Bring The Facts…Or Stay Home!

Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful day of fun, feasting, and family.

For several years, I have run what amounts to a Holiday template post during Christmas week. After considerable thought, I decided to deviate from that practice for today’s edition. I understand all the reasons I normally opt not to create new material are in full effect. It’s Christmastime in the city, and the country, and all across the land. Very few people will be allocating time to read a blog. Cool, you have to do what you have to do!

However, this is a special moment in time. The nation is inundated with tensions and hotspots, borne of organized responses to a number of incidents in which police officers have killed unarmed civilians, and District Attorneys or Grand Juries have not found probable cause to file charges against the officers in question.

Before going any further, I must stipulate, police officers are not unequivocally the enemy…period. That is without caveat.

Simultaneously, it is absolutely imperative to enunciate, as clearly as possible, the ranting of select Republicans notwithstanding, to be anti-police brutality, is not to be anti-police. To be in favor of police reform is not to favor killing, harming, or otherwise attacking police officers.

Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York, contends that President Obama is the catalyst for Ismaaiyl Brinsley’s execution of New York Police Officers Rafael Ramos, 40, and Wenjian Liu, 32, last Saturday in Brooklyn. Before shooting the officers, the 28 year-old Brinsley shot his 29 year-old ex-girlfriend, Shaneka Thompson, in Owings Mills, Maryland. about 15 miles outside Baltimore. According to the former Mayor, “We’ve had four months of propaganda, starting with the president, that everybody should hate the police.”

Mr. Giuliani has been particularly harsh not only in criticizing President Obama, but also in tying him directly to a broader effort to foment racial dissension in America. He laid the foundation for that specter last month by placing the onus for police treatment of blacks on black crime, citing the statistic that blacks kill 93% of blacks that are murdered. As I have noted previously, this factoid, viewed alone is deceptive as it relates to degree of strength as a causal factor. It totally ignores the fact that murder is typically a crime of passion and/or convenience or accessibility. In other words, the corollary is also true for whites. As a point of comparison, whites kill 84% of whites that are murdered. In short, whether you are black or white, if you are killed, the likelihood is that it will be by someone of the same race as you.

Representative Peter King, of New York, joins Giuliani in this version of the blame game. He argued, “Obama, de Blasio, Al Sharpton and those in the media need to “stop the cop bashing and anti-police rhetoric.” And the drumbeat goes on.

Add conservative blogger Michelle Malkin to the list. She proffered this sentiment: “Obama used his bully pulpit this week to bemoan the ‘real issues’ of discrimination by some police officers. But he said nothing about the murderous strain of racial animus against America’s men and women in blue.”

Then, there is former Congressman Joe Walsh (R-Ill.). He has been tweeting on this topic. In an e-mail to The Washington Post Fact Checker, Walsh said he believes de Blasio, Holder and Obama “have the blood of those two NYPD cops who were killed this past weekend on their hands. All three “responded by stressing how racist America still is, how understandable urban black anger is toward the police, and how police need to re-train and reform. They put all the onus on the police and created the clear atmosphere for people to be angry at and disrespectful toward police. … What they should have done is come out and say succinctly — ‘The judicial system has spoken, respect the decision, cops are good, don’t resist arrest, never ever attack a cop, and don’t you dare riot, loot, and burn.”

The Fact Checker went to work to test the validity of these assertions. They looked at what President Obama said on the deaths of Brown and Garner, with a focus on his statements from August, immediately after Brown’s death. This would have been the beginning of Giuliani’s calculation of four months.

It turns out that none of President Obama’s statements speak any ill of police officers or condone violence among those reacting to the deaths.

1. In President Obama’s initial statement three days after the shooting, he urged the public against violence. Violence and unrest nonetheless erupted in Ferguson. Protesters took to the streets, lighting structures on fire and looting stores. Police officers responded with machine guns and other military-style equipment.

2. President Obama gave an update two days later, speaking directly to the violence in Ferguson. He said he expressed concernabout the violence to Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D). “There is never an excuse for violence against police, or for those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting. There’s also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests, or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights.”

3. Four days later, President Obama spoke again about Ferguson. He announced Attorney General Holder’s plan to travel to Ferguson to meet with FBI agents, Justice Department personnel conducting the federal criminal investigation into the shooting, and community leaders “whose support is so critical to bringing about peace and calm in Ferguson.” He added: “Giving into anger by looting or carrying guns and even attacking the police only serves to raise tensions and stir chaos. It undermines rather than advancing justice.”

4. One statement from this briefing seems to directly contradict claims that President Obama immediately took the side of the protesters, thereby launching “anti-police rhetoric”: “I have to be very careful about not prejudging these events before investigations are completed because, although these are issues of local jurisdiction, the DOJ works for me, and when they’re conducting an investigation, I’ve got to make sure that I don’t look like I’m putting my thumb on the scales one way or the other.”

5. Holder quickly became the face of the administration responding to Ferguson. He repeatedly talked about reducing tensions between law enforcement and the community it serves. He and President Obama have spoken on the mistrust toward law enforcement in minority communities, and their personal experiences as men of African American descent. But neither has criticized police officers of systemic racism, or called on the public to be outraged at police officers.

6. President Obama offered one of his most pointed criticisms about police training and practices after Ferguson during his December interview on BET, but it’s a stretch to characterize that as “propaganda” for everyone to “hate the police”:

     “The vast majority of law enforcement officers are doing a really tough job,  

and most of them are doing it well and are trying to do the right thing. But        

       a combination of bad training, in some cases; a combination in some

       cases of departments that really are not trying to root out biases, or

       tolerate sloppy police work; a combination in some cases of folks just not

       knowing any better, and in a lot of cases, subconscious fear of folks who

       look different — all of this contributes to a national problem that’s going to

     require a national solution.”

7. After a grand jury decided not to indict officials in the case of Garner’s death, President Obama said “law enforcement has an incredibly difficult job … there’s real crime out there that they’ve got to tackle day in and day out — but that they’re only going to be able to do their job effectively if everybody has confidence in the system. And right now, unfortunately, we are seeing too many instances where people just do not have confidence that folks are being treated fairly.” He added that it was his job as president to solve the problem of people not being treated equally under the law.

8. Giuliani said leaders like Obama, Holder and de Blasio are perpetuating a myth that there is systemic police brutality. Fact Checker found no evidence that Obama and Holder believe police brutality is a systemic problem. However, Obama and Holder have spoken about systemic mistrust among minorities about how they are treated by police.

9. Ironically, Giuliani himself was once accused of fostering an atmosphere of police violence. A Haitian immigrant who was sodomized by New York City police officers claimed — then recanted — that the officers invoked Giuliani’s name (“It’s Giuliani time!”) during the assault. So the former mayor should be especially wary of making broad-brush claims that the rhetoric of senior officials is to blame for the actions of individuals.

10. Fact Checker concluded: “Mr. Giuliani has a point that there is growing animosity among protesters toward police officers. That may have contributed to the actions of individuals such as Brinsley. But the burden of proof rests with the speaker. We combed through President Obama’s speeches and can find no evidence of “propaganda” that “everybody should hate the police.”

The United States of America is indeed a special place. Law Enforcement Officers hold a unique place in our society. At their best, they do everything form the mundane to the sublime to help ensure that our communities function effectively, efficiently, safely and securely. I stand first in line to thank them for their service. However, from time to time, some of them cross the line, and we have far too many examples of that. When that happens, people of good will must respond. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is quoted as having said, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

So while we are at it, let’s not just push back on all that Obama hate; let’s show him some well-deserved props for the following:

• Lower gas prices (Actually under $2.00 in some places according to CNN)
• 5% economic growth…strongest in ii years
• Stock Market finished the day yesterday above 18,000 (first time EVER)
• More Americans with health insurance

I salute you Mr. President! To summarize, conservatives have blamed President Obama for every ill in this country from the abysmal Hurricane Katrina response (which occurred before his Presidency…and under one of their own), to the failing economy (which he inherited, but is continuing to rebound nicely), to the death of two New York police officers last Saturday (See item 1-10 above). As with most of the politically motivated rhetoric aimed at crippling him and/or his agenda, a load of specious misinformation. “Bring The Facts…Or Stay Home!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/12/21/3606040/rudy-giuliani-2-nyc-cops-were-killed-because-obama-told-everyone-to-hate-the-police/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/21/giuliani-new-york-police-obama_n_6362724.html

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/12/21/rudy-giuliani-blames-obama-murder-york-police-officers.html

http://news.yahoo.com/two-york-police-officers-executed-brooklyn-222558989.html

http://nypost.com/2014/12/20/2-nypd-cops-shot-execution-style-in-brooklyn/

http://m.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/former-officer-wont-be-charged-in-fatal-shooting-of-dontre-hamilton-b99398655z1-286559211.html

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/227989-no-indictment-for-officer-in-houston-shooting#.VJnX8N7gTlM.twitterhttp://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/227989-no-indictment-for-officer-in-houston-shooting#.VJnX8N7gTlM.twitter

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/06/09/las-vegas-shooting-officers-dead-possible-white-supremacists/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2014/12/23/giulianis-claim-that-obama-launched-anti-police-propaganda/

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/12/recovery-growth-obama-economic-policies

It’s time to Break It Down!

The last half of this year has been more than a little eventful with the shooting of Michael Brown, 18, (August 9^th), and what by most accounts appeared to be the choking related death of Eric Garner, 43, (July 17^th), both by police officers. Those deaths have sparked numerous protests, many of which have been caustically panned by Police Unions and other Law Enforcement Organizations.

The fact that neither Brown nor Garner was armed, yet the officer was not indicted by the respective Grand Jury in either case, has led to concern among many African Americans, as well as other people of good will and a sense justice. There is an understandable sense that the system did not work to produce an appropriate result for survivors of either Brown or Garner.

I will stipulate up front, as I have before, police officers have a difficult job. I cannot imagine any circumstances under which I would want the responsibility they are charged with, each and every day. Having said that, the simple truth is, I do not have that burden; officers, however, do. It is therefore their obligation to manage the duties, obligations, and responsibilities with which they are charged, with a sense of care that will enable them to go home unharmed at night. But I think, and I hope, they will act in a way that also permits unarmed citizens to do the same…or to be taken into custody alive, if custody is warranted.

The cases of Brown and Garner have been elevated and parsed ad nauseum. Two cases, which in my view are just as controversial, but which have received less attention to date are those of John Crawford, 22, who was shot and killed in a Beavercreek, OH Wal-Mart, August 5^th, and Tamir Rice, 12, who was shot to death in a Cleveland Park, November 22^nd.

Both Crawford and Rice were shot after 911 callers reported they were wielding weapons. That was true, in a manner of speaking, and up to a point. That is to say, there were carrying facsimiles of weapons. However, pertinent details were not communicated, or were miscommunicated in each instance.

For his part, a caller reported Mr. Crawford was pointing his weapon at store patrons, and that at one point he was loading the gun, which looked like an AR-15, with ammo. However, when interviewed later, the patron, who incredibly enough was allowed to view the Store’s Security Video, as he made his official statement, amended his version of events to reflect that Crawford did not ever raise the weapon or point it at anyone. Ultimately, of even greater importance was, he did not load the weapon with ammo because…it was not actually an AR-15, but a BB Gun that he had picked up in the store. Oops!

In the case of Tamir, a 12-year old, the caller actually told the 911 receptionist that the gun looked as though it might be a toy. This information was never relayed to the responding officers, or so it is reported. This oversight or lapse proved to be critical, as Tamir’s gun was a toy. In both cases, the officers shot the victims within seconds of confronting them.

Edward Abbey, an American author, and essayist, noted for his anarchist political views, is credited with a number of quotes, including the meme, “If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.” If the Crawford and Rice cases are apt barometers, Abbey’s meme will have to be expanded to include toy guns.

As a kid I grew up playing with toy pistols early in life, only to have them taken away later, with the prescient warning that guns are not toys. Undoubtedly, I resented the advisory at the time, but as with so many other things, I have come to see the limitless wisdom of my elders.

In a world where police, and even Neighborhood Watch Captains, may use deadly force, without consequence, even when you have no weapon at all, it certainly does not serve one’s best interest to have a toy gun. While I am on record as supporting placing reasonable limitations on access to guns, I am rapidly moving to the point of view that every adult of sound mind should have a gun, a real one, and the willingness/commitment to use it to protect him or herself against the pending tyranny of someone who may wantonly employ deadly force against them, and not even be held accountable for having done so.

“#NOSUCHTHING…ASATOYGUN!” I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Eric_Garner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_John_Crawford_III

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Tamir_Rice

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/11/12-year-old_boy_shot_by_clevel.html

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/23/justice/cleveland-police-shooting/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYa9rzUSXW4

http://fox13now.com/2014/11/23/official-identifies-12-year-old-with-air-gun-killed-in-cleveland-police-shooting/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/23/1346936/-911-caller-says-There-s-a-guy-with-a-pistol-and-it-s-probably-fake-12-yr-old-killed-by-Rookie-Cop

http://article.wn.com/view/2014/11/24/12YearOld_Boy_Killed_By_Cleveland_Police_After_Wielding_BB_G/

http://www.thejournal.ie/boy-shot-by-police-in-playground-1795868-Nov2014/

http://news.sky.com/story/1379087/police-shoot-dead-12-year-old-holding-fake-gun

http://reason.com/blog/2014/11/26/police-shooting-of-pre-teen-in-cleveland

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/02/the-cleveland-cops-who-fired-137-shots-and-cried-victim.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/source-walmart-gunman-was-carrying-toy-rifle/

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/cops-shoot-and-kill-man-holding-toy-gun-walmart

http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/09/surveillance_video_released_of_walmart_toy_gun_police_shooting.html

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/breaking-video-finally-released-cops-shooting-man-toy-gun-wal-mart/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/24/john-crawford-iii_n_5876574.html

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/12/family-of-ohio-man-shot-and-killed-in-walmart-for-holding-a-toy-gun-sue-company-police/

http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2014/10/is_it_a_toy_or_a_real_gun_wal-.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9FtNOV6Qhk&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DS9FtNOV6Qhk&has_verified=1

http://rt.com/usa/193656-guns-walmart-crawford-shooting/

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/people-rally-at-ohio-walmart-where-cops-shot-man-holding-toy-rifle

http://news.yahoo.com/police-killed-john-crawford-walmart-155002241.html

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/sep/25/ohio-shooting-walmart-video

It’s time to Break It Down!

