The Obama Administration’s Plan to Protect Privacy in the Internet Age by Adopting a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

Plan to Protect Privacy in the Internet Age by Adopting a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

 

The Obama Administration unveiled a “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights” as part of a comprehensive blueprint to protect individual privacy rights and give users more control over how their information is handled. This initiative seeks to protect all Americans from having their information misused by giving users new legal and technical tools to safeguard their privacy. The blueprint will guide efforts to protect privacy and assure continued innovation in the Internet economy by providing flexible implementation mechanisms to ensure privacy rules keep up with ever-changing technologies. As a world leader in the Internet marketplace, the Administration believes the United States has a special responsibility to develop privacy practices that meet global standards and establish effective online consumer protection.

 

• ·         Putting in place a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights:  The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will soon convene Internet companies and consumer advocates to develop enforceable codes of conduct that comply with the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, building on strong enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission. The Administration will also work with Congress to enact comprehensive privacy legislation based on the rights outlined here.

 

• ·         Achieving privacy policies for a Global, Open Internet: U.S. companies doing business on the global Internet depend on the free flow of information across borders. The Administration’s plan lays the groundwork for increasing interoperability between the U.S. data privacy framework and those of our trading partners.
• ·         Industry Action – Down payment on Individual Control principle: In response to calls from the Administration and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), leading Internet companies and online advertising networks are committing to use Do Not Track technology from the World Wide Web Consortium in most major web browsers to make it easier for users to control online tracking. Companies that represent the delivery of nearly 90 percent of online behavioral advertisements, including Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, and AOL have made this FTC-enforceable commitment.

 

 

President’s Commitment to Protecting Privacy on the Internet

 

The President will assure strong individual privacy protection in the Internet age with the following actions:

 

• ·         Putting in place a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights: American Internet users should have the right to control personal information about themselves. Based on globally accepted privacy principles originally developed in the United States, the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights is a comprehensive statement of the rights consumers should expect and the obligations to which companies handling personal data should commit. These rights include the right to control how personal data is used, the right to avoid having information collected in one context and then used for an unrelated purpose, the right to have information held securely, and the right to know who is accountable for the use or misuse of an individual’s personal data.

 

The Administration’s report, issued today, explains the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights and the related privacy policy framework have been developed over the last two years through extensive consultation with industry, advocates, academics and enforcement agencies.

 

• ·         Convening commercial and public interest stakeholders to assure dynamic rules: The Commerce Department’s NTIA will convene stakeholders including industry and privacy advocates to develop enforceable codes of conduct that implement the principles in the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights for specific industry sectors. The President’s privacy framework assures that as new Internet services develop privacy rules will keep up with, and not hamper, the pace of innovation. This framework takes advantage of the flexibility of self-regulatory processes but assures that new codes of conduct are guided by a comprehensive, forward-looking set of privacy principles and that all interested parties such as consumer advocates have a voice in the process.

 

• ·         Strong Enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission: FTC enforcement is critical to ensuring that companies are accountable for adhering to their privacy commitments and that bad actors do not disadvantage responsible companies. The Administration expects that a company’s public commitment to adhere to a code of conduct will be enforceable under existing FTC authority, just as a company is bound today to follow its privacy commitments. In addition, the Administration will work with Congress to develop legislation that provides the FTC and State Attorneys General with specific authority to enforce the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.

 

• ·         Flexible privacy principles to assure continued innovation: Relying on flexible implementation through enforceable codes of conduct, the Administration’s privacy blueprint will help assure continued growth in the Internet economy, both by building consumer trust and avoiding burden. Online retail sales in the United States total $145 billion annually.[1] The Internet contributed 3.8 percent of U.S. GDP in 2009, and 15 percent of U.S. GDP growth between 2004 and 2009.[2] The Internet contributes $175 billion in direct economic value to the rest of the U.S. economy, including $20 billion in advertising services, $85 billion in online retail transactions, and $70 billion in direct payments to Internet service providers.[3]

 

• ·         Enacting comprehensive privacy legislation: The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights outlines the basic principles the Administration believes should be reflected in a privacy law and will work with Congress to enact these rights. In addition to proposing these clear and actionable rights, the Administration’s  privacy report outlines  an a way for companies to be confident that they are respecting these rights through an FTC-approved enforcement safe harbor. This approach will protect consumers while providing the certainty and flexibility necessary for continuing innovation.

