"Protestors, Rioters, and Looters" code for Black folks exercising their 1st Amendment Rights in "My Country Tis of Thee"

It's dangerous and wrong to treat Ferguson MO as a warzone

As the world braces for the secret grand jury decision in #Ferguson, area police, homeland security, and the National Guard stand ready to rock and roll out their government issued, taxpayer funded, Weapons of Mass Destruction, on protestors  if  the grand jury decides not to indict  officer Darren Wilson , for the execution of #MikeBrown, in the middle of the street, for the crime of jaywalking/ talking back while black.

For some reason African Americans are supposed to accept the decision of the secret grand jury without question.

 Even as verdict after verdict continues to excuse White authority figures of their wrongdoing, the Black community is expected to understand that police officers have a very hard job. The Black community is expected to understand that approximately 150 police officers are killed in the line of duty each year, the Black community is expected to understand that police officers are human too, the Black community is expected to understand that police officers are just doing their job and the Black community is expected to understand that even if a police officer is in the wrong, you are supposed to remain submissive and never talk back.

For some reason when African Americans peacefully assemble to voice their outrage, or, to plead for justice, it's called a riot.

  During questioning, she referred multiple times to "riots" in Sanford after Trayvon Martin was killed. "I knew there was rioting, but I guess [the authorities] had it pretty well organized," she says at one point. In fact, despite a great deal of salivating anticipation by the media both before and after the trial, there were no riots in Sanford, Florida.

I believe the reason is rooted in what is known as Slave Codes ,  laws in each U.S. state, which defined the status of slaves and the rights of masters. These codes gave slave-owners absolute power over the enslaved.  For example, the Alabama Slavery Code of 1833 made it illegal for more than five male slaves, with or without passes, to assemble at any place off the proper plantation to which they belong, and if any slaves do assemble together, the same shall be deemed unlawful assembly.

Protestors are being warned by the Governor, a United States Senator, the local District Attorney,  and ironically,  the Klu Klux Klan, violence will not be tolerated (excuse me while I laugh out loud).

Terrified whites are arming themselves, prepared to protect their lives and property from the looters and rioters masquerading as peaceful protestors.   There's just one problem with this scenario, how are they going to differentiate the peaceful protestors from the looters and rioters when they all look alike?  It seems like they are preparing to put down a slave rebellion to me.

I HOPE and pray our government isn't allowed to treat peaceful protestors like "rioters and looters" again.

I HOPE and pray America lives up to it's promise of liberty and justice for ALL.

I HOPE and pray for justice, peace, and reconciliation in the Sweet land of liberty.

#BlackLivesMatter

Edited~"Keeping Them Honest"

CNN  Talking TeeVee Pundit Head Anderson Cooper has segment on AC-360 entitled "Keeping Them Honest" .  "Keeping Them Honest" exposes possible issues of government corruption, failed promises, and other anomalies from various sectors.  I'm no Anderson Cooper, but stay with me as I attempt to keep some people honest with some fact checking, starting with Huntsville City Schools Board of Education member, and city council candidate,   Dr. Jeannie Robinson.

Members of the J.O. Johnson Alumni Association were  guest on WEUP Talk with host David Person yesterday (5/6/2014).  Person begin the segment by describing the lengthy discussion he had with HCS BOE member Dr. Jeannie Robinson following  the Prayer Vigil conducted by the GHIMF (Greater Huntsville Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship), to pray for peace and equity in Huntsville's Schools.  Person revealed Robinson said she thought the prayer vigil was divisive, and, she also questioned why there were no complaints from the black community about equity and low test scores when  Dr.  Ann Roy Moore was the Superintendent.

I'm going to begin by debunking the allegation there were no complaints from the black community about equity and low test scores when Dr. Ann Roy Moore was the superintendent.   First of all, Dr. Moore did not propose a sweeping zoning proposal that would re-segregate the public school system.  Secondly, Dr. Robinson was one of Dr. Moores' biggest fans before she became a detractor. Robinson was part of the 4-1 majority that voted to hire Dr. Moore.  Dr. James I Dawson, who championed justice and equality, was the lone vote against hiring Moore, and frequently challenged her recommendations.  Robinson also served on the board during Moore's entire tenure, giving her near perfect evaluations until she decided to cut the puppet strings.

