Saad

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/rich_hofmann/20100709_Rich_Hofmann__Don_t_count_Saad_Muhammad_out.html Read full post

Athletics shoul.d not be a "career"

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/The-sad-tale-of-Ray-Williams-10-year-NBA-vet-no?urn=nba,253262 Read full post

Matthew Saad Muhammad passes...

Dear friends,

In this photo taken 7/26/24, I am holding up the boxing trunks that WBC world light heavyweight champion Matthew Saad Mohammed gave to me prior to a two-rounds exhibition fight that we had before a packed house at the old Martin Luther King Arena, 46th and Market streets in West Philly, back in the fall of 1980… It was my final public appearance as a professional boxer.

"Love loves forever!" - Stevie Wonder

G. Djata Bumpus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Saad_Muhammad Read full post

Is Redskins a Racist Term?

Dear friends,

The linguist here isn't too bright, in my opinion. Instead of pretending to be an historian, perhaps he should consider his craft: linguistics.

Just as everything else in the Universe, languages either evolve or cease to exist. That is why it is so imbecilic for people to argue against taking the so-called N-word out of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn novel, when in fact the King James version of the Holy Bible now has about a half-dozen versions of that text.

Even words that we used 20 years ago are no longer in use or they have a different meaning. Language is thought. That's why sometimes people will say, "I can't think of a word for it.".

But then, apart from linguistics and history, there is the issue of "morality" - a term that doesn't require religious guidance of any kind. All we have to do is be honest, reasonable, and imaginative. The term "Redskins" is offensive to millions, both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples of the Americas. Therefore, it's really an issue of White Supremacy, euphemistically called Racism. Please remember, "Everyone wants to inherit property - not guilt".

 G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/06/a-linguist-on-why-redskin-is-racist-patent-overturned/373198/ Read full post

Parents and School People should know why we need Youth Sports

"Our youth, aren't alien creatures. They came from us.."

Dear friends,

There’s an African proverb that goes, " To live together is to have a common fate." In other words, as a community, in the grand scheme of things, as it were, we need each other, regardless of either physical or social differences. 

But if people, in any specific community, share a common fate, then it only seems fair that all parties involved should have a voice in their destiny. Unfortunately, for all of America’s brave words of " freedom and democracy", when do Our children ever experience these lofty ideals, particularly, democracy? 

What young people actually feel is that they are controlled, having little or no input, regarding decisions that directly affect their existence. They feel powerless. As a consequence, they become angry and frustrated. Moreover, in their feeling of powerlessness, quite intelligently, they rebel.

Yet, the problem with much of the rebellion of Our youth, particularly, in the inner city, is that young people often protest in ways that are self-destructive, largely due to the types of options available to them. 

Even worse, Our responses to anti-social behavior by Our youth are themselves often destructive, counter-productive, and mean-spirited. For example, " zero tolerance" in schools and harsher sentences for youthful offenders may feel good to some, but not even those punishments or " more jobs", for instance, will change the situation, if we ignore the anger and frustration that Our youth must necessarily express in a negative way, if we don’t afford them opportunities to make good choices. 

Consequently, it seems that our efforts need to be concentrated on building Our community better from its most basic unit – the non-adult human being. Clearly, if there is one thing that we humans need in the world today, it is community-building skills.

Youth sports, more than anything else is about community building. After all, Our youth have a great deal to learn in order to competently replace us and, in turn, pass adequate knowledge and ability on to those who will follow them. 

Sports participation allows young people to resolve the anger, fear, sadness, and frustration which results from their feelings of powerlessness, through the personal strength of positive energy and group support, instead of various expressions of anti-social behavior. Mastering skills in most activities, whether for business or pleasure, requires using energy in a positive way, relying upon inner powers like memory, discipline, focus, and concentration. Activities like  sports are no exception.

Finally, Our youth, aren't alien creatures. Rather, they came from us. Their language, and, therefore, their thoughts, along with their actions are all based on behavior inherited from us. They are part of Our community. To paraphrase the great philosopher Kahlil Gibran, " Before one is willing to get rid of an oppressor, s/he must first get rid of the oppressor from within." 

Cheers! 

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Are Males better athletes than Female Ones?