Ultimately, if you really want to know the answer to that question, you would do well to ask them. Having said that, I recognize my personal limitations in addressing, knowledgeably, such a complex issue as the question at hand. Therefore, I will stipulate from the outset I will consult sources more intimately familiar with the subject than I am, or will likely ever be.

Today, as the nation stands poised to usher in a new Congress, with a Republican Majority in both Houses, the GOP frequently speaks with great passion and enthusiasm about the voters having spoken, and having given their Party a clear and unequivocal numerical advantage in the House and Senate. They consider that a mandate. As a result, they are, or at least they feign incredulity that the President even contemplated, to say nothing of took action to employ Executive Orders, with which they obviously disagree. They warned of “An explosion” if the President used an Executive Order to activate movement on the Immigration front.

I applaud the GOP on their impressive victory last month. However, let’s not get carried away. I could at least respect, if not appreciate this logic leap, were it consistently applied. What ever do I mean, you ask? I mean, quite simply, that in 2008, President Obama won the Presidency, and Democrats swept to substantial victories in both the House and the Senate. Guess what the reaction of the GOP Elite was. Do you think, perchance, it was to say, “Good job Democrats; let’s see how we can work together to advance legislation, big and small?

Aitch to da no! In fact, key members of the GOP Leadership, including, among others, Representatives, Eric Cantor (VA), Paul Ryan (WI), Kevin McCarthy (CA), and Pete Sessions (TX), along with Senators, Jim DeMint (SC), Jon Kyl (AZ), Tom Coburn (OK), John Ensign (NV), and Bob Corker (TN) held an anti-Obama/Democrats strategy session. Non-lawmakers in the meeting included Newt Gingrich and Frank Luntz.

According to Robert Draper’s book, “Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives,” the group spent four hours on the evening of the Inauguration, plotting ways to not just win back political power, but to put the brakes on President Obama’s legislative platform. The author quoted Representative McCarthy as saying, “If you act like you’re the minority, you’re going to stay in the minority. We’ve gotta challenge them on every single bill and challenge them on every single campaign.”

This meeting resulted in a defined game plan moving forward that included the following points:

• Go after Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (Which Senator Kyl did, beginning the next day.)
• Show united and unyielding opposition to the President’s economic policies (Eight days later, Minority Whip Cantor would hold the House Republicans to a unanimous No against President Obama’s economic stimulus plan.
• Begin attacking vulnerable Democrats on the airways (The first National Republican Congressional Committee attack ads would be run in less than two months.)
• Win the spear point of the House in 2010. Jab Obama relentlessly in 2011. Win the House and Senate in 2012.

While, Mitch McConnell were not present during the meeting discussed above, by the end of 2010, after the GOP took control of the House, Senator McConnell was at least spiritually on board, as he declared, “Our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term.” This after he was quoted in the November 4, 2010 Edition of the National Journal as saying, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term President.”

According to the Gospel of Conservatives, President Obama and his “God-awful” policies are the foundation of bedeviling economic failure. This is the narrative the GOP has spun since the President proposed the initial stimulus package, as well as during the bailouts of the banking system, and the automotive industry. In hindsight, most economists view the combined effects of the stimulus package, TARP, and the auto bailout as pivotal steps in applying an economic tourniquet that stopped the bleeding and prevented the Great Recession from expanding to become the next depression.

Moreover, over the duration of the 6 years completed in President Obama’s tenure, the Dow has grown from 7,949 to 17,830, the Unemployment Rate has dropped from 7.8% to 5.8%, GDP Growth has progressed from -5.4% to 3.5%, and the GDP Deficit has decreased from 9.8% to 2.8%. In other words, while the job is not complete; there is still work to be done to improve our economy, and create high wage, full-time employment opportunities, we may not be where we want to be, but thank God, we are not where we were.

In the process of rescuing and rebuilding our economy, President Obama has presided over 56 consecutive months of private sector job growth; a record for the country. His detractors will argue that too many of the jobs are, low-wage, part-time, full time, but less than the standard 40-hour work week, and that the low level of work force participation is responsible for the downward trajectory of the unemployment rate.

The truth of the matter is these factors are infrastructural in nature, existed before President Obama took office, and are likely to persist long after he is gone. More truth…as noted above, the GOP has fought the president every step of the way. If he had even a modicum of assistance and/or support from the so-called “loyal opposition,” the economy would be in even better shape than it is. As it stands, he’s done a hellava job, and his economic policy initiatives, when viewed in the cold light of day and the inexorable passage of time, have been on target more often than errant.

Whether the discussion has been the economy, health care, voting rights, gun law modification, Presidential appointments, immigration, race relations…whatever the subject, the GOP has adamantly opposed President Obama. In several instances, the Grand Old Party has abandoned a previous position, rather than align itself with a proposal offered by the President. It would be funny, were it not so ridiculous, and all too often deleterious to our country, and of course to us as citizens.

When cobbling together the tenets of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), often referred to as Obamacare, the plan was ultimately framed with components that in large measure had been previously recommended by the Heritage Foundation, the foremost conservative think tank. Needless to say, with the Obama imprimatur intact, the proposal was DOA, as far as Republicans were concerned. As a result, In December 2009, the U.S. Senate passed the measure 60-39, without a single GOP vote. Later, in March 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill 219-212, also without a single Republican vote. The GOP likes to cite this as an example of the President’s unwillingness to work with their Party in a bi-partisan fashion. This assertion is a perfect example of revisionist history, in light of the pact Party Leadership committed to and began executing immediately after the President took Office.

In June 2013, The Supreme Court ruled Section IV of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. The net effect of that action is that certain states, which were required to seek permission to change their voting laws no longer had to do so. That change immediately led to states enacting a series of changes in voting laws that disproportionately affected minorities, students, and the elderly. The changes included requiring voter I.D’s, shortening, or eliminating Early Voting, eliminating same day registration, and making it more difficult for college students to vote. The GOP Party apparatus supported virtually all of these changes. Interestingly, with the exception of the elderly, President Obama won handily the demographics directly curtailed by the new laws.

On the question of Gun Law reform, the NRA has made President Obama one of, if not its most prolific membership campaign issue. The organization presents the President as the guy most likely to take away guns from law abiding NRA members…like me. The suggestion however, is as bogus as the day is long. If statistics are any indication, it’s working, though. Despite numerous mass murders, school shootings, and other horrific gun related killings, after nearly each one, especially those which the President has spoken out on, the NRA or members of the gun lobby initiates PR Campaigns that spike gun sales, often Assault Rifles. The thing is, in the midst of the grainy details, President Obama has not only not taken way peoples’ guns, gun sales and gun ownership are actually increasing under his tenure. The NRA should probably write him a Thank-You check when he leaves office.

As it relates to filibustering Presidential Appointments, it’s fair to say, this is a partisan exercise that has gone on for ages. Moreover, on first blush, I would tend to agree with anyone who made such a case. However, upon closer inspection…always it comes down to the details, the gritty facts of the matter tell a clear story. In the history of the United States, there have been 168 filibustered nominations. Before President Obama, there were 86. On average, that is exactly 2 for each of the 43 Presidents who preceded Mr. Obama. That means, for you higher math whizzes, that 82 of President Obama’s nominees (so far) have been filibustered. That is 41 times as frequent as his predecessors on average. By the way, I am still bemused when I consider, Senator McCain selected Sarah Palin as his Vice President nominee, but considered Dr. Susan Rice unqualified to become Secretary of State. I’ll leave you to ponder that one.

