"Fear and loathing" from the right-wing media.

As the folks over at Bitefart and other right winngut outlets continue to demonize the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, you have to wonder what it is that they are so afraid of.

The latest is a scurrilous lie and false characterization of an entire movement by taking the actions of a few folks on twitter as something that is representative of the entire group. Personally, I take everything that these clowns report about with a grain of salt, but even if true, it is not a true representation of how black activist feel about the tragedy  that took place in Paris, France.

I have seen thousands of tweets and essays from black activists and bloggers showing support for the people of Paris and offering condolences to those who lost loved ones. Unfortunately you would never know this from reading right -wing blogs or watching FOX VIEWS.

Anyway, I saw a wonderful essay from a member of my twitter family that I think might be instructive for some of you who are on the outside looking in.

"What comes to mind when you think of the word “freedom?

Personally, I think of two different things: There’s freedom as liberation, the basic human right to be your authentic self and live your life without fear of violence or persecution.

Then there’s the idea of “freedom” as a tenet of the faulty “American Dream.” You know, the kind of rhetoric spewed on media outlets like Fox News, telling us that we’re lucky to live in the US, the land of the free. Telling us who to fear – namely, Arab Muslims whose “barbaric” traditions threaten our liberties. Telling us that “political correctness” has gone awry, trying to take away our freedom of speech

Right now, this very rhetoric is being used to ridicule activists fighting for freedom as liberation.

Here’s what’s happening. We’ve been rocked by two major events in our world.

On a global scale, the devastating attacks in Paris have left 140 people dead and many more injured and traumatized by unfathomable terror.

And here at home, activists of color on college campuses across the country are protesting having to live in fear with incidents like racist threats of violence at the University of Missouri.

It’s hard to know how to react in moments like these. I wish I could shut off the world around me and just be human. After all, it’s only human to grieve, to learn of the horrific things the people in Paris went through and mourn for the lost and shattered lives of the victims, their families, and communities.

And it’s only human to feel enraged for the students of color too afraid to step outside of their dorm rooms on a campus where the administration dismisses their fears.

I can hold both these feelings within me and know that one doesn’t diminish the validity of the other. But when it comes to expressing these emotions, every response feels heavy with implications." [More]

Well said Maisha, it is always nice to read the words of a young writer who can state their position in such an honest and heartfelt way.

Contrast this with the folks at Britefart, whose only goal in life  seems to be to divide and profit from the division that they create. So far, I am sad to say, their plan is working.  

*Pic from AP and everydayfeminism.com

Just another post from a "sniveling,whinning, back stabbing keyboard warrior."

And now this from a poster over at the Jack & Jill blog called "whiterosebuddy". [I think that's their name]

"Jill,
Once again you and the rest of the black bloggers can go sit on a middle finger.

Who the hell are these black bloggers to criticize the NAACP what the hell have ANY of those loud mouth bloviators on the internet done to advance the cause of civil rights in this nation? What national policies have they written or fought to have implemented. What have they done in the halls of the legal justice system to right INJUSTICE UNDER THE LAW or ENFORCE DUE PROCESS.

All those whinning bloggers can kiss where the sun doesn't shine. They all need to call up Mr. Jealous and praise him for his tremendous act of courage to call out the TEA PARTY for harboring racists and fomenting racial hate.

NOT NARY one of those signifyin bloggers had the clout to do so on NATIONAL TV!! Nary one, including your echo chamber behind.

The NAACP should have ALL those bloggers respect by virtue of the fact that they have the opportunity to VOTE, go to SCHOOL and LIVE in housing as well as find employment without being discriminated against.

But you see all of them and you have an ENTITLEMENT ATTITUDE...you fail to recognize and be grateful for the lives you live with tremendously less racial strife and out and out HATE in your FACE. Where you kid is allowed to die in front of your eyes, cause the hospital refuses to care for a BLACK child where you spouse is injured and or maimed cause they were driving while black.

