WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTACT JeffArtis.com? WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE CONTENT IN JeffArtis.com? PLEASE FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING FORM AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU. THANK YOU.
* Over the past 75 years, no group in America has been more demonized than single Black mothers.
* Over the past 75 years, single Black mothers have been demonized for just about everything, from being demonized to justify cuts in social welfare spending, to being demonized in order to win Presidential elections.
* Republicans and Democrats, Blacks and Whites, Christians and sinners, preachers and holy men, the media, the entertainment industry, the music industry have all been guilty of demonizing single Black mothers.
* I was raised by a single Black mother. By all accounts, I would say my Mom did pretty good. I start work on my Master’s Degree in School Administration in June. One of my sisters is a successful doctor in North Carolina. My other sister has a MBA and works in the health care field in North Carolina. My brother is a making a career in the Army as a sargent.
* No stereotypes. No drug addicts. No one went to prison. All of us are successful. Most important, we are not the exception to the rule of children being raised by a single Mom.
* I found the following on the Internet from www.madamenoire.com. I hope you enjoy it and visit the site.
FIVE MYTHS ABOUT SINGLE BLACK MOTHERS
Myth 1: Single Black moms have low-incomes: The ‘single Black mom’ is most often portrayed as struggling and welfare-bound. She is not self-sufficient and because of this her children suffer.
Truth: Until you’ve seen or heard the reality of the situation with your own eyes and ears, reserve judgment. Many single, Black mothers manage to maintain excellent jobs which allows them to support themselves, their children and anyone else she feels so inclined to bless.
Myth 2: A single Black mom raises delinquent children: Rarely does the media show a single Black mother whose children can ‘do right.’ The child of a single Black mom is often portrayed as leading a doomed life filled with drugs, run-ins with the law, and illegitimate children.
Truth: Who among us doesn’t personally know someone who consistently overcomes obstacles, triumphs over any task and just so happened to be raised by a single mother. There are thousands. Never underestimate a Black woman on a mission to raise a strong, successful child. Neither one of them can be stopped.
Myth 3: The single Black mom is just a ‘baby mama’: Most often, the assumption is that a single Black mom is and will always be a ‘baby mama’. She was not and will never be married and she is likely to continue to have children out of wedlock.
Truth: Many Black women who have children out of wedlock do eventually marry the father of their children. When you have children with someone, you two will always share something and it’s difficult to walk away from that. Even if the mother and father of that particular child never get married, their situation may be beyond our understanding. The couple may not believe in a formalized, legal commitment, or more frequently the mother will find another man to marry.
Myth 4: Single Black moms are bad role models: Because they don’t have the “normal” family unit—mom, dad, and baby—many people assume that they are setting a poor example for their children and that their children are destined to do the same.
Truth: Single mothers can often serve as some of the best role models for their children. In any parenting situation, if the mother is honest, the child can learn from her mistakes, even if becoming a single mother wasn’t one of them. Portraits of single, Black mothers often fail to include the possibility of death. Besides that, there are several single mothers who raise their children, obtain degrees, and serve as an inspiration for their children as well as others in their communities.
Myth 5: The father isn’t involved: When you’re a single Black mom—there is always the assumption that your child simply doesn’t have a father. As though, the child was just a product of some careless decision void of vows, love, or relationship.
Truth: There are countless examples of parents who aren’t together as a couple, but manage to stand as a united front when it comes to their children. If the parents are still together as a couple there are even more opportunities for him to bond with his children. Regardless of the situation there have always been Black men who are invested in the rearing and nurturing of their little ones. This false assumption reflects poorly not just on Black women but Black men as well.
* Remember these myths when talking about single Black Mothers.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU SOON
THE ARTIS BLOG
1/26/11
* It was a heck of a speech. You know it was a good speech when Republicans say it was a good speech. Well, I guess this should prove something. Last night’s "State of the Union Address" should shut up those who think President Obama is a socialist. At times, President Obama sounded more Republican than actual Republicans. Never mind. President Obama’s critics will never let the facts get in the way of their sad fantasies.
