This blog is created for those who appreciate the truth, those who understand that we are one people on this one planet, those who want a better world for their children and grandchildren, those who are tired of bigotry in America, those who will speak out against bigotry in America, and respect the notion that we can agree to disagree. Leave your feelings at the door.
Last month, Congresswoman, Debbie Wasserman Shultz, vehemently proclaimed that there will only be six (6) Democratic debates for the 2016 election. Many of Sen. Bernie Sanders' supporters have made countless calls to the DNC demanding more debates, but Shultz is sticking to her guns. Monday morning, Sept. 28, 2015, Shultz appeared on the Morning Joe show to discuss the importance of delegates and how she's confident that Hillary Rodham Clinton will win the caucuses and primaries. Shultz's comments ring of rigging the Democratic primary in favor of Clinton. How else can one feel so confident about a candidate whose numbers are sliding South? To circumvent Clinton and Shultz's plan to sabotage the 2016 election, Sanders' supporters need to diligently fight for position because it appears that regardless to the calls made to the DNC, tweets made on Twitter, and/or posts posted on Facebook, Shultz's and her cronies are determined to cheat in this election. However, Sanders can win the caucuses, primaries, and the 2,250 delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination. Here's how:
Register as a democrat: Some states have open primaries where this is not necessary; however, why chance it? The DNC has proven that it will anything to win the nomination for Clinton, including changing the rules.
Find your state's Delegate Selection Plan: Delegates are most important because delegates vote for the nominee of their respective party and for President. Visit Delegates for Bernie Sanderson Facebook to learn how to apply and run as a delegate for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Support those running for office in your area who support Sen. Sanders: He's going to need the help to pass legislation when he gets to the White House.
Sign the "Bernie or Bust" pledge: Send a message to the DNC that we are serious. We, the people, are fighting to take our country back from Corporate America, Wall-Street, and Big Banks.
Go to town-hall meetings, caucuses, and primaries like they are Sen. Sanders' rallies. This is where delegate selection takes place, and we get to scope out those running for office.
We're in the fight of our lives, but we, the people, can win despite the underhanded tactics of the DNC, despite the lack of media attention, despite the negative commentary that may surface: Don't believe the hype; #FeeltheBern, and we can make Clinton eat her words...
While reading through my news feed on Facebook, I ran across the following message:
"Yesterday I tabled for Bernie at the LA [Los Angeles] county fair. There was a booth for the LA county democratic party. They had NO information on Bernie and no merchandise for him either. We offered them some of our Bernie stuff and they declined saying that they and the state party would be endorsing Hillary and sending delegates for her to the national convention. I asked how they could know that 10 months before our primary and they said they choose delegates 4 months before the primary. When I said that was undemocratic and corrupt, they shrugged."
After reading the post, my mind quickly shifted to lines from one of my favorite movies: "How High," starring Red Man and Method Man.
Bart: “That's against the rules!”
Coach: “What rules? Who cares? Do you guys care about the rules?”
[All] “No.”
Coach: “There you go.”
This strong-arm behavior from the DNC and Hillary Rodham Clinton's camp is the very reason Sen. Sanders' supporters have to dig in our heals and fight fire with fire. Clinton knows the importance of Delegates because they thwarted her 2008 bid for the Presidency. This time, it appears that the Clinton camp is perched to play hardball in the delegate race.
2,250 DELEGATES NEEDED
To become the Democratic Nominee, a candidate needs roughly 2,250 candidates. As previously reported, the Clinton camp brags of having secured 440+ Super-Delegates, but Clinton also knows that Super-Delegates are not "pledged" delegates, and "pledged" delegates are needed most. Since some states have yet to roll out their delegate selection plans, it's baffling how the state of California has already decided to send delegates to the Convention in support of Clinton? For sure, if such is the case, there is something awry within the Democratic Party, and of this, we are well aware. The fact that there are only six (6) debates serves as proof that the Democratic Party is trying every trick in the book to win the nomination for Clinton, but we can stop the coronation of Hillary that the DNC is so hell bent on shoving down the throats of Americans.
"Bern" this mutha out!
There is time to prepare for the full frontal attack that the Clinton camp is determined to wage. Here's the plan:
Visit MyTimeToVote to learn everything there is to know about the political machine in your state.
Join Delegates for Bernie Sandersto learn the machinations of the delegate selection process and either apply and run as a delegate or find someone in your neck of the woods to run as a delegate for Sen. Sanders.
