When the rainbow isn’t enough

This past weekend I watched Brick City, a five-part documentary series about the work that Mayor Cory Booker,other communities groups and individuals are doing to make the city of Newark a thriving city. In one scene ( it was a rather quick scene) there is the little boy, couldn’t be more that 11, who was getting ” beat in” by members of a gang. This, made me scream out in horror. He was a baby being hit by  approximately 10 older boys/men. All trying to welcome him into the “family.” I still have flashbacks of what I saw.  This is not coming from a place of judgment, about whether a gang is right or wrong ( truth be told, there are a lot of gangs out there some are just more socially accepted more that others) but it is the idea of wanting to belong so badly that one would allow a group of people to beat them in. Where is that little boy right now? Has become hardened already? Is he still alive? What crimes have he committed? Does he feel remorse?

There was so much to celebrate from that documentary, the city is making great strides, butthat section still lingers. There was another scence where a principal of the main high school stated to the kids after a shoot out happened in front of their school, “This is not normal.” I think the reason why I cried was the fact that there are a lot of kids, babies, who think that it is.

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As I wait for my new ipod to upload the almost 2500 songs (Apple gave me a new ipod ’cause the old, the one I just bought in January, had some hardware issues–happy birthday!) I have on my computer, I am hoping that the computer holds out until this process is finished. I will be meeting up with my friends tomorrow to celebrate and be goofy in Korea Town, in Manhattan. Nothing better than Karaoke in celebration of your birthday! I hope it will be fun. It will be fun.

By the way: How about that Obama speech?!!

Vida La Vida!

For this post I feel obligated to write something. I have only blogged two times for this month. There are times when I miss it, and then there are other times when I don’t.  However, I do know the importance of having a voice…even if no one hears it…or reads it.

What an exciting and frightening time we live in! The recession is real, but so are the possibilities. Politics is so exciting to me. I didn’t appreciate it that much in college the way I do now, even though it was one of my majors. I wish I could sit down with my favorite professor from undergrad, Dr. Emmert, and find out what he thinks of all this.  (That reminds me, he owes me an email.) 

 I am also excited about the weekend and about spending time with my nephew and my friend who just had a baby. We ( my friend and I) are going to get  mani/pedis! I am looking forward to grocery shopping. The Trader Joes at Union Square is a mad house! So, I want to get up early tomorrow and shop before the craziness begins.

Here’s to life!

By the way,  how cool is Coldplays’ new cd, Vida la Vida?!

Political Drama

Am I the only one, or is Jesse Jackson Jr. trying a little bit too hard on this whole Illinios Senate seat controversy? I’m just putting it out there. I remember one night, some years ago, coming from my job, which was across the street from The Capitol, and I came face to face with him and he gave me a wink and a smile…I wasn’t quite sure what that was about but every time I see him on TV I think of that night.

Here is what I say about this issue: I think there are a lot of holes going on in these accusations. Now, I don’t know Governor Blagojevich, but there seems to be a lot of generalizations in his conversations on those tapes. However, I am sure that they have more info on this dude for them to arrest him.

I believe that they should just have an election and have the people decide…or those who show up to the polls anyway. On the other hand, this is Obama’s old Senate seat.

What I Got From the Campaign

The community of Frankford, in Philly, where I volunteered on Tuesday.

I am finally recuperating from the countless door knocking and getting bullied by fenced-in dogs in Philly, on Tuesday. Obama is the President-elect and I am ecstatic but also somber. I look at him and all the people who are looking to him for change and pray that he remains on that steady path; that we, as a people are patient, because the road is indeed long.

It’s funny, now that I am reflective on this really long campaign, I cannot help but notice something: those candidates that did not grow naturally and come into themselves authentically, but compromised who they were, for the sake of winning, lost. I look at Hillary Clinton, a woman who I give a lot of credit to for what she did, making the false statement regarding being under fire in Bosnia or holding up shot glasses in bars to show how “down” she was; to John McCain who I believe sold his independent minded, straight talk soul to a Carl Rovian strategy, just to win. I think of this and then look at the way Barack Obama never strayed from the message, never compromised himself, but grew into that leader who was already there within.

This large-scale example was indeed a lesson to me.

