It's time to Break It Down!
The 24-Hour news cycle is no joke. Since last week, President Obama jettisoned his top Military Advisor on Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, Tim Scott, defeated Paul Thurmond, scion of Strom in a run-off, becoming the Republican nominee for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, Nikki Haley won the Palmetto State’s GOP Gubernatorial nomination, the One-year Anniversary of the death of the King of Pop passed, the venerable Senior Senator from West Virginia, the Honorable Robert Byrd, died, and the Kagin Supreme Court Hearings commenced.
I have, on a number of occasions, used this space to point out some of the more indecipherable, occasionally despicable actions and comments of South Carolina political figures. I am not declaring them totally redeemed after the past week, but in all honesty, the electorate did take a couple of positive steps.
In a previous post, I addressed Ms. Haley’s contest. An Indian American, she survived a whisper campaign, laced with assertions of sexual impropriety, overcame the racial epithets of a fellow South Carolina politician, and withstood challenges regarding her faith tradition. An advocate of Tea Party ideology, Ms. Haley is now set to fight or the job in what is expected to be a competitive General Election.
Tim Scott also has an interesting story. In addition to besting Strom’s son Paul, he also eliminated Carroll Campbell, III; yes, former Governor Campbell’s son. Did I mention Mr. Scott is African American? I should add quickly, Scott’s rise is no fluke. He brandishes conservative credentials that cause GOP National Committee Chair, Michael Steele to blush…with fervent anticipation. Speaking of Scott (and Haley after their victories), he said, “Within our ranks, among our grass-roots, are a number of very exciting and very engaging candidates who don't look like or sound like what people have come to expect to be typical Republicans. I'm very proud of that."
Scott, an avid anti-tax candidate sports a conservative pedigree that boasts never having voted to increase taxes, serving as Honorary Co-Chair for Strom Thurmond’s last Senatorial campaign in 1996, and garnering endorsements and support from a GOP Who’s Who that includes Eric Cantor, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Kevin McCarthy, and Karl Rove. It is a virtual foregone conclusion that Scott will go on to defeat his not-so-well funded opponents in November, and become the first African American Republican member of Congress since J.C. Watts retired in 2003. In the final Run-off tally, Scott led Thurmond 69%-31%...in a district that favored McCain over Obama, 56%-42%.
While it is difficult to resist delving into General McChrystal’s episode of channeling Billy Crystal; it is almost sacrilegious to give short shrift to the demise of the King of Pop. Yet I am going to do both. POTUS did what had to be done regarding the General. In the end, McChrystal fell on his own petard for two reasons. Surely, he wanted to avoid the embarrassment of the public beheading of his career. But he did it also, because in the hierarchical and honor-driven parlance of the Military, it was the “Right thing to do!” End of story.
The central theme of this post revolves around an interesting twist of irony. Two events of this week, seemingly connected only by their relative correlation in time and space, The Kagan Confirmation Hearings, and the Death of West Virginia Senator Byrd, coalesced in a way that demonstrates how far we have come, and yet, just how far we have to go.
We will hear countless tributes to the dearly departed Senator Byrd. Make no mistake about it; he made his mark in many ways. No puns about having been a rare bird, here.
The Senator was born, Cornelius Calvin Sales, Jr., November 20, 1917 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. His mother, Ada Mae, died in the 1918 Flu Pandemic. In accordance with her wishes, his father dispersed the family’s children among relatives. Young Cornelius was adopted by Titus and Vlurma Byrd, an uncle and aunt, and renamed, Robert Carlyle Byrd. He was Valedictorian of his high school, married his high school sweetheart, Erma Ora James, and attended several colleges in West Virginia. He eventually graduated from what was then Marshall College (University), and earned a law degree from American University’s Washington College of Law.
Martin Luther King, Jr. noted, “Longevity has its place.” Senator Byrd served as a Senator from West Virginia from 1959 until his death in 2010 prior to that he served three terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia. He has the distinction of having been both the longest serving Senator, and the longest serving member of the U.S. Congress.
Senator Byrd held many important posts in the Congress, and sponsored numerous pieces of important legislation in his 57 years of Congressional service. However, I want to mention, briefly, a post he held in another famous American institution, and a position he took on the losing side of an historic legislative act. In 1942, at age 24, Robert Byrd joined the Ku Klux Klan. Based on what was perceived as his “talent for leadership,” Byrd was soon elevated to Exalted Cyclops, the highest position in his local chapter. Suddenly, he was the inverse of Cy Sperling’s Hair Club for Men commercial; he was not just a member, but also the president.
Later, in 1946 or 1947 Byrd wrote a letter to the Grand Wizard stating, "The Klan is needed today as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia and in every state in the nation.”
These events preceded his Congressional career. But the 1940’s were not the end of Byrd’s Walk on the Vile Side. He was part of an 83-day filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; personally filibustering the bill for 14 hours. He also opposed the Voting Rights Act of1965; though he later voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
While some eyes wide-open, pragmatic thinkers, suggest Senator Byrd’s conversion was New Math, Congressional style…that is to say he realized, as did a number of his cohorts, he would either have to adapt on such issues as civil rights, or he would find himself marginalized in a political party in the process of reinventing itself. In Byrd’s version, which he related to the Washington Post in 2005, it was his membership in the Baptist church that led to his change of heart. For the purpose of this discussion, that is where I will end the conversation of the unreconstructed Senator Byrd. Ultimately, he aligned his views to the outlook of a new era, regardless of his motivation.
Enter the Kagan Confirmation Hearings. In a “What goes around comes around” sort of way, the advent of Civil Rights legislation of the 60’s was the catalyst for complex game of Political Musical Chairs. Recall that One of President Obama’s heroes is Abraham Lincoln, a Republican.
Historically, Southern Democrats resisted the Civil Rights movement, and all its appendages. The passage of Johnson’s landmark legislation was made possible only by the actions of several Northern Republicans of good will joining the yea votes. Rather than make the unconscionable choice that Senator Byrd made, a number of erstwhile Southern Democrats chose to switch parties, rather than their hateful racist ways. Hence, the Party of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt morphed into the Party of Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms.
The current iteration of this artful subtext-filled drama began unfolding as key members of the GOP began what should have been, ostensibly, their interrogatives of Elena Kagan, with a volley of attacks on former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall’s judicial philosophy. Never mind that Kagan clerked for Marshall more than 20 years ago; forget that Marshall has been dead since 1993; by all means, do not take into consideration Marshall actually won confirmation…in 1967; just pull up a chair and enjoy the show.
For all intents and purposes, this appears to be akin to what Shakespeare’s Macbeth referred to as, “Sound and fury, signifying nothing.” In other words, the opposition has vetted the nominee and come up with a sum total of squat. Ergo, deflect, obfuscate, and play the “Thurgood Marshall card.” That way, they can appeal to the base, and conclude, triumphantly, “We really showed ‘em!”
Monday’s spurious sophistry included such gems as:
• Arizona Senator Jon Kyl noting, “Justice Marshall’s judicial philosophy is not what I would consider mainstream.” Kyl also added, Ms. Kagan wrote in a tribute to Marshall, that, “In his view, it was the role of the courts in interpreting the Constitution to protect the people who went unprotected by every other organ of government.” Kyl argued further that Ms. Kagan also emphasized Marshall’s “Unshakable determination to protect the underdog.”
• Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, top ranking GOP panel member branded Marshall a ”well-known activist,” not unlike Sarah Palin’s community activist (intended) put down of then candidate Obama
• Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley added, Marshall's legal view "does not comport with the proper role of a judge or judicial method."
