What was CNN's point? (originally posted 7/28/08)

"On it was shown an African American woman who assured us, "Most Black people aren't poor..."

Dear friends,

To whom was CNN addressing, when they aired their recent series called "Black America"? Was the show done for African Americans? If not, then why did CNN not spend both their filming and interviewing time defining who "White America" is? After all, according to the last two federal censuses (1990 and 2000), numerically, twice the amount of people who call themselves "white" live below the poverty line than all of the "people of color" combined - regardless of their ages, genders, or national origins? Considering that simple fact, perhaps, the real question may be: What's so great about being "white"? Will CNN have a show with that title? Why must CNN, Fox News, and the rest of the mainstream media outlets continue to either hide or trivialize the significance of the historical presence of Black people in this country?

On a tape that was circulated on the Internet, I remember just last year hearing that incredibly wise model of moral rectitude, Rush Limbaugh, telling African Americans and anyone else who would listen that Barack Obama is not a Black man. Imagine that. African Americans are so dumb that we do not even know how to distinguish the difference between a member of our own group from an "outsider". Now comes CNN. "We poe Black folks" need CNN to hip us to the state in which we are. Wow! I saw a trailer of what was, at the time, the upcoming special report by Soledad O'Brien. On it was shown an African American woman who assured us, "Most Black people aren't poor!" Okay. Who told CNN that she can speak for African Americans? Was it Reverend Al Sharlaton?

Written a generation ago, in a brilliant work titled "How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America", author Dr. Manning Marable points out the deliberate process involved in making the lives of African American people so precarious that almost thirty years after being placed on the Supreme Court, and shortly before his passing, during a television interview, the late Thurgood Marshall emphatically offered, "I still can't hail a cab in Washington DC!"

Nevertheless, on the link below is an article that just came out in the Sunday edition of the LA Times (July 27, 2008), I believe that its contents deserve a CNN special, if that news outlet truly wants to inform and inspire its viewers. Or do they mean to do something else?

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-covenant27-2008jul27,0,1445256.story
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What is the Difference between the Israelis and the Nazis? (originally posted 5/14/11)

"...what makes the murder and terrorizing of millions of Palestinians everyday less evil than the practice of the Nazis?"


Dear friends,

For all of the crocodile tears of political Zionists about "The Holocaust", what makes the murder and terrorizing of millions of Palestinians everyday less evil than the practice of the Nazis?

On the link below is a 3 minutes-long video that shows the brave soldiers of Israel repelling a young Palestinian woman. The first 54 seconds are not in English, but the photos show what's happening.

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQyIKyd2gqA&NR=1&feature=fvwp
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White youth mob murders Black man in Mississippi - where's the Philly anger now?

"Now, when Nutter was on Philly's City Council, in 2006 alone, 17 unarmed Black men were murdered by Philly cops. Nutter never had anything to say then."
Dear friends,

This past Sunday, Uncle Tom Nutter, the mayor of Philadelphia, went into a Black church, in Bill Cosby fashion, and scolded people about Black youth betraying their "race". Every fake Black progressive and moderate in Philly came out in support of the mayor's despicable tirade.

Now, when Nutter was on Philly's City Council, in 2006 alone, 17 unarmed Black men were murdered by Philly cops. Nutter never had anything to say then. Only a couple of years earlier, four Philly cops murdered a NAKED Black woman who had a knife. How cowardly can you be? Again, Nutter had nothing to say.

However, we now are hearing about a case where, just the other day, "white" youth went out to murder the first Black person they could find, and did so, in Mississippi. Where's all of the rage?

On the link below is a short video from CNN, regarding the tragedy in Mississippi.

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/08/06/mississippi.hate.crime/

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August 13 Millions March in Harlem Stop the criminal bombing of Libya!

August 13 Millions March in HarlemStop the criminal bombing of Libya! U.S. Out of Afghanistan and Iraq!

Jobs, Not War contingent Assemble at ANSWER Office Saturday, August 13, 10am2295 Adam Clayton Powell (near 135th St)March to Rally at 110th and Lenox Ave.In the name of "protecting civilians," NATO forces are carrying out a merciless air assault on the people of Libya. Just yesterday, 85 civilians were reportedly massacred in Zliten in a late-night bombing campaign. People of conscience around the world are coming to understand that the war is not a "humanitarian intervention," but a bid to control the country with the largest oil reserves on the African continent. This Saturday a very important march will be taking place in Harlem calling for an end to the wars and interventions against Africa.Click this link to sign up to participate in the "Jobs, Not War" contingent, and volunteer to do outreach in the days leading up to August 13.If you are unable to attend the march and rally this Saturday, please take a minute right now to make a much-needed donation to help subsidize transportation for a student or low-income passenger to get to the Harlem march. We need your support! Get on the buses from New Haven, Conn. Click for more information on the buses and to purchase your $25 round-trip ticket.We are facing the most serious economic crisis this country has seen in decades. Millions are out of work. Education and social services are being slashed. The government tells us there is no money.

Yet when it comes to funding the war and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, there is never a question of coming up with money. And now the Pentagon is launching a new war on the African continent with the bombing of Libya.
It’s time to fight back!

Download and distribute the flyerEnglish (1-sided) English-Spanish (2-sided)


The "Millions March in Harlem" event has been initiated by the December 12th Movement, and endorsed by a wide range of organizations, around the key demands:
Stop the bombing of Libya
End the sanctions on Zimbabwe
Stop Bloomberg’s destruction of our communities
For more information on the march, visit http://www.millionsmarchharlem.com or call (347) 737-3272
Jobs, Not War contingent
The ANSWER Coalition is actively mobilizing for Aug. 13 in Harlem, and will be joining with the Party for Socialism and Liberation and others for a “Jobs Not War” contingent.
Click this link to sign up to participate in the "Jobs, Not War" contingent, and volunteer to do outreach in the days leading up to August 13. Every little bit helps -- we need your support!
We are also organizing a bus to the march from New Haven, Conn. Click this link for more information on the bus and to purchase your $25 round-trip ticket.
If you are unable to attend the march and rally this Saturday, please take a minute right now to make a much-needed donation to help subsidize a student or low-income passenger to get on the bus to Harlem. We need your support!
All out for August 13th! U.S. Out of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya!

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition http://www.AnswerCoalition.org/ info@AnswerCoalition.org National Office in Washington DC: 202-265-1948Boston: 857-334-5084 | New York City: 212-694-8720 | Chicago: 773-463-0311San Francisco: 415-821-6545| Los Angeles: 213-251-1025 | Albuquerque: 505-268-2488 If this message was forwarded to you and you'd like to receive future ANSWER updates, click here to subscribe.
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National Black Theatre in Harlem - NYC presents...

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Obama's "State of the Nation" address ignores reality (originally posted 2/24/09)

"...President Obama’s current solution is to give the big banks money, if they need it."


Dear friends,

Now that President Obama’s Stimulus Plan is in force the obvious question is: Will it work? In a previous post I insisted that it would not. However, I waited until its passage to elaborate more on why it cannot possibly do anything but repeat what has been happening ever since 1873.

As I mentioned in the earlier post, President Obama is going to put lots of money into the hands of big banks and very large companies. He is not sending out money to individuals, as George Bush did. Rather, Obama is giving the money to the parties to whom he feels beholden - directly. There is no pretense.

Nevertheless, the main problem is: Ever since the end of the Civil War, big banks began to take on a new role. That is, they started loaning money to large companies, so that the latter could maintain operational costs like wages and inventory, with the intention of the former receiving payment that included interest from the latter in the near future. Also, banks started lending money for investments like new industrial facilities. Such practices re-defined the way that businesses work, since now, instead of worrying about gaining capital based upon performance (known as industrial capital), large companies could appeal to banks to “watch their backs”, as it were. This kind of capital is called finance capital. Unfortunately, it (finance capital) also allowed certain companies to be able to monopolize entire industries. So much for “free enterprise”.

