Oh, Just Blame Jay Z...

Other the last few days, the Trayon Christian vs Barney's story has been all over the web and tv. It's a ridiculous story. And, Barney's is dead wrong. They basically profiled the kid for shopping while Black. I have so many issues with it. You can catch all the info in the NY Daily News. That is one issue within itself. It leads me to this new ridiculous point. Somehow, folks have decided to make my favorite rapper/entertainer/businessman a scape goat. I am, of course, speaking of one Shawn Corey Carter aka Jay Z. How? Why? The back story is Jay has a holiday deal with Barney's to benefit his foundation to award scholarships. People want Jay to back out of the deal because of this new story. I do not think he should. And, I'll tell you why. This is not the first case of shopping while Black nor will it be the last. What will Jay walking away accomplish? Also, there has been a call for a boycott. What? o_O I'm sorry but this is stupid as well. IF you weren't ever a Barney's customer, then you've been boycotting it all your life. You cannot boycott an establishment that you never frequented to begin with. That's just silly. This past Saturday Jay released a statement on his Life & Times website that I totally agree with. Read below:

This collaboration lives in a place of giving and is about the Foundation. I am not making a dime from this collection; I do not stand to make millions, as falsely reported. I need to make that fact crystal clear. The Shawn Carter Foundation is the beneficiary and the foundation is receiving 25% of all sales from the collaboration, 10% of all sales generated in the store on November 20th and, an additional donation from Barneys. This money is going to help individuals facing socio-economic hardships to help further their education at institutions of higher learning. My idea was born out of creativity and charity… not profit. 

I move and speak based on facts and not emotion. I haven’t made any comments because I am waiting on facts and the outcome of a meeting between community leaders and Barneys. Why am I being demonized, denounced and thrown on the cover of a newspaper for not speaking immediately? The negligent, erroneous reports and attacks on my character, intentions, and the spirit of this collaboration have forced me into a statement I didn’t want to make without the full facts. Making a decision prematurely to pull out of this project, wouldn’t hurt Barneys or Shawn Carter, but all the people that stand a chance at higher education. I have been working with my team ever since the situation was brought to my attention to get to the bottom of these incidents and at the same time find a solution that doesn’t harm all those that stand to benefit from this collaboration. 

I am against discrimination of any kind, but if I make snap judgements, no matter who it’s towards, aren’t I committing the same sin as someone who profiles? I am no stranger to being profiled and I truly empathize with anyone that has been put in that position. Hopefully this brings forth a dialogue to effect real change. 

– Shawn “JAY Z” Carter

Change is needed in so many areas in the U.S. Let's not act like we are living in a post-racial America because our President is Black. We are not. We are living in the America that racists who were mad because a Black man had the audacity to run for President (and win twice!), where a party of racists (GOP) who literally threw a tantrum (aka shut the government down) because they didn't like the law that President declared. This is not post-racial. This is blatantly racist. No one can make me believe otherwise. I know what I see. Barney's is not the first store to practice such ridiculous acts. I've had it happen to me in Dillard's. And, guess what I did? I wrote to the head of the company and I stopped shopping at all Dillard's. That was my personal win because I used to spend a lot in that store. Haven't in years. Blaming Jay is not the answer. Place the blame where it belongs - on Barney's. Write in to the powers that be, boycott them if you were a customer. Be the change you want to see in the world. That's my personal take on this issue. 

Petition to Secede

Not when George W. Bush was leading us into a war on the hunt for non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Not when Bush was tanking the economy. But, now. Now, when the country has overwhelmingly re-elected the Black President again. Now, when the people have spoken by more then 3.5 million votes on who they believe in more. Only now have 23 states started a petition to secede from the Union. Why? Why now? The only thing I see is color. I am not a woman who sees racism wherever she looks. But, I am a woman who knows racism when I see it. Other than the President self identifying as a Black man and looking like a Black man, I cannot understand the issues. In his first term, he was stunted by filibuster after filibuster by the GOP. He was also met with roadblocks to any and almost everything he tried to do. I do not know of any other President in recent history that has been faced with so much hatred and insubordination. From day one, Senator leader Mitch McConnell said that their (GOP members) only goal was to make President Obama a one-term President by any means necessary. Ironically, they failed. Miserably. So, now there is this plan to embarrass him. It makes me sick that people are this blatantly racist.

There are two articles that I've read over the last few days that have shined a light brightly on this subject. They are this article and this one. Please do yourself a favor and read the ridiculousness that is white privilege in America. Who the hell do these people think they are? Also, how stupid are they? Yes, you can petition until you are blue in the face. But, the kick of this situation is this: in order to secede, you NEED the permission of the President. On the White house website, you can file a petition. If it gets 25,000 signatures in a 30 day period, the President will review it and decide what to do. But, seriously, what President in his right mind would give into a tactic such as this? One does not reward unruly children with gifts. I read the below and had to share because it was so true.

Dear Louisiana: You cannot remove yourself from a union that pays to feed, educate, shelter, and clothe a large portion of your population, subsidizes the vast majority of your economy, provides border-free tourism to support your largest university's athletics department and your largest cities, and routinely makes massive payments to protect, restore, and rebuild your coast.