• Texas Senator John Cornyn called Marshall "a judicial activist," and noted that his "judicial philosophy concerns me."
As the Senators took turns taking shots, their staffers provided reporters with a dossier of Justice Marshall’s reputed offenses, which included, Justice Marshall:
• Endorsed judicial activism
• Supported abortion rights
• Believed the death penalty was unconstitutional
It is worth noting that before the hearings, one of the oft-repeated knocks against Ms. Kagan is that she has no judicial record, nor any substantive history of lawyering. The irony of ironies is that Thurgood Marshall, longtime NAACP attorney, and U.S. solicitor general, won 29 of the 32 cases he argued before the Supreme Court.
So here we are. Robert Byrd changed his evil ways long ago, and apologized for them…repeatedly. He went on to distance himself from those ill conceived positions. Yet, nearly 50 years after Senator Byrd’s Civil Rights Act filibuster, and over a decade into the 21st Century, the guardians of the GOP, when provided an opportunity to investigate the legal ideology of the Jewish woman who will be the next Supreme Court Justice, are content to spend their allotted time attacking and ridiculing the judicial philosophy of a black man who died in 1993. Let us all marvel at “The GOP Marshall Plan!” I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/28/AR2010062803119.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/28/AR2010062805129.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jun/26/rejection-of-thurmond-a-loss-worth-celebrating/
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65K4W220100623
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/22/AR2010062205401.html
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/hiphopmediatraining/282596/anniversary-of-michael-jacksons-death-evokes-anger-sadness-and-peace/
http://www.votetimscott.com/about/
http://www.votetimscott.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDk_ZfYuyfY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
"The Great Debate"
It's time to Break It Down!
“The Great Debaters” is a 2007 movie, directed by and starring Denzel Washington. That film, entertaining though it were, is not the subject of this post. If my referencing it, has stoked your nostalgic flames, stop reading now and hurry on down to Blockbuster, consult Netflix, or perhaps check out you personal DVD collection. The only advantage I offer if you continue reading is the assurance that it will require considerably less time to read this blog than the 2 hours, 6 minutes runtime of the movie.
Following the compelling drama (for NBA Basketball fans anyway) of a 7-Game Championship Series, especially one featuring the Lakers (OK, and the Celtics), and their irrepressible star, Kobe Bryant, many sports fans have accelerated the urgency of the “The Great Debate.” Of course, for those unable to readily distinguish the difference between goat, the livestock, and GOAT, the acronym for Greatest of All Time, the essential nature of this discussion may be lost. Moreover, if you loathe professional basketball, or you view the current Los Angeles Lakers to be just a bunch of overpaid egos from the Left Coast, or you recall the 84-98 era Chicago Bulls as mere some pro team from the Midwest…you may wonder, what debate?
But for the hardcore fandom, for Lakers’ partisans, for incredi-Bulls’ boosters, and especially for anyone who ever bought a pair of Nikes and imagined themselves possessing the cold, calculating precision of MJ or of The Black Mamba, and mouthed the words, Just Do It, this is indeed a discussion that has taken on the character of “The Great Debate” of contemporary sports.
The basic story line is simple enough. Michael Jordan, a University of North Carolina alum, played for Chicago Bulls teams that won 6 NBA Championships. Kobe Bryant has been a member of Lakers squads that have won 5 NBA Titles. To make the tableau even richer, both were/have been coached by the same man, Phil Jackson, during all of their Title runs. In addition, Kobe is openly lobbying Jackson to return to coach the Lakers again next year. Bryant will attempt to win his 6th Championship Ring, and complete his second three-peat, matching both Jordan’s total and the way he acquired his Titles and rings. Ostensibly, that would even the score, and enable Kobe Nation to lay claim to at least “equal greatness.”
Needless to say, after that, one could logically expect Kobe to launch the quest for Number 7 (the number of completion). While a look at Kobe’s career can produce countless examples of his fascination, if not compulsion to emulate Jordan, who can hate the young man for that. To aspire to “Be like Mike” was such an intoxicating notion; Gatorade gave birth to an entire ad campaign. Not just any ad campaign; one of the most successful ad campaigns ever. It is no wonder, Kobe, who is 15 years Jordan’s junior, got caught up. What fan didn’t?
Where does one begin, in the search to construct the case for one of these phenoms in favor of the other? I admit I do not have the definitive answer. But like most fans, I have a rock-solid opinion. First, they do share a number of similar traits. Both were blessed with excellent size for their position, mesmerizing agility, stunning athleticism, and an indomitable spirit and will to win.
I would give Kobe the edge in ball handling and shooting range. However, MJ had the speed and strength to get anywhere on the court he wanted to go…whenever he wanted to get there…wherever there was. Moreover, as he matured, and devised other ways to flummox his adversaries, aside from meeting them at the rim and creating an instant poster them, often viciously; always mercilessly, he added more than adequate range to his already extraordinary array of basketball savvy, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Because Jordan was older when he arrived in the NBA, he came to the game as a more physically developed player. Arguably, after having attended college for 3 years, where he also won a National Title, he started with a more advanced knowledge and understanding of the game. In the summer after Jordan’s last year as a Tar Heel player at the University of North Carolina, he competed as a member of the 1984 United States Men’ Olympic Basketball Team, and won a Gold Medal. As a result, he added International competition to hi pre-NBA resume. Finally, while neither player will go down as the greatest of shooters in the history of the game, Jordan was a better scorer. Yes Kobe scored a higher number of points in a single game, 81 against the Toronto Raptors, but listing the highlights of Jordan’s offensive wizardry would be almost embarrassing. The guy was a virtual point-machine.
In all honesty, as a Laker-lifer, I hope Kobe can persuade the Zen-Master, Phil Jackson, to return, and that in doing so, they make a successful assault on a 6th ring for Kobe. In fact, I would like to see him get, not only a 3rd straight, but a 4th, which would nudge My beloved Lakers up from their current Sweet Sixteenth Title, to 18; one Title more than the Celtics. That would truly lift my spirits.
All that would be all well and good, but it would not change the facts. Some observers would argue that neither Kobe, nor Jordan has earned the title, GOAT. They would say that esteemed designation belongs to Bill Russell, who won 11 Titles during his 13-year career, including 8 in a row. His college team, the University of San Francisco Dons, won consecutive National Titles, and he also won an Olympic Gold Medal. The NBA Championship MVP Trophy is now named in his honor. Russell is certainly the most accomplished player in the history of the game. If basketball greatness is accorded due to earning hardware on the hardwood, Russell wins, hands down.
Despite Russell’s compelling case, my personal favorite is Wilt Chamberlain, who broke or set most scoring records in the game, if they did not involve free-throw shooting, including, scoring 100 points in a single game, and averaging 50 points a game…for an entire season. He won 7 Scoring Titles, lead the league in field goal percentage 9 times, won 11 Rebounding Titles, and lead the league in assists once. He won two NBA Titles, 4 Regular Season MVP’s, 1 NBA Finals MVP Award, played on 13 All-Star Teams, including 10 times on the 1st Team. Chamberlain, who was enshrined in the NBA Hall of Fame, was named one of the 50 Greatest NBA players in 1996.
But I digress. “The Great Debate” is about Kobe and MJ. Here is where I admit, in my view, there is no debate. MJ wins this battle, if you can call it that, hands down. Playing with less talent than Kobe has had most of his career, Jordan was the man, the day he arrived for his first practice. He started his first NBA game, and recorded his first 40-point outing in just his 9th contest. He was a model of both consistency and durability, playing in the maximum 82 games during 9 of his 15 seasons, plus 81 games one season, and 80 in another. Kobe has played in 82 games only 3 times in 14 years.
