paul - Blogs - TheBlackList Pub2024-03-29T02:35:15Zhttps://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/paulPresident Obama Standing Firm in the Face of Lies and Distortionshttps://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/president-obama-standing-firm-in-the-face-of-lies-and-distortions2012-08-24T12:00:00.000Z2012-08-24T12:00:00.000ZGloria Dulan-Wilsonhttps://www.theblacklist.net/members/GloriaDulanWilson<div><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6X-OXZfxUWI/UDdlhxXGcZI/AAAAAAAAAMs/A1FlFOR4SoY/s1600/thumbnail.aspx%2BObama%2B%25282%2529.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="float:left;margin:0pt 10px 10px 0pt;width:300px;min-height:207px;" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6X-OXZfxUWI/UDdlhxXGcZI/AAAAAAAAAMs/A1FlFOR4SoY/s320/thumbnail.aspx%2BObama%2B%25282%2529.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <br /> By Gloria Dulan-Wilson<br /> <br /> With all the lies being swirled about by the meanstream press, Mitt-twits, Ryan, Akin, and others in an effort to undermine President Obama, I would be totally remiss if I let this day end without sending this wonderful message to the President via Joel and Victoria Osteen. <br /> <br /> Everybody needs a boost every once and a while, and that is as true of President Obama as any of the rest of us. And since I know that Blacks in America are praying for him every day, I thought I'd share this with him and the rest of us.<br /> <br /> I received it online about 1:30 am on the morning of August 22, 2012 and thought, "how appropriate." The meanstream media is using scare tactics, alleging that he is trying to stop welfare and reduce benefits, cut Medicare, and other blatant lies, leaving several low income and middle class recipients in a quandry as to who to believe, what to do, and what will happen. <br /> <br /> <strong>And President Obama handles all these slings, arrow, trickery, lies, and deceit with a smile, and a firm resolve. Here is the message from TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Osteen:</strong><br /> <br /> <strong><em>"Anytime you set out to do something great in life, there will be critics. If you’re going to be a great {PRESIDENT}, businessperson, coach, student, leader or employee, there will be opposition. The more success you have, the more opportunities there will be for distractions. The higher you go, the more haters will come out. When you start stretching to a new level and pursuing what God has placed in your heart, the jealous people, the critical people, and the small-minded people come out of the woodwork and start making negative comments, but you don’t have to let that distract you.</em></strong> <br /> <br /> <strong><em>If you are under pressure today, if the critical voices are coming against you, know that it’s because you are making a difference. Don’t let them throw you off course. Instead, dig your heels in, set your face like a flint, and say, “I will not get distracted. I will not get drawn into battles that don’t matter. It doesn’t matter what others think; it matters what God thinks! Today, look beyond the critics. Stand strong in adversity. Press forward to what lies ahead and win the prize of life that He has prepared for you!"</em></strong><br /> <br /> <strong><em>A PRAYER FOR TODAY</em></strong> <br /> <strong><em>"Father, today I choose to let go of the negative voices, offenses and hurts from critical voices. I choose to focus on You and the good plan You have for me. Give me Your peace and joy as I move forward in the victory You have prepared for me in Jesus’ name! Amen" — Joel & Victoria Osteen</em></strong> <br /> <br /> <strong><em>Now, in the interest of “separation of church and state” let me say that this is a spiritual message, not</em> a religious one; and I trust that it will be accepted in the spirit of which it was intended. GDW</strong><br /> <br /> That said, it appears that President Obama has already been following those very principles, as he takes on the lies that have been hitting the media as of late. Interestingly enough, it's apparently one of those “let's throw it up against the wall and see what sticks” news reporting types. Under the principle that by the time the truth surfaces, a sufficient number of people will have been so intimidated, they most likely will not have done their own due diligence, so that by the time the truth does come through, they will have panicked hundreds of others.<br /> <br /> It really means that the President spends as much time doing damage control and debunking the lies, as he does with getting his own message out. However, the Obama campaign has wasted no time in hitting Mitt Romney on his lies about Medicare in an advertisement his campaign has been running in the last several days. The ad had been misleading seniors that Romney would not cut medicare for seniors, when in fact that is exactly what his plan calls for. Additionally, pick Paul Ryan’s budget plan calls for vouchers for seniors, and privatizing Social Security. <br /> <br /> According to National Memo: “Paul Ryan has been boasting that he welcomes a debate on medicare because the Republicans have been using their mothers to scare seniors that Obama had cut medicare by $716 billion. Obama's ad uses the independent non-partisan AARP (which represents seniors) to rebut Romney’s lies, and the ad will run in several battleground states, including North Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada." <br /> <br /> The sad thing is that, since many of the battle ground states are, by definition, dominated by Rep-ugh-blicans, we have to make sure that the messages are getting through. So here's my recommendation: For those of you who have relatives in these states – and if you've immigrated to New York City, it's more likely that you do, than not - <em><strong>make yourself a committee of one to communicate with your relatives, friends, associates, classmates in these states, keeping them abreast of what Obama is doing, and the effort on the part of the detractors in their states to distort the truth.</strong></em><br /> <br /> If they are computer literate, or have a relative or friend who is, forward information via the internet, via email, to them. Get them into chat rooms and make sure they are saturated with the Good News about Obama's Plans for them. You have no idea how deprived they are of current information – especially the seniors, who, like my Mom, will probably never use a computer (she's 89); or my brother, who's computer is sitting on a desk in his home, never hooked up.<br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color:#993300;">Send them updates. Call and have a conversation with them. SnailMail them material</span></strong>. Don't assume that it will be done by the locals – although they are doing their best, it never hurts to hear it from a loved one, someone who is a little closer to the action.<br /> <br /> We, as humans, do have the tendency to catastrophize about subjects, especially when we don't have current information. If you have it, share it – here in this neighborhood, and the neighborhood you left behind. Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania California (yes, California), are in dire need of updates and info. If it was possible, I think it would be great to take bus loads to each of these states (we're going to Pennsylvania on August 25th) so people can see and hear first hand, what the rep-ugh-blicans are trying to suppress.</p><div><div><br /> When in doubt, you can log on to the President's Website, or the White House, and get updated. Remember: <span style="font-family:'arial black', 'avant garde';"><em><strong><span style="color:#993300;">An Obama A Day Keeps the Mitt-twits Away. Do your part to keep the positive info about President Obama on the front line. Stay on point, stay on message, and share.</span></strong></em></span><br /> <br /> In the <em><strong><span style="color:#993300;">interim,</span></strong></em> feel free to also appropriate Joel and Victoria Osteen's message for your own personal use, share it with friends, and at the same time share the fact that as in 2008, when Presidential Candidate said “Yes We Can”, in 2012, not only are we saying “Yes We Can Again,” we are saying “Yes We Will” RE-ELECT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA.<br /> <br /> Stay Blessed &<br /> ECLECTICALLY BLACK<br /> Gloria Dulan-Wilson<br /> <br /> </div><div><div><span>Posted by <span><a title="author profile" href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/10697937958373924179" target="_blank">Gloria Dulan-Wilson</a></span></span> <span>at <a title="permanent link" href="http://gloria-dulan-wilson.blogspot.com/2012/08/president-obama-standing-firm-in-face.html" target="_blank"><abbr title="2012-08-24T07:16:00-04:00">7:16 AM</abbr></a></span> <span><span><a title="Email Post" href="http://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=8661755859413500477&postID=7286594665756635310" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_email.gif" width="18" height="13" /></a></span> <span><a title="Edit Post" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8661755859413500477&postID=7286594665756635310&from=pencil" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif" width="18" height="18" /></a></span></span></div><div> </div></div></div><h4> </h4></div>Todd Akin - Mitt-twit extraordinaire - tries to "legitimately rape" Missouri Votershttps://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/todd-akin-mitt-twit-extraordinaire-tries-to-legitimately-rape2012-08-22T13:30:00.000Z2012-08-22T13:30:00.000ZGloria Dulan-Wilsonhttps://www.theblacklist.net/members/GloriaDulanWilson<div><p>by Gloria Dulan-Wilson ~<br /> <br /> I am not a religious person, but I do have a deep and abiding faith in God the Living Spirit Almighty. And you know, you just gotta give God a lot of praise because he just keeps handing us these monumental gifts, signs and wonders, despite the fact that we keep squandering them, and then begging for mercy for our errors. <br /> <br /> First, He gives us President Barack Obama</span> to lead us out of the mess that the Bush administration and his predatory supporters put us in, that nearly wrecked the entire country, and seriously jeopardized the rest of the world's economies simultaneously. He figured we had suffered enough – after 8 long years of decline, degradation, and a degenerative war foisted upon us by an individual who should never have been president in the first place (but that's another article for another day; oh, wait, I've already written that one anyway). He must have rally loved us to give us Obama – because He could have punished us by giving us McCain.<br /> <br /> Then, because we took His Gift - i.e. President Obama for granted, He gave us the mid-term election, because we dropped the ball, and actually had the temerity and gall to say that he wasn't doing a great enough job. This coming after delivering us from more Bush-like people, was a slap in the face. We actually thought we could just sit back on our haunches, ride on the back of President Obama, like he was some sort of government mule, and not maintain our responsibilities as citizens. So when we didn't turn out for the essential vote to keep the support at the majority level Obama needed, we opened the door to the plague of locusts – a/k/a rep-ugh-blicans who are doing their best to undo the good Obama had done. God just wanted to give you some contrast about how to appreciate a real gift when you have one - i.e, be humble, happy, helpful, grateful and supportive. <br /> <br /> Now, for those who are confused as to which way to turn during this upcoming election, who to believe, what course of action to follow, lo and behold if He doesn't give us a sign in neon via Todd Akin of Missouri, who made the dumbest statement heard round the stratosphere during a news interview on The Jaco Report, on Sunday, August 19, 2012 when he uttered the words “Legitimate Rape.” <br /> <br /> The ersatz Republican Senate candidate actually said victims of “legitimate” rape can’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” He further stated that the perpetrator should be punished, but the innocent baby that is formed as a result of rape should not be. The Mitt-twit actually fixed his mouth to form those words, when he was asked about his stand on abortion.<br /> <br /> Now, it has been widely documented that the rep-ugh-blicans have a war on women. It's been going on for quite some time, and actually shows no signs of letting up. When you figure it was both Paul Ryan (current running mate of Mitt-twit Romney) and Todd Akin who fashioned a bill to terminate all abortions, regardless of the reason, and to defund those programs who received federal dollars who provide abortion assistance, you – especially you Missourians – know exactly who he is and what he stands for. Even tubal (atopic) pregnancy, he states there are ways to deal with the problem without an abortion - really? By what medical miracle? <br /> <br /> The most egregious thing about the whole issue is the fact that between Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and Todd Akin, you find a solid record of anti-women, anti-abortion, anti-choice legislation that has been either co-authored, or signed off on, by all three - either individually and collectively - as so ably pointed out on the "Ed Show." <br /> <br /> So, while Romney and Ryan go on the air to disavow any knowledge or relationship with Akin, one only has to check the Congressional Records (or the ED Show on NBC-TV) to see how deep, long and nefarious their relationship actually is. These three have actually co-authored several anti-feminine legislation to curtail women's abortion and birth control rights. <br /> <br /> According to The National Memo: “This isn’t just an isolated statement. Akin was a co-sponsor of the "Let Women Die" bill that would redefine rape to so-called "forcible rape" to deny women access to health care. And now, Akin wants to head to the Senate to push his extreme anti-woman agenda.” BTW the National Agenda has a petition out against Akin. Make sure you sign it and pass it on to other like minded, intelligent women and men.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">The irony is that Romney and Ryan are now trying to do damage control by condemning their old crony and acting as though such thoughts have never crossed their minds. What??? They didn't just throw Akin under the bus, they pushed onto the railroad tracks.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">It gets curiouser and curiouser – but mind you, there's a purpose in all this. Rather than leave it to appear that Akin is the only person women have to be concerned about when it comes to the truth, or support for their issues, the meanstream press also has more than a few suspects to be wary of. That was evidenced by Mike Huckaby's efforts to help Akin do damage control. His follow up interview was nothing short of spoon-fed garbage, designed to have an air of authenticity. Akin appeared on Huckaby's show to “clear the air” about the fact that he “misspoke” in his NBC interview.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Huckaby's “question” to Akin was thus:(paraphrasing here) “what you meant by legitimate rape was 'forcible' rape, right.” Akin jumped on the lifeline and concurred eagerly that he had actually meant “forcible rape”.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Of course, there is only one kind of rape, folks; and that's the forcible kind. If it isn't forced and against the will of the victim, it isn't rape, is it? So now what Akin is saying is that women have this innate capacity to completely shut down and prevent themselves from becoming pregnant in the event of “forcible rape” - ergo, any woman who becomes pregnant as the result of “forcible rape” -- well that's not rape at all, or else she would not have become pregnant. Her body would have automatically rejected it. Therefore the request for an abortion should be dismissed out of hand.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Ed Nelson of the Ed Show, who calls Romney and Ryan “Governor Etch-A-Sketch” and “Rep. Etch-A-Sketch,” respectively, stated according to Ryan, conception begins at birth, which makes abortion as the result of a rape a criminal act on the part of the victim, not the rapist – thus victimizing her twice. Also, by extrapolation, it means that the women are either liars or cheats, and definitely not to be believed. So the rape allegations, according to his belief, is to be denied – no matter what the rape kit shows.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">The really bad thing about this Mitt-twit is that he was sincere in his statements, and firmly believed that there was such a thing as “legitimate rape”; and that the preponderance of the women who got pregnant as the result of the rape were lying. He spoke with authority. He claimed to have gotten the information from a doctor who was expert in the field. He also stated that after further investigation, he no longer believed what the doctor said was factual. Really?? So, when Huckaby threw him the bone of “salvation”, he thankfully jumped on it.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Sorry Akin. That dog won't hunt. The statement, before open mouth, put brain in gear, is so appropo here. Missouri, be afraid, be very afraid. If you send this Mitt-Twit Akin to be your senatorial representative, he'll take you so far backwards, you'll be living in the Ozarks and pumping water with a hand pump; and women will probably lose their right to vote altogether. He's waaaaay down the road on anti-women philosophy, policies and attitudes; and Ryan is a close second, if not tied for first place.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Talk about Divine intervention. The ulterior motives of Romney, Ryan, Akin and Huckaby revealed in one fell swoop, and God only took 24 hours to do it!!</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p>On Monday, President Obama weighed in on Akin’s remarks about <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-todd-akins-rape-comments-abortion-is-back-in-the-campaign-spotlight/2012/08/20/c497bae4-eac7-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html?hpid=z1" target="_blank">“legitimate rape,”</a> calling such views “offensive.” He also observed that Akin's stance had revealed a broader division on women’s health issues between the parties. And considering that the rep-ugh-blicans are consistently trying to undermine the health care bill, one should not be surprised that his remarks are indicative of an overarching theme.