Barack’s win was lost on me until….

As an international student, I could not completely identify with the euphoria of SC State students when Barack Obama was announced the projected winner of the 2008 elections.

I was happy that Barack Obama won and I understood the historic significance theoretically, but I was used to black Presidents[In Trinidad and Tobago] so I did not jump out of my skin when I heard the news. In fact, election day was the first time I even heard the song “My President iz Black.” No I don’t live under a rock, I was just in University Village for a couple of days.

It was as if SC State won a collective lottery. Students mounted their cars in jubilation, and screamed at random persons in the street. As I was making my way back to to my room after working on The Collegian for the entire day, [13 hours, while everybody else had a holiday], someone said “the band is playing at Fine Arts.” I thought OK, one last stop to get more pictures.

As I stepped out of my friend’s car, I felt as if I entered a science fiction movie. Students were running towards the Fine Arts building, out of what seemed like nowhere, carrying clarinets, horns and other instruments. Dressed in pajamas and hoodies the look of anticipation on their faces was exciting, but eerie. I knew then and there, I would not get to my bed anytime soon.

As I followed the band along with what seemed to be the entire school, I marveled at the unplanned unison that Barack Obama created. Armed with a gigantic camera around my neck that I really did not know how to use, [I would later find out, that I did not turn on the flash, rendering all my pictures useless], I stood amazed and almost proud like a parent, of how students mobilized themselves, without direction from faculty or staff, and without fighting or any other stereotypical black youth behavior.

After almost being knocked over by a swinging drum a couple of times, [because positioned myself too close to the band to get flash-less pictures] I exited the crowd, [pictures or no pictures.] It was not until the following day when a student showed me a power point presentation he was working on, did the significance of this even really hit me.

I remained stoic as the slides rolled on showing images of civil rights demonstrations and fire hoses bulldozing human beings; images I’d seen in a dozen movies. This was until slide seven; a slide showin an image of a black man and woman hanging from a tree surrounded by white on-lookers, introduced with a power point bouncing effect.

I got it then. “My President is Black;” It means he has our back. Yes this election was largely about race, but justifiably so. Barack Obama symolizes hope. Hope that Katrina would never happen again. Hope that a black child could become what ever he or she dreams of. Hope that black issues would not take a back seat and more importantly hope that America can see that we are just as good as every other race.

Why Can’t a Muslim be a U.S President

Are Muslims the new Negroes?

Gone are the days of cartoons like “The Coon” that presented powerful and damaging images of African Americans as lazy, stupid and even dangerous, to advance the anti-freedom movement.

Now we are faced with the controversial New Yorker cover, which portrays the new “Black Messiah” and his wife as Anti-American Muslim terrorists.

To many people the term “Muslim Terrorists” is redundant. The two have been synonymous ever since 9/11.

Yet while the Obama camp has exhausted its efforts to quell the controversy over his denomination, not until now has Obama alluded to the blatant bigotry in the accusations.

Why can’t a Muslim be President?

Is it that 9/11 has destroyed all chances for a Muslim-American to hold political office?

What are they going to do, wear a suicide bomb as soon as they get in so that they can destroy the White House?

I am almost certain that a lot of people would answer yes to that rhetorical question.

The difference between the anti-negro cartoons of the pre-abolitionist era and the New Yorker cover, is that the magazine may just have done a public service to Muslims by bringing Americans face to face with their own prejudice.

This prejudice spurred by 9/11, has made Muslim-Americans the victims of increasing civil rights abuses according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

In a 2007 report aptly sub-titled “Presumption of Guilt,” the council documented receipt of a 2,476 complaints of civil rights abuses in 2006, 36.32 percent of which occurred at government agencies.

These abuses include refusal of employment unless the hijab (scarf) is removed, wrongful dismissal for Islamic related reasons, unreasonable arrests, assault of those in traditional wear accompanied by hateful remarks and vandalism of places of worship and other meeting places.

One of the many examples given in the report is the vandalism of a Texas Islamic center on October 26. The vandals revealed their “Islamophobia” by spray painting “Redemption” on the center’s newly painted walls to complete their damage.

If you think making crude comments about Muslims especially those in headwear or cringing when you see a Muslim in an airport does not do any damage think again.

Would you like someone to cringe at you?

What is the solution?

The council recommends exactly what most Americans fear, more representation in government by Muslim-Americans to provide a stronger voice to their concerns.

This cry is not different from the cry of African-Americans today.

While Obama says he has grown a thick skin to attacks of this nature, victimization grows and should not be tolerated.