Take the "Bernie or Bust" pledge to show the DNC that we mean business.
Sign up at Rock the Vote for your online voting took kit and get people registered to vote.
“If you’re not at the
table, you’re on the menu.” I’m not sure who quoted this, but the words hold
true, especially where the 2016 Presidential election is concerned. If we
listen carefully to the presidential candidates, we’ll discover that the planned
menu will serve Americans a healthy dose of militarized attacks: foreign and
domestic, mass incarceration, and privatized schools. Many know that the only
answer is sealing the democratic nomination for Sen. Bernie Sanders, but how
can that be done? For sure, those who support Sen. Sanders are aware that in
order to vote for him in the primaries they must be registered democrats.
However, the democratic, political process is a bit more complicated than
merely registering as a democrat and showing up on Election Day.
Delegates are Important
To win the
nomination, the single most important thing supporters of Sen. Sanders can do
is apply to run as delegates in their respective districts or precincts because as Blake
Britton of “Delegates for Sen. Bernie Sanders” puts it, “A thousand hours of campaigning for Bernie will have
been wasted if we don't get him elected as the Democratic NOMINEE!” Delegates are important; they are what gave Sen. Obamaswagger as he entered the Democratic
Convention hall in 2008; those same delegates gave Hillary Rodham Clintonthe flux as she lost the delegate race, ending her chances of securing the democratic nomination. At the end
of the day, Delegates and Super-Delegates decide the party nominee.
In order to win the Democratic nomination, a candidate must secure 2,250 delegates. A cursory view of the 2008 delegate race between Clinton and Obama illustrates the need for Sen. Sanders to enter the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, PA with as many pledged delegates as possible. That's where Delegates for Sen. Bernie Sanders enters the picture. Delegates for Sen. Bernie Sanderswas started to educate Sanders' supporters about the democratic process and the importance of Delegates and Super-Delegates in nominating the Democratic contender in the Presidential election. The group is “committed to ensuring that our delegates champion the WILL OF WE THE PEOPLE,”
says Bonnie Flournoy, founder of Delegates for Sen. Bernie Sanders. The only way to ensure "that our delegates champion the WILL OF WE THE PEOPLE" is to make sure that Sen. Sanders supporters make every effort to participate in the delegate selection process, to include applying for and running as delegates.
Information is being compiled to educate and provide direction for those interested in the processes involved in delegate selection for each state. Several states have already adopted their respective delegate selection processes. Delegates for Sen. Bernie Sandersencourages each supporter of Sen. Sanders to join in our efforts in amassing as many delegates as possible by being committed to "Bern with Passion." The Grassroots Movement is doing swell. Let's not put in all of this work to trip at the finish line. Imagine joining Sen. Sanders in the City of Brotherly Love for the Democratic National Convention. Imagine being able to say, "I voted for Bernie at the DNC." Imagine giving Hillary the flux in 2016. Now, imagine not
Philadelphia skyline
being at the table but on the menu... Join the POLITICAL REVOLUTION that is taking the nation by storm...Join Delegates for Sen. Bernie Sandersand let's ROCK the Democratic National Convention in 2016. #FeeltheBern #BernwithPassion
“It’s
time for a female president in America,” a friend adamantly stated. I agree,
and I would love to see Sen. Elizabeth Warren win the White House. Unfortunately,
Sen. Warren will not run in the 2016 campaign, so one who wishes to see a
female president in 2016 have but two options: Carly Fiorina and Hillary Rodham
Clinton. Fiorina’s disastrous tenure at Hewlett-Packard
as their first female C.E.O. makes her an unlikely choice; thus, Clinton
becomes the flavor of the month, but is Clinton a viable choice? It depends on
whom you ask. However, as a Black, female, Navy veteran I cannot in clear
conscience vote for Clinton. Her position on various issues tend to change
directions like leaves on a tree moved by hurricane winds. For instance, in
1994, Clinton was a staunch supporter of her husband’s “tough on crime”
policies; today, she speaks out against such policies. Consequently, the damage
has been done, so to speak out against her husband’s policies now is the
equivalent of locking the barn door after the horses have escaped. In addition,
according to Jesse
Ferguson’s—Deputy National Press Sec and Sr. Spokesperson for Hillary
Clinton—Tweet: @HillaryClinton
Therefore,
Clinton’s shift in position is the result of changing times, not because such
policies were wrong, so it’s apparent that she still believes that such
policies are needed. In conjunction, Clinton’s position on military spending is
much cause for concern, for we can pretend that she’s seen the light in regards
crime reform, but we cannot pretend that Clinton is against sending our
children to war.