WAFF 48 News looked at Dr. Moore's past three evaluations, which show what the board of education believe Dr. Moore is doing right and what she is doing wrong in her job.

She was evaluated on seven tasks, ranging from her performance as an education leader, to overseeing the districts thousand of employees.

Dr. Moore was given high marks from four of the five board members.

The only low scores came from Dr. Jeannie Robinson, especially when it came to Moore's involvement in community planning and problem solving.

When the scores were added and averaged, though, the Superintendent passed the test.

The average of the seven areas reviewed combined were 4.4 out of 5 in 2007.

Now let's move on to the allegation the prayer vigil was "divisive".   Talking a position can be divisive, especially when everyone doesn't agree. The position taken by the GHIMF is based on justice and equality for ALL Huntsvillians, black and white.  People who have no concept of what justice is, and others who do, but take a different position for political reasons ,would most certainly find the prayer vigil "divisive".

 Thank you Dr. Robinson for speaking to the obvious.


 

Equal Justice Is An American Value (Isn't It?)

Last night on AC360, Martin family attorney, Benjamin Crump, said the importance of the Justice Department review of the Trayvon Martin case and the Stand Your Ground law is so that parents know what to tell their children.

He raised a more chilling question, too. When the next child is murdered in a Stand Your Ground state, what do you think the defendant will say?

In June, right after the Zimmerman jury selection, Attorney Crump said:

"Well, you know, we've said all along this case is about equal justice. Equal justice under the law is not a black value, it's not a white value, it's an American value. And with the make-up of this jury, five white women and one hispanic, it's gonna be the question can every American get equal justice no matter who sits on your jury. And so, they're just praying that they can get justice for their child."

Sadly and disgustingly, we know how that worked out.

In a gut-wrenching chronology, Journalist Charles Blow enumerated the many ways the system failed Trayvon Martin.

Then, he asked what parents are asking, "What do I tell my boys?"

The idea of universal suspicion without individual evidence is what Americans find abhorrent and what black men in America must constantly fight. It is pervasive in policing policies — like stop-and-frisk, and in this case neighborhood watch — regardless of the collateral damage done to the majority of innocents. It’s like burning down a house to rid it of mice.

As a parent, particularly a parent of black teenage boys, I am left with the question, “Now, what do I tell my boys?”

We used to say not to run in public because that might be seen as suspicious, like they’d stolen something. But according to Zimmerman, Martin drew his suspicion at least in part because he was walking too slowly.

So what do I tell my boys now? At what precise pace should a black man walk to avoid suspicion?

And can they ever stop walking away, or running away, and simply stand their ground? Can they become righteously indignant without being fatally wounded?

Laura Murphy, Director of the Washington ACLU Legislative Office, provided these compelling and ludicrous rules of conduct, in her piece "A Mother's Rules for Being Young, Black and Male."

Right now we send our Black children disturbingly contradictory signals on how to conduct themselves so that they are free from discrimination and violence. Here are a few examples:

1) Black boys and men should not walk too quickly or run because that suggests they've done something wrong. They also should not walk too slowly because that suggests they must be looking for trouble.

2) Young black men should not put their hands in their pockets but should instead always keep their hands where others can see them. They should also avoid gesticulating, because others might misinterpret their gestures as aggressiveness.

3) Black boys and men should wear business attire at all times because casual clothes—especially hoodies—suggest they're up to no good.

4) Black youth should never hang out with more than three friends at one time, because large groups are likely to be mistaken for a gang. They should also be careful about walking alone—young men hanging out by themselves, like Trayvon Martin, are suspicious.

5) When shopping, whether at a grocery store or a department store, young Black men should check out quickly in order to avoid suspicion. But they should not check out too quickly, because that means they've pocketed merchandise on their way out.

6) Young black men should never make eye contact with others because it is threatening; they should never avert their eyes because that looks furtive.

7) Black men must be careful about walking, driving, or flying while black, especially in neighborhoods or in destinations where there are typically not a lot of black people. But they should avoid low income neighborhoods, because that is where the police are even more inclined to respond with brutality and arrest.