Just how dominant was MJ? Consider these points:
• He went to the NBA Finals 6 times, all with the Bulls.
• He was 6-6 in Championship Series
• He won 6 NBA Finals MVP Awards
• He led the League in scoring all six of those years, plus on 4 other occasions.
• He averaged 41 points a game over the duration of an entire NBA Finals Series
• He scored the first triple-double in an All-Star Game
• He won 3 All-Star MVP Awards
• He won 5 NBA MVP Awards
• He won 2 Slam Dunk Titles
• He earned 10 First Team All-Star Appearances
• He earned 3 additional All-Star appearances, and missed one All-Star Game due to injury
• He was a 9 time NBA All Defensive Team member
• He won 1 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
• He scored 69 points in an NBA regular season game against the Cleveland Cavaliers
• He scored 63 points in an NBA playoff game against the Boston Celtics
• He anchored the Original Dream Team, and collected his second Olympic Gold Medal.
Even though he took a year and a half hiatus from the NBA on one occasion, and retired for three years on another, he returned strong after both breaks. He played an abbreviated season after his Baseball experiment, and then went on to lead the Bulls to 3 more Titles. After his first retirement, he played two more years, and averaged 20 pints in the NBA as a 40-year old.
Yes, Kobe has big time cred. His still developing portfolio includes:
• 5 NBA Titles
• 1 NBA MVP Award
• 2 Finals MVP Awards
• 2 Scoring Titles
All which fall short of The Jordan Standard, by the way. Kobe does have more Finals appearances than MJ, but he has also lost twice in 7 Championship Series, while His Airness was a perfect 6-6. And of those 5 Titles, The Black Mamba has amassed, well; let’s not forget Shaquille O’Neal was the MVP in the first 3 of those. Finally, Jordan got off early and he finished strong. He notched his first 40-point game in his 9th outing as a pro, and he would get 40+ six more times...in his rookie season. A season in which he won Rookie of the Year, and made the All-Star Team. In Kobe’s 1st year, he averaged 7.6 points in 15.5 minutes per game. In his Final season, nearly 20 years later, Michael scored 43 point in a game against the New Jersey Nets February 21, 2003, four days after his 40th birthday, and averaged 20 points per game for the season. He had scored 51 points against the Charlotte Hornets the previous season, after coming out of a 3-year retirement. I guess that means Kobe does still have time.
Seriously, as for “The Great Debate;” what debate? I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427309/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.O.A.T.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Lakers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Bulls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06dQSwnxBbM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Jackson
http://thebestten.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/chapter-12-first-40-point-game/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O'Neal
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=110
http://www.mccsc.edu/~jcmslib/mlk/jordan/stats.htm
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/michael_jordan/
http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kobe_bryant/career_stats.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlain's_100-point_game
“The Great Debaters” is a 2007 movie, directed by and starring Denzel Washington. That film, entertaining though it were, is not the subject of this post. If my referencing it, has stoked your nostalgic flames, stop reading now and hurry on down to Blockbuster, consult Netflix, or perhaps check out you personal DVD collection. The only advantage I offer if you continue reading is the assurance that it will require considerably less time to read this blog than the 2 hours, 6 minutes runtime of the movie.
Following the compelling drama (for NBA Basketball fans anyway) of a 7-Game Championship Series, especially one featuring the Lakers (OK, and the Celtics), and their irrepressible star, Kobe Bryant, many sports fans have accelerated the urgency of the “The Great Debate.” Of course, for those unable to readily distinguish the difference between goat, the livestock, and GOAT, the acronym for Greatest of All Time, the essential nature of this discussion may be lost. Moreover, if you loathe professional basketball, or you view the current Los Angeles Lakers to be just a bunch of overpaid egos from the Left Coast, or you recall the 84-98 era Chicago Bulls as mere some pro team from the Midwest…you may wonder, what debate?
But for the hardcore fandom, for Lakers’ partisans, for incredi-Bulls’ boosters, and especially for anyone who ever bought a pair of Nikes and imagined themselves possessing the cold, calculating precision of MJ or of The Black Mamba, and mouthed the words, Just Do It, this is indeed a discussion that has taken on the character of “The Great Debate” of contemporary sports.
The basic story line is simple enough. Michael Jordan, a University of North Carolina alum, played for Chicago Bulls teams that won 6 NBA Championships. Kobe Bryant has been a member of Lakers squads that have won 5 NBA Titles. To make the tableau even richer, both were/have been coached by the same man, Phil Jackson, during all of their Title runs. In addition, Kobe is openly lobbying Jackson to return to coach the Lakers again next year. Bryant will attempt to win his 6th Championship Ring, and complete his second three-peat, matching both Jordan’s total and the way he acquired his Titles and rings. Ostensibly, that would even the score, and enable Kobe Nation to lay claim to at least “equal greatness.”
Needless to say, after that, one could logically expect Kobe to launch the quest for Number 7 (the number of completion). While a look at Kobe’s career can produce countless examples of his fascination, if not compulsion to emulate Jordan, who can hate the young man for that. To aspire to “Be like Mike” was such an intoxicating notion; Gatorade gave birth to an entire ad campaign. Not just any ad campaign; one of the most successful ad campaigns ever. It is no wonder, Kobe, who is 15 years Jordan’s junior, got caught up. What fan didn’t?
Where does one begin, in the search to construct the case for one of these phenoms in favor of the other? I admit I do not have the definitive answer. But like most fans, I have a rock-solid opinion. First, they do share a number of similar traits. Both were blessed with excellent size for their position, mesmerizing agility, stunning athleticism, and an indomitable spirit and will to win.
I would give Kobe the edge in ball handling and shooting range. However, MJ had the speed and strength to get anywhere on the court he wanted to go…whenever he wanted to get there…wherever there was. Moreover, as he matured, and devised other ways to flummox his adversaries, aside from meeting them at the rim and creating an instant poster them, often viciously; always mercilessly, he added more than adequate range to his already extraordinary array of basketball savvy, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Because Jordan was older when he arrived in the NBA, he came to the game as a more physically developed player. Arguably, after having attended college for 3 years, where he also won a National Title, he started with a more advanced knowledge and understanding of the game. In the summer after Jordan’s last year as a Tar Heel player at the University of North Carolina, he competed as a member of the 1984 United States Men’ Olympic Basketball Team, and won a Gold Medal. As a result, he added International competition to hi pre-NBA resume. Finally, while neither player will go down as the greatest of shooters in the history of the game, Jordan was a better scorer. Yes Kobe scored a higher number of points in a single game, 81 against the Toronto Raptors, but listing the highlights of Jordan’s offensive wizardry would be almost embarrassing. The guy was a virtual point-machine.
In all honesty, as a Laker-lifer, I hope Kobe can persuade the Zen-Master, Phil Jackson, to return, and that in doing so, they make a successful assault on a 6th ring for Kobe. In fact, I would like to see him get, not only a 3rd straight, but a 4th, which would nudge My beloved Lakers up from their current Sweet Sixteenth Title, to 18; one Title more than the Celtics. That would truly lift my spirits.
All that would be all well and good, but it would not change the facts. Some observers would argue that neither Kobe, nor Jordan has earned the title, GOAT. They would say that esteemed designation belongs to Bill Russell, who won 11 Titles during his 13-year career, including 8 in a row. His college team, the University of San Francisco Dons, won consecutive National Titles, and he also won an Olympic Gold Medal. The NBA Championship MVP Trophy is now named in his honor. Russell is certainly the most accomplished player in the history of the game. If basketball greatness is accorded due to earning hardware on the hardwood, Russell wins, hands down.
