two or three . net

Tavis Smiley: Your daily dose of stupid

I'm sorry. It's rather difficult to be polite to someone who makes a good, publicly-funded salary in order to spout this nonsense.

If not racism, what ARE the motives of the anti-Obama masses?

In The boy who cried 'racism!', I broached the subject that I think that those who are complaining that the modern anti-Obama rallies and other conservative actions in the news are racist in nature are making bogus claims.  But if not racism, what ARE the motives of these modern conservative protesters?  Here's my quick list of what I think are the genuine motives involved.

The boy who cried 'racism!' and other self-fulfilling prophecies

I have a confession to make - I like NPR.  Even worse, I like Juan Williams, probably one of the best known black independent commentators out there - not only is he a regular contributor to NPR, but he's a regular on the O'Reilly Factor.  He often brings balance and sanity to polarized discussions, and has even written a book criticizing African Americans for their victim mentality.

But yesterday on O'Reilly, and this morning on NPR, he broached the idea that underlying the Tea Parties, the 75,000 people who marched on Washington this past weekend, and the outburst of S.C. Senator Wilson is racism - that's right, what is really driving these people is hatred for a black man in the Presidency.  Wanna hear this tripe?  Audio and transcript here. 

But I've got news for you - making erroneous claims about your ideological opponents' motives only emboldens them.  But go ahead, here's some more rope to hang yourself with - oops, was that a racist remark?  Or just black humor.  Oops, was *that* a racist remark?  Whoa, was that a demon behind that Bush...hey, was THAT a racist remark?

Book Review: Dred Scott's Revenge by Judge Andrew Napolitano

America has had a difficult history when it comes to racial issues and often the government has done more harm than good according to an excellent new book by Judge Andrew Napolitano entitled Dred Scott's Revenge. Click here to read my review of the book.

Dred Scott's Revenge: A Legal History of Race and Freedom in America By Andrew Napolitano / Thomas Nelson

Quote of the Day #020 - King's dream and abortion

"[Dr. King’s] dream of full equality remains just a dream as long as unborn children continue to be treated no better than property."

Dr. Alveda King, niece of the 1960s Civil Rights icon, commenting after the election of President Obama

Traditional Marriage Supported in AZ, CA and FL constitutional votes

Just to summarize one of the more important outcomes of the last election, three states had proposals in favor of narrowly defining marriage as between one man and one woman, excluding gay, polygamous, and any other possible unions as 'legal marriage.'  All three measures passed (narrowly in CA, but handily in the other states), and you can read about them here:

• Arizona Proposition 102
• California Proposition 8
• Florida Amendment 2

Previous states that have passed constitutional hetero definitions of marriage are many (see image - red and orange states have constitutional bans, yellow have legal bans, the rest have more pro-gay situations).  If you're keeping track, that's approximately:

• 25 with constitutional bans
• 11 with legal bans (though some of those still allow domestic partners)
• 2 with fully recognized legal marriages (Massachusetts 2003, Connecticut 2008)

Same-sex marriage in the US is being fought state by state at this point, though there IS federal legislation on this subject. But under an Obama presidency, that could all change (for the worse).

A priceless moment in black politics

Getting a degree to be able to put the title "Reverend" before your name -  $20K

Cost of air time given by the MSM to discuss your disagreement with Obama on blacks needing to take responsibility for siring children -
$ MILLIONS

Not realizing the microphone is on when whispering

"I'd like to cut his n*ts off"

PRICELESS

Related Posts:

• Ascended Blacks Leaving the N*ggers Behind
• Emancipation from the Liberal Plantation
• Why Bill Cosby Is Right, by Juan Williams
• Come on [black] people!

Intelligent Design group proves that 'God probably created HIV'

In a stunning press release, Intelligent Design group The Group for Order and Design In Science (GODIS) has proposed that the structure of the HIV virus could not have arisen by natural processes, and was therefore engineered.

"Our calculations are quite revealing," stated Rex Numero, chief statistician at GODIS.  "We were inspired by Reverend Jeremiah Wright's accusation that perhaps HIV was created by the US Government, and we immediately set about calculating the likelihood that HIV could have arisen from natural causes.  As it turns out, the HIV virus is irreducibly complex in many areas.  Therefore, it MUST have been engineered."

Why do many blacks applaud Rev. Wright?