8) And the most important lesson of all to be learned from this tragedy is that Black boys and men must be careful about defending themselves because, no matter what happens, they will be seen as the aggressor.

She ends with a call to action.

"I simply don't know what to tell my son about how to live his life under these circumstances. I have known for a long time that there is nothing I can do to protect my son from prejudice. But I simply refuse to accept that there is nothing I can do to protect him from violence. This is the current reality that my son and countless parents like me face, but we cannot stop here.

We must call on the Justice Department to update the guidance on the use of race in federal law enforcement, and we must get Congress to Pass the End Racial Profiling Act, for the sake of my son and Black children across the country."

Perps' Profile

It was a stunning verdict. So stunning, in fact, that it took me a couple of days to come to grips with it. I had to allow the shock to envelope me as I worked through stages of disbelief, outrage, sorrow, embarrassment, incredulity, sympathy, shame and more...Finally, today, the emotions began to sort themselves out to the point that I could begin seeing the implications of the jury's verdict head-on.

I knew I wasn't alone in how I was reacting, but for once, I didn't watch the weekend morning talk shows. I just couldn't listen to any more at that time. Predictably, Melissa Harris Perry "quoted W.E.B. Du Bois in a monologue, asking, 'How does it feel to be a problem? To have your very body and the bodies of your children to be assume to be criminal, violent, malignant.'...'In this moment, black families are holding their sons and daughters closer to them,' she said. "A verdict which...feels very much as though it is saying it is acceptable, it is ok, to kill an unarmed African-American child who has committed no crime.'"

That was the crux of it, and yet, the perpetrator walked free. George Zimmerman set the stage for what he wanted to do: murder someone. As we all know, he was told not to follow Trayvon, but the real telling moment was when he asked the dispatcher to call him when the police arrived. If he had stayed in his vehicle, and given the police its location, there was no need for a phone call. But that wasn't what George Zimmerman intended to do, because "These assholes always get away."

Trayvon Benjamin Martin, who his mother heartbreakingly described on the witness stand as "in Heaven," was profiled and stalked, just as surely as the sun rises and sets. In George Zimmerman's estimation, Trayvon "didn't belong" in that neighborhood. Profiling was nothing new to Zimmerman, who, over the course of eight years, called the Sanford Police Department 46 times to report suspicious activity - by black males.

The fact that Zimmerman was not a member of an organized neighborhood watch group making him nothing more than a vigilante didn't influence the jury.

Zimmerman had a history of violence against a police officer and a former fiance.

Whether it was that history of violence or his own psychological profile that led to Zimmerman's rejection for a police career isn't clear.

What is clear is that the justice system failed Trayvon, and failed all of us. Whatever the situation that night, Trayvon didn't need to die that night, had he not met up with a sociopath. I'd wager we haven't seen the last of George Zimmerman, karma being what it is.

FreeDON Siegleman Sunday #4

 

 I urge all to click on the hyperlink below and listen to former Alabama Governor Don Siegleman's (D) 1999 inaugural speech which was  posted to Pam Miles list serve by Esther Davis. where he  discussed the importance of education in the future of Alabama. He proposed a program to provide four-year-olds with a pre-kindergarten education. He also announced the organization of an education lottery that will allow all high school graduates to go to college tuition free. 

Governor Siegelman's friend and proud supporter Al McCullough writes the following;