To be sure, during the late-19th Century, all of this made a lot of sense, because ships (also financed by the banks and insured by the giant insurance institutions) were being sent to places like Ireland, Poland, and Italy in order to bring people here to work in all of the factories that finance capital was allowing to be developed. Of course, it is interesting that such “affirmative action” was used that way. After all, millions of African Americans, former captive workers (so-called slaves) were already here languishing on Southern plantations as “sharecroppers” (a situation that didn’t end until around 1965).

In any case, the dilemma which occurred then, as well as now is: The banks were stretching their coffers to the point of insolvency, since, if one of the large companies mentioned above did not procure the amount of revenues that had been expected, then that enterprise would not be timely with repayment. Meanwhile, workers would have to be laid off and, consequently, production slowed, so that money could be freed up to go towards paying the banks. Of course, the companies do not always give the aforementioned money to the banks, for whatever reasons.

So President Obama’s current solution is to give the big banks money, if they need it. Wow! How “neat”. Presumably, they will then be able to “help” either new or current clients (i.e., companies). Additionally, he will give money to specially-chosen large corporations. The question then becomes: How will President Obama deal with the next inevitable “economic/financial disaster” cycle? Will he simply print up more money, at our expense, and pass it out to the same parties? Or, will he show leadership and courage, allowing citizens, instead of the market, to make our own course? Perhaps, that is why he has not made a peep about getting rid of either The Patriot Act or The Homeland Security Department. Let’s face it. It seems like the government would not want folks getting any crazy ideas like wanting to determine their own destinies. Eh?

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
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Why did the Obama administration boycott the Durban Review Conference on Racism? (originally posted 5/15/09)

“As we feared the Administration’s decision to boycott the Durban Review has sent shock waves around the globe,” said Nicole Lee, Executive Director of TransAfrica Forum. “To date eight countries have announced they are pulling out of the Durban process, many based on the US decision.”

Dear friends,

"Shocking!!!" is an understatement! President Obama's administration chose to boycott the Durban Review of the World Conference on Racism. If you recall, less than two weeks after the United States and Israel pulled out of the aforementioned conference in 2001, a series of airplane attacks occurred - now known as 9/11.

While these attacks may have happened anyway, it seems, at least to me, that the catalyst was the abandonment of the World Conference on Racism about which I have just spoken. Will the latest move bring another attack? Who knows? One thing is for sure: The direction that the current administration is taking betrays all of the campaign rhetoric that caused so many people to support Barack Obama. What will happen next? On the link below, perhaps, we can now understand why Dr. King insisted "Why We Can't Wait".

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://transafricaforum.org/media-center/news-releases/taf-disappointed-obama-admin-failure-attend-durban-review
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Was Jill Scott "Dickmatized"?

"After all, it's not like it takes a rocket scientist to have a sexual experience, good or bad."

Dear friends,

On the link below, I read a brief piece on Facebook or somewhere yesterday, and thought to myself, "What can this possibly mean?" Dickmatized? After all, it's not like it takes a rocket scientist to have a sexual experience, good or bad. Right?

At any rate, the brief article seems to reveal Jill's maturing as someone who wants to be fully human (that is, continuously evolving) as opposed to either being "stuck"as an object or, having no meaningful way to look at life, identifying one's self by something as precarious, if not frivolous, as the human sexual appetite.

Love is the weapon of the strong,
G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.s2smagazine.com/stories/2011/07/jill-scott-admits-being-dickmatized
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People make the Economy - not vice versa (originally posted 10/10/08)

The pundits seem to always refer to the 'Economy' as if it is a kind of force or other type of phenomenon that exists apart from us.

Dear friends,

The pundits seem to always refer to the "Economy" as if it is a kind of force or other type of phenomenon that exists apart from us. That is, it appears out of thin air or something. If we are bad to it, then it is bad to us. The way that we are able to control it is by either divine - or government - intervention, at those bad times. When we are good to it, other divine "market forces" maintain our prosperity. Yet, even then, we have to be prepared to make sacrifices, so that we stay in favor with it (said "Economy" ).

This all, of course, seems like a childish fairy tale. Yet, that is precisely what the big corporations who control those who run our government would have us believe. Consequently, there is currently a "scare" tactic directed at citizens both here and many places around the world, as we are told that the "Economy" is on the brink of collapse. The Bush administration, its accomplices in Congress, along with the government- and corporate-controlled mass communications media, are currently imploring to the American people: If companies that we either support or are beholden to need money, then either such companies and their investors will lose out to competition, or we will have to use the fruits of your labor (tax money) to save them.

Again, the biggest problem about the latest bad economic news is: People are made to think that the "Economy" is a phenomenon that exists apart from them. Yet, it is people who make the goods and provide the services. Consequently, at least to me, rather than remaining "submissive" and deferring to "market forces", as it were, in this possession-oriented society, folks should consider being "pro-active" and start developing communities where our values are determined by people (i.e., ourselves), as opposed to representing those of the "market forces". That way, the collecting of trinkets and baubles, cars, spouses, and houses will not be as significant as people starting to learn to appreciate all of the powers within them - like love and work (energy) - that way they can share with their fellows for the commonweal, and future generations.

Can we, as Americans, begin to think about buying from businesses in our own communities? Why, in fact, can we not begin to look at life in a more meaningful way than what Madison Avenue and Hollywood have prescribed for us? Can we truly begin thinking for ourselves, instead of swallowing whatever many of those in the mass communications media like Fox News and CNN tell us to think?

Of course, we can still purchase some commodities from big companies. However, the monopolies that have been set up under the disguise of being "national" and "multi-national" companies are far from patriotic to anything other than the dollar bill. If we begin to build our communities, it will take time - generations, in fact. However, we will, at least, pass on a legacy of love and work that will be able to withstand the natural, social, and economic challenges of human existence, as opposed to the current course of cyclical prosperity for us and constant excess of wealth for the "organized minority".

Finally, at least to me, enlightened, healthy (physically and mentally), and productive people are the result of economic development - not higher levels of weaponry and other types of technology. Not even better homes point to the genuine prosperity of everyday people having both greater inner and outer resources to make their communities more loving, stronger, and constantly growing. After all, the inner resources are necessary in order to act upon the outer ones, and vice versa. And in that process, greater talents evolve. Otherwise, if that were not true, as a species, then we would still be chasing animals and searching for fruits and vegetables, while, simultaneously, praying to totem poles. People make the economy!!! The question of ending economic catastrophe is directly related to how we share in the distribution of our combined efforts. Right now, a few greedy guys get most of everything, and do very little, if any, work.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
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Michael Baisden's "Million Mentors" national tour - Worthwhile or Worthless? (originally posted 6/17/10)

"“You gotta tell the children the truth. They don’t need a whole lot o’ lies…‘cause one of these days, baby, they’ll be runnin’ things, so when you give ‘em love, you betta give it right…woman and child, man and wife, the best love to have is the love of life.,,pass it on.” – Jimi Hendrix"

Dear friends,

The present on-again, off-again national tour for a “million mentors” that is being sponsored by radio personality Michael Baisden about recruiting men to "mentor", especially, African American male youth in America is, obviously, well-intended. Yet, aside from signing up a bunch of “men”, is there really a plan?

That is, what type of “role models” should the aforementioned youth admire and aspire to replicate? For example, should they be like either Tyler Perry or his alter ego “Madea”? Or, perhaps, they can mimic another self-hating “comedian” named Steve Harvey who tells so-called “jokes” like, "I know a woman who is so black that when she puts on a yellow dress, she looks like a traffic light.” Moreover, what good is “mentoring”, if it has nothing to do with helping youngsters appreciate the inner powers of mental and physical stamina (i.e., energy), so that they can strengthen their communities?