</p><p>“Rape is rape,” President Obama said during the news conference at the White House. “The idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we’re talking about doesn’t make sense to the American people and certainly doesn’t make sense to me.” Always trying to give the rep-ugh-blicans the benefit of some semblance of humanity, President Obama further stated that he does not think Romney or other Republicans would agree with Akin’s sentiment, which he said was “way out there.”</p><p>President Obama added that the debate over Akin’s remarks confirms the notion that male politicians “shouldn’t be making decisions on behalf of women for their health care decisions, or qualifying forcible rape versus non-forcible rape. Those are broader issues and that is a significant difference in approach between me and the other party.” (i.e., if you can't get pregnant and carry a child, you have no idea of what you're talking about.)</p><p>I am sure I speak for women everywhere when I say, “viva la difference!! It's clear that we can either put our future in hands Mitt-twits form the days of the grand inquisition, or continue to move forward under the leadership of the best president this country has ever had, BARACK OBAMA.</p><p>This is likewise a sign for those voters in Missouri, especially the women, don't sit idly by and allow Akin to become the pariah, and short change you of your rights. To the rest of the voters, who think this is an isolated situation, there is so much more at stake than just an obviously callous and ignorant man running for the Senate seat in Missouri. He's trying to unseat Claire McCaskill, a Democrat so that they can grab the majority of senatorial seats in Congress, and continue to thwart President Obama in his drive to make America a place for all its citizens. McCaskill has had an uphill battle in defending her seat, possibly because the conservative state had had time to try and cover up Obama's positive programs.</p><p>Having just visited the state to attend my nephew's wedding, I was of course wearing my OBAMA 2012 button, when the taxi driver – who had emigrated there from another country – had the audacity to remark that he was for Obama in 2008, but wasn't so sure this time around. Of course you know that I recited some salient points, gave him some information – which I just happened to have had in my purse – and advised him to not believe the hype of the meanstream media.</p><p>According to a news feed, McCaskill is no slouch, but she's up against a hard conservative right wing machine. (which sounds to me like we need to be taking bus loads to Missouri as well as Pennsylvania – actually you can throw in my home state of Oklahoma, to boot, where apathy appears to the the rule, not the exception – more about that later).</p><p>Akin's comments had an almost immediate impact on Missouri's Senate race. McCaskill wrote on Twitter<span xml:lang="en" lang="en">: “As a woman & former prosecutor who handled 100s of rape cases, I'm stunned by Rep Akin's comments about victims this AM!!”</span></p><p><span xml:lang="en" lang="en">I</span>n trying to clean up, and disengage his foot from his mouth, Akin said that he had “misspoken:”</p></div></div><p>"In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it's clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year." Do you now?</p><p>Akin emerged earlier this month from a tough three-way primary in Missouri, where he rallied social conservatives behind his candidacy. Democrats actually spent during that primary to help Akin win (??) viewing the six-term congressman as a less formidable challenger in the general election. (Now I admit, I don't understand that at all – are they saying that they helped him win, because with him in opposition McCaskill will totally mow him down? I hope so!)</p><p>McCaskill, who was first elected in 2006, is the top target for Republicans this fall. It appears that President Barack Obama is unpopular in the right wing state. There have been some statewide victories for the GOP. (Of course they now get to eat those choices – since it's gotta be clear to the women that these are really vampires, and not the saviors they pretend to be).</p><p>In an effort to distance himself from Akin, and his ilk, Mitt Romney's campaign issued a statement disagreeing with Akin: "Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin’s statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape." They've even asked him to step down, or find himself isolated at the upcoming RNC convention. While Akin has refused to do so, he is finding it a rather cold existence as more and more Rep-ugh-blicans distance themselves from him.</p><p><i><b style="color:#990000;">A WARNING NOTE TO ALL DEMOCRATS: Republicans need a net gain of FOUR seats this fall in order to take over the Senate in the next Congress, and Democrats must defend 23 - TWENTY-THREE seats this fall. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. WE HAVE BEEN HANDED A REAL BREAK, WE HAD BETTER NOT BLOW IT!! Take nothing for granted.</b></i></p><p>While there have been some unexpected Republican retirements and races have become more competitive than expected, which puts us in a good position to maintain a Democratic majority, it will still take each and every one of us over these next two and a half months, really working in concert to get it done. From cutting down on the voter nullification impacts, to making sure we get to every college campus to register students to vote, to providing vans for the elderly - we've got to be on point and stay there.</p><p>However, back to my opening statement, you have to admit, acknowledge, and give thanks for this miracle, and say “Thank you God,” (or whatever name by which you acknowledge Him). He just added to our arsenal. We have to be ever on point when it comes to the preponderance of hostile, deviant, negative, and just plain lies that come forth during this upcoming campaign.</p><p style="color:#990000;"><b>Make no mistake about it, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS THE BEST PRESIDENT THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER HAD AND MUST BE RE-ELECTED FOR A SECOND TERM WITH A FULL MAJORITY TO BACK HIM IN ORDER TO RETURN AMERICA TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO BUILT IT.</b></p><p>Stay Blessed &</p><p>ECLECTICALLY BLACK</p><p>Gloria Dulan-Wilson</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p></div>Beware Paul Ryan for VP - a Wolf in Sheep's Clothinghttps://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/beware-paul-ryan-for-vp-a-wolf-in-sheep-s-clothing2012-08-14T01:45:52.000Z2012-08-14T01:45:52.000ZDarrell Garretthttps://www.theblacklist.net/members/DarrellGarrett<div><div class="fb-social-like-widget"></div><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;"><img alt="Paul Ryan" src="http://afrodaddy.com/sites/default/files/Paul%20Ryan.jpg" style="margin-left:4px;margin-right:4px;float:left;" height="156" width="126" /><em>(<a href="http://afrodaddy.com/The-AfroBlog/beware-paul-ryan-vp-wolf-sheeps-clothing" target="_blank">Originally published at AfroDaddy.com</a>)</em></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;">After months of speculation, Mitt Romney has finally settled on his Vice President choice, Paul Ryan. Of course many Republican conservatives are elated with this choice, as Ryan represents everything they like: smaller government, tax breaks for the rich, eliminating social programs, and a "dog-eat-dog" capitalism that leaves many poor, hungry and disenfranchised.</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;">Democrats are equally pleased with the pick as Paul Ryan represents an easy target to rail against. For Democrats Ryan is the poster child for everything wrong with Republican conservative philosophy. </p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;">Political pundits on both sides of the aisle will spend the next few months sniping at each other and battling it out on Fox, CNN and MSNBC, but honestly we don't care about that. What we care about here at The Survival Guide is <strong>how does a Mitt Romney - Paul Ryan ticket affect me</strong>?</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;"><img alt="Paul Ryan - Mitt Romney" src="http://afrodaddy.com/sites/default/files/Romney-Ryan.jpg" style="margin-left:4px;margin-right:4px;float:right;width:319px;height:232px;" />It is easy to be fooled by Paul Ryan as he comes in as a lamb, but goes out like a snake. He is a fairly good looking gentleman, who has an innocent face and an engaging smile. He's a good family man and constantly speaks on moral values and wholesome qualities. His unassuming style has obviously engaged millions of Americans as he has been voted into Congress for 12 years. With these seemingly positive qualities you would think that Ryan is great for America and great for you. If you thought that however you would be wrong.