Saturday, July 27, 2013
You remember this from your High School American history class?
All the
Muslim hospitals, universities and war heroes of our history... right?
OH, you don't? Neither do I.
Obama praises Muslim immigrants for helping build America | WashingtonExaminer.com
washingtonexaminer.com
President
Obama celebrated the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with an Iftar dinner
Thursday night, quoting the Koran and praising Muslim immigrants for
helping build the nation. Hosting Muslim of
This is going to be hilarious.
Jimmy Kimmel will have a heyday with this.
The people Obama is targeting to help others navigate the 2000 page
health care law that Nancy Pelosi never read will be a total
catastrophe. Ever been to the DMV? Get ready for the biggest joke in
the world. This is vote buying and rewarding his loyal serfs. If you
are one... sign up.
Obama to Hire Thousands of Community Organizers at $20-$48 Per Hour for Obamacare Enrollment
www.thegatewaypundit.com
(Sword
at the Ready) The Obama Administration will hire tens of thousands of
health care professionals, union workers and community activists as
"navigators" to help Americans ch
KID CAMP
I
have been thinking about what to do with young offenders. Not some guy
over 30 who should know better, off to prison for him. I mean people
unformed between 13-29 years old. Kids who just are lost if they don't
get help. Sending them to prison or even youth detention does nothing
for them. They come out as lost as ever.
So, let's imagine a 17 year
old gang banger is arrested by the cops on the
streets of Chicago. Send him home to his parents? NO. They already
demonstrated they are incompetent to raise him right. Send him to
school? NO. He is done learning for now. Send him to prison or the
youth equivalent. NO that's warehousing and street training until he's
released in a few years, is back on the streets and dead in 4 years.
That's a much higher percentage than you can imagine.
I can look out my
back door and on a good day see the youth prison from there. It's a
holding pen. We need an alternative. A job? NO. They are incompetent
and unskilled to do anything at all. IF they had a job they couldn't
keep it. We need to teach these kids how to work. Menial at first, then
more skilled and then more skilled. Teach them the joy of labor.
Teach them how to. Give them good skill sets. Doing this along with an
intensive discipleship program to get them grounded in God would set
them on a right path. Then a reorientation of the ends of the life they
have lived.
Once they have reached a certain age move them away from
friends and family. Get them connected and employed by sponsors
somewhere far from home. IF they are able to conduct themselves for 5
years... then they can go back. I doubt many will. We don't do this
very well. I have worked in prison ministry long enough to know there is
a chance if you get them young. Once a man or woman has been in 3 times
there is a very low chance of recovery. My experience has been 100%
failure which is why i no longer will invest myself in those folks.
Others with big hearts can... Not me. Get them away from the evil
influences they have had, particularly friends and family and help them
learn to think for themselves. Let's give the kids a chance.
Prepare YE
I
was ministering to a man who needs to prepare his congregation for his
eventual absence. It is a great church but he has no one to take his
place when he leaves. There is always a desire on the part of ministers
to try to plug in their kin, kids and in-laws in leadership. They may
be able to sing the songs and preach the roof off, but if they don't
possess the vision, they can't do it. It happens
less often than anyone will admit. I have experienced the loss (by
death) of 4 pastor friends in the last decade. Pastors of large
successful churches. In every case it took years to replace that
leader. The kids couldn't do it. The elders fumbled about trying to do
something. It drifted in each case into a state of near oblivion. I
believe a pastor who knows thru illness or his leaving for other reasons
should have enough of a heart for the people he has shepherded and for
the work God allowed him to develop to keep the sheep from scattering
when he is gone. Most of the time senior leaders don't want to hear the
truth. They shouldn't ask the prophet. IF they do, he will tell them
the truth.. but with a lot of love. Who is going to come on behind you?
Anyone?
An Apocryphal Story
Here's
an instructive story. Recently a group of businesspeople from around
the USA decided to see if there was a way they could help urban youth to
become gainfully employed. To get them off the streets. They decided
to create entry level positions in their company, 10 positions each at
$10 per hour full time work. Transportation provided. It was manual
labor. It was going to be real work.
It was called the 10 10 10 10 program. Ten employers, ten urban areas
across the country, ten jobs per company and ten dollars per hour full
time work 40 hours a week.