Clearly, this whole state of affairs requires us to address the inadequacies and insecurities that hinder us from developing, honing, and maintaining those inner strengths/powers mentioned above - throughout life.

To be sure, most people are not even aware of their inner powers. Instead, they relinquish such strengths, in order to embrace the cuddly pillows of external authorities such as “public opinion”, “common sense”, or the world-ruling personality called “God”.

Nevertheless, how does recognizing one’s inner powers provide him or her with a vision that will be beneficial to the community? And what relevance does that vision just mentioned have to both the proliferation and continued evolutionary growth of the community? Additionally, since a realizable vision demands having a plan for the future, will that foresight foster rational faith and hope. And, most of all, will the young charges learn to practice love as an “act of being” that is geared towards other people, along with things like their studies, their work, and all that comprises enhancing the progress of their communities, as opposed to practicing love as the passive and sentimental “state of being” that silly Hollywood tv and movie productions and countless cheap popular songs on the radio portray?

Of course, none of this means very much to a young person, because only after experiencing many favorable and unfavorable circumstances during life’s journey will they be able to understand and appreciate the necessity of planning ahead, so that they can somewhat control their destinies.

That’s why it’s so important that parents. school teachers, and all other adults who come into contact with young people make sure that young folks have regular experiences with success. That will give them confidence. And, as we already know: confidence gives self-esteem a place to grow.

To be sure, there is a generation raising children that is so steeped in this possession-oriented culture that ideas of community, and so forth, represent the folklore of generations past. Additionally, it is hard to steer the imagination towards humanity, community, and the common good in a society that holds individualism as paramount. Individualism has its place, but given too much emphasis, it can encourage greed, selfishness and petty materialism, creating serious identity problems along the way. For instance, there already exists a vulgar mimicry of genuine individualism that has young African American males wearing pigtails, earrings in each ear, along with placing jewelry and tattoos at bizarre points on their bodies.

This all, of course, relates to the industry created by the so-called "hip-hop" genre of music which a genuinely accomplished musician, Wynton Marsalis, and a noted journalist and music critic, Stanley Crouch, have so adequately labeled hip-hop as being nothing more than "buffoon minstrelsy".

Initially, rap music had a revolutionary potential, with lyrics, by groups like Public Enemy, which sought to articulate the social conditions of urban youth. Unfortunately, before long, greedy record companies convinced equally greedy young folks to produce recordings without using either musical instruments or dignified lyrics (with the latter still calling what they produce "music", mind you).

Some of these new "recordings" focused on the childish narcissism and selfishness in which people with low self-esteem engage, as they try to convince themselves that they have worth. Others, mostly young African American males, attempted to gain their self-worth at the expense of others, using sexual infidelity and violence as proof of their manhood, in their "lyrics". None of these behaviors has been abandoned by either the so-called artists or record distributors of the "hip-hop" industry , as of this writing. Thus, for the most part, the revolutionary potential mentioned above has all but dissolved, except for, perhaps, a very tiny group of independents (mostly called "underground").

Several years ago, on C-Span, I saw Lerone Bennett Jr., the great historian, speaking at an academic conference of some sort about his dismay with our young Black "rappers" and their "fans" who are calling their mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, and cousins "bitches and hoes". No other cultural group does that in the whole world, be it the entire music industry or the general public - only African Americans. This brings us back to the issue of self-hatred, as in the case of Tyler Perry and Steve Harvey. Worse yet, the so-called hip-hop moguls who receive so much publicity these days are no different than the Black slavemasters of the ante-bellum South. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to suggest that the former are the "spiritual" descendants of the latter.

Nevertheless, connecting to institutions where youth already participate, rather than trying to form new ones, is essential, for any hope of success. Church youth groups, school clubs, athletic teams, specialty learning centers (like boxing, karate, art, trade schools, and so forth), as well as college groups will all have interest in community service on some level, whether for positive publicity or to give concrete application of their principles. Eventually, even gangs could be convinced to act more as social clubs, giving their members a more positive sense of purpose.

By the way, instead of being “anti-gang”, perhaps, we should consider getting gangs to identify with positive behavior, at least, under some circumstances. After all, who would have ever thought that the famous biker gang known as the “Hell’s Angels”, originally out of California, would be connected to philanthropic activities, although their name continues to, sometimes, be connected with criminal activity? Even the infamous Blackstone Rangers of Chicago, at one point, became known for actions other than their violent ones. This can happen with the Crips and Bloods, as well.

Still, for all that has been discussed thus far, the proverbial bottom line is: Capitalism has been so attractive, because it is, thus far, the only type of economy that has afforded total political freedom to its perticipants, as workers. That means that a person can "flip the boss a bird", as it were, and walk away, being "free" to find another opportunity for employment. This was certainly not the case in either slave or feudalistic societies. Socilaist countries do not allow that kind of freedom either, since everyone works for the "State" and, therefore, must work where he or she is assigned, more or less.

The downside of total political freedom for workers within the capitalist political economy is: The "market” then controls all economic and, , social relationships, based upon the notion of "supply and demand", whether for the human commodity - labor, or non-human ones (commodities). Unfortunately, since, the end of World War 1 or so, the "market" has taken control of what we see as culture. As a result, the definition of culture, which historically, has referred to all of the actions by a specific population group, has become anything that the market determines it to be. Consequently, the notions of “youth" culture (clothing, hairstyles, piercing and tattoos, books, magazines with ads sold in them, and so forth), "Hip-hop" culture (drugs, guns, gangs, and so forth), and “gay" culture (weddings, nightclubs, exclusive recreational venues, magazines and newspapers with ads sold in them, and so forth), are, totally, market constructs. Additionally, while there are social constructs like race, age, and gender, for example, those social structures were not created for the appetite of the market. Rather, they serve the purpose of establishing social relationships within that society itself that will allow it (said society) to last for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Still, the idea that a culture can develop without any connection to the past (except its increased availability of consumables) is a contradiction in terms. Hence, the notion of "youth culture", for example, is designed to exploit the vast and seemingly endless energy and enthusiasm of young people. Yet, it seems, at least, to me, that the energy and courage of our youth 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.

Moreover, once the market is allowed to define culture, our only values become those which drive it (the market). For that reason, the mentality needed to function within the market system itself, has a great deal to do with causing the people in this society, for the most part, to not have the ability to act in a loving way towards each other, since it defines people by price or money-name. Hence, terms like low-income and wealthy become the false abstractions, like so many other monikers, that tend to sort out and classify people, then assign said folks to their stations in society and life, with most people never having any real control of their destinies

Therefore, and ultimately, if our youth are to be our future, then it will only happen if we as adults, particularly parents, take the reins of this present culture and provide our children with both an historical and social conscience, and set the example for them, by informing identity through the recognition of the connection between generations and defining human life in a meaningful way (as opposed to basing who they are upon unproven claims, regarding with whom they are having sex, or what "gang colors" they're wearing). That way, our society will benefit from the "leadership" of our youth. As well, the "market" will then be a function of the values of the society and not vice versa.

Let’s face it; culture has no meaning once taken out of the context of a reproductive process. A people who cannot reproduce themselves as a people will cease to exist as a people and become part of something else. This is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. For example, the culture that held Africans in slavery, in this society, could no longer reproduce itself in that form and had to change, because of the well-deserved hostility and resistance it engendered.

In any case, let us stop asking children what they want to be, in the context of what they will possess, when they grow up. Instead, let us ask, what they want to be, regarding their relatedness to others. Let us ask, "How will you help the community when you grow up?" Let us ask, "What kind of work will you do to help people when you grow up?"

So, mentoring has significance, if it reflects a part of the culture of any particular community. However, social constructs like “race” and “gender” obscure opportunities for guiding young people so that they will be able to adequately replace us and prepare the way for those who have yet to come. Besides, what does either skin color or gender have to do with sharing vital information and skills with a young person? Therefore, however well-meaning, a “Million Mentors Tour” is a total waste of energy and valuable resources, unless its purpose is to direct youth towards embracing the notion, with a great sense of love, that they have a vested interest in building their communities for themselves and all of those who will follow them. Dig?