</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;">Paul Ryan is the architect of the Ryan Budget, a ghastly document that in theory is designed to balance the budget but in practicality robs from the poor to give tax breaks to the wealthy and to corporations. Ryan is against a woman's right to choose and believes all abortion should be illegal, even in the case of rape and incest. Ryan believes in increased spending on defense and tax breaks for the rich while gutting federal programs and eliminating the social safety net. </p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;">Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words so instead of talking about the impact of the Ryan Plan I present these 3 charts that tell you how Ryan's plans for America affect the rich and the poor.</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;text-align:center;"><img alt="" src="http://afrodaddy.com/sites/default/files/Ryan%20Budget%20Chart%201.png" style="width:420px;height:279px;" /></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;text-align:center;"><img alt="Ryan Budget Chart 2" src="http://afrodaddy.com/sites/default/files/Ryan%20Budget%20Chart%202.png" style="width:421px;height:277px;" /></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;text-align:center;"><img alt="Ryan budget Chart 3" src="http://afrodaddy.com/sites/default/files/Ryan%20Budget%20Chart%204.png" style="width:419px;height:280px;" /></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;"><strong>Paul Ryan is probably the last politician you want in power if you are a:</strong></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 5pt 20px;">Senior citizen on medicare,</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 5pt 20px;">Person reliant on social security,</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 5pt 20px;">Student dependent on financial aid or student loans</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 5pt 20px;">Public sector employee,</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 5pt 20px;">Person on food stamps,</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt 20px;">Public school teacher (or any public employee).</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;">Use your vote to tell the Republicans that you will not sit idly by and let them destroy the social safety net and the promise of America for ALL of its citizens. Vote Obama-Biden 2012.</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Note:</strong></span> For those who think that Obama has not done enough, you may be right, but a vote against Obama is a vote for Romney-Ryan and that is THE definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face.</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;">To read more about Paul Ryan's "Vision for America" please read</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 5pt 20px;"><em><a href="http://afrodaddy.com/The-AfroBlog/poor-people-don%E2%80%99t-want-charity-or-welfare-they-want-fn-job">Poor People Don’t Want Charity or Welfare, They Want a F****n Job!</a></em></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt 20px;"><em><a href="http://afrodaddy.com/The-AfroBlog/one-black-man%E2%80%99s-opinion-gop-plans-cut-social-security-and-medicare">One Black Man's Opinion on the GOP Plans to Cut Social Security and Medicare</a></em></p></div>Hands off Boys and Girls High: Threats Loom to Shut Down Boys and Girls High In Brooklyn, NY - Where are the Illustrious Alumni???https://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/hands-off-boys-and-girls-high-threats-loom-to-shut-down-boys-and2012-05-24T07:30:00.000Z2012-05-24T07:30:00.000ZGloria Dulan-Wilsonhttps://www.theblacklist.net/members/GloriaDulanWilson<div><p> </p><div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:block;border:0pt none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/10697937958373924179"><img alt="My Photo" class="profile-img" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9HiRqRhD2pk/S5rhtBSaC9I/AAAAAAAAAC8/AUlXfdUVyGo/S220/Gloria+Dulan-Wilson" height="60" width="80" /><br /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/10697937958373924179" target="_blank">by Gloria Dulan-Wilson</a> ~</ins></ins></strong></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/10697937958373924179" target="_blank"><br /><br /></a></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span style="color:#000000;"><strong> HELLO ALL: THE FOLLOWING IS MY COMMENTARY IN RESPONSE TO AN ARTICLE THAT RECENTLY APPEARED IN CITILIMITS MAGAZINE. PLEASE READ IT AND THE ARTICLE THAT FOLLOWS BELOW. IT APPEARS THAT BOYS AND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL IS BEING TARGETED FOR CLOSING AGAIN. IT'S TIME TO SOUND THE ALL ALERT SIGNAL - SO THE PREDATORS DON'T DESTROY THE SCHOOL UNDER THE GUISE OF TRANSFORMATION.</strong></span></strong></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;">I've met Dr. Gassaway and am impressed with his dedication to the Boys and Girls High school students. Given the detached demeanor of so many of our current administrators, his hands on, can do and will be done attitude is a pleasant and necessary change. As a parent, a guidance counselor, and former director of student activities at City College's SEEK program, I also have seen a decided difference in where our youth are today as compared to where they were a few decades ago, when we were students.</span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"></div><div style="display:inline-block;"></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><br /> <span style="color:#000000;">Those of us from another generation had parents who taught us that "education was the key;" there were no excuses for bad grades or poor deportment. There was no such thing as being culturally deprived, coming from a single parent home, living in a "bad" neighborhood, poverty, wellfare, or anything else. Your job, your responsibility was to go to school, get the best education possible, and make something of yourself. With the further expectation that you would then help your family and your community.</span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"></div><div style="display:inline-block;"></div><div style="display:inline-block;"></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;">The parents of today are products of poorly functioning families and equally poorly functioning schools, and a society that has largely written them off; they are marginalized. They were not taught the value of a good education; instead, they were more or less taught that education was not relevant, or, worse yet: that it was "white." Now these same parents, who are either stuck in mediocre jobs, or on public assistance, have communicated those same negative values to their children. Some of whom are at Boys & Girls; others are in schools throughout the 5 boroughs. </span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;">The legendary reputation and tradition of Boys High (a/k/a Boys and Girls High) is both national and international in scope. My former husband and his 4 brothers all graduated from there. There are other entertainers, artists, legislators, doctors, lawyers, sports figures, trailblazers, who have gotten their start at Boys High. They speak fondly of their days there, and what it has done for them as adults. Where are they, now that their alma mater is facing the ax?</span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /> The set up of the current public school system in New York City (in most of the US, as well) does not adequately or appropriately serve the needs of our youth, and hasn't for some time. The dumbing down of the curricula began in the mid-70's, right under the noses of most Black parents, in the guise of "progressive", "modern" techniques. The result of the new methodology is methodically dis-educating and mis-educating our youth. Most can't read above a 6th grade level. Can't simple words, or make a coherent, and grammatically correct sentence. Now, instead of the tri-level program - academic, vocational and commercial -- students are forced into one major modality. And it's not working. </span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Boys & Girls would do well to consider the return -either fully or partially - to such a modality. Not every kid who graduates is going to college; not every child is going to be a computer wiz. There are people from other countries coming to New York to fill trade jobs we used to be able to fill from the population right here - they are from other countries - where they still understand the value of having a skill. Many of the entrepreneurs we have among us learned via a commercial - or business - curriculum.</span></div><div style="display:inline-block;text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;">Instead of closing Boys & Girls High, it needs to be retooled and refocused not closed and decimated.