 

• ·         Achieving Global Open Internet privacy policies: U.S. companies doing business on the global Internet depend on the free flow of information across borders. The Administration’s plan lays the groundwork for increasing interoperability between the U.S. data privacy framework and those of our trading partners. The plan emphasizes mutual recognition of privacy frameworks, an international role for codes of conduct, and enforcement cooperation. These approaches will provide consistent protections for consumers, reduce compliance costs for companies, guide U.S. efforts to clarify data protections globally, and ensure the flexibility that is critical to innovation in the commercial world.

 

Building on Progress

 

The President’s initiatives for Internet privacy build on successful, transparent engagement with privacy stakeholders in the commercial and advocacy communities, coordinated by a privacy subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council with cross-Administration participation.

 

• ·         Demonstrating global leadership: In May 2011, the President released his International Strategy for Cyberspace, which has influenced new international agreements, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Internet Policymaking Principles.

 

• ·         Nominating a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board: The President has nominated a full slate of members of the independent privacy body that will provide guidance and oversight of government use of personal information in the counter-terrorism and law enforcement context.

 

CONSUMER PRIVACY BILL OF RIGHTS

The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights applies to personal data, which means any data, including aggregations of data, that is linkable to a specific individual.  Personal data may include data that is linked to a specific computer or other device.  The Administration supports Federal legislation that adopts the principles of the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.  Even without legislation, the Administration will convene multistakeholder processes that use these rights as a template for codes of conduct that are enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission.  These elements—the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, codes of conduct, and strong enforcement—will increase interoperability between the U.S. consumer data privacy framework and those of our international partners.

 

1. Individual Control:  Consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal data companies collect from them and how they use it.  Companies should provide consumers appropriate control over the personal data that consumers share with others and over how companies collect, use, or disclose personal data.  Companies should enable these choices by providing consumers with easily used and accessible mechanisms that reflect the scale, scope, and sensitivity of the personal data that they collect, use, or disclose, as well as the sensitivity of the uses they make of personal data.  Companies should offer consumers clear and simple choices, presented at times and in ways that enable consumers to make meaningful decisions about personal data collection, use, and disclosure.  Companies should offer consumers means to withdraw or limit consent that are as accessible and easily used as the methods for granting consent in the first place.
2. Transparency:  Consumers have a right to easily understandable and accessible information about privacy and security practices.  At times and in places that are most useful to enabling consumers to gain a meaningful understanding of privacy risks and the ability to exercise Individual Control, companies should provide clear descriptions of what personal data they collect, why they need the data, how they will use it, when they will delete the data or de-identify it from consumers, and whether and for what purposes they may share personal data with third parties.
3. Respect for Context:  Consumers have a right to expect that companies will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data.  Companies should limit their use and disclosure of personal data to those purposes that are consistent with both the relationship that they have with consumers and the context in which consumers originally disclosed the data, unless required by law to do otherwise.  If companies will use or disclose personal data for other purposes, they should provide heightened Transparency and Individual Control by disclosing these other purposes in a manner that is prominent and easily actionable by consumers at the time of data collection.  If, subsequent to collection, companies decide to use or disclose personal data for purposes that are inconsistent with the context in which the data was disclosed, they must provide heightened measures of Transparency and Individual Choice.  Finally, the age and familiarity with technology of consumers who engage with a company are important elements of context.  Companies should fulfill the obligations under this principle in ways that are appropriate for the age and sophistication of consumers.  In particular, the principles in the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights may require greater protections for personal data obtained from children and teenagers than for adults.
4. Security:  Consumers have a right to secure and responsible handling of personal data.  Companies should assess the privacy and security risks associated with their personal data practices and maintain reasonable safeguards to control risks such as loss; unauthorized access, use, destruction, or modification; and improper disclosure.
5. Access and Accuracy:  Consumers have a right to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data is inaccurate.  Companies should use reasonable measures to ensure they maintain accurate personal data.  Companies also should provide consumers with reasonable access to personal data that they collect or maintain about them, as well as the appropriate means and opportunity to correct inaccurate data or request its deletion or use limitation.  Companies that handle personal data should construe this principle in a manner consistent with freedom of expression and freedom of the press.  In determining what measures they may use to maintain accuracy and to provide access, correction, deletion, or suppression capabilities to consumers, companies may also consider the scale, scope, and sensitivity of the personal data that they collect or maintain and the likelihood that its use may expose consumers to financial, physical, or other material harm.
6. Focused Collection:  Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain.  Companies should collect only as much personal data as they need to accomplish purposes specified under the Respect for Context principle.  Companies should securely dispose of or de-identify personal data once they no longer need it, unless they are under a legal obligation to do otherwise.
7. Accountability:  Consumers have a right to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.  Companies should be accountable to enforcement authorities and consumers for adhering to these principles.  Companies also should hold employees responsible for adhering to these principles.  To achieve this end, companies should train their employees as appropriate to handle personal data consistently with these principles and regularly evaluate their performance in this regard.  Where appropriate, companies should conduct full audits.  Companies that disclose personal data to third parties should at a minimum ensure that the recipients are under enforceable contractual obligations to adhere to these principles, unless they are required by law to do otherwise.

