DNA Test Clears Man Who Served 25 Years For Rape

"Jerry Miller spent 25 years behind bars for a rape he has long maintained he didn't commit. His fight to prove his innocence finally will pay off Monday when prosecutors, acting on new DNA tests that ruled out Miller as the attacker, will ask a judge to erase his conviction."

Go to http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_111221108.html

First Black mayor of Chicago

Copyright 2007 Robert Oliver, All Rights Reserved

'HIV chasing' a trend in gay community

"A Melbourne man who fantasised about contracting HIV before actually being infected by the virus has spoken of a gay subculture in which infection is seen as 'desirable.'

"The 20-year-old man, who does not want to be named, told Fairfax newspapers both complacency about the virus and the wish to have unprotected sex with an HIV-positive man he was in love with led him to become infected."

Go to http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/HIV-chasing-a-trend-in-gay-community/2007/04/21/1176697124607.html

Is this a "deathwish"?

Worker fired after posting picture of Jesus

"The manager called him into her office. 'She told me people were offended, and she told me anything with Jesus and God can't be up,' Romansky told WND."

Go to http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55313

The picture was in her cubicle. If they were offended, they did not have to look.

What is up with these "girly-men" politically correct office policies?

U.S. economy poised for nose dive

"As the dollar sinks to near-record lows against the euro and the British pound, the stock market has returned to record highs, but investors are being advised to anticipate a worldwide downturn and the U.S. economy may have already entered a recession. "

Go to http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55314

Supremes gives reason for hope

(Stop, in the name of love....)

"Disappointing, however, is that what we have is a decision that only touches how an abortion may be done, not whether it may be done. The brutal and inhuman procedure that is banned – partial delivery and then destruction of the unborn child – accounts for a small percentage of the almost 1 million abortions that are now being done each year."

Go to http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55319

For some eyeopening facts, go to www.blackgenocide.org.

Black critics of Imus are hypocrites

"Let’s keep it real: Black people have a double standard regarding who can and who cannot insult us. Blacks can. Whites and others cannot.

"I am more offended when a black man refers to a black woman as a 'nappy-headed ho' than I am when a Don Imus does so. When I taught at historically black Stillman College in Alabama, I regularly heard male students refer to their female schoolmates as 'nappy-headed hos' and other names.

"Until we, black people, stop insulting and abusing ourselves, we are fair game for others to insult and abuse us. We have only ourselves to blame for the mainstreaming of 'nappy-headed hos.'”

Go to http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/opinion/guests/351987,guest1-0421.article

Koch Blasts Sharpton In Rev's Own House

"The former mayor and current New York Press columnist spoke at the opening of Rev. Al Sharpton's annual National Action Network conference yesterday, and took the time to hit Sharpton for his role in the Tawana Brawley fiasco and how it affected his career.

"'If you would have apologized for the Tawana Brawley hoax, you'd be a crossover leader,' he said. Sharpton did not react. More here."

Go to http://www.nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=61283197

I agree with Koch.

Clintons Butter Up Sharpton For Endorsement

"Former President Bill Clinton was in New York City on Thursday, speaking at the National Action Network convention and rallying behind Rev. Al Sharpton. Though he was there to offer up his support and respect for Sharpton, his real motive was likely to help sway the outspoken civil rights leader toward an endorsement of his wife and presidential candidate, Sen. Hillary Clinton."

Go to http://kutv.com/topstories/topstories_story_109224755.html

Larry Elder: Our nation's selective outrage

"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., also slammed Imus, yet she held a fund-raiser with rapper/producer Timbaland. In his own music, Timbaland uses the "b" and "h" words, as do other artists he produces."

Go to http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/opinion/homepage/article_1663340.php

Sharpton, Hip-Hop Execs. Clash Over Rap Lyrics

"After Rev. Al Sharpton cancelled plans yesterday to honor Island Def Jam CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid at a charity dinner because he feels the label releases offensive Rap music, Universal Music Group allegedly asked that its $15,000 donation to Sharpton's event be returned. The New York Post reported yesterday that Sharpton 'suspended' the planned James Brown award for Reid because he handles a stable of foul-mouthed singers, and Sharpton believed the recognition would have been inappropriate and hypocritical in the wake of his criticism of the racially insensitive comments made by Don Imus. The Post says that associates of Reid then contacted Sharpton's organization, the National Action Network, to have their contribution returned, as Universal is the parent company to Island Def Jam. However, a Universal spokesman denied that the company asked for its money back and said there are no hard feelings over Sharpton's withdrawing the award."

Go to http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=389673

The "N-Word" Rules: Who Can Say It And Who Can't -- VIDEO

To watch video, go to http://www.thisjustin.com/2007/04/18/the-n-word-rules-who-can-say-it-and-who-cant/

Boortz, who's said congresswoman "looks like a ghetto slut," blasted "denigration of black women through rap music"

"BOORTZ: 'I do. In fact, I've been asked to testify before Congress on this. But Oprah, this is why I'm really proud of her. Neither Jesse Jackson nor Al Sharpton will be a guest on her program today. They are not going to be a part of the show. Jason Whitlock, the Kansas City sports columnist that wrote that column I read to you last week, he will be a part of the show. Al Sharpton, no. Jesse Jackson, no. And you know, ladies and gentlemen, you know that they asked to be on the show. And Oprah told them, 'no.' So, glad Oprah had the sense to keep those race warlords away from her town hall meeting this afternoon. So, kudos to Oprah, I hope kudos is, is it OK, kudos? I've never really looked up the meaning of that word. I could get nailed on that. Kudos to Oprah for her program this afternoon.'"

Go to http://mediamatters.org/items/200704170014

Hil & Obama got help from foul musicians

"But on the campaign trail in South Carolina on Friday, Obama told a town meeting that rappers who use derogatory language are 'degrading their sisters.'

"'I do think we've seen a coarsening of the culture,' Obama told The Associated Press afterward.

"'I think that we have not talked enough about the harmful images and messages that are sent,' he said.

"'I think that all of us have become a little complicit in this kind of relaxed attitude toward some pretty offensive things,' he said. 'And I hope this prompts some self-reflection on the part of all of us.'"

Go to http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/04/15/2007-04-15_dems_facing_a_rap.html

American Nazi Had a Secret

"Wild Bill was such a force in the NSM, the largest neo-Nazi group in the U.S., that John Taylor Bowles, the group's candidate for the presidency of the United States, selected him to be his running mate. On Dec. 8, 2006, 10 hours after they announced their candidacy, Wild Bill died in a car wreck on a lonely stretch of Highway 146 near Enoree. He was 71.

"But Wild Bill took a secret with him to the grave, one he couldn't share with his NSM buddies. Wild Bill, an icon of white supremacy, was himself (to find out go to http://www.goupstate.com/article/20070415/NEWS/704150380/1051/frontpage?forceuserreg=1)

House passes bill to give D.C. and Utah new House seats

"The people of the District of Columbia moved a step closer Thursday to gaining voting rights denied to them for more than 200 years."

Go to http://www.examiner.com/a-683883~House_passes_bill_to_give_D_C__and_Utah_new_House_seats.html

Rap Mogul Takes On Obama

"My response to Sen. Obama is that you have to talk about the poverty and ignorance that creates such a climate that the poets can talk like that," Simmons told ABC News. 'And all the politicians owe them an education and an opportunity for a better life  and maybe they'll say something better.'

"But Simmons disputed Obama's contention that Imus' comments were in any way similar to those heard in rap music.

"'People who are angry, uneducated and come from tremendous struggle, they have poetic license and they say things that offend you,' Simmons said. 'You have to talk about the conditions that create those kinds of lyrics. When you are talking about a privileged man who has a mainstream vehicle and mainstream support and is on a radio station like that you have to deal with them differently.'"

Go to http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=entertainment&id=5214186

PLEASE go to the THUGWATCH section on this site and you will see the "poverty and ignorance" in the lyrics to the rap songs.

Getting Out to Get a Vote

"'Free D.C.! Free D.C.!' chanted the activists, who thronged several blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue, marching past fluttering red-and-white District flags and U.S. flags. They waved signs reading 'I Demand the Vote,' 'Democracy Starts at Home' and -- in a nod to the foul weather -- 'Getting Wet to Get a Vote.'"

Go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/16/AR2007041600867.html

The Shameful Lynching of America by Al Sharpton

"In fact, Snoop Dogg claimed that when rappers sing about bitches and hoes, it’s really about the loser women who are to be exploited in the same vein that pimps take advantage of women down on their luck. But, then Stuart Scott, of ESPN fame, notes that Blacks calling women 'hoes' is really a term of endearment, or rather, a sign of affection, and that’s just the way it is. And, from the MSNBC website came a report that the slur, 'nappy-headed' was really an old, outdated slur, once meant to be especially cruel, that fell out of favor, presumably by offensive whites – until Imus and Sharpton reminded America....

"And, the proof is in the pudding in how Snoop Dogg and Stuart Scott contradict one another, and these are two highly visible Blacks. If they can’t agree what the word, “hoe” means, then how in the hell can Don Imus be expected to know every proper contextual use of slurs? Again, it must be because he’s not Black....

"Sharpton has been shaming people in America in the same manner as a fraudulent shrink would falsely tell a woman she was raped as a child to continue earning counseling fees for repetitive counseling sessions. And, much like a woman who is duped into thinking she’s a victim, Sharpton has managed to counsel the Rutgers women’s basketball team into a collective hive of victims. If you don’t believe me, then ask Snoop Dogg and Stuart Scott why they completely contradict Sharpton’s own interpretation of Imus’ words.

"Instead of teaching young Americans that sometimes, people act stupidly and then when they realize they did something wrong and forgive them, Sharpton wants Black America to remain hateful, angry, and hurt so that he can remain relevant to today’s society. Without all the firebomb threats and violent protests, Sharpton is nothing but a two-bit pimp and ambulance chaser, waiting for the next racial situation for him to exploit for his own material gain. Like a bad shrink or a neighborhood pimp, Sharpton needs to be removed from the public eye.

"And, I’ve got one more thing to say to Black America: yes, you were exploited as slaves; yes, you’ve had some difficulties with oppression and discrimination; and yes, it makes you look like fools when Snoop Dogg and Stuart Scott completely contradict themselves and Al Sharpton. Maybe the truth is really that you’re not as much of a victim as you might think and just maybe, it’s time for you to get over the idea of being a perpetual victim you’ve been shamed into believing by the likes of Sharpton."

Go to http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/04/13/230746.php

'Unimaginable suffering' now gripping Darfur

"More than four years after civil war erupted in Darfur, forcing at least two million people to flee their homes, Oxfam will launch a new appeal today to alleviate the "unimaginable" suffering in this arid region of western Sudan."

Go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/16/wdarfur16.xml

Real Facts about Hip Hop, the Music Industry & Black Folks By Pearl Jr.

"Furthermore, as I watched Oprah Winfrey this week, I found myself very disappointed watching some desperate millionaire fall guys speak about NOT blaming filth-spewing rap cr*p artists for the NEWLY arrived heights of devastation among Black American Citizens. Oprah's in studio on stage guests, who have gained from our pain was Russell Simmons, Bernard Chivers, Kevin Liles, and Common (who is among the few positive artists), who made excuse after excuse for the vast widespread devastation of the Black community.

"I'm asking all those who watched Oprah not to get confused with their mind-twisting fast-talking bullying tactics that was force-feeding everyone to look everywhere else but inside themselves to make that change; they are their own man in the mirror, who hold the power to rid our lives of the mental trash that cleverly deceived us with beats that were given to us as gifts from our ancestors to be used for loving and healing purposes.

"I must disagree with a popular notion that negative lyrics sell. No, the consumer bought the beat and the groove and was tricked into condoning and repeating lyrics that commonly used the rhythms of nursery rhymes to convince us that being horrible human beings would render us massive rewards. The glamorizing of despicable language such as nigga, bitch and ho could have only involved the work of the devil who is THE master of deception.

"What is missing are all the non-Black record company owners and executives that hated Black people while smiling in their faces telling them that they will pay them riches for putting down Black people and lying to Black people telling them over and over and over again what is wrong is right."