* Are we seeing the beginning of mass revolution in the Middle East? Stay tuned.
* Former Obama Chief-of-Staff, Rahm Emanuel, should be allowed to be on the ballot in the Chicago Mayoral race. The omission of his name will be a miscarriage of justice. Emanuel left Chicago to serve his country, not to become a Washington, D.C. resident.
* Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has not attended the last three State Dinners held by President Obama. Boehner is next in line to become President of the United States if something were to happen to both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. There is no excuse for Boehner not to attend these dinners.
* I am getting the feeling that Republican attempts to repeal President Obama’s health care legislation are going to backfire on them. Republicans like to say that half of the country does not want Obama’s health care legislation. What Republicans always fail to mention is the majority of those who do not like Obama Care are liberals who do not think Obama’s health care legislation goes far enough. In reality, only about 25% of Americans are against President Obama’s health care legislation. Of that 25%, the majority of those like the key aspects of the legislation.
* It is going to be an interesting fight between Republicans in Congress and the Tea Party. The fun has already started as Tea Party favorite, Rep. Michele Bachmann, gave her own "State of the Union" rebuttal last night. Bachmann's speech was quite interesting, especially the Iwo Jima reference. So much for some Republicans toning it down in Washington.
* Former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen is running against Sen. Jim Webb for a Virginia Senate seat in November, 2012. It is time to get one thing straight right now. George Allen is not a racist as some people are trying to claim. This won't make some people happy, but the truth is the truth.
* Did you see NBC’s, “Meet The Press,” last Sunday? It was sad. “Party of No Ideas” member, Eric Cantor, is becoming the male version of Sarah Palin. Why is it so difficult for Republicans to answer questions concerning Republican cuts to the Federal budget and changes Republicans want to make to President Obama‘s health care legislation? Wait. You have got to have answers for those questions first. The Republicans have none.
* America's governors need to do 2 things, raise taxes 1.5% and cut spending. No, I am not for higher taxes. I am for securing our children’s future, a future our generation and past generations have managed to turn into a nightmare. America's biggest economic problem is we are living beyond our means. As Americans, we want, want, want and demand, demand, demand. However, we do not want to pay for anything. If we want good schools, good roads, police, firemen and other government services we must pay for them. It is called being responsible.
* I have one word for Comcast getting rid of MSNBC’s Keith Olberman, “cowards.”
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU SOON
THE ARTIS BLOG
1/24/11
* Why don’t minority children graduate from high school in the numbers they should? We can get rid of bad schools. We can get rid of bad teachers. We can properly fund our schools. We can pay teachers more money. We can go to year-round school. Still the problems with the American education system will not be solved. Why? Because there are many things out there that the schools simply have no control over.
* Again, what is keep minorities, including poor White, from graduating from high school? Here is what students have told me since 1985. All of the following contribute to or are the cause of young people not doing well in school or dropping out of school.
* Mr. Artis, only nerds do well in school. I do not want my friends thinking I am a nerd.
* Mr. Artis, I want to make good grades in school. I can make good grades in school if I want to. But, my boys don’t do well in school. If I do well in school, my boys won’t think I’m smart. My boys will think I am soft. I can’t have my boys thinking I’m soft. If they don’t think I’m soft then they’ll think I’m trying to be better than they are. I can’t have that.
* Mr. Artis, real Black men don’t think about doing well in school. Real Black men get that money.
* Mr. Artis, I just don’t feel like going to school. I’m just waiting until I can drop out, then I can get my GED.
* Mr. Artis, I do not have to make good grades. My parents are happy if I just pass. A “D” is ok with them. As long as I don’t bring home any “F’s” everything is cool.
* Mr. Artis, why should I make good grades in school? I’m not going to college. I can’t afford college. My family can’t even pay the bills on time, how can I afford to go to college? And if I’m not going to college, why do I need to make good grades?
