Tuesday, July 28, 2009

I'm with the President, not Stupidly

It is stupid not to use one's skill set to defuse or de-escalate a situation. That is what police officers do all day long all over the country-- correctly. However, when they do not do that, situations, misunderstandings and arrests occur.
Ask any police officer if they are anxious to fill out unecessary paperwork for a battle of egos. The answer is no. However, instead of throwing cold water on the hot tempered Harvard Law professor, the veteran officer joined in the ego struggle and hauled the man down to the station only to see him released later.
The police officer did this because he could and because he wanted to prove a point and teach the Harvard Law professor a lesson.
A lesson in what? Intolerance? Acting stupidly?
We don't even have to look at race. We can just look at basic facts: A Harvard Law professor and a seasoned veteran law enforcement professional could not come to terms, work out a simple misunderstanding or find a solution on their own.
The officer's solution was to assert his authority to arrest. The professor's solution was to cry foul and reportedly yell and scream. I cannot see if he had stood silent except for yes sir answers to questions that he would have been placed under arrest.
The situation will be made worse if that is the case.
However, if these two intellegent men cannot come to a reasonable agreement, then how can the general population of morons that comprise the rest of the world be expected to do better? I'm no professor nor veteran cop. I have a big mouth and an attitude problem when provoked. Don't ask me to understand s*it else.
So when the President says the officer acted "stupidly", understand he is referring to the basics in law enforcement that were ignored--de-escalating situations and soothing flared tempers. Police are taught conflict resolution but it is useless or stupid if it is not practiced.
It is also stupid to yell at a cop. He could arrest or shoot you.
And that is my explination of "stupidly."

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Michael Jackson had something for everyone--no need to blame Jamie

Well, I went to the Jamie Foxx web site and there is a virtual race war-of-words going on there. Some are accusing Mr. Foxx of being a racist after viewing the Black Entertainment Television Awards Show last week.
If any of you watched Michael Jackson’s memorial on Monday and heard Al Sharpton entire speech, then maybe you will get the hint that Mr. Jackson was indeed a black man. Don’t blame Jamie Foxx for that, for he too is a black man. There are some things relatable across the races and some things relatable to the races. Mike’s last CD was a testament to the love he felt for his community. His entire music catalog is a testament to how he loved music and his fans.
Invincible was played at every stepper’s set for years and still got some play before he died just because it was gooooood! We like and appreciate that Mike, so thanks. We liked all of his songs but some of those syncopated beats scream foot work and some scream other dance moves--stuff I‘m too old to do. We all like some things more than others. That is just the way people are made up. No one calls Foxx a racist when he is hosting the Country Music Awards. He is just as funny and shocking as ever. So I think the rub in all of this is that Foxx reminded folk that Michael Jackson was a black man.
Some of his fans do not want to take this fact into consideration. He was everything but to them. The truth is that he was a little black boy from Gary, Indiana--which is 85 percent African American--who grew up in Los Angles using his talent to his advantage. Was he more than just a black man? Yes, just as all black men are more than just a black man and just like all white men are more than just white men,
et cetera. We are all more than just our race. However, it seems being black sticks under the craw of many. I don’t know why but it just seems to make a difference. As assimilated as we are, it should not be but it is and it takes a great effort on a black person’s part to downplay anything that gets in the way of acceptance. Mike proved that. As blacks we are still making and counting firsts. Mike proved that too.
Let us not find a blame in all of this surrounding MJ’s death but take entertainment at face value and not make it a political action committee. If you want to fight for rights or anything else good that helps the human race, President Obama has several very fine outfits people can join.

P.S. Ladies no one will care if you work, are on government assistance, have had children out-of-wedlock or whatever. Those things are your personal choices and do not give nor take away your right to speak out. So please stop prefacing comments with ”I am a single mother…” No one cares and we are not giving out awards for choosing to birth and/or raise children. We used to but not anymore because everybody’s doing it.