The Tribune Online, Page 13

Glenn Beck going blind?

Beck says he's been diagnosed with macular dystrophy...indeed a dreadful disease. However, Beck has been conning folks since his explosion on the televangelistic huckster's scene. I'm inclined to wonder if he's going to subtlely ask for an increase in the purchase of his books of rants, ravings, and mush-minded musings? In this case, sight is of little importance; whereas, the sense of smell would be more intense to the point of having to hold one's nose while slogging through the crock.

I surmise that this is simply a ploy similar to the religious evangelist who stated without batting or winking an eye on television that "God" was going to "call him home" if his marks didn't respond with more money for his empire. God did eventually call him...I just don't know what he called him.

There was the case of Rush Limbaugh with the "phantom heart attack" which turned out to be a bad case of gas... probably due to smoking cigars and spicy food. Well, I have to credit him, for it got some much needed attention, although temporary, to his sinking radio program.

This all leads me to ask, is there any level that a shyster or jackleg will not stoop to gain favor while fleecing their flock? 

The Obligation of Denunciation

Ben Jealous of the NAACP has been asked to denounce Louis Farrakhan by Stanley Crouch, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Neal Boortz and others after his asking the T-Bag Leadership to denounce its racist's elements. For the record, it's not the role of Mr. Jealous to denounce Louis Farrakhan or the two morons of the "new" Black Panthers, or the black female idiot, supposedly a federal government employee making racist statements at a NAACP meeting...she should have been fired outright by her supervisor the minute such statements were made...period. (Update: She resigned!)

As far as denunciation of Louis Farrakhan, it has been done over and over again by Mr. Elijah's son, Wallace Muhammad, now deceased, Mr. Elijah's most prominent supporter, Muhammad Ali, by the President of the United States, by me a former representative of Mr. Elijah's and a few more whom the right wingers just don't want to recall...selectively.

However, the real obligation of denouncement for these openly hostile racists should be Tavis Smiley for continuing to give Farrakhan a podium to spout his cult-like views and Sarah Palin who insists that the T-Bag movement does not contain any racist's elements. Again, the right wingers rely on the distortion of responsibility in order to make their argument more palatable to pea-brained elements, and that's both black and white...racism nothwithstanding.

USDA's Sherrod Out...

I made mention of Ms Sherrod in the previous article as a "black female idiot" for statements that may have been considered racist and attributed to her speech given before the NAACP. For this, I apologize. It appears that her remarks were taken out of context in order to destroy the fairness exhibited by the Obama Administration.

What should be taken from this matter, is that anyone connected to the President's administration has to be constantly alert for mis-spoken statements, improperly taken out of context, or just short of being lied about by right wingers or anyone else, and therefore, must be ready to accept the consequences. Ms Sherrod should accept her fate, take the the hit, and move on with her life...quietly.

Likewise, condemnation of racist's elements in the T-Bag movement is notable and justified by the NAACP, let's see if Sarah Palin will acknowledge the obvious. However, trying to get the Obama Administration to reverse its decision about Ms Sherrod is not. Frankly, if you (NAACP) had been more intuitive, you could have gotten out in front of this matter of distortion before the reactionary impact. Therefore, take some blame for not being on the case for these results...causing who appears to be an innocent to fall on her sword. This is comparable to the White House hostess allowing the party crashers to invade a soiree sometime back, and we know the results of her faux pas.

Sherrod Martyred...Unintentionally

Just as the racists who murdered King and other martyrs of the civil rights movement, making them immortal, a most unintentional goal of their savagery...the same can be said of Ms Sharrod and the intentions of the right wingers, led by Breitbart.

This was certainly not the consequence sought with his edited version of Ms Sherrod's speech, but it has forced Americans to look at the efforts by the civil saboteurs of our society with a clearer and more objective focus of their diabolically political objectives.

The "T-Bags" led by the likes of Sarah Palin should acknowlege this...now, before something more dreadful occurs down the line. Certainly, Ms Sherrod is owed not only an apology by America, but also our gratitude as well for her candor, at a time when purity of the heart and mind takes a back seat to political jockeying.

Good luck, Ms Sherrod on whatever decision you make and a heartfelt thanks for your most unfortunate victimization, which has shone a light on this dark and dastardly, right-wing foul-up. 

America's Conservative Intelligentsia...three pigs and a poke?

Most of us have heard the tale of the "Three Lil' Pigs", so I thought I would put a slight "liberal spin" to this tale and call it the "Three Big Pigs" of talk radio...aka Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity, building a conservative base of straw, sticks, and bs. They have served to lure the ingredients of ditto heads, dimwits, and drop-outs and who are outright hostile adversaries of academia...I wondered why?

After doing a background check of their academic efforts, it appears none got beyond a high school degree. Also, as far as their holier than thou patriotic fervor, none ever volunteered for the military...so much for their capitalistic preying on the emotions of those who have served and sacrificed their lives for this great country; a country that they feel they're automatically entitled to by race alone, for I see nothing else to say that they have earned that honor, as so many non-whites have in every war since this nation's inception.