</span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong> Like President Obama stated, the jobs have to be brought back to America - well, so do the skills. The concept of New York's major "industries" being FIRE - FINANCE, INSURANCE, REAL ESTATE, is due in large part to the closing of our manufacturing plants and shipping lines. It was a deliberate move as these jobs were exported over seas for cheaper labor. When they come back, there should be high school grads with the skills and abilities to fill those jobs, just as there should be college bound students pursuing other career goals.</strong></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;text-align:left;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><br /> I urge/insist that our Black elected officials get involved on an integral level in the development of ongoing resources to expand Dr. Gassaway's and the faculty and staff's capacities to transform the students so they break that chain of poverty mentality and hostility.</strong></span></div><div style="display:inline-block;text-align:left;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><br /><div><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ul><li style="margin-left:0px;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><br /><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><div><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><div><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><div><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><br /><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><p><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>I also recommend that those who have graduated from "The High" come back and spend some time mentoring a guiding the present day student to success. If anyone should adopt a school - it's them, the doctors, lawyers, sports figures, entertainers, and parents - who got their values from a school that would not quit or give up on them.</strong></span></ins></ins></ins></ins></p><p><br /><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Just so you know, however - the Bed-Stuy Brooklyn Community will do every thing in our power to make sure that BOYS & GIRLS HIGH is not closed- by any means necessary. The mis-education division of the City of New York needs to find some other target to do their hatchet job on. Hands off The High!</strong></span><br /><br /></ins></p><p></p></ins></ins></ins></ins></div><br /></ins></ins></ins></ins></div><br /></ins></ins></ins></ins></div><br /></ins></ins></ins></ins></li><li style="list-style:none;"><ins style="width:728px;min-height:90px;display:inline-table;border:0pt none;"></ins></li></ul><br /></ins></ins></ins></ins></div><br /></ins></div></div><ul style="float:right;"><li><div><div><table cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;" nowrap="nowrap"></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;" nowrap="nowrap"><div><table cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><div title=""><table cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.gigya.com/gs/i/shareBar/button/buttonLeftImgUp.png" alt="buttonLeftImgUp.png" /></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td><td><div style="width:38px;min-height:20px;"><table style="width:100%;min-height:100%;" cellspacing="0" width="1"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td><td style="vertical-align:middle;white-space:nowrap;" nowrap="nowrap"><div><table cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><div title=""><table cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td></td><td style="vertical-align:middle;text-align:left;background-repeat:repeat-x;"></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td><td><div style="width:38px;min-height:20px;"><table style="width:100%;min-height:100%;" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td><td style="vertical-align:middle;white-space:nowrap;" nowrap="nowrap"><div><table cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><div title=""><table cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td></td><td style="vertical-align:middle;text-align:left;background-repeat:repeat-x;"></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td><td><div style="width:38px;min-height:20px;"><table style="width:100%;min-height:100%;" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;" nowrap="nowrap"><div><div title=""><table cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></li></ul><p><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000000;">Stay Blessed &</span></span></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">ECLECTICALY BLACK</span><br /> <span style="color:#000000;">Gloria Dulan-Wilson</span></p><div><span style="color:#993300;"><strong>The Aricle from CitiLimits follows:</strong></span></div><div><span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><br /></strong></span></span></div><div><span><span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Fear of School Closure Is Personal for This Principal (from CitiLimits MagazineBrooklyn Bureau) Thursday, May 10, 2012<span><a href="http://www.bkbureau.org/print/fear-school-closure-personal-principal?page=2&utm_source=May%2010%2C%202012%20Weekly%20Update&utm_campaign=Weekly%20Update%205-2&utm_medium=email" title="Display a printer-friendly version of this page." target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bkbureau.org/modules/print/icons/print_icon.gif" alt="Printer-friendly version" title="Printer-friendly version" height="16" width="16" /></a></span></strong></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Story By <a href="http://www.citylimits.org/news/author-articles.cfm?author_id=440" target="_blank">Darren Sands</a>.<br /></strong></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><br /></strong></span></span></div><div><img src="http://www.bkbureau.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-image/gassaway.jpg" alt="" title="" height="422" width="578" /></div><div> <span>Photo By Adi Talwar.</span></div><div><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Bernard Gassaway is in his third year as principal at Boys and Girls. He was a teacher there from 1988 to 1991.</em></span></div><div><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Whether Bed-Stuy's Boys and Girls High School—with its declining enrollment and F ratings—survives is not just a professional concern for Principal Bernard Gassaway. His classroom roots, his former marriage, his career ambitions are all tied to the building on Fulton Street.</em></span></div><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>On a recent weekday morning, Bernard Gassaway, principal of Boys and Girls High School, bounced casually down the stairs while giving a tour of the building to a new guidance counselor. As the tour was coming to a close, the atmosphere along the path he took back toward his office was suddenly ripe for a fight: In a busy stairwell, an agitated guard had tried to stop an angry student for some offense. Gassaway watched the boy jerk his backpack away from the guard and retreat up the stairs, his face full of rage.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Gassaway casually made his way toward the student, grabbed him and put him in a playful headlock, an ironic demur of the aggressive manner in which the guard seemed to be handling the situation.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>"Did you grab him like this?"</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Unable to maneuver, the kid just smiled.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>"I didn't do nothing to him," barked the guard, who, for his part, was still irritated. As if to stick up for his friend, another student then stepped to Gassaway.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>"What, I grab him and you show up? I got people, too." He winked at his new hire.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>He disguised it with playful banter, but Gassaway was in a solemn mood. Earlier that morning, rising before the sun, he stopped by the Jamaica, Queens home he once lived in with his ex-wife, Traci, and daughter, Atiya. There are still pieces of his life there, loose ends that need tying. The home is in contract to be sold. "I'm not going to fool myself," he replied when asked how he was doing personally. "I think I'm OK. I know that you've got to take care of yourself before you take care of others. And I haven't always done that."</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>It was during the first school days of September of 2009 that Gassaway and his ex-wife began their difficult separation. The freshman class that arrived then will be seniors when the 2012-2013 school year begins in September. And yet, while his tenure reaches what he says is an emotional milestone, there's a growing weight to the long-held fear that the Department of Education could elect to phase-out or close the school. This worry has tempered Gassaway's anticipation of his personal landmark and even cast a pall over efforts to save the school.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>In a city where DOE brass have made a practice of closing large high schools and replacing them with smaller ones, the pressure to avoid a fate similar to, say, nearby Paul Robeson, is intense. In a system where principals have been given increased authority and accountability, Gassaway will get much of the the credit or the blame if Bed-Stuy's Boys and Girls survives—or fails.