The view from outside of the black liberation theology camp is that people are cheering Obama's pastor, Rev. Jermiah Wright, because:

1. It is easier to respond to racism and hate with one's own brand of racism - rather than really following the high road shown by MLK Jr., it is much easier to give in to the impatient and selfish hate-for-hate rhetoric of those like Farrakhan and race-baiters like Wright.
2. Many in the black community seem to like to choose such anti-heroes like Wright, because real heroes like Bill Cosby, Juan Williams, and Clarence Thomas ask people to forsake the victim mentality and blame shifting, and take responsibility for their lives.
3. Wright is being championed for the same reason that some in the black community embraced O.J. Simpson - because he took on 'the man,' i.e.'whitey', and got away with it. People who embrace a victim mentality choose heroes who will reinforce their perspective, and who will rejoice in rebellion against authority rather than in what is truly right.

Obama is now the victim of a bigger stink - black liberation theology exposed

Joe Carter at the EO has a really great, detailed post on Rev. Jeremiah Wright's real problem - and by extension, Obama's problem - the fact that Black Liberation theology has it's roots in hateful racism and biblical heresy.  And although Obama is not racist, it is too late to save his candidacy - he should have had the judgment to get out years ago, and the fact that he did not is troubling.  His speech today, though pretty good, was still tepid, and too little too late.  So long Obama, we barely knew ye.  Select quotes from Joe's post below.

Racism, conspiracies, and hyperbole in the black church

I have not really wanted to post on the debacle of Baraq Obama's pastor of 20 years, Jeremiah Wright, whose anti-white, anti-America, and conspiratorial preaching has at least embarrassed the Obama campaign, if not driven it's recent 5 percentage point loss in the last week.

But Bill O'Reilly has been running shows for three days on the subject, and not to run Obama into the ground, but because the reaction of black Americans is surprisingly supportive of Wright's rhetoric, and because this reflects on Obama's lack of judgment, the key attribute that he is running his campaign on.  So here's what I've learned.

12 annoying things about racism

I have very mixed feelings on racism.  Whenever the subject comes up, I feel disturbed by all of the undercurrents in our culture that reward victimhood, apologize for reverse racism or hatred, and waste our time talking about issues which are 90% solved.  Do you have various emotions that come up when racism is mentioned?  Then read on.

Unfortunate reality of racism

Even as our nation is as close as ever to electing our first non-white male president, racism is still a reality and a sin that must be erased by our culture and by our churches. This fact of life has been brought up in two recent incidents in the Upstate of South Carolina.

Did Moses marry a black woman? Probably.

In Did Moses Marry a Black Woman? John Piper has a nice short discussion of Moses' wife, and how Christians ought to view interracial marriage - which is, favorably, as long as they are in the faith - otherwise, we are disobeying the command and wisdom of being "equally yoked" (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Come on [black] people!

In Come On People: On the Path from Victims to Victors, Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint challenge black Americans, as well as all Americans, to take responsibility for their own destiny rather than playing the victim.  Those of us outside of the black community see this self-defeating pattern well, but the black community has been slow to own the truth.  Thank God for men like Cosby, Juan Williams, Star Parker. and John Ridley, to mention just a few who share this courage. 

How to manufacture a racial protest: give away NBA tickets

Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network know how to take a simple situation and explode it into some race-based "tragedy" while exploit it and the community they claims to represent in order to garner more attention (and money) for themselves. Their latest stunt finds him involved with a protest rally in support of a formerly-suspended, now-benched high school quarterback.

Darwinism's history of racism

Darwinists hate the common association of their pet theory with eugenics, not to mention it's role in giving scientific validation to Nazi eugenics.  But the historical connections are unavoidable.  (BTW, the same goes for the eugenic roots of the murderous Planned Parenthood).

Take, for example, the textbook that gave rise to the infamous Scopes trial, A Civic Biology: Presented in Problems (1914).  This textbook that led to allowing the teaching of evolution as science was also blatantly racist.

Pursuit of Happyness - What Black & Proud should look like

On my recent vacation, I saw Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness, and was more than pleasantly surprised.  Usually, I stay away from schmaltzy inspirational films (especially sports-themed movies - you've seen one Titans or Coach Carter you've seen them all).  But this one was special.  At the end, both my wife and I had tears streaming down our faces. 

But most notable is what this film did NOT say about race.  In fact, its total silence on the race issue said volumes.

"...they don't mean no harm."