Despite Russell’s compelling case, my personal favorite is Wilt Chamberlain, who broke or set most scoring records in the game, if they did not involve free-throw shooting, including, scoring 100 points in a single game, and averaging 50 points a game…for an entire season. He won 7 Scoring Titles, lead the league in field goal percentage 9 times, won 11 Rebounding Titles, and lead the league in assists once. He won two NBA Titles, 4 Regular Season MVP’s, 1 NBA Finals MVP Award, played on 13 All-Star Teams, including 10 times on the 1st Team. Chamberlain, who was enshrined in the NBA Hall of Fame, was named one of the 50 Greatest NBA players in 1996.
But I digress. “The Great Debate” is about Kobe and MJ. Here is where I admit, in my view, there is no debate. MJ wins this battle, if you can call it that, hands down. Playing with less talent than Kobe has had most of his career, Jordan was the man, the day he arrived for his first practice. He started his first NBA game, and recorded his first 40-point outing in just his 9th contest. He was a model of both consistency and durability, playing in the maximum 82 games during 9 of his 15 seasons, plus 81 games one season, and 80 in another. Kobe has played in 82 games only 3 times in 14 years.
Just how dominant was MJ? Consider these points:
• He went to the NBA Finals 6 times, all with the Bulls.
• He was 6-6 in Championship Series
• He won 6 NBA Finals MVP Awards
• He led the League in scoring all six of those years, plus on 4 other occasions.
• He averaged 41 points a game over the duration of an entire NBA Finals Series
• He scored the first triple-double in an All-Star Game
• He won 3 All-Star MVP Awards
• He won 5 NBA MVP Awards
• He won 2 Slam Dunk Titles
• He earned 10 First Team All-Star Appearances
• He earned 3 additional All-Star appearances, and missed one All-Star Game due to injury
• He was a 9 time NBA All Defensive Team member
• He won 1 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
• He scored 69 points in an NBA regular season game against the Cleveland Cavaliers
• He scored 63 points in an NBA playoff game against the Boston Celtics
• He anchored the Original Dream Team, and collected his second Olympic Gold Medal.
Even though he took a year and a half hiatus from the NBA on one occasion, and retired for three years on another, he returned strong after both breaks. He played an abbreviated season after his Baseball experiment, and then went on to lead the Bulls to 3 more Titles. After his first retirement, he played two more years, and averaged 20 pints in the NBA as a 40-year old.
Yes, Kobe has big time cred. His still developing portfolio includes:
• 5 NBA Titles
• 1 NBA MVP Award
• 2 Finals MVP Awards
• 2 Scoring Titles
All which fall short of The Jordan Standard, by the way. Kobe does have more Finals appearances than MJ, but he has also lost twice in 7 Championship Series, while His Airness was a perfect 6-6. And of those 5 Titles, The Black Mamba has amassed, well; let’s not forget Shaquille O’Neal was the MVP in the first 3 of those. Finally, Jordan got off early and he finished strong. He notched his first 40-point game in his 9th outing as a pro, and he would get 40+ six more times...in his rookie season. A season in which he won Rookie of the Year, and made the All-Star Team. In Kobe’s 1st year, he averaged 7.6 points in 15.5 minutes per game. In his Final season, nearly 20 years later, Michael scored 43 point in a game against the New Jersey Nets February 21, 2003, four days after his 40th birthday, and averaged 20 points per game for the season. He had scored 51 points against the Charlotte Hornets the previous season, after coming out of a 3-year retirement. I guess that means Kobe does still have time.
Seriously, as for “The Great Debate;” what debate? I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427309/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.O.A.T.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Lakers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Bulls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06dQSwnxBbM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Jackson
http://thebestten.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/chapter-12-first-40-point-game/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O'Neal
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=110
http://www.mccsc.edu/~jcmslib/mlk/jordan/stats.htm
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/michael_jordan/
http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kobe_bryant/career_stats.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlain's_100-point_game
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Is The Gulf Oil Spill President Obama’s Hurricane Katrina?
It's time to Break It Down!
Well, it depends on whom you ask. There are countless talking heads on virtually every news network, and a gaggle of other commercial and cable channels spouting their “sage” counsel on the subject. The range of choices runs the gamut, from absolutely to absolutely not.
Yesterday President Obama addressed the nation regarding the April 20th explosion that resulted in the loss of 11 lives, 17 injuries, and untold millions of gallons of spilled oil that continues escaping unabated. Having recovered from his “Whose ass do I need to kick” moment, POTUS used his best cool, calm, & deliberative demeanor to try to restore, in some cases, and instill, in others, confidence that the President and his Administration can take control of this catastrophic situation, and resolve the crisis.
I have already noted there are lots places to go read or hear what the pundits think about the question the subject poses. I have included a few examples below of varying points of view, for your perusal. Primarily, however, this post is intended to provide my answer to the question.
I will never be as smart or as polished as President Obama. But then, who is? The first hyperlink below will take you to a video of the President’s remarks. His comments provide a relatively straight-forward discussion of the issue, the fallout, the challenge ahead, and how he is proceeding to deal with the matter. By all means, click on the link and view the video if you missed the speech last night. At least that way, you can decide how well or poorly he did, based on the merits of the speech, not as a result of your preferred commentator’s spin.
At this point, I am going to rewind, and revisit the original query. “Is The Gulf Oil Spill President Obama’s Hurricane Katrina?” First, in the wide world of geo-calamitous events, few tragic episodes are directly comparable. Yet for the purpose of a broad assessment, I will stipulate that direct comparability is not necessary. Suffice it to say, Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill both qualify as horrendous disasters. Close enough to at least evaluate the question posed above in a single conversation.
Having said that, I will tell you that while both events were catastrophes, the Oil Spill was not only no Katrina, but it was certainly not this President’s version of the same. Katrina was a natural disaster. As such, it matched man against nature; no contest! I could go on and on about the timeliness of then President Bush’s response, or the lack thereof, but that is really not the point. At least it is not my point.
The Spill, as I will call it, was a result of a series of human judgments. Those decisions are a reflection of a prevailing and fundamental aversion to governmental regulation, equaled in some instances, only by the propensity to blame government when it does not effectively rein in and manage what has become; in the minds of the people, some rogue industry. See Banking Industry…Financial Crisis, or in this case, The Petroleum Industry…The Spill.
I have close friends who believe Barack Obama is President, ergo, this is his crisis. And in absolute terms, that is correct. In fact, that explains a key aspect of the motivation for last night’s speech. The President held himself accountable. But let me be clear, the reality is, The Spill belongs to BP. Period! If you are keeping score, that places me squarely in the absolutely not camp.
BP is one of the largest business conglomerates in the world. The corporate giant has spent billions of dollars fighting new laws and regulations, wrangling to escape the scope and parameters of existing rules, and even spinning and otherwise attempting to minimize the all too obvious effects of this cataclysmic devastation. So to summarize, when it suits their interests, detractors and poseurs enthusiastically castigate President Obama for being a Socialist. Conveniently, when confronted by a surreal crisis, such as The Spill, their free market bravado is displaced by a sense of expectancy that the same President, whom they have fervently pilloried for his activism, should come to the recue, or garner the blame.
Of course in 2010 we are accustomed to fine art of duplicity. But disingenuous practices are not new. In 1965, Marvin Gaye coined a phrase that aptly responds to such behavior, and turned it into song. Click on the link and listen to his timeless A cappella rendition of “Ain’t That Peculiar.” Though Marvelous Marvin was not talking about politics then, by the time he penned “Mercy Mercy Me” in 1971, it is clear the ecology was on his mind. I wonder what he would write today, in the wake of The Spill.
