Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Shopping While Black: A Story of Racial Profiling

It's time to Break It Down!

I cannot imagine that there is a black man in America who has not heard of, or does not know someone who has suffered the indignity of racial profiling.  In fact, if I had to hazard a guess, I would suppose most black men have endured the sting associated with that repugnant act, live, and in living personal color.  I certainly have.

Though the story always hits home when it is personal, it tends to have a broader and deeper resonance when the party involved is a “known entity” or has a higher than normal profile.  Such is the case with “Treme” actor Rob Brown.

According to Brown, while shopping at Macy’s Manhattan Flagship store, he bought a watch for his mother.  He made the purchase to commemorate her college graduation, which coincidentally, he was en route to attend.  The price of the $1300 watch, (relatively expensive, but not so much when compared to the nearly $40K purse Oprah was allegedly denied an opportunity to purchase in a Swiss Boutique a couple of months ago), apparently in conjunction with Brown’s skin color caused a Macy’s clerk to suspect Brown’s may have been using a fraudulent credit card.  At least that is what Mr. Brown’s surmises.

By Brown’s account, he completed the transaction to purchase the watch.  Because it was a display model, the clerk needed to remove some excess paper and glue residue from the watch.  Meanwhile, Brown walked to a nearby store and initiated a purchase of a pair of sunglasses.  While in the midst of this purchase, several white males, at least one of whom flashed a badge, approached him. 

They began to lecture him about a stolen credit card, and told him he was going to jail.  They “cuffed and paraded him,” he said, through the Macy’s store, and took him to a room for interrogation.

Eventually, the detectives or security team gleaned enough information to determine that they had detained Brown in error.  They then took Brown, a graduate of Amherst College, to his mother’s graduation…, an event he missed, by the way.

Macy’s issued a statement in its defense insisting that none of its employees were involved in the arrest.  They added there was “no record” of any employee contacting authorities regarding Brown’s purchase of a luxury Movado watch.  Wink-wink!

While that is certainly within the realm of possibility, the likelihood that the security detail materialized out of thin air, before the sunglass purchase was complete, but after the watch, alleging credit card fraud, with no prompting from Macy’s seems like one huge-A stretch.  Having already admitted I have experienced profiling, and on numerous occasions, I admit I am inherently a cynic on this question.

The Brown incident is not an isolated case in the Naked City.  Recently, two blacks sued Barney’s, another lionized New York shopping institution, for racial profiling.  In Brown’s case, he sued Macy’s for racial profiling, and the New York City Police Department for unlawful stop and search.  As this world turns, it is still clear, like driving, we must consider “Shopping While Black: A Story in Racial Profiling!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.

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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act: The Much Ballyhooed Website Debacle

It's time to Break It Down!

Just over 3 weeks ago, we witnessed the official launch of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, affectionately, derisively, or at least familiarly known as Obamacare.  Thanks largely to an unbelievably inauspicious, if not torturous web management enterprise; the President’s signature domestic initiative likely could not have started on shakier footing.

Perhaps, if there was one infinitesimal element or redeeming feature related to the October 1, 2013 debut of Obamacare, the thing that comes to mind is that because of inexplicable Congressional machination, the GOP/Tea Party forced a shutdown of the federal government.  Consequently, major media outlets, while giving a modicum of coverage to the failed state of Obamacare program kick-off dynamics, was immersed in exhaustive day-to-day coverage of the government shutdown.

In basic terms, it is my opinion that the hoopla attendant to the website morass is vastly overstated.  Yes, of course it is significant.  Obamacare is, after all, characterized as that one domestic accomplishment that the President’s critics call his “only” accomplishment, before they quickly add that it would never have come to pass, were it not for a Democratic Supermajority in Congress, as no Republicans voted for it.  Even supporters concede it is likely to be the legislative mandate that will be most closely associated with the future Obama legacy.

Still, the web rollout is, in and of itself, not Obamacare.  It is simply a means to an end.  It is an important means, to be sure.  Ideally, it would be the most efficient, effective, and often used means.  Ultimately, it may still be all of the above. 

