To Michael Steele: Man Up And Lead Your Party!

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

Late Monday, GOP leader Michael Steele greatly weakened the  perception of him as the leader of the Republican Party. In fact, it can be rightly noted that Steele may not be the leader of the Republican Party after all. Talk show host Rush Limbaugh has just snatched that title from Michael Steele.

How? Apparently, Steele is not running things over at headquarters. After Rush Limbaugh’s rebel-rousing speech at CPAC Saturday, where he announced boldly and proudly that he wanted the Obama administration to fail in its’ proposed policies, many political pundits crowned Limbaugh the leader of the GOP. However, on “D.L. Hughley Breaks The News,” Steele emphatically insisted that he was indeed the RNC’s chosen one and that Rush Limbaugh is a “de facto” leader of the GOP.

“Rush Limbaugh, his whole thing is entertainment,” Steele told Hughley, “yes, it’s incendiary. Yes. It’s ugly.” Well, that was great! Michael Steele stood up and staked his claim to what was given him. Steele flexed his power and revealed that he was no ones puppet, hence he didn’t need Limbaugh’s inflammatory remarks to stir up the base.

Monday, Rush Limbaugh declared war on Michael Steele and ripped him to shreds. How did the RNC chairman respond? He apologized to Limbaugh! Excuse me, Mr. Steele. But are you the “de facto” leader of the Republican Party?

“To the extent that my remarks helped the Democrats in Washington to take the focus, even for one minute, off of their irresponsible expansion of government, I truly apologize,” Steele said. What is going on? Doesn’t Michael Steele realize that by apologizing to a man that is not even remotely an elected official, he has, in effect,  given his power away? How does Steele plan to pull his party together, battle the Democrats, and come up with some type of political strategy that will aid in regaining the trust of the American people, if he can’t stick to his guns and say what needs to be said?

“I respect Rush Limbaugh,” the Steele apology concludes, “and in no way do I want to diminish his voice.” Are you kidding me? Rush Limbaugh just re-upped and copped a $100 mill to continue his conservative blab fest! Who can “diminish” that? Sounds like a load of crap that apology. It also reeks of puppetry! Michael Steele was selected by the GOP for what reason? To attract African Americans and other minorities? To make the Republican Party look “progressive” like McCain did when he made the unfortunate decision to select Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate?

Or maybe Michael Steele was chose to head up the RNC simply because there wasn’t a better option. Whatever the case, Steele is in that position and it is high time that he start to make the hard choices that he has to make instead of bending over for every Tom, Dick and Rush Limbaugh! Limbaugh did not deserve an apology for what Michael Steele said. It was within Limbaugh’s First Amendment Rights to speak as freely as he wanted.

And it is well within RNC Chairman Michael Steele’s rights to refute Limbaugh’s assertions and look out for the best interests of of the Republican Party. But if Steele was up for the task, it is apparent that someone either took the wind out of his sails…or took the wind out of his sails, forced him to take the red pill and hipped him to the real deal of the political matrix.

Either way, Michael Steele is screwed.

State Of The Black Union Celebrates 10 Years Of Dialogue!

Tavis Smiley

The State of The Black Union celebrated 10 years of bringing dialogue and some of country’s greatest African American scholars, politicians and theologian minds together for the betterment of the African American community. Only at the State of The Black Union conference will concerned African American and American citizens alike, hear important dialogue and commentary about the state of America, unbiased and undiluted.

This year, the RNC was represented by its’ first African American GOP leader Michael Steele. Not his first appearance at the State of The Black Union, Michael Steele’s presence was marked by a few grunts in the audience as he outlined the GOP’s plans to woo African Americans back to the Republican fold.

President Barack Obama, once again a no show, in  a physical sense, sent a video message to the conference Saturday. In his statement, President Obama reassured African Americans that he understood their plight by commenting that “tough times in America means tougher times for African Americans.”

“We have done more in the past 30 days,” President Obama emphasised, “to bring about progressive change then we have in many years.”

State of The Black Union moderator Tavis Smiley released “Accountable: Making America As Good As Its Promise.” Smiley called this new release the “logical successor to the other two texts,” “The Covenant” and “The Covenant In Action.”

Smiley, seen by some in the African American community as a Obama “hater,” did not shy away from publicly addressing his sentiments toward the President. “I want,” he began opening the afternoon session, “we want Barack Obama to be a great president. I believe he can be a great president, but only if we make him be a great president…his accountability is our responsibility.” 