All you pseudo warriors can go straight to hell...because you are doing NOTHING to advance or progress race divisiveness in this nation...you are simply a bunch of sniveling, whinning, back stabbing keyboard warriors.

What you need to be doing is getting the netroots together to act collectively to achieve something of significance rather than thinking you can be the loud mouths of the internet opposing your own people and the very organization that makes it possible for you to even work, be educated and live in the very housing you do.

Y'all are nothing but a bunch of INGRATES.

How come you are not having a panel on race with your netroots folks...how come you and those black bloggers are not getting together with the FDL's and HUffPO folks that you always hugging up to? Why aren't you all supporting Jealous calling out the TeaParty...why aren't y'all organizing a protest or call for sponsors to boycott FOX...do SOMETHIN!

Please...you need to do something productive or else you need to STFU along with the rest of the DO-NOTHIN black bloggers. "

Ouch! Well, on a lot of levels, this troubled poster is right. (Although not necessarily about Ms. Tubman, and I have never found myself "hugging up" to anyone or thing but the lovely Mrs. Field.) Certainly about us black bloggers. Netroots Nation is in full effect out in Las Vegas, and I am quite sure that most of the color there is from the beautiful casino decors and not necessarily the folks in attendance.

When it comes to fund raising and organizing in a cohesive manner, bloggers of color (present company included) have come up a little short. We do need to organize around certain issues that we can agree on, and we should leave the comfort of our homes and lap top keys and hit the streets from time time. (Although I am quite sure that my troubled friend wasn't leaving his/her comments from his/her computer while on his/her way to picket FOX NEWS.)

I love the Afrosphere (I was a co-founder) because it was a first step in organizing bloggers of color into a group. They have tried to organize as a collective and have had some success along the way. So folks are walking the walk, even if they aren't taking large enough steps for some people, they are at least trying. Which is more than I can say for some folks. (You know who you are. And don't try to figure out that link, it's an inside joke.)

I am not at the netroots confab, because, quite honestly, they never address issues that I truly care about. If other bloggers of color want to go and involve themselves with netroots nation, it's all good; just as long as they make the left leaning blogging community aware of issues that are important to us folks.

If they are there and not making others aware of those issues, I guess folks like my true warrior friend will continue to call out us "bloviators".

What's in a name?

I was thinking about blog names today. Names, that for some reason, stay in my head. I love lurking around other people's blogs (even the ones that I don't agree with) and reading all the fascinating things that they have to say.

Another thing that fascinates me about blogs is all the wild names that people come up with. I have to say that 90% of them are pretty damn good, because for the most part, bloggers can be some pretty creative people.

Anyway, here is a list of some of my favorite blog titles. (Not in any order of importance) Some of them might not still be around, and some of them are far apart from me ideologically, but the field is still feeling their handles.

Negrophile.

Cuter than jesus.

Ear Conditioning.

The Free Slave.

Electronic Village.

Nat Turner's Revenge.

My Left Wing.

Booker Rising.

Writing is Fighting.

Black folks don't swim.

Listen to Leon.

The Secret Council of American Negroes.

Happy Nappy Head.

InkogNegro

The Wild Wild Left.

And on a final note, I want to say thanks to the folks over at Drexel University and the REACH project for sponsoring one hell of a conference today. There were kids there from schools like Swarthmore, Haverford College, Penn, Temple, and Bryn Mawr. Seeing all those smart young people of color holding it down in elite schools and ready to get their activism on was refreshing.

Understanding the true meaning of community activism is field Negro behavior.

"Groundhog Day"

Haven't we done this before? The Ice Queen wins yet another Bubba state by huge margins and yet she gets no closer to winning the dumbocratic nomination. In fact, this time the "O" man actually won a state to officially clinch the pledged delegate count of the dumbocratic party.