Obviously there is no way to know what Marvin would say. Whatever it would have been, I am sure he would have said it well, and that he would have sung it melodiously. Moreover, I am equally convinced that in response to the question “Is The Gulf Oil Spill President Obama’s Hurricane Katrina?” The answer, by all objective measures, emphatically, is no! The Spill is the province of BP. President Obama has not risen to the level of Knight in Shining Armor as it relates to this subject, but he is clearly part of the solution; not the problem.
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/15/obama.speech/index.html?hpt=C1
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/14/AR2010061404432.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/opinion/30rich.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-27/gulf-crisis-isnt-obamas-katrina-911-or-even-his-oil-spill-/
http://businessandmedia.org/commentary/2010/20100526143624.aspx
http://current.com/news/92458281_bobby-jindal-showing-louisianas-oil-crisis-is-not-obamas-katrina.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-shearer/why-this-is-obamas-katrin_b_589763.html
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30258085.htm
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/28/obamas-crucible-oil-spill-isnt-his-katrina-yet/
http://www.theloop21.com/news/gop-attempts-smear-obama-with-gulf-oil-are-bogus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpWyhRI7baY
http://s0.ilike.com/play#Marvin+Gaye:Ain%27t+That+Peculiar:129327:s45972.4724.15283498.1.2.14%2Cstd_ca3572ad1ef14991955b4581676e15ba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDtg_ElK-Y&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BP
Well, it depends on whom you ask. There are countless talking heads on virtually every news network, and a gaggle of other commercial and cable channels spouting their “sage” counsel on the subject. The range of choices runs the gamut, from absolutely to absolutely not.
Yesterday President Obama addressed the nation regarding the April 20th explosion that resulted in the loss of 11 lives, 17 injuries, and untold millions of gallons of spilled oil that continues escaping unabated. Having recovered from his “Whose ass do I need to kick” moment, POTUS used his best cool, calm, & deliberative demeanor to try to restore, in some cases, and instill, in others, confidence that the President and his Administration can take control of this catastrophic situation, and resolve the crisis.
I have already noted there are lots places to go read or hear what the pundits think about the question the subject poses. I have included a few examples below of varying points of view, for your perusal. Primarily, however, this post is intended to provide my answer to the question.
I will never be as smart or as polished as President Obama. But then, who is? The first hyperlink below will take you to a video of the President’s remarks. His comments provide a relatively straight-forward discussion of the issue, the fallout, the challenge ahead, and how he is proceeding to deal with the matter. By all means, click on the link and view the video if you missed the speech last night. At least that way, you can decide how well or poorly he did, based on the merits of the speech, not as a result of your preferred commentator’s spin.
At this point, I am going to rewind, and revisit the original query. “Is The Gulf Oil Spill President Obama’s Hurricane Katrina?” First, in the wide world of geo-calamitous events, few tragic episodes are directly comparable. Yet for the purpose of a broad assessment, I will stipulate that direct comparability is not necessary. Suffice it to say, Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill both qualify as horrendous disasters. Close enough to at least evaluate the question posed above in a single conversation.
Having said that, I will tell you that while both events were catastrophes, the Oil Spill was not only no Katrina, but it was certainly not this President’s version of the same. Katrina was a natural disaster. As such, it matched man against nature; no contest! I could go on and on about the timeliness of then President Bush’s response, or the lack thereof, but that is really not the point. At least it is not my point.
The Spill, as I will call it, was a result of a series of human judgments. Those decisions are a reflection of a prevailing and fundamental aversion to governmental regulation, equaled in some instances, only by the propensity to blame government when it does not effectively rein in and manage what has become; in the minds of the people, some rogue industry. See Banking Industry…Financial Crisis, or in this case, The Petroleum Industry…The Spill.
I have close friends who believe Barack Obama is President, ergo, this is his crisis. And in absolute terms, that is correct. In fact, that explains a key aspect of the motivation for last night’s speech. The President held himself accountable. But let me be clear, the reality is, The Spill belongs to BP. Period! If you are keeping score, that places me squarely in the absolutely not camp.
BP is one of the largest business conglomerates in the world. The corporate giant has spent billions of dollars fighting new laws and regulations, wrangling to escape the scope and parameters of existing rules, and even spinning and otherwise attempting to minimize the all too obvious effects of this cataclysmic devastation. So to summarize, when it suits their interests, detractors and poseurs enthusiastically castigate President Obama for being a Socialist. Conveniently, when confronted by a surreal crisis, such as The Spill, their free market bravado is displaced by a sense of expectancy that the same President, whom they have fervently pilloried for his activism, should come to the recue, or garner the blame.
Of course in 2010 we are accustomed to fine art of duplicity. But disingenuous practices are not new. In 1965, Marvin Gaye coined a phrase that aptly responds to such behavior, and turned it into song. Click on the link and listen to his timeless A cappella rendition of “Ain’t That Peculiar.” Though Marvelous Marvin was not talking about politics then, by the time he penned “Mercy Mercy Me” in 1971, it is clear the ecology was on his mind. I wonder what he would write today, in the wake of The Spill.
Obviously there is no way to know what Marvin would say. Whatever it would have been, I am sure he would have said it well, and that he would have sung it melodiously. Moreover, I am equally convinced that in response to the question “Is The Gulf Oil Spill President Obama’s Hurricane Katrina?” The answer, by all objective measures, emphatically, is no! The Spill is the province of BP. President Obama has not risen to the level of Knight in Shining Armor as it relates to this subject, but he is clearly part of the solution; not the problem.
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/15/obama.speech/index.html?hpt=C1
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/14/AR2010061404432.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/opinion/30rich.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-27/gulf-crisis-isnt-obamas-katrina-911-or-even-his-oil-spill-/
http://businessandmedia.org/commentary/2010/20100526143624.aspx
http://current.com/news/92458281_bobby-jindal-showing-louisianas-oil-crisis-is-not-obamas-katrina.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-shearer/why-this-is-obamas-katrin_b_589763.html
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30258085.htm
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/28/obamas-crucible-oil-spill-isnt-his-katrina-yet/
http://www.theloop21.com/news/gop-attempts-smear-obama-with-gulf-oil-are-bogus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpWyhRI7baY
http://s0.ilike.com/play#Marvin+Gaye:Ain%27t+That+Peculiar:129327:s45972.4724.15283498.1.2.14%2Cstd_ca3572ad1ef14991955b4581676e15ba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDtg_ElK-Y&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BP
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Equal Justice Under Law; Really?
It's time to Break It Down!
Sifting for topics for today’s blog, it would have been easy to default to the Palmetto State, an old reliable source of material, ripe for dissection and analysis. The field in the GOP Gubernatorial Primary there yesterday included one candidate who was required to fend off two unsubstantiated assertions by men claiming to have had what news reports refer to as inappropriate sexual relations with her. In what some would consider a curious irony, the candidate, State Representative Nikki Haley, received the endorsement of outgoing Governor, Mark Sanford, who had his own political future prematurely scuttled after his admission to an affair.