Go to http://www.thuglifearmy.com/news/?id=3598

Zimbabwe: Defiant voices of victims and eye witnesses of Mugabe's terror campaign

"In the past 30 days between 11 March and 10 April the MDC reports that over 600 Zimbabwean citizens among them opposition leaders, activists, trade unionists, journalists, students and civilians have been either arrested, assaulted, tortured, abducted, shot or killed in cold blood during a systematic and meticulous but brutal terror campaign sponsored by the ZANU PF regime."

Go to http://zimdaily.com/news/117/ARTICLE/1579/2007-04-17.html

Democrats scramble to court Sharpton

"The solid attendance -- starting with John Edwards on Wednesday and continuing with Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama later this week -- reflects Sharpton's prominence in the party, concern that he might run again and the Democrats' effort to appeal to the base, particularly black voters."

Go to http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/18/democrats_court_black_voters/

Are You A Hip-Hop Apologist?

"The argument is often made by Russell Simmons and others that rappers are poets who simply report on what they feel and their surroundings, and that they shouldn't be censored. As an emcee, on that point we partially agree -- we shouldn't be censored. But balance between the negative and positive needs to be provided, and it currently isn't. Most artistic integrity is questionable at best. My understanding is that artists are supposed to express what they believe in at all costs (if not, there's work at the post office). But most don't, and they mold their approaches to making music based on what they perceive major labels wanting. If Def Jam or Interscope or any of these other large culture-defining companies issued a blanket decree that they would only support material and artists with positive messages then 99% of those making music now would switch up to accommodate. That's real talk. I'm not saying these labels should (or would), but if they did, gangstas would stop being gangstas and misogynists would stop being misogynists at the drop of a DIME. Many artists are like children, and most will say and do what is expected of them in order to benefit financially. And although there is definite self-examination that needs to take place within the artist community, the lion's share of the blame falls on the enablers who only empower voices of negativity. Record labels and commercial radio often use the excuse that they are 'responding to the streets' and that they are 'giving the people what they want.' B*******. They dictate the taste of the streets, and people can't miss what they never knew. The fact is that there are conscious decisions made by the big business and entertainment elite daily about what to present to the masses -- and it is from those choices that we are allowed to decide what we do and do not like. Who presents the music that callers are invited to 'make or break' on the radio? That callers are invited to 'vote on' on T.V.? Who decides on what makes it to the store shelves or the airwaves at all? Like I said, life imitates art, and pseudo-black culture is determined by those other than us every day. Walk into any rap label or urban radio station and you can count the number of black employees on one hand."

Go to http://www.guerrillafunk.com/thoughts/doc000035.html

The Fuzz was his Cuz at one time?

"So the rapper Cam'ron is appearing on '60 Minutes' this Sunday to explain why he would never help the police, even if they were investigating a serial killer who lived next door to him. The performer (real name: Cameron Giles) believes that his CD sales and popularity would sag if fans saw him aiding law enforcement. But Giles, 31, hasn't always been so down on the fuzz. In fact, New York Police Department records indicate that he cooperated with cops after he was assaulted at a Harlem playground. According to an NYPD report...."

Go to http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0419072giles1.html

They are selling us out....

A rapper said that he would not help the police even if a serial killer lived next door to him because it would hurt his business and violate his code of ethics?

According to a Drudge Report article of April 20, 2007 (www.drudgereport.com): "Rap star Cam'ron says there's no situation -- including a serial killer living next door -- that would cause him to help police in any way, because to do so would hurt his music sales and violate his 'code of ethics.' Cam'ron, whose real name is Cameron Giles, talks to Anderson Cooper for a report on how the hip-hop culture's message to shun the police has undermined efforts to solve murders across the country. Cooper's report will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, April 22 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

"'If I knew the serial killer was living next door to me?' Giles responds to a hypothetical question posed by Cooper. 'I wouldn't call and tell anybody on him -- but I'd probably move,' says Giles. 'But I'm not going to call and be like, "The serial killer's in 4E.:"' ( For an excerpt of Giles' interview, click here....

"Rappers appear to be concerned about damaging what's known as their 'street credibility,' says Geoffrey Canada, an anti-violence advocate and educator from New York City's Harlem neighborhood. 'It's one of those things that sells music and no one really quite understands why,' says Canada. Their fans look up to artists if they come from the 'meanest streets of the urban ghetto,' he tells Cooper. For that reason, Canada says, they do not cooperate with the police.

Canada says in the poor New York City neighborhood he grew up in, only the criminals didn't talk to the police, but within today's hip-hop culture, that's changed. 'It is now a cultural norm that is being preached in poor communities....It's like you can't be a black person if you have a set of values that say "I will not watch a crime happen in my community without getting involved to stop it,"' Canada tells Cooper.

Young people from some of New York's toughest neighborhoods echo Canada's assessment, calling the message not to help police 'the rules' and helping the police 'a crime' in their neighborhoods. These 'rules' are contributing to a much lower percentage of arrests in homicide cases -- a statistic known as the 'clearance rate' -- in largely poor, minority neighborhoods throughout the country, according to Prof. David Kennedy of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. 'I work in communities where the clearance rate for homicides has gone into the single digits,' says Kennedy. The national rate for homicide clearance is 60 percent. 'In these neighborhoods, we are on the verge of -- or maybe we have already lost -- the rule of law,' he tells Cooper.

"Says Canada, 'It's like we're saying to the criminals, "You can have our community....Do anything you want and we will either deal with it ourselves or we'll simply ignore it."'"

Let me get this straight. You mean the code of ethics in some Black neighborhoods is to let the criminals reign? They would not help the police if their mother was jacked in an alley or if a grandmother was killed? I cooperated with the police after I was robbed at gunpoint on my own front porch in 2005. Was I selling out or "betraying my Blackness"? (By the way, the police I talked to were all Black.) Does that mean that in certain neighborhoods I could not trust my neighbors to keep the neighborhood safe?

I keep saying at this rate the KKK will go out of business because their services will not needed anymore. There are Blacks are doing their job for them.

Who are the real sellouts?