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
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Re- visiting Dr. Deepak Chopra on Sarah Palin (originally posted 9/14/08)

"Dr. Chopra is making an attempt to help us understand the issue of Sarah Palin's candidacy outside of the blather that is currently being bandied about by most mainstream media journalists and other such so-called pundits."

Dear friends,

I like some things that Deepak Chopra has to say. However, whereas he is a deep thinker, I can never say enough, "People are not talking insects.". Therefore, they cannot be analyzed within the context of either/or.

Nonetheless, at least, Dr. Chopra is making an attempt to help us understand the issue of Sarah Palin's candidacy outside of the blather that is currently being bandied about by most mainstream media journalists and other such so-called pundits. Yet, taking it outside of the context of racism - not "race" - ignores the reality that that system of oppression and exploitation plays in helping people delude themselves into thinking that their "whiteness" is an asset, when, in reality, it only counts when it comes to those folks' relationships with African Americans and others.

This is a racist culture in which we live. Racism is not either some kind of xenophobia, or a "disease" . Rather, it is a deliberate system of oppression and exploitation that is supported by the same cultural institutions (e.g., schools, churches, courts, legislative bodies, and so forth) that help make the society reproduce itself as a specific population group for generations.

In any case, culture is a word that is often used to refer to the higher achievements of a particular group - like painting and music. However, it (culture) involves everything that we do. Therefore, it even has a physiological significance. This is easily identifiable by recognizing the actual mental and motor reflexes that are initiated when a European American (so-called white person) who is sitting in a car pushes down the lock button as an African American approaches the vicinity of his or her vehicle, whether the former is parked in a lot or near a sidewalk - or stopped at a traffic light.

This notion of the initiating of both mental and motor reflexes also explains the cultural differences in the way that people draw, dance, sing, and so forth. In fact, even our five "senses" are culturally-defined. That is, our perceptions, regarding what we feel, taste, hear, smell, and see, are determined by our cultural experiences.

Additionally, our culture determines the manner in which we transmit and share both behavior and ideas to present and future generations. However, the first thing that we must understand about culture is that it is largely tied to a people's resources. That is, social status and income as well as materials to produce what people need or desire for survival determine how, why and through what medium folks can express themselves as a distinct group.

My point here is: John McCain learned from Hillary Clinton that appealing to the racist sentiments, particularly, of uneducated, lower-middle class elderly, along with middle-aged European Americans, garners votes. No need to involve esoteric "psychological terms", or play intellectual acrobatics there. McCain's logic will get some votes. However, those people do not outnumber African Americans, other non-European Americans, and educated European Americans. Therefore, ultimately NcCain's plagiarism by Clinton will fail.

Besides, just as there were no "racial" distinctions that helped their ancestors in Ireland, Poland, and Italy, for example, there are no such differences when the aforementioned descendants are placed with others who count as "white" in this society. Only economic factors distinguish them from each other. So the "voting power" of "poor" whites is a mass illusion.

Moreover, while there is one person-one vote in the US, please remember that citizens in Saddam's Iraq had that same right. Therefore, the issue of the essence of democracy as being non-violent conflict resolution, as opposed to the propaganda that defines it as having the "right to vote" is what is really of moment, especially since, as was just mentioned in the case of Saddam Hussein, a tyranny can allow the one-person-one vote right too.

At any rate, on the link below my name, I am glad that one of our acclaimed intellectuals has spoken. Now, people may be interested in thinking about all of this "Palin" hype more realistically. Dr. Chopra's brief essay which was forwarded to me via e-mail, a few days ago, appears below.

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.chopra.com/node/1064
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Ossuma El does beautiful photo/literary piece on Italy/US thug relations

Dear friends,

This is a very good piece by, strangely enough, someone who I originally met on Facebook. His name is Ossuma El. He's a really special person. At any rate, the piece, on the link below, gives a great analysis of the relationship between the US government and Italy. Check this out!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.jetsetterfresh.com/?p=6493
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Weinergate?...What's Next?

"The great Wilheim Reich insisted, 'The pleasure of living and the pleasure of the orgasm are identical. Extreme orgasm anxiety forms the basis of the general fear of life.'"

Dear friends,

The great Wilheim Reich insisted, "The pleasure of living and the pleasure of the orgasm are identical. Extreme orgasm anxiety forms the basis of the general fear of life." In a culture where people are starving from a lack of positive emotional energy from their very relatives, much less the rest of society, is it possible that the voyeuristic tales from the mainstream media are borderline pornographic, with no other substance?

Even worse, American sexuality is very confusing. There is now, in fact, a whole group of people who estrange themselves from the rest of society - and humanity - by defining themselves by something as precarious, if not frivolous, as the human sexual appetite. Should these folks instead join their fellows in overcoming the alienation from which all of us suffer as humans in the modern world? Moreover, regarding Anthony Weiner and his playmates, why is there any surprise that the useless government- and corporate-controlled mainstream media has made this exaggerated tale of visual, literary, and audio masturbation a news item?

Additionally, in a society that, through racist arrogance, compares the centuries-old struggle of African Americans to people who deny the precariousness of the human sexual appetite, as mentioned above, and declare an "identity", as it were, that is based upon unsubstantiated claims about with whom they are having sex, what meaningful way to look at life should we expect from our youth?

It seems, at least to me, that people in this society are so used to conforming, that is, not "making waves", as well as having a "go along to get along" attitude/mentality, that they've never really taken any chances that require them to confront their inadequacies and insecurities. For that reason, something as inconsequential as someone else's activities involving consensual sex seems exciting. How sad.

I say this, because for all of the plans that are announced for the future, regarding both "economic development" and "education reform", we never see programs that are specifically designed for young people, much less the actual involvement of the aforesaid young people, that will include them in the process of building for our nation's future. Is their future going to be one of sorting through what should be the destiny of people who either tattle-tale or are "squealed on" about their sexual lives, or will it have more to do with solving the problems of our nation - and world?

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
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Analyzing Islam, since 9/11 - and before (originally posted 8/30/08)

The article on the link below was written only a couple of weeks after 9/11.

Dear friends,

The article on the link below was written only a couple of weeks after 9/11. Yet, considering this historical moment in recent world history, with the possible election of a man of African descent as the chief figurehead for our nation, we may consider asking ourselves: These days, how much do we as citizens actually contribute to supporting the ideal of objective analysis, much less the more lofty ones of freedom, justice, and equality?

At any rate, the author, Edward Said, has since passed. However, he was a great scholar, educator, ad statesman - in his own right, who I have been both reading and appreciating for almost thirty years. His vocabulary can be quite academic; however, he makes his points.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.thenation.com/article/clash-ignorance
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A Short Neurological Test

This was passed on to me in an email...It's fun!

A Short Neurological Test

1- Find the C below.. Please do not use any cursor help.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below.

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

Now find the N below. It's a little more difficult.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you're far from having a close relationship with Alzheimer's.

Congratulations!
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Re-visiting Harry Reid's Remark about the "Negro dialect" (originally posted 1/13/10)

"Think about it. Have you ever listened to an ordinary European American person do a voice impression of an African American? No matter what the voice of the latter actually sounds like, the European American just mentioned ALWAYS imitates the 'Southern twang'."


Dear friends,

Imagine. This whole media frenzy is all about Harry Reid using the term “Negro dialect”. What is the Negro dialect? For example, the so-called Southern dialect or twang, as it were, is simply the evolution of the vocal expression of West African captives as they tried to communicate with Europeans. (see Melville Herskovits’ New World Negro)

Think about it. Have you ever listened to an ordinary European American person do a voice impression of an African American? No matter what the voice of the latter actually sounds like, the European American just mentioned ALWAYS imitates the “Southern twang”.

