Demowack Part 2: Consequences

You know what? It's really sad to watch the slow death of the current Democratic party. The status quo leadership is severely wounded from without and within, and is barely holding on to the last strands of power. Change is coming, whether they like it or not. Whether the Republicans or anyone likes it or not. People in this country and around the world are fed up with being bamboozled, lied to, and shut out. The concentration of wealth and power lie in the hands of the few at the expense of the many. But such an imbalance will cause a tilt; how big a tilt depends on how far some are willing to go to, how consumed are they by their own greed, narcissism, and overall God-complex. But once we reach the tipping point, that's it. Lights out. It's gonna be a real new world order.

So basically, we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way. To once again quote Earl Simmons, a.k.a. DMX, "ya'll been eatin' long enough now/stop bein' greedy/just keep it real potna/give to the needy/ribs is touchin'/so don't make me wait!/f*ck around and I'm'a bite you/and snatch the plate!"

Democrat? More Like DemoWACK!!

So, I'm watching House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada give the Pre-Buttal to the State of the Union. First of all, the name "Pre-Buttal" is straight wack! Second of all, giving a pre-buttal to the president's State of the Union is wack! I dunno if this is done every year by both parties, but the State of the Union is the president's moment to address the nation, assess where we are, and give vision to where we're going. You wait until after to get on him (and not right after which is how it's done now). I mean, I'm all for regime change at home, but it's gotta be done with some class, know what I'm sayin'?

Third of all, both of them sounded like they were reciting a meticulously prepared and memorized speech. Even if it wasn't, that's what it sounded like, and that's not good. You gotta connect with the people, inspire the people. Don't stand up there and give prepared statements that make great soundbites. Talk to us! Talk to the people! THAT'S why Howard Dean was able to light a fire under the Democratic Party. And that's why he should be the next Chair of the Democratic National Committee. He's already doing the job right now, truthfully speaking, with his organization Democracy for America. It's kinda like the real DNC now. DFA got candidates elected even though Dean himself wasn't able to bring home the proverbial bacon. After Kerry gave his boo-hoo concession speech, Howard Dean shouted a rallying cry (no pun intended), touting Democratic victories across the nation.

Say What?

I was just reading over the National Park Service website that has the 13th Amendment, and it says that Mississippi rejected the 13th Amendment in 1865 and never ratified it. Now, there are no real world implications because Mississippi didn't ratify the 13th Amendment in 1865. However, what kind of message does that send that it hasn't been fixed?

Now the website is a bit outdated (it's from 1997), so maybe Mississippi has fixed this issue or delievered some sort of statement to sort this all out. Does anyone out there know? It may seem nitpicky, but I dunno how you can nitpick freedom, know what I'm sayin'?

Free at Last

Today is the 140th anniversary of the Radical Republican House of Representatives' passage of the resolutions of what became the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the U.S.

Just to be clear here, since there's been this rumor floating around that I'm sure we've all heard, Lincoln did NOT free the slaves. Yes, he did issue the Emancipation Proclamation, but if you read carefully the Emancipation Proclamation did not free all the slaves; it only freed slaves in the states in rebellion (i.e. the Confederacy; i.e. the South). Now, if only by definition alone, the states of rebellion weren't very open to hearing what President Lincoln had to say.

So who freed the slaves?

AFRICAN AMERICANS

Yeah I said it. We freed ourselves! Shoot, the Union was losing the war until Lincoln finally listened to Frederick Douglass and used Black troops in the war. It wasn't until the Gettysburg Address that the Civil War officially became about ending slavery and not just holding the Union together (as well as the underlying economic issues). As a matter of fact and irony, if it hadn't been for African Americans enlisting in the Union forces, the United States as a nation would not exist as it does today. If Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had really "freed" the slaves as is popularly thought, there would have been no need for a 13th Amendment.

So when you hear all this talk of freedom and spreading freedom, know this brothas and sistas: we fought for it, we died for it, we earned it! NOBODY freed us! WE FREED OURSELVES!



Now we just gotta work on this mental slavery thing...