Us vs. Them

Here’s the thing: most of my posts have been very introspective. If you are one of my friends on Facebook you would know that I am really into the political scene; I post like totally serious articles, dude! Anywhoo, if you only read this blog, you would never really know that. However, something has gotten me outside of myself, outside of my mind: this issue of undecided voters in this presidential election and them maybe being, get this– RACISTS!

According to a recent Stanford University/Associated Press/Yahoo study, Obama would be six points higher in the polls if he were white. Wow! Kristof, from The Times wrote about this in a recent Op-Ed piece. In addition to articles that I have read and news shows that I have watched discussing this issue, I have heard this with my own two ears: undecided whites discussing this issue. When listening to NPR two days ago, a working class white woman from Pennsylvania stated that she was afraid that if Obama gets into the White House he would only “help them,” his own. Questions started to swirl around inside my mind: which “them” are you talking about, woman? Are you talking about the poor and working class? Are you talking about the average American? Who are you talking about?

Tim Wise in one of his speeches discussed this race myth and talked about the categorization of race and what that meant for poor whites to actually feel important and subsequently work for rich whites. The first blacks who came to this country were not slaves, they were indentured servants like the other indentured servants who were whites. The poor–black and white, were together. This paradigmatic shift (race classification) occurred and has been perpetuated for centuries– some poor whites feeling a sense of superiority against blacks just because of the color of their skin and yes there are blacks who buy into this myth, as well. So, when that woman talked about her concerns regarding Obama only taking care of blacks, she is ignorantly enforcing this systematic form of oppression that has been placed on the poor, regardless of race. So go ahead and vote for the Republicans, my dear and see if you are going to be one of “them.”

The Pressure Is On…Well, Sorta

So, the African leaders are coming down on Mugabe…finally.

Wait, Wait… Mugabe is still here?

I am listening to Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me on NPR, online, while writing this and it is hilarious. Right now they are talking about getting energy from bouncing breasts! lol

Okay, so now to more serious business: what the heck is going on in Zimbabwe?! Kristof of The New York Times wrote an interesting Op-Ed piece about Mugabe and the hypocrisy of other African nations in holding  him accountable for his actions. Zimbabwe, once the richest country in Africa, has succumbed to a being a country where hunger is rampant and Mugabe, butchers and terrorizes anyone who opposes him.

Kristof entitled the article, “If Only He were White,” and I think that this such a true statement. Black African leaders would be calling for the ousting of Mugabe from his post months ago, if he were white. However, Mbeki of South Africa is standing by him strong, and other African leaders are turning a blind eye, with the exception of Zambian President, Mwanawasa (yeah, ask me to pronounce that for ya!), and people are starving and being tortured. Will we ever get it right, as human beings?

Iraq, 5 Years Later

“For my stepson,Wesley” she said, this was the answer that met me after I asked her about the yellow ribbon on her jacket. It was pinned down by a button of the American flag. He was her step-son, 23 and cannot walk. The ribbon represented hope; she crossed her fingers as she said that he would walk again. He was the worse of the six who survived after his humvee was bombed in Iraq.

I entered the lives of Wesley’s parents, only for a moment: they were a working class family. The dad was outside on the phone while Wesley’s step-mom and I talked. He soon entered the doors of our local ice-cream shop, I could see Wesley’s face on a big button on his dad’s flannel shirt as he came closer. She said that they were flying him to Seattle to see a spine specialist.

This is just one of the many stories that accompany the lives of people affected by this war. I currently live in Silver Spring, MD and I often see young soldiers with disfigured faces and amputated legs sitting out in the downtown area, at the local Starbucks or Ben & Jerry’s with their partners, parents and/or friends. The visual effects of a war leaves me torn– not supporting the act but supporting the men and women who are and were placed in harms way. I also think of the people in Iraq, the ones who are probably so used to hearing the bombs go off that they no longer flinch at the sound. The Iraqi children, especially the ones 5 years old and younger who only know of this reality.

These are my thoughts on the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq…

Bhutto Assassinated

Woke up this morning to the most unwelcoming news: Benazir Bhutto was killed in Pakistan today. Twenty- Two people were also killed .

There are so many thoughts going on in my head right now. She was indeed an idealist, in her speeches she often spoke of a brighter future for the children of Pakistan. Her strength is to be admired.