It was going to be a program that if they could get it to work they would sell the idea to medium sized employers across the nation. Doing well by doing good they thought.
Instead of posting it on job boards the went right into the city and found groups of men standing around, hanging our or playing basketball in the park. They looked for groups of at least 10 between the ages of 18-35. Then they approached the group and made the offer. Men only. Had to be able bodied (which these were). Prison and felony didn't matter. This was a program to begin to help the urban youth.
Would anyone like to guess what the response was? When one man asked a group of about 40 men after making his pitch.. how many hands went up? Anyone venture a guess? You already know the answer. Until the culture of defeat is changed, nothing will change. After 2 months of trying the whole project was abandoned for lack of interest by the target audience; Getting men off the street with a job. I no longer believe this is how to do it. We must change the perceptions that urban people (white and black) have of working. People must learn the joy of labor.
It was going to be a program that if they could get it to work they would sell the idea to medium sized employers across the nation. Doing well by doing good they thought.
Instead of posting it on job boards the went right into the city and found groups of men standing around, hanging our or playing basketball in the park. They looked for groups of at least 10 between the ages of 18-35. Then they approached the group and made the offer. Men only. Had to be able bodied (which these were). Prison and felony didn't matter. This was a program to begin to help the urban youth.
Would anyone like to guess what the response was? When one man asked a group of about 40 men after making his pitch.. how many hands went up? Anyone venture a guess? You already know the answer. Until the culture of defeat is changed, nothing will change. After 2 months of trying the whole project was abandoned for lack of interest by the target audience; Getting men off the street with a job. I no longer believe this is how to do it. We must change the perceptions that urban people (white and black) have of working. People must learn the joy of labor.
This woman needs a hungry lawyer - This should be worth a LOT more... a LOT
And I hope they get "breaking and entering," "felony theft," "humiliating an innocent person," "wanton destruction of property," etc.
Ohio bank repossess wrong house; owner wants $18K
MCARTHUR, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio bank says a bad GPS navigator is the reason it repossessed the wrong house — and threw out all the possessions inside.
Homeowner Katie Barnett says her McArthur home was wrongly repossessed while she was away with her family last month. When they returned to the house, the locks had been changed and many of their belongings were missing.
Barnett wants the First National Bank of Wellston to give her $18,000 for the lost items. She says the bank wants her to show receipts for everything that's missing.
First National CEO Anthony Thorne says the bank wants to compensate the family "fairly and equitably" but the items Barnett is claiming doesn't match up with what the bank's employees removed.
The bank says the house it meant to clean out was on the same street.
Trapped
No
one will consent to live in an unsafe place unless they are trapped
there. That explains white and black flight when Detroit went down the
drain.
JAMES TARANTO: In Praise of Juror B29: She did the right thing despite her prejudices.
B29 turns out to be the very model of civic virtue. She didn’t play God by mistaking her prejudice for omniscience. Instead she put it aside, examined the facts, applied the law, and concluded that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. She was therefore obliged to find him not guilty, notwithstanding her personal feeling that he was not innocent.
Whether or not it was good form to speak publicly after the trial–and let us note that B29 was not the first Zimmerman juror to do so–she performed the juror’s role flawlessly.
And Lisa Bloom’s suggestion that B29 should have taken the opportunity “to stand her ground in the jury room”–ha ha, “stand her ground,” get it?–is irresponsible and despicable. Bloom is calling for jury nullification of fundamental constitutional rights: the presumption of innocence and the requirement that prosecutors prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
To be fair to Lisa, she went to Yale Law School and thus may have only a hazy idea of how those things work.
Does Evolution Want Us to Be Unhappy?
It
is as if every time we make a decision that actually makes us better
off, evolution resets our happiness meter to zero. That prods us to
decide to take the next action, which will make us even better off—but
no happier.
CULTURE not COPS
Many
years ago we had a small retail vegetable sales stand in a rural location. We were
robbed twice. In one year as soon as my lease was up, I closed that
store and moved to a safer location. If you ever wonder why there no
retail stores in many neighborhoods, that is why. We don't need more
police, more secure safe locations because the culturally are safe.
Imagine if you leave a hundred dollar bill on a table in a restaurant by accident and someone would run you down to return it to you rather than pick it up.
