Getting up off our knees

You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. And when you think about why, in the African American community at least, there's a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it's important to recognize that the African American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away.

There are very few African American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me -- at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.

And I don't want to exaggerate this, but those sets of experiences inform how the African American community interprets what happened one night in Florida. And it's inescapable for people to bring those experiences to bear. The African American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws -- everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws. And that ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case.

- Barack Obama

The Week The Blog Went Black

Native Born on race:

We acquit each other when we accept the idea that “race is not an issue.”
I want to tell you all, for your own good, stop saying that. If you think race isn’t an issue, then race is most definitely an issue for you. When you pretend something does not exist, you give it power. That’s why Harry said “Voldemort” instead of “He Who Must Not Be Named.” Be Harry. You cannot destroy that which you think does not exist. You cannot heal a sickness if you refuse to believe that you are sick. You deny a sickness, though, and it only grows.

Sophia Nelson:

For me as an attorney, I am deeply concerned about how this case was prosecuted from the very beginning. The fact is that George Zimmerman shot and killed an unarmed 17-year-old black boy, who was doing nothing but walking home with some candy and tea. The fact that George Zimmerman pursued this young teen, scuffled with him, and ultimately shot him, proclaiming self-defense, and was not even arrested the night of the murder by authorities should jolt all Americans as to the true racial subtext of this case. The fact that George Zimmerman’s brother Robert took to CNN’s Piers Morgan last night and called Trayvon Martin “angry,” “violent,” wanting to possess a “gun” and a user of “drugs” and as such ultimately responsible for his own death actually reduced many of us to tears. The case was riddled with race from the very beginning. To deny that is dishonest and simply not the truth.

Rage Against the Minivan:

The nation is paying attention to the burden and risk of being a black man. Let’s move to action. I was heartened to see the protests tonight, and to observe that the crowds were very diverse. I felt that the verdict yesterday sent a horrible message to black men, and I hope the protest sends a message that many people care. But we can’t leave it at a protest. We’ve got to tell young black men that we’ve got their back today, and every day. That is what community looks like. That’s how we will find justice. 

This is a race and socioeconomic issue, says Cornel West (link to video of transcript below):

Maher brought up how Zimmerman got involved in the neighborhood watch after a string of burglaries in his neighborhood. He asked, “Why in this country do young black people still have no better prospects than committing petty theft?” 

West declared, “The criminal justice system itself is criminal.” He said that Wall Street executives can get away with practically anything, but people are freaking out about marijuana in Martin’s system. On the question of whether blacks commit more crime, Mair agreed that it’s harder to go after white-collar crime and fraud. West added that young blacks and whites consume drugs equally, but blacks are jailed more.

We have to remember this was an unarmed, high schooler:

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Tavis Smiley: You can 'stand your ground' as long as you're not black:

 

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But it's not just the black community that's outraged. And it's not just the liberal community. It's young/old/white/Asian/Hispanic/Indian/educated/impoverished/upwardly mobile citizens for justice. It's anyone who's ever met a black man/loved a black man/talked to a black man/shook hands with a black man or respected a black man. It's parents/couples/singles and the childless. It's all of us who are citizens under a black president with blacks in our towns, our homes and at work.

The blog is black this week in honor of the memory of a child. 
And yeah, he was black.
It shouldn't matter, but it does.
And it carries significance so I won't overlook it.

Boo YAH!

I beat over half of the participants from my company and shaved 5 minutes off of my time from last year. 

I've tasted victory and it's not sweet... it tastes like Jimmy Johns. 

Why I Sneered at The History Channel's "The Bible"

The Bible played on the History Channel a few months ago. I believe you can purchase it online or stream it somehow. We streamed it and leisurely watched it on our time, which is why I am leisurely writing this review.

Now, I usually have a hard time with Christianity-for-entertainment/profit*, but I watched this series with the Mr. and his cousin while she lived with us. They were both interested and I found myself playing solitaire on my phone to keep from interjecting like a rude patron at a movie. This doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention, though.

First of all, the mini series is produced by Touched By An Angel's Roma Downey and her husband of Survivor fame, Mark Burnett. Not that they can't use their powers for good, but Burnett didn't make a butt load of money from Survivor by exhibiting Christ-like qualities. And someone please tell me how he could put his name on The Apprentice and The Bible in the same lifetime**.

Secondly, they changed little things about the Bible to make it more dramatic. In the History Channel version: The wise men show up when Jesus is a baby. Sarah (wife of Abraham) chases Abraham and Isaac up the mountain as Abe is about to put a blade to Isaac. The arc has a ton of windows, when it's only supposed to have one. You know... for drama!

via

But then, they also change big stuff to help make for good TV.

In their version: Jesus is light skinned (Portuguese, but light skinned). In fact, all of the awesome folks are white. Only the black sheep are, well, darker. Satan is played by a Moroccan actor who is basically put in black-face.

Also, when Lot and his family are living in Sodom and the angel comes to get them out before the fall of the city, the TV show left out some pretty chilling details. Lot is supposedly honorable by biblical standards but douchey by today's standards by offering up his virgin daughters to the angry mob in exchange for them leaving the angels alone. The town is called Sodom. You get where this is going. Burnett and Downey chose to leave this bit out of the story.

This portrayal is Christian at best, but not historical. I wonder why the channel picked it up at all ***.

For more inaccuracies, see this article... especially #4... or should I say, #2****



*I've refused to see Passion of the Christ on principle alone.
** Because God loves Capitalism?
*** Not really. It's a good story line that has a dead panel of writers and no royalties! Profit, profit, profit!
**** Hey-o!

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose

But can't win either, 'cause I'm no racer.

But I did have a pretty good time and made pretty good time at last weekend's Race to Wrigley.

And deeeeeen, I had a giant mimosa and passed out for 2 hours.

What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday!