Was it a slip of the tongue or a Freudian slip? I can’t call it but, this time, the racial rhetoric is heating up because of a statement made by Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland.

In introducing Democratic senatorial candidate Ben Hardin on Sunday, Hoyer had some comments about Michael Steele, the African American Republican lieutenant governor and Cardin’s opponent. One comment, in particular, caught the attention of the Steele campaign. Hoyer told people in attendance that Steele had a history of “slavishly supporting the Republican Party.”

Umm…hold the phone! Did he say “slavish” in reference to a black candidate?

Whether they are using this to make political hay or not, Steele and his people have a right to raise hell about this. If someone made a slavery reference about me, they would get called on it quickly.

Of course, Hoyer offered an apology:

“I should not have used that word. If Mr. Steele did in fact take offense, let me assure him that none was intended.”

But, he did mean to offend him, even if the racial component was unintended. He was calling Steele a “slave” to the GOP agenda. The problem is that, with this country’s history of slavery, this reference takes on a painful, historical significance for African Americans. So, no, Hoyer should not get a pass on this.

I’m no fan of Michael Steele. For the past several years, he, like too many Republicans, have acted like being conservative and possessing rational, independent thought are incompatible. But, Steele, like any other black person, has a right to be offended by racially-tinged comments, unintended or not. When black people hear these references, our antennae do go up and we have to wonder whether these comments should be taken at face value or if there is some hidden racism on the part of the user.

So, Rep. Hoyer, be prepared for more heat and, next time, understand that making slave references in regards to black folks is a big no-no.

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This comes directly from the folks over at Brad Blog. I urge you to check out the full posting, which contains the transcript of what appears to be an unaired interview with former U.S. Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) chair Rev. DeForest Soaries.

In this interview, Soaries states that he feels duped by the White House and Congress in regards to their seriousness about voter reform.

Soaries was appointed by George W. Bush as the first chair of the commission created by the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election Debacle. In the interview, available here for the first time, Soaries excoriates both Congress and the White House, referring to their dedication to reforming American election issues as “a charade” and “a travesty,” and says the system now in place is “ripe for stealing elections and for fraud.”

Having resigned from the commission in April of 2005, Soaries goes on to explain that he believes he was “deceived” by both the White House and Congress, and that neither were ever “really serious about election reform.”

The explosive comments are the latest evidence highlighting serious deficiencies in the federal body, created by HAVA for oversight of elections systems, including new electronic voting devices, and standards for the use and security of those systems.

In the unaired interview, conducted last August, Soaries says there are “no standards” for voting systems and that Congress and the White House “made things worse through the passage of the Help America Vote Act.”

Due to underfunding and lack of attention to the EAC and the Election Reform it was supposed to oversee, Soaries says we now have an “inability to trust the technology that we use” to count votes in our American democracy, even as “we’re spending a billion dollars a week in Iraq.”

“We know more today about how to build a machine to take pictures of rocks on Mars than we know about how to build a machine to safeguard the American right to vote,” complained Soaries in the interview.

read the rest of the story here

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Ignorance and racism often reside side by side, even if the person in which they are housed appears otherwise intelligent and learned. Gerald Schoenewolf is an example of this. Schoenewolf is a New York psychotherapist and prominent board member of the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), coalition of psychologists who believe it’s possible to “cure” homosexuality.

This time, however, it is not his views on homosexuality that have him in hot water. This time, it is his views on race that have stirred up the pot. His, essay, titled “Gay Rights and Political Correctness: A Brief History,” offers us gems such as the following:

“There is another way, or other ways, to look at the race issue in America…Africa at the time of slavery was still primarily a jungle… Life there was savage … and those brought to America, and other countries, were in many ways better off.”

Yeah, just think of how well we had it once we got here. Thank de Lawd!

Also, Schoenewolf dismisses the civil rights struggle by labeling it, “irrational”. For it’s part, NARTH is apologizing (sort of) for Schoenewolf’s essay by posting the followning on its web site:

“NARTH regrets the comments made by Dr. Schoenwolf about slavery which have been misconstrued by some of our readers. It should go without saying that we do not wish to minimize the suffering of those who have been mistreated because of race, sex, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.”

Nonetheless, Schoenwolf is not only still a member but, also, sits on NARTH’s Science Advisory Committee.

Schoenewolf, however, stands by his assertions. Saying that, “The civil rights movement has from the beginning and today seen itself as good and others are evil, like slaveowners are evil” and that “All such movements [civil rights, women's rights and gay rights] are destructive.”

Racism is not only about Jim Crow but, also about James Crow, Esquire. Just because the perpetrators are allegedly scientists and researchers does not mean they are any less racist. In fact, one could argue that they are the worst kind of racist because they pervert science to justify their hatred.

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I’m not into making predictions but, this is a huge battle for anyone to face.

Wesley Snipes was indicted today on charges of tax fraud. He stands accused of fraudulently claiming refunds of nearly $12 million on taxes already paid and, also, for not filing tax returns for six years.

from the article:

According to the indictment, Snipes had his taxes prepared by accountants with a history of filing false returns to reap payments for their clients. As part of the deal, the indictment alleges, the firm, American Rights Litigators, would receive 20 percent of refunds from clients.

Snipes faces a maximum of 16 years in prison.

Snipes, who had a home in Windermere, Fla., has not been arrested because authorities don’t know where he is, the IRS said.

In 2002, the Justice Department sued a Florida tax preparer who it said filed bogus tax refund claims, including a $7.3 million demand for Snipes.

Snipes was not named as a defendant in that case, but the lawsuit said the preparer’s largest claim was an amended income tax return filed on behalf of the actor and dated April 14, 2001. The return requested a $7,360,755 refund for taxes paid in 1997. The return said that Snipes’ adjusted gross income was zero, according to the lawsuit.

It said the preparer, Douglas P. Rosile Sr., told clients that only income from foreign sources was subject to taxation. The resolution of that lawsuit could not be immediately determined.

They say death and taxes are inevitable. One way or another, both get what they come for.

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In a follow-up to my post, “Nikki Giovanni Blasts Blackwell“, I came across something interesting that I wanted to share. Even though the sponsors of the event apologized for the “inappropriate” remarks of renowned poet and Cincinnati native, Nikki Giovanni, there were others, like myself, who had no problem with her saying what she said, when she said it.

In looking at a poll on our largest local paper’s website, readers were asked to respond if they thought Nikki Giovanni’s words were appropriate for the event. Here’s the results as of about 10:40am today:

The “ayes” have it and, it appears that a lot of “eyes” are wide open here about Ken Blackwell.

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Have you ever wondered why police-community relations are so bad in many urban areas? Perhaps Baltimore can give you an idea. Back in March, a grand jury in Baltimore released a report that, up until now, received little press. However, the suggestions offered by the report are powerful. Among them, is a recommendation that, by year’s end, the city cut the rate of arrest that result in no charges by 50%.

Yes, you heard right, people are being arrested for things that result in no criminal charges.

So, what you have are people “in the system” as having been arrested, which can have negative impacts on their livelihoods. Each time something like this happens, the party in question is forced to pay a $37 fee in order to get a record expunged.

The jury also recommended that this expungement fee be waived and, instead, a mechanism be put in place to automatically expunge these types of arrests after 30 days.

In 2005, 21,172 African Americans were arrested, but not charged with a crime. That’s over 21,000 in “the system” who, in the eyes of the law, committed no crime. This also means that jobs and educational opportunities (both current and future) are being put at risk needlessly.

With it being an election year, let’s hope enough of a fuss can be raised about this in the next few weeks to embarass some people into quick action.

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Over the years, I have had my personal criticisms of the NAACP but, I’ll readily admit that they are good at mobilizing lawyers and taking people to court for civil rights violations. So, I was particularly heartened to hear that, in 10 states, the NAACP will be mobilizing to oversee elections.

As an African American, I take my vote very seriously and, as a result, I am very adamant about taking advantage of this sacred right. I saw firsthand, here in Ohio in 2004, how black people’s rights to vote were hindered by long lines, faulty voting booths, provisional ballots and Republican intimidation. We were caught off-guard then. I hope the lessons have been learned and people are prepared.

The NAACP will monitor the following states: Maryland, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. However, they are also urging diligence on the part of voters to make sure that their right to vote is protected and respected.

I, for one, will be doing just that.

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Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet. She is also a proud child of Cincinnati, Ohio. So, it filled my heart to hear her be down for her people and let Ohio Secretary of State, gubernatorial candidate and Cincinnati Native, Kenneth Blackwell have it with both barrels.

In a re-dedication of the city’s downtown square over the weekend, she delivered a poem on what Cincinnati is to her and, in a couple of lines, referred to Kenneth Blackwell as a “son of a bitch” and a “political whore”.

I have reprinted to poem below:
Read More… »

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This one comes from my part of the world — Cincinnati, Ohio.

Steve Chabot, the Republican incumbent for the House from the First District in Ohio, has a new attack ad out against his Democratic challenger, John Cranley, who is currently on Cincinnati’s city council.

Well, first, let me give me disclaimer: I don’t like either of these folks. In my opinion, the black people of Cincinnati have not been served well by either, to date.

Now, back on topic, in this new ad, titled “Riots”, Chabot slams Cranley on his inaction during the outbreak of the 2001 riots, which were finally brought about by Cincinnati’s piss-poor handling of the unwarranted killing of Timothy Thomas at the hands of a police officer.

But, then the ad goes into race-baiting with the following (bolding mine):

“Cincinnati riots. April 9, 2001. The Enquirer said John Cranley ‘lost control’ of the Law & Public Safety Committee at the start of the riots. Cranley admitted he didn’t know what to do. So Cranley turned his back on the police and voted to pay off riot sympathizers with millions of our tax dollars. The result: almost 400 murders, and a 16 percent increase in violent crime. John Cranley lost control, and we’re still paying the price.” Chabot: “I’m Steve Chabot, and I approved this message.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer, which I usually consider very slanted to the Right, actually provide some clarification of the facts:
Read More… »

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Here’s something that may suprise some and cause many to reconsider how they perceive black youth. According to a recent study by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, black youth are more politically-involved than their white counterparts.

According to the study, African American young people are “most likely to vote regularly, belong to groups involved with politics, donate money to candidates or parties, display buttons or signs, canvass and contact the broadcast media or print media.”

The study also said Black people between the ages of 15-25 were most likely to raise money for a charity, tying with Asian Americans.

“Consistent with previous research, African Americans are generally the most politically engaged racial/ethnic group,” the study said.

The Maryland-based organization compiled information from telephone and email surveys done earlier this year with 1,700 young people ages 15-25.

The study’s results departs from other studies that conclude Black youth are more prone to wind up in the justice system, be killed by a peer, become pregnant or contract a sexually-transmitted disease.

Well, this certainly flies in the face of what some would term as “conventional wisdom” when it comes to young black people. Man, it sure is good to have some positive news reported about black kids for a change! I hope some other media outlets take notice.

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