An alleged racist and a convicted tax cheat. And once again an unarmed black man is shot by the police.

These past few months haven't been good to my friends in the GOP.

Yes, thanks to more moderate candidates and the inability of democrats to articulate their message and run on the accomplishments of their president, they (republicans) won sweeping victories in the mid-term elections.

Now, though, they find themselves having to deal with a racist and a tax cheat in their fold. This, coupled with the fact that ----thanks to an ongoing economic recovery---- their sworn enemy, Barack Obama, is enjoying his highest approval ratings in a very long time. 

Of course, in the case of the racist, he is being supported by his party leaders who seem to think that adding one more racist to a party with a perception problem when it comes to matters of race is a good idea.

"More than a decade ago, Representative Scalise made an error in judgment, and he was right to acknowledge it was wrong and inappropriate. Like many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I know Steve to be a man of high integrity and good character. He has my full confidence as our Whip, and he will continue to do great and important work for all Americans,"

To me, Representative Scalise didn't just make "an error in judgment". He knew exactly who he was speaking to when he spoke to that white supremacist group and why he was doing it. The fact that he called racism a "novelty" and  his only issue with David Duke is that he couldn't get elected tells you all you need to know about the man.

"The novelty of David Duke has worn off," Scalise said. "The voters in this district are smart enough to realize that they need to get behind someone who not only believes in the issues they care about, but also can get elected. Duke has proven that he can't get elected, and that's the first and most important thing."

All this of course, speaks to a larger issue with the GOP and men like Steve Scalise. If you go into the comments section of conservative blogs (and even progressive blogs like this one) you will see the overwhelming support for what Scalise did back in 2002. What's the big deal? They ask. Aren't the Al Sharptons and Jesse Jacksons of the world black supremacist? Why demonize this poor man for standing up for white people? If you happen to have this point of view that's fine. But the problem for those with these views is that most of our leaders who happen to share these views can't state so publicly.

Unfortunately for folks like Steve Scalise and his many supporters, it's just not cool to be a racist publicly in America these days. Publicly.

Sadly for them, though, they still have to reassure like-minded people that they still have their backs in this politically correct world where the brown people are slowly taking over.

"He [Scalise] has never been affiliated with the abhorrent group in question. The hate-fueled ignorance and intolerance that group projects is in stark contradiction to what Mr. Scalise believes and practices as a father, a husband, and a devoted Catholic.." 

Translated: Sorry y'all, now that I have been exposed I have to disavow any knowledge of what we were trying to do back then. But hang in there with me, as soon as this all blows over it will be business as usual.

Finally, I can't let tonight's post go without highlighting yet another police shooting of an unarmed man here in America.

"Houston, Texas – This week, Houston police shot an unarmed man multiple times because he was acting suspicious and not obeying their commands. Two officers fired multiple shots at 38-year old Mike Walker, with some of those shots being fired even after it was obvious that he did not have a gun.

The shooting occurred in the parking lot of a convenience store on Buffalo Speedway and West Fuqua, in front of multiple witnesses.

Walker was the passenger in a car that was pulled over for making an illegal lane change, but whether or not the driver was actually guilty of any traffic violations has not yet been proven. When the driver of the vehicle saw the police lights behind him, he pulled into a nearby Sunny’s Food Store.

According to police, they ordered the occupants of the car to sit still and put their hands up, and then they claim that Walker ignored their orders and reached under his seat. That’s when police immediately opened fire.

At that point, Walker, after already being shot, got out of the car  and began to strip off his clothes. Clearly unarmed and not posing a threat, another officer got involved and shot him several more times.

“When I was about to walk into the store, I heard gunshots, so immediately I turned around and grabbed my son and got us both on the ground,” witness Laquesha Spencer told 2 News.
“I’m telling him ‘Lay down, they are going to shoot you. They are going to kill you.’ And I guess he was in shock, he had already been shot three times, because I heard multiple gunshots,” Spencer said.

There were a number of witnesses who overwhelmingly agreed that the police used excessive force and unnecessarily escalated the situation.

In a statement to the media, Houston Police Department spokesman Victor Senties said:

They saw the doors open up, one of the officers gave repeated verbal commands to stay inside the vehicle, then the officer went to brace the door to keep him (the passenger) inside. At one point he had his arm all the way under the seat, right up to the elbow, as if he was trying to grab something. The officer gave him commands to show his hands … at that point the officer was in fear of his life and that of his partner. The second officer seeing the suspect try to reach into his waistband and into his sweater as if he was trying to locate something. He also feared for his safety and once he was out of the area, where there were people behind him the officer discharged his weapon as well.”

However, many witnesses dispute this struggle, and say that the man was simply ignoring officers, but not being aggressive in any way.

According to the victims mother, the police would not let her into the hospital to see her son, and had guarded his room for hours after the shooting.

“I was there ’till about 5 a.m. this morning, they have a police officer in his room and they won’t let me in there. He didn’t even have a gun. He’s never owned a weapon, he didn’t have one on him,” 53-year-old Laura Walker told reporters.

