On the evening of April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his last speech. The world remembers his speech in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Mountaintop Speech. Most famously, the closing few paragraphs live in the hearts and minds of Americans for its soaring rhetoric and sheer mouth-opening awe....
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If nothing more than for the brilliant musical score, many of us have watched the biographical movie about the life of Ray Charles more than once. If you are like me, you are familiar with a line uttered by Jamie Foxx, portraying Charles early in the film. When Ray Charles...
Fortunately, I was home for Christmas and not among those sleeping on the polished hard floor of an airport, with the echo of a disembodied voice repeatedly warning not to leave your bag unattended. I would not say I am a regular flyer, but Southwest has been my frequent flying choice for many...
There is an old saw that goes; there is your side, my side, and the truth is in the middle. The liberal perspective advocates a humanitarian view, finding a way to feed, house, and clothe people fleeing inevitable death by gang violence, drought, and starvation. The more conservative view is...
I grew up in the 1960s, and verbal memes were significant in my black experience. Conversational shorthand was prevalent, with words like solid, psych’, and even rap having a different meaning then than now. Solid could take on multiple meanings depending on context; it could mean I understand, you are...
The last piece I contributed to this forum was last Wednesday, November 16, 2022. It was entitled Mass Shootings: An American Institution. Admittedly it was a retelling—in part—of the mass shooting at the University of Virginia. Their football coach Tony Elliot said about the three young men who died in...
Three young men and football players at the University of Virginia lost their lives in a mass shooting that wounded two others returning from a class excursion. The three young men, Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perry, “These were incredible young men with huge aspirations and extremely bright...
A part of the nationalistic, anti-immigrant, and rising anti-Semitic hunger in America is the refusal to examine the U.S. side of the border. The last presidential administration wanted to build walls and accused immigrants crossing our southern borders of being rapists and murderers. In 2018 over 30,000 murders were reported...
The war continues with Russian troops hiding among hospital facilities in the south using staff as cover or shields. They exhibit slow progress toward Kiev even as talks continue and the PR offensive remains solid with Zelensky speaking to the Canadian Parliament and the Prime Ministers of Czechia, Poland, and Slovenia....
Bombardment continues with over 900 missiles launched against Ukraine and the notable media appearance was the on-air protest by an editor on Russian State TV. She was arrested and seems to be held incommunicado from her lawyers. “(T)oo many civilian targets have been hit by Russian bombs for them all...
“Slammer Time” may be on the horizon. It won’t be about the DoJ looking backward or forward, but looking inward to do something historical to maintain democracy. Because a malign GOP is going to try it again. The blueprint was there for a while before it was committed to paper...
CNN’s David Gergen: The Only Thing That Can Stop Donald Trump From Running in 2024 is a Prison Sentence From the Insurrection, we know that conspiring to commit felonies is also a felony. We know with greater certainty that Trump knew what was going to happen, despite Pence’s resistance and...
What? Forty thousand Brazilian fashionistas are keen to move to Connecticut, and Republicans want to stop them? Why? That’s the best news I’ve heard in months! Where, exactly, are they crossing? I’d like to meet them. Maybe they can help me get into some of the A-list clubs I’d normally have no chance of...
Either the political acumen of the voter is in dire need of reeducation, or Democrats need lessons in exploiting a golden opportunity. Republicans publicly pull off political tricks without recrimination. They manipulate the public with chicanery, walk away, and brag about it later. At the beginning of the Biden administration,...
“Today's sentencing of human rights lawyer Steven Donziger should be front-page news ringing alarm bells anywhere people are concerned about democracy, abuses of corporate power, and the rule of law. The real crime here is the death and disease resulting from Chevron's poisoning of the drinking water of thousands of Indigenous...
As she walked through Ronald Reagan airport, Senator Krysten Sinema of Arizona confronted climate activists and others over her ongoing obstruction of the 3.5 trillion dollars build-back better plan. The former Green Party activist who campaigned for Ralph Nader in 2000 (which helped Goerge W Bush win the presidential election...
As she walked through Ronald Reagan airport, Senator Krysten Sinema of Arizona was confronted by climate activists over her ongoing obstruction of the 3.5 trillion dollars build-back better plan. The 3.5 plan is where the majority of climate provisions can be found. It is strongly opposed by the fossil fuel interests that...
Asking a rhetorical question; Is there an ongoing social experiment in this country that has continually pigeon-holed Black people and left the cage open for white men? If you ask a black man or woman—of mature age, we can point out the historical and verbal gymnastics that subtly brainwash our...
If you were old enough and curious enough, most of us can remember where we were when tragedy struck. Historically sad events have a way of freezing that point in time like it is suspended in dry ice; only thawed by the heat of another heartbreak. Again, if you are...
[Governor] “If Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?” CNN debate moderator Bernard Shaw asked that question of then-presidential candidate Governor Michael Dukakis in 1988. The viewers wanted the visceral response but instead received a thoughtful and principled one, one that...
It’s football season again in Pittsburgh. Wild Fight In The Stands During Steelers – Lions Game As Woman Slaps Man, Then The Man Knocks Out Her Husband: Another week of pre-season football, another fight in the stands. A verbal altercation turned violent in the stands during the Steelers – Lions...