As an African-American whose ability to reach as far as he has, is largely due to the struggle for civil rights in America, Obama must acknowledge the struggle of the Muslim-American population, because as Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere

New Obama Commercial Raises Concerns

Does Obama Really Identify with Black People?

 

Sen. Barack Obama launched his first post primary commercial on June 20, without saying the words “Hope and Change” even once throughout the message.

 

The commercial entitled “The Country I Love,” aired in 18 states and has been dubbed as Obama’s “Reintroduction to Voters,” by The Washington Post.

 

In his message, Obama departs from his usual “Hope and Change” rhetoric but still maintains the sentimentality that won him mass appeal by showing images of his childhood with his mother and photographs taken with his grandparents when he was a young adult.

 

Obama begins by drawing a parallel between the strong values of America and the Kansas values that he was raised with.

 

Obama also cleverly mentions growing up in a single parent home with little resources, equating himself with the poor in America.

 

Obama continued by saying that despite not having much money, his family taught him values of accountability, self-reliance, working hard without making excuses, and treating your neighbor as you would like to be treated.

 

Obama’s latter words may see harmless, but when considered in light of prior and relatively un-noticed statements, is there cause to say, “BLACK PEOPLE BEWARE?”

 

On Feb. 28, in Forthworth, Texas, Obama addressed a crowd of mainly African Americans and said that parents need to turn off the TV, help their kids with their homework and stop letting them grow fat eating cold Popeyes chicken for breakfast.

 

His remarks earned cheers from the crowd, none of whom I’m sure was struggling to put food on the table and could only afford cold Popeyes for breakfast.

 

 This comment was clearly aimed at struggling African Americans and was possibly an attempt to score points with middle and upper class blacks.

 

His mention of “Accountability, self-reliance and working hard without excuses,” in the context of his own poverty, begs the question, what type of accountability and self-reliance does Obama expect from the child growing up in an impoverished and drug infested neighborhood? 

Does the drug dealer whose substandard public school education cannot afford him a decent job to support his family have “no excuse” as well?

 

Conversely, is the rich kid whose father gets him into Harvard “Self-reliant?”

 

While we are finally hearing from Obama campaign exactly what this candidate stands for, much of his poverty alleviation strategies seem to contradict his public comments.

 

For example, in Obama’s “Plan to fight poverty in America,” he outlines several strategies for poverty alleviation such as raising the minimum wage, improving transportation access to jobs, the placement of “high quality teachers in low-income classrooms,” and increasing public housing (by a mere 14 000 per year however.)

 

Obama’s specific strategies that we have just begun to hear about in his campaigning show some understanding of the disparities that exist in the African American community.

 

  Obama discusses prisoner-rehabilitation and has worked in the senate to provide job-rehabilitation and mental health counseling as well as a Prision-to-Work incentive program to ensure that ex-offenders have employment opportunities.

 

Obama’s plan however does not address the ridiculously unjust “Three Strikes” law in California whereby a person can get a life sentence for minor crimes like carrying a small amount of narcotics or shoplifting. This law has created a virtual concentration camp for poor black youths.

 

Additionally, what is the quality of these jobs offered to ex-offenders? Will these persons be able to work their way up the system and live the “American Dream,” or will they be shunned from higher-end jobs when they declare their record? Will ex-offenders finally be allowed access to government housing?

 

Obama’s ability to identify with the black community became even more apparent when he responded to a voter’s call-in request in the Jan. 31 Democratic Presidential debate.

 

 The voter asked both him and Sen. Clinton to acknowledge the negative economic impact that immigration has on African Americans. Obama unabashedly responded by saying that there was a huge amount of unemployment before the flood of immigration labor and that any argument made linking immigration to unemployment is a case of “Scapegoating” that he does not believe in?

 

 Scapegoating, really?

 

Is it unrealistic to expect that illegal immigrants, who are willing to exploit themselves by accepting less than minimum wage and working obscene hours per day, are contributing to the unemployment of African Americans?

 

           While Obama has the potential to be a great President, black people should not expect that their life will change overnight. While his policies if executed properly can make some impact on the level of poverty in America, black people should not expect miracles just because the new president has some “color.”

 

 

 

Interview with a Soildier – Is this war worth it?

With all the gloating from President Bush yesterday about the progress made in Iraq, I decided to talk to one of my professors who in Septemeber returned from Iraq to find out what is really happening over there. Are we winning? is there really a threat e.t.c

Here it goes

First of all, thank-you for the invaluable service provided for this country.