After shooting Walker, Police then arrested the driver and impounded his car to search for weapons, but they have not said if the driver, or Walker will face any charges.

Walker is currently being treated at Ben Taub Hospital where he is listed in serious, but stable condition." [Source]

So they still not sure if Walker will be even charged with a crime. Interesting.

I swear that there should be this code be in the criminal statutes of some states: Acting suspicious while black. Punishable by serious wounding or even death.   





        

Hey Texas, when are you going to start this little secession thing? The rest of us are getting impatient.

"TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT.SURVIVORS WILL BE RESHOT!! SMILE I WILL."

That was the sign on Gayle and Sheila Muh's property in Liberty County, Texas. Seems like they are serious about property rights down in the -soon to be-country of Texas. You all remember the case of old Joe Horn (Didn't he play for the Saints?) down in Houston, right? He walked free and is now appearing at a "Tea Party" near you after killing a couple of illegals who were breaking into his neighbor's home.

Anyway, back to the Muhs. Unfortunately the Coffey family either didn't see the sign or chose to ignore it, and as a result, it cost their seven year old son his life. The poor little guy died at a Houston hospital just a couple of days after being struck in the head with shot gun pellets.

Apparently this unsuspecting family had the nerve to be off- roading near the Muh's property and stopped to go to the bathroom. According to the Houston Chronicle the couple fired when they "mistakenly" thought the family was trespassing on their property. And apparently in the great state of Texas, killing trespassers is a family sport.

"Liberty County Chief Deputy Ken DeFoor said Sheila Muhs fired a 12-gauge shotgun once, then handed it to her husband who also fired once." (It's a good thing that they[the Muhs] didn't have kids or the whole [Coffey] family would have been wiped out. The family that shoots together stays together) "DeFoor said Sheila Muhs then called 911 and told the dispatcher: They are out here tearing up the levee, so I shot them." See folks, in Texas, levees are very important. But there is just one little problem; the levee in question belonged to the subdivision and was not on private property.

So now a seven year old is dead; a family friend is in serious condition; and a wounded father is left to mourn the loss of his son. But hey, that's how they roll in Texas. I bet governor "good hair"loved this story.

You know Governor, I was thinking; maybe that Ordinance Of Secession wasn't such a bad idea.

Story here.

In Praise of Philly.

"I don't know what it is but I just never got the vibe. Field if you would or if you have summed up that which is black Philly point me in the right direction"


That quote from a commenter,"pamalicious", (who has a pretty *nice blog by the way) got me thinking, and inspired this post.



What is it about Philly that I love so much? I know I am always ripping my hometown, and lord knows I talk about more negative shit than positive (my running Killadelphia murder count is a good example), but honestly, I love my hometown. For every reason I can give you to hate the place I can give you two to love it.




"Pamelicous" says her Mom still lives here and she is dying to get her out. My question to her would be why? If her Mom has been here all of her life she probably understands the city,and what makes it tick. To love Philly you have to understand it. It's why most outsiders don't get it. It's why they look at the old buildings, the trash, the grime, and say get me out of here. They look at some of our old stark and bleak looking city blocks, that look like an old Eastern European City, and they wonder, what gives?




Here is the deal: Philadelphia has a soul like no other city in A-merry-ca. I know because I have traveled and spent some time in damn near every large city in this country. And none of them, not Los Angeles, not Chicago, not Houston, not D.C., not Atlanta, have Philly's soul. Notice I excluded New Orleans from that list, because they do have Phily's soul. That is (or at least it was before Bush's storm) a real city. I worked in L.A. (first job out of undergrad), and with all due respect to my man Cobb and the other Angelistas, L.A. is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there anymore. Too far from shit, too much smog, and too many phonies. Atlanta? I know it's supposed to be the new black mecca but it's just not my cup of tea either. Too new, too shallow, and too close to the rest of Georgia. And although I do love cities like Houston and Miami, I am sorry, they are just too damn hot and sticky for my taste (I don't live in Jamaica now for a reason ).




Give me my adopted home town of Philly right here in the Northeast corridor. When you think Philly, you think Philadelphia International, Doctor J, the Liberty Bell, Cheese Steaks, and the Declaration of Independence. But Philly is so much more. For instance, I am a couple hours from D.C., just an hour and change from New York (two cities, by the way, which I happen to love). I can drive to the beach (or as we say here in Philly, the shore) in an hour, I can drive to the beautiful Pocono Mountains in about the same time, and I can catch a direct flight home to Jamaica or damn near any city in the world, right out of Philly International Airport.


There is so much untapped potential here that it's scary to think about. Hundreds of first class universities within a stones throw of each other. Including three of America's best; Penn, Swarthmore, and Princeton. I could go on and on. A world class arts program and orchestra, great restaurants, a diverse international community, five sports teams, big five basketball, unique neighborhoods, each with their own vibe.-- If you ever come to Philly make it a point to go to Manayunk. You will think you are in some quaint German Village in the Bavarian mountains--- South street, our Avenue of the Arts, (screw Broadway) The Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which is a pretty damn good knock off of the Champ De Elys in Paris. Great Jazz (Coltrane made his home here). Our Mural program is a must see in the neighborhoods, Boathouse row (sorry Baaastan, the Cambridge doesn't have shit on the Schuylkill), you get the idea.



