When Donald Trump campaigned in 2016, he stated that he planned to win on every single issue for Americans. And one year after taking office, Trump has won hands down on every single issue that seeks to divide rather than unite us as a country and lower our standing in the world. Trump got off to a running start on January 27, 2017 by hastily implementing a Muslim travel ban on 7 Muslim countries. The ban barred citizens of the Muslim countries from entering the U.S. After a federal appeals court struck down the first ban, a second ban ensued. Later after litigation, a third ban was enacted. On December 4, 2017, the Supreme Court allowed a third version of the travel plan to go into effect banning individuals from eight Muslim countries. Citizens from the effected countries will not be able to immigrate, work, study or vacation in the U.S. while the ban is in effect. Litigation is still ongoing. The propaganda of “America First” touted by Trump has resulted in a loss of travel … [Read more...] about Trump’s Wins are Major Losses for the U.S.
blacks
What if the Las Vegas Killer was Black, Muslim or God Forbid Both
The Las Vegas mass shooting and killing by Stephen Paddock resulting in 58 deaths and hundreds of injured individuals is a horrific event in our history. The media’s focus on the motive of the killer and the whitewashing of Paddock committing the crime loses the point. There are no good motives for killing anyone—let alone over 50 persons. Any killer who kills innocent persons while perched from a high-rise luxury hotel shooting them down as if he were playing a video game, is not a good person. Much of the media has gone out of the way to paint Paddock as a regular white guy. I can’t but help to think how the media would have addressed the killer if he or she were Black, Muslim or both. Every possible good trait known about Paddock has been mentioned. From being prescribed Valium to being a high stakes gambler and an apparently wealthy individual with a girlfriend, the media has struggled to make sense out of his killing rage. Contrasting the depictions of a good white male … [Read more...] about What if the Las Vegas Killer was Black, Muslim or God Forbid Both
Black Lives Matter but not to the White NFL Owners
Week one of the NFL 2017 season started on Sunday, September 11. With all 32 NFL owners and teams refusing to sign quarterback Colin Kaepernick due to his protest against racial injustice, my taste buds for the love of football has drastically changed. Kaepernick’s act of kneeling last year for the national anthem in protest of our country’s racial injustice towards Blacks drew disfavor among NFL owners. I have been an ardent NFL football fan most of my life. Growing up in Baltimore, my family religiously followed the Baltimore Colts and now the Ravens. I proudly attended the Super Bowl parade in Baltimore in 2000 with the defensive dream team of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. And then in 2013, I watched my beloved Ravens’ win over San Francisco against then quarterback Colin Kaepernick. As an added bonus, I attended the Ravens’ honor at the White House following their 2013 win. My brother played high school and later college football—further increasing my love of the sport at a very early … [Read more...] about Black Lives Matter but not to the White NFL Owners
Donald Trump’s Dog Days of Summer
The dog days of summer are usually referred to as the hottest days of the summer, particularly from mid- July to almost the end of August. And Labor Day has come to mean the unofficial end of summer with vacations ending and students returning back to school. The dog days of the Trump Administration have been particularly hot. With summer closing to an end, I thought that now is a good time to evaluate the Trump Administration’s summer days. Trump’s Administration has been hounded with its failure of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, the ever- ongoing Trump-Russia investigation by Special Prosecutor Mueller, Trump’s comments on the Charlottesville Nazi/white supremacist rally, the Twitter roll out of elimination of transgenders in the military, pardon of Sheriff Arpaio and now the expected ending of "DACA", Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. For the past 8 years of the Obama Administration, the Republican Party vowed to repeal and … [Read more...] about Donald Trump’s Dog Days of Summer
Dear Police: Black People are Humans Too
September proved to be a killing month of African Americans at the hands of police. Thirteen year old Tyree King running away from police in Columbus, Ohio, Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma with hands upon while being shot, Keith Lamont Scott, suffering with a brain traumatic injury in Charlotte, North Carolina and Alfred Olango, suffering from an epilepsy attack in San Diego County, are the most recent and notable names known in the media. The Guardian and Washington Post have kept as accurate a tally as possible since there is no federal database of police shootings and killings. In 2016, almost 800 persons have been killed at the hands of police. In 2015, it was 990. It averages roughly 1000 lives taken each year by police. From the period of 2005-2015, 54 police officers were charged with either manslaughter or murder. That averages out to 5 police officers charged per 1000 killings each year. It seems as if the recent wave of police killings of unarmed blacks … [Read more...] about Dear Police: Black People are Humans Too
McKinney Police Incident Makes Me Ask if it’s 1950 or 2015
As I was attempting to relax and unwind on a Sunday afternoon at my local Starbucks, I happened upon the McKinney, Texas police video taken on Friday, June 5 of excessive force used once again on blacks. This time, it was an out of control police officer using excessive force and treating black teenagers at a Texas community pool as if they were visiting a whites only pool in the Jim Crow south in 1950. The only thing he needed to be truly reminiscent of the 1950’s were the police dogs, batons and hoses. I hope we will not ever go back to those days. The video is set forth here. The back story is apparently police were called to a community pool for a disturbance. The video shows the clearly disturbing activity was the police and the treatment of young blacks in bathing suits and pool attire. Gawker spoke with the individual filming the video. There are so many issues that can be addressed by the video starting with the excessive force by an out of control angry police officer used … [Read more...] about McKinney Police Incident Makes Me Ask if it’s 1950 or 2015