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>"The weight of it [possibly] closing is tremendous," Gassaway said, alluding to the rich history of noted physicians, attorneys, politicians and athletes that the school has produced. "You're not closing down a new school. Boys and Girls High is more than just an institution. But the more imminent weight I feel is when it comes to dealing with the children day-to-day: Dealing with their concerns, their issues, their aspirations … and asking ourselves how we help create the future doctors and lawyers, and [figuring out] what role we play in that."</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em><strong>Despite history, challenges abound</strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>That Gassaway would use a headlock, of all devices, to defuse a potentially volatile situation illustrates his deep ties to two generations of students: Gassaway taught that angry boy's father as a young English teacher at Boys and Girls from 1988 to 1991 under his late mentor, the legendary principal Frank Mickens. In fact, Gassaway's 2009 return modeled his mentor's legacy; Mickens, too, left Boys and Girls in 1982, only to return as principal in 1986. Both sons of Brooklyn, each also received their bachelor's degree upstate.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Boys and Girls' condition is viewed by many as critical. One out of every four Boys and Girls students receives special education services. The school's graduation rate is about 45 percent, and school-wide attendance stands 71.2 percent as of May 7. It also received an ‘F' in every major category on its most recent Dept. of Education Progress Report. Once brimming with as many as 5,000 students, the school now has just over 1,500 students. School spirit is in short supply, but not for lack of trying on the part of its boys Kangaroos boys basketball team. Led by coach Ruth Lovelace (the first female coach to win a boys state title), the team won both the PSAL and New York State Federation titles in March. The headline of an article in the New York Daily News read, ‘ROOS RULE'. It hangs in Gassaway's office.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>"The culture of the kids is different," said staff member Katrina Brown, a 2008 graduate of Boys and Girls and aspiring principal who arrived at Boys and Girls the year after Mickens retired. An assistant to assistant principal Bridget Carrington, Brown was a part of an incoming class of 1,500. But the number of students isn't the only thing that's changed, she says. "When I was a student, the kids wanted to do better. They wanted to graduate. A lot of these kids don't care. Their makeup is different. They don't want to be involved in school sports or activities. Now? They hardly want even come in the morning. I used to dread going home – and not because I had a bad home life. I was just so involved in what was going on here."</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em><strong>A family grows in Brooklyn</strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Many students are not as fortunate as Brown. Gassaway believes he could solve most of the school's problem's if he could strengthen the family. That would seem an impossible duty, or at least one not a fit for a principal. But while Gassaway has not been able to repair each of his students' home lives, the school itself—as it has gotten smaller—has actually become a family.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>There's Constancia Simpson-Hayes, whose room on the second floor has a lounge area where students can read or chat quietly. A product of and staunch believer in the public school system who for years worked in college administration, Simpson-Hayes arrived last November as the school's new director of college and career services, and casually refers to her appointment as coming "back home." The lab had five working computers when she got there; it now has 16.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>"We have a new family member," was how Gassaway introduced Aja Brown, the new guidance counselor whom he was showing around the building the morning the fight almost broke out. Staff in the Hub, the office that serves as a central processing unit for everything from incoming calls to faxes and guests, fawned over her as if she had walked through a church office.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Since then, in just a couple of weeks on the job, she's already begun the arduous task of placing students with little chance of earning a high school diploma from Boys and Girls in alternative schools. Others she will prepare for job training or other essential services. No matter their path, her bosses' mandate is to monitor their progress as far as she can.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>"I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be," Brown said.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>That sense of belonging permeates the school's culture, now. As a pillar in the community, Boys and Girls—a zoned school which serves numerous area housing projects—prides itself on not giving up on any of its students, especially the most needy. "We believe students achieve success and embrace learning when they feel safe and are supported by competent and caring adults," reads the school's vision statement.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Coming up with resources hasn't been easy, but expanded offerings give the most vulnerable students access to services for which there is dire need. As many as 250 boys participate in an empowerment program titled Boys II Men. At night once a quarter, Gassaway opens the school for the boys to play sports and participate in workshops and character building. Many of his staff members volunteer.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Students now have access to health services, intervention specialists and counselors on-site.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em><strong>Facing expectations</strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Perhaps Gassaway's most public battles over the course of the past three years played out when he began to suspend athletes from contests if they didn't pass their first period class because of poor attendance. The policy kept star players out of key games, especially in basketball, and there was little if any budging on the principal's behalf. This year, athletes are to maintain a 70 average and are also required to do 30 hours of community service. The PSAL recently adopted a similar policy for student athletes.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Outlined in a memo made available to Brooklyn Bureau, Boys and Girls' Comprehensive Education Plan for the 2011-12 school year underline high expectations for students:</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>--70 percent of students will have at least 11 credits by June 2012 (Just 40 percent had at least 5.5 credits as of last February</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>--70 percent of students who sit for any Regents exam will pass with at least a 65 by the end of the school year (28.6 percent of students who sat last year passed with at least a 65)</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>-Boys and Girls will achieve a graduation rate of 65 percent by August 2012 (Just 30 percent of the junior class are on track to graduate).</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Measured against the performance of the school to date, the goals are ambitious. But Gassaway thinks changes in the school's atmosphere make them attainable.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>"Two years ago, I was putting out the fires," Gassaway starts. "So they'd say, ‘Mr. Gassaway, the building's rocking.' And you can feel it, anyway. ‘Mr. Gassaway, there's was a fight on the third, fight on the second, fight on the first.' And I'm, like, ‘Shit.' So I'd say, ‘O.K., time to put on the Superman cape.' So I'd have to go out and make the hard decisions, getting students out of the building."</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em><strong>A personal stake</strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>It's tough to determine how, in the next 18 months, the school will perform, how Gassaway and his staff will frame that record and how the DOE will interpret it. What is clear is that the results, and Tweed's reaction to them, will affect students, teachers, the institution and its principal.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>At just 51, Gassaway is a man conscientious, if not obsessed, with legacy. He wrote a memoir, Reflections of an Urban High School Principal, in his mid-forties. This concern is part of the reason why the uncertain future of Boys and Girls unsettles him so.</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>Ironically, this is not because he knows he wants to spend the rest of his career in urban high schools. Gassaway has other aspirations. He has talked openly about one day soon finishing his coursework for his Ph.D. at Columbia Teacher's College and becoming a professor. But if he makes that move, the manner of making it matters. Will he walk out the door, run—or get chased?