Therefore, considering the above, many European Americans, especially Southerners, speak the “Negro dialect” - each moment of their lives.

So why all of the ruckus over a typical, stupid, inept Washington pol’s faux pas? Does the issue of “race” still fire people up - especially those who embrace the moniker “white”? In fact, who are “white” people? After all, not only people of European descent, but many Asians as well as many Latinos call themselves “white” too. Why is that? What does being “white” do for a person?

Well, by calling yourself “white”, you become part of an artificial “majority” group that mean-spiritedly pits itself against a body of then smaller groups who are labeled “minorities”. Moreover. the artificial group mentioned above automatically inherits privilege over the so-called “minority” groups.

But what if the “whites” started calling themselves Irish American, or Polish American, or Italian American instead? Except for the Irish Americans who, by the way, have only been considered “whites” for a few generations, Polish Americans and Italian Americans each, by themselves, would become a “minority”, at least compared to the African American population. Consequently, they would lose privilege. That also means that calling one’s self “white” is in and of itself discriminatory, because it deprives African Americans the same privileges, particularly, equally so in many areas of our lives. If that is not true, then why do people who call themselves “white” feel that they are being disempowered if they stop identifying themselves that way?

Considering all of this here-to-mentioned, it’s fairly easy to understand why the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. insisted: Discrimination is a hell-hound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them.

Have you seen a McDonald’s commercial lately?

G. Djata Bumpus
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Military pay already cut in half - some Memorial Day

Dear friends,

While Michelle Obama and Biden's wife do commercials about supporting the troops and travel the country with that same message, their husbands and Congress have already cut military pay in half.

That means that Navy Seals 6 went on a murder mission for reduced compensation. They may have been paid more doing what FBI agents did in the Sixties, working for the Mob. Meanwhile, the troops in both Afghanitan and Iraq, as well as the other two million people in our armer services, are operating on less than a check-to-check basis.

On the link below, is a brief YouTube post that is sad.

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy1PbDcAa-Q&NR=1
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My recent Letter to the Philadelphia Daily News about the "Black" vote

http://m.philly.com/phillycom/db_41064/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=Wy7LgUAF&detailindex=2&pn=4&ps=3
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A Holiday kickoff - Chaka Khan - "I Feel for You"

Please click on the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81QDKnV36TE
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Gil Scott Heron dies at 62

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/05/27/136731274/gil-scott-heron-poet-and-musician-has-died

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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?
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Israel's blockade of Gaza is cracking

what you'll never hear from a North American journalist - i.e., the truth about the situation in the Middle East, especially Palestine..

Dear friends,

The inhuman atrocities created against millions of human beings for no other cause than power and greed are about to take a different course, in spite of the miscreant US Congress and others. On the link below, is a powerful and scholarly piece, written by a noted female Palestinian activist, that tells us what you'll never hear from a North American journalist - i.e., the truth about the situation in the Middle East, especially Palestine..

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/05/201159153020317825.html
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Newspaper article confirms bin Laden kidney issues

"The head of the Dubai hospital's urology department, Terry Callaway, reportedly refused to answer questions about bin Laden's alleged stay."

Dear friends,

On the link below (you may have to copy and paste it to your browser), in an article from the Washington Times, posted on October 31, 2001, there is talk of bin Laden being treated in an American hospital in Dubai for kidney problems. How did he survive for 10 more years without being detected? There are too many unanswered questions, and American journalists, apparently scared for their jobs, refuse to acknowledge all of the holes in the story that has been being passed around for the last two days. Moreover, when will the American public stop being as cowardly and stupid as American journalists and "pundits" are?

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.prisonplanet.com/bin_laden_treated_us_hospital.html
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Is Osama bin Laden even alive? (originally posted on 1/15/10)

"Yet, keeping bin Laden's name alive would serve both Al Quaeda and the US government..."

Dear friends,

After George Bush and his Republican cohorts looted the coffers of our country for eight years, under the ridiculous notion that they were fighting a "war on terror", the question should come to mind, "Is Osama bin Laden even alive?". Who’s got proof?

I mean, ever since a rather young Nigerian national named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab set himself on fire inside of an airplane that was set to land in Detroit, suddenly, bin Laden's name has appeared again. We've not heard much about him for ages. Now, Saddam Hussein had far more resources at his disposal than bin Laden could ever imagine. Hussein, in fact, had an army, an intelligence agency, foreign collaborators, you name it. He didn't last a month before being found hiding in a hole in the groubd. So, why has no one caught bin Laden yet?

Moreover, can you catch a dead man? Years ago, he was shown walking around with portable dialysis machine. Folks don't live very long on those kind of contraptions, particularly traveling through mountains and deserts. At least, I wouldn't think so. Yet, keeping bin Laden's name alive would serve both Al Quaeda and the US government. After all, the former would still be able to recruit, since they can brag that the US government is a paper tiger - not even being able to catch a terminally ill man in the desert. Meanwhile, Us corporations like Halliburton, General Dynamics, and their ilk can keep bilking us out of our dollars and support. It's a neat trick. Eh? Think about it. And please remember the old African proverb that goesL Before the fool has learned the game, the players have dispersed.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
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National Black Theatre in Harlem - NYC presents...

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Kobe Bryant's mumblings bring protest - a double standard?

“The recent frenzy caused by the pitiful, opinion-making, US government- and corporate-controlled mainstream media, when an African American celebrity called a referee out of his name…”

Dear friends,

The recent frenzy caused by the pitiful, opinion-making, US government- and corporate-controlled mainstream media, when an African American celebrity called a referee out of his name, as said media try to compete with the far more informative worldwide Internet, to me, is actually another case of the unclothed emperor attempting to cover himself up.

Bryant’s mumblings were offensive to a certain body of citizens. The powers-that-be of the NBA fined the young man $100.000. For all of the recording cowards like Chris Rock and African American hip-hoppers who are allowed by record companies to glamorize the use of the word “nigger”, I wonder what would have happened to him, if Kobe Bryant had called the ref a “cracker”? Did someone say “double standard”?

Nevertheless, while a proposition cannot possibly be proof of itself, this is the basis upon which many, if not most, of those who identify themselves as “gay” operate. “I’m just gay; that’s all to it.”, they say. Moreover, theirs is a bogus claim that they make about having such a staunch “sexual identity” as it relates to something as precarious, if not frivolous, as the human sexual appetite. And it is better study for a psychologist than sociologist.

Let’s face it. As the great Freud insisted, and I agree with him, our “identity” is an “emotional tie”. That first identity, of course, develops with our original nurse (mother). Additionally, this “identity”, as it were, is obviously an acknowledgement of one’s humanity. So, at least to me, the real question about “homosexuality” and “identity” then becomes: At what point does a person both alienate and disconnect himself or herself from the rest of humanity, by demanding to be recognized as gay?

To be sure, the “market” is responsible for this turn of events. You see, capitalism has been so attractive, because it is the only political economy, or process of social reproduction, that has afforded total political freedom to its participants, as workers. That means that a person can "flip a bird" at the boss, and walk away, being "free" to find another opportunity for employment. This was certainly not the case in either slave or feudalistic societies. So-called socialist (actually state capitalist) countries do not allow that kind of freedom either, since almost everyone works for the State and must work where he or she is assigned, more or less.

In any case, the downside of the total political freedom of capitalism is: The "market” controls all economic and, therefore, social relationships, based upon the notion of "supply and demand", whether for the human commodity - labor, or non-human ones (commodities). Most importantly, the chief rewards that motivate people to thrive in the market are power and sexual greed.