We Can’t Wait: Obama Administration Unveils Blueprint for a “Privacy Bill of Rights” to Protect Consumers Online

We Can’t Wait: Obama Administration Unveils Blueprint for a “Privacy Bill of Rights” to Protect Consumers Online

Internet Advertising Networks Announces Commitment to “Do-Not-Track” Technology to Allow Consumers to Control Online Tracking

 

WASHINGTON, DC – The Obama Administration today unveiled a “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights” as part of a comprehensive blueprint to improve consumers’ privacy protections and ensure that the Internet remains an engine for innovation and economic growth. The blueprint will guide efforts to give users more control over how their personal information is used on the Internet and to help businesses maintain consumer trust and grow in the rapidly changing digital environment. At the request of the White House, the Commerce Department will begin convening companies, privacy advocates and other stakeholders to develop and implement enforceable privacy policies based on the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.

 

In addition, advertising networks announced that leading Internet companies and online advertising networks are committing to act on Do Not Track technology in most major web browsers to make it easier for users to control online tracking. Companies that represent the delivery of nearly 90 percent of online behavioral advertisements, including Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, and AOL have agreed to comply when consumers choose to control online tracking. Companies that make this commitment will be subject to FTC enforcement.

 

“American consumers can’t wait any longer for clear rules of the road that ensure their personal information is safe online,” said President Obama. “As the Internet evolves, consumer trust is essential for the continued growth of the digital economy. That’s why an online privacy Bill of Rights is so important.  For businesses to succeed online, consumers must feel secure. By following this blueprint, companies, consumer advocates and policymakers can help protect consumers and ensure the Internet remains a platform for innovation and economic growth.”

 

The advertising industry also committed not to release consumers’ browsing data to companies who might use it for purposes other than advertising, such as employers making hiring decisions or insurers determining coverage.

 

“It’s great to see that companies are stepping up to our challenge to protect privacy so consumers have greater choice and control over how they are tracked online. More needs to be done, but the work they have done so far is very encouraging,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.

A Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights is outlined in a report released today by the White House Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting Privacy and Promoting Innovation in the Global Digital Economy.

 

“Every day, millions of Americans shop, sell, bank, learn, talk and work online.  At the turn of the century, online retail sales were around $20 billion in the United States, now they’re nearing $200 billion,” said Secretary Bryson.  “The Internet has become an engine of innovation, business growth, and job creation, so we need a strong foundation of clear protections for consumers, and a set of basic principles to help businesses guide their privacy and policy decisions.  This privacy blueprint will do just that.”