  

Q. What did your job in Iraq involve?

A. Helping to formulate missions, intelligence gathering and logistics.

Q.  Were you out on the field?

A.  Yes, our job entails training the Iraqi army. We were actually embedded with them and went out on joint missions, patrols or as show of force for example, based on intelligence about an ID (improvised explosive devices) maker, in a certain area, we would go out and see of that person was there and capture them. 

Q.  What were your first impressions of Iraq?

A.  I arrived in Iraq during the middle of summer and my first impression was how does anyone deal with this blazing heat (120 degrees plus) Q. Did you always want to be in the military?
A.  No.  My desire to be in the military began to peak as the need for financial assistance to attend college increased.

Q.  If there was a war going on at the time you signed up would you have still joined?

A.  (He laughs). On the personal side, no. I understand that I’m a solider and it was not a responsibility that I wanted to get out of but on the human side, you realize that in times of war people are going to die. It was a duty and I wouldn’t shun my responsibility.

Q. Is there a need for this war?

A.  I think there is a need for it but I don’t think its being fought on the right front. It has created something that wasn’t there in the beginning. There are other fronts that should have had more concentration or focused on first like Afghanistan and the border of Pakistan. But there is a need now because terrorists like Al Qaeda are in Iraq.

  

Q.  Are we winning this war?

A.  It depends on your measuring stick for success. In terms of the military, violence has decreased but at what cost? It’s a bit of a catch 22 in terms of the cost of American lives and money. Some people may also gauge from the reduced amount of terrorist attacks. It depends on how you measure success. I don’t even think the surge will be over until this summer. There will be something like 160 000 troops up from 125 000 to 130 000 troops.

Q.  What was your greatest fear while in Iraq?
A.  Fearing for my life.

Q. What do soldiers in Iraq do to relieve stress or entertain themselves?
A.  They try to communicate with family, workout, watch movies, read, etc…  Anything to keep their minds occupied.

 

Q. Some presidential candidates are saying that they will start withdrawing troops as soon as they get in office but many voters are under the impression that this would completed within a year. Is this realistic?

A. Some of the candidates are saying as early as 90 days I also heard some saying that they would start putting timetables on the Iraqi courses. I think that makes sense especially since this is the 5^th anniversary of the war. One year logistically may be difficult. The Presidential candidates want a substantial amount of troops withdrawn and I can agree with that.

Q.  What do you think would be the effects on Iraq of a withdrawal?

A.  A drawdown in phases could lead to co-existence in a civil way with the 3 dominating religions i.e. the Sunni, Shea and the Kurds. If drawn down is done too quickly, there is the potential for one group to dominate an entire region. If done strategically it could work out well if not it could lead to violence and bloodshed.

Q. Do the Iraqi people feel better off without Saddam?

A. It’s hard for me to really answer that. During my tour I had a chance to interact but it was not really educational we were thinking in a more combative mode. I did hear sentiments both ways. I’ve seen rallies in the street with people happy that Saddam was captured and eventually executed but I’ve heard people also say the opposite. It depends on the particular group. The group that was oppressed did not want dictatorship

In light of the contrasting opinions between the Democratic and Republican candidates, many argue that the race for the presidency will be a race to either stay in or get out of Iraq.

 

 With this said, on voting day, it will be the American people that will decide the fate of the Iraq war. 

Where do some Muslims get off?

Seriously I respect Islam but come on.

Sudanese Muslims came out in their numbers to demand the death penalty for British school teacher Gillian Gibbons.

Her crime?

She allowed her class of 7 year olds to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

According to The New York Times, Gibbon was pardoned after intervention from two Muslim members of Britain’s house of lords. Her original sentence was 15 days.

Under Sudanese law, Gibbons could have received 40 lashes and 6 months in jail.

Yikes.

Seriously it pisses me off that with all the poverty and loss of life in various parts of Sudan including Darfur, this is what people protest about.

Some people would argue that Gibbon’s deserves the lashes. Not for the blasphemy but for the sheer stupidity!

Is she for real? In such a radically Islamic country, why would you mess with the name Muhammad?

On the other hand though. Muhammad is a very popular name for Muslim boys. Thats probably where she got confused.

Anyway, at least she’s out. I bet she’ll be careful the next time she names a teddy bear.

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Well done Venezuela!!!!

On the heels of his widely publicized scolding by the King of Spain (big poppa), the people of Venezuela came out in their numbers to show the dictator who’s boss.

After weeks of boasting that his polls show him securing a safe victory, Chavez lost his bid to rule Venezuela indefinitely.

Thank- God, is all I have to say!

Who does this guy think he is?

Victory for Chavez would have meant not only indefinite rule but the advancement of his socialist agenda.

What does this mean?

