Unprosecuted HATE CRIME...HELP!!!

My fellow citizens, we are faced with a big problem; Trayvon Martin was murdered by a man that took it upon himself to act as law, jury and judge. Trayvon Martin was accosted, accused and executed because he was racially profiled by an overzealous, self-appointed, neighborhood watch volunteer.  George Zimmerman blatantly disregarded the instructions from law enforcement to not continue to follow, approach or attempt to detain young Trayvon Martin. In the event that George Zimmerman was African-American, it would have played out like this:

·         Failure to obey an officer (1^st Count) lead to a young man losing his life

·         Assault and battery of a minor (2^nd Count) by attempting to detain Trayvon without reason which lead to the brandishing of a firearm

·         Carrying a handgun without a permit (3^rd Count)

·         Illegal discharge of a handgun (4^th Count)

·         Reckless endangerment (5^th Count)

·         Murder in the 1^st degree (6^th Count)- Trayvon Martin’s "girlfriend's" account of the event negates the “self-defense” claim

·         Murder in the 2^nd degree (7^th Count)- Default charge added to black men’s “count sheet” just in case Murder in the 1^st is a stretch; a back-up plan if you will

·         The most important charge of all, HATE CRIME (8^th Count)- the history (telephone calls to the police) of George Zimmerman shows a racially motivated bias towards black men

Right now, there are many George Zimmerman’s out there watching closely at how this unfolds. This has the potential to make, “fearing for your own life,” which of course cannot be  proven or disproven cause for “justifiable homicide” by reason of self-defense.  Last I checked, Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea weren’t considered life-threatening. I digress though, because this isn’t about Skittles, Iced Tea, or “hoodies.” It’s about RACE. Trayvon Martin’s murder was almost drowned-out by a twenty year-old non-issue (KONY 2012). If Trayvon wasn’t an African-American, he would have never been considered suspicious. Also, approaching someone that is “suspicious” shows BRAVERY, not fear- it also shows AGRESSION, which is usually not an adjective used to describe the self-proclaimed “victim.” Based on what I have heard of the 9-1-1 tapes (I refuse to listen to it- I don’t want to hear this young man scream for HELP!!!- essentially beg for his own life; he deserves his dignity), George Zimmerman STALKED Trayvon Martin and waited for what he considered to be the perfect opportunity, to ambush this young man and gun him down without reason.

This brings me to the Sanford Police Department. Whatever happened to “Protect & Serve?” Protecting Trayvon Martin most definitely didn’t happen- how about “Serving” Trayvon Martin by making sure that his murderer is brought to justice. Because of George Zimmerman, the world will never know who Trayvon Martin was going to become. Young Trayvon now shares a legacy with Oscar Grant and Ramarley Graham  and countless others that have lost their life to law enforcement officers or people that know that it is okay to take the law into your hands as long as you aren’t BLACK!

Trayvon Martin, I mourn your loss and I send strength to your family as I sit and ponder the future person that you could have become and how that potential has been taken away because of racial profiling. It is time for us to realize that racial issues will always exist in this country. Until the law stops protecting those that perpetrate crimes against others based on race, sexual orientation, religious preference, etc. we will always reside in a country that allows the George Zimmermans of the world to feel free to allow their prejudices to continue to dictate their actions and feel justified in taking young innocent lives; while knowing that they can utilize the “Gary Zimmerman, prove I wasn’t in fear” defense.

The Emancipated Base

On this fifteenth day of September in the year of our country two thousand-eleven, a proclamation is being issued to institute a new Political Base. This Political Base is not defined by conservatism or liberalism and is not an answer to any existing Political Party or base. This base will consist of members from other political bases that are fed up with party politics and unaccountable elected officials. Whether you are an Independent, Green, Tea, Democrat or Republican Party affiliate, this political base calls for responsible action from elected officials. Henceforth from this day, this base will support nominating persons whom professional background provides a voice of reason in the political arena; backgrounds in Education, Science, Technology, Ethics, Engineering and Medicine (ESTEEM). America has fallen behind in the global competition to lead the world in all of these areas.

