News Bits- Quotes and Sympathy from the Republicans

There are some new sympathizers in the Obama/Rev. Wright/”damn America scandal…. Republicans

Black and Mad!

I read this in my local daily paper (TBT), and I thought it was an excellent piece. It originally ran in the LA Times, But I found it online on the Baltimore Sun Newpaper website. Here it is

Black and mad
The controversy over Obama’s pastor reflects white fear of African-American anger
By Erin Aubry Kaplan
March 20, 2008

I’m mad. Let me qualify that - I’m black and mad.

The mad I’m talking about I inherited from generations of black people before me. I learned early in life that this mad is not curable (not yet) but that I could manage it. But sometimes I get flare-ups of anger that defy management.

News Reporter Attacked

As I was trolling the internet I saw this attack and it hurt my heart! This woman is a professional news reporter, just trying to do her job and was brutally attacked by four crazy women.

And the Walls Came a-Tumbling Down- part 2

The investigation surrounding the allocation of funds at Without Walls International Church, is heating up.

Doggy Racism?

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s discrimination! Prejudice based on race or gender or any other esoteric stuff is crazy to me. So when I when I told what I am about to tell to my friends last year they laughed at me. Apparently I’d become too vigilant in my crusade for justice. I laughed and agreed with them. That is until today when MSNBC confirmed my suspicions.

Who in the Hell Left the Gate Open?!!

A 17-year old boy shot and killed his mother and her two other children one of whom is the 4-year- old daughter of rapper Juvenile (of “Back that A** up” fame.) This is so sad and sickening to me! How could a man kill his mother of all people and his two little sisters? What’s going on with our young black men?? I’m just in shock! No motive has been established. The Mother also happens to be a Deputy in Gwinnet County, Ga. My prayers and condolences go out to everyone involved.

Here’s the link to the original story

Click Here

Obama Support Video

My Grandmama thinks Obama may be the Anti-Christ because of how enamored his supporters are with him!! (myself included) after watching this video I can see where she’s coming from. Enjoy another Star Studded Video ( Cameos from Jessica Alba, Regina King, Tichina Arnold, Tyrese, George Lopez and a host of others that I either didn’t know or just can’t remember), Courtesy of Will.I.Am- “We Are the Ones”

I do think it’s hot fire! I’m going to have “O-bama, Obama” stuck in my head for a while. Dang it! I just stopped humming “Yes We Can!” yesterday!

News Bits! Education edition

This is why I’m scared to have kids! Jesus Take the Wheel!- 10 yr old Gives birth!

Exchange students BEWARE!- Stingy host family starves exchange student!

Who makes the rules?-
Kid kicked out of school for Mohawk

Reflections on the NIU School Shootings

I have a problem… I was asked to write a note/blog about the horrific shootings at Northern Illinois University, but I’m not exactly sure of what to say…

You see, sadly I’m apart of the school shooting generation. The age group that knew that bullying could lead to more than a fist fight at the bus stop. There have been school shootings for more many years: Often with one or two people dead, random gang violence that spilled into the school yard, or a random protest gone wrong. But then came Columbine: A violent, senseless day of mass hysteria. The nation was shocked not only because of the tragic loss of life (23 dead) but also because of how much detail went to into the planning of it all. Systematically deciding where to go, what questions to ask, which weapons to use and ultimately who to kill. 

I was in 7 grade when Columbine took place and I remember the fear and the warnings that were placed in the hearts and minds of students around the nation; “be fully aware of your surroundings”, “never assume someone is joking if they mention having a weapon”, “be nice and stop bullying other kids or they may bring a gun and kill you.” These are the mental tools they equipped us with. We heard the media tell us to “watch out for the strange kids,” “the kids that loved violent TV shows and video games,” “watch out for the outcasts” etc. Pretty soon all of our schools began to beef up the amount counselors and take all threats seriously, and as we stood in the parking lot for the bomb threat in one semester, sweating in the heat of the sun and singing Nelly’s “It’s Getting Hot in Here” at least we felt safe. And for a while it seemed like we were.

There was little nationwide coverage of school shootings and we were back to the isolated “one to three” dead type of stuff, you know a normal shooting. But last year a seemingly “normal shooting” erupted into a killing spree that spread across Virginia Tech, ripping through seemingly peaceful campus like a terrorist missile. The “Columbine Generation” had gone to college. Another massive loss of life, another planned killing spree, this time complete with a homemade videotaped manifesto. The killer fit the description; quiet, angry, violence loving, loner with a history of mental illness and disturbing behavior. We talked about it in all of my classes the next day. We asked “What could be done to keep us safe in case of a similar attack at USF?” One of my professors even had us come up with a safety plan (two plans actually one in case the attacker was in the room and another in case the attacker was outside of the room).

So there we were again, this time as adults, once again following the warnings; “be fully aware of your surroundings”, “never assume someone is joking if they mention having a weapon”. These are the mental tools they equipped us with. We heard the media tell us to “watch out for the strange kids,” “the kids that loved violent TV shows and video games,” “watch out for the outcasts” etc. Only this time we were told to sign up for university “safety alert” text messages, and Facebook notifications. I also made it a point to sit near the doors of certain classrooms just in case I needed to run. So the Universities were boosting security, there were protests for more police on campus and we believed that we’d figured out the profile of the typical school shooter. We knew the signs, we’d heed the warnings and by the end of Spring Semester we all felt safe again.

But last week’s shootings at NIU have once again shattered our sense of safety. When I first heard about it, I fully expected this guy to fit the “School Shooter” description, and in some ways he did. He had a new interest in guns and disturbing tattoos, a history of mental issues and he’d stopped taking his meds but other than that he led a pretty normal life. He had a girlfriend (whom he sent a “goodbye letter” to on V-Day”), good grades, award winning and led two student organizations. His former professors claim they “enjoyed” having him in class. He wasn’t even a student at the school anymore having transferred to a more “prestigious” nearby University. The Firearms he used were his; he’d purchased them legally in Illinois a state with strict gun policy. By most accounts the warning signs were there. His personality hadn’t changed and according to the girlfriend, he stopped taking the meds because they “made him feel like a zombie.”

So what to do? Do we ban everyone with a mental or emotional issue from going to high school or college? A move this drastic would be outrageous and only serve to worsen the stigma involved with getting help for mental illness. As a society we should encourage people to seek as much help as humanly possible when struggling mentally or emotionally. Do we get tougher gun restrictions? I’m sure this is something that people are going to argue with me about, but that’s not the answer either. Statistics prove that when gun laws get tough crime goes up making the average sane person more susceptible to violence. Why? because a person that’s willing to break the law in any way is willing to have a gun illegally. So why/ would a person who is bold enough to kill a group of strangers and then kill himself, be stopped by a rinky-dink gun law? So what is there to do in order to stop shooting like this from happening? I still don’t know. All I can do is pray. Pray for the victims’ families, the killer’s family and the students. Pray for students and employees and of any place that may be vulnerable to such an attack. And pray for everyone’s safety and mental health so that things like this can become a thing of the past.

Maybe soon we’ll all feel safe again.