Now there is bad shit too. The people here can be pretty edgy with very high bullshit detectors. Most of our white folks here come from three major ethnic groups, and they have zero liberal guilt. They don't think they had a damn thing to do with slavery, and they damn sure aren't going to be sympathetic to black folks and our struggle because we happen to look a little different. They will tell you how white folks really feel about us black folks, and I like that. Many of them are poor just like us black folks are. (Philly is the first place that I saw a white bum in A-merry-ca) They struggle for shit just like we do, and they fight us for their piece of the pie with unapologetic openness.


People who live and breathe this city get all of that. We understand the nuances of the people, and we love it. When we step outside the door every day we know what to expect. We know where we can and can't go, and we know what it takes to survive here. In many ways, Philly is like a Third World Country. (Which is probably why I love it so much). There is great wealth, and great poverty, and if you know the right people, you can get damn near anything done that you want to. The political parties are the biggest employers, and the taxes are high. But every Philadelphian understands that, and we chalk it up to cost of doing business. None of that self righteousness that you see in other cities. Here, we are corrupt, and we know it. And as long as our politicians deliver the goods, they will get elected every time.


I know I talk about them like dogs from time to time, but I love the people here. I wouldn't want to pick a jury anywhere else, because I understand them, and they know that. We have a trust factor with each other than only someone who has lived here and connected with the city can understand.


So "pamalicious", I hoped that helped. There is so much more, but in order to experience it and really feel it, you have to live it. Next time you come to Philly to visit your Mom shoot me an e-mail, and I will try to make a little of that happen for you.


Mayor Nutter I will be expecting a check soon.

*The blog I featured earlier on the link was "Mamalicious" and not "Pamalicious".

Sorry for the mix up ladies :(

Joe the hero!

"CALLER: He's going out the window right in and out of. I've got to go, buddy. I'm sorry but he's coming out the window. 911 Operator: Don't go out the door. Mr. Horn? CALLER: They just stole something. I'm going out the door. I ain't going to let them get away with this. They stole something. They got a bag of cash. I'm doing it. 911 Operator: Mr. Horn, do not go out of the house. CALLER: This ain't right, buddy. 911 Operator: You are going to go outside the house if you go out the house with a gun. Stay in the house. CALLER: They're getting away. 911 Operator: That's all right. Property's not worth killing someone over, okay? CALLER: Damn it. 911 Operator: Don't go out the house, don't be shooting nobody. I know you're frustrated but don't do it. CALLER: They got a bag of loot. 911 Operator: Okay. How big is the bag? They are carrying by hand -- they are walking out? Which way are they going? CALLER: I can't -- I'm going outside. I'll find out. 911 Operator: I don't want you going outside, Mr. Horn. CALLER: Well, here it goes, buddy. You hear the shotgun clicking and I'm going. 911 Operator: Don't go outside. CALLER: Don't move, you're dead. (Gunfire)"

That was the 911 transcript from my man Joe Horn's Clint Eastwood moment when he took the lives of two human beings by shooting them in the back. Now Joe is a fucking hero to some of his peeps in Houston (t)exas. "Joe may I have your autograph?"

I know I know, in (t)exas you can use deadly force to defend your neighbor's property. (Although I think the statute is meant for night time incidents only) But when I heard that tape I was convinced that old Joe was going to kill one of those "niggers" he saw burglarizing his neighbors home no matter what. Of course old Joe's attorney said he acted in self defense. Seems when old Joe ran out on his lawn shot gun in hand, one of the burglars turned towards him when he said, "don't move". Yep, that was his cue to let those brown mother fuckers have it. I think Joe felt his life was in danger.

Now I have been watching this case for awhile now, and I can't wait to see if the Harris County grand jury comes back with a criminal indictment against the "nigger" shooter. Hmmm, we are, after all, talking about (t)exas. In fact, I bet ole Joe is a hero to most of his neighbors. Hey, we just can't have these illegals running around breaking into people's homes now can we? "Don't mess with (t)exas." The wages of burglary is death! I even hear that a Houston plain clothes police officer who heard and was answering the 911 call, witnessed the shooting. His ass was lucky he wasn't black, or he would have been shot too. "Mr.. Horn put down that gun, I am a police officer. Yeah right nigger, bang!" But seriously, what the fuck is wrong with these people in (t)exas? Now there are dueling protest and the community has been torn along racial lines because of this bullshit. My question is why? The man shot two people who were robbing another person's house in broad daylight in the back!

Remember that old joke? Where the old southern law man comes upon the body of a black man hanging in a tree with a shotgun blast to the back of his head? And he spits out his chewing tobacco and says: "Damnm, worse case of suicide I done ever seen." That story reminds me of old Joe and his attorney when they say he acted in self defense. If you believe Joe that old Sheriff's assessment of seeing that black man in the tree wasn't so far fetched, and you probably didn't think that joke was funny. If you don't believe Joe, you are probably laughing your ass off.