As if that were not enough, State Senator Jake Knotts referred to Ms. Haley, who is of Indian descent, as a raghead; a derogatory term used to slur Muslims and Hindus. The reference is to the turban commonly worn by Muslims and Hindus in the Middle East. Coincidentally, Ms. Haley was raised as a Sikh (neither Muslim, nor Hindu). However, in the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted Ms. Haley was born in South Carolina, attended Clemson University, and is a Methodist. Given the same goal of transparency, it should also be noted that Mr. Knotts referred to President Obama as a raghead during the same radio interview in which he slurred Ms. Haley in that fashion. I am not sure whether that makes his slurs equal opportunity venom, or more aptly, bi-partisan bile. What is certain is that based on Primary rules, Ms. Haley, who failed to garner 50% of the vote is slated to meet second place finisher Gresham Barrett in a runoff. Mr. Barrett's campaign efforts were hindered signifcantly by his vote for the Wall Street Bailout. Ms. Haley, who had the support of the Tea Party, finished with 49% of the vote to Mr. Barret's 22%. Undoubtedly there will be immense pressure to force, I mean persuade Mr. Barrett to drop out, and avoid the runoff.
In any event, an equally compelling storyline is the fact that today is the 51st day of the now infamous BP Oil Spill imbroglio. Actually, given the economic and ecological consequences of that “unnatural” disaster," it is almost unconscionable to write about anything else. Well, almost. Hearing that the President may have figured out "Who's Ass to kick" in this domestic Gulf War made it especially tempting to write about The Spill, even though I did so, just a couple of weeks ago.
“Equal Justice Under Law” is a phrase engraved on the front of the United States Supreme Court Building. Most of us would like to assume that a decade into the 21st Century, and more important for some, a year and a half into the Post-Obama era, the ideal has become reality; a norm.
At first blush, I think, sadly, there is much work to be done. But after further contemplation, I think, jubilantly, there is much work to be done. In the glass half-full orientation that is my preference, I am compelled to embrace the opportunity to address the inequities that continue to plague us as a society. No doubt, there are many who opine, in a country in which Barack Hussein Obama could become President, race, racism, racialism, and any other negative iteration of race as a subject has been eradicated. In fact, you can encounter the fiercest, most passionate argument imaginable from the Rush, Sean, and Glenn Triumvirate, and their disciples.
My most thoughtful, articulate, and dispassionate response to such a vapid assertion; BS! For Bologna Sandwich, of course; because that bland, less than filling excuse for a meal approximates the relative substance of most arguments that suggest we are “Beyond the race problem.”
Let me be clear, much progress has been made. To argue to the contrary would be ludicrous. That is why I can assert the glass is half-full. Growing up in America, there were many rules. I was trained and conditioned to follow most of them, including:
• Go to school
• Study hard
• Attain multiple college degrees
• Get a job
• Work hard
• Obey the law
• Give back
Having done those things, here is what I believe, firmly and irrevocably, and say most respectfully. "To aitch with that half glass!" I deserve, I want, and I expect a full glass! Now frankly, people who embrace the Rush, Sean, Glenn World-view believe that black men and women who maintain such a posture are ill-tempered, impertinent, and out-of-our lane. I reserve the right to believe they are victims of their own arrested development.
When confronted by facts, data, and solid research that document shabby, and in this case, discriminatory and illegal treatment, modern-day obstructionists do what their predecessors did before them; they move to obfuscate, delay, and confuse the issues, by any means necessary, to avoid ceding the ever important sense of entitlement and privileged advantage to which they have grown accustomed.
The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), conducted a study covering the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and found instances in some majority-black counties in which prosecutors excluded nearly 80% of African Americans eligible for jury duty. There were even instances of majority-black counties in which capital defendants were tried by all white juries.
EJI findings also included evidence that some prosecutors are trained to exclude people on the basis of race, and to conceal their bias. African Americans have been excluded from jury service for such disparate reasons as, because they:
• Appeared to have “low intelligence”
• Wore eyeglasses
• Were single
• Were married
• Were separated
• Were too old for jury service at 43 years old
• Were too young for jury service at 28 years old
• Had relatives who attended historically black colleges
• Walked a certain way
• Chewed gum
• Lived in a predominantly black neighborhood
All of the reasons for exclusion cited above should concern African Americans, and any person who cares about the equitable dissemination of justice. But there are other reasons people of good faith give pause. Primarily, it is important to recognize the study also found that compared to diverse juries, all-white juries tend to spend less time in deliberation, make more errors, and consider fewer perspectives.
While this study concentrated on Southern States, like most aspects of racist practices, and discriminatory behavior, the problem persists across America. Most sections of the country have experienced forms of unrest, violence, or destruction in response to non-diverse criminal jury verdicts. For example, the breath and scope of the incendiary reactions to such practices includes communities in:
• Miami
• New York
• Los Angeles
• Hartford Connecticut
• Jena Louisiana
• Powhatan, Virginia
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• The Florida Panhandle
“Equal Justice Under Law; Really?” I once heard Dr, Cornel West explain in a meeting, with regard to the state of race relations in America, he was a “Prisoner of hope.” Saddled with the same affliction, I continue to think, jubilantly, there is much work to be done. Will you join me? The question is rhetorical, of course. But before you formulate your response, remember, the first step in resolving the problem is to admit…”There is a problem.”
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://www.eji.org/eji/node/397
http://blackpoliticsontheweb.com/2010/06/02/racial-discrimination-in-jury-selection-remains-widespread-according-to-eji-study-released-today/
http://eji.org/eji/files/RaceandJurySelectionReport.pdf
http://atlantapost.com/2010/06/03/racial-discrimination-in-jury-selection-remains-widespread/
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/studies-racial-discrimination-jury-selection-continues-death-penalty-cases
http://jurist.org/paperchase/2010/06/us-study-finds-widespread-racial-discrimination-in-jury-selection-in-south.php
http://standdown.typepad.com/weblog/2010/06/race-and-juries-in-the-south.html
http://aroundthesphere.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/the-past-is-not-so-past-after-all/
http://reconstitution.us/rcnew/?tag=jury-selection
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/us/02jury.html?scp=1&sq=black%20jury&st=cse
http://ww.examiner.com/x-44007-Raleigh-Civil-Rights-Examiner~y2010m6d8-Blacks-still-unfairly-excluded-from-southern-juries-says-new-study
http://politifi.com/news/More-postracial-America-blacks-still-barred-from-juries-KY-segregated-clubs-live-on-971953.html
http://www.facebook.com/equaljusticeinitiative?v=wall
http://www.idealist.org/en/org/162289-125
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Stevenson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_justice_under_law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Knotts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Limbaugh
Sifting for topics for today’s blog, it would have been easy to default to the Palmetto State, an old reliable source of material, ripe for dissection and analysis. The field in the GOP Gubernatorial Primary there yesterday included one candidate who was required to fend off two unsubstantiated assertions by men claiming to have had what news reports refer to as inappropriate sexual relations with her. In what some would consider a curious irony, the candidate, State Representative Nikki Haley, received the endorsement of outgoing Governor, Mark Sanford, who had his own political future prematurely scuttled after his admission to an affair.
As if that were not enough, State Senator Jake Knotts referred to Ms. Haley, who is of Indian descent, as a raghead; a derogatory term used to slur Muslims and Hindus. The reference is to the turban commonly worn by Muslims and Hindus in the Middle East. Coincidentally, Ms. Haley was raised as a Sikh (neither Muslim, nor Hindu). However, in the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted Ms. Haley was born in South Carolina, attended Clemson University, and is a Methodist. Given the same goal of transparency, it should also be noted that Mr. Knotts referred to President Obama as a raghead during the same radio interview in which he slurred Ms. Haley in that fashion. I am not sure whether that makes his slurs equal opportunity venom, or more aptly, bi-partisan bile. What is certain is that based on Primary rules, Ms. Haley, who failed to garner 50% of the vote is slated to meet second place finisher Gresham Barrett in a runoff. Mr. Barrett's campaign efforts were hindered signifcantly by his vote for the Wall Street Bailout. Ms. Haley, who had the support of the Tea Party, finished with 49% of the vote to Mr. Barret's 22%. Undoubtedly there will be immense pressure to force, I mean persuade Mr. Barrett to drop out, and avoid the runoff.