Imagine if you lost your credit card on the street by accident and someone would at once bring it to the bank to return it.
Imagine you were injured and fell down, people would not only help you up, would take you to the doctor and make sure you were OK even if they didn't know you.
Imagine a store where the milk and eggs were in the cooler and a box was there for you to put the money needed to pay for and make change as you bought product.
Imagine a produce stand selling sweet corn with an honor box for you to put your money for the sweet corn you purchased and at the end of the day there was more money than would have been expected because of the corn placed there at the beginning of the day.
Imagine a place where the candy counter display was called the Honor Sales Candy Dispenser. IF you took a Hershey bar you were expected to put the correct amount of money in the jar and imagine even more that it works and works well.
I don't have to imagine that. I have lived in those places where all of this is not only possible but is part of the culture of honor. These are all part of daily life. They are all things I have seen or experienced first hand. The culture of honor is not about black, white, Hispanic, christian or pagan. It is a culture that LIVES by the golden rule and good Samaritan ethos. It is a culture anyone wanting to build a house will build, anyone wanting to start a business will, anyone wanting to hire someone will and anyone wanting to raise a family will.
Our problems aren't economic in Chicago and Detroit... they are cultural.
Imagine if you leave a hundred dollar bill on a table in a restaurant by accident and someone would run you down to return it to you rather than pick it up.
Imagine if you lost your credit card on the street by accident and someone would at once bring it to the bank to return it.
Imagine you were injured and fell down, people would not only help you up, would take you to the doctor and make sure you were OK even if they didn't know you.
Imagine a store where the milk and eggs were in the cooler and a box was there for you to put the money needed to pay for and make change as you bought product.
Imagine a produce stand selling sweet corn with an honor box for you to put your money for the sweet corn you purchased and at the end of the day there was more money than would have been expected because of the corn placed there at the beginning of the day.
Imagine a place where the candy counter display was called the Honor Sales Candy Dispenser. IF you took a Hershey bar you were expected to put the correct amount of money in the jar and imagine even more that it works and works well.
I don't have to imagine that. I have lived in those places where all of this is not only possible but is part of the culture of honor. These are all part of daily life. They are all things I have seen or experienced first hand. The culture of honor is not about black, white, Hispanic, christian or pagan. It is a culture that LIVES by the golden rule and good Samaritan ethos. It is a culture anyone wanting to build a house will build, anyone wanting to start a business will, anyone wanting to hire someone will and anyone wanting to raise a family will.
Our problems aren't economic in Chicago and Detroit... they are cultural.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Top 10 Signs Obama Scandals Aren't 'Phony'
Top 10 Signs Obama Scandals Aren't 'Phony'
9. Documents go missing, officials fake e-mail addresses. Records of tax inquiries into Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell are gone; the former EPA chief made emails tough to find by using an alias.
8. You announce drastic policy shifts to minimize damage. When the Department of Justice was found to be snooping on the AP and Fox's James Rosen, Obama suddenly embraced a media shield law.
7. You make a show of "forcing" an official to resign. Obama theatrically announced the resignation of IRS chief Steven Miller; though his term was almost over, the gesture sent a clear signal of disapproval.
6. You try to arrest a low-level leaker. Though Obama himself minimizes the effort to catch Edward Snowden, the federal government is desperately trying to have him extradited for exposing NSA programs.
5. You assert dubious executive privilege to stop investigations. Obama exercised that option to protect Attorney General Eric Holder and the disastrous Operation Fast and Furious from scrutiny.
4. You intimidate whistleblowers. Hillary Clinton's State Department intimidated officials who knew the truth of what happened in Benghazi--and others who knew about gross misconduct in the agency.
3. Your Department of Justice opens criminal investigations. Theoretically, anyway, Attorney General Holder is seeing to it that the IRS's conduct is being scrutinized for alleged federal crimes.
2. You yourself have condemned the misconduct. Whether calling the IRS's behavior "inexcusable," or condemning civil liberties violations before 2008, Obama set the standard by which he is being judged.
1. Even the friendly media have run out of patience. When even journalists who made sure Obama was elected--twice--begin to feel threatened and irritated by the administration, there is no denying reality.