About immigration, it’s worth noting, America, as we have come to know it, is a country of immigrants. That is more than a passing notion. In fact, it is of primal importance. For most of its history, America has been a predominantly white country. But let us not forget, this great nation was occupied when Europeans arrived. Over time, Native Americans, “who hosted us,” for the first Thanksgiving, were dispersed, displaced, or just plain decimated. No, it’s not depicted that way in American History books…but that’s the way it was. That is what happened. Moreover, a large expanse of what we now consider the Southwest and the West was inhabited by people we now call Mexicans. Yes, America was quite different before the explorers, expansionists, cowboys, and other adventurists arrived on the scene. Given the state of our manners and scruples, I can understand why we, collectively, have such a jaded view on immigration. I mean look how we handled it. By the way, were slaves undocumented workers?

Recently, as a result of Congress’ lack of action on Immigration, President Obama, as promised, signed an Executive Order to facilitate immigration action in this country. Republicans are characterizing his action as unique, unlawful, and unconstitutional. They are making this claim, even though every President since George Washington has issued Executive Orders, and it is particularly noteworthy that every president since and including Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower has taken executive action on immigration without facing threats of lawsuits, government shutdowns, impeachment, or loss of executive authority. End of story!

Finally, when it comes to race relations, the first Black President, as he is known, is firmly lodged between a rock and a hard place. When he is not being called a socialist, or a Muslim, or an African (as in not born in America), of a Kenyan anti-colonial, or a community organizer, he is called a racist who hates white people, which is interesting, as his mother is Caucasian.

On Monday, President Obama sat for an interview with BET, in the aftermath of the Grand Jury’s decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who initiated what appeared to be a chokehold that led to the death of Eric Garner in Staten Island, NY. Conservative America frequently argues that President Obama, who shows great restraint in most racial matters, over reaches and demonstrates a clear bias; actually a racist bent. They do this despite of the fact that he always, and I mean always, stresses the fact that we are a nation of laws, and the system must run its course. The curious thing about his critics’ position on this matter, particularly in an instance such as the Eric Garner case is, these are the same Americans who never trust their government…until a neighborhood watchman or a police officer shoots and/or kills an unarmed black man. At that point, amazingly, they seem to trust the government (or its representative) completely.

So, after giving it considerable thought, I think I have figured it out. “What Do American Conservatives Want From President Obama?”

• They want him to wake them up and tell them they have been dreaming since November 4, 2008.
• They want him to convince them that the outcomes of the 2008 and 2012 Presidential Elections were really not what they have been “dreaming.”
• Yes, they want him to tell them that he is still Senator Obama, and that he is completing the fourth year of his second term as the now Senior Senator from Illinois.

Well…let me know how that works for ya. I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.bet.com/video/news/national/2014/a-conversation-with-president-obama.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/07/obama-bet-interview_n_6283656.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000047&ir=Black+Voices

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2014/09/05/obama-outperforms-reagan-on-jobs-growth-and-investing/

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/business/obamas-economic-track-record-is-america-back-on-its-feet.html/?a=viewall

http://www.thespectrum.com/story/opinion/2014/11/12/obamas-real-record-economy/18945557/

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/06/business/economy/november-jobs-unemployment-figures.html?_r=0

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/05/us-usa-economy-idUSKCN0JI1EC20141205

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/09/05/jobs-report.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2014/09/15/obamas-claim-that-businesses-are-in-the-longest-uninterrupted-stretch-of-job-creation/

http://www.factcheck.org/2014/07/obamas-numbers-july-2014-update/

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/in-defense-of-obama-20141008

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/22/colin-powell-voter-id_n_3795986.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/10/11/ben-carson-obamacare-worst-thing-since-slavery/

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/12/montel-williams-takes-on-fox-you-can-not-talk-about-race-all-you-want-but-its-just-a-game/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Contra_affair

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/us/politics/17mcconnell.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/robert-draper-anti-obama-campaign_n_1452899.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-A09a_gHJc

http://americablog.com/2013/10/original-1989-document-heritage-foundation-created-obamacares-individual-mandate.html

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/06/25/us/annotated-supreme-court-decision-on-voting-rights-act.html?_r=0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/11/17/executive-actions-an-increasingly-common-way-for-congress-to-hate-presidents/

It’s time to Break It Down!

In August I wrote about the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson, in Ferguson, Missouri. Protesters conducted a series of vigils, marches, and other acts of mostly peaceful assembly after the first several days following the incident, during which violent acts of civil disobedience ensued.

On Monday of last week, the District Attorney announced a finding of No True Bill, which means, no criminal charges will filed against Officer Wilson. After the decision, which was announced at approximated 9:00 p.m. EST. News outlets announced early Monday afternoon that the Grand Jury had reached its decision, which for sometime had widely been assumed to be no indictment of the Officer. Given that dynamic, a host of factions and citizens had positioned themselves in various places around the City of Ferguson to await the announcement.

As the hours passed, many observers openly questioned why the announcement was being delayed. More wondered if it would actually be made at night, or whether the D.A. would wait until the next morning. Once it was made clear that the D.A. would announce the results of the decision at 8:00 p.m. local time, there was a near universal outcry in the media suggesting that this was a bad call.

Making the announcement at night ensured that local law enforcement and the assembled members of the National Guard would have a much more challenging job controlling what was almost certain to be multiple rowdy gatherings. It would have been difficult to create a more volatile mixture, if one had planned to so…which is exactly what some skeptics accused the D.A. of doing.

Given the preceding stipulations, not surprisingly, the D.A., Robert McCulloch, announced the Grand Jury had not found probable cause to indict Officer Wilson, so No True Bill was issued. Equally unsurprising, riots and looting broke out in Ferguson.

This matter of Brown’s killing has now been front-and-center, or near center for three and a half months. The most recent violence, after nearly three months of peaceful protest, reignited a spate of national psychoanalysis of the black community, played out daily in various media outlets. The one sure thing that has resulted from the country responding to a proverbial open invitation to discuss race matters is a reminder that no matter how much so-called racial progress we have made in this country, the central view of blacks and whites on the matter is poles apart.

Almost certainly, there are blacks folks and white folks who agree on the big picture pieces of the subject. I am not convinced, however, that agreement is representative of the majority of blacks or whites.

As I read the comment sections of news articles and social media outlets in which a white person cites with full-throated authority that black folks’ problems inure from black-on-black murders, a la Rudy Giuliani, or welfare dependence, per Dinesh D’Souza, or the race-baiters, according to Rush Limbaugh, there is almost always a chorus of apparently white voices who can hardly wait their turn to echo the lead voice, and most often illuminate further, for good measure.

Similarly, when I see a black person write or voice what seems to me a well-reasoned, even balanced perspective, whether it be Leonard Pitts who countered the Mayor Giuliani’s rant by explaining that murder is a crime of opportunity and/or proximity, which results in the majority of white murders being committed by whites (83%), or Ta-Nahisi Coates reminding us that this country actually had a very violent beginning (see Africans and Native Americans), or President Obama recognizing that there have been aspects of the legal system that have been historically applied to African Americans in an inequitable fashion, these same white folks, or their ideological twins race to the fore to note that the black writer or speaker, no matter who it is, presents a racist argument.