The “dance” that Tavis Smiley claims that all African Americans are gonna have to learn to do with Barack Obama may be difficult for him to accomplish. Even though Tavis says that he will “critique in love” President Obama’s political maneuvers, it is increasingly becoming doubtful that “love” will have anything to do with it.

Smiley wants to hold President Obama accountable for his presidency. Perhaps African Americans should hold Tavis Smiley accountable of  doing that “dance” of diplomacy. If the State of The Black Union is to work the way that Tavis wants it, pride and an overly critical tone is not the way. This does not mean turning a blind eye to Barack Obama and turning him into a deity as Tavis Smiley accuses the African American media of doing.

What it means is that Tavis Smiley will have to dig deep within himself and strive to be diplomatic instead of dogmatic when it comes to the Obama presidency. Until it is warranted.

The Advocate Says That The LGBT Community Is The ‘New Black’: Really?

December Advocate

This cover is an outrage and every African American in America should protest The Advocate’s December issue. Why? It is down right insulting for any minority group at this stage in the game to refer to another minority group in this fashion. When I first saw the cover, I wanted to give the editors at The Advocatethe benefit of the doubt. The terminology ‘new black’ has been under the radar for years now. You hear the phrase used here and there. In the fashion world, designers use this terminology when referring to the color black as it denotes a certain cutting-edge in fashion demagoguery.

But The Advocateis clearly using the term ‘new black’ to imply that the LGBTQ community are now the scapegoats of oppression, inhuman treatment, and seen as second-third class citizens, virtually replacing African Americans whom seemingly have ‘reached the Promise Land’ and happen to be the poster child for a movement that was overwhelmingly successful. Using the term ‘new black’ implies that us black folk have risen beyond our former status as the descendants of slaves, we have over come!

That is laughable. America has elected its’ first African American President, but check out how long that took? Take a look at the major cities in the U.S and notice African Americans and how they are fairing. Michigan is the most racist state in the Union and it is greatly acknowledged that this northern state is racial polarized. The public school system is systematically failing African American students and the drop out rate for African American teens between the ages of 14-17 is nearly 60%! A university education is a pipe dream for most African American children and community college PELL grant funding has dwindled to almost nothing. Drug addiction and crime, teen pregnancy, single parenting, HIV/AIDS, and staggering unemployment has created generational ghetto residents.

African Americans are still in this fight. The war is not over. For The Advocateto use such an insulting phrase gives those who don’t know or understand the Civil Rights Movement the impression that the struggle is complete. This can’t be further from the truth. To say that the fury over the passing of Prop 8 has propelled the LGBT community into the role of the ‘new black’ is preposterous to say the least. For years, the LGBTcommunity has equated itself with the Civil Rights Movement, saying that the Civil Rights Movement is really a Human Rights Movement that is inclusive, not exclusive to one particular group of people.

This ideology is an untruth. The Civil Rights Movement was a vehicle to lift African Americans from 20th Century tyranny and modern slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was a great thing back in 1862. But for many, many years after the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. Black folk and entire communities were burned down to the ground. Lynchings were a sport. African American women could still be raped by Caucasian men without these men seeing some type of legal consequence. African Americans couldn’t address Caucasians eye to eye. Our schools were inferior. The list is substantial. African Americans were vilified because of WHO they were and not WHAT they were. The color of our skin dictated the treatment we received.

How can the LGBT community and The Advocate be so insensitive to African Americans? Do they not know our history? We didn’t come to this country because we wanted to take a trip and scout out the land for Africa. America was not a cruise destination stop. Africans were kidnapped from their homes and bought and sold to feed the greed and laziness of an oppressive capitalistic society. We are not here in America by choice. We didn’t ‘come out.’ We were ‘forced out’ of our native land.

The LGBT community’s fight is no way comparable to the fight of African Americans in this country. African Americans understand what the LGBT community are fighting for. Some support it. Others do not. But each group is diverse and unique. You simply can not cut and paste a movement to fit a cause just because there may be one or two similarities.

‘New Black’ is so uncreative and thoughtless. The cover title of The Advocate’s December issue is merit-less and void of any real meaning. It is just another disrespectful shout-out to African Americans. Like the “drinking the Kool-Aide” line. That has its’ origins in Jonestown. 