"But with this endless parade of distractions and political posturing and phony scandals, Washington has taken its eye off the ball. And I am here to say this needs to stop. (Applause.) This needs to stop."
- President Barack Obama, Speech on the Economy and 'Phony Scandals,' Galesburg, IL, July 24, 2013
10. Someone pleads the Fifth. Lois Lerner, IRS Director of Exempt Organizations, invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during an oversight hearing. She was also suspended (with pay).9. Documents go missing, officials fake e-mail addresses. Records of tax inquiries into Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell are gone; the former EPA chief made emails tough to find by using an alias.
8. You announce drastic policy shifts to minimize damage. When the Department of Justice was found to be snooping on the AP and Fox's James Rosen, Obama suddenly embraced a media shield law.
7. You make a show of "forcing" an official to resign. Obama theatrically announced the resignation of IRS chief Steven Miller; though his term was almost over, the gesture sent a clear signal of disapproval.
6. You try to arrest a low-level leaker. Though Obama himself minimizes the effort to catch Edward Snowden, the federal government is desperately trying to have him extradited for exposing NSA programs.
5. You assert dubious executive privilege to stop investigations. Obama exercised that option to protect Attorney General Eric Holder and the disastrous Operation Fast and Furious from scrutiny.
4. You intimidate whistleblowers. Hillary Clinton's State Department intimidated officials who knew the truth of what happened in Benghazi--and others who knew about gross misconduct in the agency.
3. Your Department of Justice opens criminal investigations. Theoretically, anyway, Attorney General Holder is seeing to it that the IRS's conduct is being scrutinized for alleged federal crimes.
2. You yourself have condemned the misconduct. Whether calling the IRS's behavior "inexcusable," or condemning civil liberties violations before 2008, Obama set the standard by which he is being judged.
1. Even the friendly media have run out of patience. When even journalists who made sure Obama was elected--twice--begin to feel threatened and irritated by the administration, there is no denying reality.
the rule of thugs and lawlessness
It is an amazing thing to realize that out of the rule of thugs and lawlessness, law prevailed. In spite of the televised mobs and thugs who demand and intimidate we must continue to focus on the fact that loud, boisterous rioting and breaches of civil liberties and law are all methods employed by the lawless to strip away that which is inconvenient to them. The law is what stands in the way of the lawless from doing as they wish. To change the law and render victory to the mindless is to deny the wisdom of those who toiled to protect us in days gone by.
Their efforts to write reasonable limits on the lawless were for our protection from the libertines who have no morals or scruples. They had fenced us in with that which would guarantee our freedoms from mob rule. We should be very careful that we do not allow the thugs to intimidate us into changing that which was wisely put in place for the continuance of liberty and freedom. Loud brawlers are not prudent discerners of wisdom and need to put on the sidelines while level headed men and women consider law and order and what needs to be changed or reinforced to create a better future. - Dr. Jim Garrow -
Their efforts to write reasonable limits on the lawless were for our protection from the libertines who have no morals or scruples. They had fenced us in with that which would guarantee our freedoms from mob rule. We should be very careful that we do not allow the thugs to intimidate us into changing that which was wisely put in place for the continuance of liberty and freedom. Loud brawlers are not prudent discerners of wisdom and need to put on the sidelines while level headed men and women consider law and order and what needs to be changed or reinforced to create a better future. - Dr. Jim Garrow -
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
BUCKET OF WATER
In the middle of a lake near Akron, Ohio, is an island that was once the site of a famous amusement park. Shortly after the park lodge was first constructed over a hundred years ago, it caught fire. Firefighters rowed to the island to fight the blaze. A candy vendor working on shore wanted to do his part so he filled a bucket with water, rowed to the island, tossed it on the burning structure and rowed back to shore for more water. It never occurred to him to use the lake water.
While we laugh at the candy vendor, many men try to solve their problems in much the same way. Divine help is available but they ignore it, struggling to solve the human dilemma with human wisdom. After all their exhausting efforts, the fire still burns and little is accomplished.
If we question this premise, we need only look at the recidivism rates in our prison systems. Sixty to ninety percent of those coming out will return within five years. Still we try to rehabilitate without a spiritual perspective. How much wiser we would be to dip deeply into the resources Christ offers to change men. This is true not only with the problems of our society but also with our personal needs.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
The Speech President Obama SHOULD have given... but didn't
My fellow Americans:
I am your humble servant. You have entrusted me with the tremendous honor and responsibility to serve you as president. I am not president of black America, Hispanic America or white America. I am not president of liberal America or conservative America. I am president of the United States of America.
Regrettably, as a nation, we have become divided. I confess that I have contributed to this division. For this failure in leadership, I ask your forgiveness.
We were each created equal by a God of forgiveness. It is now time that we do as He commands: that we forgive one another as we are forgiven and that we come together, once and for all, as one America.
With this goal in mind, I ask that every American join me in praying for the family of Trayvon Martin. No parent should have to bury a child. I also ask that you join me in prayer for George Zimmerman and his family. This tragedy has taken an unimaginable toll on both families. Finally, I ask that you join me in praying for national calm and racial reconciliation.
Today I will share with you certain truths that may be difficult for some to hear. But truths they remain.
First among these truths: The death of Trayvon Martin was a horrible tragedy.
But not all tragedies are crimes.
This case should never have gone to trial. Probable cause for charges of second-degree murder did not exist. Unfortunately, it has become evident that charges were filed based upon a purely political calculus, rather than upon the legal merits of the case. This is legal malpractice, and those responsible should be held accountable.
Before charges were even filed, I publicly and inappropriately said, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” This was irresponsible of me. It was a politically motivated abuse of the presidential bully pulpit. It presumed Mr. Zimmerman guilty until proven innocent. The implication was racially charged and cynical. To the extent that I may have contributed to the spurious filing of charges, I apologize to Florida. I also apologize to George Zimmerman, his family and the American people.
Nevertheless, the trial did go forward and, after 20 days in court and 16 hours of thoughtful deliberation, a jury of George Zimmerman’s peers ultimately found him not guilty. Whether or not we agree, this is our criminal justice system, and the system worked as designed.
Justice was served.
Although none of us were there—and few can know for sure—the not-guilty verdict indicates that the jury found, based upon the weight of the evidence, that this tragic shooting was, in fact, legally justified on self-defense grounds. This is true whether or not George overreacted by following Trayvon in the first place. Florida’s “stand your ground” law was never even triggered.
The jury further found, by all accounts, that at some point during their interaction, Mr. Martin turned, pursued and attacked Mr. Zimmerman without legal provocation. This decision ultimately cost him his life.
How does this make sense? How could this have justified the shooting? Although initially unarmed, witness accounts and forensic evidence suggest that Trayvon punched Mr. Zimmerman, jumped on him and began slamming the back of his head into the concrete sidewalk while allegedly proclaiming, “You gonna die tonight, [expletive].” At this point the sidewalk became a deadly weapon. From this, any reasonable person could conclude that George Zimmerman feared for his life and, therefore, took defensive action.
A needless tragedy? Yes.
A crime? No.
Here is another truth: This case is neither now, nor has it ever been, about race. That is, it wasn’t about race until I and others made it so.
There are those who, under the guise of “civil-rights advocacy,” have a tarnished history of exploiting this and other such tragedies for their own political and financial purposes. This is race-profiteering. It is shameless, dishonest and never productive. For the good of our nation, it needs to stop.
Furthermore, much of the media are likewise to blame. It is clear that, for whatever reason—ratings, perhaps—many journalists chose to intentionally fan the flames of racial discord. NBC even went so far as to splice and edit the recording of Mr. Zimmerman’s 911 call to make him sound racist. This may well be defamation per se, and NBC should be held to account.
In reality, the overwhelming evidence indicates that Mr. Zimmerman is anything but racist. He is just as much a “person of color” as am I. He is Hispanic, not white as the media narrative goes. George is half Hispanic, just as I am half black. He is no more a “white Hispanic” than am I a “white black.” This is the theater of the absurd. It’s but another example of the media’s disingenuous bid to sensationalize this case as a white vs. black civil-rights clash.
It is not.
In reality, George Zimmerman’s past strongly suggests that he is utterly color blind. He once went to bat for a black homeless man against the police department he desperately hoped to join. He also has a history of mentoring black children, has dated black women, has black relatives and is a registered Democrat who voted for me—the first black president in American history. Finally, an extensive FBI investigation determined that Mr. Zimmerman is simply “not a racist.”