This base supports keeping jobs in America, universal healthcare- preferably Medicare for all which our elected officials benefit from- and Senator Recall in the remaining thirty-two states that do not currently provide the option. This base believes in doing what is right for the majority of the country, increases the public involvement in the political decisions of elected officials by way of Constituent Polls. This base will not support candidates that have prematurely “handcuffed” their political position by signing pledges that compromise what is best for the progression of the country. Bipartisanship will not be viewed as the new excuse to blame the opposite party for holding up legislation that benefits America. Legislation placed before the House and Senate for a vote will be viewed by a third party source for fact-checking, costs and a summary report to be placed on constituent polls. Earmarks must be accompanied by the requestor’s name and justification must be provided for said earmark to be added to the legislation.

 As you will notice, pro-life and pro-choice, legalizing marijuana, the second amendment right to bear arms and gay marriage are not listed- this party understands that these are differences that cross party lines. However, these differences should not be attached to or used to prohibit the passing of legislation that would otherwise benefit the whole of America. These issues have been used to divide citizens and block legislation for far too long. These should all be handled on the State level and have no place in Federal legislation.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in the Emancipated Base. We may not have a candidate in 2012, but we can endorse the candidate that we feel is the most worthy; we will have candidates in the midterm of 2014 and the Presidential election of 2016 when we can elect someone who looks to benefit the country and not to push a political agenda. Let us free ourselves from the bondage of a political party fand orce elected officials to push the agenda of the people and not the agenda of the highest contributor to their respective campaigns.

Reading Between the Lines of the Debt Ceiling Deal

I was so disgusted by the deal (concessions made) that was reached to raise the debt ceiling. I was so disgusted that I was contemplating not ever taking part in the electoral process of this country ever again. I voted for Barack Obama because he was "Change, I Could Believe In!" Now that we are two plus years into his term, I found myself with that feeling of making a poor hiring decision. Then it hit me, Washington was severely broken under the Bush Administration. The ideological Senator Obama did state that Washington is fractured and would take time to fix; he wanted to reform healthcare, develop new energy policies, and end two wars. So we get a Universal Healthcare Plan (Obamacare) that should have been a Medicare For All plan; a record setting bail-out of the financial and automobile industries; a new fuel efficiency standard that should decrease our carbon footprint (until lobbyist get the next regime to overturn it); and significant troop reduction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Oh yeah, and he gave the “go ahead” on bin Laden.

Iraq and Afghanistan bring me to my point though. President Obama and many other politicians and pundits have noted that the monies spent in Iraq and Afghanistan, if rerouted back home, would go a long way in rebuilding the infrastructure of America. Well, the debt ceiling deal has a second phase. This time there is a "trigger" associated with it. The initial debt ceiling deal cut about $900 billion in spending; with a little over a third of that being defense and security; with a second phase compromise calling for an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction cuts and the raising of the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion. Balanced budget here we come.

What is that trigger? The trigger calls for an additional $500 billion in cuts from defense if a deal cannot be reached on other deficit reduction agreements. To put this into perspective- the only thing conservatives hate more than taxes, is not being able to have the biggest, most expensive weapons of destruction at their disposal. In addition, where does the defense budget come from? TAXES. If you want to keep your toys, raise taxes. That is where the cuts are slated to take place. I am so glad that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were not linked to triggers. The linking of the defense budget does not put our economy in a position to be held for ransom. Does this mean that the defense budget is being held for ransom? Indeed it does. Does it make me feel less safe? Not in the least. Not as insecure as knowing that America is one Congressional compromise (or non-compromise) from recession becoming depression.

I wish that Republicans and Reagan worshippers (that would be you Tea Party) could remember that Reagan raised taxes in '82, '83 and 84 because it was the responsible thing to do. It wasn't about party affiliation. It was about protecting the strength of the dollar. The dollar is the Word of America...and without your word, you have nothing.

Here’s to hoping that “Change, I Can Believe In!” doesn’t require much more patience. Now that the debt ceiling has been raised we can get back to waiting for 2016: when unemployment hits the safe zone of 5%.