Unfortunately, since, the end of World War 1 or so, the "market" has taken control of what we see as culture, with possession as the strongest desire. As a result, the definition of culture, which historically, has referred to all of the actions by a specific population group, has become anything that the market determines it to be. Consequently, the notion of a “gay" culture (weddings, nightclubs, exclusive recreational venues, magazines and newspapers and ads sold by them, books and book stores, fashions, gay this-gay that, and so forth), is, totally, a market construct.

Invading other countries (military/industrial complex) and locking up citizens and immigrants (prison/industrial complex) is not enough. The market is greedy! Greed, to be sure, is always short-sighted, from the cheating spouse to BP’s oil spill in the Gulf or the Exxon/Mobil oil spill on the Niger Delta of West Africa.

Moreover, culture has no meaning once taken out of the context of a reproductive process. A people who cannot reproduce themselves as a people will cease to exist as a people and become part of something else. This is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. For example, the culture that held Africans in slavery, in this society, could no longer reproduce itself in that form and had to change, because of the well-deserved hostility and resistance it engendered.

Still, African American people have an actual cultural and historical experience. As well, the claim to being African American has both historical and social criteria that make a person an African American. So-called "gay" people do not enjoy such an identity. Therefore, perhaps, it may be instructive for someone to come up with criteria that define just what makes a person "gay". Besides, considering what has just been said, is there any reason why one should wonder that it is extremely inconsiderate and insulting to many African Americans when so-called “gays” compare their plight to ours?

Worse yet, it should be no surprise that one of the real dilemmas of a society that is socially-stratified such as ours, lies in the fact that a person can be a member of an oppressor group and an oppressed group, at the same time. This was adequately proven, with the Clarence Thomas - Anita Hill debacle. Except for African American women, but not limited to them, particularly women who call themselves "white", are oppressed as women, but, also, serve as oppressors, as part of the artificial "majority" group that calls itself "white". Therefore, for example, the attempt by these same women to form an artificial "minority" group, by calling themselves "lesbians", is disingenuous, at best.

After all, one need only recall 1974 and the desegregation of Boston Public Schools, as we watched our televisions, in both horror and anger, at scores of "white" women, daily, uninterrupted, as police stood watching, throwing rocks and other objects at buses carrying the brand new incoming African American children who were being transported to, especially, South Boston neighborhood schools. Additionally, from working in and living around Northampton, Massachusetts, a so-called lesbian stronghold, my own personal experience is that both the venomous vibes and actions of lesbian racists permeate the atmosphere here so thickly that one can cut said air with a knife.

Finally, in a healthy and sane society, people will not alienate themselves from the rest of us by calling themselves “gay”. (After all, imagine the mental health trauma that must be experienced, if one is incapable of making love with someone of the opposite sex.) Instead, folks will think of their communities first and help us all - and everything around us - proliferate with love and prosperity. As a result, males and females alike will engage themselves in nature’s symmetry of heterosexual bonding, as birds and bees do.

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
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President Obama's birth records are finally made public

“the Boston Herald, a major newspaper, has just released the actual proof…”

Dear friends,

With super-racist clowns like Donald Trump still insisting that President Obama was not born in this country, the Boston Herald, a major newspaper, has just released the actual proof on the link below (if clicking on it doesn't work, you may have to copy and paste it to your browser).

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20110423some_obama_birth_records_made_public_for_years/srvc=home&position=0
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Faeebook plagiarist demeans Social Networking in post about "God"

"…it’s unfair to claim a special status as a 'believer', while excluding those who have a different interpretation of existence as 'non-believers'."

Dear friends,

Today, April Fool’s Day 2011, mind you, I saw a post about “God” by a Facebook friend. When I started reading it I thought to myself, “ Man, I really like what this guy is saying”. After the second sentence, I thought, “Damn, this sounds like me.”. After the third sentence, I looked down, narcissistically, in order to see my name as the author, since, occasionally, my aforementioned Facebook friend "shares" my posts with his "friends". I became incensed! Someone named Julian Kyle had plagiarized me and taken credit for my work.

Now, occasionally, I keep records of my Facebook responses in a Word folder. When I checked, sure enough, the text appears below:

God is a creation of the human mind, as people try to understand our existence…the idea of one “God”, of course, began under Akhenaton 2 of ancient Egypt…the term is supposed to relate to that which is the ultimate good or that which is perfect…Yet, the claim of a “jealous God” is a contradiction in terms, since jealousy is hardly a sign of perfection…Nevertheless, the fact so many think that both the thoughts or actions of people and even disaster, for example, are so easily explained by attributing whatever happens as “God’s will” is silly and childish…Moreover, the total lack of proof of God’s existence outside of the human imagination begs for the question: How can a proposition be proof of itself?

In addition to that Facebook post, in another Word file, while looking for the former one, I found this one below. It goes right with the one above:

…it’s unfair to claim a special status as a “believer”, while excluding those who have a different interpretation of existence as “non-believers”. That mean-spirited type of exclusion just mentioned is the basis of human intolerance. Ya dig? Moreover, religious intolerance has caused more killing and suffering over the millennia than any other philosophy or world outlook. Additionally, if you believe in a world-ruling personality called “God”, then you are talking about a finite entity, because you’ve appointed a name to that “being”.

In other words, we look at everything geometrically; that is, we recognize each phenomenon or thing by form, shape, and substance, in order to distinguish one thing from another – whether we’re talking about physically or intellectually. Therefore, an infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent phenomenon could not have a name! Dig? At best, we would address that Supreme Being as “that which is nameless.” However, saying a couple of extra syllables is too difficult for fast-paced Americans of any skin color.

While it is difficult for most people to think that deeply, just imagine that in the beginning there was nothing. Yet, nothing IS something. Isn't it? Hence, the origin of all existence. Let's face it. How many people can visualize much past three generations? It's mostly about reconstruction and inference, when looking back at what has already occured. Besides, even watching a video recording doesn't tell you the feelings or intentions of those involved. Feel me?

Finally, what we really need to consider is: imitating the life of, say, the historical Jesus Christ. After all, as far as being a “believer” goes, everyone on Death Row now “conveniently” claims to believe in “God”. Right?

One Love, One Heart, One Spirit,
G. Djata Bumpus
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US Prisons, the new Jim Crow - a brilliant 25 minutes-long video lecture

Dear friends,

The video on the link below by author Michelle Alexander: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness.

The speech was made a few months ago. Check it out!

One Love, One Heart, One Spirit,
G. Djata Bumpus
http://video.wpt2.org/video/1748253821/
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JP Morgan and other businesses make mega-profits from Food Stamps/Poverty

As the crooks who run this country contnue to fleece everyday citizens, there are Tea Partyers and other poor people who complain that rich folks are being taxed too much.

Dear friends,

As the crooks who run this country contnue to fleece everyday citizens, there are Tea Partyers and other poor people who complain that rich folks are being taxed too much. Meanwhile, these heartless racketeers - from Wall Street and on Capitol Hill - are doing better than ever financially, as Americans, generally, are eating the lint from our pockets. Please refer to the link below.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://blog.friendseat.com/jp-morgan-profits-food-stamp-program/
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60 Minutes television program likes Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn, and the "N-word"

"Why have we never seen a book that uses the term 'cracker' (or even heard it used) anywhere in broad circulation in this country?..."


Dear friends,

Last night (Sunday, March 20, 2011), I saw a piece on 60 Minutes about Mark Twain and his use of the word nigger in the novel entitled The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The station used a young, I presume, African American male as the interviewer and a Black college professor from Oregon who, get this, claimed that he was proud of both being and being called a nigger (but couldn’t even pronounce the pejorative term comfortably), as the expert being interviewed. Wow!

Anyway, this professor reminded me of Clarence Thomas and other such noted Black intellectuals who the television stations always seem to locate. They must have a list. After all, why didn’t they call someone like my longtime friend and colleague Cornel West who would have made a better account of himself and our people? Worse yet, this Oregon guy even seemed, like Thomas, to have a wife who is a member of the Tea Party. You know the type. Still, at least to me, the real question is: Why have we never seen a book that uses the term cracker (or even heard it used), anywhere in broad circulation in this country? Duh?