Marianne Schnall, columnist for TIME, asks, What
will it take to make a woman president? One suggestion, “Don’t present it as a ‘women’s issue’ — it’s a
human issue.” There is nothing human
or humane about the prison or military-industrial complexes. There is nothing
to suggest that members of these institutions support candidates who do not
share their “vision.” That would not make sense under any business paradigm. The
options offered by Clinton makes one feel trapped between two walls that close
in to squash Americans: “Between a rock and a hard place.” Let’s face it,
Clinton has already said we would attack Iran if she is elected. This is not
the future I envision for myself, my children, my grandchildren…America.
Therefore, although it may be time for a female president, it’s never time for
one willing to send our country into war, especially since tax payers are still
paying for wars fought during George W. Bush’s tenure.
Fortunately, there is one
candidate in the 2016 Presidential race who has been against war since the Vietnam
Conflict. That candidate is Sen. Bernie Sanders. As veterans, we can rest
assure that no other lives will be lost fighting in the interests of Corporate
America; maybe then, we can begin putting monies toward repairing the lives of our
existing veterans and the Veteran’s Administration, for it is sad that 307,000
veterans lost their lives awaiting eligibility for medical treatment.
As a mother and grandmother, I cannot envision sending my children, grandchildren, or yours to fight in a war that only serves to line the pockets of those tied to the military-industrial complex, especially given the treatment current veterans receive when returning home from war.
Sen. Sanders voted against the war in Iraq, which Clinton voted for as Senator of New York. She has since said that her vote was a mistake, but make no mistake, she is for attacking Iraq's neighbor: Iran. Sen. Sanders is against attacking Iran. Sanders recently slammed his "Republican friends" who "seem to be itching for that war." The same is true of Clinton; the deals made while serving as Sec. of State bear witness to her intentions. The question is are "We the People" itching for war with Iran? If not, join the revolution that is taking the nation by storm. #FeeltheBern!
Sanders has an Agenda for America that builds a better America for all Americans. It's going to take 12 steps forward to return us to the America we all know and love. Best of all, Sanders wants to put an end to war. Don't you? It's time for Bernie.
“For more than three decades, she’s been fighting for you
and for the basic
bargain of America…if you work
hard and do your part, you should be able to get
ahead and to stay ahead,” said Baltimore's Mayor Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake in reference to two-time, presidential hopeful, Hillary Rodham
Clinton. Baltimore's mayor was "honored" to introduce Clinton
at this year’s Democratic
Nation Committee Summer Meeting. It's not clear how many more decades
before 1985 Clinton has been fighting for "the basic bargain of
America" for Americans, but given the current condition of life among
American workers, the “basic bargain of America” is no bargain at all,
especially where Black lives are concerned.
“This election is about who best
understands the pressures facing the families of America...and who has the
skills and tenacity to tackle them,” Clinton said. Unfortunately, much of
what followed the first two minutes of her speech was reminiscent of an ex
promising to change, to do better, and to fight for "you," "with
you" while never addressing how you got there in the first place.
Clinton gives a “shout out”
Clinton chuckled and gave a
"shout out" to the "grassroots movements" working to help
build her campaign. I chuckled, as I envisioned the Black Lives Matter (BLM)
movement whom Clinton dissed in New Hampshire and had recently dismissed in Cleveland. For sure, she did not
include this grassroots movement in her shout out, for when Clinton began to
speak about race while in Cleveland, representatives of the BLM movement
started chanting and were escorted from the event. Clinton continued with her
speech on race; "We've got to come to
terms with some hard truths about race in America. We do have to stand up and
loudly and clearly say black lives matter." This is true, but we cannot
merely "say black lives matter." For
no matter how loudly or clearly it was shouted at the event mere moments
earlier, Clinton’s minions silenced those voices that, in their way, demanded Clinton
"…come to terms with some
hard truths about" legislation enacted during Bill's tenure as
president—legislation that has destroyed families and lives of many Americans,
especially Black Americans.