The Benefits of Clean Urine...In Florida

If you have not heard, the state of Florida has instituted a drug testing policy for welfare applicants. Many of the citizens (potential applicants) are calling this a violation of their "constitutional rights." Of course, this forced me to re-read the constitution just to be sure, that my opinion on the matter did not violate anyone's "constitutional right to "toke!"

 

 

Of course, there are people out there that really need the assistance they receive; I would never argue against taking that away. I just think about the times when I am in the grocery store, attempting to budget $75 for a week's worth of groceries. The shopper behind me has two overflowing carts filled with fruit roll-ups, tons of soda, chips and a various assortment of microwavable meals and sugary cereals. Of course, I am not one to critique a person’s diet, but when that EBT card gets whipped out, and my tax dollars go to purchasing over three hundred dollars of what I quickly equate to "munchies" (I know I stereotyped), I do get a little perturbed; not at the food choice, but the method of payment.

 

 

However, back to the point of the drug test; people that work for their money are subjected to drug tests. Those that "aren't working" but receiving assistance should also be held to a standard...especially since most of them have children/dependents that need to break the welfare cycle. Therefore, by testing the recipient/ steward of the assistance, you decrease the potential of the dependants in the situation being exposed to drugs. Those dependents rely on that assistance for food and shelter...not for the steward of the assistance to utilize drugs; whether it is habitual or recreational.

 

 

Without a doubt, there is always an underlining story of controversy-

 

 

Just a small snippet from http://www.eurthisnthat.com/:

"Florida welfare laws that require applicants to submit to drug testing has gone into effect and the heat of controversy is afoot. The residents are just a few days into the legislation signed off by the governor last month because there’s a shroud of sinister intention behind the law.

According to the CNN report, Florida’s welfare applicants are responsible for paying for the drug test as a part of the application process for aid. They will be reimbursed for the drug test if they pass. But, the problem that Democrats are having with this seemingly unconstitutional law, is that in the not so distant past, governor Rick Scott co-founded a company that runs walk-in urgent care clinics in Florida and drug screening is among the services they provide.

It’s a little more than suspicious that he would push for such legislation in the state. And to throw the scent off his trail, in April, he sorta kinda broke ties with the company by transferring his interest in Solantic Corp. to a trust in his wife’s name and stating that they would not contract state business."

I just hope that this new requirement is truly meant as a means of rectifying the seriousness of drug use and influence in impoverished neighborhoods and not a means of further enriching governor Rick Scott.

Of course, if there wasn't testing for jobs, I would not be in support of testing for benefits and I wouldn't push this agenda for every state...only those that have "testing" for jobs also-and I wouldn’t require welfare applicants to pay for their own tests...pass or fail. I say this because some of the people that receive welfare benefits seem to get caught in a web that can span generations...because drugs have a way of bringing complacency and a sense of normalcy to bad situations, regardless of your "hood" being a trailer park or the projects.

Debt Ceiling/ Deficit Reduction...Senator Recall

Why is America constantly faced with a self-inflicted crisis? Why in the middle of economic peril are the "haves" somehow having even more and the "have-nots" somehow have even less? With the debt ceiling/ deficit reduction talks going on now, it may get even worse. What will be cut will be taken from those that don't have anything left to give. The temporary fixes, if you can call them that, coming from Mitch McConnell and Eric Cantor are a slap in the face to the citizens of this country. More on what to do about them later...

With deficit reduction and the debt ceiling increase taking center stage on America's political landscape, Iceland and Greece immediately come to mind. Because Iceland went bankrupt and defaulted on $85 Billion in debt and Greece Gets World’s Lowest Credit Rating by Fitch on July 13, 201, cutting their rating three levels from B+ to CCC. Iceland definitely has a way to go to recover, but the Credit Raters Who Didn’t Predict Iceland Crisis Miss Rebound. Because Iceland defaulted, recovery is taht much harder, and expensive. How do you feel about the debt ceiling and deficit reduction talks? Is your Senator's vote inline with you or playing party politics with your future?

Does your Senator not vote the way you would like? Few states allow for a recall of a senator-only 18 and the District of Columbia. If you're not living in one of these states you have no constitutional rights to recall. The 18 states allowing for recall are as follows: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin. Learn how to recall your Senator here.