Historic times indeed. Imagine, a black man will be representing one of the major parties to become President of these divided states. So why am I not enjoying it? I guess the fact that the Ice Queen is still in the race and racking up huge victories among a certain ahem, ahem, demographic, just takes some of the shine from the "O" man. At a time when the party should be rallying around their potential candidate, the Ice Queen is saying on to Puerto Rico and yet another ass kicking for the chosen one.

This doesn't seem right, someone, anyone, should tell her to stop. Last night I saw her begging those poor folks for money so that her campaign could go on. Talk about chutzpah. Those poor people should have been begging her for money. One hundred million in five years, and she is begging for money? If she wants to stay in the race she should be loaning the campaign money out of her own pocket. She should see folks like Michael Bloomberg, and Mitt Romney to learn how this is done.

In a way it's sad. I kind of feel sorry watching the Ice Queen go through this exercise in futility. Watching her reminds of of that Barry Manilow song, "Copacabbana." "She was a show girl with yellow feathers in her hair and a dress way down to here...but that was thirty years ago when they use to have a show. Now it's a disco but not for Lola, still in the dress she used to wear faded feathers in her hair...." Hillary just won't get off the fucking stage.

Oh well, the coronation will take place in Denver, and it will be historic. (Even though the DNC is fucking that up as well by excluding bloggers of color from the floor. Sorry colored folks, we only allow certain white liberal blogs to participate in this process....don't even get me started about these mofos. Digression alert!) And I just wonder what Hillary will be doing (and thinking) when all that confetti comes streaming down on that tall lanky black man from Illinois. I take that back, I don't want to even imagine it.

**On a serious and more personal note. I want to thank everyone for their kind words of encouragement after my previous post. That shit was some serious ass field Negro behavior. Thanks again. And Mrs. Field thanks you too.

Who will televise the revolution?

Remember that old Gil Scott Heron hit, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"? It was made about 36 years ago when there was only three television stations and a handful of radio stations in A-merry-ca. I always wondered about that; if there was a revolution going on, who would have the balls to show it? Gil Scott was telling us that the revolution will not be televised, but the truth is it, given the nature of A-merry-ca, there is no way in hell that revolution was going to be televised in the first place.

Now with the explosion of all types of new communications outlets such as cable television, the Internet, and satellite radio, one has to wonder if Gil Scott's scenario of a revolution possibly being televised isn't more plausible. Sadly, I think it would be just as implausible today as it was when Gil Scott Heron was exploring the question in his powerful rap.

The truth of the matter is this; today, no one in the main stream media would be willing to televise a revolution. Not in this day and age. First they would have to acknowledge that there was one, ( A revolution) and I really don't think they would want to do that. Too bloody, too uncomfortable, and the imagery would be way too powerful. We know FAKE NEWS wouldn't televise it, because a revolution would be opposing the government in power, and FAKE NEWS is the propaganda arm of the frat boy's administration. We know it wouldn't be televised on BET, because a revolution doesn't involve booty shaking, and we wouldn't see a revolution in one of those crass ghetto fabulous reality shows now would we. It wouldn't be televised on HBO or Showtime either, because they don't deal in real time events. Maybe a year or two down the road they would televise a documentary or do a mini series about the revolution, but not while it was happening. Newspapers? Nope; too slow. By the time they went to print the revolution would probably be over.

And then there is radio. I suppose radio stations could televise the revolution. But you have to worry about them too, because honestly, only a few groups own all the radio stations in this country, and I am sure they have agendas that are contrary to any revolutionary manifesto. "But field what about all the black radio stations and talk show hosts"? Nope, that wouldn't work either, because these cats are basically buffoons and modern day minstrels who simply do their massa's bidding. They would be talking about bullshit and telling jokes, not televising the revolution.