It is no secret
that mass incarceration is more so the result of the privatization of prisons—a
direct result of former Pres. Clinton'sViolent Crime Control Act—than an
increase in crime. Coincidentally, Clinton was quick to point the finger at the
GOP, but she has yet to acknowledge her husband's contributions. Ohio State
University’s, Michelle Alexander has already exposed the devastating numbers
surrounding Black incarceration in her book, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age
of Colorblindness,"but this time, the net has widened to include the selling of children to
private prisons for profit.
Clinton continued,
like any bad ex would, to do just what BLM had accused her of in New Hampshire:
“victim blaming.” “If [we] work hard and do
[our] part, [we] should be able
to get ahead and to stay ahead.” Maybe Clinton’s campaign would do
well to purchase a copy of David K. Shipler’s, The Working Poor: Invisible in America, a collection of narratives
of hardworking Americans who can’t seem to get ahead, no matter how hard they
try or work, which brings us to Bill’s “Minimum
wage” legislation that did more to keep working Americans in poverty than
lift them out. Ironically, Americans were outraged when, presidential hopeful,
Jeb Bush suggested working longer hours. Where is the outrage at the subliminal
suggestion that Americans are not working hard enough? Where does Clinton stand
on minimum wage? She says she’s for equal pay, but minimum wage hasn’t been
addressed.
Affordable tuition and Student
loans
Making sure she
hit every topic covered by her political rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clinton
also mentioned affordable college tuition and student loan debt. Like a
scorned lover, I scoffed, and thought, “Now, there’s an oxymoron if ever I heard
one: affordable and student loan in the same context. Consequently, Bill
Clinton’s legislation denies working Americans the opportunity to discharge
student loans in bankruptcy while offering methods of repayment that many
cannot meet. That’s why students are strapped with insurmountable debt after
college. Imagine, Donald Trump can fold on a multi-million dollar real estate deal
by filing bankruptcy, but the average working class, college student with student
loan debt has to struggle to repay loans with, often times, two or more low
wage paying jobs. In addition, the affordable college plan Clinton hints at is
a slap in the face compared to the plan proposed by Sen.
Bernie Sanders.
In fact, much
of what Clinton mentions in her speech echoes the issues addressed by Sen. Sanders in his 12 Step
Agenda. Moreover, Clinton is merely willing to mention these issues “loudly”
and “clearly,” thinking it will relieve her of addressing the issues or providing
a clear plan for helping Americans who work hard, thus, expecting to get ahead
and stay ahead. Unfortunately, Clinton can only hide for so long, but why wait for
her to change her position on the issues, yet again? She began her speech by
telling us that we need someone “who best understands
the pressures facing the families of America...and who has the skills and
tenacity to tackle them”; she’s right. Let's be done with basic, bargain basement, politics by supporting the one person in this race who is not bargaining with special interest groups: Sen. Bernie
Sanders, the real deal.
The Black Lives Matter
(BLM) movement has made it clear: "This ain't Yo Mama's Civil Rights
Movement!!!" In the words of my friend Donna Rogers, "That is the one thing they
got right." To many, the BLM
movement is "fragmented," "splintered," and "unorganized,"
and it's obvious that Hillary Clinton feels the same. What began as an attempt
to confront Clinton during her closed campaign event quickly turned into a
lecture on movement building.
As Julius Jones
eloquently droned on about the plight of Blacks in America, a history that
Clinton is well aware of, at the end of the day, his pressing question was:
"What in your heart has changed that will change the direction of this
country?" The fact that Clinton didn't directly answer the question
actually answers the question: NOTHING! However, Clinton did provide some
excellent advice, as she pointed to successful movements, past and present.
"...The people behind that consciousness raising and advocacy, they had a
plan ready to go...you're going to have to come together as a movement and say,
'Here's what we want done about it...'" This is exactly why the BLM
movement is not "Yo mama's civil rights movement." Those who led the
Civil Rights and other notable movements had a plan, a platform, and demands,
some of which were met.
After reading the
demands, my thought was, "Go on with yo bad self, but now that I know
what you plan to do, what are your demands?"
Language is a strange thing. One word can make a difference. Thus, when a group
of people demand something, they use the phrase "WE WANT":
"want" being the operative word, and a word that Clinton, herself,
used when instructing the group on movement building: "...come together as
a movement and say, 'Here's what wewant done about
it.'"
Can you imagine Huey P.
Newton asking a politician, "What in your heart has changed…?" Never!