* Mr. Artis, I don’t need an education. I’m making all the money I need in the hood.
* Mr. Artis, White kids make good grades. And I’m not trying to be White.
* Mr. Artis, my Mom is making it and she didn’t graduate from high school. She dropped out. If she can make it without a high school diploma, I can too.
* Mr. Artis, my Mom said I didn’t have to go to school if I didn’t want to. She said I was grown and I could make my own decisions.
* Mr. Artis, I told my son he’s grown. He’s 14. If he doesn’t want to go to school, he’ll just have to suffer the consequences for it. It’s all up to him.
* Mr. Artis, I told my folks that I wanted to make good grades in school. They got upset. They asked me who did I think I was. Was I trying to be better then them? They told me to remember where I came from, that I was nothing and I would always be nothing. That school was a waste of time.
* Mr. Artis, I’m dropping out of school because I’ve got to take care of my baby. I’ll get my GED next year.
* Mr. Artis, I’m dropping out. I’ve got to get a job to help take care of my family.
* Mr. Artis, do you want to know why I haven't been coming to school? I had to stay home and take care of my little brother and sister.
* Mr. Artis, do you want to know why I haven't been coming to school? With all of the stuff that's happening on the streets, it was safer to stay home.
* Mr. Artis, do you want to know why I haven't been coming to school? I got tired of people making fun of me because I don't have nice stuff. They don't say anything in class, just in the bathroom and in the halls.
* Mr. Artis, do you want to know why I haven't been coming to school? I got put out of my house and I was looking for a place to live.
* Mr. Artis, all the judge said was I had to go to school. He didn't say I had to do any work at school.
* You can’t blame our schools and teachers for everything that’s wrong with education.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU SOON
THE ARTIS BLOG
1/21/11
* Roanoke Va., community activist, Martin Jeffrey, recently refused to accept a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Drum Major For Justice Award," from the Roanoke SCLC because the group also gave the award to Roanoke, Va. School Board Chairman, David Carson and Roanoke, Va. Public School School Superintendent, Dr. Rita Bishop at this year's Roanoke, Va. SCLC Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Banquet.
* In an article printed in "The Roanoke Tribune," newspaper, Jeffrey gave several reasons why he was refusing the Roanoke SCLC's award. Jeffrey felt Carson and Dr. Bishop were negligent in addressing the problems facing the Roanoke, Va. public school system and undeserving of the SCLC award. As such, Jeffrey felt the need to refuse the award.
* Everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, in this instance, Jeffrey was wrong to refuse the award. Frankly, Carson and Dr. Bishop have done an outstanding job trying to fix what is wrong Roanoke, Va.'s public school system.
* There are those who feel Carson is one of the best, if not the best, school board chairman Roanoke, Va. has ever seen.
* There are those who feel the same about the job Dr. Bishop has done as the superintendent of the RCPS, the Roanoke City Public School System. Since I have lived in Roanoke, Dr. Bishop is, without a doubt, the best school superintendent I have seen in the city.
* Those of us who have taken the time to talk to and to work with Dr. Bishop and Chairman Carson know that the problems facing the Roanoke City Public School System are being addressed as never before.
* Those of us who have talked to and have taken the time to work with Dr. Bishop and Chairman Carson know that they have taken and are taking the needed steps to make sure our children have access to an excellent education.
* Over the past 25 years, few have been as critical of the RCPS system as I have been. I know what has been done and what has not been done to make sure all of our children, especially Black children, have access to an excellent education.
* This is a new day for the RCPS system with Dr. Bishop and Chairman Carson leading the way. I was happy to support their nomination for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Drum Major for Justice Award."
* I currently work for the RCPS. Because of this, some may call today's ARTIS BLOG a sell out. I will be accused of sucking up to my boss and a number of other things.