Those are the words of a South Carolina State student explaining why Don Imus was wrong, but the rappers at a recent concert at the historically black school were perfectly fine.

Jason Whitlock on the Don Imus mess

Today's second Ouch! and this one hits even harder.

Why Bill Cosby Is Right, by Juan Williams

Juan Williams, senior correspondent for NPR's Morning Edition and political analyst for Fox News, recently gave a 90 minute lecture at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and his lecture was included in Princeton's University Channel Podcast, with the title Eyes Off the Prize?  Why Bill Cosby Is Right and What We Should Do About It. 

In this powerful speech, he asks the listeners to imagine if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. suddenly returned and asked you "how is the black family doing?"  Williams plays out this scenario with tragic humor, then goes on to attack the culture of victimhood, the poor leadership of the black American community who focus on the wrong things, and how it attacks its own internal critics like Bill Cosby or Oprah instead of listening.

Ten reasons why Obama will win in '08

1. The war in Iraq: Even conservatives realize that this has become a fiasco.  Sure, maybe we were right to depose Sadam, but this looks more and more like Vietnam in many ways.
   
2. Throw the bums out:  Continuing questionable ethics decisions like those plaguing the Attorneys General Gonzalez have turned many conservatives and moderates off to the Republicans.  The same impetus that saw Dems retake Congress in the '06 election will carry over into the National one.
3. Hillary is not electable:  She's too harsh, she's too liberal, she's too Clinton (that's my poor photoshop job above)
4. Gingrich is not electable: I think Newt would be a fantastic president.  So do 47% of Bill O'Reilly's viewers. 
5. Giuliani is a RINO: I mean, come on, Giuliani is a liberal in conservative clothing.  Why would a conservative vote for him?  Why would a liberal vote for him if they had an Obama? 
6. Obama is intelligent and articulate:  I mean, plenty of people are not ready to vote for a black man (or a mulatto), but a black man that talks like 50 Cent or P. Diddy would definitely not work.  Obama speaks like an educated man, not a ghetto thug.  That will help him.
7. Obama is a minority:  Aren't we all tired of old white men running things?  I think we are finally ready to really prove that we are the land of opportunity and equality by having a person of color in the white house.  Of course, I'd rather have a conservative like Condie Rice in office - that would keep the crazy racists at bay - a liberal black man is much harder to sell in the old south.
8. Obama shies away from partisan bitterness: People are tired of the extremist secularists taunting the far right, and vice versa.
9. Obama is religious:  Most Americans affiliate with Christianity, and Obama claims to be a Christian.  While he may not hold biblical stands on many issues, at least he is not a Christian hater like Howard Dean ("How can we win over those stupid people of faith?") and the secularist left.  He also has a Muslim background, so perhaps he can help us make some headway with the lunatics.  BTW, Robert Spencer has a nice video appealing to Obama and his unique position.
10. Obama is Gen-X, not Boomer: It is just me, or are we ready for a new generation in Washington?  I think the WWII generation is done running things, and us youngsters are ready for a Gen-X leader.  McCain, Giuliani, Clinton?  Old people.  Retiring generation.  Pasture.

Emancipation from the Liberal Plantation

African Americans are leaving the Democratic party in greater numbers because they feel that it's liberal and anti-religious values don't match theirs.  A new video, Emancipation, Revelation, Revolution, documents the history of black gains erased by Democrats after reconstruction, and shows many prominent modern blacks who say that they are willing to risk the rejection and ridicule (being called "Uncle Toms") of many blacks who think that the liberal emphasis on government programs is really in their best interest.

Ascended Blacks Leaving the N*ggers Behind

Much has been made of late of the "N" word in black circles, and in the news.  For years, accomplished blacks have become pariahs in their black communities when they leave the victim mentality behind and take responsibility for their own success.  Unfortunately, when men like Bill Cosby or Jesse Jackson call for blacks to stop using the word, they are mocked and scorned.  But what these men are really saying is that the culture of victimhood and the anti-social posturing and hatred are immature and self-defeating. 

Now adding his voice to the chorus of black conservatives is author and political commentator John Ridley, who has written novels (Everybody Smokes in Hell, Stray Dogs), films (Three Kings, U-Turn), television shows (Third Watch), and plays (Ten Thousand Years), and who has done political commentary on NPR.  In the latest Esquire magazine, he's written The Manifesto of Ascendancy for the Modern American Nigger, which says many of the things non-black observers have been saying (at the risk of being called racist) for a long time.  Bravo.

