What is our history, again?

So let me get this straight people like Pat Buchanan wax poetic about America's lost greatest as a past thing because when he was growing up and immigration wasn't an issue and white Anglo Saxon protestant and or Catholics outnumbered blacks or other ethnic races. Where as diversity in our population today according to his thesis marks the end of "The great White dominance"and the end of all things good, makes me think he is a bigot and has rose colored glasses because being from the ruling class insulated him to the oppression of the Jim Crow laws and other socioeconomic discrepancies. When I look at his thesis and I think of this countries history I see a woeful abuse of the underclass and horrible inequality not just racially but sexually as well. I think from the very first European foot fall onto these shores when it was 100% native Americans we have witnessed genocide. It is a matter of perspective what is good or bad, and yes to some integration is natural, it is a good thing that we evolve. So we now have begun to see the warmth of different cultures infiltrate America, it is a good thing. This isn't Europe or Scandinavia if you want to surrounded by that type, go there...but even they cannot escape the inevitable spread of pigment. Not that diversity is just epidermis, it is cultural too. I am delighted to imagine an America with more brown skinned folks of differing cultures, bring it on. For me being brown it is a blessing and I am delighted to protest anyone who claims it was better 40 years ago. It was very different and it wasn't good for anyone of color or for woman and everyone who laments those times as good times are racist sexist relics. America should be ashamed of its history of abuse toward people of color America should hang it's head in shame, especially in the south but the north has blood on its hands too. Right up to and past Rosa Parks refusal to go to the back of the bus. People who are not part of the 1 percent know what its like to feel left out. That is a good thing hopefully we can embrace our future of deep diversity for the wealth that it is and not lament a darker more inequitable past for its shamefulness and its inequality. When the first European settles arrived and tamed the savages it was a crime. Just because retribution has NOT been meted out for the initial genocide of early natives doesn't mean it won't be. Life is about balance and in the end America will most likely be predominantly brown skinned just like it was before first contact, because karma has patience.

Please spread the news!

A 5 year-Old Black Girl Disappears and No One Cares
Posted by Jacqueline Burt
on October 18, 2011 at 1:25 PM

Comments (486)|
Likes (48)

jhessye shockley
Missing 5-Year-Old Jhessye ShockleyThere are several striking similarities between the disappearances of 10-month-old baby Lisa Irwin and 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley. Both children are girls, both were last seen in their homes. Lisa has been missing for over a week, Jhessye has been missing for nearly a week. Police investigating both cases have been challenged by strings of dead-end tips and a lack of evidence in general. The mothers of both Lisa and Jhessye have made tearful televised pleas for their children's safe return.

Right about now you may be wondering why you haven't heard more about Jhessye Shockley, or maybe even why you haven't heard of her at all, when Lisa Irwin's story has been plastered all over the news.

The fact of the matter is, you probably haven't heard much about Jhessye Shockley because of the one striking difference between her and Lisa Irwin:

Lisa Irwin is white. Jhessye Shockley is black.

I know it's a hard and ugly truth to swallow, representative of a reality we don't want to believe exists anymore. But sadly, nothing else explains why the country is currently obsessed with finding Lisa Irwin and largely unaware that Jhessye Shockley is even lost.

We know everything there is to know about Lisa Irwin's mother, Deborah Bradley, from the details of her divorce to what she had to drink the night Lisa vanished. Meanwhile, Jhessye Shockley's mother was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2006 for "injury to a child" and deemed a "threat to the well-being of her children," and no one seems to know or care how or why she got out of jail early.

Jhessye's three siblings are now in the custody of Child Protective Services, while Lisa Irwin's two brothers are at home, being sheltered from the press.

The main thing, one might argue, is that both girls return home safely, not how much attention their individual cases get. But when it comes to missing children, often the higher profile a disappearance, the higher the likelihood that child will be found.

The situation is already tragic. Now it's tragically unjust.