 

The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights provides a baseline of clear protections for consumers and greater certainty for businesses. The rights are:

 

• ·         Individual Control:  Consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal data organizations collect from them and how they use it.
• ·         Transparency:  Consumers have a right to easily understandable information about privacy and security practices.
• ·         Respect for Context:  Consumers have a right to expect that organizations will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data.
• ·         Security:  Consumers have a right to secure and responsible handling of personal data.
• ·         Access and Accuracy:  Consumers have a right to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data are inaccurate.
• ·         Focused Collection:  Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain.
• ·         Accountability:  Consumers have a right to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.

 

The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights is one of four key elements of the report, which also includes a stakeholder-driven process to specify how these rights apply in particular business contexts;  strong enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC);  and greater interoperability between the United States’ privacy framework and those of our international partners.

 

In the coming weeks, the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration will convene stakeholders – including companies, privacy and consumer advocates, technical experts, international partners, and academics – to establish specific practices or codes of conduct that implement the general principles in the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.

 

The Administration also will work with Congress to develop legislation based on these rights to promote trust in the digital economy and extend baseline privacy protections to commercial sectors that existing federal privacy laws do not cover.

 

Today’s report results from a comprehensive review of the intersection of privacy policy and innovation in the Internet economy. The Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force launched the review in 2010, seeking public comment on an initial set of issues and later on a set of policy recommendations.

 

President Obama’s Official Remarks On Earmark Reform

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

ON EARMARK REFORM

 

Room 350

Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building

 

 

11:23 A.M. EDT

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  I ran for President pledging to change the way business is done in Washington and build a government that works for the people by opening it up to the people.  And that means restoring responsibility and transparency and accountability to actions that the government takes.  And working with the Congress over my first 50 days in office, we’ve made important progress toward that end.

 

Working together, we passed an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that’s already putting people back to work doing the work that America needs done.  We did it without the customary Congressional earmarks — the practice by which individual legislators insert projects of their choosing.  We’re implementing the Recovery Act with an unprecedented level of aggressive oversight and transparency, including a website — recovery.gov — that allows every American to see how their tax dollars are spent and report on cases where the system is breaking down.

 

I also signed a directive that dramatically reforms our broken system of government contracting, reining in waste and abuse and inefficiency; saving the American taxpayers up to $40 billion each year in the process.

 

And I’ve laid out plans for a budget that begins to restore fiscal discipline so we can bring down the $1.3 trillion budget deficit we’ve inherited and pave the way for our long-term prosperity.  For the first time in many years, we’ve produced an honest budget that makes the hard choices required to cut our deficit in half by the end of my first term in office.

 

Now, yesterday Congress sent me the final part of last year’s budget; a piece of legislation that rolls nine bills required to keep the government running into one, a piece of legislation that addresses the immediate concerns of the American people by making needed investments in line with our urgent national priorities.

 

That’s what nearly 99 percent of this legislation does — the nearly 99 percent that you probably haven’t heard much about.

 

What you likely have heard about is that this bill does include earmarks.  Now, let me be clear:  Done right, earmarks have given legislators the opportunity to direct federal money to worthy projects that benefit people in their districts, and that’s why I’ve opposed their outright elimination.  And I also find it ironic that some of those who rail most loudly against this bill because of earmarks actually inserted earmarks of their own –- and will tout them in their own states and their own districts.

 

But the fact is that on occasion, earmarks have been used as a vehicle for waste, and fraud, and abuse.  Projects have been inserted at the 11th hour, without review, and sometimes without merit, in order to satisfy the political or personal agendas of a given legislator, rather than the public interest.  There are times where earmarks may be good on their own, but in the context of a tight budget might not be our highest priority.  So these practices hit their peak in the middle of this decade, when the number of earmarks had ballooned to more than 16,000, and played a part in a series of corruption cases.

 

In 2007, the new Democratic leadership in Congress began to address these abuses with a series of reforms that I was proud to have helped to write.  We eliminated anonymous earmarks and created new measures of transparency in the process, so Americans can better follow how their tax dollars are being spent.  These measures were combined with the most sweeping ethics reforms since Watergate.  We banned gifts and meals and made sure that lobbyists have to disclose who they’re raising campaign money from, and who in Congress they send it to.  So we’ve made progress.  But let’s face it, we have to do more.