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT NIGGERS, the oppressed minority within our minority. Always down. Always out. Always complaining that they can't catch a break. Notoriously poor about doing for themselves. Constantly in need of a leader but unable to follow in any direction that's navigated by hard work, self-reliance. And though they spliff and drink and procreate their way onto welfare doles and WIC lines, niggers will tell you their state of being is no fault of their own....

That which retards us is the worst of "us," those who disdain actual ascendancy gained by way of intellectual expansion and physical toil -who instead value the posture of an "urban", a "street," a "real" existence, no matter that such a culture threatens to render them extinct.

"Them" being niggers.

 

Who Abolished Slavery?

US News had a nice article on the history of abolition, entitled Who ended the slave trade?  In it, the author makes some great observations that deal with our liberal, revisionists understandings of slavery, it's origins, and it's abolition.  And the whole string of conversation begain with a review of David Brio Davis's Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World.  Below, I summarize the excellent points made in the USN article.

MTV - Still Pimping the Black Community

Stanley Crouch of the New York Daily News wrote a scathing commentary on MTV's 25th Anniversary.  He claims that it elevated the pimp culture to mainstream status in the black community, helping to stain the black contributions to American culture.

[MTV projected] the most dehumanizing images of black people since the dawn of minstrelsy in the 19th century. Pimps, whores, potheads, dope dealers, gangbangers, the crudest materialism and anarchic gang violence were broadcast around the world as "real" black culture.

At first, far too many black people were taken in by the cult of celebrity and the wealth that came to these gold- toothed knuckleheads and mindless hussies to realize what was happening. The lowest possible common denominator was seen as the norm. The illiteracy and rule-of-thumb stupidity was interpreted as a "cultural" rejection of white middle-class norms.

The Bible and Slavery

Rich over at God and Science has a nice post entitled Does God Approve of Slavery According to the Bible?  I have not delved into this topic much, but I do like this one bit:

In fact, the slavery described in the Old Testament was quite different from the kind of slavery we think of today - in which people are captured and sold as slaves. According to Old Testament law, anyone caught selling another person into slavery was to be executed:

"He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death." (Exodus 21:16)

The Civil Rights Movements of Our Time

The whole immigration thing is all over the news.    This got me to think about all of the groups fighting for what they consider "civil rights" - all compare their causes to that of black Americans, who are of course, sometimes insulted by the comparison.  Nevertheless, the three civil rights areas today I want to discuss are the homosexual, pro-life, and immigrant movements.  How are they similar to the black American civil rights movements, what rights are they looking for, and how do they differ?  I'm not an expert on any of these, so wanted to open it up for discussion.

Is Marriage Only for White People?

I wanted to mention the importance of the Washington Post article from last week entitled Marriage Is for White People, by Joy Jones (a black woman).  While teaching a class of young black students, she was asking what they wanted to be when they grew up.  One boy responded "I want to be a father."  She mentioned that they being married and having children is a great goal, to which he responded something along the lines of "oh no, I don't want to be married, just a father." Another boy in her class remarked that he thought "marriage was for white people."  Terrible stuff. 

Why Socioeconomics Don't Explain Black Poverty

Sunday's New York Times had a very good Op-Ed piece on black poverty called A Poverty of Mind.  It cogently explained why we have largely ignored the cultural factors (that is, the black American subculture) in favor of socioeconomic and educational factors, and why these do not really explain the problem fully.  I summarize his main points below.

Mandatory Abortion Could Rid Us of Ghetto Kids

In Holland, a health official has called for a debate on forced abortion and contraception to deal with the problem of "unwanted children."  Her logic mixes pro-choice and euthanasia logic, taking what some think is the next logical step in liberal thought.

According to the report, Van den Anker said children from these groups run an "unacceptable risk" of growing up without love and with "violence, neglect, mistreatment and sexual abuse."

Van den Anker pointed to the growing number of Antillean youth gangs in Rotterdam whose members come from loveless homes.

Abortion and African-Americans

Zenit, a Catholic news agency, has an interview with Alveda King, niece of slain civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.  She has some choice things to say:

In the African-American communities, abortion is the primary agenda. They also offer birth control and some health services, but the emphasis is on abortion for black parents....The proper solution is righteousness and holy living, including abstinence and marriage. This is the case for all people, regardless of nationality and socioeconomic status....My grandfather, Daddy King, was very firm about the life of the unborn, and rejected the idea of abortion.