Clarissa Shields, 2012 Olympic Gp;d Medalist in Boxing

"...the idea that equality means sameness is precisely the argument/excuse for systems of exploitation and oppression like sexism and racism." 

Dear friends, 

One hot summer day, about 21 years ago, while coaching all three of now grown children at a regional Junior Olympics track & field championship meet, I remember standing next to a middle-aged European American guy who boasted, “I’d like to see one of those girls get down on the line with Carl Lewis”. I looked at him with astonishment, then quickly replied, “Well, actually, YOU can’t beat either Carl Lewis or any of those girls in a race – nor can most men…In fact, my 12 years-old daughter will smoke you in a race, right now.” 

The fellow’s mouth dropped open. Apparently, he was used to getting some sort of silly male “bonding”, when he made such inane remarks.

Look. Someone like Lisa Leslie can beat just about anybody, male or female, pro, amateur, or street - in a game of basketball. Okay? Moreover, please do not make a claim to someone else’s ability, as if it belongs to you. That type of behavior reminds me of a guy who walks down the street with a growling dog on a leash, while maintaining a scowl on his own face, as if he is a mean, bad dude. In other words, he is playing off of the dog’s ferocity, as if that disposition is natural (the mean face) to him. However, in reality, if you see that same cat without the dog, his whole personality is different. Right? That is, when he's by himself without the dog he's just a happy-go- lucky kind of guy.

The argument that men are stronger, or faster, or whatever, than women is silly, since people are not talking insects. That is, we perform to whatever level, in various activities, based upon the interactions/experiences that we as individuals have with other people and things. Otherwise, without such interactions, one would not even be able to speak a language, much less communicate his or her inner feelings, or reveal his or her powers - and weaknessesin either a work or sports venue, for example.

Finally, both fathers and mothers must teach their daughters, at a very young age, that they are equals of ALL people, regardless of societal constructs like “gender” and “race”. However, when I say “equal”, I do not mean “same”. These two concepts are often intermingled, in order to make it appear as if they have some similar qualities. They do not. As a matter of fact, the idea that equality means sameness is precisely the argument/excuse for systems of exploitation and oppression like sexism and racism. After all, having two equal size slices of pie is completely different than two individuals having equal human rights. Peace.

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Love & Boxing

Dr. Erik Muten

Dear friends,

I am both proud and honored to share a short (five minutes long) video with you that was done by noted Swedish clinical psychologist Dt. Erik Muten back in March of 2008..

It was a spontaneous interview that he produced, using a few of his students as technicians and the like. You can view it by simply clicking on the link below.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv5fDqSex_0 Read full post

Looking back: Sandy Banks on Michael Vick's Humane Move (oruginally posted 7/26/12)

"The story of Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick has been covered by the mainstream media pretty well. He was convicted of cruelty to animals (dog-fighting), served time, and returned to te NFL as a star.
Dear friends, "

The story of Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick has been covered by the mainstream media pretty well. He was convicted of cruelty to non-human animals (dog-fighting), served time, and returned to the NFL as a star. However, what hasn't been given so much notice is his well-earned redemption for the bad deeds of which he was guilty, until now. On the link below, the legendary Los Angeles Times columnist Sandy Banks delivers her usual informative, thought-provoking, and inspirational account of Vick's salvation . Enjoy!

G. Djata Bumpus

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0724-banks-vick-dogs-20120724,0,4170119.column Read full post

Racism is in the NFL and everywhere else in America!

Dear friends,

Currently, there is a controversy going on in the NFL, regarding the suspension of Richie incognito, a guard for the Miami Dolphins, as he has been harassing a player named Jonathan Martin, in a number of ways, including making racial epithets towards the latter. Of course, this happens to African Americans every day, whether in school or at work...

Still, it reminds me of how insensitive so many European Americans are, regarding their racist behavior. Moreover, at least to me, it shows why the late, great Miles Davis made the comment here, some years back... “If somebody told me I had only one hour to live, I’d spend it choking a white man. I’d do it nice and slow.” [Miles Davis, Can’t Shake Boyhood Racial Abuse, Jet magazine March 25, 1985.] G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Boobs, Thongs, Footballers,and a Latina reporter

"After all, men at nude beaches are incredibly discreet about expressing their feelings towards any women who they see in such an environment, if they don’t want to get booted from the place."
Dear friends,

It's football season. If you remember, back in the fall of 2010, there were a number of articles, regarding the treatment of a Mexican female reporter and an incident that happened between her and some NFL football players in a locker room. At least for me, every single piece that I’d read had been totally distant from the real issue. That is: the main theses of these articles (how females dress around male athletes) are red herrings, and have absolutely nothing to do with the way that females either are or should be treated in male athletes’ locker rooms.