Hip Hop Blogs

I just want to take a moment to shout out Hip Hop Blogs. This cat Hashim is holdin' it down over there with the rest of the hip hop bloggers. Don't sleep on hip hop. Like KRS-One said "rap is something you do, hip hop is something you live." This movement, this culture called hip hop has tremendous power and potential. We have only begun to see the beginning of hip hop, for hip hop is not something new, but follows the tradition of expression of African descendents. This of course includes our Latino brothers and sisters. Hip Hop carries the same message embedded in Negro spirituals: shake off the haters. Only God can judge. We may not be perfect, but we'll get there. And when things are good, praise God and celebrate. It's in the bop you see in the brothas walkin' down the street. It's in the flair of urban streetball. It's in the brilliance of all of the minds that continue to force the United States of America to practice what it preaches in justice, freedom, and equality for all.

So whether you're bumpin' Biggie or Pac, Black Eyed Peas or the Sugarhill Gang, know this- the ancestors are with you. Make them proud.

Prayer

In the name of God
The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to God
The Lord of the Worlds
The Most Beneficent, Most Merciful
Master of the Day of Judgement
Thee do we Serve
Thee do we beseech for help
Guide us along the right path
The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors
Not those upon whom Thy wrath is brought down
Nor those who go astray

Amin

Buckwild (WHHAAAAT!!!)

So, last week I'm at the barbershop waitin' to get my hair cut. I sit down in the row of chairs against mthe wall to wait my turn like anyone else. There are chilluns all over the place- well mostly in the back room, but the under-18 population was definitely approaching double figures. Why do I look up at the TV to see Buck Wild, Lil' Jon and the East Side Boyz singing "Get Low" with a bunch of women dancing around in varying degrees of nakedness? Now if you're a grown man and like to see some booties and boobies shakin', that's your business- but the kids, man. The kids. They shouldn't be exposed to stuff like that. Especially with the language and callin' women "b*tches." One of the kids sitting next to me was singing along word for word. Reminds me of the time I saw a toddler (barely) walking down the street, holding the hand of an adult while singing "oh baby I like it raw, yeah baby I like it raaaaw!" Okay, to be honest the baby toddler was kind funny. But still! What kind of values are we teaching the chilluns? I'm not tryin' to hate but somebody's gotta say it. If we don't watch over one another, who will?

Workin' Workin' Workin' Day and Night!

Man, I know it's been a few days since my last post and a lot has been going on: Iraq elections, Condalezza Rice as Secretary of State, Hot 97 morning DJ Miss Jones lost her mind. *Sigh* So much, so much. But you know what kids? Blogging don't pay the bills so I go to my day job.

Now, if you wanted to start sending some money so that I could bring you new posts, new articles, new information multiple times a day every day, that would be really cool.

Until the checks start rollin' in (not holding my breath) I'm gonna try my best to update as soon and as often as I can without making myself sick of my own blog (which is possible).

But keep coming back- leave some comments even on old posts, suggestions, ideas, whatever. And don't forget that the Toons are fresh everyday (and I know you love them Boondocks).

Oh yeah, and check out Kilbert's blog while you're at it.

TUPAC: RESURRECTION

Stop the presses!! Tupac: Resurrection is up for an Oscar in the best documentary category. Isn't funny how some people said that hip hop was just a fad? That it would fade away into vintage nostalgia obscurity like disco? Ha!! How ya like me now?!

So Close, And Yet, So Far

It's almost time to get off work. Yes, I'm pressed. I'm tired man. I do have some friends here to keep me company, Hershey's Hugs and Hershey's Kisses. Hey, they're on sale this week at CVS.

Just a few more minutes...

Peep the Game

So I've been seeing this cat The Game all over the place- on the cover of Vibe, on postered walls galore, even on numerous ad banners. One of my friend's let me listen to the new album because I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I figured that obviously, this guy is the product of overblown marketing and the media/promotion machinery. Unfortunately, that is the state of hip hop today; video killed the radio star. It's all about the bling bling now on mainstream hip hop outlets, even Kweli and Mos are going for commercial succes- after all, you gotta feed your family. Like Kweli said in "Ghetto Show": if lyrics sold/truth be told/I'd probably be/just as rich/and famous/as Jay Z.