</em></span></p><p><span style="color:#800000;"><em>"My field is education," he said. "If I'm going to be a tenured professor at some college, what am I going to profess? That I was in an urban high school [that] failed, so I can talk to you about failing, but I can't talk to you about success?" ###</em></span></p><p><strong><span style="color:#993300;">As I mentioned earlier, Boys High, and Boys and Girls High have a list of illustrious graduates a mile long. If they are as fond of the school as they say they are, they'll pull together their considerable influence and be the support it needs now and in the future. And send a clear signal to the youth who currently attend that they can be as great, if not greater than their predecessors. That they are not alone or abandoned. They will likewise join with so many Brooklynites who have stood together in the face of previous attempts to close the legendary school and say: "HANDS OFF THE HIGH!!"</span></strong></p><p>Former New Yorker, and activist/entrepreneur <strong><span style="color:#993300;">Dorothy Pitman-Hughes</span></strong> just penned a book entitled: <em><strong>"I'm Just Saying, It Looks Like Ethnic Cleansing - the Gentrification of Harlem</strong></em>," which will be featured at the African American Pavillion at the BookExpo America exhibit at Jacob Javits Center, June 5 - 7th (private signing at the Cotton Club in Harlem, on June 4).<br /><br /> <em><strong>Make no mistake about it, the dumbing down of our educational centers, the staffing with mediocre teachers, and the supplanting of ernest, competent administrators, as in the case of Medgar Evers College; or the demolishing of schools, hospitals, community based centers as in the case of Paul Robeson High school, and other facilities; along with massive foreclosures - all look like ETHNIC CLEANSING to me! And it has to be halted in its tracks, by any means necessary. Those of you who think that the sale of Inner City Broadcasting, the discontinuation of Like It Is on ABC-TV; the sudden sale of WRKS (KISS) FM, the cancellation of Michael Baisden (who is no longer heard in New York) is merely a business transaction, have been drinking way too much of the wrong flavored Kool-Aid. Wake up and smell the new sulphurated stench of psycho-sociological, educational, economic and environmental genocide, big city style.</strong></em><br /><br /> <em><strong>Draw a line in the concrete now, of the next to go will be you. HANDS OFF THE HIGH!! And all of our other Black institutions.</strong></em>###GDW<br /> Stay Blessed &<br /> ECLECTICALLY BLACK<br /> Gloria Dulan-Wilson</p></div>Waka Flocka Flame: Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?https://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/waka-flocka-flame-are-you2010-10-10T03:48:31.000Z2010-10-10T03:48:31.000ZTheBlackListhttps://www.theblacklist.net/members/TheBlackList<div><font size="5"><strong><a href="operationmedia@yahoo.com">Paul Scott</a>:</strong></font><br /><br /><strong><em>"All my brothers eatin' chicken and watermelon, talk broken English and drug sellin'"<br />My Philosophy-Boogie Down Productions</em></strong><br /><br />Last night, during the premier of the Hip Hop version of "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader," 24 year old Waka Flocka Flame, went up against nine year old up and coming rapper, Willow Smith. However, the show ended, abruptly when during the introductions, the host asked Flaka how many years he had been rappin'. After counting on his fingers for several seconds, a puzzled Flame stormed off stage, cussin' at the audience and accusing the host of asking him a trick question...<br /><br />Waka Flocka Flame is, undoubtedly, one of the hottest artists in Hip Hop, right now. You cannot turn on any Hip Hop radio station in the world and not hear one of his songs blastin' through the speakers. However, what is making Waka most famous these days is not his music but his interviews. Grandma used to tell me that it is better to keep silent and be thought a dummy, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Apparently, Flocka didn't get the memo.<br /><br />On a recent episode of BET's 106 and Park, the host, Terrence J asked him about education and Flame responded by saying that he was going back to school to study "geometry." Later when the other host, Roxie asked him about politics, the boy genius said in classic Captain Caveman fashion "oonga boonga...votin' cool."<br /><br />What is most disturbing, however, is the follow up interview that he gave on a radio station where he suggested that " Waka Flocka Flame" was just a character that he created in order to relate to the boys in tha hood. So my issue is not really with Juaquin Malphurs, the product of the American mis-educational system, but with his alter ego, Waka Flocka Flame that is being used by the industry to make being dumb, cool. A classic case of "I'm not really an idiot, I just play one on TV..."<br /><br />The popularity of black folks actin' the fool has its roots in the mid 1800's with the black face minstrel performances. In the book, "Split Image: African Americans in the Mass Media," (Janet Davis and William Barlow) historian William Van Deburg is quoted as saying that in a time when many whites feared slave insurrections "the early slave image offered white audiences a comforting , psychological reassurance." He writes that "such intellectually inferior clowns posed little threat to white hegemony."<br /><br />Such as it is today with black rappers in black face like Waka Flocka , who, despite all the hood talk are only a threat to the residents of the hood and not the socio-economic well being of those in the suburbs.<br /><br />What is most disturbing about Waka is that he plays into the hands of those who still believe that black folks are more "Straight Out the Jungle" than "Straight Out of Compton." It must be remembered that barely a hundred years ago, African people were being locked up in monkey cages at zoos and forced to perform for white folks. According to Dr. Harriet Washington in her book, "Medical Apartheid," around 1903, a missionary explorer, Samuel Phillips Lerner, captured Ota Benga, an African "pygmy" and gave him to William Hornaday to put on exhibit in the Bronx Zoo. However, in 2010 they have stopped putting black men in cages but place them on stages.<br /><br />To hear Malphurs tell it, the Flaka Flame character just represents the collective mentality of young urban males who have been victimized by society and he is only using rap music to express their collective point of view. Anyone who knows anything thing about Hip Hop history will tell you that that is a bunch of bull.<br /><br />Back in the early 80's during the Reagan Era ,when times were ,arguably, socio-economically worst for black folks, rappers like the Treacherous Three and Funky Four Plus One More , expressed themselves very articulately, despite coming from conditions that were worst than those faced by the multi-millionaire rappers of today. We must ask ourselves why do the rappers of the 80's who were teenagers in the Reagan- Bush Era sound more intelligent than grown men in their 20's and 30's in the age of Obama? Just compare the lyrics of a young Kool Moe D or Grandmaster Caz with the ramblings of Waka Flocka or Gucci Mane. So the "product of my environment" excuse just doesn't fly in the face of facts.<br /><br />What we have is the mass marketing of ignorance, a classic case of supply and demand. There are people who want to see black buffoonery and an industry more than happy to give it to them in large doses.<br /><br />As we enter into an era where some people are trying to "turn back the clock" on African American progress, the actions of Waka Flocka Flame cannot be viewed in a political vacuum. In a time when many people want to put us back on the plantation we don't need rappers to supply the lyrical whips to beat us into submission.<br /><br />So, what should we do? In truth, legitimate illiteracy is a major problem in poor communities. However, these folks should be helped and not exploited on TV. Perhaps there should be some "United Negro College Fund" for rappers to encourage artists like Wacka Flaka to obtain a higher education or develop a Hip Hop Rites of a Passage where more socio- politically conscious rappers take artists such as Flame and mentor them.<br /><br />If that doesn't work, then it is time for some tough love. Like the old "scared straight" program, stupid rappers need to be "sacred smart" or risk being pulled off stage like KRS One did PM Dawn back in the day by crowds of disgusted black folks who are tired of seeing us portrayed as buffoons.<br /><br />Either way it goes down, a change must come.<br /><br />These are critical times for African Americans and we are in the fight of our lives against ignorance. We are at the bottom of the ninth inning; the end of the fourth quarter; down by three points with two seconds on the shot clock. There is a time for subtle diplomacy, but as Waka Flocka Flame said himself, there is also a time to "go hard in the paint."