In any event, an equally compelling storyline is the fact that today is the 51st day of the now infamous BP Oil Spill imbroglio. Actually, given the economic and ecological consequences of that “unnatural” disaster," it is almost unconscionable to write about anything else. Well, almost. Hearing that the President may have figured out "Who's Ass to kick" in this domestic Gulf War made it especially tempting to write about The Spill, even though I did so, just a couple of weeks ago.
“Equal Justice Under Law” is a phrase engraved on the front of the United States Supreme Court Building. Most of us would like to assume that a decade into the 21st Century, and more important for some, a year and a half into the Post-Obama era, the ideal has become reality; a norm.
At first blush, I think, sadly, there is much work to be done. But after further contemplation, I think, jubilantly, there is much work to be done. In the glass half-full orientation that is my preference, I am compelled to embrace the opportunity to address the inequities that continue to plague us as a society. No doubt, there are many who opine, in a country in which Barack Hussein Obama could become President, race, racism, racialism, and any other negative iteration of race as a subject has been eradicated. In fact, you can encounter the fiercest, most passionate argument imaginable from the Rush, Sean, and Glenn Triumvirate, and their disciples.
My most thoughtful, articulate, and dispassionate response to such a vapid assertion; BS! For Bologna Sandwich, of course; because that bland, less than filling excuse for a meal approximates the relative substance of most arguments that suggest we are “Beyond the race problem.”
Let me be clear, much progress has been made. To argue to the contrary would be ludicrous. That is why I can assert the glass is half-full. Growing up in America, there were many rules. I was trained and conditioned to follow most of them, including:
• Go to school
• Study hard
• Attain multiple college degrees
• Get a job
• Work hard
• Obey the law
• Give back
Having done those things, here is what I believe, firmly and irrevocably, and say most respectfully. "To aitch with that half glass!" I deserve, I want, and I expect a full glass! Now frankly, people who embrace the Rush, Sean, Glenn World-view believe that black men and women who maintain such a posture are ill-tempered, impertinent, and out-of-our lane. I reserve the right to believe they are victims of their own arrested development.
When confronted by facts, data, and solid research that document shabby, and in this case, discriminatory and illegal treatment, modern-day obstructionists do what their predecessors did before them; they move to obfuscate, delay, and confuse the issues, by any means necessary, to avoid ceding the ever important sense of entitlement and privileged advantage to which they have grown accustomed.
The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), conducted a study covering the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and found instances in some majority-black counties in which prosecutors excluded nearly 80% of African Americans eligible for jury duty. There were even instances of majority-black counties in which capital defendants were tried by all white juries.
EJI findings also included evidence that some prosecutors are trained to exclude people on the basis of race, and to conceal their bias. African Americans have been excluded from jury service for such disparate reasons as, because they:
• Appeared to have “low intelligence”
• Wore eyeglasses
• Were single
• Were married
• Were separated
• Were too old for jury service at 43 years old
• Were too young for jury service at 28 years old
• Had relatives who attended historically black colleges
• Walked a certain way
• Chewed gum
• Lived in a predominantly black neighborhood
All of the reasons for exclusion cited above should concern African Americans, and any person who cares about the equitable dissemination of justice. But there are other reasons people of good faith give pause. Primarily, it is important to recognize the study also found that compared to diverse juries, all-white juries tend to spend less time in deliberation, make more errors, and consider fewer perspectives.
While this study concentrated on Southern States, like most aspects of racist practices, and discriminatory behavior, the problem persists across America. Most sections of the country have experienced forms of unrest, violence, or destruction in response to non-diverse criminal jury verdicts. For example, the breath and scope of the incendiary reactions to such practices includes communities in:
• Miami
• New York
• Los Angeles
• Hartford Connecticut
• Jena Louisiana
• Powhatan, Virginia
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• The Florida Panhandle
“Equal Justice Under Law; Really?” I once heard Dr, Cornel West explain in a meeting, with regard to the state of race relations in America, he was a “Prisoner of hope.” Saddled with the same affliction, I continue to think, jubilantly, there is much work to be done. Will you join me? The question is rhetorical, of course. But before you formulate your response, remember, the first step in resolving the problem is to admit…”There is a problem.”
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://www.eji.org/eji/node/397
http://blackpoliticsontheweb.com/2010/06/02/racial-discrimination-in-jury-selection-remains-widespread-according-to-eji-study-released-today/
http://eji.org/eji/files/RaceandJurySelectionReport.pdf
http://atlantapost.com/2010/06/03/racial-discrimination-in-jury-selection-remains-widespread/
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/studies-racial-discrimination-jury-selection-continues-death-penalty-cases
http://jurist.org/paperchase/2010/06/us-study-finds-widespread-racial-discrimination-in-jury-selection-in-south.php
http://standdown.typepad.com/weblog/2010/06/race-and-juries-in-the-south.html
http://aroundthesphere.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/the-past-is-not-so-past-after-all/
http://reconstitution.us/rcnew/?tag=jury-selection
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/us/02jury.html?scp=1&sq=black%20jury&st=cse
http://ww.examiner.com/x-44007-Raleigh-Civil-Rights-Examiner~y2010m6d8-Blacks-still-unfairly-excluded-from-southern-juries-says-new-study
http://politifi.com/news/More-postracial-America-blacks-still-barred-from-juries-KY-segregated-clubs-live-on-971953.html
http://www.facebook.com/equaljusticeinitiative?v=wall
http://www.idealist.org/en/org/162289-125
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Stevenson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_justice_under_law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Knotts
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Wednesday, June 2, 2010
March to Montgomery: 2010
It's time to Break It Down!
There was a Gubernatorial Primary in the State of Alabama yesterday. For years Charles Barkley, at one time affectionately dubbed The Round Mound of Rebound, toyed with the idea of returning to his native Alabama, and running for Governor in 2014. For most of that time he emphasized his affiliation with the Republican Party. In 2007, Barkley bought a home in Alabama, at least in part to comply with the state’s 7-year residency requirement to run for Governor.
Barkley eventually adjusted his sights, and changed his registration to Independent, while still maintaining that he would run for the state’s highest office in 2014. However, in the last 6 months, Sir Charles, another of his monikers, has begun distancing himself from the idea.
Hark; there is a new player in the game. He does not boast Barkley’s court presence, at least not of the hardwood variety, or Charles’ propensity for outlandish verbal and physical jousting. Yet, Representative Arthur Davis, from Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, is someone you should know. He may be better suited for the rigors of political sport than fellow Alabama native, Barkley. Davis, a double Harvard grad, both undergraduate, magna cum laude, and Law School, cum laude, has served as a U.S. Congressman from “The Heart of Dixie,” since 2003.
Congressman Davis received the Best Oralist Award, and participated in the Ames Moot Court Competition, while matriculating at Harvard. One of his classmates while at Harvard Law was a not so well-known Hawaii native with an unusual name, Barack Hussein Obama. Davis was the first Congressman outside the state of Illinois to openly support Mr. Obama for President, in 2007.
While the Congressman shares elements of educational and political heritage, with President Obama, he does not march in lockstep, blindly with POTUS. In a notable break with the President, Davis voted against the Health Care Reform bill. His independent streak is on full display at home in Alabama as well. He has eschewed seeking the endorsement of the civil rights establishment, opting instead to cobble together a widespread, but likely fragile coalition, somewhat akin to the formula President Obama fashioned into a successful blueprint during his 2008 run to the White House.