In a previous space in my life, I spent a fair amount of time participating in and in a number of instances, leading diversity initiatives. I came to recognize that as a matter of course, many white folks enter such conversations with the intractable point of view that racism is a false construct. That is to say, many white Americans believe racism does not exist. Some of these people are willing to concede that it did exist “once upon a time,” but they insist that it was eliminated long ago…and they add, no, they are not racist.

How could they be, since there is no such thing?

A popular argument is that this country ended slavery, and when it did so, the playing field, for all practical purposes became pretty much even. Others, while not making that assertion, argue civil rights laws were enacted in the 60’s, and that ended discrimination. Ergo, with the elimination of racism, and the end of discrimination, any remaining inequity experienced by blacks in America is on blacks themselves, pure and simple.

After years of sifting through different variations of “I am not a racist,” I do not discriminate,” and essentially, “it’s not my fault,” I began to see American History in a much more compelling way. I understood, with much greater clarity, what my parents, teachers, advisers, and mentors meant when they talked about the sacrifices our forefathers made to lay the foundation for the progress I am privileged to enjoy today. May God bless all of them!

Those people did not have an opportunity to discuss such matters in a format even remotely intended to represent equals. They were not merely subjected to electronic bullying and belittling; they were physically assaulted, maimed, or even killed for daring to express an opinion that might be deemed out of line or uppity, as it were. So in comparison, I can almost understand why today, a person could in good conscious contend that there is no such thing as racism, and that discrimination is dead…almost. But not really.

Newsflash! Racism and discrimination are alive and well. Not everything bad that happens to black folk is a result of either. But the fact is, it would be a lot easier to foster and maintain a dialogue, and to move forward if, these pernicious behaviors and practices were called what they are when they do occur, and dealt with accordingly. A popular meme from the 1970’s is “No justice, no peace.” I cannot simply issue a demand that anyone concede racism and discrimination exist. I understand that. But if there is some kind hopeful notion, that if you bury your head in the sand long enough, all this “stuff” will somehow blow over, I have a one word response for you…WRONG!

Moreover, if that strategy makes its way into public policy, I envision a reprise of that 70’s meme…”No justice, no peace!” Sadly, for now, that pretty much sums up “Ferguson: The Aftermath!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/2014/08/13/the-thin-blue-line-a-source-of-deadly-force/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cops-may-charge-michael-browns-stepdad/vi-BBgeYTd

http://www.msnbc.com/topics/michael-brown

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/08/us/ferguson-brown-timeline/

https://plus.google.com/+TheYoungTurks/posts/StU8Qjwn8jr

http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/leonard-pitts-jr/article4187602.html

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/ta-nehisi-coates-african-americans-have-right-to-be-skeptical-of-lectures-about-nonviolence/

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/11/30/3597628/giuliani-blacks-are-responsible-for-the-killings-in-their-communities/

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2014/10/08/the_race_baiters_descend_on_dallas

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/01/dinesh_d_souza_conspiracy_theories_conservatives_blame_the_obama_administration.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

Originally posted on November 24, 2010, and subsequently on November 27, 2013 by alphaheel

As in the past, since it is Thanksgiving Week, this post will deviate from the standard fare. I know that travel schedules (impeded by weather events this year), meal planning, family time, shopping, football, parades, and if there is any time remaining, relaxation, will dominate this week. However, it is Wednesday, so there shall be a blog! It is definitely brief.

Those among us who have perfected humility, and ascended to a genuine Nirvana state, have no doubt, also elevated giving thanks to an art form. The rest of us must fully invest our appreciation in the notion, “That’s why we have Thanksgiving!”

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, which kicks off what we refer to commonly as the Holiday Season. Almost instinctively, Thanksgiving and Christmas come to mind. Yet, there is so more than that to the Season.

Over the next 54 days, many of us will enjoy succulent feasting at Thanksgiving, exchange gifts and contribute to the needy during Hanukkah. We will buy, give, exchange, and/or receive gifts at Christmas, eat, drink, and celebrate the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa, and party and toast the dawn of 2011 (2014/2015), on New Year’s Day. We will honor the life and works of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on MLK Day. In addition, even in these tough (though improving) economic times, this weekend, millions of Americans will pay (literally) homage to our most celebrated of shoppers’ holiday weekends, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, by rising early, and proceeding to scour the aisles for those perfect gifts…and if not perfect, at least cheap, relatively speaking.

In past years, I have recounted my reasons for being thankful. This year I find that I have more reasons than ever to sit contemplatively in humble repose, and affirm boldly, that I know, without caveat, not only the goodness, no the greatness of God, but also of his inestimable and inexhaustible beneficence. I thank Him for deliverance, and for imbuing me with the sense and sensibility to discern the distinction between kairos and chronos, Greek concepts for God’s time, and man’s time, respectively.

Eons ago, when I was a college student, I joined a fraternity; the Oldest, Boldest, and Coldest…but I digress. The point of this reference is that during the erstwhile pledge process, as prospective initiates, we were required to learn a series of poems. There were many, each selected to convey a specific life lesson. Many of them have stayed with me, but none more than Invictus, written by English poet, William Ernest Henley (1849-1903). The Latin translation for Invictus is Undefeated. You may recall it, but just in case, see it below:

Invictus (Latin for Undefeated) By William Ernest Henley:

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

So, as you go about your way tomorrow, and all the tomorrows that follow, recognize that Thanksgiving, at its core, is not simply a day on the calendar. It is a spirit that dwells within us, an impulse that prompts us to thank God (for our being undefeated), and the graciousness to share His blessings with our fellow men and women. Indeed, everyday is “A Time for Giving Thanks!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”  Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kairos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ernest_Henley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invictus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year’s_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

It’s time to Break It Down!

This post in no way purports to be the last word on what for me is a sad and unfortunate situation. Neither is it intended to be the first word, nor an insider’s word. Consider it a personal word, a palliative act, a therapeutic reaction, a cathartic exhaling in response to the constant coverage of my alma mater’s widely publicized transgressions.

I begin by stipulating the obvious. From beginning to end, and we are told that spanned 18 years, many individuals skirted, or down right flouted the rules of convention!

There are those, especially in the media, and card-carrying members of the ABC (Anybody But Carolina) Club, who insist the UNC scandal is “the worst ever”…in the history of the world. Of course I don’t believe that. But I readily concede, I am not only an avid Tar Heel fan; I am a proud alumnus, and Life Member of the University’s General Alumni Association. I have been visiting the campus since the early 1960’s when my mother was treated for cancer at UNC Hospitals. A decade and a half later I earned a Graduate Degree from the Department of City & Regional Planning. I’ve been a die-hard Tar Heel Basketball fan since 1967, when Charlie Scott enrolled, and quickly became the first African American to become a star basketball player in the ACC. As the promo goes at UNC sporting events, I’m Leon Miller, and “I’m a Tart Heel!”