Jesse Jackson feels the heat as political rival steals his thunder, and mistress

"Mr Sharpton, the man once branded the 'Beast of the Bronx,', seized the opportunity to get one over on Mr Jackson at the private party for the opening of his National Action Network’s West Coast office.

"The gamble paid off. Not only did Karin Stanford - Mr Jackson’s former mistress and the mother of his two-year-old love child, Ashley - accept Mr Sharpton’s invitation to join him at the private party, she also took a swipe at her old flame by telling guests: 'Sharpton is the only civil rights leader I respect and support.'"

Go to http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=24192002

The Day Before Dr. King's Assassination

April 3, 1968 at the Memphis hotel.

The Organizers of the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C.

Left to Right: John Lewis of the Students Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Whitney Young, Jr. of the National Urban League, A. Phillip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and the Negro American Labor Council, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC), James Farmer of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and Roy Wilkins of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

"March on Washington: A massive public demonstration that articulated the goals of the Civil Rights Movement. It was A. Philip Randolph who conceived the march. In 1941 his threat to assemble 100,000 African Americans in the capital helped convince President Franklin D. Roosevelt to sign an executive order banning discrimination in the defense industries and creating the Fair Employment Practices Committee. More than 20 years later, Randolph revived his idea. His primary interest, as always, was jobs - African Americans were disproportionately unemployed and underpaid." http://www.founders.howard.edu/Reference/Webliographies/JohnLewis/BigSixFiles/index.htm

To hear A. Philip Randolph, click http://www.hpol.org/civilrights/march1963/randolph.ram

To hear John Lewis, click http://www.hpol.org/civilrights/march1963/lewis.ram

To hear Roy Wilkins, click http://www.hpol.org/civilrights/march1963/wilkins.ram

To hear Whitney Young, Jr., click http://www.hpol.org/civilrights/march1963/young.ram

To hear Martin Luther King, click http://www.hpol.org/mlk/test.smil

Who or What is the Black Taliban?

What is the "Black Taliban"?

It is the self-appointed race police.

They are the "Keepers of the Blackness."

They are the "Black Enough" committee who certifies who are and who are not "authentically Black."

They are the ones who call others who do not fall in line with their rhetoric Uncle Tom's, snow-blacks, black skunks, black anglo saxons, zebras, Sambos, jigaboos, uncolas, wooly heads, Rev. Pork Chops, chicken eaters, bootlickers, black stooges, handkerchief-head Negros, white breads, rent-a-Toms, sellouts, Stepin Fetchits, low-belly creepers, turncoats, caste flunkies, lawn jockeys, hafricans, crumb snatchers, co-caucasians, butt kissers, waterboys, high yallers, shoeshine boys, tree tops, pleasers and appeasers, and slap happy Amos and Andys.

They are people like the self-appointed "Council on Black Internal Affairs" which published a book called The American Directory of Certified Uncle Toms. Some of the people they list, beside the usual suspects, are:

Julian Bond
Vernon Jordan
John Lewis
Maya Angelou
Henry Louis Gates
Star Jones
Harry Belafonte
Bill Cosby
Morgan Freeman
James Earl Jones
Diana Ross
Oprah Winfrey
Phillis Wheatley
Booker T. Washington
W.E.B. Du Bois
Ralph Bunche
Bayard Rustin
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Jackie Robinson
even "Ice Cube"

The Black Taliban seeks to silence and to ridicule the voices of those who do not repeat the "party line," Soviet style. There is no freedom of thought. They want to silence those who have websites like http://www.issues-views.com/ which says it has been "reporting on the fronline of dissent since 1985."

What did "Uncle Tom" Booker T. Washington say:

"There is another class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs -- partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs....There is a certain class of race-problem solvers who do not want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public."

There is nothing new under the sun.

The "Liberal" Authoritarian Urge

"That's correct. We're not able to think for ourselves, and allowing us free choice in determining our information feeds will inevitably skew our thinking away from 'fairness,' so 'fairness' in the form of a false egalitarianism must be imposed on us by mandate. At base the argument is an old one, a classic manifestation of American left 'liberalism' and the nanny-state authoritarian impulse. We're not capable of making our own choices wisely, so those choices must be imposed upon us by those who Know Better. It's For Our Own Good, after all. We must get our prescribed amount of 'balance.'"

Go to http://baldilocks.typepad.com/baldilocks/2007/04/the_liberal_aut.html

"The truth is hate, to those who hate the truth."

How true....

THE EMERGING TOTALITARIAN MAJORITY?

"It's interesting that Gore is now criticizing "W" for implementing plans that could conceivably put the police under every bed in America. Particularly interesting since Gore himself was championing something similar when he was Vice President."

Go to http://davidross.info/current2.html

What's Wrong With "Anti-Hate" Laws?

"If the LLEEA is passed this spring, it will begin to criminalize criticism of homosexuality. It will quickly broaden to address the grievances of homosexuals, not just concerning physical safety from violent hate crimes, but emotional safety. Through enabling legislation and judicial precedent, hate crimes will soon come to mean 'hate speech,' just as it does in Canada, Sweden, France, Ireland, etc."

Go to http://www.hatelawsexposed.org/articles/wronghatelaws.htm

Bush sanctions warning for Sudan

"US President George Bush will impose sanctions on Sudan if a strengthened UN force is not allowed into Darfur 'within a short period of time.'"

Go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6569093.stm

Education charlatans and quacks

"Americans' ignorance of our history and inability to think critically have provided considerable ammunition for those who want to divide us in pursuit of their agenda. I don't usually buy into conspiracy theories, but it's tempting to think America's charlatans, quacks and demagogues are in cahoots with the teaching establishments at our government schools and colleges to dumb down the nation."

Go to http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55245

The Right Not to be Offended?

"Marcavage told WND that plan would invert American justice, and instead of requiring evidence it would leave it to someone who claims to be offended to determine whether a 'crime' has been committed."

Go to http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55254

We're gonna party like it's 1984!