Now, I’m speaking from experience. You see, back in the late-Seventies, when female reporters were first allowed into men’s locker rooms, I was Joe Frazier's protégé, fighting out of Philadelphia. After fights, while I was cool and respectful with them, always putting on a robe whenever it was announced that a female reporter wanted to interview me, some of my boys would do stuff like, literally, stand naked and stroke themselves right in front of any female reporter, as she turned her head away, while, simultaneously, trying to write on a pad or hold up the microphone from a tape recorder to any of the aforementioned masturbators’ mouthes.

That was especially the case, if one of those vulgar fighters had other guys standing around to watch, including male reporters (all from different news agencies) who would stand there amused as much as the idiot athletes. In that situation, female reporters were, obviously, humiliated and embarrassed beyond belief.

Consequently, the real problem lies with the fact that Male Supremacy (euphemistically called “sexism”) frowns upon the whole idea of females in men’s locker rooms, except when they are serving the exact same purpose of being sex objects as, unfortunately, most women outside of locker rooms seem obliged to be.

Additionally, the cats who fought not to have women in the locker rooms, during those days, were the same guys who were vocally-outraged about affirmative action and abortion rights, as were my vulgar boxing buddies mentioned above who conspired, not so unwittingly, with the other sexists just mentioned to keep females “in their places”.

Worse yet, I find it interesting, and I’m absolutely certain, that none of my boxing buddies here-to-mentioned would have wanted either their wives or girlfriends to know about, much less see, their behavior with the disrespected female reporters/victims. Dig? Additionally, it’s pretty pathetic that even African American and Latino male athletes join(ed) with other cowards in this scumbag behavior, in order to find self-worth.

Moreover, I think that, perhaps, it’s instructive for us to keep the dialogue in the proper context of what is really at the bottom of this whole mess, and not trivialize it by pointing out nonsense about how someone either dresses or carries herself. After all, men at nude beaches are incredibly discreet about expressing their feelings towards any women who they see in such an environment, if they don’t want to get booted from the place.

Besides, in some Latin American countries, like Brazil, women can be seen, for example, in television laundry commercials, in full frontal nudity. I’ve seen it. Therefore, Puritanical views about a female’s attire - or lack of it, can be out of place, if not altogether uncalled for. Feel me?

At any rate, on the link below, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Solomon Jones, although he offers a slightly different “take”, shares, along with many of his colleagues, some thoughts in the practice of what I see as missing the whole point here about Ines Sainz’s situation. What do you think?

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20100918_Solomon_Jones__Half-dressed_women_and_naked_men.html Read full post

Why we need Youth Sports

Two former Jr. Olympic champions, Frazier & Ali

Dear friends,

There’s an African proverb that goes, " To live together is to have a common fate." In other words, as a community, in the grand scheme of things as it were, we need each other, regardless of either physical or social differences.

But if people, in any specific community, share a common fate, then it only seems fair that all parties involved should have a voice in their destiny. Unfortunately, for all of the brave words of " freedom and democracy", when do Our children ever experience these lofty ideals, particularly democracy?

 [Note: I am not ignoring the fact that the energy and courage of Our youth (both male and female) should, actually, serve the purpose of moving society forward - but only under the guidance of that part of society (parents and other elders) that has both the experience and understanding to recognize the values that maintain both Our humanity and spirituality.] 

Still. what young people actually feel is that they are controlled, having little or no input, regarding decisions that directly affect their existence. They feel powerless. As a consequence, they become angry and frustrated. Moreover, in their feeling of powerlessness, quite intelligently, they rebel. 

 Yet, the problem with much of the rebellion of Our youth, especially in the inner city, is that young people often protest in ways that are self-destructive, largely due to the types of options available to them. Even worse, Our responses to anti-social behavior by Our youth are themselves often destructive, counter-productive, and mean-spirited. For example, " zero tolerance" in schools and harsher sentences for youthful offenders, by the courts, may feel good to some, but not even those punishments or " more jobs" will change the situation, if We ignore the anger and frustration that Our youth must necessarily express in a negative way, if We don’t afford them options/opportunities to make good choices. 