The Documentary, which is the debut release on a major label for The Game, is a benefit to hip hop. You can't really box this album into one genre of rap; some of the first songs are very commercial, and have little substance riding over hot beats. But as the album goes on, you realize that The Game is more complex than that. "Don't Worry," which features Mary J. Blige, has a touch of neo soul that starts to seep out going into the chorus.

On "Dreams" Kanye West puts down an absolutely sick beat that is more soul-funk than commercial/pop, and The Game rides it with a perceived comfort that is reminiscent of Jay Z. Ironically, the flow is also reminiscent of Nas, who The Game borrows from with his line: they say sleep is the cousin of death.

The biggest drawback for me is that he shouts out Biggie and Pac in almost every song. Now I'm not sayin' people can't shout out Biggie or Pac in a song- that'd be ridiculous. But I'm sayin' having it on almost every song makes it seem like it's just the thing to do.

Still, the album is hot. Cop that.

Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!

Yo, are you watching Saturday Night Live right now? They are clowning the confirmation process for Condoleeza Rice. They're showing how Senator Barbara Boxer was givin' it to Condoleeza Rice. Did anybody catch it on CSPAN? Boxer got all up in Rice. Got all up in her! I was like "yeah! Get in her Barbara!!"

But then John Kerry had to open his mouth.

Look buddy, it's too little, too late. You're a day late and a dollar short. How is this dude gonna punk out and concede with money left over, talk some stuff about counting all the votes, neglect to stand up when Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones did try to make sure we're living in a democracy, and then try to act like he's all big and bad. Can you believe this dude sent out emails talking about signing a petition for Rumsfeld to resign? Now? You wanna get bold now? Democrats need some to get heart and stop actin' like a bunch of defeated punks. That's why the Democratic leadership needs to stop playin' around and let Howard Dean run the DNC.

In the words of Earl Simmons, "ya'll been eatin' long enough now/stop bein' greedy/just keep it real potna/give to the needy."

Power to the People

The Constitution is a document that is built on the notion that government get its power from the people. In other words, you, me, all the citizens of the United States, allow the government to have certain powers. Power inherently rests with the people. That's the whole point of the U.S. system of democracy.

But if the people do not assert their power or do allow themselves to become complacement, there will be those who seek to seize power- and that my friends, is where we find ourselves today.

Think about it like this: it is universally accepted that money = power, yes? If you gave somebody $1,000 to hold on to for safe keeping, would you allow them to do whatever they wanted with it without your input? Of course not. You wouldn't give somebody your money to care of and not pay attention. So if money = power, we can say you wouldn't give somebody your power and not pay attention. At least in theory, because most people don't pay attention to how government is using their power. (By this same principle, over-taxing is not good. However governments exist for a reason, and thus everyone needs to contribute for the greater good of society.)

We now have a virtural one-party government: the Republican Party. The GOP's conservative crew runs the Presidency, Supreme Court, and both chambers of Congress. Thomas Jefferson (yeah he owned slaves too) once said that the price of democracy is eternal vigilance, which basically means that we can live in a free society, but we gotta watch our backs to make sure the government doesn't try to jack more than the limited power it's been granted.

Overtime

What am I doing to myself? It's 5:10 am and I've stayed up most of the night working on this blog. Ever since I started discovering how to do more than just post, I've literally been addicted.(I know I should've read the "Blogger Knowledge" and "Blogger Help" sections before, but honestly, who reads instructions straight out of the box?)

I hope you enjoy the effort I put into my blog and get some intellectual stimulation out of it. Of course, I don't know if anyone is actually looking at this other than my family and friends. Even still, I am greatly appreciative of anyone who actually takes the time to check out my blog, and maybe even leave a comment (hint, hint). Seriously though, thanks for stopping by, and don't feel guilt tripped into writing a comment or emailing one of the posts to some friends by clicking on that little envelope right below it, or distributing my web address to every single person you know that is literate, or all of the above. (Tambien yo hablo un pocquito de espanol, para todos mis hermanos latinos y hermanas latinas)

Alright. I gotta get some sleep. As Fabulous said, holla back young'n. Oooh oooooh!!!