My critics can say what they want to say. I do not suck up. I do not sell out. I cannot be bought off. I simply call them as I see them. Jeffrey was wrong not to accepts the SCLC's, "Drum Major For Justice Award." Carson and Dr. Bishop are more than deserving of their Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Drum Major for Justice Award," from the Roanoke, Va. SCLC.
WE THE PEOPLE
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND
THE ARTIS BLOG
1/19/11
* Monday was the 25'th anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. As we celebrate Dr. King's birthday, we must ask ourselves if we have achieved Dr. King's dream. Sadly, the answer is not yet. We still have a ways to go. Still, things in America are much better than they were 25 years ago.
* Unfortunately, we have tried to white-wash the life of Dr. King, reducing his greatness to his, "I Have A Dream" speech. As such, we have forgotten the true greatness of this man for the true greatness of a man can only be measured by what the man does in trying times. Dr. King lived in trying times. How trying? Who was the most unpopular man in America the day Dr. King was assassinated? Dr. King himself.
* In fact, Dr. King was so unpopular in April, 1968, that if someone would have suggested that Dr. King would one day have his own national holiday, that person would have been considered crazy.
* Who was against Dr. King in the last years of his life? Because of his success and views on Civil Rights and his views on Viet Nam or both many people were against Dr. King. The FBI was against him. Much of the Civil Rights community, including the NAACP, was against him. Young Black militants who preached "Black Power," were against him. Much of the Black press was against him. Much of the national press was against him. Much of the religious community was against him. The American government was against him. President Lyndon Johnson was against him. A large segment of the American people was against him. Even Dr. King's own inner circle and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization Dr. King founded in 1957, had conflicts with him. How times have changed.
* The greatness of Dr. King was not only his success in changing America, but that he did so in spite of how people felt about him. He knew people were jealous of him. He knew people were stabbing him in the back. He knew people were trying to take credit for his work. He knew people hated him. He knew people wanted to kill him. He knew there was a price on his head. He knew he could make much more money and live longer doing something else. Still, Dr. King continued his life's work; a life's work that was based upon the simple principles of right and wrong.
* America is a better place because of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thank you Dr. King.
* As we celebrate Dr. King's birthday we must not forget that racism is alive and well in America, that in America racism is used to make money, to win elections, to get television ratings, to manipulate situations to get what you want and to hide your own faults and shortcomings. All groups in America, regardless of race, are guilty of these practices. We must stop this.
* On the 25'th anniversary of Dr. King's birthday, we must also take the time to look at one of the ugly stereotypes that is out there concerning the 2008 Presidential Election. There is a school of thought that says President Obama only won the 2008 Presidential Election because of his race, that Black people in America only registered to vote and voted for Obama on Election Day because Obama was Black, that Black people really did not know what Obama actually stood for. Of course, this is false.
* People who believe this stereotype forget two simple facts. First, Blacks, in overwhelming numbers, vote for political party first. As such, the Democratic candidate in any given election will get over 90% of the Black vote. In the 2008 Presidential Election, if Barack Obama were Republican and John McCain a Democrat, McCain would have won the Black vote. The Black community simply does not vote for Republicans in this day and age. As a Black Republican, Obama would have been seen as a traitor to Black people; a Black hating, Uncle Tom who is nothing more than a wanna-be-White boy.
Second, we cannot forget the events surrounding the beginning of the 2008 Presidential campaign. Obama was severely criticized by the Black community for running for President in 2008. Blacks wanted Obama to wait until 2012 or 2016 to run for President. Why? Blacks overwhelmingly supported Hillary Clinton for President in 2008. In fact, Hillary Clinton had the Black vote locked up until Bill Clinton played the race card before the S.C. Primary. Before that Black people were asking, "Barack who?"
* Blacks also roundly criticized Obama for the timing of his announcement that he was going to run for President. Obama's announcement took place the weekend Tavis Smiley was holding his Summit on Black America. The Black community thought Obama had a lot of nerve taking attention away from Smiley's event.
