Here We Go Again

I am back again more than a year later. So what's going on??? The sunami and earthquake have devastated Japan and I am prayerful the scientists will be able to cool down the nuclear reactors.

Politically it appears the President is getting some approvals from some surprising areas in his handling of the Libya situation. His ratings are pretty good and despite the attacks it appears that the republicans are not in too much of a haste to take him on.

The Supreme Court are back at it again with the decision not to award a former death row inmate in Louisiana reparations for prosecutorial misconduct. The opinion was written by Justice Thomas who did not think the prosecutor should be blamed for his subordinates lack of training. The decision was 5 -4 along ideological lines. I don't buy into these divisions any more after reading about the Roosevelt court. We should all pray these guys realize they do have life terms and they should render opinions for the betterment of justice. (But who cares about doing the right thing these days.

On to sports The VCU and Bradley teams have been awesome wonder how they will fare against the winner of Connecticut and Kentucky. I have to go with SEC.

I like this format. see you in 365 or sooner.

Today the Supreme Court ruled in the firefighters case that the City of New Haven Connecticut improperly threw out the promotional test because the city was afraid that it would be facing a disparate treatment suit.

I won't say that I was surprised by the outcome as we have moved from a position that this countries history of discrimination must be forgotten and all of a sudden we must be careful to ensure the laws are followed. What a short memory what a spin.

Additionally, how can two sets of eyse see the same set of facts and come down so differently.
Judge Alito's concurrence was amazingly contrived, arguing that the city's decision to throw out the promotion test was a mere pretext because the city and mayor were afraid of pleasing a political faction in the city led by an african american pastor. How disapointing that his concurrence was based on such an emotional and nonsensical argument. I agree with Justice Ginsburg dissent that since when has the loudest voice made any difference in a city's decision after all there were obviously voices on the other side.

I have said this often the fact that american now wants to play by the rules and have everyone judged by the color of their skin will be to our advantage. We better get it right now before they decide to change the rules in their favor again.

Let Roberts and Scalia and Alito tell us their decisions were not based on their cultural biases.

Spring 2009 April 28, 2009

I just read a good friends blog regarding his health issues. I haven't written in a while and I was inspired to see others writing. Random thoughts number 2. We have survived the first 100 days of president Obama. The nation is still 50 states, Texas not withstanding. The stimulus package is trickling down. We have not seen bread lines, although the news reports daily on lay offs and poor job prospects for the future. The House and Senate are playing their roles and Senator Specter just jumped ship. I still find it amazing that those who swear they love this country and the brilliance of the founding fathers don't trust our democracy to succeed. In this age of blogs and tv and twitter and instant news they all want to put their fears out there. however lets trust in our country and system of government it will turn around what goes up must come down eventually unless it escapes the pull of gravity. I guess we know who the sunshine patriorts are. Well lets see what happens as the story plays out.

Well we have done it America elected Barrack Obama president. Now i must say African Americans didn't do this on their own. The majority of Americans of all colors, ethnicities, nationalities overcame history, suspicion, jealousy, to go in the booth and do what many did not think they would do. Vote for a man of African descent.

Applauds now the work is begun.

History

Will history be made in the fall with the campaign of Barrack Obama's attempt to
transcend race and make it to the white house.

In my observance it has all been about race. Isn't it amazing how we argue the
color of one's skin shouldn't matter in this democracy and yet that is all we talk about.

I wonder if Mr. Obama wore different skin how would he be treated if he were european, or asian or hispanic. I have to be careful with these references because you could have the usual
rainbow of colors in these groups but still we call him "Black and others "White and we don't call others yellow or red or brown anymore.

When will this idiocy end. On NBC the other day the ufo chasers were trying to prove the existence of other life. I wonder if other life existed and visited us and they were silver skin
would the human race think skin color was as important as we make it to be. Maybe we are all being manipulated by labels created years ago to parcel out resources or to justify enslaving those living in different climes than not us but "them"

Recent Thoughts

Supreme Court issues ruling in school cases, and many fear that this will be the end to affirmative action. I was reading an article recently and the author thought that this ruling provides and opportunity. Brown v. Board of Edu., did not realize the kind of equality in education that many expected. Sometimes we receive unintended consequences.i.e whites fled from the inner cities, created their own schools, fought tooth and nail against integration. All deliberate speed never defined by the court became slow down, drag it out, fight against any african american child stepping into our schools.

The grand experiment brings out the expected in human nature we want to protect our own. We don't want to share, the funny thing that I have been thinking lately is that if the shoe were on the other foot the same result would ensue. I have been thinking lately that no matter the color of our skin none of the races or ethnicities have any great moral proclivity than any other.
We have seen the abuses in all corners of the earth, mans inhumanity against man the same issues in africa the same issues in the slovaks, the same issues in the middle east, the same issues in europe.

Going back to the supreme court the proclamation by Chief Justice Roberts that you don't cure discrimination with more discrimination is a beautiful statement. I wonder which audience he was sending this message. You take advantage of a person, you take his resources, you take his humanity, you take his dignity, you take his pride, you take his self esteem, and you do the same to his children, and then your children who have utilized the advantages of this man to create their world. They say to the person, oops I don't owe you a thing that was my dad.
Lets treat everyone fairly after all I didn't do anything to you that was my dad.

You know I can agree with the concept of treating everyone equally but unless you really mean it. How can I trust your words when you have cheated me and mine.

We will overcome this as we have overcome others. One step forward two steps back we are not going anywhere this is my country land that I love.

I just returned from South Florida for the 4th of July. Rediscovered my roots on the paternal side of the family. I am a descendant of a Guyanese grandfather who traveled to Barbados and met my grandmother and then returned home.

Incredibly after many years the family has reunited. I wonder how many others share a similar story throughout the islands of ancestors who moved about trying to find work, or a place that they could be comfortable and live life.

Hard to imagine what an impact we leave to discover now more than 63 years later that there are connections to a whole other heritage that I can lay claim too.

I think that I will enjoy my search for my roots.

More to come as the journey continues on the middle passage