Will the Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up?

I know this little tidbit is a bit old in net terms, but I just had to post it. If you don't know what I'm talking about, click this post title.

Inauguration

Thank God it's Friday. Not only is it the weekend, but the inaugural celebrations are over. Did you see Bush's inaugural address? I have to admit I protested by sleeping in, but I did catch the tail end. I did read it though (which you are also welcome to do by clicking the link); I have to say it was mighty idealistic. I went into it looking for something negative to jump on but I found nothing. I almost started to like Bush...almost. But then my senses came back to me and I remembered the false pretense for going to war (not to mention the bait-and-switch reasoning), record deficit, lack of accountability, plans for world domination and overall shadyness.

Of course there were those out there fighting the good fight and holding counter-inaugural events. I wonder how history will record events such as these. Will they be labeled patriotic, un-American, or perhaps just part of a healthy democracy?

Hey Hey Hey!!!

Apparently there are some allegations against Bill Cosby from a female acquaintence. I don't know about the validity of these allegations, but it's time to tighten up the ranks behind Mr. Cosby. It is well known that he has been very vocal about the state of African Americans, which is in addition to his other proactive, pro-Black activities. We can't let ourselves be distracted and sidetracked, although if the allegations are fully valid then justice should be served. I'm not gonna lie, I still haven't seen Fat Albert, although I don't know if I did it would necessarily mean I'm contributing to the cause. Don't worry though, Bill's been holdin' it down since the '60's, and checking out his video Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed will definitely be contributing to the cause. At the very least you can pick up the knowledge that Bill drops, and knowledge is power.

Ch-Ch-Changes

In case you didn't notice, I've been making a few changes- mostly aesthetic. But check out some of the new goodies on the sidebar. I'm adding a bunch of links to take you to other parts of cyberspace whether you're trying to start a revolution or just procrastinate. If you have any suggestions just let me know.

Brother King

Today is the designated holiday to celebrate the life and work of Brother Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today is a day when people perform a multitude of service projects, from rebuilding playgrounds and schools to feeding the homeless to just broadening their own racial, cultural, and spiritual horizons. What does it all mean, though? After writing a letter from the Birmingham, Alabama jail, to winning the Nobel Peace Prize, to delivering one of the most memorable and influential speeches in human history, can Brother King's legacy be neatly packaged into a holiday once a year which focuses on community service projects? (For Anyone's Information, I refer to Dr. King as "Brother" because we were both initiated into the greatest fraternity in the world, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. ) Of course not. One day out of the year is not enough to highlight the problems of those in need. One day out of the year is not enough to address the savage and reckless economic inequality that exists within our society. One day out of the year is not enough to reflect on the good we have done for others, and the tremendous amount of good yet to be done.

Despite this need for greater emphasis of the compassion and work of Brother King, the reality of everyday life keeps most of us from doing more. We get up, we go to work, we go to school, we come home, we make dinner, we go to bed, we get up, we go to work, we go to school, we come home, we make dinner, we go to bed. After awhile it can just seem like we do the same thing over and over until one day we wake up and don't even remember why we do what we're doing. Everyday life can get pretty monotonous, and after worrying about work, bills, and whatever else we have to deal with in our crazy lives, most of us usually just want to shut off non-essential parts of our brain and "veg"- whether it be in front the television, radio, or on the internet (thanks for reading my blog, by the way).

We can do more than we think we can. Just as we find little pockets of time throughout each day to procrastinate, we can use little pockets of time to serve others and to try to make our world a better place. One such example is being a Penpal for DC public school students through In2Books, an organization which promotes literacy amongst DC youth. All you have to do is read children's books and write to your assigned student about it. Everything you need is provided by In2Books. It's really pretty simple.

Outside of organized programs, you can help by just providing a smile for someone else. Hold the door open for others as you walk into a store. Give up your bus or train seat for someone elderly (of if you're a guy, get up for any standing women). Or just go feed the birds and say a prayer for someone. It really doesn't take alot to incorporate Brother King's legacy into our everydays lives, just a little bit of compassion. Of course, we should all feel free to rebuild schools and feed the homeless any day of the year, but we don't need a day off to make it a day ON.

P.S. In the spirit of giving, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation still needs some millions of dollars to construct the monument to Brother King on the National Mall. Whatever you can give would be great.

Return of the Jedis

Much to my surprise and pleasure, Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio and Senator Barbara Boxer of California challenged the Ohio electoral vote. While of course there was no hope of overturning the election, it was about time that some Democrats finally got some backbone. Wait, correction, it was about time that some Democrats other than the Congressional Black Caucus got some backbone. Wait, I guess it's just Senator Barbara Boxer since no other Democratic senator stepped up. John Kerry wasn't even there. THAT'S why the Dems have gotten their teeth kicked in over the past few elections. In any case, Barbara Boxer is my new favorite Democratic senator. She even admitted that she wished she had stepped up four years ago. Of course we all know how that went, with member after member of the CBC challenging the electoral results and NOT ONE single Dem senator stepped up. Weak. Just weak. Big ups to Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Senator Barbara Boxer.

Alberto Gonzalez apparently got the heat from Dems during his nomination process. In case you didn't know, he's Bush's pick for Attorney General, which is the top law enforcement official in the nation. This is the guy who argued the Geneva Conventions really didn't, or shouldn't, apply in the execution of the War on Terror. Remember the Abu Ghraib scandal? Yeah, violations of the Geneva Convention. That's why we have the Geneva Conventions, so stuff like that doesn't happen. Now I'm not saying we should all be naive and not realize that war is horrible, and all sorts of horrible things go on in war; but our country should not condone such acts. In any case, Gonzalez will be confirmed in all likelihood. Is it just me, or is the second Bush administration looking even scarier than the first?

Are you watching C-SPAN yet?

It's Been a Long Time...

I shouldn't a left you, without a dope beat to step to...

I'll really try not to make such lapses in posts a habit. Sometimes we all go through personal battles which keep us from doing the things we really want to do. I'm sure a lot of us have done plenty of thinking in the last couple of months with the election and numerous holidays. We've seen the tremendous power of nature in what can only be summed up as an act of God. Tomorrow is the day that Congress certifies Bush as the winner of the election. Despite some impressive efforts, it's doubtful the wimpy Democrats will challenge anything, effectually giving way to an unprecedented era of one-party rule. The road ahead looks pretty bleak.

However, this is not the end- it is only the beginning. We are living in crucial times, but we can get through them. Those who seek to absorb the wealth and resources of this world for themselves may seem incredibly powerful but those who choose to oppose them have an underestimated advantage: humanity. No one human is any more powerful than any other human under God. It's like Mos Def said in Fear Not of Man: "the world is overrun with the wealthy and the wicked/ but God is sufficient as disposer of affairs." That's the truth right there. Now of course that doesn't mean that we should all just sit around and wait for beam from the sky to turn our world into a utopia. We have to get out and do the work. It's going to take more than just writing your Congressman, or getting out the vote.

The revolution will not be televised, it will only be produced by those who are so angry and so tired of all the nonsense that nothing less than satisfaction will do. We can't be satisfied when people are afraid of getting sick because they can't afford to go to the doctor. We can't be satisfied when our troops are occupying other countries with insufficient equipment for insufficient reasons with an insufficient Executive Branch. We can't be satisfied when Native Americans are still suffering from alcoholism and depression as a result of United States conquest. We cannot, cannot, cannot be satisfied when our President has never given sworn testimony before the 9/11 Commission ALONE.

Now is the time my friends. Now is the time. We must wake up and take action. If not for us, then for the principles of freedom, truth, and justice that this country is supposed to stand for.

Please give for the tsunami relief effort! Remember Somalia too!

The Enlightenment