Obama got the Black vote because he worked for it. Obama won the Democratic nomination because Hillary Clinton sold him short and he took advantage Clinton's mistakes. Obama won the Presidency because John McCain ran a bad campaign. Yes, there were some Blacks who voted for Obama because of his race. However, this was offset by those who voted against Obama because of his race, both Black and White people. Yes, there are Black people out there who do not think a Black man is qualified to be President. I have talked to them. Sad, but, true.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU SOON
THE ARTIS BLOG
1/21/11
A LITTLE FUN FROM MY FRIEND JOEL WOOD
NO MATTER WHAT OUR KIDS AND THE NEW GENERATION THINK ABOUT US, WE ARE AWESOME! OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF! TO THOSE OF US BORN BETWEEN 1925 - 1970 :
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930s, '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s!
* First, we survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
* They took Aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
* Then, after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs Covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
* We had NO child proof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets, and, when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps, not helmets, on our heads.
* As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.
* Riding in the back of a pick-up truck, or on the running boards at the side of the pick-up truck, on a warm day was always a special treat.
* We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
* We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.
* We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter, and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar and we weren't overweight. Why? Because we were always outside playing...that's why!
* We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were okay.
* We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
* We did not have Play Stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVDs, no surround-sound or CDs, no cell Phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.
* We had friends and we went outside and found them.
* We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from those accidents.
* We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.
* We ate worms, and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
* We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls, and although we were told it would happen we did not put out very many eyes.
* We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.
* Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that.
* The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law.
* These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, and inventors ever. The past 50 to 85 years have seen an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
* We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
* If YOU are one of those born between 1925-1970, CONGRATULATIONS!
* You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. While you are at it, forward it to your kids, so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.
* Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?
THE QUOTE OF THE MONTH BY JAY LENO:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take
God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
THANKS JOEL
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU SOON
THE ARTIS BLOG
1/14/11
* Right now, Sarah Palin should not be blamed for last Saturday's shootings in Arizona. Right now, neither the right, the left or the over-the-top political speech that has taken over this country be blamed for last Saturday's Arizona shootings. Right now, the only person who should be blamed for last Saturday's horrific event is the shooter himself.
* However, those who engage in over-the-top political speech should know that if something bad happens that can be associated in any way, shape or form with that over-the-top political speech, someone is going to catch hell. That is the way life works in the real world.
* I have been writing about politics and social issues for a long time. During this time, I have written some pretty interesting things. Some have said my writing is clever. Some have said my writing is fantastic. Some have said my writing is over-the-top.
* I have been a public figure for a long time. During this time, I have said some pretty interesting stuff. Some have said my speech is clever. Some have said my speech is fantastic. Some have said my speech is over-the-top. In fact, a former news director at Channel 10, a local television station here in Roanoke, Va. once called me a "race-baitor."
* Through it all, I have known that I am protected by the First Amendment. I have also known if something bad happened that could be associated with what I wrote or said, I would catch hell. That is the way life works in the real world.
* I knew if I said So-and-So was a bum and something happened to So-and-So, I would get blamed for it. I knew if I wrote So-and-So was a bum and something happened to So-and-So, I would get blamed for it. That is the way life works in the real world.
* As a consequence, I knew if I said anything, it had better be right. I knew if I wrote anything, it had better be correct. I know that sound bites are great, as long as they did not come back to bite me in the butt. I know that quotes are great, as long as they did not come back to bite me in the butt.
* As a consequence, I have never written or have said my most clever stuff in public. Why? I never wanted to get blamed for something bad happening that could be blamed on something I wrote or said. Why? Because when you write or say something and something bad happens that can be related to what you wrote or said, you are going to get blamed for what happened. You are going to catch hell. That is the way life works in the real world.
* Right now, Sarah Palin should not be blamed for last Saturday's horrific event in Arizona.
* However, when you are a politician who is a political lightweight engaging in over-the-top political discord offering no new ideas or solutions to the problems that face us, when bad things happen that people can associate to you, rightly or wrongly, you are going to get blamed. That is the way things work in the real world.