 Consequently, it seems that our efforts need to be concentrated on building Our communities better from their most basic unit: the non-adult human being. Clearly, if there is one thing that We humans need in the world today, it is community-building skills. Youth sports, more than anything else, is about community building. After all, Our youth have a great deal to learn in order to competently replace Us and, in turn, pass adequate knowledge and ability on to those who will follow them – that is, the yet-to-be born. 

 Sports participation allows young people to resolve the anger, fear, sadness, and frustration which results from their feeling of powerlessness, through the personal strength of positive energy and group support, instead of various expressions of anti-social behavior. It also familiarizes them with experiences of either having success, or, at least, trying to succeed. To be sure, mastering skills in most activities, whether for business or pleasure, requires using energy in a positive way, relying upon patience, concentration, and creativity. Doing a sport is no exception.< 

 Finally, Our youth, aren’t alien creatures. Rather, they came from Us. Their language, and, therefore, their thoughts, along with their actions are all based upon behavior inherited from Us. They are part of Our communities. To paraphrase the great philosopher Kahlil Gibran: Before one is willing to get rid of an oppressor, s/he must first get rid of the oppressor from within. Cheers! 

 G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Black athletes going broke, as usual

"No one can say with any degree of either logic or sanity, "I am going to deal drugs for a few years to earn money for college and then, after college, get a good job and raise a family." Even the strippers - who, often, claim to be putting themselves through college, by dancing up and down a pole - make more sense than that."

Dear friends,

Historically, African Americans have a poor sense of how to spend our money. Only the wealthy in this country are taught about wealth. The rest of the citizens (many European Americans included) have little or no idea of even what wealth is let alone how to either acquire or keep it. Unfortunately, with this, African Americans have been the worst. And even worse than that is the fact that just as we are beginning to gain some sense of the possibilities of saving, investing, acquiring property, and so forth, the train has just about left the station.

It used to be that if a person invested in an IRA from the time they were 19 until they were 25, they could see that grow into enough to retire on even if they never invested another cent. Now, with interest rates so low in banks and investments so "iffy", you have to keep investing, certainly, much longer, to make it worthwhile.

Additionally, the question then arises, how do African Americans tend to spend money anyway, when they are 19-25 years old much less younger than that? It is then, perhaps, more meaningful to develop as a standard that all youth are expected to have a college fund started by the time they enter Middle School. It may start out small, but it is the continual growth that makes a difference.

Imagine for example in 6 years, from 7th-12th grade, a students saves $5 per week-the first year, $10 /wk-the second year, $15/wk-the third year, and so forth. Even without interest, that student will have a substantial chunk of money with which to enter college.

The real benefit is developing a mentality that puts planning for the future and the assumption that We are all college bound, in the forefront. People who realize that they have a future may be less likely to squander it with petty and larcenous thinking like drug-dealing.

While we are on the subject, the worst thing about the drug-dealing mentality is that drug-dealing has no future and people who are involved in it have no vision of the future. No one can say with any degree of either logic or sanity, "I am going to deal drugs for a few years to earn money for college and then, after college, get a good job and raise a family." Even the strippers - who, often, claim to be putting themselves through college, by dancing up and down a pole - make more sense than that. (That is, at least, their profession is legal and has a fair amount of history to it.)

Now, what happens to the money, if the student does not go to college? Let it be available to the student when he or she is ready. It may go towards tuition in a trade school. It may be usable as downpayment on property. It should not be available as cash or to buy a car or pay rent. The point is that it is about moving the person forward. 

G. Djata Bumpus

http://newsone.com/2054369/athletes-broke-2012/

Read full post

George Benton, a true giant (May 15, 1933 - Sept. 19, 2011)

"The range of a student's ability is seldom as wide as the range of encouragement that s/he receives" - Eshu Bumpus


Dear Friends,

Kahlil Gibran wrote, "Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding."

While watching Monday Night Football at a sports bar, earlier this week, I received a voice mail message on my cell phone, from a dear friend, who told me that George Benton had passed earlier that day. While I could see it happening over the past few years, the moment that I knew would happen wasn't any less shocking for me.