Do you think Jhessye Shockley's race is the reason why she isn't getting as much attention as Lisa Irwin?

The rewrite

Is it me or are we in the weird age of saying something and then denying it publicly even though “statements” are filmed captured to be pulled up and displayed at will. So what I find fascinating is how public figures can blatantly deny intent when re-watching them shows that in fact they were not “joking” but it seems all of the current crop of republican candidates do it. Very strange lesson to be teaching our children if they are paying attention to the ramp up to the next election which something tells me they are not, so telling us the public that they meant one thing whilst it is obvious to anyone watching they certainly meant the opposite, when we can see plain as day what “they” mean. So this is what we are today in America, we rewrite immediate history. I dislike Herman Cain because he is a coward and ashamed of his heritage and a denier…everything he represents including his bully name of his pizza business spells “Asshole” to me. That he would go public and say Rosa Parks should have sat in the back of the bus knowing full well she was a catalyst to the most important movement in America that he said this is shameful. I mean the rev. Jefress is a bigot straight up and it is absolutely entertaining to see him implode Rick Perry chances and they are imploding. My father says Jefress looks like Warren Jeffs. He does another lunatic running a church instead of being locked up in an asylum. So we wait and watch the one candidate that is smart and hasn’t wavered or sold out to some cult is Huntsman and I have decided the one thing these Republicans hate is intelligence and Huntsman has it in spades and they hate him. Fascinating so in reality this country could go back to the challenged thinking that defined GW Bush tenure. I for one cannot imagine a worse scenario and I for one hope and am willing to work for another 4 for Obama. I know full well he isn’t perfect and they screwed some things up but at least he reads and is doing the best anyone would have done with brains. So we need him for 4 more and then we need to pray Hilary will run or Elizabeth warren and then again maybe this protesting will undo the whole shebang and we can reset and become a truly great nation instead of one on the brink of extinction. We have the ability to be true global leaders for the right things and sure it still beats China America but watching our political process grind to a halt because it is corrupt saddens me and I begin to feel like we do need a revolution and it isn’t one that is drunk with Biblical un-facts but a revolution that is pro-humanity and tolerance and dignity and intelligence. I know dream on…one can hope can’t I?

Bad Judgement

Why hasn’t the public or the courts arrested and tried Joe Jackson for terrorizing the family; crimes against Michael and his family? It is sleaze and money and influence that only this doctor is being called out. Joe was a pimp and used his children to get rich. Hello? This is a witch burning which is a waste of tax payer’s money when in truth it is the Father Joe Jackson who is guilty and should be in court for being an abusive task master who damaged his family irreparably. That we are wasting time on this Doctor both in the media and in court is lame. What is he guilty of really being greedy and maybe having questionable ethics etc…do we care and must he be tried for murder? How rich is it that Joe was the loudest one to bang the drum to get this guy in court ewwww. Someone please call Joe Jackson out. Watching a bit of the Martin Bashir documentary of MJ was sadder the second time. He was obviously so split. Shattered both as a human being and within his sexuality (straight/ gay) and it was obvious he had deep psychic scars. MJ was a brilliant show man a professional dance and song machine. Yet he suffered as well as his family, all of them from a long list of defensive coping mechanics. It is a truth that extreme abuse creates coping mechanisms. On the show with Bashir, Michael lists some of it (the abuse) and tries to diminish some of it too and it is obvious it was horrid. Just look at how secretive they are and weird the entire family every single one is damaged. I suppose watching this trial unfold and its wastefulness is another part of how we hold celebrity to a different standard than the average person and now we waste millions trying a man that the wealthy celebrity hired; a medical doctor to administer his drugs that eventually killed him. Seems cut and dry really, do we have to imagine that MJ wasn’t trying to destroy himself, is it a stretch? I am of the school that the only man who should be on trial is Joe the father who battered the boys into submission to fill his greasy pockets. It is shameful and this trial a gigantic waste.