Definition of a "Nigga" from "The Gangbanger's Dictionary"

From The Gangbangers Dictionary: One Hundred and Eighty Seven Things You Better Know Before You Join a Gang by Derek Grover, a leader of the Bloccide Crip Gang in San Diego, published in 2005 by 1st Books Library:

"Nigga -- Universal name for all gang members; it's like calling them killers (emphasis mine)"

THE DANGER OF BLIND LOYALTY TO POLITICAL LEADERS

"My wife, who was unfortunate enough to have been born into the Third Reich under Adolph Hitler, has related what it was like to be dominated by such a regime, and how blind obedience and reverence for the Fuehrer made it possible for this maniac to rise to power and to hold onto that power. That she survived the bombings and the horrors of the war to relate these observations was providential. There was a time when the rise of this maniacal tyrant could have been thwarted, but people were too enamored by his political charisma and verbal expertise to mount a campaign to do so. Later, when he had complete control it was too late. Still he would not have been able to maintain his murderous control over the nation without the acquiescence of all too many German citizens who had a blind allegiance to him. Criticism was not allowed and to participate in such could cause political incarceration and death. Even political jokes were forbidden by the state. How were these restrictions on the people enforced? The answer is with the help of blindly obedient Germans, who informed on their neighbors and reported every minor criticism of the Fuehrer and his regime."

Go to http://www.newswithviews.com/Schwiesow/jim20.htm

O'REILLY, ROSIE, & 9-11 COINCIDENCES

"Personally, I can't stomach Rosie O'Donnell or anything she stands for and promotes. Her comments about terrorists being just moms and dads is so loony, it defies logic. If O'Donnell really wants to become credible on the subject, she needs to tone down her rhetoric, stick to the known facts and ask reasonable questions in a responsible fashion. It is being reported that O'Donnell is in tentative talks with Dr. Steven Jones to appear on her program and that would be a stellar day. Dr. Jones will bring the truth to the world without being shouted down, which is exactly what every guest on O'Reilly or Hannity & Colmes has been subjected to regarding questioning the government's conspiracy theories about that day."

Go to http://www.newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd261.htm

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

"In the eyes of the church establishment, Hus had committed heresy. He believed that everyone should be allowed to read the Bible in their own language -- an unthinkable notion in a culture that reserved God's Word for elite students of Latin. He also opposed the church's money-raising efforts to sell indulgences (the false assurance that people could buy pardon for sin instead of trusting in Christ's redemption through the cross)."

Go to http://www.newswithviews.com/BeritKjos/kjos74.htm

33 Dead and we think of race?

"What people don’t realize is that people in other countries don’t see our races when they watch the news about America. They see some more Americans — just Americans — indulging themselves in a culture drowning in sex, money and violence."

Go to http://www.kansascity.com/226/story/73802.html

Stop The Degradation of Women Through Hip-hop!

An Online Petition (Offensive Material Alert):

"To: Record companies and radio stations

"Those that have grown up with or have come to know and love the culture known as hip-hop know that it has always been a male-dominated culture. Despite this, women have been active and important participants in the hip-hop culture. Some examples of strong female figures have been the 'Furious Females' (for their rap contributions in early hip-hop), Toni Basil (for showing the world that streetdance is also an art form), and Asia-One (who almost single handedly brought back bboying in the United States).

"Not only have women like these been roles models for young girls, but they have also shown us that women can hang with the guys, and in many cases, do better than the guys. Strong women in hip-hop right now are going un-heralded and are being left ignored by the more general hip-hop eye. This is because right now in mainstream hip-hop (songs played on the radios and videos on music television stations), women are being portrayed as nothing more than 'ho's', 'bitches' and 'freaks.' Nothing but mere sex objects.

"A young generation of boys that will one day be men are being told it is okay to beat women, to degrade them to the lowest of levels, and treat them as nothing more than a piece of meat to 'skeet skeet' inside of. Equally as bad, a young generation of girls that will one day be women are learning that it is acceptable to be treated like this and to act like a 'groupie ho.' These are the values that are being instilled in today's youth.

"Hip-hop is one of the most practiced cultures in the world. The music spreads wide and far, with youth in many countries listening to it. It reaches many ears and can be used as a tool for learning tolerance and equality. This was one of the original intents of the culture, to spread knowledge and give everyone a fair chance to express themselves. But it has since been turned into a tool to promote drug useage and sales, gang-like activities and the degradation of women by the recording industry.

"Something that I ask record producers, label owners, popular artists, and owners of music television stations is this:

"Do you have young nieces, sisters or daughters? Do they listen to the music YOU promote? We are products of what we are exposed to. Would you appreciate your little girl a few years down the road simply being used by some guy she just met that night to satisfy his urge to '****?'

"Sure, there are female rappers out there that are produced by record labels. The popular artists, hitting the top charts, that are the most imitated: include Missy Elliot, Trina, Lil Kim. Just looking at the title of Lil' Kim's song 'How Many Licks' will give you an idea of the offensiveness that plagues respectful hip hop heads. But listening to the song is enough to make someone start a petition. These are the female 'role models' of rap? Their behaviors in life and in their songs are no better than the men. Coincidence?

"Here are the lyrics to a popular song by the Ying Yang Twins called 'Wait ('Till you see my...)' that can be heard on the radio today. Even though some of the words are censured now, there is still enough for one to figure out what is being said in the song. In addition, with the sounds of a 'moaning' women in the background, it becomes more evident what the general tone of the song is. (Since the song first begun to air, a 'clean' version has been released due to so many complaints.):

"'Hey how you doin lil mama? lemme whisper in your ear
Tell you sunthing that you might like to hear
You got a sexy ass body and your ass look soft
Mind if i touch it? and see if its soft
Naw i'm jus playin' lets just say i can
And im known to be a real nasty man
And they say a closed mouth dont get fed
So i dont mind asking for your head
You heard what i said, we need to make our way to the bed
And you can start usin' yo head
You like to ****, have yo legs open all in da butt
Do it up slappin ass cuz the sex gets rough
Switch the positions and ready to get down to business
So you can see what you've been missin'
You might had some but you never had none like this
Just wait til you see my d***