In other words, in a state where nearly 50% of Democratic voters are African American, Mr. Davis chose not to cast himself as the black candidate. Conceptually, the idea is interesting. Moreover, the 2008 national election results seemed to validate the strategy as one that “can work.” Of course, one of the things that will become clear over time, is not every candidate is Barack Obama. In Alabama the wisdom of this theory is being tested severely.
A number of black organizations, and the civil rights establishment reasoned Davis neither sought nor earned their support. Subsequently, they chose, in large numbers, to support one of his rivals, state Agriculture Commissioner, Ron Sparks. One sentiment expressed within the civil rights community regarding Mr. Davis’ strategy was that he tried too hard to distance himself from persons, groups, and institutions that serve as his logical and traditional base. Conversely, Mr. Davis argued that his focus is rightly riveted upon devising plans and policies to fix a moribund economy, including eliminating sales taxes on groceries, forcing out-of-state companies to pay property taxes, and re-writing the state’s constitution (which has been in place since 1901).
One thing that can be said about this race is, deep in the “Heart of Dixie,” they struck a blow for post-racialism, but in a very pragmatic way. Congressman Davis and Commissioner Sparks both made their own calculated gamble. The GOP has won Alabama’s Governorship in the past 6 elections, and they are favored to do so again.
Mr. Sparks knew that should he win the Democratic Primary, in order to run and win in November, he would need the support of the civil rights establishment, and the votes of Alabama’s black electorate. Conversely, Mr. Davis understood that should he somehow advance through the Primary, he would need to attract significant support and a sizable number of votes from the state’s white voters. If Alabama voters retreat to their customary voting patterns, Democrats will certainly not execute a “March to Montgomery: 2010.” Instead, Republicans will make it 7 in a row in the Governor’s race.
The results are in; Mr. Sparks won. The odds were stacked heavily against Mr. Davis. What was projected by many to be a tight race was a virtual landslide; 58%-35%. This is just the beginning of the dance, of course. November and the general election await. But in the interim, the nuanced negotiating and navigating will ensue. Democrats statewide must now move to coalesce and support Mr. Sparks in a unified and enthusiastic manner. To do less will assure that it will be the GOP that fashions a “March to Montgomery: 2010!”
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Barkley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artur_Davis
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/29/AR2010052902286.html
http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Artur_Davis
http://arturdavis.house.gov/
http://www.arturdavis2010.com/
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=AL07&site=ctc
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/04/rep_artur_davis_campaigns_for.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/31/artur-davis-may-become-fi_n_595279.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/us/01alabama.html?src=me
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20006464-503544.html
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/05/30/Politics-2010-Davis-hopes-to-make-history-in-Alabamas-gubernatorial-race/UPI-65371275211800/
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/06/black-governor-alabama-/1
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100602/ap_on_el_gu/us_alabama_governor
There was a Gubernatorial Primary in the State of Alabama yesterday. For years Charles Barkley, at one time affectionately dubbed The Round Mound of Rebound, toyed with the idea of returning to his native Alabama, and running for Governor in 2014. For most of that time he emphasized his affiliation with the Republican Party. In 2007, Barkley bought a home in Alabama, at least in part to comply with the state’s 7-year residency requirement to run for Governor.
Barkley eventually adjusted his sights, and changed his registration to Independent, while still maintaining that he would run for the state’s highest office in 2014. However, in the last 6 months, Sir Charles, another of his monikers, has begun distancing himself from the idea.
Hark; there is a new player in the game. He does not boast Barkley’s court presence, at least not of the hardwood variety, or Charles’ propensity for outlandish verbal and physical jousting. Yet, Representative Arthur Davis, from Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, is someone you should know. He may be better suited for the rigors of political sport than fellow Alabama native, Barkley. Davis, a double Harvard grad, both undergraduate, magna cum laude, and Law School, cum laude, has served as a U.S. Congressman from “The Heart of Dixie,” since 2003.
Congressman Davis received the Best Oralist Award, and participated in the Ames Moot Court Competition, while matriculating at Harvard. One of his classmates while at Harvard Law was a not so well-known Hawaii native with an unusual name, Barack Hussein Obama. Davis was the first Congressman outside the state of Illinois to openly support Mr. Obama for President, in 2007.
While the Congressman shares elements of educational and political heritage, with President Obama, he does not march in lockstep, blindly with POTUS. In a notable break with the President, Davis voted against the Health Care Reform bill. His independent streak is on full display at home in Alabama as well. He has eschewed seeking the endorsement of the civil rights establishment, opting instead to cobble together a widespread, but likely fragile coalition, somewhat akin to the formula President Obama fashioned into a successful blueprint during his 2008 run to the White House.
In other words, in a state where nearly 50% of Democratic voters are African American, Mr. Davis chose not to cast himself as the black candidate. Conceptually, the idea is interesting. Moreover, the 2008 national election results seemed to validate the strategy as one that “can work.” Of course, one of the things that will become clear over time, is not every candidate is Barack Obama. In Alabama the wisdom of this theory is being tested severely.
A number of black organizations, and the civil rights establishment reasoned Davis neither sought nor earned their support. Subsequently, they chose, in large numbers, to support one of his rivals, state Agriculture Commissioner, Ron Sparks. One sentiment expressed within the civil rights community regarding Mr. Davis’ strategy was that he tried too hard to distance himself from persons, groups, and institutions that serve as his logical and traditional base. Conversely, Mr. Davis argued that his focus is rightly riveted upon devising plans and policies to fix a moribund economy, including eliminating sales taxes on groceries, forcing out-of-state companies to pay property taxes, and re-writing the state’s constitution (which has been in place since 1901).
One thing that can be said about this race is, deep in the “Heart of Dixie,” they struck a blow for post-racialism, but in a very pragmatic way. Congressman Davis and Commissioner Sparks both made their own calculated gamble. The GOP has won Alabama’s Governorship in the past 6 elections, and they are favored to do so again.
Mr. Sparks knew that should he win the Democratic Primary, in order to run and win in November, he would need the support of the civil rights establishment, and the votes of Alabama’s black electorate. Conversely, Mr. Davis understood that should he somehow advance through the Primary, he would need to attract significant support and a sizable number of votes from the state’s white voters. If Alabama voters retreat to their customary voting patterns, Democrats will certainly not execute a “March to Montgomery: 2010.” Instead, Republicans will make it 7 in a row in the Governor’s race.
The results are in; Mr. Sparks won. The odds were stacked heavily against Mr. Davis. What was projected by many to be a tight race was a virtual landslide; 58%-35%. This is just the beginning of the dance, of course. November and the general election await. But in the interim, the nuanced negotiating and navigating will ensue. Democrats statewide must now move to coalesce and support Mr. Sparks in a unified and enthusiastic manner. To do less will assure that it will be the GOP that fashions a “March to Montgomery: 2010!”
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Barkley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artur_Davis
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/29/AR2010052902286.html
http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Artur_Davis
http://arturdavis.house.gov/
http://www.arturdavis2010.com/
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=AL07&site=ctc
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/04/rep_artur_davis_campaigns_for.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/31/artur-davis-may-become-fi_n_595279.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/us/01alabama.html?src=me
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20006464-503544.html
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/05/30/Politics-2010-Davis-hopes-to-make-history-in-Alabamas-gubernatorial-race/UPI-65371275211800/
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/06/black-governor-alabama-/1
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100602/ap_on_el_gu/us_alabama_governor
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