 

I am signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it’s necessary for the ongoing functions of government, and we have a lot more work to do.  We can’t have Congress bogged down at this critical juncture in our economic recovery.  But I also view this as a departure point for more far-reaching change.

 

In my discussions with Congress, we have talked about the need for further reforms to ensure that the budget process inspires trust and confidence instead of cynicism.  So I believe as we move forward, we can come together around principles that prevent the abuse of earmarks.

 

These principles begin with a simple concept:  Earmarks must have a legitimate and worthy public purpose.  Earmarks that members do seek must be aired on those members’ websites in advance, so the public and the press can examine them and judge their merits for themselves.  Each earmark must be open to scrutiny at public hearings, where members will have to justify their expense to the taxpayer.

 

Next, any earmark for a for-profit private company should be subject to the same competitive bidding requirements as other federal contracts.  The awarding of earmarks to private companies is the single most corrupting element of this practice, as witnessed by some of the indictments and convictions that we’ve already seen.  Private companies differ from the public entities that Americans rely on every day –- schools, and police stations, and fire departments.

 

When somebody is allocating money to those public entities, there’s some confidence that there’s going to be a public purpose.  When they are given to private entities, you’ve got potential problems.  You know, when you give it to public companies — public entities like fire departments, and if they are seeking taxpayer dollars, then I think all of us can feel some comfort that the state or municipality that’s benefitting is doing so because it’s going to trickle down and help the people in that community.  When they’re private entities, then I believe they have to be evaluated with a higher level of scrutiny.

 

Furthermore, it should go without saying that an earmark must never be traded for political favors.

 

And finally, if my administration evaluates an earmark and determines that it has no legitimate public purpose, then we will seek to eliminate it, and we’ll work with Congress to do so.

 

Now I know there are members in both Houses with good ideas on this matter.  And just this morning, the House released a set of recommendations for reform that I think hold great promise.  I congratulate them on that.

 

Now I’m calling on Congress to enact these reforms as the appropriation process moves forward this year.  Neither I nor the American people will accept anything less.

 

It’s important that we get this done to ensure that the budget process works better, that taxpayers are protected, and that we save billions of dollars that we so desperately need to right our economy and address our fiscal crisis.  Along with that reform, I expect future spending bills to be debated and voted on in an orderly way, and sent to my desk without delay or obstruction, so that we don’t face another massive, last-minute omnibus bill like this one.

 

I recognize that Congress has the power of the purse.  As a former senator, I believe that individual members of Congress understand their districts best.  And they should have the ability to respond to the needs of their communities.  I don’t quarrel with that.  But leadership requires setting an example and setting priorities, and the magnitude of the economic crisis we face requires responsibility on all our parts.

 

The future demands that we operate in a different way than we have in the past.  So let there be no doubt:  This piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability that the American people have every right to expect and demand.

 

If we’re going to solve our economic crisis; if we’re going to put Americans back to work; if we’re going to make the investments required to build a foundation for our future growth — then we must restore the American people’s faith that their government is working for them, and that it’s on their side.  That’s the government I promised.  That’s the government I intend to lead.

 

Thank you very much, everybody.

Wanted: Experienced Aviation Pilots And Boaters To Assist In Search And Rescue Effort For Two Missing NFL Players And Friend!

Corey Smith

In a press conference given minutes ago, United States Coast Guard officials announced that the search for three missing boaters has been called off. NFL players Corey Smith, Marquis Cooper and one other person have been missing since their boat over-turned in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Clearwater, Florida, Saturday.

Nick Schuyler, a former football player for USF, was part of the fishing crew and rescued Monday afternoon, clinging to the over-turned boat. Schuyler told Coast Guard officials that a large wave hit the boat, causing it to topple. Schuyler is in stable condition at Tampa General, recovering from hypothermia and dehydration.