"'Ay bitch! wait til you see my d***
Wait til you see my d***
Ay bitch! wait til you see my d***
Imma beat dat p**** up
Ay bitch! wait til you see my d***
Wait you see my d***
Ay bitch! wait til you see my d***
Imma beat dat p**** up

"'Like B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM

"'Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** Up, Beat da p**** up

"[verse 2]
'You fine, but i aint gone sweat ya
See i wanna ****, tell me whats up
Walk around the club with yo thumb in ya mouth
Put my dick in, take your thumb out
There might be a lil ? to deal with
Wet ? hope they dont spill ****
I keep a hoe hot when i'm puttin' in work
Wanna skeet skeet you bout to get your feelin's hurt
Cuz I'll beat dat cat with a dog
And knock da walls of a broad til she scrawl
Like (OOOOOH!)
Yea something like that, but it depends on the swing of the baseball bat
**** a bitch on da counter make the
Place fall mats
On the floor she aint screamin she a nut so they crack
Crack...crack
**** that bend over imma give you the d***

"'Ay bitch! wait til you see my d***
Wait til you see my d***
Ay bitch! wait til you see my d***
Imma beat dat p**** up
Ay bitch! wait til you see my d***
Wait you see my d***
Ay bitch! wait til you see my d***
Imma beat dat p**** up'

"'Like B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM, B-AM Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** up, Beat da p**** Up, Beat da p**** up.'

"It is one thing to write a song about love, sex, passion, etc. But it is a completely different issue when a song is written about "****ing" especially in such an explicit, meaningless, and degrading manner and is broadcasted for all the easily influenced youth to take in. This is where disrespect grows.

"What the women and men that are the true backbone of hip-hop want to see are strong female role models taking the stage and the better treatment of women. The recording industry, artists, radio stations and music television stations MUST stop promoting derrogetory (sic)treatment of women for the benefit of women and future generations.

"We want to see rappers like Jean Grae, or the MaMa's of San Jose get signed. The level of talent out there is infinitely greater than the talent of people who are signed to labels and making millions. There are people that would die for their ART. Young girls are working hard on their dance skills as poppers, lockers and b-girls, but will never land a part in a movie or music video, because they refuse to dress like a prostitute and 'shake their ass.' Young girls are in cyphers, spittin' rhymes hotter than anything you have ever heard from T.I., 50 Cent and the Ying Yang Twins, dreaming of signing a deal one day. They have a future in the hip-hop world, but will never have great success in their art because they will be viewed as nothing but a "groupie bitch" that's good for sex whenever a guy wants it.

Assad 'Invent' Conley

Sincerely,

The Undersigned"

Go to http://www.petitiononline.com/stdwthh/petition.html

Hip Hop and Gangs

"Gangsta rap is one aspect of hip hop culture. Hip hop has given youth in the ghettoes a new identity, one that has arisen in opposition to mainstream culture. This hip hop identity is now a world-wide phenomena, the cutting edge of global youth culture. The 'gangsta' identity both represents the drama of the steets, but also the 'merchandizing of the rhymes of violence' by profit hungry media companies. As KRS-1 and others tell it, the media companies promote the most outrageous stereotypes of 'violent, vicious' Black youth while ignoring the rappers who represent the positive and political side of ghetto life....

"...NWA was the first 'gangsta rap' group and they were performers, not gangsters in real life. The graphic violence of NWA sold and the media companies were quick to pick up on a way to make big bucks off rap.

"...Like mainstream artists, many rappers sell out and 'keep their mind on their money and their money on their mind.'"

Go to http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/hiphop/hiphopgangs.htm

I Caught Teddy Kennedy

Copyright 2007 Robert Oliver, All Rights Reserved

I Caught Dawnn Lewis

Copyright 2007 Robert Oliver, All Rights Reserved

Zimbabwe's turbulent archbishop

"Zimbabwe's Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube accepts he may lose his life opposing Robert Mugabe, as he calls for Zimbabweans to overthrow their president."

Go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6562815.stm

NYT: The 'Acting White' Myth

"Boy did I get slammed by the kids for 'talking white' and 'acting white' because I was doing well in school -- they said so. It was made worse by the fact that I didn't have a southern accent.

"The sad truth is, in a school that was at least 75% black, I was pulled over by one of the elderly black teachers one day and she told me that she was so proud of me -- I was the first black student to make the honor roll in that school.

"If that isn't a sad reflection of the state of things in the 70s, I cannot imagine what it is like now growing up, with the saturation of anti-intellectualism and materialism foisted upon and soaked up as "culture" by some in the black community."

Go to http://www.pamspaulding.com/weblog/2004/12/nyt-acting-white-myth.html

Rapper Leaves Legacy of Litigation

"$10 million lawsuit by C. DeLores Tucker, a virulent opponent of gangsta rap. Tucker, who once labeled Shakur's music "pornographic smut," claimed lyrics on Tupac's 5 million-selling album 'All Eyez on Me' were so demeaning that it affected her sex life. Two songs derisively mentioned Tucker by name. On one, 'How Do U Want It,' Shakur rapped: "DeLores Tucker, you'se a motherfucker/Instead of trying to help a nigga, you destroy a brother.'"

Go to http://www.indiesent.com/2paclit.html

The Rap Contagion

"With a population of females who enjoy the degrading lyrics and pornographic images of women as worthless, throw-away objects of pleasure, it’s no surprise that the meeting, intended to 'debate' the controversies surrounding rap, devolved into chaotic shouting matches. Views of the panelists were met with jeers, boos, and catcalls from the audience. One report claims that the session 'ended abruptly, with little solution-oriented discourse.' Delores Tucker and Rev. Butts could have told them that and saved the expense and disappointment."

Go to http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=18078

C. Delores Tucker, Political Pioneer and Rap Music Critic, Dead at 78

"She was derided for years after launching her campaign in the mid-1990s. She brought a lawsuit against the estate of Tupac Shakur for degrading lyrics she claimed the late rapper had directed at her, earning her further ridicule.

"Press reports said Tucker’s suit claimed Shakur’s statements disrupted her sex life, a charge she protested, and then later sued to squash.