Moreover, if racism is defined as simply some type of xenophobia, as opposed to its original meaning which is White Supremacy, then those who practice racism can claim the same moral status as the victims of it. Neat trick. Eh? Of course, the term racism was made popular by African and African American scholars/activists, from Kwame Nkrumah and Franz Fanon to Malcolm x and Huey P. Newton.


Therefore, the idea that Mark Twain is pointing out the inhumanity of slavery is contradicted by his insistence upon the use of the word white. For example, for almost the past three generations, the overwhelming majority of the people who call themselves white, in this country, are those of Irish descent. Yet, the Irish are only of recent whiteness.

For example, in the Boltwood Collection of Jones Library in Amherst, Massachusetts, local genealogist and historian James A. Smith makes an interesting point in his work titled Black People in Early Amherst, in relationship to the designation of "whiteness" in the historical town. You see, less than 100 years or four generations ago, Smith writes: The town vital records show an undeveloped and random method of describing racial identities...clerks sometimes listed the person as being Irish in the section used to list race other than white.

Lo and behold! Irish people, surely the single largest group of European Americans in this country, are only of recent "whiteness" - according to their own "race".

Published in nearby Greenfield, almost 200 years or eight generations ago, Howe's Almanac, the only periodical distributed in the area at the time, featured a regular "humor" section in the back of each issue. The following two passages give further evidence to the way that the ruling class' media in this country have consistently been used as instruments for shaping public opinion (in favor of ruling class ideas, of course), as opposed to being the organs of objective journalism that they profess to be.

"An Irishman looking around the horizon, observed with a grave countenance, 'It looks fair for foul weather.'

And

"An Irishman on being asked whether his Sister, (who had gotten to bed) had a son or a daughter; - Answered, 'I cannot tell yet, whether I am an Uncle or Aunt.'"

This is all very confusing, isn't it? Actually, none of the aforementioned passages should be a surprise. Historically, British rulers practiced this sort of "racism" against the Irish, long before English pirates like John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake even thought of the Americas. In an essay called "Slavery, Race, and Ideology in the U.S.A.", Barbara Jeanne Fields indicates: "...the rationale that the English developed for suppressing the 'barbarous' Irish later served nearly word for word as a rationale for suppressing Africans and indigenous American Indians."

But why isn’t any of the aforementioned material about the Irish taught in either public or private schools in North America? Why isn’t it taught that slavery was a class institution, not a race one, and that there were thousands of Black slave masters, especially, in the antebellum South whose descendants today are called Hip=hop moguls, along with the makers/actors of obnoxious Black plays and films – like those produced by Tyler Perry.

Finally, what did Twain’s contemporaries like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tibman think of Mark Twain’s work? To be sure, that would be a better starting point than having some idiot "professor" from Oregon calling himself the unthinkable.

"Dare to struggle – dare to win", Frederick Douglass
G. Djata Bumpus
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Was Dr. Laura right about her use of the N-word? (originally posted 8/27/10)

“A handful of black activists have waged war against the N-word. Their target is those rappers and writers that have turned the N-word into a lucrative growth industry.” – Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Dear friends,

Almost 40 years ago, back in the early Seventies, a brilliant, albeit small, book was published called The Myth of Black Capitalism. Its author was a man named Earl Ofari. Only a few years later, I started seeing the same writer’s name more and more, although he had added the surname “Hutchinson” to his earlier pen name (which may have already been his surname anyway).

Nevertheless, he is nationally syndicated. Yet, I have had issues with his analyses, at times, over the years, because he seems to relate to ideas that are largely based upon disciplines like sociology and psychology that, at least to me, are two of many genres that analyze both the conditions and behaviors of people as if we are talking insects. Still, Brother Earl has been and always is on the right side of African American liberation. Moreover, Hutchinson’s piece on the link below, about the recent Dr. Laura Schlessinger debacle, in her use of the “N-word”, as it were, is right on point.

Also, while the article is fairly comprehensive, unfortunately, Hutchinson never brings up “Black self-hatred”, the other half of racism – the euphemism for White Supremacy.

To be sure, the self-hatred just mentioned is the sentiment that is both self-imposed and replenished in us through, for example, Black television, movie, and theatre productions that invite us to come laugh at ourselves, over experiences that involve everything from barber shops, to boat cruises, to weddings, to hitting the lottery. This self-hatred, of course, legitimizes the systematic exploitation and oppression that is inflicted upon us by White Supremacy.

Consequently, our self-hatred is the main culprit that keeps African Americans using the word “nigger” as some type of affectionate term, since far too many of us continue to use it amongst ourselves.

Additionally, the N-word has now, mostly due to the buffoon minstrelsy that is known as hip-hop, become part of American vernacular, as it is also a term used by, especially, young people of many other cultural groups, particularly, those of European American (so-called “white”) Latino, and Asian descent. Still, please check out this very thoughtful piece.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.baystatebanner.com/Opinion58-2010-08-26
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New domain name extension is .org - it is NO LONGER .com (originally posted July 2010)

"The domain name of the Website remains Djatajabs. It's just called .org at the end, instead of .com though. Additionally, all of the previously-published posts are still here and in place."

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
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"I Will Follow" - a new road to African American cinema as a functional art form?

"Apparently, it has received some rave reviews. Yet, that in and of itself means nothing to me, because I've known very insulting films either made by and/or starring our actors that have been given acclaim - like the pathetic 'Precious'."

Dear friends,

I received an email today, regarding an African American-produced film about which I've been hearing called "I Will Follow". Apparently, it has received some rave reviews. Yet, that in and of itself means nothing to me, because I've known very insulting films either made by and/or starring our actors that have been given acclaim - like the pathetic "Precious". However, the brief video interview on the link below has captured my interest. I intend to see it.

One Love, One Heart, One Spirit,
G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOiuV6uYvas&feature=channel_video_title
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Has "Japanese prosperity" been exposed? - Look at GE in Japan's nuclear disaster!

"Has the notion of "Japanese proseperity" really been a cover for the exploitation of Japanese people by US capitalist multinationals?"

Dear friends,

Has the notion of "Japanese proseperity" really been a cover for the exploitation of Japanese people by US capitalist multinationals? General Electric (GE), one of he founding members of the US military/industrial complex, now appears to be an "Emperor with no clothes".

Case in point, right now, it seems that the main concern of GE (General Electric) is how they'll make future profits in Japan, as the US corporate giant tries to rebuild its money-making machinery there. Moreover, I've always believed that after the bombings at Nagasaki and Hiroshima, it was the huge corporations of North America, bogarting their way into the Japanese economy, that was the basis for the phony claim of "Japanese prosperity".

The arrogance of GE regarding this whole affair and the lack of attention that the mainstream media is giving to the culpability of GE in this whole mess should play out in the coming months. On the link below, there's a hint of what we can, perhaps, expect.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/fukushima-mark-nuclear-reactor-design-caused-ge-scientist/story?id=13141287
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US Gov't under Obama rejects the former Haitian President Aristide's return to his Homeland

"Meanwhile, the US government that helped oust Aristede and his wife in 2004, now insists that the Aristides not return to their homeland."

Dear friends,

As usual, President Obama is betraying all of those who look like him, by siding with our enemies. People argue, "Well, he's not just the president for Black people..He's everybody's president." That' funny. The standard of being "everybody's president" has never been applied to a single one of Obama's predecessors

Meanwhile, the US government that helped oust Aristide and his wife in 2004, now insists that the Aristides not return to their homeland. On the link below, a video piece by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now reveals the despicable actions of Barack Obama's "everybody's" administration.

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/16/amy_goodman_reports_from_south_africa
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"No Gas Day" strategy for March 31st is STUPID!!!!