Despite a litany of bases for bias, I am neither blind, nor dense, when it comes to UNC. First and foremost, the purpose and mission of any university, and especially the flagship institution of the State of North Carolina, regularly earning recognition as a Public Ivy, is to provide an exceptional educational experience to those students who enroll and matriculate. Clearly, over a period of 18 years, for more than 3,000 students, the University failed to achieve its mission. It is impossible to stipulate the former without conceding the latter. That is unfortunate. I am disappointed, angry, and embarrassed. I am not, however, abandoning the ship. I’m still a Tar Heel!

There is one reason, and one reason alone that the activities at UNC can be labeled the “the worst ever.” The underpinning for that view is simple. UNC has made more, greater, and more forthcoming efforts to investigate its transgressions, and to subsequently inform, not only a faculty or high-level academic council, but also, the university community at-large, and indeed the world. That in no way reduces the sting, the stench, or the stigma, but it does provide a clear window into the pathway the university is taking to remediate both its internal business processes, as well as its reputation. Carolina remains a font of knowledge, and a Citadel of Learning.

The University of North Carolina has not only conducted numerous reviews, both internal and external, it has terminated, prosecuted, and or forced retirement of the principals tied directly to fostering and executing the nefarious scheme that led to the scandal. In addition, UNC has initiated a vast array of new and revised policies and procedures designed to ensure that administrators never again repeat such academic indiscretions.

The University has launched several initiatives to strengthen the academic experience for its nearly 800 students who are athletes. Those include “Carolina Leads,” a strategic plan that is a roadmap for all aspects of Carolina athletics, including academics as well as the department’s alignment with the University, competition, finances, community service, and the hiring and training of coaches, administrators and support staff.

Those initiatives also include the creation of the Student-Athlete Academic Initiative Working Group led by Provost James W. Dean Jr. and Cunningham; the hiring of Michelle Brown to direct the Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes; and an increased role for the Faculty Athletics Committee.

The Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes now reports directly to the provost, the University’s chief academic officer.

Even among Tar Heel faithful, the debate rages about whether the scandal was academic or athletic. While it’s clear an academic dreamed up and executed this horrible scam, I tend to agree with Chancellor Folt, who in the aftermath of the now infamous Wainstein Report, declared, “Wainstein’s findings definitely show that the fraud was both an academic and athletic problem.” She went on to say, “The bad actions of a very few and inaction of many more failed our students, faculty and staff and undermined our institution.” She termed it an “inexcusable betrayal of our values.”

There is yet another shoe to drop. The NCAA still must weigh in on this matter. I have no crystal ball, so I will not even hazard a guess as to the scope of their prospective actions. I know many folks, who do not cheer for the Tar Heels hope one or more Basketball Titles will disappear. I have heard others posit that scholarships should be withdrawn. Any or all of that could happen; anything is possible. Those who follow the NCAA know the Body is capable of the unpredictable.

My alma mater is culpable in this matter. I neither seek, nor expect sympathy for their case. What I would hope for is a more balanced presentation of the facts. Broadly speaking, the media too often does what it does. That is, tell a sensationalized version of the story, that while mostly true, omits or deletes key details necessary for the presentation to be fair and balanced. For example, I saw an article this week in a national publication that asserted that 3,100 athletes took the paper classes of a period of nearly 20 years. The Wainstein Report was released a month ago. That is lazy journalism. Yes, 18 years is nearly 20, but not only is it more economical to say “18 years,” it’s also accurate. Speaking of accurate, it is flat inaccurate to claim 3,100 athletes were in the classes. It is true that 3,100 students took the classes, but…less than half those were athletes. That is a huge piece of statistical misinformation.

I get it; the story is not going away. OK, fine, tell the story, just get the facts straight. That’s all I’m asking. And that, my friends, is my story, and I’m sticking to it. “Blue Heaven: One Man’s View!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Heaven-History-UNC-Basketball/dp/6302982596

http://advancingrefor.staging.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/UNC-FINAL-REPORT.pdf

http://nypost.com/2014/11/16/unc-scandal-isnt-about-athletics-its-about-empty-degrees/

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/18/north-carolina-will-pay-pr-firm-1-65-million-for-help-with-academic-fraud-scandal/

http://abc11.com/sports/key-player-in-unc-scandal-leaving-chapel-hill/395322/

http://chapelboro.com/lifestyle/opinion/unc-academics-scandal-painful-hit-college-sports-loyalists/

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/10/25/4263755_unc-scandal-ranks-among-the-worst.html?rh=1

http://www.saintpetersblog.com/archives/166696

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/11/11/unc-student-athlete-scandal-gets-renewed-scrutiny-as-man-claiming-to-be-former-football-player-goes-on-radio-to-name-names/

http://www.natlawreview.com/article/player-eligibility-above-academic-integrity-ways-to-avoid-unc-chapel-hill-s-academic

http://abc11.com/education/unc-seeks-to-move-willingham-case-to-federal-court/398568/

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/11/17/4331318/unc-ch-should-weigh-giving-up.html

http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=8549

http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=8832

http://faccoun.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20120726ReportFECSub_9_FINAL.pdf

http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=9068

http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=9070

http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=9835

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2014/10/28/north-carolina-tar-heels-bubba-cunningham-wainstein-ncaa

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/10/22/4255098/unc-investigation-bogus-classes.html

Five years ago, I wrote a post in recognition of Veteran’s Day, and the service personnel we as a nation honor on that day. In 2009, as will be the case next year, Veterans Day fell on Wednesday, and as such, the stars aligned perfectly for that week’s blog post. As our nation continues to grapple with conflict overseas, I decided to re-post the Veteran’s Day 2009 Edition of “Break It Down!”  

It’s worth noting that while our fighting forces officially exited Iraq in December 2011, we still have military personnel there.  Our forces are expected to leave Afghanistan (the other hotspot referenced in the initial post) by 2016.  Also, for the record, we have a variety of personnel in Iran, Syria, Libya, Mali, Somalia, Pakistan, Philipines, and Yemen…lest you think the world is a peaceful place.  

Enjoy, and if you didn’t take the opportunity to thank a veteran yesterday, reach out and do so today. Moreover, to all of you who are veterans, “Thank you for your service.”

Many of you know, or at least faintly recall that I frequently alter the blog format to integrate holiday traditions into the discussion. Often holidays are expanded by days away from work, long weekends, travel, and a host of leisure activities. In those cases, I prefer to scale back in recognition that aside from road map directions, GPS instructions, and the like, very little reading will be taking place.

As most Americans know, today is Veterans Day. At a time when the United States is engaged in twin wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and working fervently to ease tensions in a trio of other hot spots, including Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea, American service men and women are regularly front and center. The unfathomable horror visited upon soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas last week makes the value and vulnerability of one of our greatest resources resonate even more palpably. But what do we really know about this day that has been set aside to honor real American heroes and sheroes?

Well, first, Veterans Day is not Memorial Day, and vice-versa. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day is intended largely to honor Living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty. Memorial Day honors those veterans who died in the service of their country, particularly those killed in combat, or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

We also know that Veterans Day is a different kind of federal holiday. With the exception of Sundays, it falls on its actual date. In 1968, Congress approved the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This law, which took effect in 1971, amended the observance of certain federal holidays so that Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day would be observed on Mondays instead of fixed dates.