I left the place right away and went home. After making a couple of phone calls, I posted a small comment on Facebook. Then I emailed another old and dear friend, Elmer Smith (who, btw, will be retiring from the Philadelphia Daily News after 39 yeas, on Friday.)

The next morning, Elm responded, in part: "This is tragic, Bump. I spoke of him this week with my editor. I’ve told him this is not a fight town it’s a fighters town, a place where a kid can learn to fight from a seasoned pro in a gym where he can test his skills with other well-trained Young prospects...

To be sure, Georgie Benton wasn't the only one to fit that bill. I mean, back in the Seventies and before, cats like Joe Frazier, Toothpick Brown, Al Massey, Gypsy Joe Harris, Jimmy Witherspoon, Slim Jim Robinson, Brother Wesley, and Papa Stoppa, up to the Nineties and to this very day with other Philly prizefighters like the now late Artie "Moose" McCloud and Eugene "Cyclone" Hart, to name a couple, have shared their talents with youngsters around town. All of the aforementioned were giants, and some had trained world champions.

But Georgie Benton was the "Giant among giants". That's why, when I, a top amateur boxer in New England at the time, was introduced to Joe Frazier, back in 1978, and he offered me to come down and have George Benton look at me, I was honored to think that I would be training with the person who was already considered the best in the business (as George's picture that particular month graced the cover of Ring Magazine after guiding Leon Spinks to victory over Muhammad Ali). Nevertheless, as soon as I got off of the Amtrak train and crossed the street to Joe Frazier's famed gym on Broad Street, George greeted me, told me that he had been expecting me, and then threw me right in the boxing ring to spar. I did well.

George was really excited, and so was I. Joe Frazier's assistant, the now late Lee Grant, then drove me to a fabulous apartment in the Far Northeast of Philadelphia and told me that that was my new home. A few days later, I was taken to lunch and chauffeured to Joe's lawyer's office where I signed a contract. Before long, I found myself in a whole new league, sparring with pro contenders like Jimmy Young, Tex Cobb, Marvin Stinson, Jerry "The Bull" Martin, Willie "The Worm" Monroe, and many others, the whole time under the tutelage of George Benton.

I was being carefully nurtured. Years later, that would serve well for me, as it allowed me to do the same thing for ordinary people, mostly whose interests were not to become professional boxers, but to learn how to gain the confidence to address the many confrontations, whether personal or social, that we must all encounter in this very lonesome experience called human life. George Benton taught me that with patience, imagination, and creativity, I could do just that. And those sentiments have provided me with a livelihood for the past 23 years, and going. And I owe a great deal of it to George.

My personal pro boxing career was cut short, because I was a single parent (for a young man, Black or otherwise, unheard of - in those days). Therefore, unable to train properly (time-wise), much less get fights consistently, my priorities for raising my toddler son outweighed my desire for fortune and fame as many of my close gym buddies like Mike Spinks, Dwight Braxton/Qawi, and Marvis Frazier acquired only a few years later.

Still, George and I remained in contact, periodically, long after my career had ended. Unfortunately, in the early 2000s, his 22 years of prizefighting that happened prior to his long career as a trainer, caught up with him, and he began to develop Alzheimer's disease.



During the last five years of his life, I began deliberately making visits to him as part of my schedule whenever I was in Philly. He was surrounded by his loving family. The top floor of the townhouse in North Philly where he lived (and owned) was all his. He mostly laid in his canopied bed all day, watching, on his huge television (48" screen?), Cowboy movies, his favorite genre of films. He was on meds, but was aware somewhat of his surroundings. Sometimes he spoke. Often he did more listening. His son, Andre, and his wife, Mildred, took care of his affairs completely. Moreover, unlike most prizefighters and professional athletes in general, he hardly died destitute. He was well off, because the gobs of money that he made training world class fighters had afforded him the ability to own several rental properties and have a good bank account. He lived for 78 years, did a lot, and went a lot of places. And so, through my sadness, I can confidently say to all of us who are still here, in the words of all boxing coaches, "Keep punchin'!".

G. Djata Bumpus
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Happy Birthday Greg Wright!!!!

"Sometimes the problem is not with the name, but with the use of mascots and symbols that are stereotypical or downright inaccurate."

