Archive for the ‘Jesse Jackson’ Category

The Reverend Jesse Jackson aspires to remove the pearls from Our Man Obama’s bag. Cut them off and dump them out. So he says.

The vulgarity of “I wanna cut his nuts off”, helps me to believe it was sincere. A genuine sentiment. It cracked me up.

He was wrong, but he meant it. He was wrong, mistaken, underinformed, misguided but he meant it. We know it’s the truth because he didn’t know he was talking to anyone except the guy next to him. Awesome.

I point this out because it’s in stark contrast to the poisonous pale shit our elected representatives regurge on us every day deliberately, with avarice and cruelty, knowing full well it’s not in our best interest and that’s not why they’re there.

His own son, Congressman Jesse Jr., forced a turd into Jesse’s mouth and lit it. That shit is cold. He could have kept his mouth shut.

Forgive me, I’m no big fan of Jesse, except his reading of “Green Eggs and Ham” on SNL. He and Sharpton used to run pretty hard at who is whackiest, these days it’s Jackson by a full length.

Obama’s not “talking down to his people”. He is assuming the mantle of leader. Speaking up to everyone including his own.

His own who then?
Multiple Choice:

A) Blacks?

B) Fatherless?

C) Poor?

D) Middle class?

E) Marginalized?

F) Just about all of us in one way or another?

I can’t help but like Sharpton. I adored his convention speech and the bewildered chatter by the talking heads when he didn’t stick to the script. Sharpton was as cool that night as Sam Jackson in Pulp Fiction. Newman in Cool Hand Luke.

He’s since seemed to own his brain more and his pride less. He’s far more thoughtful than he used to be. More intellectually honest. I like a lot of what he says these days, doesn’t seem to have lost his edge and he makes more sense.

Anyway, Our Man handled it with merciful aplomb:

“He will continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Rev. Jackson’s apology,” -NPR

I’m still furious about FISA. There’s no immunity in the bill for criminal prosecution, but the one ‘Kingly’ right afforded the chief executive by the Constitutional Congress is an unrestricted power to pardon whomever the fuck Dumbya wants.

Dumbya signed it today. All the dominos will fall.

It’s all over but the shouting. There are many things we don’t know and that makes me nervous. Reid, Clinton, Boxer, Feingold et al. They all opposed. I understand they aren’t bucking for manager, but what gives?

Why then, did Our Man agree? For reasons we don’t know.

Yes, he cannot afford a sweat ball at the end of his nose over national security. It is the only issue with potential to gain traction on a gullible and witless electorate. Still, it’s unlikely. He just needs to make the case that we’re fucked as it is. It’s time to be proactive rather than reactive.

If this administration can be summed up in the simplest of terms; then it may be said that they have reacted badly, appallingly stupidly, instead of proactively. They are dumb and we have over seven years of sickening proof.

I’m pissed. As sweaty as this Fourth Amendment dynamite is, am I gonna vote for McCain? No, of course not. Neither will most of you. Obama knows that. It pisses me off.

The answer is G, all of the above.

Drinks for my friends.

Now we have this debate after Michael Richards emerged as an obvious asshole and Imus did the jackass reveal for the hundreth time. What took them so long? Guys like Sharpton and Geoffrey Canada (prez & Ceo of Harlem Children’s Zone) are piling on like nobody’s business.

Ten years ago Sharpton was all about no censorship, particularly in hip hop. Now I like The Reverend Al, I’m not always sure why, but I do. Always thought he was a bit of loon, sometimes a goddamn cartoon, but sincere.

By the way, where’s Jesse?

And I think it’s entirely possible that the hip hop/rap musical genre and the culture surrounding it has visited more ignorance than enlightenment on the black community. In fact, I think it’s probable.

Having said that, I remember when Tipper Gore went after everyone from Dee Snider to Frank Zappa. Ozzy Ozbourne and Judas Priest were being sued in civil court over lyrical content and potential culpability in teenage suicide.

And I fucking knew how ridiculous that was.

I am the epitome of the bleeding heart liberal and Mr. First Amendment. Censorship is my personal satan. I understand that this inherent right affords us the ability to say what we wish while simultaneously exposing us to ideas and thoughts, speech, that will offend our sensibilities to the core. There is no free lunch.

If you’ve followed me down the road this far, maybe you see the same bridge I do. It spans the fire in a crowded theatre/inciting violence chasm. It’s always been in disrepair. No more so than now and for a myriad of reasons beyond this issue.

Should all urban music be subject to censorship?

The answer is not whether or not, but if so, by whom?

The government? That’s an emphatic no for me. Morality cannot be legislated, not merely because it slides so dramatically back and forth. It’s like trying to define normal, it changes every few weeks. It’s just not a task appropriate for any body politic.

I suspect change may be needed here, but it’s up to the community that is both responsible for the damage wrought and suffers the most as a result.

The only viable and legitimate solution must come from inside the people most affected. Those with the most to gain and to lose.

Drinks for my friends.