Huey probably would have asked, "We want to know your plans for undoing
the damage done by the Violent Crime Control Act of 1995, which your husband,
Bill Clinton, enacted?" Direct and to the point! The Black Panthers had a
plan, a platform, a program, and demands within a year of being formed:
The Panthers made their demands clear. They initiated the free breakfast program, taught self-defense to local residents, held weekly meetings to teach and keep the community informed, which is important to any movement that plans on longevity. How dare a movement ask for favors without outlining what they intend to do to help their condition. This is something else that is absent from the BLM movement: a program to help lift Blacks out of their situation. Building programs is also important to any movement that plans on longevity.
Yeah, I miss my
"mama's civil rights movement." It was organized, it had a clear
plan, a platform, programs, and demands. Many say that the BLM movement is
still young, and that is true, but Huey and Bobby Seale had their act together
within a year of being formed, and the two were about the same
age as those in the BLM movement, so that's no excuse for poor planning.
In closing, the BLM
movement can learn a lot from my mama's civil rights movement because it's not
as though BLM has started anything new. However, that would require them to
actually look at movements that have worked and follow their templates. For sure,
it's not enough to wrestle mics from middle-aged men or stand and be lectured
to; there has to be more. BLM would do well to work towards building a
multi-cultural, multi-ethnic movement, but their actions have turned some
possible advocates off, but it's not too late to win them back. Again, I will
turn to Ms. Rogers, Start by seeking assistance from those with experience in
movement building. “Jesse Jackson's door is always open; Tom Burell is a great
strategist, and Vernon Jordan is a behind the scenes king maker. Rather than
reinventing the wheel, go to the source of knowledge and stop embarrassing
yourselves." Although the Panthers had a good program, their movement
was infiltrated and thwarted because it was not multi-cultural or multi-ethnic,
but my mama’s civil rights movement was, which is what made it successful.
"Don't push me 'cause
I'm close to the edge; I’m tryin’ not to lose my head; it's like a
jungle, sometimes; it makes me wonder how I keep from going under." Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame artists Grand Master Flash
and the Furious Five made their mark in the world of Hip-Hop with their hit, The Message. According to Rolling
Stone Magazine, The Message is
"the first song to tell...the truth about
modern inner-city life in America." The Message may have been
the “first,” but it certainly was not the last. Shortly after The Message had
been delivered and well received, myriad rappers began spreading the message of
economic struggle, urban blight, racial profiling, and police brutality: East
Coast, West Coast, the Dirty South... No matter the geographical location of
the artists and their stories were the same. By the mid-80s, the stories of
racial profiling and police brutality resonated the loudest in the Black
community. Consequently, it was the beating of Rodney King that brought
attention to police brutality in America’s inner-cities, but the acquittal of
the four officers involved in King’s beating sent its own message: Black lives
don’t matter, for “regardless of the lofty ideas engraved on paper in
such documents as the Constitution or Declaration the basic nature of
the European American white man remains virtually unchanged," as does the condition of Blacks in America. Thus, Blacks in
America in the 21st Century still suffer from conditions faced while
enslaved in America. Many would be shocked to discover that slavery for Blacks
still exist in America. From Restaveksto prisoners, Blacks are still providing free labor to
America while being denied due process and equal protection under the law, as
guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.
Slavery
in America? Meet the Restaveks
Human trafficking is a disturbing tale,
but human trafficking tale that goes untold involves the enslavement of Black
children in American homes and/or businesses. One such group of enslaved Black
children are known as restaveks:
children brought from Haiti to perform domestic duties and run errands. According
to the article “10
Horrifying Examples Of Modern-Day Child Slavery” by Kristance Harlow, “There are an
estimated 50,000 slaves in the United States and an additional 17,500 are being
trafficked into the country every year. That is more people being enslaved
annually than during legal slavery in America’s dark history.” Unfortunately, the
damage done to young Black lives does not end in American homes. Black children are being brought to America to
work in the Black hair industry. In 2010, CNN reported on the enslavement of
girls from West Africa who were brought to America on the promise of a better
life only to find themselves working in New Jersey and New York hair salons,
and although these girls are not restaveks, they suffer the same fate. Many of these children were brought to
America under the guise of a better life, but such is not the case. These
children are treated poorly: inhumanely. Locked in cramped rooms with little
ventilation, they are not allowed to attend school, they’re medical needs go
unchecked, and many have to scavenge for food. Little is known or said about enslaved
Black children in America today because, like Tupac says, “Unless
we're shooting no one notices the youth.” Subsequently,
equally disturbing is the mass incarceration of Blacks in America.