Enough on the race issue; but unfortunately, I find that to be the real driving mechanism behind the "T-Bags" since Beck stated the President doesn't have an appreciation of white American society...and let's not continue to deny it..."mother of the grizzlies." "They just want to take back their country." Ididots!! Please!!

Consequently, the most that I could see, being that the term constitution is hammered by these hogs of the "conservative AM air waves", let's call this "re-constitution" of George Orwell's "Animal Farm"...would be three pigs led by a mama grizzly. To the rest of mainstream and sane America...Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be like these idiots. 

The "Left" Hates America...More Limbaugh Hogwash

I presume Rush Limbaugh means by the "Left" would include Blacks, all other minorities, Academia, Democrats, and let's see who else...all sane and rational-thinking Americans, which would include some Republicans? That would of course leave "T-bags", Dittoheads, Hannitites, Levinists, Boortzists, and of course Beckonians.

The truth is that the "Left" loves America, we just don't like the point of view presented by Limbaugh and his followers as listed above. For the sake of argument, I would suggest picking up a copy of the "American Heritage" magazine, Volume 60, No.2, Summer 2010 at the local library and find out why. Then again, I don't expect to find too many takers from the Limbaugh loonies... even if they can read for themselves. 

Reflections from the past...

I recall some of the past films I viewed as a kid, with one being that of the character played by Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, known as "Stepin Fetchit"...a real black embarrassment to our more intelligent black folk. Perry acted as the foot-shuffling, head-scratching, slow-talking imbecile that always seem to outsmart his more intelligent white counterparts in scenes to the wild laughter of the audience...which was a far different response to the laughter that may have been generated by a Richard Pryor.

Nonetheless, out of character, Perry was highly intelligent, which he could not allow to become visible to the public paying to see his caricature, for it would have terminated his career, a career that allowed him to become the first black actor to become a millionaire...shrewd indeed.

There was Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Jack Benny's butler in the Jack Benny television series. Rochester would appear in the scenes with his impeccably, processed hairdo which became a standard for most black entertainers who wanted to succeed on stage as "looking good." Rochester would answer, "yessir, Boss" to Benny's comedic lines while giving that impudent glare... good laughter but not quite on the order of a Dave Chappelle.

This brings me to two current black buffoons on the public stage, one being Clarence Thomas, who served as the presiding minister at one of Rush Limbaugh's weddings which eventually ended in failure and even more seriously tried to undermine the 1965 Voting Rights Act...not at all a laughing matter to the black community. The other is Michael Steele, the RNC Chief who's scheduled to appear with Andrew Breitbart at a Republican Fund Raiser. I don't need to tell you who Breitbart is, meaning Steele, a dumb ass "Roy Chester" should be ashamed, as much as ashamed as that real life "Stepin Fetchit" on the Supreme Court. I wonder how the future will reflect on these two Negroes?

Conventionality v Functionality...Teacher's Tenure and Unions

Conventionality is a term commonly found in your dictionary, whereas, functionality may not, but a term commonly used as it relates to the capablity of computer systems...can be good or bad depending on the performance, which segues into the topic.

Recently, the DC school system got serious about the performance of teachers in the classroom and said so by issuing "walking papers" to hundreds and putting hundreds more on notice. One teacher in a TV interview thought this was absolutely abominable, for she had been in the system for years and was "tenured." No sympathy from me, for she and the others let go were evaluated and did not meet the standards of expectation in teaching America's young people...that's right, this is not some local issue that can be continually overlooked because of some outdated policy such as tenure.

Let's jump down from DC to Alabama, my former home. In the recent Republican run-off, Bradley Byrne, an individual who was highly critical of the educational process in Alabama was defeated by his Republican opponent. This was done with the assistance of Paul Hubbert, a long time Democrat, and the head of the Alabama Education Association...the Teachers' Union. He even said so much following Byrne's defeat. Years ago, the state wanted to implement teacher testing each year to maintain a level of competence...a no, no again yielding to the Union. I'm not sure whatever became of the issue. I for one, think as students have to submit to SOL's, teachers should also have to requalify annually with some sort of SOL.

Let's go up to Virginia, my current home. Years back when I was doing some retail work for a major drug chain, I was asked to work with their pharmacy. I purchased the books, did the studying, and volunteered to take an exam for certification one year before it was required. My reasoning was that this should increase my income...it did for about $.50 more per hour as opposed to the front end retail work.

I took my certification and decided to shop my qualifications, landing at the major hospital for about $3.00 more per hour. I worked at the hospital for about four years before starting my own business. The state now required not only that you be certified, but licensed as a healthcare professional. Certification is required every two years in order to keep the license which has to be renewed annually.

Before certification and licensing, I was limited by conventionality but as a result of my being actively certified and licensed, the door was wide open to me in establishing my own business in this multi-billion healthcare market, based on functionality.

Teachers...if you are good at your profession, you should welcome testing. If not, you should find another profession or improve. Unions should stop doing a great disservice to our children, our nation, and our future generation in trying to protect the incompetent who don't want to improve their functionality.