Congress passed the Act to increase the number of three-day holiday weekend for federal employees. After a loud and persistent outcry from veterans and veterans groups, who argued the historical significance of November 11th was compromised by the change, Veterans Day observance was returned to November 11th in 1978.

So how did this affinity for November 11th come about? As with many historical facts, it evolved. Veterans Day began as Armistice Day. The significance of Armistice Day is that it was the day of the signing of the Armistice that terminated World War I (WW I). In effect, WW I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. That was when the Germans signed the document, ending hostilities that had begun in 1914. President Woodrow Wilson subsequently proclaimed the first Armistice Day, November 11, 1919.

WW I was deemed The Great War, and was thought by many, at the time, to be “The War That Ended All Wars.” It was, as the numeric designation suggests, the first World War. Of course, more wars would ensue. There was World War II (WW II), later the Korean Conflict, and then Vietnam.

In 1953, a store owner in Emporia, Kansas, Al King launched an idea to honor all veterans, not just those who served in WW I. The idea took root, sailed through Congress, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law May 26, 1954. Congress amended the Act November 8, 1954, changing Armistice to Veterans, and thus it has been ever since.

So today, especially around “The 11th Hour of This 11th Day of the 11th Month,” to augment a popular bumper sticker, “If you can read this, thank a teacher…and a veteran!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day

http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=veterans+day&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=dD36Sq2oIM_gnAeEsKyJDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=7&ved=0CC8QsAQwBg

http://www.history.com/content/veteransday

http://www.history.army.mil/faq/vetsday/vetshist.htm

http://www.patriotism.org/veterans_day/

http://www.military.com/veterans-day/

http://www.nraila.org/legislation/read.aspx?id=5202

http://www.military.com/veteransday/History.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_armed_forces

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniformed_services_of_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Public_Health_Service_Commissioned_Corps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration_Commissioned_Corps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Monday_Holiday_Act

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armistice

Yesterday was Election Day in America. Three weeks ago, I challenged my home state, with a directive, “North Carolina Raise Up,” and vote, as the state’s Early Voting process kicked off. My homies responded. The voters of the state recognized what was at stake, and came out in stout numbers throughout a legislatively (I believe vote suppressing) shortened Early Voting session.

I followed up the first week’s primal urging with a clarifying question, “#TURNOUTFORWHAT?” In that post, I explained what was at stake, pointing out a number of clear and pressing reasons for anyone with a moderate-to-progressive outlook to tune out the noise and just go vote.

Disregarding the cacophony of media talking heads that have been predicting for weeks that the Senate would almost certainly transition to a Republican majority, I chose instead to focus on what I believed to be an opportunity for Democrats to control their own destiny. North Carolina, at this juncture in time, is a purple state. Still, in a statewide race, unencumbered by the heavily partisan gerrymandering of a Republican State Legislature, Democrats retained an opportunity to do their part to resist the inexorable push to turn the Senate Red.

As I wrote, it is likely that when the dust settled, the GOP will control the Senate, and conceivable that Senator Hagan would not be able to hold on to her seat. Ultimately, that is precisely how it played out. There are still a few votes to be counted, but the Republicans will control the Senate and NC.

In the final analysis, I observe with bemusement that that the GOP message, intent on tapping into a wave of discontent with President of Obama was not only successful for its base, it was so effective that many Democrats eschewed any attachment with the President. At least one Senate candidate even refused to admit she voted for the President, despite the fact she served as an Obama Delegate…twice. I am not a politician, and I have no desire or inclination to become one. I do admit, I find it dispiriting to see candidates, even in states the President won, in effect, advising the President to stay the heck away.

I voted early, and continuously advised others to vote, either early, or on Election Day. But, while I lamented the GOP’s brazen acts of voter suppression, I confess, it does not surprise me that African Americans and young voters, staples of the Obama Coalition, voted in much lower numbers than in 2012. Yes, it’s true Americans vote less across the board in midterm elections. However, I think yesterday may have been a preview for a systemic issue that may haunt Democrats in 2016.

The famed Obama GOTV (Get Out The Vote) mechanism proved formidable in 2008, and again in 2012. Yet, in 2014, just as in 2010, it proved to be a vastly different tool when Barack Obama was not on the ballot. It is a formula, but I submit, the secret sauce is the President. Without him, it will not be the same. The theory among the candidates who distanced themselves from the President was that the President was toxic. He would have been a burden, not a boon, were he to have campaigned for them. They believed, by shunning the President, white folks would come back to the Party. How’d that work for them?

The truth is, Democrats have one loyal voting block…African Americans. The President has for six years gone out of his way to establish that he is the President of America, not black America. However, despite not catering to them, African Americans voted overwhelmingly for President Obama over two elections, giving him an average of 95% of their votes.

Republicans blame the President for every ill the country experiences, from Wars in the Middle East to Ebola. Simultaneously, they refuse to credit him for the improved economy, the robust Dow, the elevation of the S&P 500, relative GDP Growth, the reduction of the deficit, the increase in consumer confidence…even lower gas prices. Democrats just ran from him. Political Scientists will discuss this for the foreseeable future, but in some of the closest races, Florida, and North Carolina for example, a Presidential presence, versus absence, may have made a difference. There may not have been enough traction to prevent flipping the Senate…but then again, there might have been. So, alas, we’ve come to this…”Electoral Trilogy: The End of the Story!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/04/showbiz/lil-jon-vote/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=NC+election+results&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=2014+midterm+election+results&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

http://www.politico.com/2014-election/results/map/senate/#.VFm0P4e4lPM

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/results/

http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/BOE/Pages/default.aspx

https://plus.google.com/+RollCall/posts/A7JtL6ckFHC

http://www.wbtv.com/category/238619/election-results

http://www.ncsbe.gov/ncsbe/election-results

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/04/upshot/election-results-2014-the-vote-count.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0

It’s time to Break It Down!

Let me begin by stipulating one indisputable certainty. If you are eligible to vote and you do not; YOU…are part of the problem!

Occasionally, I believe a post is so time-sensitive; I follow it up with a discussion or expansion of the same topic, from one week to the next. Voting is that kind of compelling issue.

Without a doubt, I laid the framework for defining this conversation in last week’s post. And, just as with last week, this post is a directive, not simply a narrative. The instruction is still simple. The 2014 General Election Day is Tuesday, November 4^th. In North Carolina, Early Voting began Thursday, October 23^rd, and extends until this Saturday, November 1^st at 1:00 p.m. There are four (3½) days left to vote early. But remember, if for some reason, you miss every opportunity to vote early, you may, and should still do so on Election Day. So, dear readers, your mission, and hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians have already accepted it, is, GO VOTE! It’s just that simple.

Historically speaking, in midterm elections, such as this one, voting levels drop off appreciably. This trend goes back at least as far as 1840. In looking at recent elections, in 2008, a Presidential Election year, 57.1% of the voting age population cast ballots. That number was actually the highest in four decades. However, just two years later, in 2010, only 36.9% voted, a decrease of more than 20 percentage points. In 2012, the turnout rebounded by nearly 17 percentage points to 53.7%. Obviously, these vacillating numbers resulted in generating significant public policy implications.

In 2008, President Obama shocked the world and became the nation’s first African American President. Just two years hence, in 2010, in the aftermath of a low turnout election, Republicans displaced Democrats as the Majority in the House of Representatives. That change led to one Chamber of Congress alternating between reluctance to negotiate with or support the President to acting straight up intransigently, and openly working to deny any policy initiative put forth by this President.