From
Plantations to Prisons
It’s a fact that Blacks suffer disproportionately
under the criminal justice system. Ironically, the system, as it is today, was
specifically developed with Blacks in mind. After the enactment of the 13th
Amendment, there was no system in tact to control the newly freed Blacks, so
the criminal justice system that had previously catered primarily to the
wealthy was revamped to also cater to the concerns of Southern whites. To
pacify Southern whites who had lost the Civil War, Black Codes were enacted to
keep Blacks in check under white supremacy, the new law of the land. Despite
various laws such as the 14th Amendment or the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Blacks
were, and are still, viewed as sub-human, second class citizens.The
chart illustrates the disparity faced by Blacks who fall prey to America's
justice system. Although Blacks make up a mere 12% of the total U.S.
population, they make up a great portion of the U.S. prison population, and
this is not because Blacks commit more crimes; this phenomenon was created by
design. According to noted civil rights
advocate and attorney, Michelle Alexander, "Mass
incarceration is a massive system of racial and social control. It is the
process by which people are swept into the criminal justice system, branded
criminals and felons, locked up for longer periods of time than most other
countries in the world who incarcerate people who have been convicted of
crimes, and then released into a permanent second-class status in which they
are stripped of basic civil and human rights, like the right to vote, the right
to serve on juries, and the right to be free of legal discrimination in
employment, housing, access to public benefits." It was President Nixon's former chief of staff, H. R. Haldeman who
identified the targeted audience:“The whole problem is really
Blacks. The key is to devise a system that recognizes this without appearing to.”
This gave birth to the rise of the new Jim Crow system that is in place today.
In March of 2013, Alexander addressed the plight
of Blacks under America's current criminal justice paradigm, siting various
"get tough" on crime initiatives enacted to fight the "War on
Drugs" that helped perpetuate a situation, which laid the ground work for the private prison industry. According to Alexander, policies enacted during Bill
Clinton's tenure as POTUS only served to exacerbate the destruction of many
Black communities, lives, and families.
The year was 1994; former Pres. Clinton signed into law the Violent Crime Control Act: VCCA. For
those who are unaware of the provisions of the Act, it is well worth the
read--You may be surprised to discover that the original bill was written by,
then, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, who is now considering another run for the
presidency. However, what's worth mentioning in relation to this article are
the following provisions...
Gang Crimes: Provides new and stiffer penalties
for violent and drug trafficking crimes committed by gang members.
Juveniles: Authorizes adult prosecution of those
13 and older charged with certain serious violent crimes. Prohibits the sale or transfer of a firearm
to or possession of certain firearms by juveniles. Triples the maximum penalties for using
children to distribute drugs in or near a protected zone, i.e., schools,
playgrounds, video arcades and youth centers.
Three Strikes: Mandatory life imprisonment without possibility of parole for Federal offenders with three or more convictions for serious violent felonies or drug trafficking crimes.
"Don't sentence me judge; I ain't done nothin' ta nobody..."
Meet Brandon
Noble. Noble serves as an example of those who spend countless years in the
correction system as a result of Clinton's VCCA. According to HuffPost
Politic's, "Noble is serving more than 13 years behind bars in Jackson
Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro. His crime: being caught with the
equivalent of two joints' worth of marijuana in 2010...The state used two of
the felony charges --1991 and 2003 convictions for possession of small amounts
of cocaine and marijuana -- in their branding of Noble as [an] 'habitual
offender' under Louisiana law. That allowed them to sentence him to the maximum
of 13 years and three months, no parole." Despite signing into
legislation decreasing penalties for simple marijuana possession earlier this
year, another candidate for president, Louisiana's governor, Piyush
"Bobby" Jindal, supports his state's "get tough"
initiatives. If not, why are there countless Blacks housed in Louisiana's
prisons for minor drug offenses? Sadly, Noble's case is not an anomaly;
it's a practice.
The following charts illustrate prison population by offense and incarceration rate by race, respectively. According to the prison population, close to 50% of those in federal custody are there on drug offenses, and most of them are Black. What's truly interesting about the chart, however, is the fact that it reveals that the "War on Drugs" targets Blacks as a population, for the best place to capture those in possession of drugs is our nation's college campuses, but law enforcement has yet to raid Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or any other college campus. However, should law enforcement
decide to raid a campus, rest assured it will be an HBC: Historically Black College because despite evidence to the contrary, when one envisions a "drug dealer" or "drug user" a Black face appears, and we are immediately viewed as criminals. As criminals, any punishment meted out in order to curb our "innate desire" to commit crime is welcomed by America, in general, and white America, in particular without a thought given to the devastation done to the Black community and/or the Black family.