"The furor distorted both her intent and her contributions for a younger generation that knew her simply as 'that lady in the turban,' said E. Faye Williams, who first met Tucker as a Howard University law student. Williams went on to serve as general counsel for the National Congress of Black Women and had been filling the role of interim chair during Tucker’s illness.

“'People misunderstood what she was doing with the rap singers,' Williams told BlackAmericaWeb.com. 'She never hated these young people. She just wanted to make sure thatyoung people respected themselves and others, not perform songs that were demeaning, especially toward women.'"

Go to http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/tucker1014

C. DeLores Tucker

"Tucker's base message was simple. 'It is a crime that we are promoting these kind of messages. The whole gangster rap industry is drug-driven, race-driven, and greed-driven,' said Tucker. Or, perhaps even more simple, 'It is not healthy for our children.'

"Tucker's attack focused on gangster rap, a subgenre of rap she belives to be a current form of genocide of black people. She spoke of picketing major record stores, such as a planned protest at Tower Records in Philadelphia the week after her visit to Mary Washington. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, she was arrested during that protest and let go after signing a promise to appear for a hearing at a later date.

"Tucker, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Selma to Montgomery march in 1965, said that '[[rap labels are] pimping pornography to the children for the almighty dollar.' She called for a stop to the distribution and selling of gangster rap music and merchandise to the youth, citing her seven-year-old niece (born to a 13-year old mother) saying that she 'wants to be a gangster' as a prime example of what effect the music has on the children."

Go to http://www.laze.net/interviewed/dtuckart.html

Music lyrics take spotlight following Imus controversy

"If people found radio host Don Imus' comments about the Rutger's women's basketball team offensive, why are people at South Carolina State University lining up to hear similar words from rap artists?

"In one song from a performer at Friday's concert, the n-word is used more than 100 times.

"It's images and sounds like those that have Reverend Deforest B. Soaries on a mission to stamp it out. "We have been aware of the recurring theme that can best be described as a double standard. We have been frustrated for years that the culture has produced language that has degraded women and there are certain segments of the culture that seem to do it more than others."

Go to http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6368690&nav=menu36_3

An Open Memo to Rev. Al Sharpton

This is an Open Memorandum.

First thing I want to say is that I am African American. As a matter of fact, we met in Chicago.

The second thing I want to say is that it is good that you do speak out on issues of people of color. I also want to say that I was very happy that you spoke out on slavery in Sudan. You went there to confirm the reports for yourself. Nat Hentoff of the Village Voice said of you: “Perhaps now the Rev. Al Sharpton's first-person accounts of slavery in Sudan will awaken the media.” You said: “I am outraged that more of us, particularly of the African American leadership, have not talked about the slave trade that I witnessed with my own eyes in the Sudan.”

However, Rev. Sharpton, let’s put this Tawana Brawley thing to rest. (Yes, that again.) She did not tell the truth. To keep on defending her despite the clear facts that she was not raped bites viciously at your credibility. Here are excerpts from the facts from the Court TV website:

“S/A (FBI Special Agent) Malone has examined evidence in approximately fifteen hundred rape cases. Several hundred of those rapes were alleged to have taken place in the woods. In his opinion, it would be impossible for a person to spend any length of time in the woods without picking up a great deal of plant materials on the person or clothing. He stated you would expect to find things like needles, leaves, pieces of wood, twigs and grass fragments. He noted that most rapes take place on the ground. He testified, ‘Normally you're going to find it all over the clothes, many times in the hair of the individual, pubic combings, all over the body, just everywhere.’ S/A Malone found ‘absolutely no plant material.’

“This Grand Jury also considered the other medical and scientific evidence that is detailed more fully in other sections of this report. Despite weather that dipped to the freezing mark several times during the four-day period, Ms. Brawley exhibited no signs of exposure. She was not dehydrated or malnourished; her breath did not have a bad odor. There were no bruises or scuff marks on her body consistent with having been on the ground. The Grand Jury found no evidence consistent with a person having been sexually assaulted in a wooded area and no evidence that Ms. Brawley spent four days or any significant part thereof in a wooded area….

“As noted earlier, FBI Special Agent Michael Malone, an expert in hair and fiber analysis, examined Ms. Brawley's pubic hair combings, fingernail scrapings and clippings, debris removed from her body and hair samples, all of which were recovered during her examination at St. Francis Hospital. He also examined the clothing she was wearing and the items found at the scene. As noted above, he did not find plant materials on Ms. Brawley's body or clothing, which would have been present if she had spent any length of time in the woods. However, he did find hair and fibers that indicated Ms. Brawley's presence in Apt. 19A…..

“Her teeth were clean, and her mouth did not have a bad odor. In her testimony, the emergency room physician noted that a typical person who came into the emergency room having been out in the environment would not have brushed her teeth or have good hygiene of the mouth. This would result in a bad odor, even if the person was out only overnight. Ms. Brawley's good dental hygiene was inconsistent with not having brushed her teeth in three or four days. No evidence of urine was found in Ms. Brawley's mouth….

“The rape kit involved several procedures: 1) wipings and cultures were taken from Ms. Brawley's vaginal area and checked for sperm motility (i.e., sperm that may have been present and moving); this was microscopically examined immediately and no motile sperm was detected, although a white discharge of trichamonas was present.” (http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/part2.html#medical)

“[Dr. Justin Uku] would expect to find evidence of exposure, malnutrition and dehydration. He would expect to find evidence of the assault such as physical injury, scrapes, abrasions, bruises on her arms and legs, a black eye, bruises in the mouth if she was slapped, and bruises and scratches in the pelvic area. He would expect to find seminal fluid in the body cavities and on the clothes. He would also expect to find leaves and soil on her body and clothing.

“Dr. Uku examined the medical records, the relevant physical evidence and much of the testimony presented to this Grand Jury. He stated that he found no evidence consistent with an allegation that Ms. Brawley had been repeatedly sexually assaulted over a period of four days by at least three men in a wooded area. It was his expert opinion that the lack of any evidence of physical injury, of sexual contact, of trace evidence of hairs, fibers and plant materials, was inconsistent with an allegation of sexual assault by multiple assailants in a wooded area over a period of four days.”(http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/part3.html#sexual)

It has been reported that you said: “We stated openly that Steven Pagones did it. If we're lying, sue us, so we can go into court with you and prove you did it. Sue us — sue us right now." Did you prove that Pagones raped Tawana Brawley? Did you prove that Pagones was lying? You and the other defendants could not prove he raped her or prove he was lying. A man, who committed no crime, and his family have been disrupted.