I'm glad to see that there are voices of reason like Alveda's in the black community.

Farrakhan's no Pat Robertson

He just doesn't get Pat's coverage. Somehow Louis "Hitler was a very great man" Farrakhan still manages to speak with some authority to the black community. Evangelicals constantly have to denounce the latest controversial comments by Robertson or Jerry Falwell, but Farrakhan can say "America Must be Burned!" and no one bats an eye.

Christianity and slavery

Much has been said and insinuated about the history of Christianity and slavery. Unfortunately, many Christians, especially in the South, defended the abhorant practice. However, today's critics of Christianity often have a distorted view of the role the faith played in the turbulent 1800's and the debate over slavery.

When idiots speak on MLK day

Two outrageous statements were made on Martin Luther King Day. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin declared that New Orleans was always going to be a "chocolate city" and Sen. Hillary Clinton said the U.S. House of Representatives "has been run like a plantation."

The Gospel message with a beat

The emergence of hip-hop within the Church caused the Christian Science Monitor do examine the trend in the article, 'Shake it out for Jesus': Churches co-opt hip-hop. Having my own experience with hip-hop and churches opposed to it, I thought I would share some of my takes.

Evolution and Social Darwinism in Civil War Reconstruction

Today on Fresh Air, Terry Gross interviewed author and historian Eric Foner, who is promoting his new book Forever Free: The Story of Emancipation and Reconstruction.  He did not sound like he had a specific axe to grind (liberal or conservative), and his interview (audio posted later today) was very informative.  He talked about the reconstruction era after the American Civil War, between about 1865 and 1877.  I learned the following:

• Advances by blacks in the south were significant during this time, when in fact, 2 of the 5 black federal senators (that's *ever* in the U.S.) served, and over 1200 blacks served in elected office.
• President Jackson tried to veto two of the most significant civil rights bills, but his veto was overridden by 2/3 votes in Congress.
• Many of the advances for blacks during reconstruction were actually lost during the 1890's and early 1900's due to racist legislation like the Jim Crow laws. 

The problem of race and the media - Part 2

My last post addressed the media bascially ignoring horrible racist statements by a black professor (Michelle Malkin has links to the video).

I failed to mention the only time the MSM seems to enjoy showing a minority in a bad light - when they are a conservative.

The problem of race and the media

Bill Bennett said aborting every black would reduce the crime rate, but it was "impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible." This caused a media firestorm chastizing Bennett for his insensitivity.

Recently, a lesser known individual made the following remarks during a conference broadcast on CSPAN:

And the one idea is, how we are going to exterminate black people because that in my estimation is the only conclusion I have come to. We have to exterminate black people off the face of the planet to solve this problem. ... the problem on the planet is black people.

Bill Bennett's stupid comment

I suppose I should make some comment on Bill Bennet's remarks.

I've just been waiting on someone else to respond correctly without jumping to defend or attack a conservative, depending on your already establish position.

In my opinion, very few people have gotten this situation and the aftermath right.

To loot or find that is the question

The only thing that may be more popular than turning the hurricane aftermath into a political event is turning the aftermath into a racist event.

Scores of victims, civil rights leaders and others were making the claims that the response to the city of New Orleans smacked of racism. "If it were white people, Bush would have come quicker," they said.

Anyone who spoke against the rampant looting was immediately decried as a racist. Then it seems they had the evidence to prove their racism charges. Two photos came out around the same time. One photo showed a white couple carrying items in chest deep water with a caption that described them as "finding" supplies. A second photo showed a black man in a similar circumstance, while the caption described him as "looting."

The racism card was played continuously across the blogosphere, but it has largely grown silent at least when it concerns this example and here is why:

Afrocentric Christianity

I saw this great program on Religion & Ethics Newsweekly (PBS), discussing a church in Chicago that links modern black xianity to Christians from the bible.  The pastor argues that

• blacks were Christians in many places before American slavery
• blacks should embrace their African and Christian roots in Africa

What was missing from this report was any distinguishing of African rituals and culture that black Christians could embrace, vs. those rooted in pagan worship.  But it still all looked like a good thing.

What was really interesting were the Swahili coming-of-age rituals for men and girls - Xianity has lost this type of confirmation of adulthood - I mean, what happened to Barmitzvah?