I know most of the MAJOR players in the budget/ debt ceiling debate are not Senators within these states. However, generating majority support can be achieved with the constitutional right to recall within these states. Force the Senators of your state to push the Senators that are major roadblocks to the deficit reduction/ debt ceiling increase negotiations to realize that they could possibly lose a majority or become even more of a minority. Eighteen states may only be thirty-six percent of the union, but thirty-six percent can swing the balance of power within the Senate in one fell swoop.

What if the President Wasn't Black

I have a lot of progressive friends/ associates that may not approve of what I am about to do...yes, I am about to play the "Race Card." President Obama has been in office for 904 days and the majority of his policies have been based on economic status more so than race...so of course more whites (being the majority) will benefit from his policies. But that isn't the point, the point is the blatant disrespect given the Commander and Chief by political leaders of Both Parties. The White Men or descendants thereof that have been running this country since the Revolutionary War. 

I see what you and your cohorts are doing Congressman Boehner...and I include you too Reid. Yes, I feel that Harry Reid and other democrats thought they were getting a "Charismatic Face" that would "shuck and jive" their policy to the masses, not thinking that the ideological Senator from Illinois would actually try to deliver on his campaign promises. Instead of pushing policies when Democrats had the majority and watching the country prosper, you Mr. Reid and Ms. Pelosi have embarked upon a course of action that lead to a loss of the majority during the mid-term elections. I continue to ask myself why, and the only answer I get is the one that Republicans haven't done a better job of shielding...IT'S BECAUSE HE'S BLACK. Don't get me wrong, I am not calling them RACISTS, I am merely saying that they have not given their full support because they find it hard to view a Black Man as their boss/leader, because it is in fact unprecedented.

Now, Mr. McConnell, Boehner, etc...you guys have outright REFUSED TO DO YOUR JOBS with the hope that the Black Man in the White House will get all the blame. Stop hijacking benefits and filibustering every possible solution to every problem. I know you find it hard to believe that your position is subordinate to a Black Man, but it is...and driving the country into the ground to ensure that another Black Man will not be trusted with the keys the country for another 232 years is downright dastardly, but brilliantly...who knew when McConnell stated the goal of having President Obama be a one-term president meant one-term for the entire Black Race.

And to you Black people out there (I aint forgot about you). Stop falling for the okie-doke. This goes for citizens and political leaders alike, criticize when criticism is needed, IT HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT HIM BEING BLACK ENOUGH, but about him being a good president...there is still time if we can get our elected officials to stop the shenanigans and RUN THE COUNTRY like they were elected to do. Our President catches it coming and going, for some he isn't black enough and for others, he wouldn't be there if he wasn't black. The double-talk is tiring and the country is suffering because of it.

Looking for a Job?...Don't Hold Your Breath

Historically, job loss/ high unemployment usually hits and hits hard with an immediate effect. The recovery however, moves at a snail’s pace. Per the diagram below, unemployment was at 10.8% in November of 1982 and did not hit the safe zone of 5% until February of 1989. In the early '90s, unemployment hit 8% and did not reach the safe zone until five years later. In the earlier part of the millennium, it took a little over two years to recover from an unemployment rate of a little over 6%. In March of 2010, the unemployment rate hit 9.7%; now by my calculations based on history, we will hit the safe zone in January of 2016.

Not what you were expecting to hear, huh? Yeah, me either...not sure if the unemployment benefits will continue to be extended indefinitely. In the meantime, we will have three one-term presidents switching control from Democrat to Republican/Tea Party back to Democratic with the 2016 election. While we attempt to stave off a depression, politicians will have us believe that job creation lies within the bill not supported by the other party; all in an attempt to gain control of the White House.

As much as I dislike the blame game, this crisis will always lie with George W. Bush. The lack of domestic oversight (big government)/ regulations has caused a meltdown of epic proportion. So much so that it took the TARP (band aid) and an $800 billion stimulus (tourniquet) that merely halted the crisis, but did nothing to make it better. Here is to that continued job search until 2016...