"What's in a name - Dignity or Disrespect?"
(originally posted 1/13/10)

by Greg Wright

The Redskins just finished another losing season and owner Dan Snyder has fired Coach Jim Zorn, his sixth coach since buying the team a decade ago.

But fans are skeptical things will get better -- the one-time Super Bowl contending Redskins haven't made it to the playoffs since 2006. In fact, there has been a running joke here in Washington that the Redskins are cursed and their luck will not change until they ditch their name, which has long been considered offensive by Native Americans and other Americans.

It is unlikely this will happen soon. The U.S. Supreme Court in November refused to hear a case brought by a group of Native Americans seeking to ban the name. The highest court in the land said Americans Indians waited too long to challenge the Redskins trademark, forfeiting a right to sue.

It would be nice if Snyder changed the name and not because he thinks the move will bring his bumbling team a winning record. He should do it because it is the right thing to do. How would Snyder, who is Jewish, feel if there was a team called the "Jersey Jewboys" or "Houston Hymies"?
He would be just as offended as Native Americans.

For more than a decade local towns and teams have been changing American Indian team names from derogatory terms such as "squaw" and "redskins" to those that honor Native Americans or different names altogether. This has mostly been done on the.high school and college level --professional sports have largely resisted the trend.

Sometimes the problem is not with the name, but with the use of mascots and symbols that are stereotypical or downright inaccurate. For instance, some Seminole Indians have called the use of live actors to portray the Florida State University mascot Chief Osceola a "minstrel show." These live mascots can also do performances that are cartoonish and dishonor or belittle Native American traditions.

Snyder doesn't even have to leave Washington to get inspiration to change the name. The late Abe Pollin, owner of the Washington, D.C. Bullets, changed the team's to the Wizards in 1995 because he was long concerned about the violence associated with the name.

That shows true class.

The move might also be profitable for Snyder. Think of all the merchandise he could sell with a new team name? And some older Redskins merchandise would become instantly collectible and more valuable.

But for now Redskins management has fought the name change in court. And, ironically, in 1933, the Boston Braves, the football team that eventually moved to Washington, D.C., changed its name to the Boston Redskins to honor coach William "Lon Star" Dietz, who was a Native American.

Funny how time changes what is considered offensive and what is considered correct. Just a few decades ago white performers were still performing in blackface until the Civil Rights Movement largely killed such practices. Why can't we give our Native American brothers and sisters the respect they deserve?
Read full post

Is Mike Vick a footballer or guinea pig?

"It is ridiculous to think the NFL or any sports league is capable of solving a cultural and socioeconomic issue that the United States has struggled with for more than two centuries." - John Smallwood

Dear Friends,

If you watched the Philadelphia Eagles play the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday (9/12/10), then you saw Michael Vick prove why he deserves the utmost respect as both a thinking athlete and pro quarterback.

Still, on the link below, a longtime buddy of mine who is also one of Americas premier sports writers, John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News, delivers a now somewhat prophetic piece about what happens when you just allow a person to be himself or herself. Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/top_story/20100805_John_Smallwood__Vick_s_case_should_focus_on_football__not_social_justice.html?viewAll=y
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The Passing of a great Black father - McKinley Armstrong

"Love lives forever" -- Stevie Wonder






McKinley Armstrong
Teacher/Maker of Giants




Jenice Armstrong
award-winning journalist

Dear friends,

We all come into this world - going out. We forget that, while we're here "caught up in the throes", as it were. Nevertheless, recently, a very dear friend of mine, Jen Armstrong of the Philadelphia Daily News, lost her father. Her work appears on this blog, at times.

In any case, on the link below, Jen not only shows immeasurable appreciation for her Dad, but she also urges us to show our gratitude to so many other great Black fathers. Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
ttp://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/20100224_Jenice_Armstrong__Here_s_to_a_great_Dad.html


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Bumpus on Tiger Woods' "apology"

"...the whole Tiger Woods “infidelity” story, is, as usual, a mass expression of personal inadequacy..."

Dear friends,

Panic fear is an old term used by certain psychologists to describe sudden frantic behavior by an individual who, for whatever reason(s), has ceased to feel emotional ties with any particular group, of whatever size, to which s/he has been connected, and is only concerned about his or her own well-being. This happens with soldiers who desert their units during war, parents who abandon their families, or people who stampede out of a movie theater or an amusement park, due to a perceived danger.