I understand that many people are very upset over this verdict. I sympathize with them. My heart also breaks for Trayvon’s family. Still, we are a nation of laws, not a nation of mob rule. Make no mistake, threats to George Zimmerman’s safety and civil rights will not be tolerated and will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Moreover, I have instructed Attorney General Eric Holder to cease and desist in all efforts to manufacture federal civil rights charges against Mr. Zimmerman. There is simply no case, and to pursue one would actually violate Mr. Zimmerman’s civil rights.
Let’s get back on track. Let’s return to Dr. King’s dream of an America in which people are “judged by the content of their character” and not “by the color of their skin.”
It’s time to move on. It’s time to heal. It’s time to come together as “one nation under God.”
God bless you.
And God bless America.
I am your humble servant. You have entrusted me with the tremendous honor and responsibility to serve you as president. I am not president of black America, Hispanic America or white America. I am not president of liberal America or conservative America. I am president of the United States of America.
Regrettably, as a nation, we have become divided. I confess that I have contributed to this division. For this failure in leadership, I ask your forgiveness.
We were each created equal by a God of forgiveness. It is now time that we do as He commands: that we forgive one another as we are forgiven and that we come together, once and for all, as one America.
With this goal in mind, I ask that every American join me in praying for the family of Trayvon Martin. No parent should have to bury a child. I also ask that you join me in prayer for George Zimmerman and his family. This tragedy has taken an unimaginable toll on both families. Finally, I ask that you join me in praying for national calm and racial reconciliation.
Today I will share with you certain truths that may be difficult for some to hear. But truths they remain.
First among these truths: The death of Trayvon Martin was a horrible tragedy.
But not all tragedies are crimes.
This case should never have gone to trial. Probable cause for charges of second-degree murder did not exist. Unfortunately, it has become evident that charges were filed based upon a purely political calculus, rather than upon the legal merits of the case. This is legal malpractice, and those responsible should be held accountable.
Before charges were even filed, I publicly and inappropriately said, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” This was irresponsible of me. It was a politically motivated abuse of the presidential bully pulpit. It presumed Mr. Zimmerman guilty until proven innocent. The implication was racially charged and cynical. To the extent that I may have contributed to the spurious filing of charges, I apologize to Florida. I also apologize to George Zimmerman, his family and the American people.
Nevertheless, the trial did go forward and, after 20 days in court and 16 hours of thoughtful deliberation, a jury of George Zimmerman’s peers ultimately found him not guilty. Whether or not we agree, this is our criminal justice system, and the system worked as designed.
Justice was served.
Although none of us were there—and few can know for sure—the not-guilty verdict indicates that the jury found, based upon the weight of the evidence, that this tragic shooting was, in fact, legally justified on self-defense grounds. This is true whether or not George overreacted by following Trayvon in the first place. Florida’s “stand your ground” law was never even triggered.
The jury further found, by all accounts, that at some point during their interaction, Mr. Martin turned, pursued and attacked Mr. Zimmerman without legal provocation. This decision ultimately cost him his life.
How does this make sense? How could this have justified the shooting? Although initially unarmed, witness accounts and forensic evidence suggest that Trayvon punched Mr. Zimmerman, jumped on him and began slamming the back of his head into the concrete sidewalk while allegedly proclaiming, “You gonna die tonight, [expletive].” At this point the sidewalk became a deadly weapon. From this, any reasonable person could conclude that George Zimmerman feared for his life and, therefore, took defensive action.
A needless tragedy? Yes.
A crime? No.
Here is another truth: This case is neither now, nor has it ever been, about race. That is, it wasn’t about race until I and others made it so.
There are those who, under the guise of “civil-rights advocacy,” have a tarnished history of exploiting this and other such tragedies for their own political and financial purposes. This is race-profiteering. It is shameless, dishonest and never productive. For the good of our nation, it needs to stop.
Furthermore, much of the media are likewise to blame. It is clear that, for whatever reason—ratings, perhaps—many journalists chose to intentionally fan the flames of racial discord. NBC even went so far as to splice and edit the recording of Mr. Zimmerman’s 911 call to make him sound racist. This may well be defamation per se, and NBC should be held to account.