First, let us note, the rollout is not a one-day, a one-week, or even a one-month event.  Prospective customers, or patients if you prefer the language from the legislation, have until March 2014 to sign-up during the period of Open Enrollment.  There is every indication the web portal may be fully functional before then.  Moreover, there are other means to access the program, including individual State exchanges (in States other than those in which intransigent Republican Governors have refused to allow the program), and egad, by picking up the phone and calling to sign-up.

This brief statement is, not by any means, intended to downplay the seriousness of the flawed web rollout of Obamacare.  Rather, it is a suggestion to one-and-all not to throw out the baby with the bath water.  Partisan political agendas aside, there are problems…and they are resolvable.  The Administration is pushing ahead to that end…and the President’s opponents are working just as fervently to derail the efforts.  In the final analysis, the marketplace will decide the outcome.

Having watched much of the discourse unfold around this initiative, I must admit, I find a couple of recent revelations…well, perplexing.  Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who has oversight responsibility for the rollout of Obamacare, in a CNN interview with Dr. SonjayGupta, said two things that will undoubtedly draw lots of intense reaction.  She indicated that HHS is bringing in the “A Team,” in an attempt to resolve the problems.  She also asserted that President Obama was not made aware of the nature and scope of the problems with the website until two or three days in.

I have only one word…”uneff’nbelievable!  That is all.

Interestingly, it is the policy implications of this law that really matter.  The website discussion is small ball, but low-hanging fruit that Senator Cruz and his Tea Party crew found irresistible.  The Senator has threatened to pull a déjà vu move early next year, and play the shut down the government/threaten a default card, all over again.  Alternately, Senator Mitch McConnell has said, essentially, “It ain’t gonna happen!”  So goes the schizophrenia of the GOP. 


I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.

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http://www.cnbc.com/id/101124856

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Ted Cruz: The Road to Default is Paved with Bad Intentions!

It's time to Break It Down!


Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz, the Texan by way of Canada, has leveraged his15 minutes of fame into 15 days, and he is going for more.  Senator Cruz, the architect of the idea to defund, disassemble, or delay Obamacare has launched himself into the role of de facto leader of the GOP/Tea Party

After serving a little more than 10 months in the U.S. Senate, Mr. Cruz has bedazzled a key segment of his GOP/Tea Party contemporaries in the Senate and more importantly, in the House of Representatives.  He has managed to lead them in Pied Piper fashion to shut down the federal government, and to threaten to drive the country into one of the unenviable annals of geo-political history, that of our first-ever default

Many close observers, including several in the Grand Ol’ Party have given voice to the notion that the Junior Senator from Texas does not find his motivation from a desire for his Party to attain a perch on ideological or political high ground.  Rather they think he derives his impetus from the prospect that his crusade may enable him to take the lead in the 2016 race for the GOP Nomination for the White House.  Moreover, even some GOP insiders insist that his gambit has harmed their beloved Party, and more importantly, the American people.

A little over two years ago, in August 2011, Standard & Poor's (S&P) issued America it’s first-ever credit downgrade, moving it’s rating from AAA (Outstanding) to AA+ (Excellent), and this was after Congress reach an agreement to avert a default.  Fast forward to the here and now, and a few Republican voices are actually contending that crossing the threshold of the October 17th deadline for resolving the debt ceiling crisis is not a disaster for either the economy, not the country.  This is a position that flies in the face of the fact the economy has lost an estimated $20 billion during the first 15 days of the partial government shutdown.

If that were not enough, yesterday, credit rating agency Fitch warned that it might downgrade U.S. debt.  Last time, S&P opted to issue a downgrade, even though Congress did not actually default on the nation’s debt.  What are the chances we might blow through the deadline, without experiencing similar consequences?      

Fitch has already placed its “AAA” U.S. rating on “rating watch negative,” a potential prelude to a downgrade.  The 2011 S&P downgrade was an historic first.  If the country crosses the debt ceiling deadline, midnight tonight, it would mark yet another dubious and inauspicious American first.  When I consider the lunacy associated with the actions that that have yet again driven us to the economic brink, it is hard to argue against the premise that these United States are “Exceptional”…in a bad way.  For all the crowing and posturing, that invariably hovers around this faux construct, antics such as this tarnish in a most high profile way, the validity of that position.