Besides, the term is ‘African American.’ AND…The color black that is used on the page has deep racist and bias connotations. HMMMM…..

For Those Who Have No Clue About What ACORN Is About

ACORN has been in the news these past days because of voters registration fraud. Meaning? There were some dishonest employees of ACORN who took advantage of their employer and decided to get a check for zero work. That is unfortunate. But this type of dishonesty goes further than ACORN. When was the last time you left work early but your check read different? When was the last time you arrived to work late and you didn’t acknowledge it on your time slip?

ACORN has helped thousands upon thousands of low income families for almost forty years with housing, rent, food, jobs and landlord disputes. However, this election is not about Joe Barely Making It, or Single Mom With Five Kids And Three Jobs To Equal One.

ACORN helps the forgotten class of Americans. Now, the organization that helps these people is getting a raw deal itself for campaign brownie points. If you have no clue as to what ACORN IS and what it is ALL ABOUT because you are a Soccer Mom or Middle Class Joe Six Pack or even Joe the Plummer, who makes $45,000 as an unlicensed working plummer, then the below info is for you.

You can locate more about ACORN at www.acorn.org:

ACORN is the nation’s largest grassroots community organization of low- and moderate-income people with over 400,000 member families organized into more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in 110 cities across the country.  Since 1970, ACORN has been building community organizations that are committed to social and economic justice, and won victories on thousands of issues of concern to our members, through direct action, negotiation, legislative advocacy and voter participation.  ACORN helps those who have historically been locked out become powerful players in our democratic system.

Mission Statement

 

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) aims to organize a majority consituency of low- to moderate-income people across the United States.  The members of ACORN take on issues of relevance to their communities, whether those issues are discrimination, affordable housing, a quality education, or better public services.  ACORN believes that low- to moderate-income people are the best advocates for their communities, and so ACORN’s low- to moderate-income members act as leaders, spokespeople, and decision-makers within the organization.

ACORN Milestones Timeline

 

1970 – Wade Rathke begins organizing in Arkansas to unite welfare recipients and working people for shared needs and rights; forms ACORN (Arkansas Community Organizations for Reform Now)

 

 

1971 – ACORN leaders organize “Save the City” campaign in Little Rock, establishing ACORN as a force in Arkansas politics. ACORN establishes six regional offices in the state around issues of concern to rural and small town Arkansans, begins to tackle statewide issues

 

 

1972 – ACORN’s “Save the City Rally” in Little Rock marks first entrance into electoral politics

 

 

1974 – In Pulaski County, 250 ACORN members run for office, 195 win seats

 

 

1975 – ACORN expands to Texas and South Dakota; first associate Executive Board and first president (Steve McDonald) elected to handle issues of larger scope

 

 

1978 – First national convention, of 1,000 members in Memphis, marks beginning of multi-state campaigns

 

 

1978-1980 – Participation in 1980 presidential campaign leads entry into national politics

 

 

1980 – ACORN is in 20 states, having added at least 3 states each year since

 

 

1982 – ACORN reaches 30,000 member families

 

 

1980s – Reagan years very trying for low-income communities and organizing. ACORN launches squatting campaign to get low- and moderate-income people into vacant houses and fix them up, with neighborhood approval. Fifteen thousand ACORN members and allies establish “Reagan Ranches” in over 35 cities, building tent cities to symbolize the homelessness Reagan’s policies created. ACORN develops and strengthens ACORN Political Action Committees (APACs) and legislative office.

 

 

1985 – ACORN grows to 27 states, including significant chapters in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago

 

 

1990 – ACORN has more than 70,000 members in 28 states

 

 

1994 – ACORN participation has helped Project Vote register 147,000 voters in Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania

 

 

2000 – ACORN is 125,000 members strong. ACORN registers 100,000 new voters nationwide.

 

 

2004 – Now 720 full-time staff working for ACORN and sister organizations, up from 490 just a year before. ACORN organized in 80 cities (up from 60 at the end of 2003) in 31 states. ACORN also expands internationally, with ACORN Canada opening its first offices in Toronto and Vancouver and ACORN Peru opening an office in Lima.

 

 

2005 – ACORN now includes chapters in over 100 U.S. cities in 37 states and in Canada, Peru and Mexico

 

 

2006 – More than 350,000 member families organized in over 110 cities in 40 states; added Argentina

 

 

2007 – ACORN organizes in India