Part-time Mutha
In 1991, rapper Tupac Shakur debuted his first solo album: 2Pacalypse Now. Among the tracks are two that speak to the condition of the Black family:
Brenda's Got a Baby:
I hear Brenda's got a
baby
Well, Brenda's barely got a brain
A damn shame
Tha girl can hardly spell her name
(That's not her problem, that's up to Brenda's
family)
Well let me show ya how it
affects the whole community...
Part-time Mutha:
Meet Cindi, she's twenty-two, lives right on the dope track-Used to be fat, now weighs less than a Tic-Tac. Now what's that say about, this big epidemi, this hypocritical world, and the people in it? Now, speaking of in it, Cindi loved to get buckwild, fuck with a smile--single file--she'll bust nuff styles. That would be cool, if she was your lover, but fuck that, Cindi was my dope fiend mother. Welfare checks never stepped through the front door Cause moms would run to the dope-man once more All those days, had me fiendin' for a hot meal. Now, I'm a crook, I steal, I do not feel. So don't even trip...when I flip...with my 38. Revenge is a bitch, and my hit shape the murder rate. Word to the mutha...I'm touched. When moms come by, niggaz hush or get rushed. Maybe one day she'll recover. But what will it take, to shake, or break My part time mutha?
Solution?: Organize/Revolution
For sure, not all Black boys and girls live under the conditions relayed in Tupac's tales, but many do, especially those whose fathers are/were incarcerated. Children whose fathers are locked away tend to grow up in poverty, often finding themselves incarcerated. When these fathers are released, many find themselves unable to provide for their families without having to revert to a life of crime, usually selling drugs. Any child coming up under similar conditions is fighting an uphill battle, and there are many. Such conditions have been legislated and mandated by those we've entrusted to work in the best interests of all Americans, and if you don't get that the enslavement of Blacks in America, is problematic for all Americans, it could be because your struggle ain't like mine. You've never feared being pulled over by law enforcement and having the landscape of your life changed in an instant. You may not know--unless a member of the Mob Wives Club--the struggles of having to raise children whose fathers are behind bars, and unlike Mob Wives, Black wives whose children's fathers are locked up are not living the same life-style as their Italian-American counter-parts.
Luckily, when concluding her speech, Alexander provides a solution: organize a "multi-racial, multi-ethnic movement" to "abolish" the system of mass incarceration. Fortunately, for Americans there is a movement that is uniting Americans across the nation. This movement seeks an end to discrimination, it seeks equal protection for all, it seeks an end to policies that serve the 1%. That movement is Sen. Bernie Sanders campaign for president; it's a POLITICAL REVOLUTION. Sen. Sanders has a 12-Step plan for reviving America.
Blacks in America
have been living on the edge for centuries, begging acceptance from a society
that view Blacks as sub-human. For sure, there are whites who empathize with
the plight of Blacks in America; many champion Black movements that seek to end
bigotry and discrimination. It's number 11 of Sen. Sanders' plan that gives me hope: "Protecting the most
vulnerable Americans," and according to the data, that would be Blacks:
#BlackLivesMatters. However, Blacks cannot abolish any system alone. Just as
the abolition of slavery in the 1865, it's going to take that multi-racial,
multi-ethnic movement that Alexander suggests to abolish current day slavery, whether it be human trafficking or trafficking bodies through prison complexes. The movement is forging ahead
despite being shunned by mainstream media, but we must be cognizant of those we choose to support. I suggest that before voting we vet
those who are running for office. I have, which is why I support Sen. Bernie
Sanders for president. I've reviewed his record and have compared it to the
record of others in the race. His is consistent, a voice that has spoken out
against injustice for decades. The others, well, their records speak for
themselves, especially that of Hillary Rodham Clinton, so when people ask why I support Sanders over Clinton, the reasons are obvious. It was a Clinton who ordained mass incarceration, and although he has apologized, the damage has been done and it continues to be done. His policies stripped Blacks of basic civil rights, and Hillary does not plan to rectify the situation. Therefore, there is only one dog in this race, and that is:
And if you still don't understand, it's because your struggle ain't like mine.