You would have to create treaties and pay tariffs in order to import, refine, and then export for sale any oil pulled from offshore. You would have to pay a fine to continue using any interstate roads, pipelines, trains, etc. You would no longer benefit from the use of Border Patrol, ICE, The Navy, Air Force, Marines, NASA, Army, or the nationally funded National Guard. You would also need to create your own air space controller system, and have those people interact routinely with now international airspace controllers. Speaking of, any use of aircraft near the border of ...your airspace is a threat, and outside of your airspace is an attack.

You are now not allowed to use nuclear power, losing Louisiana many thousands of jobs and requiring you to purchase all electricity from the USA. Sorry, but new countries with nuclear powers are a threat, remember?

Do you have family in the USA? You cannot visit without a visa, and any attempt to do so is illegal immigration. Your students are no longer accepted as licensed professionals outside of your borders without retaking any licensing exams and the federal money given to your schools is no longer, so the higher education program will collapse. Healthcare companies no longer have any bylaws or contracts, so health insurance effectively does not exist in this new country. There go the hospitals.

Your police force cannot cross the border, so anyone leaving your state after committing any crime is safe under amnesty laws, and you will have to pay a high price to extradite them- and put them in now unfunded prisons.

I could go on but surely you see the idiocy of this idea by now?

Thought so.

One last note: Your agriculture is now entirely unable to be sold anywhere but Louisiana due to import and quarantine laws- both animals and plants.

Leaving the union sounds great when you are cherry picking your issues, but in reality, the USA needs you infinitely less than you need it.

I thought after the election I would get a break on blogging about politics. I was worn out. Happily worn out after the President won. But, here we are a week later, and there is even a more ridiculous political conversation. I am disgusted all over again with people. Some ignoramus from my home state started this petition here. well, I am a Democrat living in Louisiana who is not signing a petition so frivolous and childish. I like my President. I believe in him. And, furthermore, if I could live through the Presidency of an idiot like George W. Bush, then I can surely survive this one. I just want people, in general, to be smarter. Think with the brain in their heads and not the hate in their hearts. And, if anyone is so upset with the President and the state of this great country, then they should all feel free to leave...this country. Book a flight and catch a plane overseas. Trust me, you will never be freer anywhere on Earth than you are here in America. That I know is true.

Did He Really Just Say That?

“One of the primary reasons…is because women are taking over…They’re in high, so-called powerful positions, they’re running companies, they’re making decisions, and not all, not all, not all….[I'm getting] a funny face now…There are some, a few logical women who can make sound decision[s], but most cannot. And the unfortunate thing is they’re in powerful positions…The one thing I know for sure without a doubt [is that] women cannot handle power…It’s not real power anyway. Power that the world give you is not power. It’s all ego-building.” - Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson.

Sir, really? The above quote came from a Black man. Yes, it did. And, yes he said that. And, honestly, no I cannot believe he said it. I came across a link on Twitter to this site and I was floored. IS it not 2012? Has he as well as the Republicans forgotten that? I am so completely stupefied that someone could say something so utterly ignorant in this day and age.



If you need more, please feel free to watch the video above. It is as much of a hate speech as anything else I've ever heard. Its hard for me to believe that a Black man could say this. I guess he forgot that it wasn't that long ago that he wasn't allowed a vote wither. Hell, he wasn't even counted as a whole person. Why would you want to disenfranchise a group of people when you yourself has been disenfranchised? I do not get that. That kind of backwards hatred really makes no sense. I know how hard people fought for civil rights and women's rights. I am thankful for both of those plights. Without them, I wouldn't be allowed to have a voice. Where would I be if I couldn't voice my opinions and feelings? I deserve to be heard. Thankfully its 2012 and I have that right. I also fully exercise that right.

I cannot believe that the women in this congregation sat and listened to this crap. There was no uproar or outcry of the ridiculousness of this. "Women cannot handle power." Really sir? How the hell did you come to this conclusion? This man said that God gave man the power. But, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Eve taken from Adam's rib? Wouldn't that mean that she has power as well? Women cannot handle power says who? Women birth and raise men. Sometimes alone. Women, especially Black women, have been the backbone of this country for years and years. I am disgusted by this so called Reverend. How are you a man of the cloth and you are degrading women and disgusing it as the word. It isn't. I am embarrassed by this Black man and his entire platform. I cannot even write about it anymore.

This is the world we live in. Everyone is allowed to have their opinions, no matter how simple or small minded they are. Women are people too. We deserve the right to say, vote, do, whatever we please with our minds, mouths and bodies. They belong to us. I am sick of men trying to dictate what and how a woman should act, be do or behave. I had a Father. I don't need another one in the form of some misguided, misogynistic reverend behind the pulpit. Thanks but no thanks. I'd vote no on that referendum, Rev. Peterson. I would like for him and men like him to all take a seat and shut up already. If you do not have something intelligent to add to the dialogue, do us all a favor and zip it. We don't care to know anymore. Maybe if there were more women in power positions things would be a whole lot different, better.This educated, voting, sexual woman will continue to do all of the above and then some. And, you sir, will deal!!