The inside baseball discussion related to this election revolves around whether the GOP will be able to impose Double-Jeopardy on President Obama by supplanting Democrats as a Majority in the U.S. Senate. Numerous polls have suggested that such an outcome is indeed the most likely one. I don’t have a Crystal Ball, and I am certainly not taking bets on the outcome. What I will say is, in a Country in which Democrats outnumber Republicans in most states, the outcome will depend upon turnout.

In 2008, and again in 2012, Senator, and then President Obama executed flawless Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaigns. There can be no doubting the skill or facility of the operation. Nonetheless, in 2010, that apparatus remained largely on the sidelines, and Democrats suffered a huge setback. Much has been made of the President’s low poll numbers during much of his second term, up to and including this very moment. Partly as a result of his anemic polling, the President, arguably the Party’s biggest asset, has been reduced to fundraising in “safe” states, and a few campaign appearances in places where the contending Democrats have no doubts about getting elected.

That begs the question, “Will the turnout machinery work on auto-pilot?” After today, we have roughly six days, four for voting, to find out. Here in North Carolina, Early Voting has been attracting a brisk pace. Early indications are Democrats are turning out at a higher rate that Republicans. Given that trend, it is likely to come down to turnout on Election Day. To that end, somewhat akin to the adage, “The job is not complete until the paperwork is done.” This job will not be complete until everyone who is going to vote today through Saturday, and on Tuesday, November 4^th, has done so, and the ballots are counted.

I voted last Thursday afternoon during the first Day of Early Voting. I have checked-in with countless friends to ensure they have, or that they at least have doing so on their schedules and/or calendars. As for you, if you are registered and you have not voted already, I implore you to vote too. It doesn’t have to be today, but if you can, why not? And while you are at it, remind, encourage, and do whatever you can to persuade as many others as you can to vote, as well. In 2008, and again in 2012, Americans responded as though it were a Presidential Election year…because it was. This year is not, but if you vote like it is, it could change everything! We are facing a grave challenge today. How will you respond?

There are many reasons to vote. A few of the ones I care about include, in no particular order:

• The Environment
• Education
• Healthcare
• Reproductive Rights
• Marriage Equality
• Racial Equality
• Human Rights
• Prison Reform
• Women’s Rights
• Global Warming Awareness
• Immigration Reform
• Gun Law Reform
• Student Loan Reform
• Drug Law Reform
• Worker’s Rights
• Voting Rights
• Fairer Sentencing
• Increasing the Minimum Wage
• Reduction of Police Brutality
• Elimination of Gridlock in Washington

I am herewith urging you to Rock The Vote. If anyone happens to ask you, why, or #TURNOUTFORWHAT? Refer them to the list above, or…urge them to pick their own reason.

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rijpU5yD55I

http://vote.forwardnc.com/?voteEarly

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/10/27/4270185_democrats-up-in-ncs-early-voting.html?rh=1

http://vote.forwardnc.com/?voteEarly

http://www.ncvoterguide.org

http://ncelectionconnection.com/voting-in-nc/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/28/1339821/-North-Carolina-turns-blue-Early-voting-data-deep-dive-10-27-Edition#

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/10/28/both-parties-are-happy-with-early-vote-data-theyre-worried-too/

http://www.jdnews.com/news/local/early-voting-continues-through-nov-1-for-registered-voters-in-north-carolina-1.391379

http://www.wncn.com/story/27024591/nearly-400000-early-votes-already-cast-in-nc

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29766398

http://elections.mytimetovote.com/dates/north_carolina.html

http://www.wcnc.com/story/news/politics/2014/10/24/dems-dominate-day-1-of-early-voting-in-nc/17860349/

http://www.hpe.com/news/x532298771/Early-voting-at-fast-pace-so-far

It’s time to Break It Down!

This post is a straightforward matter. It will be brief.

While most weeks I endeavor to tell a story though the blog, today’s edition is really more of a directive than a than a narrative. The instruction is quite simple. The 2014 General Election Day is Tuesday, November 4^th. In North Carolina, Early Voting begins tomorrow and extends until November 1^st. Absentee Ballots may be requested by mail until Tuesday, October 28^th. Your mission, and I know you will choose to accept it, is, GO VOTE! It’s really that simple.

The deadline for registration for the November Election was October 10^th. So, if you’ve yet to register, you’re too late for this election. However, as I like to say, if you ARE eligible, and do not vote, YOU, my friend, are part of the problem.

I am reminded of the expression, “Think globally; act locally.” In a very real sense, we can apply that sagacious advice to voting. We all want our world to be a better place. Often in contemplating that wanting, we think of all the faraway implications of that desire. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, most people’s truth is, it is controlling the nearby, mundane, and readily manageable details that make the greatest impact on our lives, and the lives of those we love and care about most.

Voting is like that. For sure, it is important to ponder for whom you will cast your ballot. Moreover, in the best-case scenario, you’ll learn what they stand for, and the kinds of things for which you can…and should…hold them accountable.

Here in Charlotte, my ballot will include a seat for the U.S. Senate, a seat for the U.S. House of Representatives, a NC State Senate seat, a NC House of Representatives seat, a District Attorney seat, three at-large seats and one District seat for the Board of County Commissioners, a seat for County Sheriff, three seats for Associate Justice of the NC Supreme Court and one for Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court, four seats for the NC Court of Appeals, two seats for NC Superior Court, eight seats for NC District Court, two seats for Soil & Water Conservation District, and Referenda on: a Constitutional Amendment to allow any person accused of a crime in a non Death Penalty case to forego a jury trial, a local sales tax of .25%, Public Improvement Bonds, Housing Bonds, and Neighborhood Improvement Bonds. There you have it; local infrastructure, and elected officials who will make policy that will affect matters in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Raleigh/Statewide, and Washington/the Nation/and the world.

Your and my local actions will have repercussions all the way to global boundaries, as in when our U.S. Senator potentially exercises his vote on our next war. I will not tell you for whom to vote. What I will say is there is one Party that has systematically tamped down, some say suppressed, voting opportunities. That same Party has opposed healthcare reform, defeated an attempt to increase the minimum wage, and refused allow an extension of unemployment benefits, as well as consistently opposed a number of other matters generally deemed to be progressive public policy. I will not be voting for individuals in that Party!

As for you, I implore you to vote. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow, but if you can, why not? And while you are at it, remind, encourage, and do whatever you can to persuade as many others as you can to vote, as well. In 2012, Americans responded enthusiastically to the challenge posed by those who attempted to discourage voting. We are facing a similar challenge today. How will you respond?

I say, “North Carolina Raise Up:” Early Voting Starts Tomorrow!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHnA94-hTC8&sns=em

http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/BOE/voter/Pages/Voting-Info-Lookup.aspx

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Early+Voting+in+Mecklenburg+County&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/midterms-Democrats-Senate-black-voters/2014/10/20/id/601773/

http://www.ncvoterguide.org

http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/BOE/Pages/default.aspx

http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/BOE/Documents/G14%20early%20voting.pdf

http://ncelectionconnection.com/voting-in-nc/

http://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2014

http://www.ncvotered.com