* This event has shaken Sarah Palin up pretty good. It should have. Still, Palin loves giving people red meat. Palin thrives on political discord. Palin's mouth is her mouth is her moneymaker. If we start having civil political discussions in this country, her moneymaker will be useless. Palin knows this. And I don't think her way of doing and saying things is going to change. Maybe it should.
* People who play with fire usually get burned. Palin loves playing with fire. This time she got burned. She unfairly got blamed for something that did not involve her, at this point anyway. But, I do not feel sorry for her. She only has herself to blame. Gun sights on a map? Come on.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM
WE THE PEOPLE
HAVE A GREAT MLK DAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
1/12/11
* You cannot say enough
prayers for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the people shot and killed in Arizona last Saturday.
* Yes, the shooter is crazy evil. However, I do not think the shooter was insane. I am convinced this guy knew what he was doing. I am convinced this guy committed an act of planned political terrorism. If Arizona has a death penalty, and I hope Arizona does, I hope this guy gets it. Frankly, he deserves to die for the terrorist act he committed.
* Something like this can happen at any time. This is the world we live in. Something like this can certainly happen when one political party intentionally works to create a climate of hate and fear as certain Republicans (the Becks, the Palins, the Limbaughs, the Coulters and others) have done in today’s America.
* When I think of this Republican crew, (the Becks, the Palins, the Limbaughs, the Coulters and others) I think of the time when America was segregated, when it was literally open season on Black people in the South. I grew up during that horrible time.
* The George Wallaces, Strom Thurmans and Ross Barnetts of the time did not directly tell their followers to beat, lynch, bomb and murder Black people. The people responsible for those beatings, lynchings, bombings and murders committed those crimes because they wanted to commit those crimes.
* However, the Wallaces, Thurmans and Barnetts of that time, because of their anti-Black speech, because of their anti-Black views and because of their anti-Black hysteria added a perverted legitimacy to the types of violence against Black people and some Whites that was so widespread throughout the South during this time.
* The Wallaces, Thurmans, and Barnetts were not dumb rednecks, driving around in red pick up trucks, flying the Confederate flag and yelling out the South will rise again. They were respected office holders who the people looked up to.
* The Wallaces, Thurmans, and Barnetts of that time did not beat anyone. They did not lynch anyone. They did not bomb anyone. They did not murder anyone. However, the Wallaces, Thurmans, and Barnetts of that time were a contributing factor to the beatings, lynching, bombing and murders that took place during that time. While they did not commit any crime or break any law, there is still blood on their hands from their distorted exercise of their First Amendment right to free speech.
* Through the years, Democrats and Republicans, the left and the right, those in power and those wanting power, those who are elected and those wanting to get elected, have engaged in questionable political speech and half truths. Rabid political discord is nothing new in America.
* And as in the past, no one wants to take responsibility for the actions of their words, even today’s right wing ideologues who are more over the top, more irresponsible and more dangerous than others who participating in today‘s political discussions.
* The Becks, the Palins, the Limbaughs, the Coulters and others did not commit a crime last Saturday. They did not shoot anyone. They did not murder anyone. To be honest, I do not know for sure if the man responsible for Saturday’s terrorist act was influenced by the Becks, the Palins, the Limbaughs and the Coulters of America.
* But, I suspect he was. And if this is true, the Becks, the Palins, the Limbaughs and the Coulters of America were a contributing factor to what happened Saturday. And if this is true, there is blood on their hands.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU SOON
THE ARTIS BLOG
1/5/11
TEN THINGS I WANT TO SEE IN 2011
1. Liberals-Progressives, please quit whining. For once, come up with some solutions and understand that politics is all about compromise.
2. Sarah Palin please go away, just go away. If Palin offered something constructive to the national conversation, I would not have a problem with her. But, she is just as whiney and just as annoying as liberals.
3. Parents start being parents again. Children need three things, love, structure and discipline. They do not need their mothers and fathers to be friends.