The Pagones v. Maddox et al.decision said: “On October 6, 1988, the Abrams Grand Jury released its extensive and thorough 170 page report concluding that Tawana Brawley ("Brawley") had not been abducted, assaulted, raped and sodomized as had been claimed by Brawley and her advisors. The report further concluded that the "unsworn public allegations against Dutchess County Assistant District Attorney Steven Pagones" were false and had no basis in fact. To issue the report, the Grand Jury heard from 180 witnesses, saw 250 exhibits and recorded over 6,000 pages of testimony….

“Meaningful medical evidence that Brawley was raped and as Mason claimed, sodomized in two ways, was totally lacking. It is inconceivable, even to lay persons without medical expertise such as those serving on the jury, that Brawley, a fifteen year old, could have been repeatedly raped and sodomized in two ways by six men over a four day period without significant physical evidence to support her allegations. The extensive cross-examination of those who treated and those who observed Brawley after she was discovered produced nothing of substance to sustain these allegations….

“The Grand Jury’s report indicated a thorough analysis was done of the former Brawley apartment and of Brawley’s clothes and that the tests revealed that she was in the apartment and could have written the racial slurs herself. Materials found in the apartment matched materials found on her person. Since there was no forensic evidence of rape, the Grand Jury found "nothing in regard to Tawana Brawley’s appearance on November 28 that is inconsistent with this condition having been self-inflicted" (Grand Jury report page 168)….

“…No other expert witnesses were called by Mason or Maddox to contradict the analyses of the various experts presented to the Grand Jury. Among these were psychological opinions, including one by Dr. Park Elliott Dietz, a forensic psychiatrist and professor of behavioral medicine and psychiatry at the University of Virginia. In the report at page 115, it is stated that "Dr. Dietz concluded that Tawana Brawley’s physical appearance when she was found is consistent with self-infliction and a false allegation." (www.nycourts.gov/press/old_keep/brawley.htm)

There are many other facts that anyone can lookup on the Internet. Rev. Sharpton, even God cannot change the truth.

Just because the damages were paid by your supporters does not mean the real damage has gone away. The wounds are still festering.

Now all charges were dropped against the three Duke University lacrosse team members. The facts were clear there also they committed no crime. But you accused them of rape with a rush to judgment.

Rev. Sharpton, you once said: “Everybody grows. And I think everybody has certain turning points.” You want people to know you as someone who is committed to truth and justice and you are committed to improving race relations. Here is a turning point for you. I will say publicly that you are a leader who has a commitment to truth and justice and you are committed to improving race relations on these conditions:

· That you publicly admit that the Tawana Brawley story was a hoax. The facts are very clear she fabricated her story. You thought she was telling the truth, but in retrospect you made an error in judgment.
· That you publicly apologize to those you accused of that incident, including Stephen Pagones,
· And, if you have not done it already, that you publicly apologize to the members of the Duke University lacrosse team that you accused of rape. White, Black, Blue, Yellow or Green, they were all innocent.

It is a matter of integrity. It is a matter of closure for many people. Even with all your vast, nationally known accomplishments, there are many people, Black, White, and others, who do not see you as a credible leader because of your stands with Brawley and Duke University Lacrosse Team cases. If you want to lead a credible movement of truth and justice, let it start with yourself.

You said: “We're not willing to give black leaders second chances because, in most cases, we're not willing to give them first chances.” Here is your chance to show your integrity publicly.

VICTIMS OF A WITCH HUNT

"Neither Sharpton nor the leaders of the New Black Panthers have spoken about the case since the men were exonerated. Jackson said: 'We just hope this traumatic experience for all involved ends with the minimum amount of damage.'"

Go to http://www.nypost.com/seven/04152007/news/nationalnews/victims_of_a_witch_hunt_nationalnews_lisa_keys.htm?page=4

That is an apology?

Duke result lacks decent reaction

"The Rev. Al Sharpton, who can reliably be counted on to chase the clamor of a civil rights case with the zeal of an ambulance-chasing lawyer after a 10-car pileup, has not weighed in on the Duke case either."

Go to http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/bill_livingston/index.ssf?/base/sports/1176626374255160.xml&coll=2

It's up to black rap to clean up its act

"The offensive language of hip-hop will be cleaned only when the hip-hoppers police themselves, when it comes from within."

Go to http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704150321

"Here’s for the Bitches": An Analysis of Gangsta Rap and Misogyny

"Be careful, Barack. When Al Sharpton gets wind of what you are saying, he's either going to whip you back into the cotton field or, worse yet, start questioning your blackness. Better listen up, Barry."

Go to http://feedlot.blogspot.com/2007/04/barack-goes-off-plantation-says-hip-hop.html

Blacks should share the blame for Imus controversy

"That's the reason why I thought someone like me could take this on because I've been critical of that," says Sharpton. "I took on the rappers on that...I said many people are not going to like me jumping on the gangsta rappers. I said then, we're going to give license to Whites to do this. Now that they do it, we don't like it."

Go to http://www.louisianaweekly.com/weekly/news/articlegate.pl?20070416u

In the wake of Don Imus, I’ll offer an apology to the Duke lacrosse team

"However that does not make it right and that is why I am willing to write an ‘open’ letter of apology to these three men. If no other writer in this country has the guts to pen something of a heartfelt apology, I want these three young men, their families and their friends to know that at least this African American sports writer is willing to give a heart felt apology. Now I cannot do like Don Imus and have a face to face meeting with these young men and their families maybe if they read this op/ed on the web or hear about this op/ed on the various radio shows I appear on a local, regional or national stage, at least they know that there is someone in America who can admit their mistakes, ask for forgiveness for their actions and then move on to try and make the world a better place."

Go to http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=24420

Gregory Moore of the San Antonio Informer knows that the quest for truth and justice starts at home.