Well according to those who propagate socialism, it means nobody will be poor and everybody will be working merrily to build a better nation. Of course this is exactly what it will be like, or at least that is what we will read in the censored newspapers.

The encyclopedia Britannica defines socialism as a system of social organization in which property and the distribution of income are subject to social control rather than individual determination or market forces.

This basically means you cannot work your way up the ladder and become rich like Oprah Winfrey or Bill Gates. You can do the work but your wealth is controlled and the amount of property you own is regulated. No “American dream,” exists with this system.

Does this sound similar to something else?

Yes you guessed it. Socialism is just the precursor to Communism.

In a socialist society, the media is owned and controlled wholly by the government. No independent objective voice will exist to hold government officials accountable for their actions. Chavez has already shut down the only independent media house in Venezuela.

What happens when politicians are not subject to public scrutiny?

Dictatorship. Corruption. Abuse and Neglect.

Yes he may be helping the poor now but anybody who opposes freedom of the press has something to hide.

Chavez may have lost the battle but the war has just begun

 

 

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Hulk Hogan and Wife Split!!!!!

Its getting Ugly.

Child support for a 17 yr old……riiight Linda!

Should Linda get alimony? What do you think?

Apparently Linda is not only demanding alimony but child support for their 17 year old son as well as their Florida Property.

Hulk is like, HELL NO!

If you’ve ever watched the show, there was that one episode where they went to therapy and I was like, there doing this for ratings. I guess not!

Reality Shows are Home wreckers. Another couple has fallen into the the reality show curse.

According to People Magazine, Hulk Hogan’s wife Linda filed for divorce after 24 years of marriage.

Watch out Ozzy!

Following in the footsteps of Nick and Jessica, Linda said enough in enough and filed for divorce without even alerting HER HUSBAND!!!!!

A freaking reporter had to tell Hulk Hogan about his own marriage falling apart!

According to the The St. Petersburg Times, Hogan was called by the reporter to confirm the news but it was the first time he had heard it.

A shocked Hogan was like “Thanks for the info.”

Hogan hung up, made another phone call (possibly to his wife) and then called back the reporter shocked.

After being married to the same guy for 24 years how do you just realize that you don’t want him.

Were you a fan of the newlyweds?

Whose side did you take when they split?

I was totally on Nick’s side

I can’t remember why, but it just seemed as if Jessica would be immature enough to end a marriage without working it through.

Kimora Lee’s split from Russell Simmons……now that I understand!

Yoga my a%@

That guy has anger issues! A guy gives him a lil heat at a subway restaurant and he throws the sandwich back in the guy’s face.

No that’s the person who should deal with Chavez!!!!!!

Anyway let’s not judge Linda Hogan.

Bet you wish you had that pre-nup now huh Hulk!!!!!

 

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Freedom of Press under fire in the U.S.

The land of the free, the United States of America has ranked 48^th out of 169, in the World Press Freedom Index of 2007. 

Iceland and Norway tied for first place while Cuba, Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea in descending, order make up the bottom five of countries ranked.

This index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, measures press freedom by country

Freedom if the press is guaranteed in the first amendment to the United States constitution.

Many countries do not have such a provision.

The United States poor ranking is actually an improvement from the 2006 WPF index which ranked the United States 53^rd.  

Fewer press violations and fewer attacks on the confidentiality of sources are the reasons given for the increase.

The report specifically mentions the U.S detention of Al-Jazeera’s Sudanese cameraman, Sami Al-Haj at the military base of Guantanamo Bay, as one of the reasons for the low score 2007 score.

Al Haj has been detained for four years as a result of suspected links to Al Queda. Despite these suspicions, no charges in four years have been brought against him.

Can you imagine being arrested and kept in prison for even 4 days far less 4 years, without a single charge brought against you?

In 2005, a federal judge scentened NY Times reporter Judith Miller for contempt of court after she refused to reveal her sources. 

This action defies the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights which clearly stipulates that every journalist has a right to keep his or her sources confidential. 

Much of the blame has been piled generously on President Bush.

The WPF report claims that Bush and the Federal Court used the war on terror to justify negating journalist’s right to keep their sources confidential and even threatened journalists whose investigations have nothing to do with terrorism.          

 Here are some random countries I selected and their rank in the WPF Index 

Country	Rank
Iceland and Norway	1st
Canada	18th
Trinidad and Tobago	19th
Germany	20th
United Kingdom	24th
Jamaica	27th
Romania	42nd
United States	48th
Tanzania	55th
Mexico	120th
Uganda	96th
China	163rd

 O.K I have to go to a class. Part 2 coming soon!!!!!!!