With the U.S. Coast Guard suspending the search for the missing men, former NFL linebaker and close friend of Marquis Cooper, Tank Johnson, sent a call out to all experienced aviation pilots and boaters, requesting their assistance in a search and rescue effort to start at 6am Wednesday.

To join the search and rescue squad, please send an email with qualifications in aviation and boating to:

nflsearchandrescue@gmail.com

When Media Hides Behind A Hidden Agenda: How Media Manipulation Can Produce Undesirable Results

The insanity of the cartoon satarizing the assassination of President Barack Obama featured in The New York Post mid week has yet to illicit the type of headlines it so deserves.  On CNN late Friday, a farce of a discussion was debated half-heartedly by three male political commentators: two Caucasian and one African American. The conversation was ridiculous and lukewarm at best and unsurprisingly the only African American on the panel was oreo in texture, weak in tone and void of true substance. This particular commentator once peppered the Bush cabinet. That figures.

The New York Post should be held responsible for nurturing a counter-productive environment that thrives on ignorance and racial bias. The “apology” that the editorial staff of The New York Post offered wasn’t really an apology at all. It was another attempt to blow a smoke screen over the truth. The truth is that this particular newspaper, that happens to be minority owned, practices a wicked brand of propaganda that breeds a complex set of circumstances with tragic results.

Throughout America’s history, the media has been used to sell all kinds of misleading garbage to further one group’s agenda over another. Usually, these are collective groups with a singular identity, coupled with a never ending supply of money, investments and political clout. That is how groups as these succeed. However, the power that they wield can lead to devastating results. Case in point, Nazi Germany.

When Adolpf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in the early 1930′s, his agenda became crystal clear. Through the formation of the Third Reich, and in turn the creation of the SS, Hitler was able to wrestle control of the media,  and in essence, control the thoughts of a nation. Through his horrendous propaganda machine, Hitler was able to thoroughly emasculate those he deemed undesirable and unfit. This systematic programing and wiring of a nation was spoon fed daily through the government owned newspapers. Soon, an entire country was desensitized. When that was accomplished, the out and out slaughter of millions upon millions of innocent human beings commenced. An entire nation was seduced by the cunning propaganda of one prominent group of people who chose to exterminate those it labeled unworthy to live.

How did this happen? Through the media, courtesy of the local newspaper.

How about the assassination of Malcolm X? This is an excellent study in using a media platform to further or carry out an expressed agenda. Upon being subsequently forced out of the Nation of Islam in late 1963 due to a jealous, power hungry and ego-tripping unstable religious hierarchy, Malcolm X experienced media harassment. This intense media harassment came from two ends of the spectrum. Secular and religious.

Muhammad Speaks was a prominent community newspaper that Malcolm created to showcase the activities of the Nation of Islam, spread the message of Islam, as taught by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and advertise local Muslim businesses. With Malcolm at the helm, the newspaper had validity. After Malcolm’s departure, the editors of Muhammad Speaks decided to declare a jihad on him.

In the name of Allah, faithful readers were systematically fed lies about Malcolm that bred an intense hatred. The tone of Muhammad Speaks became volatile by the usage of key words that meant a great deal to Nation of Islam followers. Words such as “traitor”, “Devil,” hypocrite,” “loyalty,” and “betray.” The language in Muhammad Speaks and the sheer magnitude of hate propaganda helped to fuel the electric atmosphere that crackled around Malcolm X and disgruntled Nation of Islam members.

Satiric cartoons, as the one displayed above, succeeded in assisting in the psychological execution of Malcolm X. All that was needed was some sick and demented person or persons to ‘righteously’ defend the honor of Elijah Muhammad in the name of God. Hence the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965. Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan has since admitted that his role as editor of Muhammad Speaks, fueled the hatred that led to Malcolm’s death.

So, what does this mean? It means that with the lack of public outcry over such a blatant attack on not just President Barack Obama, but African American men in general, and African Americans as a collective, the scene has been set for ignorant people to continue to wallow in the depths of hatred and degradation of human beings that they have marked as moving targets. Traditionally, these type of individuals dwell in secrecy and in a cloak of darkness. With the continued support of media representation like The New York Post, those with the same diabolical agenda will soon venture further into the mainstream. Many are already visible.