Which leads me to the bloggers with their blogs and all their pod casts. Surely they would blog about the revolution. I mean what better way to reach the people and mobilize a revolution than a bunch of the people themselves blogging about it in real time. Sorry, not them either. Unfortunately some of these bloggers out here are no different or better than the folks in the traditional media. For instance, some of these bloggers in blogdom would not touch the revolution if conservatives weren't involved. Some wouldn't want anything to do with it if they didn't feel women were properly represented. And some of the larger Wal Mart blogs wouldn't want anything to do with the revolution unless their issues were being addressed, or their leaders were the ones in the forefront of the movement.

I guess it's safe to say that even if a revolution was going on today it wouldn't be televised. This is in spite of all the modern day mediums at our disposal to televise it through. I wonder if Gil Scott Heron could have seen back in 1971 that even 36 years later, the revolution still would not be televised?

So if there is a revolution going on or about to start, how do you tell the like minded people who would be willing to participate, about it? How do you go about televising a revolution in 2007? How do the people that the revolution would benefit even know that it's there? They won't. And that's the whole point isn't it; because you can't have a revolution by yourself.

"The revolution will not be right back after a message about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people. You will not have to worry about a dove in your bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl. The revolution will not go better with Coke. The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath. The revolution will put you in the driver's seat. "

You are right Gil, but not for the reasons you think. Because unless there is a sponsor to pay for it; the revolution really won't be televised. That is because here in A-merry-ca we are all about ratings, and no one wants to watch a revolution.

Michelle Malkin the lier! (or "liar" for woozie)

Michelle Malkin and her right wing loony friends are all liers! Here is why:

Remember the story of Air Force Senior Airman, Jonathan Schrieken, who was shot in the driveway of his Willingboro New Jersey home by a man named Matthew Marren? If you don't, you probably don't read right wing blogs or listen to right wing talk radio. This case became a cause celebre for all the "wingnuts" from California to Maine. They declared that Schrieken was shot by an anti war nut who wanted to kill a military person on the 4th of July. They based their Twilight Zone worthy assumptions on a note that was found in his car, and an aunt who said that the shooter wanted to make a statement on Independence Day. They went on to lambaste and excoriate the New York Times, and the main stream media (God I hate that phrase) for burying the story. And Malkin, the forked tongue one (literally...think about it) declared: "Now imagine the scenario flipped. What if a soldier had attempted to murder a peace activist over the holidays in order to make a statement?" This ignoramus went on to declare in her post; that if this happened, "the Times would be holding a front page vigil, and Katie Couric's brow would be furrowed for a week,"

Now, as it turns out, the right wing spoke a little too fast. Here are some facts: The shooter did not know Matthew Marren from the man on the moon, and he certainly did not know that he was in the military. (Schrieken was not in uniform when he was shot)The Prosecutor in the case said that; "Marren's final words were rambling, and there was no mention of the military, the war in Iraq, or the victim being a soldier." The Prosecutor went on to say that it was an act of "random violence."

Not good enough for Ms. Thing and her crazy ass crew of right wing nut jobs. God forbid some guy with mental problems just decides to shoot a stranger at random, and then take his own life. Nope, Malkin and her ilk had to create something, they had to stir up more division, and create an anti war bogeymen when there really was none.

"Turns out the guy left a couple of suicide notes stating how much he hated the military and he wanted to go out making a statement, so he chose to make his statement on Independence Day trying to kill a soldier." Michelle, that's a lie, and you know it.

This is one of those times when I hate the fact that this blog is not more popular, because tonight I am calling out Michelle Malkin, and unfortunately, she won't even know it. If she did, she would know that I dare her to back up all the statements she made about this case, and to debate me on its issues and merits-we can do it over the net or in person, I think I could stand to look at her for a few minutes; just a few- I dare her to prove the ignorant and nescient statements she made on her blog, and to back up her sky is falling bullshit with some facts.

But it won't happen, because Michelle and her wingnut friends will be chowing down on crow for the next few weeks. And I guess it's kind of hard to debate someone if you have a big ass crow stuck in your mouth.