come up with a truly "comprehensive" immigration bill. The junk they just tried to produce wouldn't be good enough to use in a bird cage.

- ACL

"Don't go sell this on eBay..."

...is what President Bush said to a mother to whom he gave a presidential coin after she lost her son in Iraq. Source

Sometimes this asshole makes me wanna throw up.

- ACL