Tiger Woods experienced such a moment, a few months back, when he ran out of his house and jumped into his car, leaving begind his wife and children, along with his mother and mother-in-law.

Initially, that moment of panic led to him crashing his “hog”. However, the insatiable greed of the government- and corporate-controlled media turned the unfortunate, private incident into a “story”.

Yet, this whole mess regarding Tiger Woods’ “sex-capades” , at least to me, is a laugh a minute. After all, how is his behavior different than most men around the world who can afford to be that way? Besides, the same people pointing fingers are doing the same thing as Woods has been doing, no matter how many married women, naively, believe that their husbands are somehow different.

And what about Woods’ choice of women? In fact, perhaps, even more importantly, what about his father’s choice of women? Really.

Also, did Tiger think of doing all of this on his own, or does his behavior reflect the typical kind of cultural value judgments of someone who is part of a sexist, racist, possession-oriented, market-driven society where all economic/social relations are based upon power and sexual greed?

Moreover, American citizens swear that they have their own ideas, when, in reality, most folks are simply parroting what has been super-imposed on their minds by the various cultural institutions of education, religion, and information.

Worse yet, it is essential to the rulers of any civilization to make sure that citizens’ ideas are fairly homogenous. This, of course, helps keep down protest (and, in the US, a Homeland Security Act and The Patriot Act serve to guarantee the legitimacy of those wielding power just mentioned).

Ultimately, all of this adds up to the group (or herd) mind versus the mind of the individual. On the link below is an interesting piece by Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times that, at least to me, reveals how the whole Tiger Woods “infidelity” story, is, as usual, a mass expression of personal inadequacy, as folks try to come to grips with the realization that they understand so little about that to which they claim, as well as, why they must constantly attempt to assuage their consciences by finding humor in their own here-to-mentioned inadequacies.

Finally, I distinctly remember hearing, back in 2009, that soon after the inauguration of Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, for the first time, identified himself as “African American”. To be sure, such a claim was troublesome to many of the people who call themselves “white”. Even worse, the son of an African American, he is being said to only be ¼ African American. Huh? Additionally, his mother, a Southeast Asian woman, from whom he has inherited half of his bloodline, apparently, from what I’ve witnessed over the years, has no great love for African Americans, as Tiger’s father Earl obviously didn’t either. Still, Tiger’s alleged disclaiming of the idiotic moniker “Caublanasian”, and, therefore, his partial “whiteness”, was too much for the pathetic females who claim to have bedded with him, and many of his fans, as well as his corporate sponsors. Nonetheless, no matter what he calls himself, one thing is for sure: Tiger Woods now knows what it’s like to be a Black man. Eh?

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-banks20-2010feb20,0,5293316.column

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A 6' 10" tall female teenager from Jamaica

Check this out!!!

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6069464n
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Smith on Michael Vick's "Second Chance"

"That's what makes second chances so special. They are an extension of grace that says more about the people who give them than the ones who receive them."

Dear friends,

Let's keep the recent re-instatement and signing of Michael Vicks in perspective. My longtime dear friend and veteran columnist with the Philadelphia Daily News, Elmer Smith, does just that, on the link below. Please reflect.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20090817_Elmer_Smith__Credit_the_Eagles_for_trying.html
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President Obama's "joke" about the Special Olympics

"I accept his apology. It was sincere. It was meaningful. And it was nice of him to say that. Every athlete out there is just being the best they can...I bowl just for fun. The last time I bowled, I think I scored a 245. I actually could kick the president’s butt at bowling. But I wouldn’t make fun of him if I did.” - a Special Olympic athlete

Dear friends,

While I find it silly and petty for the mainstream media to make such a big deal out of President Obama's joke with Jay Leno Show on the Tonight Show, on the link below, the short piece from the Boston Herald makes it apparent that Obama’s quip was not planned, because, actually, it made no sense.

Therefore, it should have been left alone. President Obama was wrong, but what kind of integrity do government- and corporate-controlled media have, if they feel that that was "news"? Moreover, why are so many print journalists, for example, whining about possibly losing their jobs, because newspapers are not selling, when these type of tattle-tale stories about the president are all that they have to share?


One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1160032&srvc=news&position=0
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