The desensitizing of America has been underway for decades now. Hundreds of years in the making. With a violent past as a nation that enslaved human beings, and a violent present that has seen America launch a preemptive strike  against a defenseless country based on falsified documents, it is no wonder why The New York Post was able to get away with an “apology,” that in fact sounds more like a justification.

This is a symptom of a problem that Americans do not want to address now, especially with the historic election of America’s first African American president. There are some who believe that racial intolerance died on January 20, 2009 at 12 noon.

Obviously, this is not the case.

Can You Believe The New York Post Got Away With Murder?

It is surprising that the media and overall national outrage over this shocking New York Post cartoon isn’t above a whisper. Explain how it is that the President Of The United States can be so viciously caricatured and there not be an all out and out media blitz regarding it?

Explain. Please, anyone, how  an assassination plot against President Barack Obama can be so callously and shamelessly etched between the pages of major newspaper and a full-blown media instigation not develop? Is that not what it truly is, after all? Friday afternoon, a rally and march on The New York Post occurred and wouldn’t you know it? This form of social protest that is essential to maintaining the basic freedoms outlined in the United States Constitution, that we as Americans enjoy and for the most point, take for granted, went unnoticed by CNN, MSNBC, FOX and every other major news outlet that considers itself a source for the layman to get his / her news.

Ignored. The only feed that was to be had was found on The Michael Baisden Show, an urban radio show hosted by the increasingly  influential and charismatic Michael Baisden. It is ironic that a story of this magnitude was trumped for the press coverage of leaked photos of a beaten and battered young woman. However, while that particular topic is regretful at best, and a conversation starter or stopper depending on whose side one falls, it fails in comparison to the insult and obvious vicious attempt to slander  President Barack Obama in the most insidious way possible.

How in the world is it that media has remained virtually tongue-tied over this ignorance? Not that long ago, the media was gung slam ho over anyone that DARED speak against the President. If someone, let’s say a senator or congressman, or your neighbor, spoke out against the war in Iraq, were they not tarred and feathered in the town square? CNN, MSNBC, and FOX were drunk on patriotism so much so that they misled the entire country about Iraq and refused to stand up  against the Bush Administration concerning the forced and fierce black out of  necessary media coverage. Eight years of lies and half truths. Eight years of white-washed news coverage.  Any apologies from CNN, MSNBC or FOX? Nope.

For those who would like to say that they can’t see anything wrong with that offensive cartoon, I say you lack the intelligence and presence of mind to discern how that pic was a deviously masterful attempt to implant in the hearts and minds of those who harbor racial hatred against African Americans in this country a visual road map to carry out vicious and felonious acts of violence.

The New York Post’s refusal to retract or apologize for printing such a powder keg, just gives those with simple minds and hateful tendencies a pat on the back! The Post has gotten into bed with the KKK, the Nazis, Skin Heads and all those other extremist groups that draw their lifeblood from feeding on the hate that the media continuously spew  on a regular basis.

Here’s something for those who have more than ounce of intelligence: Did you know that chimpanzees are the most intelligent out of the primate species?

Think about that one and see where your mind takes you.

Jesse Jackson, Jr: “I’m No Snitch!”

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.

 

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s office Wednesday told CNN that reports and commentary referring to the congressman as an “informant” and a “snitch” for the FBI on the cable news broadcast Tuesday were false.

This comes after the FBI released startling information concerning Jackson’s role in facilitating the investigation of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The FBI documents state that Jesse Jackson, Jr. worked closely, and at times, clandestine, with the FBI in gathering information directly related to the charges of federal corruption that Gov. Blagojevich is currently facing.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer commented that it appeared that Jackson was an “informant” and then subsequent discussion labeled the congressman as a “snitch.” It is too bad that with all the gross shadiness and morally bankrupt double-dealing and stealing that politicians and CEO’s are doing nowadays, none of us can recognize a stand-up citizen anymore.