  What a reminder of why we participate and work in this arena! Don is one of the great men of Alabama who dared to lead this state toward greatness. He shared so intimately in our hopes, dreams and disappointments and never took his eye off the prize - a better life for every single one of us as a shared benefit of the bounty of our state and our society. And this better life was not something to be given us by some other or sold to us by some other but earned by each of us by equipping us with the necessary education and training to reach out and grasp that life, to participate as fully as we are each able, as we each add to our state's bounty. Don Siegelman's goal was to start this state on an upward trajectory with all sharing in a better life.
        Don Siegelman is truly a man of the people. His heart was always with all of us and remains with all of us even in his persecution by little men with little minds who conspire endlessly to pervert our governments and our society with their lies and deceit. We must not allow this persecution to continue! We must stand for and demand Justice!
        Yes, that Justice with a capitol letter. That is the justice Don's persecutors fear most deeply in their gut. They know that only by perverting Justice can they succeed in their corrupt lives. Lives that demand outrageous levels and amounts of secrecy. Lives that require that anyone who knows the secret practices of their deceitful actions be defamed and more than marginalized. We must pursue and demand Justice and, as a people, a society, a state and a nation, require that Justice be practiced by all in our representative government and all its agencies so that the Justice Department earns and lives up to that title. At present, after over thirty years of internal perversion that misnamed branch needs to have its title changed to the Legal Department. For legal has nothing to do with Justice in the present time. Our best lawyers and legal scholars are reduced to being legal technicians. We deserve more. We must require more. We must pursue and demand Justice and freedom for Don Siegelman!
                - Peace,  Al

 It's time to for President Obama to pardon former governor Don Siegleman whose only crime was being being too liberal for Alabama.

 Alabama Governor Inaugural Address with Don Siegelman, Governor - [D] Alabama  

All Trayvon Martin All the Time

For those of you polluting my inbox calling me obsessed with Trayvon Martin, telling me to get over it, because no one is paying any attention to me because I'm a racist, this blog is not for you.  That's the great thing about the Internet, no one forces anyone to read anything they don't want to read.

That said, this is why I Blog, to be a voice for the voiceless.  I am not obsessed with Trayvon Martin, I am passionate about Trayvon Martin.  I am passionate about justice. I am passionate about the future of our country.  There will be no so called "fair and balanced, both sides" reporting here.  It will be just the facts.

Trayvon Martin is every black parent's child.

Trayvon Martin was killed for being young, black, male and suspicious in America in 2012.

Trayvon Martin was hunted down like a caged animal.

All of the witnesses who say George Zimmerman was screaming for help (with a 9 mm in his hand) are white.

I wish I could find comfort in the fact the Department of Justice has decided to investigate.

We who believe in freedom cannot rest.

We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Until the killing of Black men, Black mother's sons

Is as important the the killing of White men, White mother's sons~ Ella's Song by Bernice Johnson Reagon

His name is Barack Obama and he is the President.

President Obama made me so proud yesterday. He reminded me of Michael Douglas in the scene from The American President when he walked into the White House Press Room and kicked some donkeys. Click and watch, I haven't figured out how to embed video yet, hint, hint.

This is the Change and Hope I voted for. I don't know what took POTUS so long but better late than never. President Obama entered the Loins den and gave them a mauling. Now he needs to maul the Senate republicans, the mainstream media, the DINO's and the blue dogs so the country can move forward and not be griped by partisan sniping and political cowardice. This is our country. The land of the free and the home of the brave. Remember? What do you want to bet the house republicans hate they invited President Obama to their annual retreat.


Part of the reason we are in this mess is because the majority of Americans don't know what they don't know. The media has done such a good job of spinning and distorting the truth and suppressing and ignoring dissent voters vote against their self interest because they uninformed and misinformed, especially voters in the Southern States of the Union. For example, here in the reddest of the red states the 11 percent Alabama unemployment rate for December is the highest in 26 years. I can't understand why or how the majority republican Alabama Congressional delegation willfully obstruct President Obamas' agenda when we need all the help we can get and then some.

Speaking of freedom, bravery and courage if you don't read anything else in this post, please read The Don Seigelman Travesty and now the Neocons corrupted the justice system. President Obama promised to restore honor, integrity and dignity to America. He can start by restoring honor,dignity and integrity to our justice system. No justice. No peace. Know justice. Know peace.

If a governor can be indicted on false charges, convicted, and sent to prison for years, then how safe are you?

This is exactly what happened in Alabama, and it has repercussions throughout society. We have to say “in our opinion” because these guys were good at their pseudo-Nazi tactics and Seigelman did do what they said. But was it criminal? When you own the jurors and you can get away with all kinds of things that cannot be proved unless you can break through the “omerta,” the wall of silence (that many remember from the old Alabama civil rights, KKK days) you can make someone a criminal for J-walking.

Peace Out.