4. People take responsibilities for their own screw ups. Stop blaming others for your own shortcomings, especially young folks.
5. “The Dream Act,” and the “Youth Promise Act,” become law. Both are common sense pieces of legislation that will go a long way in addressing illegal immigration, (The Dream Act) and gang violence, (the Youth Promise Act.) Too bad the Republicans in Congress do not see it this way.
6. Republicans work with President Obama. As President Obama recently said, do not start campaigning for the 2012 elections until 2012. I want Republicans to stop grandstanding and get down to business.
7. Black people be less homophobic. Black folk have nothing to fear from the gay community.
8. More responsible sexual behavior. Condoms, condoms, condoms!
9. Americans realize the U. S. is the greatest country in world history and America’s greatest days are ahead of us. China my foot. The Chinese have nothing on us. Never have, never will.
10. People realize that God is the answer.
If these things happen it will be a wonderful 2011. Happy New Year.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU SOON
THE ARTIS BLOG
1/3/11
HAPPY NEW YEAR. As 2011 begins let me look into my crystal ball. Here's what I see in 2011.
* In 2011, Americans will finally see that President Barack Obama is one hell of a President who puts the good of the country over petty politics. I've said this before and I'll say it again. President Obama IS the smartest person in the room. President Obama plays chess while everyone else plays checkers.
By the end of 2011, the Republican Party will begin to see the Presidential Election of 2012 as a lost cause for three reasons. 1) Republicans will see President Obama's rising popularity and approval ratings and realize 2012 is a lost cause. 2) The Republican Party's plan to remain, "The Party of No," will blow up in their face. American's will see Republicans as obstructionists who only care about party politics. 3) Sarah Palin and the Tea Party will split the Republican Party into warring factions making it impossible for Republicans to win in 2012.
* Sarah Palin will announce she will not run for President in 2012. It is true that Palin is a pain. But, the woman is not stupid. As much as she wants to be President of the United States, Palin knows she cannot possibly win in 2012. Palin will settle for being a media star instead. I would bet that Palin also knows that she can't even win the Republican nomination for 2012. That is unless Republican Party leaders decide to make her the sacrificial lamb in the Obama 2012 landslide, which is possible as the real Presidential contenders decide to wait until 2016 to run for President.
* Southern Republicans will continue to put their foots in their mouths concerning the issues of race and race relations in the South during both the Civil War and the Jim Crow segregation era. Message to Southern Republicans. There are better ways to show your disgust over having a Black President. Get over it already.
* George Allen will announce he is running for the U.S. Senate against Virginia U.S. Senator Jim Webb in 2012. Webb will pull out a close one.
* Nancy Pelosi will be an even better House Minority leader than Speaker of the House. Pelosi will be the perfect liberal counterbalance to Obama's cool pragmatism. New Speaker of the House, John Boehner will constantly be outmaneuvered by President Obama causing even more problems between the Tea Party and the Republican Party. Scott Brown of Massachusetts will be a more moderate Republican than Tea Party Republican causing even more problems.
* The American economy will begin a long and strong economic recovery. The unemployment rate will rise slightly before dropping like a rock by mid-2011.
* When it comes to the current WikiLeaks controversy, by the middle of 2011, most Americans will be asking, "Wiki what?"
* America will begin to draw down in Afghanistan. United States drone attacks will increase dramatically in Pakistan. The Muslim world will grow tired of radical Muslim extremists and begin taking a more active role in addressing the issue by the end of 2011.
* A new mayor will be elected in the May, 2011, Roanoke, Va., City Council Elections.
* The Eagles will win the Super Bowl. Duke will win the men's NCAA basketball championship. UConn will win the woman's NCAA basketball championship. The Celtics will win the NBA title. The Boston Red Sox will win the World Series. Tiger Woods will return to form winning at least 2 majors. Notre Dame football will return to the Top Ten and win a BCS bowl game.