In reality, the overwhelming evidence indicates that Mr. Zimmerman is anything but racist. He is just as much a “person of color” as am I. He is Hispanic, not white as the media narrative goes. George is half Hispanic, just as I am half black. He is no more a “white Hispanic” than am I a “white black.” This is the theater of the absurd. It’s but another example of the media’s disingenuous bid to sensationalize this case as a white vs. black civil-rights clash.
It is not.
In reality, George Zimmerman’s past strongly suggests that he is utterly color blind. He once went to bat for a black homeless man against the police department he desperately hoped to join. He also has a history of mentoring black children, has dated black women, has black relatives and is a registered Democrat who voted for me—the first black president in American history. Finally, an extensive FBI investigation determined that Mr. Zimmerman is simply “not a racist.”
I understand that many people are very upset over this verdict. I sympathize with them. My heart also breaks for Trayvon’s family. Still, we are a nation of laws, not a nation of mob rule. Make no mistake, threats to George Zimmerman’s safety and civil rights will not be tolerated and will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Moreover, I have instructed Attorney General Eric Holder to cease and desist in all efforts to manufacture federal civil rights charges against Mr. Zimmerman. There is simply no case, and to pursue one would actually violate Mr. Zimmerman’s civil rights.
Let’s get back on track. Let’s return to Dr. King’s dream of an America in which people are “judged by the content of their character” and not “by the color of their skin.”
It’s time to move on. It’s time to heal. It’s time to come together as “one nation under God.”
God bless you.
And God bless America.
Monday, July 22, 2013
To possess moral authority, one must act morally.
From Shelby Steele:
“Today’s black leadership pretty much lives off the fumes of moral authority that linger from its glory days in the 1950s and ’60s. The Zimmerman verdict lets us see this and feel a little embarrassed for them. Consider the pathos of a leadership that once transformed the nation now lusting for the conviction of the contrite and mortified George Zimmerman, as if a stint in prison for him would somehow assure more peace and security for black teenagers everywhere. This, despite the fact that nearly one black teenager a day is shot dead on the South Side of Chicago—to name only one city—by another black teenager.”
Love trumps the race card.
I have been looking for actual assemblies of protest over the Zimmerman verdict. Yes I see the amplified coverage on MSNBC and CNN. I read about it in the USA today. But in truth, we seem to be at a point when discussion and disagreement in love is trumping the hype driven by the race hustlers.
There are few sidling up with Sharpton and JJ. 2000 in NYC, 400 in LA, 300 in Miami. The media pornography has failed to arouse the protests they seemed to hope for. This was a rough time and it is worth noting that the things I know are wrong are not the ones being focused upon: High incarcerations rates and longer sentences, violence in the community ignored by police, unfair justice for crimes in court if you are black, high arrest rates in inane circumstance (ie driving while black) and segregation is still a fact of life in America. Those are the things that the talking heads are NOT addressing.
I have a sense that people of maturity are becoming aware of the lies and manipulations from racists on both ends of the spectrum are leading us nowhere. I certainly hope so, because what we have been going through is a form of national nervous breakdown, taking us rapidly backwards on race relations, something that has improved consistently in our country over the last fifty years.
What we do not need now is a “national conversation on race.” That’s like taking a scab that’s slowly healing and, just when it’s about to whither away, scratching it as hard as possible until the wound comes back.
There are few sidling up with Sharpton and JJ. 2000 in NYC, 400 in LA, 300 in Miami. The media pornography has failed to arouse the protests they seemed to hope for. This was a rough time and it is worth noting that the things I know are wrong are not the ones being focused upon: High incarcerations rates and longer sentences, violence in the community ignored by police, unfair justice for crimes in court if you are black, high arrest rates in inane circumstance (ie driving while black) and segregation is still a fact of life in America. Those are the things that the talking heads are NOT addressing.
I have a sense that people of maturity are becoming aware of the lies and manipulations from racists on both ends of the spectrum are leading us nowhere. I certainly hope so, because what we have been going through is a form of national nervous breakdown, taking us rapidly backwards on race relations, something that has improved consistently in our country over the last fifty years.
What we do not need now is a “national conversation on race.” That’s like taking a scab that’s slowly healing and, just when it’s about to whither away, scratching it as hard as possible until the wound comes back.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
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