“If people don’t buy gas on March 31st that just means that they’ll do all of their gas purchases on the 30th or before in order to hold themselves over until April 1st or so.”

Dear friends,

Just yesterday, I received a Facebook invitation about attending a one day boycott of gasoline purchases. The date is Marchv31, 2011.

Initially, I agreed to join in on the endeavor, seeing it as a way to make a statement to the greedy oil companies. However, towards the latter part of the day, while discussing it with one of my daughters, I thought to myself, “If people don’t buy gas on March 31st that just means that they’ll do all of their gas purchases on the 30th or before in order to hold themselves over until April 1st or so.”

Of course, the Big Oil companies will lose no money. As a matter of fact, on March 30th, people may even buy more gas than they normally would. That would be a bonanza for Big Oil!

Therefore, I think that the only way that the public can make a statement and even get prices for gas lowered, is if we stop buying gas from a specific company for one week at a time. For example, for the first week, if no one buys gas from BP (British Petroleum) for one week, then have the same kind of boycott on the second week, and not buy gas from, say, Exxon/Mobil, by the third week either Shell or Sunoco will lower their prices. The next thing that will happen is: a price war among the oil giants.

Yet, if Americans stick to the imbecilic idea of a “No Gas Day” (which may actually be the work of the BidOil companies), then we’ll be contradicting the whole point of sending a message to those greedy oil giants. Ya dig? Think about it.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
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Nicki Mathis in New York City - Friday, March 17th, 2011

photo by Pinder Ph D

Friday March 18, 2011
Showtime 8pm Nicki Mathis joins Dona Summers Carter Trio, w/Dave Gibson drums, Larry Roland bass, & Jazz Choir Celebrating Women's History Month @ ‘449 LA' SCAT (Show Case for Artists). 449 Lenox Av. bet 132 & 133 near W. 132d St. Harlem, NYC

Cover: $10 music charge includes a beverage
212.234-3298 449 Malcolm X Blvd #A NY NY 10037



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African American child in Ohio used to spread lie about Slavery in North America

“Both Indian and Negro, besides white servants were bound out to a master for a term of years and received no wages. Of these there were a few in the Pilgrim group.” - Commonwealth History of Massachusetts, Vol.1

Dear friends,

Aside from the fact that a European American or so-called "white" kid could have just as easily been depicted as a "slave", since everyone watching knows that it's only a skit. Consequently it is a pretty uninformed teacher who thinks that only African Americans have a slave past here. Additionally, the notion that using an African American child in Ohio to play a captive worker or so-called slave in a classroom play of some sort, for the purpose of providing himself and his classmates with a more realistic account of North American history is a hideous assault on the truth.

After all, a voluminous amount of literature proves otherwise. For example, in British settlements like Massachusetts Bay Colony, Charlotte M. Waters wrote, "The colonies were used too as dumping ground for prisoners and undesirables generally, in spite of protests from the colonists. Criminals, prisoners of war, and inconvenient Irish were thus got rid of. Royalist prisoners after Worcester shared the fate with 2,000 Irish girls and boys deported by order of the Government. Kidnapping was not uncommon. Such emigrants were sold by auction..." (Waters, An Economic History of England).

Indentured servitude is the name applied to Europeans, particularly the early British settlers, who traded both their human and civil rights to British merchants, usually for a term of four years, in order to gain access to North America, mbecause these indentured servants were unable to feed themselves in their European homelands.

In the Commonwealth History of Massachusetts, Vol.1 it is pointed out about early New Englanders including the famous "Pilgrim" group that landed at Cape Cod, that there was a small servile population. The official document reads: “Both Indian and Negro, besides white servants were bound out to a master for a term of years and received no wages. Of these there were a few in the Pilgrim group.” Huh? The school books lie when they said the Pilgrims came here for religious freedom. If they did, then why were some of them temporary slaves? The so-called Pilgrims came here to get loot. Plain and simple. As a matter of fact, the Pilgrims came then left. They didn’t settle here. Therefore, anyone who says that they had relatives on the Mayflower is a liar, just as the lying mother or grandmother who told them that nonsense.

At any rate, the following passage was written by a priest who wanted to see for himself exactly what European peoples had to go through on the ships that transported them to British North America. This particular six months-long voyage took place around 26 years before the start of the War of Independence (about ten generations ago). "...during the voyage on these ships terrible misery, stench, fumes, horror, vomiting, many kinds of sea-sickness, fever, dysentery, headache, heat, constipation, boils, scurvy, cancer, mouth-rot, and the like, all of which come from old and sharply salted food and meat, also from very bad and foul water, so that many die miserably. Add to this want of provisions, hunger, thirst, frost, heat, dampness, anxiety, want, afflictions and lamentations, together with other trouble, as c.v. the lice abound so frightfully, especially on sick people, that they can be scraped off the body...Children from 1 to 7 years rarely survive the voyage; and many a time parents are compelled to see their children miserably suffer and die from hunger, thirst, and sickness, and then to see them cast into the water." (English Historical Documents, Vol. 9, edited by Merrill Jensen)

Although the above passage resembles the description of an enslaver's ship leaving Africa, obviously, it is not. To be sure, being in bondage was nothing new to any Europeans, especially the British. For instance, during the so-called early Saxon period - this began presumably around 1600 years or 49 generations ago and was supposed to have lasted for about 400 years or sixteen generations. Edward P. Cheyney points out, "In many ways England had gone back to much the same state of barbarism as that in which it had been before the Roman conquest...Gregory, a Roman deacon, in going to the market place and seeing some boys with white skins, fair faces, and fine hair exposed (naked) by a merchant for sale as slaves, was struck with their beauty and asked their race - he was told they were Angles." - (Cheney, A Short History of England)

In the so-called 'later' Saxon period, which has been said to have begun about 1200 years or 48 generations ago - lasting for, perhaps, 200 years: "There were many slaves, some being born bondmen, others captured in war and sold into slavery, and still others reduced to slavery for debt or for crime." (Cheyney, op. cit.)

Apparently, neither whiteness nor Anglo-Saxonism had been invented yet. Another thing proven in Cheyney's last passage - "some being born bondmen" - is that hereditary slavery was not invented by Europeans for Africans as is often claimed by uninformed European American social theorists and a few of their gullible African American counterparts.

Nevertheless, in a few respects, the way that Black captive workers (so-called slaves) were treated in New England was quite different than their Southern counterparts. For one, the concentration of work was, usually, on small farms as opposed to huge plantations. As well, while many were skilled artisans, a number of the Northern captive workers were trained to do things like operating grocery stores, printing presses, and other businesses (see Lorenzo Greene's timeless work, The Negro In Colonial New England). Factually speaking, there was hardly a single occupation that African Americans did not hold in either colonial or post-colonial periods.

In 1656, a Black man named Bus-Bus bought a slave named Angola from a Mrs. Kearney, in the Dorchester section of Boston. In the same book mentioned above Greene pointed out:: "...slaveholding was a class rather than a racial institution is suggested by the fact that at least one Negro family owned slaves in colonial New England, "...he continued, "while six Negro slaveholders were reported from Connecticut" in the first Federal census 202 years or eight generations ago (Greene, ibid.)

Finally, in The Myth Of Black Capitalism, based upon the research of the noted historian John Hope Franklin, author Earl Ofari (now Hutchinson added to his surname) noted that by around 1830 there were an estimated 3, 777 African American slavemasters in the United States. It is believed that some of these folks were merely "buying" their brethren out of bondage and were registered as slave owners. However, there were a number of those who actually held slaves for profit. Some of them held so many captives that they were the envy of their "white" counterparts.

Let’s stop teaching garbage to children and start telling the truth. Then African Americans and European Americans alike can see what these crooks in both government and corporations are about really.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/03/04/2011-03-04_bad_lesson_ohio_elementary_school_in_trouble_after_black_student_made_to_play_sl.html
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