Let me start by saying no one—for or against—is in favor of abortion. Subjecting a woman and her partner to outside scrutiny from what is the most anguished-filled decision of their lives, is no business of any of ours to decide for any woman. One of the few tenets left...
As the grandfather of 12 grandchildren, I worry about their safety, health, and lives in this time of excessive gun violence, denial of history, and the life-destroying spread of the virus. Despite their vulnerability, the children of America who frighten me most are the so-called responsible adults who have decided...
Burned out at the end of the Joy-Ann Reid hour on MSNBC, I am ready for mindless tv. By that time, my intellectual palette is dulled by the talk of the continuous meal foisted on me of tasteless conservative ambrosia. A nice, seared steak of the NBA playoffs or a good...
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words, terrorism? 9/11? ISIS? The Taliban? While these examples are certainly just, they don’t always represent terrorism in its entirety. Dan Brown said, “History is always written by the winners”. Stereotypes and generalizations often cause the public...
One incident occurred just hours ago as a flight gets diverted to OKC because a passenger wanted to step outside. Yet another #hijack attempt aboard a plane? The plane was diverted to OKC. Unknown which airline but checking. pic.twitter.com/4kPeYkmmxC — Stanley Roberts (@StanleyRoberts) June 12, 2021 An earlier flight wound...
It is usually a minefield of critical backlash, and what about(s), when you compare the oppression of Jews to the descendants of enslaved Africans in America, but I am going to wade onto the battlefield. What I am not going to do is use the comparison of the holocaust and...
A couple of days ago, alleged congressperson Marjorie Taylor Greene sent a letter to Joe Biden. I read it; you don’t have to. Unless you read at a third-grade level or worse, it might be hard for you to follow. It essentially boils down to “Wuhan lab … Chinese-made virus...
I don’t know if this statement has been diarized, my apologies, but it bears repeating often, so if anyone missed it. The Threats to American Democracy and the Need for National Voting and Election Administration Standards The Bolding is mine Introduction We, the undersigned, are scholars of democracy who have...
How do you know Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are doing a great job and avoiding gaffes that might derail their agenda? Because Fox’s sputtering outrage machine is belching out stupid shit like this: 'DISGUSTING' DISRESPECT: Vice President Kamala Harris ignites outrage over 'misfire' Memorial Day tweet https://t.co/J8VMtU2OCM — Fox...
Former President Trump ordered the Pentagon to release all of its information on “unidentified aerial phenomena” (UAP) within 18 days in his last coronavirus relief bill in December 2020. More inexplicable sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) will be released for public scrutiny in June — including a UFO that broke...
Once Senator Mitch McConnell staked out the politically uncompromising GOP opposition to ‘everything’ Democrats proffered, during the Obama administration, the redline was drawn. Slowly but surely, the so-called moderate Republicans like; Susan Collins, Rob Portman, and John Thune have repeatedly torn their knickers on the fence. Collins, for example, agreed...
Let’s face it, nothing gets through the Senate if Moscow Mitch McConnell doesn’t want it to pass. (Almost nothing: we did get the Covid-19 relief package through, and a few other things, using reconciliation.) And it’s been clear to everyone (even Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema!) that there aren’t 10...
The addition of the 1982 amendments to the Voting Rights Act was a turning point in terms of minority representation. Redistricting is the process of drawing electoral district lines every ten years intended to bring about racially proportional representation. While its purpose was to give weight to minority votes, it...
A guy banned from the Idaho capitol grounds runs for governor. He hates the government so much he wants to become governor. We are in strange times, but after all, Stalin predicted TikTok. I took this video of what I’m prettty sure is Ammon Bundy getting arrested. Go to the end...
Even in Arizona, the Fraudit continues, now interrupted by high school graduations. “We can’t indulge these insane lies any longer. As a party. As a state. As a country” This is as readily falsifiable as 2+2=5. If we don’t call this out… Wow. The Republican who took over Maricopa County...
The leaders of the Insurrection Caucus (aka House Republicans) appeared on Sean Hannity’s Kavalcade of Kraven Klowns last night after ousting Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership position. Aware that the Eye of Sour-Don was likely watching, Obergruppenführer Kevin McCarthy made certain to lather up Former’s balls with the fevered alacrity of...
A Trump indictment moves closer with McGahn agreement to testify to Congress, as with a variety of other possible witness cooperation and NY DA activity. The Manhattan DA is signaling such possible indictments, according to Preet Bharara x Palm Beach planning for possibility of Trump indictment: reporthttps://t.co/V2HdCWrf6G — MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) May 13, 2021...
Marjorie Taylor Greene has tried to pick an actual fight with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and continued to accuse Ocasio-Cortez, Omar and Tlaib of being terrorist sympathizers, calling them the “#JihadSquad.” There is a continuing trope that Trumpists are countering terrorism and that “antifa” is responsible for the predominately right-wing domestic terrorism and more specifically the...
Apparently, most congressional committees are as boring as Texas during a devastating winter storm, because Ted Cruz doesn’t want to stick around for any of them. He just wants to be caught on camera pretending to care. If you want to draw Cruz like a fly to your picnic, you don’t need...