<br /><br /><strong>TRUTH Minista Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com can be reached at</strong> <a href="info@nowarningshotsfired.com"><strong>info@nowarningshotsfired.com</strong></a><strong>. For more information on the Militant Mind Militia go to</strong> <a href="http://www.militantmindmilitia.com"><strong>http://www.militantmindmilitia.com</strong></a></div>Laura Schlessinger's Crazy Cure for Racism: Do We Blame Dr. Laura or Dr. Dre?https://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/laura-schlessingers-crazy-cure2010-08-16T17:04:58.000Z2010-08-16T17:04:58.000ZTheBlackListhttps://www.theblacklist.net/members/TheBlackList<div><p><strong><span style="border-bottom:medium none;background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Paul Scott:</span><br /></strong><br />A broken, elderly black man limped into his doctor's office last Tuesday afternoon. His neck bore the scars of numerous lynching attempts and his back the whelps of years of severe beatings. Reflected in his eyes was the pain of seeing his mother and sister raped and being powerless to do anything about it. As he described in vivid detail his many thoughts of committing suicide, the physician just sat emotionless in her chair. Finally, she scribbled on her prescription pad, "take two doses of the "N word" and call me in the morning. LOL..."<br /><br />Last week, talk show host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, came under fire for using the "N word" multiple times to help a caller get over her racial "hypersensitivity." While the purpose of the conversation was, supposedly, to give the caller life changing advice, in reality, Schlessinger was merely trying to help her predominately white audience get over their collective guilt of harboring white supremacist attitudes as she soothed them with the old standard, "<span>Black Comedians</span> use the N Word, Why Can't I" Therefore, if it's cool in Compton it must play well in Peoria.<br /><br />Newsflash for Dr. Laura. Not all black men walk around grabbin' their crotches, showing their dirty drawers and dropping the "N bomb" like there's no tomorrow. I, personally, have never made a habit of <span>using the word</span> and have spoken out against its use on many occasions. Also, activists such as <span style="border-bottom:#366388 2px dotted;">Gary, Indiana</span> radio host, Kwabena Rasuliu have led multiple protests against those in the Hip Hop world who have used such ignorance as a marketing tool.<br /><br />However, folks like "Sgt. Schlessiger" and her Right Wing Storm Troopers, continuously, use black entertainers as justification for their racist rants. The comedians to whom Schlessinger referred do not speak for me nor do they speak for most people of African descent. It is unfortunate that, while folks like Dr. Laura can name black comedians who use the word, they cannot name one Afro-centric historian who has put the word in a social or historical context and can explain how it became a term of black endearment.<br /><br />So, herein, lies the major problem facing this country in terms of race relations: historical and cultural ignorance.<br /><br />Although, the use of the "N word" pops up as a topic of discussion every few years, most people, <span>black or white</span>, do not know the historical origins of the word. <br /><br />The word "nigger" is derived from the Portuguese adjective "negro" which was used by the early slave traders to describe their new found "property." So, when it crossed the Atlantic , "negro" was ,eventually, transformed into the word "nigger;" different spellings but for all intents and purposes, having the same meaning as they both infer that black people are less than human.<br /><br />Black psychologists have suggested that the use of the word by African Americans is a subconscious response to <span style="border-bottom:#366388 2px dotted;">white supremacy</span>.<br /><br />In his book, "<span style="border-bottom:#366388 2px dotted;">Black on Black</span> Violence: The Psycho-dynamics of Black Self-Annihilation in the Service of White Domination" the late psychologist Dr. Amos Wilson wrote, " through identification with the aggressor, the subject attempts to magically transform himself from the one being threatened to the one threatening; from powerlessness to powerful: from inferior to superior."<br /><br />It must be noted that the degradation of black people for comedic purposes started with white black-face performer Thomas Rice's Jumpin' <span style="border-bottom:#366388 2px dotted;">Jim Crow</span> in 1830, predating early black comedians such as <span style="border-bottom:#366388 2px dotted;">Moms Mabley</span> and Redd Fox by more than a century. Not to mention that most black entertainers work for white owned companies.<br /><br />While <span>comedian Richard Pryor</span> used the "N word" extensively in some of his early stand up routines, later in his career, following a trip to Africa, he publicly vowed to "never call a black man nigger again."<br /><br />Perhaps, the group most influential in popularizing the word during the Hip Hop Era was NWA (Niggas With Attitude) of the late 80's and early '90's. However, the group was managed by <span>Jerry Heller</span>, a white man, who was also the co-owner of their record label, <span>Ruthless Records</span>. So, there have always been white business men who have supplied white Americans with an avenue to, vicariously, live out their racist fantasies through black entertainers.<br /><br />While some may make the argument that it is only entertainment, the contradictions within this statement are many.<br /><br />One example is that although Jewish comedians such as <span>Jackie Mason</span> and <span>Adam Sandler</span>, may make Jewish jokes, none of their stand up routines would ever be used by outsiders to make light of the Jewish Holocaust.<br /><br />Also, attacks on the black community seem to be the only topics not off limit by the entertainment industry. Black entertainers from <span>Professor Griff</span> of <span>Public Enemy</span> to the late <span>Michael Jackson</span> had their careers negatively impacted by, allegedly, making anti-Semitic comments or songs. Ironically, <span style="border-bottom:#366388 2px dotted;">Ice Cube</span>, one of the founders of NWA was boycotted in the early 90's by the Korean community over a song he made in regards to the murder of 15 year old Latasha Harland, who was shot by a <span style="border-bottom:#366388 2px dotted;">Korean</span> grocer.<br /><br />So, we see the real double standard at play. <br /><br />If we are not careful, the controversy over Dr. Laura's statement will go the route of the infamous <span style="border-bottom:#366388 2px dotted;">Don Imus</span> incident as <span>civil rights leaders</span> and right wing media pundits will find a way to put the blame totally on rap music; blaming Dr. Dre instead of Dr. Laura.<br /><br />In order to stop the Dr. Laura's of the world, this country must engage in a massive reeducation process. African Americans must learn all they can about their culture and pass the information on to future generations. Also, white Americans must be willing to hear the truth about the <span>African American experience</span> no matter how uncomfortable it might make them feel. This will not come from educators who fear backlash from school boards nor newspaper editors who are more concerned with offending their advertisers than serving the public good but will come from Afro-centric historians and scholars who are brave enough to speak truth to power without biting their tongues.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this cure is too big a pill for most folks to swallow.<br /><br /><strong><em>Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired .com. For more information about the Intelligence Over Ignorance lecture series on Race, Rap and <span>Revolution</span> contact <span style="border-bottom:#366388 2px dotted;">(919) 451-8283</span> or</em></strong> <a target="_blank"><span><strong><em>info@nowarningshotsfired.com</em></strong></span></a><br /><br /><strong><em>No Warning Shots</em></strong> <a target="_blank"><span><strong><em>Fired.com</em></strong></span></a> <strong><em><br />(Hardcore News and Views with a Gangsta Attitude) <br /></em></strong><a target="_blank"><span><strong><em>http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com</em></strong></span></a> <strong><em><br />(919) 451-8283<br /></em></strong></p></div>Paul Mooneyhttps://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/2055350-BlogPost-92452008-07-31T08:00:41.000Z2008-07-31T08:00:41.000ZBLACKWATCH - Dr. Brother Raheru Ptah Sun of Asaruhttps://www.theblacklist.net/members/BLACKWATCHDrBrotherRaheruPtahSunofAsaru<div><object width="425" height="344" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZOGMhuVLjTA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZOGMhuVLjTA&hl=en&fs=1" ></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent" ></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZOGMhuVLjTA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div>