Senator Cruz has refused, up to this point, to relinquish his hold on the title, Anti-Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Poster Child.  Moreover, he appears to revel in it.  The Senate, according to a number of news accounts, is on a path to forge a compromise.  Through yesterday, the House was reticent to get on board with the idea. 

As we enter the proverbial 11th hour, speculation persists that there will be a last-minute deal.  While I offer no prediction on the timing, I do believe the impasse is near an end.  Moreover, after all that has happened, I am convinced that one thing is clear – Cruz Control: The Road to Default is Pavedwith Bad Intentions!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.

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http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fitch-ratings.asp

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Nine Years Old: A Ninja in Training?

It's time to Break It Down!

What the L?

Last weeks post was short.  This week’s is even briefer.

Dictionary.com defines Ninja as:

“A member of a feudal Japanese society of mercenary agents, highly trained in martial arts and stealth (ninjutsu) that were hired for covert purposes ranging from espionage to sabotage and assassination.

OK, so the 9 year-old who covertly and stealthily, hopped a plane and flew from Minneapolis to Las Vegas did not also use karate, commit espionage and/or assassinate anyone…yet…that we know of!  However, let’s face it; the kid has an evolved sense of flirting with high-risk behaviors and situations, and the skill set and ‘nads to pull it off.  Where was the NSA, and for God’s sake in this instance anyway, where was the TSA, when we needed them?

Let’s review quickly.  The young man, who is quickly developing a bucket list of nefarious feats, also has crashing a Water Park, and auto theft listed on the notches he has carved on his small but impressive belt.  He boarded a flight and flew from Minneapolis to Vegas…without an escort, and more significantly, sans ticket.  This must be a new low for both the TSA and Delta Airlines.  Regardless of whether this kid is building credits as he auditions for the lead role in the James Bond flick, in say, 2044, when he will be like 40, his caprice cannot be overlooked as we soberly consider targets of opportunity for potential terrorists attacks.  The basis for alarm should be clear.

In describing his precocious scion, the young man’s father said, "I don't have an angel, OK. I have a 9-year-old.  To me, he’s got a behavioral problem"

No schiznit!  Little is more evident than that an angel, this young man is not, and yes, his behavior is problematic.  Alternately, I am unconvinced that he 9 years old.  Can we get Mr. Trump to dredge up his Birth Certificate?  I for one would feel better if The Donald affirmed that for us.

In other pertinent developments, a Hennepin County (Minneapolis) Public Health official described the boy as “a challenging child.”  His mother works at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.  Though the parents say they thought he was visiting a neighbor, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that there is an investigation into whether his mother helped him.  In related news, the TSA employee whom the young man eluded to board the plane was said to be “distracted.”

Undoubtedly, there are many questions, still unanswered, surrounding this matter.  The only one I have is; is this kid “NineYears Old: A Ninja in Training?”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”  Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

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Wednesday, October 2, 2013

"The GOP/Tea Party: Tilting at Windmills"

It's time to Break It Down!

This battle is intriguing…in a Pablo Picasso-Don Quixote kind of way.   The Government (at least parts of it), has shut down, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Health Exchanges are open.  Score that the President 1, the GOP/Tea Party 0.

Do you want to hear (or read) my favorite, (self-made) riddle?  Here it is, anyway:

What part of Obamacare do Republicans and Tea Party members hate most?

The answer to the riddle is the "Obama part!"

If you appreciate irony, savor this moment. It is surely golden.

That's it.  No cross-references for the sake of balance, nada to a dozen or more hot links to provide depth, no to witty repartee or interesting side bar inserted expressly for cool points, and definitely zero rapprochement to ease the concerns of the infidels with differing opinions.

This one is for the folks whose candidate of choice actually won the last Presidential Election.  You may remember him as the guy whose signature program (the one every Democratic President since Harry Truman has tried to implement) was: 

·         Voted on and approved by the U.S. House of Representatives

·         Voted on and approved by the U.S. Senate

·         Signed into law by the now (two-term...I still like the sound of that) President

·         Upheld and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court as the law of the ever-loving land! 

Enjoy as you read my post and reflect on "The GOP/Tea Party: Tilting at Windmills."  I'm done...really; holla back! 

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. 

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”  Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. 

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below: